May 13, 2018_One Person but Multiple Roles

How God Works

God is one. He created heaven and filled it with thousands of angels. He created the universe and all the creatures in it commanding them to be fruitful and multiply. These are essential elements in God’s work.

Although a seed is very small, a world is contained inside. When it is planted it takes root; it sprouts; it grows branches, leaves, and flowers; and eventually it produces much fruit. In similar fashion, God chose Adam to give birth to all of mankind and God chose Abraham to be the father of those who have his faith, whose number is as the sand of the sea and as the stars in the heaven.

A farmer plants a seed in the hope that it may yield a hundred times, or sixty times, or even thirty times what he planted. All of these examples are glimpses of the reality that exists in heaven. God has already planted a seed and He expects it to multiply much more than a hundredfold.

The seed God has sown is the Gospel. His desire is for the Gospel to be spread throughout the world, building up the church of Jesus Christ, and He wants the church to grow and multiply. He does not want those who receive the Gospel to stagnate, but to spread the Gospel to the ends of the earth(Matthew 28:19). It is the duty of those who have been entrusted with God’s work to carry out His will.

The Hope of the Stewards who Were Given Mina

In Luke chapter 19:11-27, we read the parable of a nobleman who traveled to a distant country to receive for himself a kingdom. He gave ten minas (about three month’s wages) to ten of his servants in his absence. This parable which Jesus told, clearly demonstrates what God expects from those who are entrusted with His work.

A mina was a unit of currency that was in use at that time and it was made of silver. When some Pharisees and Herodians challenged Jesus and asked Him, “Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?”, Jesus told them to bring a silver coin and He said, “Whose image and inscription is this?” They replied, “Caesar’s.” (Mark 12:14-17) We can infer by this conversation that the king’s image was engraved on silver coins.

The nobleman who entrusted the silver coins to his servants returned with a kingship. A king also has the authority to judge. Jesus’ body was so damaged because He gave His flesh and blood for us, but He ascended into heaven and He received the throne. Jesus Christ will return with the authority to judge, and He will judge each man according to his deeds.

When the king returned he took an accounting of the money that was entrusted to each of his servants. The first said “Master, your mina has earned ten minas” and he said, “Well done, good servant; because you were faithful in a very little, you have been given authority over ten cities.” Likewise, to the servant who had increased the master’s mina to five minas, he gave authority over five cities. But one of the servants kept the mina in a handkerchief and the king rebuked him saying, “Out of your own mouth I will judge you, you wicked servant. You knew that I was an austere man, collecting what I did not deposit and reaping what I did not sow. Why then did you not put my money in the bank, that at my coming I might have collected it with interest?” Then the master took the mina from him and gave it to the one who had ten minas.

When the nobleman distributed his wealth to his servants, he commanded them to conduct business on his behalf until he returned. So why did one of them do nothing?  We need look no further than the master’s reply. The master said, “These enemies of mine, who did not want me to reign over them, bring them here and slay them in my presence.” The lazy servant did not want him to be king, nor did he believe he would become king.

Our hope is that Jesus Christ will return as king and that He will reward each person according to his deeds. If anyone is leading a spiritual life without this hope, his spiritual life is merely a religion whose purpose is to bring peace to that individual. Will such a man revere the faith that God has given him, and will he bear fruit worthy of that faith?

The Image of God in us

What is the faith that God has given to us? It is Jesus Christ, the Son of God. Jesus Christ is the image of God, and we have His image. This means that not only is our flesh made in the image of God, but also that Jesus is in us by the Holy Spirit. The faith in us means Jesus Christ is in us, that is, God’s own image is in us.

We are the ones who have eaten His flesh and drank His blood. We commemorate it through the sacrament of Holy Communion. Therefore, those who partake of the sacrament must recognize that God’s image is in them. Sadly, many Christians still regard the law and their conscience as the standard of righteousness instead of enjoying freedom by acknowledging the image of God that is in them. As a consequence, they are constantly burdened by condemnation and guilt.

How Many Minas Have You Made?

When the nobleman returned after he had received his kingdom, he summoned his servants to see how they had invested his treasure. In like manner, Jesus Christ, who has given us faith, will return to see what we have done with the treasure He has given to us. Some have planted churches, borne many burdens of labor in the church, won many souls, grown the church, and made disciples despite many obstacles and hurdles along the way. But others have caused many people to fall away and have inflicted severe and irreparable damage to the church.

Some church members work hard to preach the Gospel and make disciples in order to build a church where one never existed before. Sometimes they even build local worship centers when they outgrow their original sanctuary. Some serve as Sunday school teachers and produce countless spiritual leaders. On the other hand, there are people who abandon their positions in order to attend to personal matters. Those people are like the servant who kept the treasure in a handkerchief.

Matthew 25 talks about these worthless servants in the parable of the talents. The master said, “Throw out the worthless servant into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” (Matthew 25:30) This outer darkness doesn’t mean they will be thrown into hell. They will enter heaven, but they cannot enter into the Father’s house(John 14:2).

We have been entrusted with a mina. What have you done with it? How many souls have you won? The servant who increased the king’s wealth tenfold was given authority over ten cities. Apparently, our Lord the King is going to give us authority according to our fruitfulness in spiritual things. Therefore, we must make every effort to save as many souls as we can.

Some people are given good positions in the church and they exert influence to nurture souls, even outside the church. And there are others who scatter and drive away the souls who are in the church. Who wants to be associated with someone who is obsessed with money, holds grudges, and never keeps his word? They manipulate and take advantage of people, or even borrow money from the people they are supposed to be caring for or use the relationships for financial gain. It is only the matter of time before a church is scattered to the winds under such a caretaker.

Can you say with absolute sincerity, Amen, come Lord Jesus? Do you actually yearn for the day when the Lord Jesus returns as the King of kings? Do you have the treasure He has given you put away somewhere? How many people have been saved because of you? We ought to remember the words of the King: “But these enemies of mine, who did not want me to reign over them, bring them here and slay them in my presence.”

If You Await the King’s Return

Colossians 1:24-26 says, “Now I rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up in my flesh what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ, for the sake of his body, which is the church, of which I became a minister according to the stewardship from God which was given to me for you, to fulfill the word of God, the mystery which has been hidden from ages and from generations but now has been revealed to His saints.”

Paul said he is filling up in his flesh what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ, to save souls and make them complete. He was particularly concerned with making the gentiles know God’s glory. This is not just for Paul, but this is the heritage of all who are in the image of God. Failing to meet God’s expectations on the pretext that you have a mild disposition or are introverted will not work. God still expects you to bear your portion. Faith is to love God with all your soul, with all your heart, and with all your strength.

Regardless of how nice a house you build for yourself, or how successful you become in this life, when your time comes, you must let them go and leave this world. Nothing you do will be able to prevent you from leaving this world in that day. So do those things that edify your soul. Your soul will exist forever. God has given you a mina – His image is on you – so that you can share it with others so that they too can have the image of God.

Are you longing for Jesus’ return as the King of kings? If so, sanctify yourself as a bride awaiting the coming of the bridegroom. Use the treasure that you have been given. Do not blame your temperament, but overcome it by the Holy Spirit. May God’s character be revealed in you, for the image of God is in you.

If you walk on the roads of the countryside, that is, the paths that lie between the rice paddies, you will see that the leaves of the grass that grow there are very flattened. The leaves are almost stuck fast to the ground, and they grow in a severely lowered position. The leaves of the grass there are, in the words on the countryside, called JilGyeoungYee. If you take these leaves and put them in a porridge to boil, you will get a taste of something similar to AhOukGeok (A Korean soup). But the taste is rather smooth. This type of grass may be grown in other places, but in the most, they are grown near the roads found in these farming areas. These leaves are trodden on by both cows and men. There is no place for these leaves to grow properly. They are torn and crushed, and they are not like the ordinary vegetables that can often be dug up and eaten.

The JilGyeoungYee – just as its name implies – is something that is trodden on and crushed. But the root itself enters deep into the hard ground. Even if the rain falls and time passes by, the leaves sprout back up because a strong natural growth is maintained. It is persistent and almost wearisome. That is probably why it is called the JilGyeoungYee. I saw this special type of grass 70 years ago, but I still have memories of it. I want to eat its vegetable again. The JilGyeoungYee is no longer sold in the local markets. But I still often think about it.

The reason why this memory does not go away is that the grass is just like my own life. Other people may tread on me, crush me, and tear me apart, even to the point that only the root remains. But I still have the strength to rise back up from that very place. This is my own current situation. That must be why I cannot forget this. When I think about it, the grass of the JilGyeoungYee is trodden on and crushed by the bystanders, even to the point of its death. But it rises again with a sense of holy mission, and is reborn again like new born grass. I believe this is my own situation.

I have not come on this earth to live a comfortable life, but from my birth I have been trodden on, crushed and broken. I believe I have been chosen to rise up to do my work with a renewed strength. Just like the JilGyeoungYee, if to live this kind of life is my called and holy mission, then I will take it without hesitation. But why do I have so much sorrow about this? The JilGyeoungYee lives his whole life in this way, but he looks afar at the blossoming flowers growing in the regular plots of soil. He looks at them, compares himself with them and envies them.

In the whole world there is the same thing occuring. There is the JilGyeoungYee that is trodden on the pavement and barely sustains its life, there are the blossoming flowers that grow in the regular plots of soil, and there are the seasoned vegetables that grow in the vegetable patches. Why have I fallen away from the prescribed way, followed my own idle thoughts and lost myself in disappointment? If I really hated to do this work, I would like to throw it all off. Then that would be the end of me. All the people of the world have their own paths of life that they chose for themselves. If they dislike it, they can cast it off anytime they want.

Just like the work of the cross of Jesus, the work of faith and the ministry of a pastor embraces a thousand lives and situations belonging to all the peoples of the world. Who would like to do the work that I myself hate to do? The ministry of a pastor is not like the path of the regular sheep that goes off here and there to live in safety. But it is the path that leads to death. The portion that has been chosen for me is truly my inheritance. And I am thankful for it. I am thankful to live just like the JilGyeoungYee.

Coming Soon

Outline translated by Sarah Lee
Letter translated by John Kim
Interpretations by Daniel Hong
Korean Summary by Ki-Taek Lee