Do we want to live happily? (1 Corinthians 15:12-19)

April 7, 2023 Leading verse 19:       “If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied.”   When I was young, Korea was a poor country. At that time, almost all Koreans were farmers and had to do manual labor without farm machinery in the fields all day. My family was also a poor farming family. But I broke my right leg when I was 8 years old. But I was still a happy child because I was not serious about my future. But when I turned 18, I started to think seriously about my future. My family was poor, so I couldn't afford the tuition for the university. So I decided to get a scholarship to study at university. And I studied hard to prepare for the university entrance exam to get a scholarship. But during that preparation time, the thought surfaced in my mind that all my efforts would be in vain because I was going to die anyway. So I lost the will to learn.However, I repressed these nihilistic thoughts and learned hard again to prepare for the entrance exam.I was able to pass the entrance exam with top grades and received a scholarship.  In my second month of university day, I was invited to a student Bible study group. There I came to believe in the resurrection of Jesus Christ and in my resurrection. Then the nihilistic thoughts disappeared and a living hope arose.  Apostle Paul says to us: “But if it is preached that Christ has been raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? 13 If there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. 14 And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith. 15 More than that, we are then found to be false witnesses about God, for we have testified about God that he raised Christ from the dead. But he did not raise him if in fact the dead are not raised” (12-15).  Among our Korean missionaries who worked in Germany, Youngja Bae, Monika Kwon, Isaac Youk, Joseph Han, Esther Choe and Monika Nam fell asleep. Missionary Paul Kwon woke up from the coma and is still doing Gospel work. And we will all eventually die in God's time. If physical death were the end of life, convinced Christians, like sleeping missionaries, are the dumbest people. Then who is the smartest? Those who do not believe in the resurrection find their meaning of life through worldly joy. People want to enjoy earthly life to the fullest and enjoy sex, power and money. But these people are never happy people. Some people find their meaning of life in humanistic activities. But their joy disappears before the power of death. But we are truly wise and happy because we believe in Jesus' resurrection and our resurrection. Praise Jesus! Let us encourage one another! To know the Good News of God, we must be aware of the reality of life without resurrection hope. Without this awareness, our faith in Christ is only superficial. In the early days of the Korean Mission, missionaries had to travel by ship from the U.S. or Europe to Korea for about 3 months. At that time, there were no short-term missionaries. And some missionaries died of endemic disease shortly after starting their mission work. Even in these adversities in the mission field, they burned with the hope of resurrection. Today, about 30% of Koreans are Christians thanks to their devotion.  John Heron (1856-1890) was one of the first Protestant missionaries in Korea. He opened Korea's first hospital. However, after serving missions for five years, he died at the age of 34, leaving behind his wife and two daughters. To commemorate his death, a missionary cemetery was established in Korea called Yanghwajin (Yanghwajin Foreigners' Cemetery). In this early period, many foreign missionaries and their children died of indigenous diseases or contagious diseases due to the poor sanitary conditions in Korea. About these missionaries we can say the following. "If they had only hoped for Christ in this earthly life, they would have been the most miserable of all people."  But all who truly believe in Jesus Christ will be resurrected and share in Christ's heavenly glory. Therefore, we who believe in the resurrection are truly wise people.  The Apostle Paul also suffered much in evangelizing. He describes his struggles as a missionary: “23 I am more. I have worked much harder, been in prison more frequently, been flogged more severely, and been exposed to death again and again. 24 Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. 25 Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was pelted with stones, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea, 26 I have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my fellow Jews, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false believers. 27 I have labored and toiled and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food; I have been cold and naked” (2 Corinthians 11:23b-27). This Paul preached the gospel with joy because of the resurrection hope even in the midst of such difficulties. Because we also have resurrection hope, we can live happily and share this Good News with others.  I hope that Easter this year will be a time that motivates us to live happily and share the Good News with others. Amen!