Advent: The Coming King

And when the time came for their purification according to the Law of Moses, they brought him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord (as it is written in the Law of the Lord, "Every male who first opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord") and to offer a sacrifice according to what is said in the Law of the Lord, "a pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons." Now there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon, and this man was righteous and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord's Christ. And he came in the Spirit into the temple, and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him according to the custom of the Law, he took him up in his arms and blessed God and said, "Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace, according to your word; for my eyes have seen your salvation that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to your people Israel." And his father and his mother marveled at what was said about him. And Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, "Behold, this child is appointed for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that is opposed (and a sword will pierce through your own soul also), so that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed." And there was a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was advanced in years, having lived with her husband seven years from when she was a virgin, and then as a widow until she was eighty-four. She did not depart from the temple, worshiping with fasting and prayer night and day. And coming up at that very hour she began to give thanks to God and to speak of him to all who were waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem. - Luke 2:22‭-‬38 ESV 

Pastor Justin Kim

Simeon's response

Who is this man, Simeon? The passage does not give a lot of detail. He doesn't appear in other places in the Bible. He was a righteous man awaiting the consolation of Israel. This was not a popular thing and many had likely stopped waiting for the coming of the Messiah. Simeon was informed by the Holy Spirit that he would not die until he saw the coming salvation. When the baby Jesus comes to the temple, Simeon picks up the child and worships God. We can only imagine the satisfaction after such a long wait. But here's the rub, consider the wait. The struggle with doubt and restlessness... Year after year after year.

Anna's response

Anna was also waiting and had been waiting for a long time as well. So when Jesus appears, she worships and goes to inform the others. There may not have been many who were waiting, but there were some. But these people may have been waiting for something else. Consider what their reactions would have been to being informed that the Messiah had come ... This baby of a carpenter. Surely not what they would've expected. But Anna recognized Jesus as a result of diligent faithful living. This wasn't from just living from emotional, spiritual highs. This wasn't because it was December, you know, time to celebrate Jesus. It was mundane daily living in faith.

Our response

Does your life reflect that Jesus is the most important thing? It is ironic that all the traditions and hubbub around Christmas can often obscure the reason for all these things in the first place. We cannot force ourselves to be excited about Jesus coming. We can't just tell ourselves to be excited. We should respond to the goodness and steadfast love of God. That is what Jesus symbolizes, even in the most difficult of circumstances. We can still rejoice in God's faithfulness to us. Faithful waiting will result in more joy in Jesus. We are also waiting for Jesus, more specifically, His second coming. We celebrate Christmas, but we should eagerly & faithfully await the new heavens and new earth. We should not let beholding Jesus pass with the passing of the Christmas season. 

In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. This was the first registration when Quirinius was governor of Syria. And all went to be registered, each to his own town. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn. And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. And the angel said to them, "Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger." And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!" When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us." And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger. And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child. But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart. And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them. And at the end of eight days, when he was circumcised, he was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before he was conceived in the womb. - Luke 2:1‭-‬17‭, ‬19‭-‬21 ESV 

Rev. Dwight Yoo

The surprising shepherds

When a baby is born, the most important people should know first. Your close family and friends. But when God sends out his son's birth announcements, who does God notify? God notifies the shepherds. These were considered low class without power. There is even speculation that their word was not admissable in court. But God lets them know first. Not only that, but Jesus identifies with the shepherds. He comes for not the powerful, but the lowly. So if you feel second class or lesser whether because of your gender, ethnicity, or education level, take comfort that God came for you firstly. To the church, we are called to not favor the rich or the powerful.

The Angel's anthem

After one angel announces the birth, there is a sudden song from an army of angels. They speak of the coming of God's favor and peace. But this is not just released into the air to everyone. Additional, it is not something we can earn. It is a gift from God through faith in Jesus. We are all spiritual bankrupt. All our success, talents, and material possessions are all blessings by grace. We did not earn them without God's grace. 

Joy

Now the time came for Elizabeth to give birth, and she bore a son. And her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown great mercy to her, and they rejoiced with her. And on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child. And they would have called him Zechariah after his father, but his mother answered, "No; he shall be called John." And they said to her, "None of your relatives is called by this name." And they made signs to his father, inquiring what he wanted him to be called. And he asked for a writing tablet and wrote, "His name is John." And they all wondered. And immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue loosed, and he spoke, blessing God. And fear came on all their neighbors. And all these things were talked about through all the hill country of Judea, and all who heard them laid them up in their hearts, saying, "What then will this child be?" For the hand of the Lord was with him. And his father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied, saying, "Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for he has visited and redeemed his people and has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David, as he spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets from of old, that we should be saved from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us; to show the mercy promised to our fathers and to remember his holy covenant, the oath that he swore to our father Abraham, to grant us that we, being delivered from the hand of our enemies, might serve him without fear, in holiness and righteousness before him all our days. And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High; for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways, to give knowledge of salvation to his people in the forgiveness of their sins, because of the tender mercy of our God, whereby the sunrise shall visit us from on high to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace." And the child grew and became strong in spirit, and he was in the wilderness until the day of his public appearance to Israel. - Luke 1:57‭-‬80 ESV 

Rev. Dan Whang

Joy restored

Israel was going through dark times for the sins of their fathers. They were considering their good old days rather than looking ahead. And now a barren woman gives birth and a fulfillment of a prophecy. Their neighbors heard about all this and rejoiced. For us, we look for joy in all the wrong places. We are setting goals for ourselves and feel joy when we meet them but are crushed when we fail. Joy doesn't falter in meeting frustration and suffering. God gives joys to those who remember their forgiveness of sins, eternal life, and adoption into the family of God.

Power displayed

The angel prophesized a baby was coming to his barren wife. The priest was not willing to believe the angel and asked for proof. So the angel made Zechariah mute for nine months. That would've been back at the beginning of the lockdown from this pandemic (covid-19). Imagine waking everyday and wishing you hadn't said that to the angel. Maybe God is bringing you into and through a dark valley. So consider that God is trying to bring us into greater trust and intimacy with Him. The priest and his wife both named their child John. And then God healed the tongue of the father. The healing didn't come with the child's birth, not until the naming of the child.

Praise lifted

The healing of being mute comes and the first things to come from the priest are words of praise. It is not simple obedience but whole heartedness. It is more than the continuing of the family line, but the fulfillment of God's will and the movement of God's kingdom. Do we only rejoice over things that we want and desire? How about those things that God desires? 

In those days Mary arose and went with haste into the hill country, to a town in Judah, and she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. And when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the baby leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit, and she exclaimed with a loud cry, "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! And why is this granted to me that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For behold, when the sound of your greeting came to my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord." And Mary said, "My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant. For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed; for he who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is his name. And his mercy is for those who fear him from generation to generation. He has shown strength with his arm; he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts; he has brought down the mighty from their thrones and exalted those of humble estate; he has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he has sent away empty. He has helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy, as he spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to his offspring forever." And Mary remained with her about three months and returned to her home. - Luke 1:39‭-‬56 ESV 

Rev. Travis Drake

Surprise baby, surprise King 👑

The recognition of Christ as King is not something you can find out by yourself. The baby in Elizabeth's womb knows Jesus. Elisabeth knew the jumping of the baby in her womb as recognition. How? How is this possible? A voice this baby had never heard, a jumping of a baby, to the recognition of Jesus for who he is. This is impossible by human means. The only way this could have happened is by the Holy Spirit. The only way we can see Jesus rightly is by the gift of God. This revelation did not come to just the powerful, the intelligent, and the ones the world deems worthy. God's salvation and revelation came to a young ordinary girl, an old priest, very unimportant. 

Breaking out in song

Suddenly, it's like we're in a Broadway musical. We go from a narrative format to a lyrical song. Did this really happen? Writers often rephrased words of people into song. But we can conclude that Mary was praising God. Mary spoke of humble estate. She knew what it was to be in a tough spot, the grind of poverty . She felt the pain of having no power in a male dominated society, living in a part of the nation that was overrun and dominated by multiple empires. Jesus' coming was heralding a new kingdom and a new rule. How does it happen?

1) Stop trying to work your way into His kingdom

2) Stop trying to be your own kingdom

Rev. Dwight Yoo

The surprise of God

John the baptist is announced before Jesus. Zacharia and Elizabeth, who was barren, are told to expect a son. Then six months later the same angel goes to galilee and speaks of another child, Jesus. Mary, a young girl of no more than 14, betrothed to another nobody by the name of Joseph. The angel says her son will be a king. And his kingdom will never end. He was born to a poor family to an utter lack of fanfare. He came not in power, but rather in service. 

Cast your bread upon the waters, for you will find it after many days. Give a portion to seven, or even to eight, for you know not what disaster may happen on earth. If the clouds are full of rain, they empty themselves on the earth, and if a tree falls to the south or to the north, in the place where the tree falls, there it will lie. He who observes the wind will not sow, and he who regards the clouds will not reap. As you do not know the way the spirit comes to the bones in the womb of a woman with child, so you do not know the work of God who makes everything. In the morning sow your seed, and at evening withhold not your hand, for you do not know which will prosper, this or that, or whether both alike will be good. Light is sweet, and it is pleasant for the eyes to see the sun. So if a person lives many years, let him rejoice in them all; but let him remember that the days of darkness will be many. All that comes is vanity. Rejoice, O young man, in your youth, and let your heart cheer you in the days of your youth. Walk in the ways of your heart and the sight of your eyes. But know that for all these things God will bring you into judgment. Remove vexation from your heart, and put away pain from your body, for youth and the dawn of life are vanity.

Remember also your Creator in the days of your youth, before the evil days come and the years draw near of which you will say, "I have no pleasure in them"; before the sun and the light and the moon and the stars are darkened and the clouds return after the rain, in the day when the keepers of the house tremble, and the strong men are bent, and the grinders cease because they are few, and those who look through the windows are dimmed, and the doors on the street are shut—when the sound of the grinding is low, and one rises up at the sound of a bird, and all the daughters of song are brought low— they are afraid also of what is high, and terrors are in the way; the almond tree blossoms, the grasshopper drags itself along, and desire fails, because man is going to his eternal home, and the mourners go about the streets— before the silver cord is snapped, or the golden bowl is broken, or the pitcher is shattered at the fountain, or the wheel broken at the cistern, and the dust returns to the earth as it was, and the spirit returns to God who gave it. Vanity of vanities, says the Preacher; all is vanity. - Ecclesiastes 11:1-12:‬8 ESV 

Rev. Dwight Yoo

Teachings and proverbs came in the last chapter. Today, the preacher brings his message to a close. If an artist was to display this, it would be an old man gathering his family to give his final lessons/message.

Lesson on Risk and reward

This first part of the passage is imagery about business transactions and trade. It is about sending ships out to trade with other nations. And it speaks of investing in a diverse number of things. This is to avoid complete loss. 

Then it switches to imagery about nature. It speaks of how it is hard to predict what will happen with weather. Waiting for the perfect circumstances is something that will never come. God knows all things, but for us there is much more mystery. We cannot see what will happen.

This is a call to live our lives not foolishly, but to take informed risks for the Lord. We are not to hoard and protect, but to multiply and invest. We are to make the most of every opportunity, spiritually, at work, etc. We are to avoid paralysis by analysis. We are frozen in analysis and never act. But we do need to avoid unspiritual decision making. We need to pray and seek out wisdom. But without waiting for Gideon's fleece, rather to step out in faith in God's promises, character, and word. 

Lesson on Rejoicing

For the preacher who is older with more life behind him than before him. He's over the hill so to speak. He says there will be dark days. His message is to enjoy life without being sinfully indulgent. So how does one become sinfully indulgent? When we look for more from the gifts than the ultimate giver, God. We cannot look to these good things as God replacements. 

How? We need to remove vexation from our hearts. Life is too short to hang onto grudges, bitterness, resentment. Holding onto bitterness is like drinking poison and waiting for the other person to die. We need to bring these things to God and ask for His empowerment to forgive.

Lesson on Remembering

The preacher finishes with a description of old age and death. You start waking up at the quietest things. Your desire fails means that you have less motivation. 7pm starts to feel so late and you are so tried. Then finally, beautiful things fall apart. In life you will slowly begin to weaken, to slow down, and finally, to die. You cannot take anything with you. Remember your Creator in your youth. Before you grow old and before you are so locked down, reorder your life. Forget about the fleeting things that will not last. Instead focus on those things that will last forever and push hard for those things. Hold nothing back for the kingdom of God. The better preacher puts it this way:

Jesus said, "Truly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or lands, for my sake and for the gospel,  who will not receive a hundredfold now in this time, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions, and in the age to come eternal life. - Mark 10:29‭-‬30 ESV 

So the dark days will come, but we will still be able to rejoice because the better days are yet to come. Whatever we invest in God's kingdom will not fail to bring an unimaginable return. When we close our eyes that final time here, we will open them to see Jesus and walk in that heavenly city in joy. 

Foolish living and consequences

Dead flies make the perfumer's ointment give off a stench; so a little folly outweighs wisdom and honor. A wise man's heart inclines him to the right, but a fool's heart to the left. Even when the fool walks on the road, he lacks sense, and he says to everyone that he is a fool. If the anger of the ruler rises against you, do not leave your place, for calmness will lay great offenses to rest. There is an evil that I have seen under the sun, as it were an error proceeding from the ruler: folly is set in many high places, and the rich sit in a low place. I have seen slaves on horses, and princes walking on the ground like slaves. He who digs a pit will fall into it, and a serpent will bite him who breaks through a wall. He who quarries stones is hurt by them, and he who splits logs is endangered by them. If the iron is blunt, and one does not sharpen the edge, he must use more strength, but wisdom helps one to succeed. If the serpent bites before it is charmed, there is no advantage to the charmer. The words of a wise man's mouth win him favor, but the lips of a fool consume him. The beginning of the words of his mouth is foolishness, and the end of his talk is evil madness. A fool multiplies words, though no man knows what is to be, and who can tell him what will be after him? The toil of a fool wearies him, for he does not know the way to the city. Woe to you, O land, when your king is a child, and your princes feast in the morning! Happy are you, O land, when your king is the son of the nobility, and your princes feast at the proper time, for strength, and not for drunkenness! Through sloth the roof sinks in, and through indolence the house leaks. Bread is made for laughter, and wine gladdens life, and money answers everything. Even in your thoughts, do not curse the king, nor in your bedroom curse the rich, for a bird of the air will carry your voice, or some winged creature tell the matter.

Ecclesiastes 10:1‭-‬20 ESV

Rev. Dwight Yoo

Realities of leadership

Everything under the sun is subject to frustration and futility. We cannot put our hopes on earthly things. This also applies to governments and authorities of nations. No matter the outcome of this election, half the population will be upset. And even if the candidate you voted for is elected, there will still be frustration. The government is set up with checks and balances. Not all campaign promises will come to fulfillment. 

Foolish leadership brings about social upheaval. But even good leadership and governance is subject to futility and frustration in many ways. Wisdom would temper our expectations.

Responding to leadership

The existence of earthly government is at God's command. He put them in place to provide protection and order. We are to obey them until they act outside the bounds of God's will. We are not to idolize our governing officials. When rulers are angered against us, we are called to patience. We are called to be careful with our words lest they reach the king's ears. But in this day and age, we are governed by elected representatives by the people, for the people. How does this apply to us on this day and age? Christians are called to pray for governing leaders, both those we like as well as those we dislike. Leaders at the national level hold tremendous power and influence. 

Foolish rulers have no self control and are self indulgent. Wise leaders know about proper timing. When to wait and when to act. Wisdom will have them hold their tongues.

Resting and reflecting

Find rest not in our political leaders, but in the king of kings. In Jesus Christ, we find our true leader. He gave up status and power rather than self indulgence in order to take the punishment of us, a foolish people. He rules with infinite wisdom. He brought about good from evil and hope out of darkness. He is ushering in perfect peace, justice, and a kingdom that will never end. This is where our true allegiance lies. Until Jesus calls us to this eternal kingdom, we are to be the best possible citizens of our earthly kingdoms where we are now. This hope should not bring us to passivity. But rather it should give us a drive to pursue gospel powered service & pursuit of people in the nation we reside. 

Lord, make me an instrument of thy Peace.

Where there is hatred, let me sow Love.

Where there is injury, thy Pardon, Lord.

Where there is doubt, let there be Faith.

Oh Lord, make me an instrument of thy Peace.

Where there is despair, let me bring Hope.

Where there is darkness, let there be Light.

Where there is sadness, let there be Joy.

Prayer of Peace - St. Francis

O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek:

To be consoled, as to console,

To be understood, as to understand,

To be loved, as to love.

Lord, make me an instrument of thy Peace.

Where there is hatred, let me sow Love.

For it is in giving that we receive,

It is in pardoning that we are pardoned.

And it's in dying that we are born

To eternal life, to eternal life.

Lord, make me an instrument of thy Peace.

An instrument of thy Peace. Amen.

Wise living

A good name is better than precious ointment, and the day of death than the day of birth. It is better to go to the house of mourning than to go to the house of feasting, for this is the end of all mankind, and the living will lay it to heart. Sorrow is better than laughter, for by sadness of face the heart is made glad. The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning, but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth. It is better for a man to hear the rebuke of the wise than to hear the song of fools. For as the crackling of thorns under a pot, so is the laughter of the fools; this also is vanity. Surely oppression drives the wise into madness, and a bribe corrupts the heart. Better is the end of a thing than its beginning, and the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit. Be not quick in your spirit to become angry, for anger lodges in the heart of fools. Say not, "Why were the former days better than these?" For it is not from wisdom that you ask this. Wisdom is good with an inheritance, an advantage to those who see the sun. For the protection of wisdom is like the protection of money, and the advantage of knowledge is that wisdom preserves the life of him who has it. Consider the work of God: who can make straight what he has made crooked? In the day of prosperity be joyful, and in the day of adversity consider: God has made the one as well as the other, so that man may not find out anything that will be after him. - Ecclesiastes 7:1‭-‬14 ESV 

Rev. Dwight Yoo

The preacher makes a stylistic change to his writing for this passage. He writes in the more usual style of proverbs and wisdom literature. It seems haphazard, but there is a unifying theme. In order to live well, you need wisdom. It won't make life perfect, but it will keep things from getting worse. 

A good name or reputation is more valuable than material things. Living life for wealth and good credit is foolish compared to a life focused on character.

Wisdom welcomes

Wisdom welcomes sorrow and discomfort. The text says funerals are better than feasts. Funerals tell us that our days are numbered. They make us consider what is truly important. Sorrow is better than laughter. This is not calling us to a life of joylessness. But it is the sad and difficult things that teach us and instruct us on how we should be living and what we should be truly valuing. When we face brokenness, our heart should turn from fleeting things towards more substantial and satisfying things. Fools live an unexamined life. When hard times come, they bury themselves in pleasure and distractions. Wisdom is being willing to face the hard times and to examine your life. 

Do we look at the death of Walter Wallace and consider how we may have contributed by our actions or inactions? Do we consider the pandemic and how it has altered so much of our lives and to see insights for our lives? Are we struck by our limitations and mortality? Or do we simply wish for the end of the discomforts?

Wisdom waits

The fool presumes to know the end of a matter, but the wise wait. Consider how some small things grow into something unimaginable. A baby born in a manger and the unimaginable impact of this. Fools assume they know what will happen. They desire better former days assuming that things are not changing for the better. They presume that things were better when they were comfortable in the past. But the wise in humility, listen to those with another perspective. They do not automatically get upset when they hear something that doesn't agree with them. They listen to others with patience and consider others may offer something different and better. Living wisely helps to secure and protect lives in this already difficult life. 

So shouldn't it be that all believers should live wisely? But we are often living foolishly misled by our hearts. But Ecclesiastes is very honest. Wisdom will not insulate us from all trouble. There will be hard times for the righteous and wise as well.

Wisdom watches over

Jesus is the ultimate poor wise man. He died a fool's death. He was wisdom embodied. He took the punishment of a fool to pay the price for the way we lived foolishly in our lives. He did this so that we would be welcome into the perfect city. A city where there is no more suffering, no more foolishness, no more death, no more looting. He guarantees the end for all believers. He ensures that the end will be better than the beginning.

The Caring Courtroom

"You shall not spread a false report. You shall not join hands with a wicked man to be a malicious witness. You shall not fall in with the many to do evil, nor shall you bear witness in a lawsuit, siding with the many, so as to pervert justice, nor shall you be partial to a poor man in his lawsuit. "If you meet your enemy's ox or his donkey going astray, you shall bring it back to him. If you see the donkey of one who hates you lying down under its burden, you shall refrain from leaving him with it; you shall rescue it with him. "You shall not pervert the justice due to your poor in his lawsuit. Keep far from a false charge, and do not kill the innocent and righteous, for I will not acquit the wicked. And you shall take no bribe, for a bribe blinds the clear-sighted and subverts the cause of those who are in the right. "You shall not oppress a sojourner. You know the heart of a sojourner, for you were sojourners in the land of Egypt. - Exodus 23:1‭-‬9 ESV

Rev. Irwyn L. Ince Jr. 

https://www.irwynince.com/

Purpose

God is telling us the reason for the law. It's is how loving God and neighbor supposed to work.

Predisposition of the human heart

God addresses how we should treat those who hate us. The context is this word comes to the nation of Israel after their deliverance from Egypt. It comes after the grumbling and rebellious of the people after their deliverance. They are undeserving recipients of God's lavish forgiveness and mercy. They are not to act like karma is the way, but rather compassion is the way of the Christian. When Christians come across contempt, how should God's children react? They should react with mercy and compassion like their Father.

Promotion of justice

It is wrong to give false testimony. But there is more than that, we should never make the guilty look innocent. We should never make the innocent look guilty. Why? Because we should never take a bribe, it blinds those who can see. There is personal gain in playing favorites to the great & powerful. But only that, but we should not show favoritism to the poor. In society, the poor are disadvantaged. But we need to be sure not to give the poor any favor or partiality in court. The rich can be wrong. The poor can also be wrong. God will not allow the perversion of justice. We are called to judge in a just manner. 

In the time of systemic racism, classism, and history of slavism, we are to not just do what feels right, but to do right. We must act as those who have been delivered by the great grace & mercy of God. We must deal with others as fellow image bearers. We must pursue justice while preserving our humanity. We must chase justice with love. We must love because that is the character of the God we serve.

The Costly Pursuit of Wealth

If you see in a province the oppression of the poor and the violation of justice and righteousness, do not be amazed at the matter, for the high official is watched by a higher, and there are yet higher ones over them. But this is gain for a land in every way: a king committed to cultivated fields. He who loves money will not be satisfied with money, nor he who loves wealth with his income; this also is vanity. When goods increase, they increase who eat them, and what advantage has their owner but to see them with his eyes? Sweet is the sleep of a laborer, whether he eats little or much, but the full stomach of the rich will not let him sleep. There is a grievous evil that I have seen under the sun: riches were kept by their owner to his hurt, and those riches were lost in a bad venture. And he is father of a son, but he has nothing in his hand. As he came from his mother's womb he shall go again, naked as he came, and shall take nothing for his toil that he may carry away in his hand. This also is a grievous evil: just as he came, so shall he go, and what gain is there to him who toils for the wind? Moreover, all his days he eats in darkness in much vexation and sickness and anger. Behold, what I have seen to be good and fitting is to eat and drink and find enjoyment in all the toil with which one toils under the sun the few days of his life that God has given him, for this is his lot. Everyone also to whom God has given wealth and possessions and power to enjoy them, and to accept his lot and rejoice in his toil—this is the gift of God. For he will not much remember the days of his life because God keeps him occupied with joy in his heart.

There is an evil that I have seen under the sun, and it lies heavy on mankind: a man to whom God gives wealth, possessions, and honor, so that he lacks nothing of all that he desires, yet God does not give him power to enjoy them, but a stranger enjoys them. This is vanity; it is a grievous evil. If a man fathers a hundred children and lives many years, so that the days of his years are many, but his soul is not satisfied with life's good things, and he also has no burial, I say that a stillborn child is better off than he. For it comes in vanity and goes in darkness, and in darkness its name is covered. Moreover, it has not seen the sun or known anything, yet it finds rest rather than he. Even though he should live a thousand years twice over, yet enjoy no good—do not all go to the one place? All the toil of man is for his mouth, yet his appetite is not satisfied. For what advantage has the wise man over the fool? And what does the poor man have who knows how to conduct himself before the living? Better is the sight of the eyes than the wandering of the appetite: this also is vanity and a striving after wind.

Ecclesiastes 5:8‭-6:9 ESV

Rev. Dwight Too

The love of money and the pursuit of wealth

We live in a culture that is steeped in accumulating wealth and the love of money as residents of the United States. Much like fish that may not even realize that we are in water, we are swimming in a culture filled with the love of money.

The craving for money

He who loves money will not be happy with wealth. If gathering wealth is your focus, no amount is enough. This is the nature of craving wealth. There is never enough. A craving for money just keeps growing. 

The consequences of the love for money

When we take something and use it for another purpose or will have consequences. If we take money and make it ultimate, it will hurt us. A laborer can sleep, even with little food. But rich people suffer insomnia from their wealth. The more stuff you have, the more you have to clean, organize, and protect it. 

A life spent in pursuit in money & wealth is a wasted life

The passage speaks of a man gained riches through working hard, but loses it all in a bad venture and had nothing to leave his son. But more than that, we cannot hold onto riches forever, we will die and leave it behind. We cannot take it with us when we die. But wait someone might say, isn't it better to have more rather than less? Better to have more than not enough? There is a rich man portrayed as having everything that could make for a happy life, but cannot enjoy any of it. The rich man is discontent and cannot enjoy these good things. Satisfaction is not guaranteed just by having more. Your can have it all and still not have contentment.

Intrinsic things can bring joy

God can bring joy through his blessings. A man can be content with what God has given so much so that his days for by. There's another man who found genuine joy & contentment regardless of circumstances. The apostle Paul speaks of contentment in all circumstances. Contentment comes from God, but how? It is learned. When we feel discontentment rising in our hearts, we need to turn to God. How? We place God and Jesus upon the throne of our lives. If we look for joy in buying things, we should turn and consider the gift of life & love in Jesus. If we look for security in money, then we should see our place secured in heaven through the work of Christ. If we look for status through material things, then we should see our great inheritance and royal adoption into the family of God. 

This will make us generous givers. It will make us hold wealth loosely. We will see hurting and poor people and will share what we have. A thief who has been grabbed by the gospel will not just make them stop stealing... It will make them work so they can share, not just live a comfortable life, but to share! Our money is God's investment in our lives so that the church can as a whole further the kingdom of God. If Christians in the United States tithed, simply tithed, we could fund all the missionaries, all the works that God desired. So please steward the blessings of God well. Keep Jesus as the ultimate treasure in your lives.

https://smile.amazon.com/dp/1629956058/

Let your words be few

Guard your steps when you go to the house of God. To draw near to listen is better than to offer the sacrifice of fools, for they do not know that they are doing evil. Be not rash with your mouth, nor let your heart be hasty to utter a word before God, for God is in heaven and you are on earth. Therefore let your words be few. For a dream comes with much business, and a fool's voice with many words. When you vow a vow to God, do not delay paying it, for he has no pleasure in fools. Pay what you vow. It is better that you should not vow than that you should vow and not pay. Let not your mouth lead you into sin, and do not say before the messenger that it was a mistake. Why should God be angry at your voice and destroy the work of your hands? For when dreams increase and words grow many, there is vanity; but God is the one you must fear. - Ecclesiastes 5:1‭-‬7 ESV 

Rev. Dan Whang

Meaning for life under the sun is found when we relate to our Creator in worship

Come to listen

We may have come to God today bringing the sacrifice of fools. What is the sacrifice of fools? It is coming with our own wisdom and self focused. Coming to worship with our hearts far from God. 

God is in heaven, He is so high above us. We should come to Him respectfully, waiting to hear from Him. 

Keep your vows

We are to live lives of integrity. We are to do as we say. In old testament days, it was customary for worshippers to vow to bring sacrifices or give gifts to God. It was a way to curry favor with God. But for us, it is a question of how we handle our commitments. Do we fulfill our promises even when they are costly and uncomfortable? Do we let our words lead us into sin? When we speak we are reflecting the image of God. He spoke the world into being. So we need to use our words to build up, encourage, and love one another

Fear the Lord

Live in a reverential affection & respect for God, both in the house of worship and in our daily lives. We need to acknowledge his ability to smite us as well as his unending grace and mercy day by day. A fool who utters too many words thinks too much of himself and too little of God. A fool's life is filled with many dreams and busyness. But a life lived before God is one lived in awe & affection for God, He is our ultimate value and He fills our lives with meaning and propose. We love in expectation that one day He will take us home.

Moreover, I saw under the sun that in the place of justice, even there was wickedness, and in the place of righteousness, even there was wickedness. I said in my heart, God will judge the righteous and the wicked, for there is a time for every matter and for every work. I said in my heart with regard to the children of man that God is testing them that they may see that they themselves are but beasts. For what happens to the children of man and what happens to the beasts is the same; as one dies, so dies the other. They all have the same breath, and man has no advantage over the beasts, for all is vanity. All go to one place. All are from the dust, and to dust all return. Who knows whether the spirit of man goes upward and the spirit of the beast goes down into the earth? So I saw that there is nothing better than that a man should rejoice in his work, for that is his lot. Who can bring him to see what will be after him?

Again I saw all the oppressions that are done under the sun. And behold, the tears of the oppressed, and they had no one to comfort them! On the side of their oppressors there was power, and there was no one to comfort them. And I thought the dead who are already dead more fortunate than the living who are still alive. But better than both is he who has not yet been and has not seen the evil deeds that are done under the sun. Then I saw that all toil and all skill in work come from a man's envy of his neighbor. This also is vanity and a striving after wind. The fool folds his hands and eats his own flesh. Better is a handful of quietness than two hands full of toil and a striving after wind. Again, I saw vanity under the sun: one person who has no other, either son or brother, yet there is no end to all his toil, and his eyes are never satisfied with riches, so that he never asks, "For whom am I toiling and depriving myself of pleasure?" This also is vanity and an unhappy business. Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up! Again, if two lie together, they keep warm, but how can one keep warm alone? And though a man might prevail against one who is alone, two will withstand him—a threefold cord is not quickly broken. Better was a poor and wise youth than an old and foolish king who no longer knew how to take advice. For he went from prison to the throne, though in his own kingdom he had been born poor. I saw all the living who move about under the sun, along with that youth who was to stand in the king's place. There was no end of all the people, all of whom he led. Yet those who come later will not rejoice in him. Surely this also is vanity and a striving after wind.

Ecclesiastes 3:16‭-‬4:16 ESV

Rev. Dwight Yoo

Injustice

Where one looked for justice, one would find systemic injustice. Even in the nation of Israel with the law of God being the law of the land, there was injustice. Individual sins, corporate sins, and sins of a nation. So when we consider our own nation, when slavery no longer exists, is it hard to imagine that our own nation still has systemic injustice? 

We act like animals in how we treat one another. We will die and will return to the dust. If it does not benefit us, we ignore how others are treated. We dehumanize those we disagree with. Those who are oppressed often rise up and themselves become oppressors. 

Competitiveness

Often people try to bury themselves in their work. This isn't satisfactory. Work becomes a competition and envying others. Achievement comes only from beating out others. We live lifestyles of cutthroat, winner takes all. 

Isolation

Overwork and isolation comes together. Overwork often causes isolation. We miss family engagements. And when we try to make friendships we cannot get close. We see others as competitors rather than people to love and be loved.

As Christians, we know Jesus. He died an unjust death so that we could have eternal life & redemption. He was separated from God the Father so that we could join the family of God. Jesus is the answer to all these problems and the world needs Him more than ever.

For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven: a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted; a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; a time to seek, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away; a time to tear, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; a time to love, and a time to hate; a time for war, and a time for peace. What gain has the worker from his toil? I have seen the business that God has given to the children of man to be busy with. He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also, he has put eternity into man's heart, yet so that he cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end. I perceived that there is nothing better for them than to be joyful and to do good as long as they live; also that everyone should eat and drink and take pleasure in all his toil—this is God's gift to man. I perceived that whatever God does endures forever; nothing can be added to it, nor anything taken from it. God has done it, so that people fear before him. That which is, already has been; that which is to be, already has been; and God seeks what has been driven away. - Ecclesiastes 3:1‭-‬15 ESV

Rev. Dwight Yoo

Recognize

We need to see that there are appropriate times for certain things. Then the author uses an literary device to illustrate them. There are certain seasons to life. Sweet times and bitter tough times. But there is a subtext to this, there is a certain frustration underlying these different times of our lives. The preacher wants to emphasize that we do not have control over these seasons and these times. We may make 10 or 20 year plans, but this is an illusion. We don't get to control the rhythm of life. There are 14 positives and 14 negatives in life, it feels like a net zero. You win some and lose some. Even now, during this time of covid, this plays out. People were thinking of starting businesses only to be shutdown. High school and college freshmen looking forward to a new circumstance only to find themselves stuck at home starting at a screen. As individuals, we can't make covid go away or make this pandemic pass.

But there is someone in control. God is orchestrating everything. He is wise and has good purposes in mind. But even if we accept these overarching truths, we still struggle. We can't see the big picture. What sets us apart from the animal world is the desire for meaning & purpose. Why? Because we were made for a purpose by God. We can't see how our little lives for into the big picture. We can't see the beauty and redemption. It's like a Seurat painting viewed from up close. All we can see are little dots, but not the whole painting.

Respond

God sees violence, war, and pain. And God sent Jesus. To be born into the world. So that we could have hope. For Jesus to die, so that the church could be redeemed. A time for Jesus to be rejected and God the father to refrain from embracing him. Even if we cannot see the purpose or meaning of our life's circumstances, the cross tells us that we can trust God. In what looks like the senseless violence of the cross, God was working out good things.

Slavery to meaning

So I turned to consider wisdom and madness and folly. For what can the man do who comes after the king? Only what has already been done. Then I saw that there is more gain in wisdom than in folly, as there is more gain in light than in darkness. The wise person has his eyes in his head, but the fool walks in darkness. And yet I perceived that the same event happens to all of them. Then I said in my heart, "What happens to the fool will happen to me also. Why then have I been so very wise?" And I said in my heart that this also is vanity. For of the wise as of the fool there is no enduring remembrance, seeing that in the days to come all will have been long forgotten. How the wise dies just like the fool! So I hated life, because what is done under the sun was grievous to me, for all is vanity and a striving after wind. I hated all my toil in which I toil under the sun, seeing that I must leave it to the man who will come after me, and who knows whether he will be wise or a fool? Yet he will be master of all for which I toiled and used my wisdom under the sun. This also is vanity. So I turned about and gave my heart up to despair over all the toil of my labors under the sun, because sometimes a person who has toiled with wisdom and knowledge and skill must leave everything to be enjoyed by someone who did not toil for it. This also is vanity and a great evil. What has a man from all the toil and striving of heart with which he toils beneath the sun? For all his days are full of sorrow, and his work is a vexation. Even in the night his heart does not rest. This also is vanity. There is nothing better for a person than that he should eat and drink and find enjoyment in his toil. This also, I saw, is from the hand of God, for apart from him who can eat or who can have enjoyment? For to the one who pleases him God has given wisdom and knowledge and joy, but to the sinner he has given the business of gathering and collecting, only to give to one who pleases God. This also is vanity and a striving after wind. - Ecclesiastes 2:12‭-‬26 ESV

Rev. Travis Drake

Exhausting search

Is there a point to being wise rather than being foolish? The preacher says yes, there is more goodness in wisdom. But death throws a wrench in the works, no matter whether you are wise or foolish, death comes for them both. Not only that, their legacies will be forgotten. Even more than that, immediately after you die, the one who comes after you could completely undo everything. This brings him to a dark place, even hating life. He sees the desire for the things of God, but without the power of God. He desires flourishing, but can't make it happen by his own power.

The confusing rebuttal

God comes into the passage. He gives enjoyment to those who love him. God has not been mentioned or heard from in this book. Suddenly, we hear about how work is not considered all vanity... Because God comes into the picture. We are to work, eat, and drink because God enables us. The powerlessness of us as sinners is contrasted against the great power of God at work in us. We are to hold both these as true. 

Finding resolution

There's a natural tension between these two ideas. An image of powerlessness of human beings & the image of the power of God bringing pleasure and enjoyment and justice. They're both held as true. So there's a challenge, there is still meaning in life, even though we find joy in work, work in itself does not bring meaning. Meaning comes from God and works that last. Trying to find ultimate meaning in what we do isn't being our own master, but rather to choose a master other than God. We will then derive our identity from what we do. So what then? The hand of God changes things from vanity to meaningful. How does this work? The hand of God is what saved Israel from Egypt. The hand of God brought his people out from slavery. But not just physical slavery. But also the slavery of identity. The need to be the best worker, smartest student, best looking, etc. True wisdom is first acknowledging that we need someone to save ourselves. According to the gospel, slaves makes more slaves, but God makes sons and daughters.

Application

Search: The text does not tell us to stop searching for meaning. But take your frustrations to God. Put on a biblical lens and examine your life for where we seek acknowledgment in what we do.

Practice: When we find things that we are worshipping rather than God, repent and turn to God. Leave your identity to God. Take Sabbath seriously. Take a break from trying to justify yourself.

Ecclesiastes: Exploring Pleasure

The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem. Vanity of vanities, says the Preacher, vanity of vanities! All is vanity. What does man gain by all the toil at which he toils under the sun? A generation goes, and a generation comes, but the earth remains forever. The sun rises, and the sun goes down, and hastens to the place where it rises. The wind blows to the south and goes around to the north; around and around goes the wind, and on its circuits the wind returns. All streams run to the sea, but the sea is not full; to the place where the streams flow, there they flow again. All things are full of weariness; a man cannot utter it; the eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing. What has been is what will be, and what has been done is what will be done, and there is nothing new under the sun. Is there a thing of which it is said, "See, this is new"? It has been already in the ages before us. There is no remembrance of former things, nor will there be any remembrance of later things yet to be among those who come after. - Ecclesiastes 1:1‭-‬11 ESV

Rev. Dwight Yoo

The Pursuit

Purple often learn things by accident. The preacher in this passage was trying things intentionally. It's one thing for someone who makes minimum wage to say money doesn't make you happy. It is another thing for Jeff Bezos, one of the richest men, to say the same thing. King Solomon had the money and resources to pursue whatever he wanted to.

The Roads Taken

Laughter is good, but even after that you still need to face the harsh realities of life. It is often a coping mechanism to deal with the absurdity of life. But we are laughing through tears. Last year, there was a documentary called "Laughing Matters" which explored the link between comedians and depression. There is this idea of the sad clown. Comedians use laughter to cope with abuse, difficult & painful situations. But ultimately, it isn't enough. After the laughter ends, it is still dark. 

The preacher tried alcohol, both fine wine and drunkenness. He tried building all sorts of houses, gardens, etc. There are parallels in this passage with the garden of Eden. There is no paradise we can create in this life. He accumulated great wealth, servants, and slaves. But all this proved meaningless. He had 700 wives and 300 concubines. The delight of man still left him empty. He was widely known and powerful beyond anyone in his day. He made pleasure his target and in that he found some measure of pleasure. But at the end of it all, it was all without meaning and pointless. 

The conclusion

So then what? The preacher had gone through all those things to see like an experiment whether there is meaning to be found in these things. There is no lasting satisfaction. True joy and lasting pleasure is to be found with God. Alcohol, houses, sex, all these things are good things given by God. But when we make them too important, they will spoil and they will spoil us. So we should find God in the word. It will not come immediately but rather slowly. But it is a slow meal, joy will come as we abide in God.

Life is meaningless but for God & redemption

The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem. Vanity of vanities, says the Preacher, vanity of vanities! All is vanity. What does man gain by all the toil at which he toils under the sun? A generation goes, and a generation comes, but the earth remains forever. The sun rises, and the sun goes down, and hastens to the place where it rises. The wind blows to the south and goes around to the north; around and around goes the wind, and on its circuits the wind returns. All streams run to the sea, but the sea is not full; to the place where the streams flow, there they flow again. All things are full of weariness; a man cannot utter it; the eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing. What has been is what will be, and what has been done is what will be done, and there is nothing new under the sun. Is there a thing of which it is said, "See, this is new"? It has been already in the ages before us. There is no remembrance of former things, nor will there be any remembrance of later things yet to be among those who come after. I the Preacher have been king over Israel in Jerusalem. And I applied my heart to seek and to search out by wisdom all that is done under heaven. It is an unhappy business that God has given to the children of man to be busy with. I have seen everything that is done under the sun, and behold, all is vanity and a striving after wind. What is crooked cannot be made straight, and what is lacking cannot be counted. I said in my heart, "I have acquired great wisdom, surpassing all who were over Jerusalem before me, and my heart has had great experience of wisdom and knowledge." And I applied my heart to know wisdom and to know madness and folly. I perceived that this also is but a striving after wind. For in much wisdom is much vexation, and he who increases knowledge increases sorrow. - Ecclesiastes 1:1‭-‬18 ESV

Rev. Dwight Yoo

Thesis

The title of this book means assembly. The author of this book calls himself the preacher. Many scholars believe the author was Solomon, but that is contested. The author never identifies themselves. It is written in Solomon's style, but it could have been another person writing from Solomon's perspective. This was not an offense, but rather a regular way of writing. The main point of this book is that life is a mist. Human existence is fleeting, meaningless, and pointless.

What does man gain from all the tool and struggle? This isn't gain in the sense of economic goods, but rather what's the meaning of it all. For the next 12 chapters, the author will support his main point.

Proof

Three main ideas are presented: life is fleeting, life is reparative, & we are limited.

For the vast majority of us, our best and worst days will be forgotten. September 11, 2001, when two places flew into the twin towers, are but a footnote in a junior highschooler's history class. Our children may know of major milestones in our lives. But grandchildren? Or great grandchildren? Our lives will likely be forgotten. We will have no legacy to speak of.

The sun and moon rise and fall. The clothes get washed, get dirty, and the piles of laundry reappear. Nature is awesome to see, but after awhile, we see nothing but repetition. The house has something in need of repair or maintenance, it is fixed, and something else is in need of fixing or maintenance.

There are twisted things that can't be straightened. There are so many things that he cannot fix. Life has so many things that don't add up. We don't accomplish all that we wanted. People get depressed and for some, they have a midlife crisis. 

Perspective

Many secular, atheist thinkers state that life is without purpose. Dawkins and Russell both admit that life does not have a purpose without a God. 

The Christian perspective is not all roses either. We should expect suffering and futility in life. The brokenness in life is because of our rejection of God. But the good news for the Christian is that the way the world is now, will not always be. Jesus came and died to set us free from the futility of life. His death kicked off the redemption of this world into a new heavens and a new earth. Even though we will experience the futility of brokenness of this life, even as we try to fix things, we know that God is working out a final and total restoration.

Jesus heals a blind beggar

And they came to Jericho. And as he was leaving Jericho with his disciples and a great crowd, Bartimaeus, a blind beggar, the son of Timaeus, was sitting by the roadside. And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out and say, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!" And many rebuked him, telling him to be silent. But he cried out all the more, "Son of David, have mercy on me!" And Jesus stopped and said, "Call him." And they called the blind man, saying to him, "Take heart. Get up; he is calling you." And throwing off his cloak, he sprang up and came to Jesus. And Jesus said to him, "What do you want me to do for you?" And the blind man said to him, "Rabbi, let me recover my sight." And Jesus said to him, "Go your way; your faith has made you well." And immediately he recovered his sight and followed him on the way. - Mark 10:46‭-‬52 ESV

Rev. Dwight Yoo

Three observations of the blind beggar, Bartimaeus

His awareness

Bartimaeus was blind and so could not see the works of Jesus. But clearly he had heard of the works of Jesus. Blindness in those days meant that people would be resigned to begging for the rest their lives. He had positioned himself at a well traveled road in order to beg. We see this even today. Panhandlers find places where people pass by frequently. But he must've heard about the miracles of Jesus, so he when he heard that Jesus was passing nearby, the beggar cried out to Jesus. 

Note how Bartimaeus called out. He cried for mercy. He knew that he did not deserve anything from God. Not only that, but he called Jesus, "son of David", a Messianic title. Bartimaeus was acknowledging Jesus as God's representative. This beggar saw Jesus clearly and also saw himself clearly. This is in contrast to the disciples. They were asking Jesus for things like he was some sort of cosmic ATM. The disciples acted like God owed them something, as if they deserved something. 

So we can look into our lives. Do we act like God is our cosmic butler, here to serve us? Or is it God's kingdom come and His Will be done?

His boldness

The crowd rebukes Bartimaeus for being so loud. But he kept crying out. He knew that he could only find salvation in Jesus. This was not entitlement. This was a humble yet tenacious outcry. So we should see the same thing in our lives. We should have fervent prayer. Not expecting instant results but rather waiting on the one who can save and restore us. When we are frustrated and feeling stuck/hopeless, we should also plead earnestly and persistently to God.

We should pray with humble tenacity and humble boldness.

His commitment

Bartimaeus was blind and now could see. What a scene! Not only physical healing, but spiritual healing. In all the healings, this is the only one who is named. Why? Because he was around in the early church. He was likely a church leader. Jesus sends Bartimaeus on his way, but Bartimaeus instead follows Jesus. 

Consider that this was the time before Passover. Everyone was heading to Jerusalem. The pilgrims were packing the streets. Maybe even the disciples wanted to keep on their way rather than stop to meet this beggar. So it is with us. Maybe we don't want to welcome a newcomer on the church steps. May it not be so with us. We are all fellow beggars who have found sight & salvation. Let's live like it

Divorce & children

And he left there and went to the region of Judea and beyond the Jordan, and crowds gathered to him again. And again, as was his custom, he taught them. And Pharisees came up and in order to test him asked, "Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?" He answered them, "What did Moses command you?"  They said, "Moses allowed a man to write a certificate of divorce and to send her away." And Jesus said to them, "Because of your hardness of heart he wrote you this commandment.  But from the beginning of creation, 'God made them male and female.'  'Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife,  and the two shall become one flesh.' So they are no longer two but one flesh.  What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate."  And in the house the disciples asked him again about this matter. - Mark 10:1‭-‬10 ESV

Pastor Justin Kim

Jesus addresses

What does it mean to be a follower of Christ?

1st story: Divorce

The Pharisees were trying to test Jesus and possibly trap him. So they asked him about divorce and whether divorce was allowed. Jesus to replies with a question, what did Moses command? Deuteronomy was the only old testament reference about divorce. It was hardly a command. The assumption here was that when Moses addressed divorce, it was already happening. Moses was only trying to minimize the damage from what was already happening. This was a trick question. Moses never made any commands about divorce. Jesus instead refers back to Genesis and the whole law. Marriage was never meant to be broken by man. The Pharisees were being asked about how far they could go. But that's the problem. We should not be asking how far we can go. How far before it becomes sin? But instead we should be asking how to better glorify God. The question is not whether divorce is sinful, but what is most glorifying to God. We should not look to see how far we can go on physical intimacy outside of marriage before it becomes sin.

2nd story: children

Children were not important during that that time and day. Jesus valued children. He wanted no hindrance to them, even though they were not valued. This was a radical idea. The children had inherent value. But not only that, he says that a childlike quality is needed for entry into heaven. We need to receive the kingdom like a child receives a gift. We should receive the gift of eternal life like how children receive good gifts from their parents. The Nigerian prince says you have a large financial inheritance, but instead of a scam, you accept and your bank account shoots up. But the heavenly inheritance is much, much greater. Unimaginable.

Kingdom oriented living is not something we have to do... It is something we get to do. It is the proper response to the great gift given to us by the blood and death of Jesus upon the cross.

They went on from there and passed through Galilee. And he did not want anyone to know, for he was teaching his disciples, saying to them, "The Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men, and they will kill him. And when he is killed, after three days he will rise."  But they did not understand the saying, and were afraid to ask him. And they came to Capernaum. And when he was in the house he asked them, "What were you discussing on the way?"  But they kept silent, for on the way they had argued with one another about who was the greatest. And he sat down and called the twelve. And he said to them, "If anyone would be first, he must be last of all and servant of all."  And he took a child and put him in the midst of them, and taking him in his arms, he said to them, "Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me, and whoever receives me, receives not me but him who sent me."  John said to him, "Teacher, we saw someone casting out demons in your name, and we tried to stop him, because he was not following us." But Jesus said, "Do not stop him, for no one who does a mighty work in my name will be able soon afterward to speak evil of me.  For the one who is not against us is for us.  For truly, I say to you, whoever gives you a cup of water to drink because you belong to Christ will by no means lose his reward.  "Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him if a great millstone were hung around his neck and he were thrown into the sea.  And if your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life crippled than with two hands to go to hell, to the unquenchable fire.  And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life lame than with two feet to be thrown into hell.  And if your eye causes you to sin, tear it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into hell,  'where their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched.'  For everyone will be salted with fire.  Salt is good, but if the salt has lost its saltiness, how will you make it salty again? Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with one another." - Mark 9:30‭-‬43‭, ‬45‭, ‬47‭-‬50 ESV

Rev. Dwight Yoo

The pursuit of greatness

From eating meals to financial decisions, many things were decided in light of what brought more importance. Who was more important was a big driver of how people were treated. The rich and powerful were treated respectfully. The poor and powerless were dismissed and disrespected. This is what the disciples were arguing over.

But Jesus gives a different perspective. He paints a picture of how His kingdom is ordered. It isn't about what others can do for you. It is about serving others. It is not what others can do for us. But it is about serving people around us. And not just that, but serving those who are unlike us. We are called to serve everyone. Jesus brings a child over. Children are not of much value in biblical times. There were the last of these and not of great importance. What can a child do for you? They could not make you more important or grant you any important favors. Jesus calls his disciples to serve them. 

So it is two mindsets contrasted with each other.

Is it me-for-you or is it you-for-me? Does your mindset orient towards our good or their good? Are your friends here for your good or is it for their good? Is your community/neighborhood for you or are you there to serve them? 

Then the disciples start complaining about someone they did not know casting out demons in Jesus name. What's wrong with that? This was not one of the group following Jesus. This was tribal, cliche-ish behavior. They were trying to build barriers rather than build bridges. But this is not what Jesus desires. Jesus wants us to reach out with love and truth to fellow believers. Not with contempt and condemnation. So today, how do we speak of those who are not woke? How do we treat fellow believers on the other side of the political spectrum? If it is with contempt and disgust, then we are not following Jesus. We are all of one body. We cannot mistreat the arm because we are of the leg and do not agree with how they do things. The church will never agree on everything on this side of eternity. But we will find out on the other side, who was right and who was wrong. Till then, we need to treat each other with grace and truth in prayer with God. 

How does God bring more saltiness to his church? He salts his church with fire. What does that mean? Trials and trouble for believers. Maybe covid is here to squeeze us and teach us to give up our preferences? Maybe racism will force us to have difficult conversations to learn to speak truth with love? 

Faith & unbelief

And when they came to the disciples, they saw a great crowd around them, and scribes arguing with them. And immediately all the crowd, when they saw him, were greatly amazed and ran up to him and greeted him. And he asked them, "What are you arguing about with them?" And someone from the crowd answered him, "Teacher, I brought my son to you, for he has a spirit that makes him mute. And whenever it seizes him, it throws him down, and he foams and grinds his teeth and becomes rigid. So I asked your disciples to cast it out, and they were not able." And he answered them, "O faithless generation, how long am I to be with you? How long am I to bear with you? Bring him to me." And they brought the boy to him. And when the spirit saw him, immediately it convulsed the boy, and he fell on the ground and rolled about, foaming at the mouth. And Jesus asked his father, "How long has this been happening to him?" And he said, "From childhood. And it has often cast him into fire and into water, to destroy him. But if you can do anything, have compassion on us and help us." And Jesus said to him, "'If you can'! All things are possible for one who believes." Immediately the father of the child cried out and said, "I believe; help my unbelief!" And when Jesus saw that a crowd came running together, he rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, "You mute and deaf spirit, I command you, come out of him and never enter him again." And after crying out and convulsing him terribly, it came out, and the boy was like a corpse, so that most of them said, "He is dead." But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him up, and he arose. And when he had entered the house, his disciples asked him privately, "Why could we not cast it out?" And he said to them, "This kind cannot be driven out by anything but prayer." - Mark 9:14‭-‬29 ESV 

Rev. Dan Whang

All things are possible

Jesus has just showed his power through the transfiguration. He revealed his tender kindness and mercy towards Peter. Seeing God's power humbles us and emboldens us. The disciples and the scribes are arguing before a large crowd. There's another demon possessed boy and the disciples cannot cast out the demon. The father brings the boy and asks if Jesus can... to have mercy. This is Jesus but the man clearly hasn't seen His prior miracles. The father would not have questioned the limits of Jesus. 

Help my unbelief

We pray to God for many things this year. Today we see so much brokenness in this world. The father has some faith in Jesus and in God, but he also acknowledges his lack and imperfection. How often do we turn to idols, comforts, and addictions because we do not trust that God will meet our needs. We do not have that much faith in God. It is not the strength of your faith but the object of your faith that saves you. A strong faith in a weak branch can prove fatal, but a weak faith in a strong branch can be life saving.

The disciples have cast out demons before. They've been sent out by Jesus. So what happened here? A lack of faith is noted in the parallel passage in Matthew. A lack of prayer, maybe a lack of dependence on God. In ministry, we are dependent upon the power of God. So we need to pray before Bible study, before reaching out to unbelievers... We need to go deeper in prayer, deeper in Bible study.

The transfiguration of Jesus

And he said to them, "Truly, I say to you, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the kingdom of God after it has come with power." And after six days Jesus took with him Peter and James and John, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, and his clothes became radiant, intensely white, as no one on earth could bleach them. And there appeared to them Elijah with Moses, and they were talking with Jesus. And Peter said to Jesus, "Rabbi, it is good that we are here. Let us make three tents, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah." For he did not know what to say, for they were terrified. And a cloud overshadowed them, and a voice came out of the cloud, "This is my beloved Son; listen to him." And suddenly, looking around, they no longer saw anyone with them but Jesus only. And as they were coming down the mountain, he charged them to tell no one what they had seen, until the Son of Man had risen from the dead. So they kept the matter to themselves, questioning what this rising from the dead might mean. And they asked him, "Why do the scribes say that first Elijah must come?" And he said to them, "Elijah does come first to restore all things. And how is it written of the Son of Man that he should suffer many things and be treated with contempt? But I tell you that Elijah has come, and they did to him whatever they pleased, as it is written of him." - Mark 9:1‭-‬13 ESV 

Rev. Travis Drake

Who sees Jesus like this?

Peter, Paul, and John are those who were closest to Jesus. To them, it was revealed who Jesus was. So for us, who are Christian today, need to see Jesus as powerful, triumphant, and glorified. It is not just for those who do not believe, but for those who are closest to Jesus. Jesus is the gleaming God man shining with the brilliance of a million suns. Who are we to correct Jesus, like Peter in the previous passage? Who are we to choose what we obey and what we ignore of His commands? Peter was rebuking Jesus earlier about being a suffering Savior. Jesus called Peter Satan for this... And then now, Jesus takes Peter to reveal the fullness of Jesus. Who calls their friend a horrible name, gets into a big fight, then goes on a camping trip afterwards? Jesus doesn't cancel Peter. 

What happens when you see Jesus like this?

Peter wanted a Savior who was conquering and triumphant. He wanted Jesus to dominate the Roman military, restore Israel, and bring about the kingdom in power. Peter wanted a Jesus who was like him. But Jesus is one who is holy and perfect. He is someone who convicts us of our sinfulness. Jesus reveals our dirtiness and humbles us. 

Elijah was a prophetic voice showing the power of God. He called down fire from heaven. He confronted God's people of their sins. Only to be chased out of the kingdom by a queen who loved everything that God hated. Holy power and miracles did not bring about a better kingdom. Moses brought Israel out of slavery and gave the people a new law. But Israel still lost the law in the temple of God. A better law did not make for a better lasting kingdom. So new laws and military victory were not enough to make a better kingdom. 

Consider these things in modern times. An age of racial tension and oppression. A new law alone is insufficient and inadequate. It is not for lack of understanding, lack of power, or lack of proper morals... But rather unchanged hearts.

Why is seeing Jesus like this not enough?

The Elijah that the people had their way with him was not the historical Elijah. The historic Elijah was taken up to heaven. The one that Jesus was referring to was John the Baptist. He was imprisoned and beheaded. His head was paraded through a birthday party as an object of mockery. 

John the Baptist did not baptize people to see. He baptized people to repentance. We need not to see, but we need fixed and healed hearts. We need changed hearts that hear and obey. 

So what of us?

We need to walk in repentance both individually and corporately. Daily and regularly.

We need to repent of our history, whether our country, our ethnic group, our cultural background. 

Jesus above politics & comfort

And he began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes and be killed, and after three days rise again. And he said this plainly. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. But turning and seeing his disciples, he rebuked Peter and said, "Get behind me, Satan! For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man."  And calling the crowd to him with his disciples, he said to them, "If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.  For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel's will save it.  For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul?  For what can a man give in return for his soul?  For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him will the Son of Man also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels."

And he said to them, "Truly, I say to you, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the kingdom of God after it has come with power." - Mark 8:31‭-‬9:1 ESV

Rev. Ryan Egli

Jesus predicts death & resurrection

Jesus prophesies about suffering and dying. This would've been a very odd way to speak about being the Messiah. This breaks with all the current views of the time about the Messiah and how he would bring salvation. Jesus saw the rejection of religious leaders as necessary. But it is not just to condemn them. He calls for forgiveness and we even see loving confrontation of the religious leaders.

Jesus rebukes Peter

After this prophesy, Peter takes Jesus aside and rejects what Jesus said. We don't know what Peter said exactly but we do know that Jesus responds with one of the strongest rebukes we ever read. Jesus confronts and firmly rejects what Peter says. Peter represented the mainstream Jewish expectations for the coming Messiah. They were expecting a triumphant Savior. Peter and the other disciples were looking for their own power and prestige. They were not looking for the kingdom that Jesus was bringing.

Jesus challenges his followers

Jesus demands it all. Total allegiance to the point of death. Jesus was telling his followers to expect a painful death. As Christians in the states, we want Christian lite, or the trappings of the Christian life. We don't want discomfort, inconvenience... Jesus would likely rebuke us as well. Following Jesus is a call to suffering and for us in the west, many of us may worship the idol of comfort. The earliest Christians would go on to be persecuted and even killed. 

Application

Jesus wasn't about playing political games. Jesus calls for our ultimate allegiance. Does the gospel take precedence over any political party or platform? We need to pick up our cross and follow Him.

The second touch

And they came to Bethsaida. And some people brought to him a blind man and begged him to touch him. And he took the blind man by the hand and led him out of the village, and when he had spit on his eyes and laid his hands on him, he asked him, "Do you see anything?"  And he looked up and said, "I see people, but they look like trees, walking." Then Jesus laid his hands on his eyes again; and he opened his eyes, his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly. And he sent him to his home, saying, "Do not even enter the village."  And Jesus went on with his disciples to the villages of Caesarea Philippi. And on the way he asked his disciples, "Who do people say that I am?"  And they told him, "John the Baptist; and others say, Elijah; and others, one of the prophets." And he asked them, "But who do you say that I am?" Peter answered him, "You are the Christ." And he strictly charged them to tell no one about him. - Mark 8:22‭-‬30 ESV

Rev. Dan Whang

If your are having trouble with your spiritual eyesight, Jesus can heal you.

The theme of Mark 8 is spiritual blindness. It touches insiders and outsiders, friends of Jesus and enemies of Jesus. Even the disciples, who were with Jesus day after day, were blind to what Jesus was doing. Jesus gave them a revelation. But just like the blind man, they need Jesus to touch them again. So it is with us. We have a salvation story, each believer does. But that was then, now perhaps we've been blinded by sin or lost sight of Jesus. 

Just like the blind man, we need Jesus' second touch. We need Him to restore our sight again. Thus is how we grow. This is how we mature.

Restored sight

After Jesus touched the blind man the first time, Jesus asked the blind man if he could see. Jesus knew the answer. Jesus wanted the blind man to admit his blindness. The man needed to voice his need. Take a now routine surgery, Lasik. People with poor eyesight can be restored to 20/20. So it is with Jesus, when we read his word, pray, & worship, Jesus restores us a bit more. Not only that, but Jesus has secured us a place in heaven with God. So we need to keep going back to Jesus.

Do you not yet understand

In those days, when again a great crowd had gathered, and they had nothing to eat, he called his disciples to him and said to them, "I have compassion on the crowd, because they have been with me now three days and have nothing to eat.  And if I send them away hungry to their homes, they will faint on the way. And some of them have come from far away."  And his disciples answered him, "How can one feed these people with bread here in this desolate place?" And he asked them, "How many loaves do you have?" They said, "Seven." And he directed the crowd to sit down on the ground. And he took the seven loaves, and having given thanks, he broke them and gave them to his disciples to set before the people; and they set them before the crowd. And they had a few small fish. And having blessed them, he said that these also should be set before them. And they ate and were satisfied. And they took up the broken pieces left over, seven baskets full. And there were about four thousand people. And he sent them away. And immediately he got into the boat with his disciples and went to the district of Dalmanutha. The Pharisees came and began to argue with him, seeking from him a sign from heaven to test him. And he sighed deeply in his spirit and said, "Why does this generation seek a sign? Truly, I say to you, no sign will be given to this generation."  And he left them, got into the boat again, and went to the other side. Now they had forgotten to bring bread, and they had only one loaf with them in the boat. And he cautioned them, saying, "Watch out; beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod."  And they began discussing with one another the fact that they had no bread. And Jesus, aware of this, said to them, "Why are you discussing the fact that you have no bread? Do you not yet perceive or understand? Are your hearts hardened?  Having eyes do you not see, and having ears do you not hear? And do you not remember?  When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces did you take up?" They said to him, "Twelve." "And the seven for the four thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces did you take up?" And they said to him, "Seven." And he said to them, "Do you not yet understand?" - Mark 8:1‭-‬21 ESV

Rev. Dwight Yoo

Struggles in grasping the reality of Jesus

The struggle of Forgetfulness

Jesus wanted to feed the crowd. The disciples said, how should we do this in such a desolate place? But this isn't the first time. Jesus has fed crowds before. How could the disciples have forgotten such a miraculous thing? But this is not just the disciples, it is also with us. We forget God and his lessons, even for those who grew up in the church. During times of crises, we forget how God has provided in the past. We are gripped by fear, anxiety, and panic because we forget God. Not only that, but we drift into becoming workaholics because we forget that we have a solid identity grounded in Christ.

The struggle of Stubbornness

The Pharisees rejected Jesus because because he didn't fit their categories. Jesus wasn't the Messiah they were looking for. So the Pharisees looked for everything to reject him. They looked for anything and everything to reject the Lordship of Jesus. The religious leaders had something to lose, if Jesus was who He said He was. They did not want Jesus to be Lord. They had already decided prior to examining the evidence. So it is with us, we often choose to believe or not because it supports what we desire. 

But it was not the irreligious, but rather the religious leaders who crucified Jesus. So how does it apply to the modern day? We, Christians, make arguments, make exceptions, come up with theologies that are more agreeable to us. If Jesus never offends, challenges, or disagrees with us, then perhaps we are not following Jesus. We are likely following an idol of our own making. Christians are called to take up their cross, love & pray for their enemies... This is not natural for us. Following Jesus will not come naturally 

The struggle of Dullness

Jesus tells them to beware of the the leaven of the Pharisees. The disciples then argue about bread and who's fault it was that they didn't bring enough bread. It was a failure to see spiritual realities. The disciples lived and walked with Jesus and still did not understand or see the spiritual realities. 

Leaven here is used to allude about the pervasive and negative effects of the Herodians. This was a warning to the small growing church to be on watch against the pride of the Pharisees. They tithed down to the herbs, but neglected justice and mercy. Is it not with many Christians today? Pharisees refused to eat with sinners, perhaps the original cancel culture. Just preach the gospel and don't mind this justice thing. But Jesus addressed this directly, we must pursue reconciliation, justice, and mercy in the light of the gospel. We must beware of how the religious leaders got caught up in theological minutae and neglected the pursuit of mercy & justice. We need both. 

Where does that leave us? 

We will struggle with all these things. So we must run to Jesus. Pray for hearts that remember and are convicted for the things of God. We need to ask for eyes to see and ears to hear. A church without the centrality of the gospel will only get lost in the world.

Mark 7: A Gentile Woman's Request

And from there he arose and went away to the region of Tyre and Sidon. And he entered a house and did not want anyone to know, yet he could not be hidden. But immediately a woman whose little daughter had an unclean spirit heard of him and came and fell down at his feet. Now the woman was a Gentile, a Syrophoenician by birth. And she begged him to cast the demon out of her daughter. And he said to her, "Let the children be fed first, for it is not right to take the children's bread and throw it to the dogs."  But she answered him, "Yes, Lord; yet even the dogs under the table eat the children's crumbs." And he said to her, "For this statement you may go your way; the demon has left your daughter."  And she went home and found the child lying in bed and the demon gone. - Mark 7:24‭-‬30 ESV

Rev. Travis Drake

The background

Jesus is in need of rest. He's been healing, interacting with the authorities, dealing with crowds and fame. So he leaves Israel to a region among gentiles. The religious officials of the day considered any contact with gentiles made people unclean. But Jesus goes there for an extended time, commonly considered unclean, to find rest. Jesus did not consider them subhuman, second class, or unworthy of notice. He did not consider it unsafe or a place where one had to be on guard. 

The nature of the conversation

Jesus had this conversation in the spirit of challenge. A challenge to enliven and build up, but still a challenge. He responds to this woman's request for healing with a challenge. He demands a response. Jesus is a good friend, but He is also God. So not only with Jesus be a comfort, but also a challenge to grow faith and confronting of sins.

How does Jesus do this? He says that children's bread should not go to dogs. Not big dogs, but little pet dogs. This conversation likely happened in a household. A family with children, pets, and relationships. So we need to look at this from the perspective of the family of God, Israel is the covenant family. "Let the children be fed first" is what Jesus said. Not that there was nothing for those outside of Israel. But that there was a process and a timing to Jesus and God's plan. The woman was being challenged to submit to God's plan. Would she do it even if it felt like being a pet dog at someone's table? The core question is this: is Jesus God or not?

The posture of faith

This woman's response is great humility and great faith. Her first words contain the word Lord. It is submitting to Jesus. It meant that even being a pet in the household of God was sufficient. This is the only place to eat there is no other bread, no other table. Even if it meant being treated like a pet, there were no alternatives. Jesus is the singular hope. He alone is the salvation and grace that we need. He knows that we are dust, we are broken, but he takes on our sins. He takes them up to the cross. He knows that the guilt of sin must be paid. The cross is where justice and mercy meet. 

For this woman's response, Jesus provides healing for her daughter. The simple response gets healing. But Jesus paid for salvation and restoration with a shameful public execution. She does not demand elevation from Him. She would rather be in Jesus' house than anywhere else. She trusts that Jesus can and will heal. The end of our efforts and power is the beginning of faith. The end is not too be perfect but to come to the perfect one. 

Application

1. Crumble into Jesus' arms. Bring your inability and weaknesses to Him. He is the only path to salvation.

2. Let Jesus challenge you in the areas where you are absolutely certain that you are right. Allow him to change your political parties, your friends, your finances, your habits with spending, phone, time...