What was the title of today’s message? That’s right—“Blessing.” We just read part of the message Jesus spoke to His disciples on the mountain: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”

This month, at the start of a new year, we’ve probably heard the word “blessing” more than usual. We exchange kind greetings like “Happy New Year!” or “Wishing you a blessed New Year,” sincerely hoping for good things in each other’s lives.

“Blessing!”

But when we look at the Bible carefully, we find that it’s not just a seasonal expression. The word appears throughout Scripture. The Old and New Testaments alike are filled with this word. It shows up in Genesis, the first book of the Bible, and in Revelation, the very last. We hear words like “blessed is the one…” or “they are blessed” repeated over and over again. In fact, the story of our faith begins when God chose a man named Abraham. What did God say to him? “I will bless you, and I will make you a blessing. All the nations of the earth shall be blessed through you.” That’s how our faith began. And later, when Jesus came, He said, “Blessed are the poor…”

No one dislikes the idea of blessing. It’s something we’ve all heard about since childhood. I still remember—when I was young, the lid of our rice pot had the word “blessing” written on it. And we used long, round pillows filled with grain husks, and on both ends of the pillow, the word “blessing” was embroidered. That word appeared everywhere—in woven bedding, decorative cloths, and wall hangings. It was common to see it paired with another character, the one for “long life” (壽). People believed that a blessing included a long and full life, and so these words were stitched together and displayed everywhere.

Eventually, I became curious—where did this character for “blessing” come from? So I looked into its origin in Chinese. The character for blessing is written as 福, and it’s made up of two parts. On the left is 示, a symbol that originally represented an altar or the act of offering something before a god. This part often appears in characters related to worship, showing that it has to do with honoring a god and coming close to him. Some scholars suggest that it means when someone brings an offering before god, he may respond by revealing himself. Others say that when we come before god, we shouldn’t come empty-handed—we should bring something to show. That’s why this part is used in the character.

On the right side is a letter (畐) that resembles a vessel piled high with offerings or food. In ancient times, it represented the image of grain or other agricultural produce placed in abundance before god as a sacrifice. Some say it shows how people would present a full and generous offering, while others interpret it as a sign that god responded to their request by providing plentifully. So this part of the character conveys the meaning of having plenty—of abundance, richness, and being full.

So when we talk about “blessing,” what does it really mean? At its core, it expresses the desire for abundance—for things to be plentiful and overflowing. That’s why, traditionally, people have associated a blessing with ideas like long life, wealth, and honor. Longevity means living many years. Wealth means not being poor. And honor—often contrasted with lowliness—means rising to a higher place in life.

For example, in Chinese expressions, these ideas are often paired in common phrases like “wealth and honor” (富貴) or “noble and base” (貴賤). These phrases reflect a cultural longing for a full, prosperous life—and even though we are not Chinese, such hopes resonate across languages and traditions. So when we say to someone, “Happy New Year” or “Wishing you a blessed New Year,” what we often mean deep down is, “May you be healthy, may you live long, may your finances grow, may your life go well.” It all comes back to the desire for a life that is rich and full—this is what people long for when they seek blessing.

But here’s the issue: when Jesus speaks, He says something that sounds completely upside down. “Blessed are the poor in spirit.” Wait—isn’t that the opposite of what we just talked about? Doesn’t it make more sense to say that the one whose heart is full has the blessing? But Jesus says it’s the poor in spirit who are blessed.

Why would He say that? He gives us the answer: “for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” In other words, the blessing that our Lord wants to give us is not just what we’ve traditionally thought of—it’s something that is experienced in heaven. It’s not just wealth or honor or long life; it’s something that lasts forever. Yes, life is good. Wealth is good. Honor is good. But if we only enjoy those things for a moment and then lose them, what meaning do they really have? Deep inside, all of us long for something we can enjoy eternally.

No one ever says, “I’d like to enjoy this just for a little while and then lose it.” Suppose someone gave you a hundred million dollars—you wouldn’t say, “Let me keep it for six months and then take it away.” We all wish we could hold on to good things forever, even though we know we ourselves won’t live forever. Even when we die, we want to pass our wealth down to our children.

Why? Because within us is something that longs for eternity. We have an eternal being inside of us that cannot be seen with our eyes, and that part longs for eternal life and everlasting wealth.

Our physical bodies can’t hold on to what is eternal. No matter how well we live, eventually, we have to leave everything behind. That’s why there’s a saying: “We come into the world empty-handed, and we leave the same way.” The Bible puts it like this: “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return there.” A newborn baby arrives with nothing but bare skin—a red, fragile body. And in the end, that’s how we go as well. Even if our hands are full of riches while we’re alive, when the moment of death comes, we let go. Our grip loosens, and everything is left behind. We can’t take anything with us. So what difference does it make if we have a hundred million, ten million, or very little? In the end, it’s all the same.

But God still tells us to receive a blessing. And He says, “Blessed are the poor in spirit,” because “theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” God wants to give us a blessing, but not something temporary. He wants us to enjoy it forever. Not for ten years. Not for sixty. He wants to give us the very thing we desire—and let us enjoy it eternally.

Don’t we all want to be loved? And not just for sixty years. No one says, “I only want to be loved for a short time.” Everyone longs to be loved forever. Even when people fall in love, they ask, “Do you love me? Will you love me forever?” Even though we know human love often falls short, we still long for it to last. Why? Because we ourselves are eternal beings. That’s why God wants to give eternal joy to the eternal beings. He wants to give eternal love to those created for eternity.

The problem is, if someone becomes too satisfied with what’s in this world, they won’t be able to receive that eternal blessing. A person who is already completely happy and full because of what they have in this world won’t seek what’s beyond. Even if someone tells them, “Believe in Jesus,” or “Receive eternal life,” it won’t sound meaningful to them. If your heart is already satisfied and full because of wealth, comfort, or success, you won’t listen to what others say about the gospel.

But then, hardship comes. Maybe a person faces deep suffering or an incurable disease. Maybe they lose all their wealth. In moments like that, the heart breaks. And when no one can help, fear and anxiety settle in. That’s when the spirit becomes poor. That’s when the things of this world no longer offer hope. That’s exactly when Jesus says, “Blessed are they.”.

Of course, if someone despairs and gives up on life altogether, saying, “There’s no point, I’ll just end it,” then that person is not in the place of blessing. But if someone recognizes that nothing in this world lasts and begins to search for something eternal—that is the person who is truly blessed. Blessing comes to those who are not quick to be satisfied. Blessing comes to those who are not easily pleased. Those who refuse to be content until joy comes from heaven—those who won’t call themselves happy until they possess eternal things God gives—those are the ones Jesus calls blessed.

Even if someone becomes wealthy through a successful business, the deep hunger within—the longing to be loved, the poor in spirit—remains unresolved. And it should remain unresolved. That kind of person is the one who is truly blessed. Why? Because they will keep struggling, keep seeking, until they find what is eternal. That’s why the blessing Jesus gives is not something fleeting. It is eternal.

There was a time when I got on a train, planning to transfer later and head to a retreat site for our college group. I had a clear destination in mind. But that day, I was already exhausted before the journey began. I really wanted to find a seat, but as you probably know, getting a seat during rush hour on a packed train is nearly impossible. The train had already been full for a long time, and there wasn’t a single empty spot.

Still, if you really want to sit, you learn to watch people carefully. You look for someone who seems like they might be getting ready to get off—someone holding their bag or straightening their back. So I picked someone who looked like that and waited in front of them. Just as I was preparing to take the seat, someone next to me nudged forward and squeezed into the spot. That person didn’t get off either, and I lost my chance.

Eventually, after being pushed, I finally managed to take a seat when someone stood up. I was so relieved. The train had started to empty out, and I thought, “This is it. Now I can finally sit and rest.” But then… the train just didn’t move. The doors stayed open, and I wondered why. And that’s when the announcement came on: “This train terminates here. If you’re going further, please transfer to the next train on the opposite platform.”

In my desperation to sit down, I hadn’t even realized where I was. I was so focused on the empty seat that I forgot to check whether the train was still going to my destination. I just sat there, thinking, “I’ve made it. This whole row of seats is mine now.” But what did that matter? It was the final stop—I had to get off anyway.

Isn’t that how we often chase happiness? You might’ve thought my earlier story sounded foolish—but maybe that’s how God sees us too. “They’re clinging to something they’ll leave behind in just a few years. Don’t they realize that?” Wouldn’t it be wiser to get off and catch the train that actually goes to the right place? But instead, we get caught up trying to stay where we are, even when the train’ no longer moving. However, the train isn’t even moving—so what else can we do but get off? In the end, we have to get off anyway.

That’s what life is like. Everything we try to hold onto in this world—everything we fight to enjoy or possess—none of it really belongs to us. It’s all just temporary. It’s here for a moment, and then it’s gone. But God desires to give us something eternal. Earlier, we talked about how the word “blessing” carries the meaning of fullness, of having more than enough. Why do we want that? So that we can avoid pain—even just a little.

The truth is, beneath our striving for abundance is the assumption that life is hard. Life is burdensome. Life brings suffering. And so we think, “If I can just have enough, maybe I can avoid some of the pain.” “Like when a financial crisis hits—if I have savings stored up, I don’t have to panic. I can breathe.” In the end, what we want is protection. We want to shield ourselves from a certain disaster. Because this world is waiting to attack us. But no matter how well we prepare, no matter how well we defend ourselves, there’s one thing that always comes to take it all away. And that is death. Death takes everything. On this earth, there is no way to keep what we have forever. In the end, we must let it all go.

But if the message ended here, it would feel hopeless. Thankfully, it doesn’t. God wants to give us something—something that can never be taken away, something that will be ours forever. What He gives isn’t some abandoned or unclaimed gift. The blessing God gives is not a leftover. He gives us His own.

Think about that. God is not someone who exists temporarily. He is eternal—He has existed from eternity, and He will exist forever. He is perfectly complete, perfectly joyful, and perfectly glorious. He is, in every way, the Blessed One. So what kind of blessing would He possess? Surely it must be eternal. Nothing temporary could satisfy an eternal God. So the blessing He holds is everlasting.

And it is that very blessing—God’s own happiness and glory—that He desires to give to us. So when God says, “Receive blessing,” what He means is: “I will give you My blessing. What I Myself possess—I want to share that with you.” But here’s the issue: our physical bodies cannot hold what is eternal. Even if God were to give us His blessing, we could only enjoy it for seventy, maybe eighty, or ninety years—and then it would be gone. Our fleshes decay and return to the dust. So how could something so precious be poured into something so perishable? Therefore, what is eternal must be poured into something eternal. That is why God gives His blessing not to our fleshes, but to our spirits.

But then we look at our spirits—and they are stained. They are corrupt. God’s blessing is holy and glorious. It cannot dwell in something impure. It would be like trying to pour something beautiful and clean into a vessel covered in filth. So what needs to happen first? Our spirits must be cleansed. Can we cleanse it ourselves by doing good deeds? No. No matter how many good things we do, it doesn’t erase the sins we’ve committed before God. No matter how kind we are, we remain sinners. Our good deeds can’t erase our guilt.

But then, how can we solve that problem? God has already made a way. He sent His Son, Jesus Christ, into this world. Two thousand years ago, Jesus died on a cross. He had no sin—yet He suffered punishment and death. Some people say He died because of His own wrongdoing, or because He was misunderstood. But we, who believe in Him, confess this: “He had no sin, but He was put to death.” Why? Because God allowed it. God sent Him to die—not for His own guilt, but for ours. Jesus took on the punishment we deserved. He was the sinless One, dying in place of the guilty. And God proved this was true. How? God raised Him from the dead. Therefore, Jesus was resurrected.

That’s what we believe: that Jesus rose again, and that He was without sin. And if the sinless One was put to death instead of us, then our debt is fully paid. This is how our spirits are made clean. And into that cleansed spirit, God pours His own happiness, His own blessing. So beloved, when we say, “Believe in Jesus,” what we’re really saying is: get ready to receive God’s blessing.

And how do we prepare? By believing, repenting, and being baptized. That is how we cleanse our spirits and make room for what God desires to give. When we do this, God places His Word inside us. He fills us with His Spirit. And from then on, He leads us and allows us to enjoy His blessing even now on this earth. Ultimately, He makes us go to heaven and enjoy His eternal joy—forever.

That’s why, every New Year when people say to me, “May you receive many blessings,” I find myself quietly responding, “I already have.” I received that blessing the moment I believed in Jesus. I received it fully—not partially. I lack nothing. Believing in Jesus means owning the happiness of God. And I bless you today in Jesus’ name, that you too would make that blessing your own.

Our senior overseer Ki-Dong Kim once described blessing this way: “It is the right to possess it.” Not a blessing you hold for a moment, but a right to possess it forever. And I have that right. I have the right to inherit the kingdom of heaven. That’s why I am a person who has been blessed.

And there’s a character in those who are blessed in God’s kingdom. What is it? They become a blessing. Not only do they receive it—they become a fountain from which blessing flows. Those who come close to them are blessed. Even those far away can be blessed through them. Someone five hundred years from now can be blessed because of one person who received God’s blessing today. That’s how we came to be a blessing. Do you know why? Because a man named Abraham, who lived some 4,000 years ago, accepted God’s blessing. And because of that, we have been blessed today. He became a blessing.

And when we receive God’s blessing, our children are blessed. And their children too. And those who live with us, walk with us, work with us—they are blessed too. There are many taxi drivers in the world, but the one who gives me a ride is blessed. There are many store owners, but the one who serves me at the counter is blessed. There are many teachers, but the one who teaches me is blessed.

When I was studying Chinese in China, one of the many teachers there became my homeroom teacher. So whenever I had writing assignments, I intentionally crafted my sentences like this: If we were practicing the word “go,” I would write, “Jesus went up the mountain to pray,” or “Jesus went to the fields to heal the sick.” I used examples that I could eventually use in sermons. I kept writing about Jesus—deliberately. If we learned the word “go up,” I would write, “Jesus went up the mountain and cast out demons.” It was always about Jesus. And I wrote these things for one purpose—so that my teacher would see them. As she checked my assignments every day, she began to notice. She wasn’t a believer. In fact, she had never even heard of Jesus before.

One day, she came to me and asked, “What does all of this mean? You keep writing the same kind of story. What is this about?” So I explained to her who Jesus is, how He heals the sick, and how He casts out demons. She didn’t immediately accept what I said, but she listened with interest.

Then on the Lord’s Day morning, after worship, I was back in my dorm room when I heard a knock at the door. I opened it—and there she was. Just two days earlier, she had been completely fine. But now, half of her body was paralyzed. From head to toe, one whole side of her was twisted. Her face was drooping—she was normally a beautiful woman, but this was heartbreaking to see.

I said, “Teacher, what happened?” She came in and explained. A few days ago, she woke up like this. She thought it might go away, but instead it got worse. She went to the hospital the day before, but the doctor wasn’t in, so she came back without getting help. She was anxious, and then suddenly, she remembered something—my homework. She remembered the sentences I wrote about how Jesus heals.

When I heard that, I said, “太好了!”—which means “That’s great!” The teacher had brought a friend with her, who was shocked when I said that. This friend had studied abroad in the U.S., had become a Christian, and had even attended a theological seminary. But now both of them were surprised by my reaction.

I invited them in and began to speak the Word of God to her. I said, “God’s word is living and powerful. It can perform surgery on your body. And the amazing thing is, even though it cuts like a double-edged sword, it won’t leave a single scar. It will remove what needs to be removed without harming you. All you need to do is accept this Word.” The teacher listened closely. Then her friend added, “Yes, if you start living a life of faith, you’ll gradually get better.”

What I said was a little different, wasn’t it? I told him, “If you receive God’s word right now, things can get better right now. They will get better.” But she said, “If you believe in God’s word, things will gradually get better.” So I said firmly, “No, that’s not it. If you receive God’s word, it begins to work immediately—and it can heal you even right now.” I made that clear.

Just then, one word burst out of the teacher’s mouth. At that very moment, her body—which had been twisted over—suddenly sprang up like a released spring. It was as if her entire body loosened and returned to normal in an instant. Can you guess what she said? It was really amazing.

When I said, “You will be healed right now!” she shouted, “真的吗!”—which means, “Really?!” Now, she didn’t know the word “Amen,” which means “Truly, truly.” But her response wasn’t one of doubt. She wasn’t saying “Really?” as in questioning. Rather, it was “Really?!”—as in embracing and receiving it with her whole heart. In that moment, the Word entered her. And as it entered, it immediately began to work—like a living force within her. It performed surgery right there inside her. Suddenly, everything that had been tight was released. Her body leapt up! The three of us—my wife, her friend, and I—were so overjoyed that we jumped up with her and began to praise God together.

Afterward, the teacher turned to her friend and said, “Why didn’t you tell me about this amazing truth sooner?” And she was right. Just because someone is a Christian doesn’t mean they truly live by this faith. But we all should—and we all can. Because this is the promise of Jesus. If that teacher had not received help from God, then no matter how wealthy or accomplished she was, if she had to live the rest of her life paralyzed, could anyone truly call that a blessing? She herself would likely say, “I wasn’t blessed.” But the moment she received the Word of God—when she welcomed the joy and blessing God gives—her misfortune on this earth disappeared.

This was just a proof. It wasn’t the main thing God desires to give. Rather, it was a proof that God’s Word is true and living. What was He proving through this proof? That the blessing we will enjoy in heaven is real. God gives us a taste of it even now, here on earth—just like this.

So, beloved, if you believe in Jesus and receive the blessing God wants to give, then not only will you share in the glory of heaven, but you can also experience its evidence here on earth. And while the evidence is wonderful, the reality behind it—the reality that waits—is far greater. Because it is eternal. May you all be those who receive and enjoy this eternal blessing from God. In the name of Jesus, I bless you.

Beloved, may you be blessed—richly and eternally. Some of you here today have already received this blessing. If you are united with Jesus, then you have already been blessed. So now, live enjoying that blessing fully.

I will pray.

God our Father, thank You for sending Your Son, Jesus Christ, to give us Your blessing. And thank You for pouring out Your Spirit upon us, so that we may share in the eternal joy that belongs to You. Help everyone here today to receive and take hold of Your eternal blessing. May we truly live in joy, and forever rejoice with You, our eternally happy God. We thank You and pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.