St Timothy Presbyterian Church in Toronto: Sermons

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1 Kings 17:8-16

Helping Others

I believe that people want to help others. It's how we're wired. Helping others connects us with others, gives us purpose, meaning and joy. Helping others is a beautiful part of being human.

We see this in children. Children are very eager to help out. My son was telling me this week how he and a few other students volunteered to skip recess to help out their teacher set up the classroom. We were very proud of him.

When crisis hits, our instincts are to come together to help one another. Our desire to help others is a big part of who we are.

But somehow, on a day to day basis, that desire to help others gets dulled or snuffed out. It's not that we don't want to help, but we feel like we don't have anything to give.

We don't have time. We don't have the energy. We don't have the resources. The demands on our time, energy and resources leave us numb and exhausted. We are tapped out.

The Widow

This was the case of the widow in today's story.  Widows were extremely vulnerable in a male-dominated world. Not only that, she had a son to take care of. And to make matters even worse, they were in the middle of a great drought.

I see in this story a widow who has been scratching and clawing to survive and provide for her son. I see a tenacious mother, doing anything she can to keep her and her son alive.

She reminds me of many of our immigrant mothers, who work day and night, scratching out a living to support their children. They give everything they have for the sake of their children.

The drought was devastating, and the widow was at the end of the rope, with almost nothing left.

But in this dire situation, God had his own plan. This is what God says to Elijah:

Go now to Zaraphath, which belongs to Sidon, and live there; for I have commanded a widow there to feed you. (1 Kings 17:8-16)

Elijah the Prophet

Elijah would become the greatest prophet that Israel ever had. But in today's passage, he is at the very beginning of his prophetic career. He is unknown.  He is on the run from the King of Israel. He has no allies and is extremely vulnerable.

He is so desperate, that the only one who can keep him alive is a vulnerable widow who herself has nothing to give. When Elijah asks her for a morsel of bread, she talks about her plight:

As the Lord your God lives, I have nothing baked, only a handful of meal in a jar, and a little oil in a jug; I am now gathering a couple of sticks, so that I may go home and prepare it for myself and my son, that we may eat it and die. (1 Kings 17:12)

Isn't it amazing that in Elijah's desperate, vulnerable situation, God calls another very vulnerable, desperate person to help him? The fate of Elijah and his future ministry depend on this vulnerable woman responding to his need. The widow probably had no idea about who Elijah was or what he was going to do in the future.

It shows us that we don't know God's plans when we are called to help. That's not for us to know.  The question is whether we respond to the need in front of us.

I think the widow wanted to help Elijah, but what she had was so scarce, so little, so small. It was not even enough for herself and her son. She had nothing to give.

In this situation, what Elijah said seems kind of crazy:

Do not be afraid; go and do as you have said; but first make me a little cake of it and bring it to me, and afterwards make something for yourself and your son. (1 Kings 17:8-16)

Who among us would do this?

But here, while we and the widow see scarcity, God sees abundance.

This is what God said through Elijah:

For thus says the Lord the God of Israel: The jar of meal will not be emptied and the jug of oil will not fail until the day that the Lord sends rain on the earth. (1 Kings 17:8-16)

That is what God says.  But for us, our jar of meal and jug of oil seem to always be on the verge of running empty. We feel inadequate, incapable, depleted, and not having enough to make a difference to others. We're always saying that once I have enough, THEN I'll give.

What do we Have to Give?

Our circumstances and our fear tell us that we have nothing really to give.

But is this really the case?

If you take the time to look more closely, you'll see that this is not the case. There is actually much more in us than we realize.

While I was Hi-C pastor, one message I said continually was that each of us have something unique to offer to the world that only you have. It might seem small, it might seem insignificant, but to God it is precious. Inside each of us is a source of deep richness, beauty and abundance. Our sin is that we have allowed ourselves to diminish it, be blind to it.

The widow believed what God said. She responded with faith. Her jar of meal and jug of oil became a lifeline for Elijah.

She went and did as Elijah said, so that she as well as he and her household ate for many days. The jar of meal was not emptied, neither did the jug of oil fail, according to the word of the Lord that he spoke by Elijah. (1 Kings 18:16)

We have so much to give, more than we realize. What we have to offer at that moment might seem so small. We might feel like we have nothing left in us to give. But even with that little we have, we do not know what kind of blessing it will result in.

Martin Luther King Jr.

Martin Luther King Jr. was the greatest civil rights leader of our modern times. He responded with great faith to his calling.

But just like Elijah was able to become the great prophet only because of the widow's faithful response, Martin Luther King Jr. became the great leader he became because thousands of people in a small city responded with faith to theirs.

He was a 26 year old pastor at a church in Montgomery, Alabama, when a lady was arrested for not giving up her seat on the bus to a white person. The black people of the city decided to boycott the bus line. Martin Luther King Jr became the spokesperson for the coordinating organization.

Thousands of black people who depended on the bus system chose to boycott it. They organized their own carpools to get to work. When the city cracked down on that system, they chose to walk. They walked miles to work and miles back home.

But nonetheless, they walked. For more than a year. They walked until the bus system became so crippled that they finally relented and let black people sit anywhere on the bus.

Martin Luther King recalled the story of a 72 year old lady, Mother Pollard. Because of her poor health and age, he suggested that maybe she should just take the bus and let others do the walking. Her response was this: My feets is tired, but my soul is rested. (Mother Pollard) What faith!

It was because of people like her that Martin Luther King Jr. could live out his calling.

Until then, most African Americans had lived in acceptance of second class life and fear of backlash and reprisals from white people who held all the power.

But somehow they found courage. And faith that they were on the right side of history. They discovered a deep reservoir of power and abundance that was in them. Thousands and millions of these small stories combined to create this national movement that influenced the world.

Martin Luther King Jr. said this: We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny.

Sustained 

My faithful response with what little I have can give a lifeline to you. Your faithful response with what little you have can be a lifeline for me.

Who are you called to help right now?  Don't worry about what you're called to do in the future. What about right now? Even if you feel tired and tapped out, who is God calling you to help, or what is God prompting you to do, right now?

I got ordained at the end of July 2019.  I thought that I would ease into life as a minister and learn the ropes gradually. But as we all know life was flipped upside down in March 2020.

For those first few weeks and months, I had no idea what to do. That whole time is a blur. I don't know how I got through those times.  I was often like a zombie, not having enough time, mental sanity, sleep and energy.

But you know what? My jar of meal was not emptied, and neither did my jug of oil fail. Our God sustained me.

A huge way God sustained our pastoral staff was through this community. All of you, faithfully coming out to worship on Zoom week in and week out. You didn't have to. In fact, at home, you could have done anything you wanted. It may have been a small thing for you, to come out every week for worship. I'll tell you this: even just showing up, being present, and participating is a huge blessing for those who lead. Never underestimate the power of your presence. Your faithful presence on the screen and now in the sanctuary, seeing all of your faces each week, was such an uplifting inspiration for us. It lifted my soul and led me to worship in ways I never have before. Trust me, I would never have imagined myself dancing around on the stage of an empty sanctuary! Your presence cleaved me closer to this community than ever before. You know when I went around saying all of your names? It wasn't just for show, it was true appreciation for the blessing of your presence that lifted my soul. It's be...

Isaiah 43:16-21

Anniversary!

Today is the 25th Anniversary of this church. God has been good as I look back. We didn't even have the church building when we started. But God has given this beautiful building. We were renting Victoria Royce church at Annete and Keele and we used to come to West Deane Park and had a picnic after the service. I could see this church on the hill from the park and it was so beautiful. I just thought to myself, how nice it would be if that were our church. Who would have expected that we are worshipping right here? God has been good. You all worked so hard to build this community. I remember all those who did so much for the church. Together we have built a beautiful history.

As we look back our own personal lives, God has been so good. There were times when we didn't know what to do. There were times when our future was so uncertain. There were times when we felt lost. God didn't give up on us. God never abandoned us. God never left us orphaned. God did not leave us alone.

As the gospel song goes, even when I don't see it you're working, even when I don't feel it you're working, God never stopped working. God showed us the way. God made a way for us.

That was what Isaiah confessed in today's passage.

Thus says the Lord,

   who makes a way in the sea,

   a path in the mighty waters,

who brings out chariot and horse,

   army and warrior;

they lie down, they cannot rise,

   they are extinguished, quenched like a wick. (Isaiah 43:16, 17)

This reminds us of Exodus. He reminded the Israelites how God had brought them out of Egypt. He parted the sea and brought the Israelites out of the life of slavery.

We should never forget what God has done for us. If you write a journal, once in a while, go back to what you have written. You will see the trace of God right there. The Israelite prophets always reminded the people of the Exodus. The people remembered the Exodus event by making festivals and celebrating them like Passover.

As We Look Back

Our present does not exist in isolation. Our past, our present, and our future are all connected. God who was with us, is with us and will be with us. So, remembering our past is very important. As we look back, we can learn a lot, both from positive experiences and negative experiences. Somebody said, people who don't know the history are damned to repeat it. That's why Isaiah said in chapter 46,

Remember this and consider, remember the former things of old (Isaiah 46:8, 9)

But in today's passage, Isaiah said something totally opposite. He said,

Do not remember the former things, or consider the things of old. (Isaiah 43:18)

Why did he say that? He explains in the next verse.

I am about to do a new thing;

   now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?

I will make a way in the wilderness

   and rivers in the desert. (Isaiah 43:19)

Our past is good to remember and be thankful and learn from it. But we cannot dwell on our past. When we dwell on our past, it will become a dead weight. It will shackle our minds and prohibits us from going further. God wants us to go further. God doesn't want us to stay where we are. We cannot live exactly in the same way as we have lived before and expect a change. Wasn't that what Einstein said about insanity?

The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result.

God will not repeat the same thing over again. God is the Creator. God is creative. God is innovative. God always creates new things. Be thankful for what God has done, is a beautiful thing to do. But don't let that be an excuse to stay where we are because we are scared of facing our future.

God who has been good to us, will be good to us in the future too. There is nothing for us to be afraid of. There will no challenge that is too big for us to overcome. Greater things are awaiting for us.

Be Open to The Future

The Israelites were taken as captives and lived as captives in Babylon. While they were there, Babylon was destroyed by Persia. And the king of Persia, Cyrus had a new policy. He told the Israelites to go back to their home. But by then life in Persia was so comfortable. They didn't want to go back. They didn't want to face the uncertainty of their destroyed homeland. They were scared of facing new future. Cyrus even offered to give them money but they were scared of returning to their home country.

Isaiah said God would make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert. God was about to do greater things. New things that God would do are so wondrous that you will not even remember your former things.

That is who our God is. God wants to do greater things through you. But you need to be ready. You need to have faith in God. What God will do in our lives is far beyond our imagination. What God will do through this church is far beyond our imagination. What we need is faith.

Be open to the possibility. Be open to the future. Have courage to face your future. That is what faith is. When we have this attitude, God will fill us with new energy, new thoughts, and new ideas. Small challenges will not discourage us and scare us. With the help of God, we can create new future. That was John's vision in Revelation.

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. (Revelation 21:1)

That was what St. Paul cried out.

So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new! (2 Corinthians 5:17)

Go Beyond

Fix your eyes on Jesus. He will let you see a new vision, a new future, and a new life. When you see fear, you will become lethargic. That is temptation. When we want to stay in our comfort like Israelites in the captivity, we will lose passion for life. We are not going to actualize the yet-unrealized possibilities.

Enjoy the comfort but do not be tempted to dwell in it. You will be drowned. Let us stand up. We have yet a life to live. We have yet things to do. We have yet dreams to pursue. Don't be scared. God will be with us as He has always been. God will give us strength. God will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert. Have courage.

Next year's theme is Go Beyond! Trust in God. We can do it.

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Mark 10:46-52

A Doorway to Faith

Desperation!

That is a doorway to faith. No one can come to faith through intellectual reasoning. Faith is not something you choose or conclude as a result of your intellectual exploration.

Unless we have a desperate need, faith is hard to come by. So, when everything is going all right, faith is pretty hard to get. Even if we have faith, it is a kind of faith that remains on the surface level. It is something that you merely choose to believe.

This blind beggar, Bartimaeus was desperate. As soon as he heard the name, Jesus, he began to cry out.

When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout out and say, Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!' (Mark 10:47)

No one could stop him. People tried to stop him because he was so loud and it was unpleasant to hear him. The outcry from desperation is not pleasant to hear. It is raw. Not only is it loud, but it is also mixed with a lot of raw emotions. So, it can be unpleasant. So, people around the beggar didn't want to hear it.

They tried to stop him also because they thought he was not worthy enough to get Jesus' attention like that. By then Jesus was already a celebrity. People thought that he had no time to waste to pay attention to people like Bartimaeus, a beggar. He was going into Jerusalem to do something greater than hearing this obnoxious outcry of a poor blind beggar.

But no one can stop the outcry that comes from one's desperation. Bartimaeus shouted louder.

Many sternly ordered him to be quiet, but he cried out even more loudly, Son of David, have mercy on me!' (Mark 10: 48)

The Scripture says that Jesus stood still. Stood still! It gives me an image of Jesus standing there and observing all that was going on. I can also see Jesus' compassion.

Jesus stood still and said, Call him here.' (Mark 10:49)

Jesus saw this man not just as another poor person in the crowd. He saw that there was something special about this man. To him, Jesus was the only hope. I don't think he was a born blind because he said this.

My teacher, let me see again.' (Mark 10:51)

There was a time he was able to see. But we don't know how he became blind. But his life was miserable right now. He had no choice but to live as a beggar. He didn't want to live as a beggar.

No Option

Sometimes life does not give us any option to choose. We just have to accept it and live through it. That's hard. There are people who are struggling with their poor health condition. They just have to live through it. At the last session meeting, we talked about how young people have lost the appetite of life. They lost the zeal and passion, even the purpose of living. They have everything and yet they don't know why they feel that way. Do you think they want to do that? I don't think so. They feel helpless. But it's not just young people but many people feel that they are stuck and life gives them no option to choose.

That was what Bartimaeus felt at that time. It wasn't that he enjoyed begging. As a blind man during that time, he had no choice but to beg to survive. To him, the only hope was Jesus, the Son of David. Out of desperation comes hope and our hope turns into faith.

My friends, when you feel desperate, don't give up. When you give up, the only thing that is left is helplessness. Helplessness doesn't do anything. It destroys your desire to want something better in life. It kills your spirit. That is when you lose life.

Hope

We need Bartimaeus' outcry. Bartimaeus' outcry meant he did something about his life. He didn't just sit there helplessly. He shouted out. He refused to just sit there and take his life situation. He shouted out. That was all he could do.

He heard about this Jesus before. He heard the rumour that Jesus cured the sick, chased out the demons, and even healed the blind.

As a Jewish man, he also had this hope for the Messiah. This was Messianic hope Jewish people had.

Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened,

   and the ears of the deaf unstopped;

then the lame shall leap like a deer,

   and the tongue of the speechless sing for joy.

For waters shall break forth in the wilderness,

   and streams in the desert (Isaiah 35:5, 6)

He knew about Isaiah's messianic hope. And he felt that this Jesus might be the one. He wanted to see this man Jesus. But as a blind beggar, there was no way he could see Jesus. It was impossible for him to visit Jesus and see him. That was when he heard that this man Jesus of Nazareth was walking by. He was overjoyed.

People said he was Jesus of Nazareth. But to him, he was not just Jesus of Nazareth. He was the Son of David.  That was the Messianic title. That's why he shouted like this,

Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me! (Mark 10:47)

Who taught him that? No one. This is the evidence that he heard about Jesus before and he connected him with his messianic hope.

Even in his desperation, he didn't lose hope. He was waiting and waiting and waiting. Even though it seemed impossible to see Jesus but he waited. Then the finally the time came for him. He heard that the man he was waiting was walking by. So, nothing could quiet him. Nothing could stop him from his raw shouting. That was his last chance.

Jesus stood still and saw all that. So, he called him. The disciples called the blind man and said to him,

Take heart; get up, he is calling you.' (Mark 10:49)

It was almost like a message. Take heart, get up, Jesus is calling you. Just before the Isiah passage that I quoted about the blind, Isaiah says,

Strengthen the weak hands,

   and make firm the feeble knees.

Say to those who are of a fearful heart,

   Be strong, do not fear!

Here is your God

   He will come and save you.' (Isaiah 35:3, 4)

Bartimaeus threw off his cloak. That was the only thing he had. That was his blanket to sleep on. That was clothes for him to wear to keep him warm. He used it as his pillow. He used it as a mat to sit on when he begged. But he threw that off. It was almost symbolic. It is like the Samaritan woman throwing away the water jar. He felt that he didn't need it anymore. He wasn't going to be a beggar anymore.

When he came, Jesus asked a strange question.

What do you want me to do for you? (Mark 10:51)

Jesus often did that. To the man who was sick for 38 years, Jesus asked, Do you want to be made well? Such an obvious question, Jesus asked sometimes. He asked Bartimaeus a similar question.

What do you want me to do for you?' (Mark 10:51)

His answer was simple.

My teacher, let me see again.' (Mark 10:51)

He asked for what he needed not what he wanted. He asked for his basic need to live a decent life. Somebody said, give the bread to those who are hungry because they are asking for what is theirs.

In the same chapter, right before this story, there is a story of James and John coming to Jesus. Jesus asked them the same question.

What do you want me to do for you? (Mark 10:36)

Their answer was different.

Grant us to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your glory.' (Mark 10:37)

They did not ask for what they needed. They asked for what they wanted. They didn't ask for their basic need. They asked for glory.

From Desperation Came Hope

Today's story is the last miracle story before Jesus entered into Jerusalem. Jesus did not perform miracles anymore after this one. From chapter 8 to 10, Jesus was talking about the discipleship and three times, he said how he would die. But nobody understood what he was talking about. People with two healthy eyes could not really see Jesus but this blind man saw Jesus clearly.

Among all those who were healed, he was the only one whose name was given. Why do you think so? Because by the time Mark wrote his gospel, Bartimaeus was a well-known disciple. So, this story is not just about the miracle story but the story of the discipleship.

Bartimaeus who was on the roadside was now with Jesus on the way.

They came to Jericho. As he and his disciples and a large crowd were leaving Jericho, Bartimaeus son of Timaeus, a blind beggar, was sitting by the roadside. (Mark 10:46)

Immediately he regained his sight and followed him on the way. (Mark 10:52)

Out of desperation came hope. From hope came faith. Through his faith, he was healed and became Jesus' disciple.

Jesus said to him, Go; your faith has made you well. (Mark 10:52)

Jesus told him to go but he followed Jesus.

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Job 38:1-7

Job, a Man of Suffering

We all know about Job and heard about him. We remember him as a man of suffering. We need to know a little bit of his background to understand about his suffering.

Job was a righteous man. Even God recognized his righteousness. This was what God said,

The Lord said to Satan, Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man who fears God and turns away from evil.' (Job 1:8)

This was the beginning of all his problems. Satan asked this question to God.

Then Satan answered the Lord, Does Job fear God for nothing? Have you not put a fence around him and his house and all that he has, on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land. But stretch out your hand now, and touch all that he has, and he will curse you to your face.' (Job 1:9-11)

There is an important question this raised. Is there a person who loves God purely for who he is? Or we all honor God because there are benefits?Is our faith simply our response to the blessings given to us?

That is the question Job had to ask. Job lost his children, his possessions, and at the end even his own health. Seeing all that his wife cursed him and left him.

Can Job still believe in God?

Who Can Suffer

The book of Job is a book about a man who lost everything and talks about what he went through. His friends tried their best to conclude that these sufferings came upon him because there was something wrong he did. They tried to lead conversation into the conclusion that Job was a sinner and therefore all these bad things happened to him.

It is the easiest way to say that our suffering is punishment for our sins. Jesus' disciples did the same thing.

As he walked along, he saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked him, Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?' (John 9:1, 2)

But the book of Job says otherwise. The book of Job says that righteous people can suffer too. Just because you go through your own suffering right now, don't automatically assume that there must be something wrong with you or you did something bad.

Do bad things happen to good people? Yes, bad things happen to good people. Our Lord Jesus showed that very clearly. Jesus was a righteous man. But people crucified him on the cross. Seeing suffering death of Jesus, a Roman soldier who was in charge said this strange confession.

The centurion, seeing what had happened, praised God and said, Surely this was a righteous man. (Luke 23:47)

Seeing the suffering of Jesus, this man saw the righteousness of Jesus, not his wickedness. We don't know why bad things happen to good people. That is mystery.

Even God doesn't answer that. After the suffering, there is a whole bunch of conversations between Job and his three friends. And finally, God appeared to Job for the first time. That was what we read today.

He didn't give Job a clear answer for his suffering. But instead he let him see the beautiful creation he made. And asked Job. Did you do any of these? Were you even there? Do you even know how I created all these?

God’s Gift

God created the beautiful world. We heard Darren beautiful perform that.

O Lord my God, When I in awesome wonder

Consider all The works Thy Hand hath made,

I see the stars, I hear the mighty thunder,

Thy pow’r throughout The universe displayed,

Then sings my soul, my Savior God to Thee

How great Thou art, how great Thou art

Then sings my soul, my Savior God to Thee

How great Thou art, how great Thou art

God made this beautiful world but we don't know how he did it. God is saying that he will also make a beautiful life out of our suffering. And we don't know. Why we suffer is not as important as what God will make out of our suffering. As God created the beautiful world out of chaos and darkness, God will create a beautiful life out of our suffering even though we may go through chaos and darkness when we suffer.

When we suffer, we ask this question. Why me? But there is no answer there. Instead of asking why me, let us see what God will make out of our suffering.

God is good. God granted to us all the good things. God gave us beautiful gifts. Beautiful family, friends, good job, good health – We should be thankful. But if these good gifts become what we expect and what we demand, then they become no more good gifts. When these things are not given, we will be disappointed and discouraged. We will be even disillusioned.

Our good God will make a beautiful life out of us no matter what circumstances we may be in. We should be joyful and thankful in all circumstances. Nothing will be able to take that joy out of us. No suffering can take the joy out of us. The early Christians sang praises and gave thanks even in prison. No suffering could take that joy away from them.

Suffering has no power over us. Suffering cannot even harm us. Suffering will only help us. When we suffer, God is right there. God works behind our suffering. God uses our suffering to build us up.

Let us see our suffering with new eyes. Instead of fearing our suffering, we should be able to see God who works behind our suffering. We should be able to see God's creative work. Then we will have a new meaning for our suffering.

Overcome Suffering

This is what St. Paul said about our suffering.

And not only that, but we also boast in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not disappoint us, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us. (Romans 5:3-5)

Suffering does not give us fear anymore. Because it can't harm us anymore. It is not the reason for us to run away from our life. When we see that suffering becomes even beneficial, we can live a powerful and victorious life.

Jesus said,

I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world. (John 16:33)

He didn't say if you have trouble. He said, in this world you will have trouble. He is saying that it is unavoidable reality. But do not fear but take heart he said. Because Jesus has overcome the world. We are Jesus' disciples and we will also overcome the world.

The one who wins at the end is not the one who is successful but the one who has overcome the suffering.

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Matthew 6:25-34

Worries in Our Lives

We realize that life is not that easy. As a matter of fact, it is quite challenging. We face many problems and challenges. These challenges don't come one by one when we are ready. They are not considerate of our situation. They often come all at once without even giving us a warning. When we have to deal with them all at once, we feel overwhelmed.

So, it is hard to maintain joy, happiness, and peace at all times. Our circumstances don't allow that. Instead of feeling joyful and hopeful, often we feel heavy, dark, and even overwhelming. We have a dark cloud over our head. We are anxious. Worries and anxieties oppress us.

We can identify with the author of Ecclesiastes.

Vanity of vanities, says the Teacher, vanity of vanities! All is vanity! What do people gain from all the toil at which they toil under the sun? (Ecclesiastes 1:2, 3)

I saw all the deeds that are done under the sun; and see, all is vanity and a chasing after wind. What is crooked cannot be made straight, and what is lacking cannot be counted. (Ecclesiastes 1:14, 15)

No matter what we do, sometimes we feel like our life is not getting any better and going anywhere. We don't get any happier. Sometimes we feel that our life is going nowhere. Nothing really gives us real joy.

The only thing we gain is our weight and worries and anxieties. They not only affect our mood but also affect our physical health.

Worries have become a part of our life. They come automatically. As we sigh automatically, we worry automatically. Worrying has become our habit.

Hear This Voice

Jesus said today,

Do not worry about your life. (Matthew 6:25)

We don't know how beautiful it is. It is a simple sentence but it penetrates into our soul.

DO NOT WORRY.

While preparing the sermon, when I heard that, I didn't need to ask why? Why should I not worry? I didn't have to ask why I shouldn't worry. Jesus words themselves were the answer.

Sometimes we hear this voice. Do not worry. When we hear that, we don't need to ask why. Because worries are already gone from us. Even though we have many reasons to worry, somehow, we don't need to worry.

The prophet Habakkuk said a similar thing.

Though the fig tree does not blossom, and no fruit is on the vines; though the produce of the olive fails and the fields yield no food; though the flock is cut off from the fold and there is no herd in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord; I will exult in the God of my salvation. (Habakkuk 3:17, 18)

He rejoiced not because he had good reasons for doing that. The fig tree did not blossom. No fruit was on the vines. The produce of the olive failed. The fields yielded no food. The flock was cut off from the fold. There was no herd in the stalls. So, he had many reasons not to rejoice but to worry. But he rejoiced BECAUSE OF the Lord, BECAUSE OF the God of his salvation.

Maybe we have many reasons to worry. We worry about our health. We worry about our job and our financial situation. We worry about relationship with people. We worry about future. We worry about death.

But Jesus tells us not to worry not because we have reasons not to worry but BECAUSE OF God. God will take care of us. His strong hand holds us tight. That's why we do not worry.

As God takes care of the birds of the air, God will take care of us. As God clothes the lilies of the field beautifully, God will make our life beautiful.

Dwell in God

What we need is to dwell in God. Don't depend on anything else. Just dwell in God. Right after Jesus said not to worry, he said,

But strive first for the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. (Matthew 6:33)

St. Paul also said,

Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:6, 7)

It is God who guards our hearts and our minds. When we leave all our worries and anxieties, God will guard our hearts and our minds.

Because God guards our heart and mind, worries cannot enter into our mind. Worries that used to oppress us will lose their power. We don't feel the weight of that burden anymore. We become free. And the peace that surpasses all understanding fills us.

Not because there are reasons for us to feel peaceful, and good reasons not to worry, but because God guards our heart and our mind, we don't worry anymore. We have peace. Our circumstances may be exactly the same. We may face the same problems. Didn't you experience this? Your problems are still there but somehow you feel that you will be all right. You have this peace in your heart. You feel that worries do not sabotage you anymore and do not oppress you anymore.

Peace Surpasses Understanding

Our brain always looks for reasons either to worry or not worry. For example, if we are not comfortable with our stomach for a few days and we don't know exactly the cause of it, we worry about our health. When we are not secure with our job, we worry. But if our brain finds reasons not to worry, then, we find peace. When you get tested and there is nothing wrong with your stomach, then we have peace. When you are promoted, you feel secure. BUT the brain does not understand the peace that fills our heart when there is no reason for that. That's why St. Paul said, the peace that SURPASSES UNDERSTANDING. When this kind of peace fills our heart, our heart controls our brain. Brain cannot control us anymore. When that happens, the prophet Habakkuk's confession becomes possible. Even though we have no reasons, we can rejoice, we can be peaceful and we can be worry free. Habakkuk's confession did not come from the brain. It came from his heart. When God guards our heart and mind, we can make that kind of confession.

When worries flood into your soul, when they threaten you and oppress you, listen to what Jesus said. Do not worry. God will sustain you. God is our shield, our refuge, and our fortress.

So, the psalmist confessed this.

Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my help and my God. (Psalm 42:5, 6)

When we are free from our worries, we can restore the joy of life. This is not something you can buy with money. Squid game showed that to us. This is something that the world cannot give. It is God's gift.

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid. (John 14:27)

When we are free from worries, we become free and anger goes away from us. And our heart will overflow with thanksgiving. When worries fill your heart and a dark cloud is over your head, I pray that you hear what Jesus said.

DO NOT WORRY ABOUT YOUR LIFE.

There is power in these words. There is a message hidden that God will take care of you. These words will help you.

When you have things that you worry, write them down. And divide what you can do and what you cannot do. What you can do, do it. But what you cannot do, leave it to God. As St. Paul said,

Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.

God will give all of you, peace that surpasses understanding.

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