St Timothy Presbyterian Church in Toronto: Sermons

We should pursue the best things in life, but we know that they don't come easy. Don't take the easy way out. Persevere and pursue the best things in life. Faith is the best thing.

By Rev. Simon Park

John 21:1-19

Feeling guilty is a common response of all human beings.

We are not perfect. We all make mistakes.

We don't always follow the good we aspire; we follow the evil we despise, sometimes. We don't always stand up for what is right. We compromise with what is not right.

Because of fear, we run away for our own safety instead of standing up for what we believe.

That was what all the disciples did.

When their friend, their teacher was unjustly arrested, they deserted Jesus. They all ran away.

Then all the disciples deserted him and fled. (Matthew 26:56)

When we don't live up to the principles we honour, we feel guilty.

Feeling guilty is a natural response and often a right thing to do. There is nothing wrong with feeling guilty.

The issue is not whether you feel guilty or not. The issue is what do you do with the guilt you feel.

In today's passage, Jesus came to help the disciples to deal with their guilt. Jesus appeared to the disciples who were deeply saddened.

Guilt makes you feel sad. Guilt makes you feel powerless.

This sadness and powerlessness were well captured in one verse.

Simon Peter said to them, I am going fishing.' They said to him, We will go with you.' They went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing. (John 21:3)

They caught nothing!

Their minds were somewhere else. They had no motivation to catch fish. They were too sad.

Yes, that's what guilt does. Guilt makes you not only sad but powerless.

The mistake we made, the kind of situation we created because of our mistakes – we can do nothing to fix it. Many times, it is a spilled milk and there is nothing you can do to fix the wrong you did.

Modern people don't like that. Modern people don't like the feeling that you can do nothing.

But that is often the case with guilt. Whatever happened in the past, you cannot fix it. It's already done.

Yes, you may feel guilty, but what good is it when the guilt cannot do anything to fix it.

But in today's passage, I see hopefulness in guilt.

David Prusha, a psychologist, once said,

Our guilt hides hope within it.

I thought it was a very interesting comment.

Guilt hides hope within it. So, after all, guilt is not useless. It's not all bad.

That's what I see in today's passage.

I don't just see remorsefulness, sadness, and powerlessness. I see movement from guilt to hope.

I see a new dimension of guilt. I see Jesus doing a wonderful thing with our guilt.

Guilt is not just about acknowledging your wrongdoing. And feeling bad about it.

GUILT FUELS YOUR MOTIVATION TO LIVE A NEW LIFE.

That was what Jesus came to do to the disciples who were struggling with their powerlessness.

Jesus did not come to condemn them or criticize them. Jesus came to help them to move on. Jesus was using their guilt to fuel their motivation to live a new life.

Especially Peter. They all deserted Jesus but Peter went one step further. He denied Jesus. Not only once but three times. So Peter felt the most about his guilt.

So when Jesus kept asking whether he loved him, he was hurt.

He said to him the third time, Simon son of John, do you love me?' Peter felt hurt because he said to him the third time, Do you love me?' (John 21:17)

He was hurt because he felt guilty.

Even when he said, I love you, he didn't say it confidently. He said it feeling that he didn't deserve to say that.

When Jesus asked him, do you love me, his guilt was triggered. That was why he was hurt.

Why does Jesus keep asking when I already said that I loved him?

Why did Jesus keep asking? Why did he ask three times? Because Peter denied three times? To match the number?

Maybe. But personally I don't think that was the reason.

Jesus did not doubt Peter's love. Jesus knew Peter's love even though he loved Jesus in his limited way.

Jesus asked three times and he used this special word, Agape for love. The word agape – unconditional love.

But three times, Peter answered with the word, Phileo. That's friendly love. Not unconditional love.

Probably Peter couldn't use the word Agape, knowing what he did. That was Ok with Jesus. Jesus knew Peter's limited love.

But that was not why Jesus asked Peter three times expecting him to say the word, Agape.

Jesus understands your limited love.

Jesus asked Peter three times because he was about to say a very difficult thing to Peter.

After asking three times, Jesus said this.

Very truly, I tell you, when you were younger, you used to fasten your own belt and to go wherever you wished. But when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will fasten a belt around you and take you where you do not wish to go.' (He said this to indicate the kind of death by which he would glorify God.) After this he said to him, Follow me.' (John 21:18-19)

But Peter didn't understand why Jesus asked him three times.

Only thing he could think of was his denial. That was why he connected Jesus' question with his guilt.

That's what guilt does. Makes you self-absorbed.

But Jesus did not leave Peter alone in his guilt.

He wanted to restore him. He wanted Peter to embrace his love for Jesus. Jesus wanted Peter to do something better instead of just feeling guilty.

Jesus wanted Peter to live a new life.

To guilt ridden Peter, Jesus turned the guilt into fuel to live a new life.

Jesus said, feed my lamb. Take care of my sheep. Don't just sit there, feeling guilty. Stand up and move on. Feed my sheep.

Guilt, when it is combined with love, it becomes a powerful fuel to motivate you to live a new life.

But when guilt is combined with anger or fear, it becomes a deadly force to destroy you.

That's why St. Paul said this.

For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation and brings no regret, but worldly grief produces death. (2 Corinthians 7:10)

Godly grief is the guilt combined with God's love. Worldly grief is the guilt combined with pride, fear, and anger.

When guilt is combined with pride, we do self-justification. We try to lessen our guilt by self-justification.

When guilt is combined with fear and anger, we do self-punishment. We become paralyzed. We become depressed. We become very anxious. That is death.

But when guilt is combined with God's love and mercy, we live with hope to change.

Guilt hides hope within it. Guilt helps us become humble but not only being humble but a strong motivation to become a better person.

When guilt is lifted, Peter became strong. He became bold.

All you who are struggling with heavy burden of guilt, come to Jesus.

Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. (Matthew 11:28-30)

Come to Jesus. Lay down all your burdens of guilt and find rest.

With new strength, you can move on.

The post Guilt Hides Hope Within It appeared first on St Timothy Presbyterian Church.

Resurrection is the creation of new heavens and a new earth. It is hope. Hope is not hope when things are good and positive. Hope is hope when there is no hope. May you live with true hope made possible by the resurrection of our Lord!

Isaiah 65:17-25

The Sermon Audio will be available soon! Thank you for your patience.

Today's message begins with this.

For I am about to create new heavens

Isaiah saw new heavens and a new earth.

Today's message came from the third part of Isaiah.

Isaiah's message consists of three parts. They are all to do with Babylonian Captivity.

The first part deals with why the exile happened. The second part was for those who were in exile and gave them hope that they would return home. The third part was the message for those who returned from the exile.

Today's story comes from the third part.

People returned from exile. They came home. They were in captivity and now they were freed to come home.

But the home they returned to was not a utopia. What was waiting for them was not a rich and abundant land.

Their homeland was still in ruins. The temple remained destroyed. People's spirits were still crushed.

When you look at the experiences of Israelites, you can see two paradigms.

One is Exodus Paradigm and the other is New Creation Paradigm.

Exodus is being free from the bondage.

Israelites were slaves in Egypt. Moses brought them out of Egypt. That is the Exodus.

But what Isaiah is talking about today was not the Exodus.

He was talking about the New Creation. It is a different paradigm from the Exodus.

Isaiah saw new heavens and a new earth.

There will be no more of the sound of weeping or the cry of distress. They shall not labour in vain. Their hard works will be compensated.

They will live a long, happy, and healthy life. One who falls short of a hundred will be considered accursed.

They will all live in peace and harmony. The wolf and the lamb shall feed together.

It is a vision about the new creation. Isaiah's vision of new heavens and a new earth.

Where did he get this vision?

Not from his reality! His reality was still devastating.

Was it his wishful thinking?

God gave him this vision. This vision creates hope. Hope is the product of this vision.

Thank you for allowing us to visit Cuba.

People in Cuba deeply appreciated your generous donations. To be able to raise $30,000 in a not-so-big church like ours tells us a lot about this church. Every time we opened the bag we brought to them, I could see their happy faces.

The country is in a very bad shape. Political leaders are not really concerned about people.

US embargo makes people's lives miserable. People are the ones who receive the brunt of this terrible political situation.

We don't know the real number, but a very conservative estimate of the number who left the country in 2022 and 2023 is more than a million people.

Now about 3 million? And all of them are between the ages of 15 and 59.

Many families have been destroyed. Only people that are left are old grandparents and young grandchildren.

People in the ages of 19 to 49, they are all thinking of leaving. We passed by government buildings that deal with emigration. There was a long lineup.

We went by pharmacies and there were no drugs on the shelf. The shelves were empty.

All the donations you gave generously were so much appreciated. We gave them the shoes you donated to the Matanzas seminary. The next day, they all showed the shoes they were wearing.

The churches struggle because only people that are left are elderly grandparents and young grandchildren. You can see that when you walk around the street or visit churches. They have a hard time running Sunday school. Because all the teachers left the country.

It is a devastating situation.

At Matanzas seminary, the principal gave us the lecture about Cuban history and told us that the paradigm they need is not the Exodus paradigm but the Creation Paradigm.

People are leaving and so Exodus model will not work for them. They need God who creates the new world.

When I went to Madagascar, I saw the poverty there too.

But they were not leaving the country. Lots of young people – I mean between 19-50.

But Cuban situation was different. Every day, young people were leaving the country. Then what's left? A lot of old people and children.

So far theologians of the two-thirds world (or you know it as the third world) interpreted their situations with the paradigm of Exodus.

South Africa's apartheid. Latin America's liberation theology. Korea's Minjoong theology. America's black theology and feminist theology. They base on the paradigm of Exodus.

But what Cuba needs is the paradigm of the new creation.

The first day, we were all down. We felt very heavy.

At the debriefing meeting of the first day, they shared their hearts were heavy. We felt the hopelessness.

But from the next day, we all saw that people in Cuba did not lose their hope. Two words that we heard the most.

Dignity and Hope.

They kept the hope. The church was active and vibrant. Ministers were filled with passion.

At the Matanzas seminary, I told the students. What is hope in a hopeful situation? That is not hope.

Hope is hope only in a hopeless situation.

That was what St. Paul said.

For in hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what is seen? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience. (Romans 8:24, 25)

I told them you are in a very difficult and almost hopeless situation. That is the best environment to explore the theology of hope. And show us what the genuine hope looks like.

You are not alone in this struggle. There is only one church of Jesus Christ in the world. God called you in this context to carry out the mission. But your mission is also our mission.

You are not forgotten. We will do our best to work with you.

People we met, leaders we met, they did not lose hope. They were fighting with their situation with the power of hope.

Hope is possible when you see the new world and new life God is creating for you.

Hope does not come from seeing your present reality. Hope is possible when you see the beautiful world God is creating for you.

Two weeks ago, I asked you what do you see in your future?

Do you see dark ominous clouds ahead of you? Or do you see the bright sun that is coming out of the dark clouds?

I always see the bright future.

Even in difficult times, I see the bright future. That gives me vision, and this vision gives me hope.

The resurrection is the new creation.

That was what St. Paul saw.

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)

My friends, Jesus is risen!

He opened the bright future of new heavens and a new earth.

Always focus on the new life God is creating for you. Even in hopeless situations, you will not lose hope.

The post Resurrection: New Heavens and A New Earth appeared first on St Timothy Presbyterian Church.

Isaiah 50:4-9

Our mission team is in Cuba right now.

For their trip, we asked for support from all of you. The response was incredible.

Many backpacks and items. And cash amounts that exceeded what we asked for: almost $30,000.

I reflected on what that means.

The amount of support we received tells me this: there is a real desire for goodness in this world.

You were inspired by people who wanted to go simply to serve.

They're not going to spend time on a resort. They paid their own money and all expenses simply to see what good we can do.

And you in turn wanted to support that desire to do good.

There was no ulterior motive, nothing suspicious. So you gave so generously.

All of this tells me that people are wired for goodness. We are created to do good acts for one another.

Seeing pure goodness in others inspires us. It makes us want to do good as well.

Doing good is what makes us most human. Doing good things here and there feels good.

But what about doing good everyday, as your job even?

It almost sounds silly in today's world.

When I was younger, many young people wanted to do good in this world. There were many things for young people – things like service corps, volunteering opportunities.

A whole generation was inspired by JFK's famous speech: Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country.

(Working at P&G in my university days – community work)

But I sense that kind of idealism to be dead now.

What young people see now is a world full of competition and self interest.

They see the opposite of goodness. They see a world where you have to fight to get what you need. They see meanness, greed, the will to power.

And so the heart gets jaded. It becomes cynical. It doubts the possibility of real goodness in this world. And they look out for what's best for them.

But this lack of goodness is causing so many issues.

Many people struggle with mental health issues, lack of joy, loss of meaning. I think a huge reason is that they see no motivation to do good in this world. There is nothing beyond themselves to live for.

Israel was set apart to do good in this world. To be a blessing. They were called to live a new way – the way of God's goodness.

But they were a small country surrounded by powerful neighbours. Those neighbours did not care much about goodness. They were more interested in power and wealth.

Small nations like Israel got beat up by those powerful neighbours.

Israel experienced slavery in Egypt, being under the thumb of Philistines, forced assimilation by the Assyrians, and deportation and exile under the Babylonians.

They experienced the lack of goodness firsthand.

They had to decide: would they give up on their unique identity and become like other nations? Or would they remain distinct as the people of God?

Would they resign themselves to the world as they experienced – a world without goodness – or would they reinterpret their experiences of suffering and maintain faith in goodness?

Isaiah was a prophet during one of these difficult times. His people were crushed by Babylon, and its leaders were deported to live as exiles there.

They experienced the raw power of a mighty nation. They suffered indignity, humiliation and powerlessness.

This is how one psalmist described it:

By the rivers of Babylon there we sat down, and there we wept when we remembered Zion. On the willows there we hung up our harps. For there our captors asked us for songs, and our tormentors asked for mirth, saying, Sing us one of the songs of Zion! How could we sing the Lord's song in a foreign land? (Psalm 137:1-4)

They were asking difficult questions in their hearts.

In this situation, Isaiah saw new meaning in their suffering.

Their suffering was not meaningless. Isaiah interpreted their weakness not as something to be ashamed of, but as the very means through which God was creating something new.

God gave Isaiah the vision of a Servant.

We don't know exactly who this servant is. But in a way, this Servant represented Israel. It represented a new interpretation of Israel's suffering.

Today's passage is one of four servant songs.

We see here the purpose of the servant:

The Lord God has given me a trained tongue, that I may know how to sustain the weary with a word. (Isaiah 50:4)

The purpose of the servant is to do good for the weary. To lift them with a word.

But the servant runs into a big challenge:

The Lord God has opened my ear, but I was not rebellious; I did not turn backward. I gave my back to those who struck me and my cheeks to those who pulled out the beard; I did not hide my face from insult and spitting. (Isaiah 50:5-6)

In trying to do good, the Servant runs into vile opposition.

But in that suffering of persecution, the Servant discovers something:

The Lord God helps me It is the Lord God who helps me. (Isaiah 50:7, 9)

He discovers the presence and power of God.

When you look at this world, it often seems like a world without God. People look at all the evil in this world as evidence that there's no God.

I can see why people think that.

God is definitely not present in the evil and sin of this world.

But there is one place that God has chosen to be: with those who suffer for doing good.

When those who try to do good suffer for it, God is there with them.

That is what Jesus meant when he said this:

Blessed are those who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. (Matthew 5:10)

Those who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness will taste the kingdom of heaven. They will be in the presence of God.

Today is Passion Sunday. We reflect on the suffering of Jesus.

Jesus' life took on the shape of this servant.

He did good. He loved this world.

But the world did not love Jesus.

People did not like what Jesus did. It made them very uncomfortable. They opposed Jesus. They began plotting against him.

In the Garden of Gethsemane, this is what Jesus experienced:

Then Jesus went with them to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to his disciples, Sit here while I go over there and pray. He took with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee and began to be grieved and agitated. Then he said to them, My soul is deeply grieved, even to death; remain here, and stay awake with me. And going a little farther, he threw himself on the ground and prayed, My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me, yet not what I want but what you want. (Matthew 26:36-39)

He did not want the suffering that was to come. But in that moment, he experienced the power of God.

After this experience in the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus was able to bear his suffering all the way to the cross.

Jesus suffered persecution not in spite of his righteousness, but BECAUSE of it.

Our world is so twisted that if you try to do good, you WILL suffer persecution.

People will not pat you on the back and say, good job .

They will look at you funny. They will think you are strange. They will look for ways to take you down. They will look for any reason to tear you apart.

It's to the point where doing good is seen as a bad thing now.

One of the first things the US government cut off was the US Agency for International Development.

They provide help for millions of vulnerable people around the world. They attacked funding for churches that provide shelter and help for refugees.

This is becoming more and more a dark, cold world.

In these times, we need to restore our thirst for righteousness. We need to rekindle our desire for good. We need to overcome the fear of doing good.

Now is not the time to keep your head in the sand. To keep your head down and stay in your lane.

Now is the time to seek the good that God desires.

God is calling YOU to do good.

It is not the easy path. Jesus' death on the cross is evidence of that.

But it is the only way that leads to life.

You want to find meaning in life? Do good for others.

Do good and seek righteousness – right living. Take on the righteous suffering that will come your way.

When you find yourself alone, powerless and tormented, God will be with you. You will experience the presence and power of God.

The post Take On Your Righteous Suffering appeared first on St Timothy Presbyterian Church.

Philippians 3:4b-14

What do people value the most?

A recent Reuters poll says that American people value time the most. Then career , success , and money come in as close seconds.

I think that is so true.

What good is money when you have no time to spend it? What good is all the power and success when no time is left for you.

It is like a parable of a rich fool that our Lord Jesus taught us.

Then he told them a parable: The land of a rich man produced abundantly. And he thought to himself, What should I do, for I have no place to store my crops? Then he said, I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I will say to my soul, Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry. But God said to him, You fool! This very night your life is being demanded of you. And the things you have prepared, whose will they be? (Luke 12:16-21)

He had all the riches but he didn't have time. What's the use?

Time is the most valuable, the most important, and the most practical.

So, appreciate your time. Cherish it. Don't waste it away.

It is free but priceless. Once you have lost it you can never get it back.

There are different ways of thinking of time. Different aspects of time.

The Past, the Present, and the Future. Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow.

Of these three, I think the future is the most important.

If there is no future, our past and present become meaningless.

You reflect on your past to make a better future. You work hard today so that you can have a good tomorrow.

So your past and your present should ultimately work for your future. Because your future is the most important.

The interesting thing is: The future is not here yet but it is the most important.

In our hands, we don't have the future yet, but it is what determines the quality of your life. When you have no future, you will be devastated.

So life is very interesting and strange in that way.

What we don't have, what we don't see, what has not happened yet, – that controls and determines the quality of our life.

So don't tell me that I can accept only thing that I can see, I can touch, and I can feel. You are controlled by what is not here yet. Your future.

The future – It is interesting. People have different attitudes about their future.

I don't think many people are comfortable with their future.

Is your future your friend or your enemy? Do you love to think about your future or you try to avoid your future as much as possible?

The future can be scary because it is unknown. It is uncertain.

These days, the uncertainty of our future has become very real. Because of US policy, the whole world is wondering what their future may be. Uncertain, unknown, unpredictable.

The future is not just uncertain and unknown – It is uncontrollable.

The future is not in your control. You don't know what tomorrow holds for you.

In Myanmar, close to 3,000 people died because of earthquake. Nobody knew that it was coming.

Recently in LA, and also in Korea, so many people lost their homes because of fire. Nobody expected that.

The future just comes without warning.

What are human responses to the very nature of the future?

Worries and anxieties. That is what a lot of people have about the future.

University students – What if I can't get into the program I want. People who are working, especially in the auto industry – What if I get laid off because of this new tariff. Old people – What if I get sick, who will take care of me?

Worries and Anxieties – A very common attitude towards their future.

Another human response is – You become helpless and hopeless.

You can do nothing about your future. So, just passively receive your future. Que sera sera – whatever will be, will be. The future is not ours to see.

But Paul showed a different attitude towards the future today.

but this one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead (Philippians 3:13)

He didn't worry about his future. He didn't just passively take whatever future that came to him.

He strained forward to what lied ahead. He put away his past. He didn't dwell on it.

Our past can be a good teacher for us. But at the same time, our past can haunt us. Our past can drag us down.

Not just your painful past but even your glorious past can drag you down. What good is your glorious moment in the past? It's gone. No use.

You have to cut it off.

St. Paul considered his past as rubbish. Rubbish is a very toned down translation.

The Greek word Paul used,

skubalon – means “dung,” “excrement,” or “refuse .

He cut it off.

Forgetting what lies behind me, I will strain forward to what lies ahead.

A very future oriented mentality. How could he have this very strong future-oriented mentality?

Because he saw what most of us don't see.

He clearly saw what was ahead of him. He clearly saw the end. He was able to see the goal.

Verse 14.

I press on towards the goal for the prize of the heavenly call of God in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 3:14)

What do you see in your future? Do you see only dark, gloomy, and ominous clouds?

In the same letter St. Paul said this.

I am confident of this, that the one who began a good work among you will bring it to completion by the day of Jesus Christ. (Philippians 1:6)

What does he see in his future?

The good work that God began will be completed. The good work God began in you will be completed.

He saw what was in his future with the eyes of faith.

He saw the power that moved and propelled him into the future.

He did not just wait passively for the future to come to him. He entered into the future with boldness.

There was power within him and this power propelled him into the future.

His attitude towards future is very different from most common attitudes of people: like worries and anxieties, or hopeless submission.

He knew that his future was not in his hands.

BUT

He believed that his future was in God's hands.

He believed that death is not the final station of his train.

My friends, death is not the final station of your train. Don't get off there.

St. Paul believed that the resurrection is his final station.

I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the sharing of his sufferings by becoming like him in his death, if somehow I may attain the resurrection from the dead. (Philippians 3:10, 11)

The power of the resurrection was what propelled him to take on his future.

The resurrection was what he saw in his future. Even suffering could not stop that future. Death could not stop that future.

If somehow I may attain the resurrection from the dead. (Philippians 3:11)

What do you see in your future?

Believe in your future.

When faith dances with the future, it becomes hope. Live with hope. Believe in your future.

At the end of your journey, there is the resurrection. See that. And boldly take the challenges that come to you. And build your beautiful future.

The post Look To the Future appeared first on St Timothy Presbyterian Church.

Luke 15:1-3, 11b-32

This is a very famous story. I am sure most of you have heard about this story and are very familiar with it.

This is one of the most famous parables Jesus left behind for us to remember.

What we read today is the last one of three stories. All three stories have the same theme.

The first one is about a shepherd searching for one lost sheep, leaving 99 in the wilderness. The second one is about a woman searching for one lost coin. And today's story is the last one about a father who lost a son.

All three parables are about losing something and finding it back. But the third story has its unique message that is not in the first two.

The shepherd and the woman were actively searching for their lost one.

The shepherd went out and went through all the troubles to find the lost sheep. The woman lit a lamp and swept through the whole house to find the lost coin.

But the father didn't do anything to find the lost son.

He didn't go out to search for him. He didn't send people to find his son.

Was it because the father did not love the son? Was it because he was upset at the son? Or was it because he didn't care?

I don't think so.

I see two images of God in these three stories.

The first one is the image of God who actively goes out to search for the lost. The second one is the image of God who waits.

The lost sheep and the lost coin could not come back on their own. That's why the shepherd and the woman actively searched for it.

But the son – he was different.

He chose to go out. He didn't want to stay home. The Scripture doesn't tell us why he wanted to leave the house.

Maybe because of his self-righteous brother? Maybe because he felt stuffy at home? Maybe because he wanted to see the bigger world? Maybe because he simply wanted freedom? We don't know why.

But he wanted to leave home. He wanted his inheritance.

The father didn't die yet. But he wanted his portion anyway. That doesn't sound nice.

But strangely, the father was silent. He just gave it to him. The father let him go.

He didn't tell him to stay. He didn't tell him to reconsider. He didn't threaten him not to give him his portion.

He simply divided his property between two sons and gave his portion.

The father might have been disappointed. The father might have been angry. The father might have been concerned.

But the Scripture doesn't express any of his emotions. The silence of the father speaks volumes.

The father knew exactly that his son needed to do that.

He needed to leave the house. He needed to go out and experience the world. He needed to find his own life. He needed freedom even though the father knew that freedom was costly.

That is the kind of God we have.

God allows us to go. God allows us to have freedom. God allows us to have our own choice.

You have many young children. Now they are cute and adorable.

But there will be a time when they want to leave you and leave home. They want to make their own choices. They want to have their own freedom.

Letting them go is hard.

There is pain in letting go. Sometimes going out and actively searching for them is easier. But human beings are not like a sheep or a coin.

The image of God this parable portrays to us is the pain of God who lets his son go. The pain of God who lets his son reject him.

Asking for his inheritance while the father was alive was the greatest insult and disrespect. And yet the father doesn't say anything. His silence delivers his pain.

That is the kind of love Jesus showed. Jesus allowed people to reject him. I could see that very clearly in his last supper.

He knew that Judas would soon reject him. And yet he gave the bread to him.

Then he said,

Do quickly what you are going to do. (John 13:27)

John described the scene in this way.

So, after receiving the piece of bread, he (Judas) immediately went out. And it was night. (John 13:30)

And it was night.

This was a symbolic expression. He left Jesus who is the light and entered into darkness.

Jesus allowed Judas to betray him. Jesus allowed Peter to deny him.

Listen to this conversation.

Peter said to him, Lord, why can I not follow you now? I will lay down my life for you.' Jesus answered, Will you lay down your life for me? Very truly, I tell you, before the cock crows, you will have denied me three times. (John 13:37, 38)

Jesus allowed Judas to betray him and Peter to deny him. Jesus allowed people to reject him. That is the message of the cross.

Today's story shows the agony of the father who allows the son to reject him, disrespect him, and leave him.

But that is not the end. The story also shows the image of God who is waiting.

The father let him go even though it was painful but deep inside, he was hoping that he would come back. This is well captured in verse 20.

So he set off and went to his father. But while he was still far off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion; he ran and put his arms around him and kissed him. (Luke 15:20)

I have an African Bible. It is in English but there are commentaries about how Africans may read a particular passage.

On this passage, it says, African elders will never run. Same with older Korean custom. They never run.

While he was still far off, the father could recognize his son. It gives me the image that he was waiting every day for the son to return.

That is the kind of God we have. Not only he allows son to go but he waits for the son who rejected him, insulted him, and left him.

That is the gospel. That is the good news.

Waiting is much more difficult than doing something for your son. Waiting is much more difficult than searching.

The third parable is the climax of God's love. It shows the epitome of God's love.

My friends, our God is not God who forces you to stay home. Our God is not God who justifies his righteousness by punishing us. I told you so is not God's attitude towards us.

Our God is not God who is forcing you to follow his command so that he could claim his authority and ownership.

Our God is God who wants you to be free and experience the world.

Our God is God who even allows you to reject him and leave him.

But our God is God who waits for you and is always ready to embrace you when you return.

This new image of God is what Jesus showed to all of us. This new image of God is what St. Paul discovered.

This is the image Pharisees did not understand and could not accept. So they rejected Jesus.

My friends, God is always waiting for you. Come home!

The post Pain of Letting Go appeared first on St Timothy Presbyterian Church.

1 Corinthians 10:1-13

Have you had a personal experience of meeting God?

Meeting God is a wonderful experience. When you meet God, everything is good.

You feel embraced by God's love. Your burdens are lifted. You feel that everything is going to be alright.

Many of you have experienced this kind of wonderful encounter with God.

This is what it was like when the Corinthians received the gospel.

Meeting God instills a core belief: that everything will be alright. In God's hands, all will be good.

In Christian faith, we call that hope. Everything might not be alright now, but they will be.

Hope is at the core of Christian faith. Hope is what the resurrection is all about. No matter how bad things are now, in the end, God will be victorious.

The writer of Revelation articulates a beautiful vision of this good ending:

See, the home of God is among mortals.He will dwell with them;they will be his peoples,and God himself will be with them and be their God;he will wipe every tear from their eyes.Death will be no more;mourning and crying and pain will be no more,for the first things have passed away.

That is the promise of our hope. Our whole Christian faith is built on the promise that no matter how bad things are right now, in the end they will be alright.

Because of that hope, how you live now changes. You live based on the promise that is to come.

That's what happened to the Corinthians when they met God.

Christ was coming soon, and that all would be well. Based on that belief, they made radical changes to their lives.

They created a new community that crossed social and economic lines. Relationships that would never have been formed were created. It was a beautiful new kind of humanity and community.

When you meet God, that hope seems so real and alive. It is a beautiful thing.

But what happens when that hope doesn't manifest? What if there is a never ending delay to that promise? What if things don't really get better? Things don't change or even get worse?

When the promise of a better future doesn't become real, two questions arise in the heart:

What's the point?What difference does it make?

What's the point of holding onto faith when nothing changes? What difference does it make to keep trying?

Your belief in the promise of a better future erodes. You lose hope.

That is the situation that Paul is addressing.

Christ did not come as they expected. Their problems remained. They were losing hope.

In today's passage, Paul is warning them using examples from the past. The examples he uses are from the Israelites when they were in the wilderness.

The Israelites had been slaves in Egypt. God heard their cries and sent Moses to lead them out of Egypt.

They experienced the mighty hand of God in leading them out and providing for them.

This is how Paul describes this:

I do not want you to be ignorant, brothers and sisters, that our ancestors were all under the cloud, and all passed through the sea, and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, and all ate the same spiritual food, and all drank the same spiritual drink. (1 Corinthians 10:1-4)

God had led them out with a mighty hand. God promised that he would lead his people into the Promised Land, a land flowing with milk and honey.

But then they got stuck in the wilderness.

People grew restless. They began to lose hope in the promise.

Paul describes what happened:

Nevertheless, God was not pleased with most of them, and they were struck down in the wilderness. (1 Corinthians 10:5)

They lost hope and fell away from God.

Paul has a few warnings based on what happened to them in the wilderness:

Do not become idolaters as some of them did, as it is written, The people sat down to eat and drink, and they rose up to play. (1 Corinthians 10:7)

This is based on the golden calf.

Moses went up to Mt Sinai to receive the commandments from God. But he took so long.

The people got tired of waiting. They demanded a god they could see.

So Moses' brother Aaron created a golden calf. They held a festival where they ate, drank and played.

God makes a promise that all will be good. But when things don't seem to get better, people easily turn to other things.

Where do you really turn to to feel safe and secure? What do you trust to make your life better?

We must not engage in sexual immorality, as some of them did, and twenty-three thousand fell in a single day. (1 Corinthians 10:8)

At another point during their time in the wilderness, they settled at a place in Moab.

The men began to sleep with Moabite women. Not only that, they began to offer sacrifices to Moabite gods.

They forgot about God's promise. They lost hope they would ever get to the Promised Land. So they focused on pleasure for that moment.

Many people say: just focus on the present.

We should enjoy each moment, yes. (Olivia tanned from vacation – jealous!)

But when you only focus on the present and ignore the future, if all you look forward to is pleasure, it could be a sign of lost hope for the future.

We must not put Christ to the test, as some of them did, and were destroyed by serpents. (1 Corinthians 10:9)

When God's promise does not come to fruition, people question God.

When I see people, they don't turn to God or places like the Bible for wisdom, guidance and answers. They turn to experts online, influencers, people who sound intelligent. Anywhere but God.

When I mention the word Bible , many times I sense an immediate aversion.

It's almost like: God can't exist when there's all this mess – prove to me that God exists .

Even after all that God had done, many people in the wilderness questioned God himself.

And do not complain, as some of them did, and were destroyed by the destroyer. (1 Corinthians 10:9)

People complained and grumbled to Moses the whole time. They even asked why he had brought them out of Egypt. At least there they had food to eat!

Grumbling, complaining, being a victim – these are not marks of trust in God and his promises.

Paul uses these examples to identify pitfalls to faith. Things that take your eyes away from the promise we build our lives on.

What is the Christian journey?

It is living in that gap between God's promise and its fulfillment. That's what it means to follow Jesus.

The Christian life exists in tension between the messy reality that's now and what will be. That's why it can be so difficult.

That's why so many people fall away.

Christian life is not for the faint of heart.

It's not for those seeking a simple, easy life. It is living with that gap that sometimes seems like a chasm.

The main ingredient for life in this gap is faith: trusting in the promises of God, even when they seem so far away. Trusting the one who makes the promises.

When faith goes, so does hope.

There are so many reasons to lose belief in God's promises.

We have our Sioux Valley info session today.

So many challenges – drug epidemic among youth. Grave concern among elders and leaders for youth.

Legacies of history and residential schools is tragic – breakdown of family life where love is experienced.

Message from broken family and outside world: you are not loveable. Questions: what's the point? What difference does it make?

Lost hope – no belief that future can be different, better.

It seems more difficult than ever to hold onto hope in God's promises.

But I hold onto God's promises.

Why?

First, because life with no hope is no life. I don't want to have nothing to live for!

Secondly, because of what I've experienced and because of people's living testimonies of faith.

I've seen the living testimonies of faith in you and places like Sioux Valley. I've seen people get through so many challenges and difficulties with faith in God's promises.

They don't lose hope.

I've seen the power of faith that moves mountains and overcomes all manner of tribulations.

They assure me that God's promises are real and true.

My friends, it is worth it to hold onto the promises of God. The rewards of the promise are great.

They are life. They are joy. They are fullness.

Living with faith in that promise has its rich rewards now. It brings peace, joy, community.

That is what we are: a community that holds onto the promises of God.

Paul gives this assurance to us:

No testing has overtaken you that is not common to everyone. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tested beyond your strength, but with the testing he will also provide the way out so that you may be able to endure it. (1 Corinthians 10:13)

We face many tests of our faith. But God will not let them overcome you.

God will give you strength. God will give you a way out! God will hold up your hope.

Hold onto hope. Do not give up. Find rest in the promises of God.

The post Hold Fast, Do Not Give Up appeared first on St Timothy Presbyterian Church.

Psalm 27

We've been studying David at our Winter Fridays. The psalm we read today was written by him.

Around 73 of the 150 psalms are attributed to David. That is almost half of the entire book.

He was a talented poet. He had the sensitivity of an artist and the insight of a theologian.

When I look at David's life, I see a common theme. It is that God was always with him.

He lived his life with this understanding, in all circumstances.

God was never separate from or outside the reality of his life. God was intimately involved in his life.

We can see this at the beginning of today's psalm

The LORD is my light and my salvation;whom shall I fear?The LORD is the stronghold of my life;of whom shall I be afraid? (Psalm 27:1)

Even in danger, David never lost his confidence. Knowing that God was with him gave him strength.

It gave him the courage to face Goliath when no one else wanted to. It gave him the wisdom to spare Saul's life even when it was to his advantage.

It made him the spiritual rock that he was.

What does it mean to know that God is always with us? What did it mean for David? I asked myself that question.

This is something that we hear often. But what is implied in that expression?

To know that God is with us is to know that we are LOVED.

There is no difference. They are very much connected.

That we are loved reveals itself in the way God cares for us.

Knowing this is the foundation of our faith. It is the source of our confidence in the midst of trouble.

David knew that he was loved. It was not head knowledge.

He experienced God's love surrounding him all throughout his life. Not only in his successes and victories, but especially in situations that seemed impossible and life-threatening.

He was saved numerous times from Saul's attempts to kill him. He was pulled back from the frontlines just as he thought he had to go to war against his own people.

When he was lost and unsure of what to do, David saw God's hand rescuing him like a ray of light piercing through the darkness.

God's steadfast love became real to him in those moments.

We don't know the exact context or background of today's psalm.

It is obvious that he is in some kind of danger. People are against him and they want his life.

Yet, he does not easily waver in his confidence. He knows that he is loved and God will take care of him.

For he will hide me in his shelterin the day of trouble;he will conceal me under the cover of his tent;he will set me high on a rock. (Psalm 27:5)

If my father and mother forsake me,the LORD will take me up. (Psalm 27:10)

Whenever difficulties come, the first thing we do is panic.

We become fearful. We lose perspective and get overwhelmed.

We look for solutions to get rid of our problems quickly. We make rash and impulsive decisions.

We end up complicating our situations even more. We feel more powerless and helpless than before.

All this comes from believing that we are alone.

That is why we ask ourselves, Why is this happening to me? We feel totally isolated.

Is God really with me? In other words, we are asking Am I loved by God?

That was Saul.

He lived in constant fear. It stemmed from his belief that he was totally alone.

Unlike David, God was not a part of his reality. Only himself. His life became all about him trying to deal with his problems.

But it didn't better his situation. It only led him further and further into darkness. It ultimately destroyed him.

In that sense, dealing with the challenges of life is not so much a question of what to do, but WHO WE ARE.

It is not a matter of finding effective solutions, but our IDENTITY.

When the storms come, what gets rattled is our sense of self. Everything else in our life feels shaky as a result.

If our identity is firmly rooted, we can withstand the storm. If our identity is fragile, we will be knocked down by the storm.

That is what our Hi-C students reflected on at their retreat last weekend.

The theme was, Be Who You Are .

To be a rock, we need to cultivate a healthy and strong identity. Adolescence is perhaps the most formative time for that.

Cultivating a healthy sense of self begins with hearing who God says that we are.

The first thing God tells us is that we are loved as Jesus heard at his baptism

And a voice came from the heavens, You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased. (Mark 1:11)

We are not loved because of anything we have done.

It is because that is who God is. God is love.

We were loved even before we were born. Our very existence is the evidence of God's love.

To know that we are loved is where everything starts. It is the bedrock of our life and identity.

Do you know that you are loved? Do you believe that?

Remind yourself daily of this truth.

I AM LOVED.

Every morning. During the day. At the end of the night. I think it can be a good spiritual practice for Lent.

When we rest in God's love, the power of fear will lose its grip over us. It will no longer control or dictate the way we live.

The most visible indication of the absence of love in our life is the presence of fear. From there comes hatred and anger, envy and jealousy.

Where love is present, fear cannot exercise its power.

There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love. (1 John 4:18)

Whether you feel it or not, God's love always surrounds you. That will never change.

There is never a moment when you are away or apart from God. His love will accompany you through all the stages of your life.

David said

Where can I go from your spirit?Or where can I flee from your presence?If I ascend to heaven, you are there;if I make my bed in Sheol, you are there.If I take the wings of the morningand settle at the farthest limits of the sea,even there your hand shall lead me,and your right hand shall hold me fast. (Psalm 139:7-10)

Hearing this, I also thought of what St. Paul said.

Like David, he lived with the deep understanding that he was loved. He knew that nothing could separate him from God.

No, in all these things we are more than victorious through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:37-39)

UNCERTAINTY seems to be the word that captures the mood of today.

Not that our life was more certain before. But what is happening around us seems to amplify the feeling of uncertainty even more.

People are stressed and on edge. They are struggling not just financially, but mentally as well. They seem burdened and down.

In some ways, this feels like the next big challenge that we are facing since the pandemic.

How we choose to go through this period will be very important.

Even though our circumstances may tell us otherwise, remember that you are loved. You don't have to do anything.

First, simply rest in God's love. Find refuge in God. Be still and look to him.

Be strong and courageous, as David said

Wait for the LORD;be strong, and let your heart take courage;wait for the LORD! (Psalm 27:14)

You are not alone. God is always with you.

God will stretch out his hand and deliver you. God's goodness will surround you and follow you. God will help you come out of the storm stronger than before.

This is the time for us to be shaped into a ROCK.

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