Suffering and God's Will

What's the deal with suffering? How come there is so much in this world? Why are innocent people the victims of evil tragedies and accidents?

It wasn't until seminary school that I heard about the term theodicy. At first I thought they were talking about Homer's epic poem. It wasn't until I saw the word written on the chalkboard that I realized it was related to God.  (According to Wikipedia, theodicy "is a theological or philosophical study which attempts to justify God’s intrinsic nature of omni-benevolence, omniscience and omnipotence, despite the existence of evil which, in the view of some, would otherwise stand to refute one or more of these qualities or God's existence altogether")

Now I don't have enough time to get into explaining what I think about the topic. To be perfectly honest, I don't even think I could ever explain this clearly. But I was doing my study of 1 Peter 3:13-17 and all of these questions about suffering began to surface once again in my head. Here are the verses:

(NIV)
1Pet. 3:13  Who is going to harm you if you are eager to do good?
1Pet. 3:14  But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed. “Do not fear what they fear; do not be frightened.”
1Pet. 3:15  But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect,
1Pet. 3:16  keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander.
1Pet. 3:17  It is better, if it is God’s will, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil.

Verse 17 really got me thinking, "How can God will people to suffer for good? How can that be better?" I look at my life thus far and realize I haven't been a major target of suffering. As a member of the middle-class in America, I haven't had too many struggles. When it comes to suffering for the sake of Christ and/or for doing good, I think the amount of times that has happened is also low. But I've realized more and more that the call to ministry will always be the cross I will the glorious cross I bear throughout my life.

One year has passed since I started youth ministry. I came into it fresh and inexperienced. I did not know exactly what God had in store for me. A year under my belt, I feel as if God has challenged me more throughout this time as a pastor than I have been challenged ever before. The testing and trials throughout this year has shown me that the path in ministry is not all rainbows and fluffy bunnies (although there are those times too), but a narrow path that creates in me a kneeling spirit.

There are numerous times throughout this year that I had to come to God for healing and encouragement. If a movie title would be made, then it would be called Faith Under Fire. Please pray for your pastors today. Sometimes it can be discouraging in ministry and there are many pastors who have abandoned the road because of its hardships. Pray that 1 Peter 1:7 will be true for your pastor!

"Such trials show the proven character of your faith, which is much more valuable than gold—gold that is tested by fire, even though it is passing away–and will bring praise and glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed" (1 Peter 1:7, NET). Amen!

Well with My Soul

Recently, I have been doing some study of the first chapter of 1 Peter and it has truly been wonderful to see the text come alive. When studying these texts and reading the commentaries, I remember once again why I decided to come here to seminary: the love of the scriptures.

I have only covered verses 1-6 but each verse is packed with biblical imagery and language that I have been enjoying each word and how they are connected. Today while studying verse 6, "In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials (NIV, emphasis added)." So what is this? Calvin observes that it is the "whole subject of the hope of salvation laid up in heaven" for the chosen foreigners in this world. The faith that God has given to his elect through divine grace has caused us to be alienated from this world because we do not subscribe to its values or ways of life.

All Christians can relate to this. I look on my Christian walk and immediately see how I have never been able to fully feel as a "native" or the opposite of a foreigner. I'm very familiar with how it feels to be a foreigner because I am a Korean-American. Full assimilation into American society cannot take place because I look Korean. Full assimilation into Korean society cannot happen because my American upbringing. In some sense, 1 Peter speaks to those people who know what it means to feel as aliens. In the end, all of us are foreigners in a world enslaved by its prince, Satan.

A Prayer

Father God, cleanse me from all unrighteousness. Take away my anger and replace it with love for others, take away my idolatry and replace it with a fervent love for Christ, take away my laziness and replace it with a passion for your glory. Mold me into your perfect image each day, not for me, but for your name's sake. Amen.

My Mother's Bible

Here is a message preached to the whole congregation at my church on Mother's Day. Thank you to all the Mother's out there and especially my mother! I love you Mom!

My Mother's Bible
Proverbs 1:7-9
7 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline. 8 Listen, my son, to your father’s instruction and do not forsake your mother’s teaching.  9 They will be a garland to grace your head and a chain to adorn your neck.
잠언 1장 7-9절
7 여호와를 경외하는 것이 지식의 근본이거늘 미련한 자는 지혜와 훈계를 멸시하느니라  8 내 아들아 네 아비의 훈계를 들으며 네 어미의 법을 떠나지 말라  9 이는 네 머리의 아름다운 관이요 네 목의 금 사슬이니라

As a young boy growing up in the Korean-immigrant church, I had grown accustomed to celebrating American and Korean holidays. There was Thanksgiving and Chuseok, New Years and Seollal. After watching the ball drop at Times Square for New Years on the television, my mom would tell me in the middle of February that Korean New Years (Seollal) was close. Of course, this meant clean your room and vacuum the living room so we can play 윷놀이with other church members. I didn't complain about the holidays and celebrations. I enjoyed all of those activities, but confusion soon began to lurk within me as I began to talk to my friends at school about my weekend.

1st grade at Carry Woods Elementary School taught me an important lesson. I did not celebrate the same holidays as everyone else. When I received gifts for Children's Day on the previous Sunday, I would ask my friends if they were showered with gifts by their parents. I soon realized this was a Korean holiday. So I explained to them that Korean parents celebrate Children's Day because they felt bad for all the hardships they put their children throughout the rest of the year: like spanking their children with the maemae, making them do Kumon when they are born, and making them call the pizza place because they can't pronounce 'pepperoni.'
 우리 자녀들은 특별히 이민자로 미국에서 언어와 문화의 장벽을 뚫고 가정을 위해 힘써 일하시는 부모님들의 희생과 사랑을 잊고 살아갈 때가 많습니다.

Looking back, I made a lot of comparisons with my immigrant parents and the American parents my friends all had. But I forgot amidst all the language and cultural barriers about the enormous sacrifice and love they provided me throughout all my life. It wasn't until my first-year of college that I began to really appreciate what they had done for me. (I guess living all alone by yourself changes your perspective...) As we come to this Mother's Day today, I hope we can celebrate not only the love and sacrifice of our mothers, but more importantly their continual effort to put us in contact with our Heavenly Father.
부모님은 자녀들에게 육의 부모로서 희생과 사랑을 베풀 뿐 아니라 자녀들이 하나님과 더 가까워질 수 있도록 그들의 영적 성장을 위해 기도와 사랑으로 매일 섬기십니다.

Today's passage is familiar to all of us. Verse 7 says, 'The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge.' We have all heard it since Sunday School, and most Christians have memorized it. However, we forget the following verses because our English bibles start a whole new section at verse 8. What is important to notice is that the primary vehicle God uses to make himself known is through the family, through our mothers and our fathers. Solomon, the writer of Proverbs, knew this first-hand. He learned about the fear of the Lord through his father David, and his mother Bathsheba. Who will teach our children about God and his ways? Who else but our mothers and fathers.
잠언을 지은 솔로몬이 그 아버지 다윗과 어머니 밧세바로 인해 하나님을 경외함을 배웠듯이, 하나님은 가정을 통해, 특별히 육체의 어머니와 아버지를 통해서 자녀들에게 역사하십니다.

But the primary audience of this passage is to the children. The sons and daughters who find it difficult sometimes to 'listen' to their father's instruction and their mother's teaching. All of us have been children at some point in our lives. All of us have heard the requests of our parents to live a certain way, spend our times in a certain way, and dress a certain way. Even to this day, my mother calls me to make sure I am dressing appropriately for church. (Some things never change.) Some of us miss those requests or jan-sol-ri because they are no longer around, some of us are now making those requests to our own children, and some of us are still having a hard time understanding why our parents taught us they way they did. To such a wide range of audience, God's word tells us to 'listen' and to 'hold on' to our mother's teaching.
매일 반복되는 듯한 ‘잔소리’가 자녀들에게는 때로는 지겹게 느껴질 때가 있습니다. 하지만 본문에서 하나님은 자녀들에게 아버지의 훈계와 어머니의 법을 떠나지 말라고 말씀하고 계십니다. 부모님은 진정으로 자녀들이 그리스도인으로서의 가치있는 삶을 영위하기 원하시기 때문입니다.

For the high school seniors here today who will soon be able to live these verses away from their families, away from their home-church, the command is to 'hear' today what your parents teach you about life and God. Take note of what they want you to value, what they want you to cherish. And when you leave you homes, the real test of whether you listened will come. It is when you do not 'forsake' your parents teachings that you can truly say you listened. 

How else can we honor our parents? Cards, flowers, and gifts on Mother's Day are not enough for the self-sacrifice our parents have gone through. We truly appreciate them and honor them when their teachings and instructions are treasured within us. When our mothers are no longer around, we remember her telling us about God's love, we remember her modeling a life of sacrifice, and we remember her life of prayer for us. The proper way of appreciation is when we hold on to her teachings for the rest of our lives. It is my prayer that we can say as the hymn-writer remarked in the hymn “My Mother's Bible” about her mother's teaching about the Bible:
오늘 어버이날을 맞아 감사카드나 꽃, 다른 어떤 선물보다도 부모님의 가르침을 받아들여서 마음에 새기며 사는 것이 부모님께서 가장 기뻐하시는 자녀들의 선물일 것입니다.

“Well, those days are past and gone, But their memory lingers still, And the dear old Book each day has been my guide; And I seek to do His will, As my mother taught me then, And ever in my heart His Words abide.”
그때 일은 지나고 나의 눈에 환하오 어머니의 말씀 기억하면서 나도 시시때때로 성경말씀 읽으며 주의 뜻을 따라 살려합니다. 귀하고 귀하다 우리 어머니가 들려주시던 재미있게 듣던 말 이 책 중에 있으니 이 성경 심히 사랑합니다. (찬송가 199장, 통일찬송가 234장)