One title, a small beginning
Contents
♡♥♡ One, small beginning / Romans 5:17-19
*** Introduction
One of the characteristics of modern society is ‘larger size’. The buildings are very large, the apartments are high-rise, the markets and shopping malls are very large, the refrigerators and TVs in the house are large, the apartments are large, and the churches are large churches. As the saying goes, ‘the more the better, the better’, people don’t seem to be satisfied with small things and small amounts. This is also the case with the desire to earn a thousand bucks in an instant. As a result, small and small things are ignored.
But there are things people don't know. ‘One’ is small and small, but it is the beginning of everything. Nothing great can exist without a beginning. Not only that, the history of mankind has been changed and maintained through the little one.
Today's text tells us that death came to mankind because of the sin of one man, Adam, and that life was given through the one man, Jesus Christ. That is, death began with one person, and life began with one person. As such, it all starts with a small one. The idea of cherishing the little one is biblical thinking. Therefore, we cherish the little things, and we must practice the little things with sincerity.
1. One grows and becomes the kingdom of heaven.
In Matthew 13, seven “parables of the kingdom of heaven” appear. The parable of the sower, the parable of the weeds, the parable of the mustard seed, the parable of the leaven, the parable of the treasure hidden in the field, the parable of the merchant in search of fine pearls, the parable of the net. If you look at these parables, you can see that ‘heaven starts with little things.’ In addition, there are three ‘parables of heaven’ in Matthew 25: the parable of the ten virgins, the parable of the talents, and the parable of the sheep and the goats. Among them, verse 21, the conclusion of the parable of the talents, says, “It is well done, good and faithful servant, you have been faithful over a few things, and I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.” Verse 40, the conclusion of the parable, “The king answered and said, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.” Also in these verses, “you have been faithful over a little thing” and “you have done it for one of the least” are the key points.
Also in the text, it was not through many people that eternal life, the hope of mankind, began, but only through Jesus Christ. Therefore, we must cherish the little things, manage them well and practice them diligently.
2. One grows and becomes destruction.
This is James 1:15. “When lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.” In other words, even the great sin that leads to death begins with a small greed of man. The attitude of ignoring the little things leads to the loss of the kingdom of God and at the same time to fall into sin that leads to destruction. A small mistake overlooked by saying, ‘This is it!’ is ultimately stained with a great irreversible sin. So, in our old saying, "A needle thief becomes a cow thief."
The text also says that all mankind fell into sin because of the disobedience and transgression of one man, Adam. For myself, small greed and mistakes make my whole life sick. The whole family and the whole church become sick and weak because of one small hidden crime in the family or in the church.
Do you remember the defeat in the “Battle of Ai” in the “History of the Wars of Canaan” of the Israelites? It was very difficult to capture Jericho, the first city in Canaan, because it was fortified. So, through the work of God, the wall collapsed and we were able to easily occupy it. The next adult ‘City of Ai’ was a small city that was incomparable to Jericho in both size and number. So Israel sent only 3,000 people. However, about 40 people were killed and had to flee. All Israel wept and cried out to God. Then God spoke. Let's look at Joshua 7:11-12.
“Israel has sinned, and has transgressed my covenant which I commanded them, that they took the sacrifices, and stole and defrauded them and put them in their own wares. Therefore the children of Israel were not able to withstand their enemies, but turned from before them, for they were also sacrificed. I will no longer be with you, unless I destroy from among you the offering.”
As a result of revealing his sin, he found out that a man named Achan had hidden in his tent a cloak from Shinar, two hundred shekels of silver, and a gold nugget weighing fifty shekels. In the battles in Jericho or Ai, God commanded not to take anything and to burn them all. In other words, God wants to make a sacrifice. However, because of the disobedience and transgression of one man, Achan, all Israel had to be defeated.
Nicknamed “Queen of Blood,” Queen Mary, who led 16th-century England, was an ardent Catholic who severely persecuted Protestantism. The Queen issued such an order to kill all Protestants in Scotland.
A Protestant theologian, John Knox, lived nearby overlooking the Queen's Palace, and when John Knox opened the door of his study, he saw a very splendid palace where Queen Mary lived. John Knox is a Scottish theologian and Reformer who founded the Presbyterian Church. On the same night that Queen Mary ordered the Protestants to be killed, Knox went into her study and prayed with great earnestness, vomiting blood.
“God, give me Scotland. If not, please kill me.”
God answered his prayer, risking his life. Shortly thereafter, Queen Mary died of a serious illness, and Queen Elizabeth, a Protestant advocate, succeeded. The prayer of one John Knox saved the lives of thousands of Protestants in Scotland. Queen Mary said, "The prayer of one John Knox is scarier than a million men."
Even now, in our age, God has the same heart that values the little things. The family, the church, the workplace, the society, and the country are maintained and changed by the power of one faithful Christian.
This is verse 19. “For just as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by one man's obedience many will be made righteous.”
God has chosen us to be the protagonists who change this age and show God's will. Then, let's think about the heart of God who values the little things and looks at even the smallest sin. Let's leave the grand dreams of the future to God, and practice the small things of the present with sincerity. I pray that the work of God's power and guidance will be with us in our lives of knowing and obeying the Lord's heart.