Commentary on John 13 (4)
Among human suffering, a sense of defeat torments, loneliness torments, guilt torments, and dissatisfaction with one's existence torments oneself.
Something unsatisfactory, that is, your own absurdity, is tormenting you.
I see many people saying they believe in Jesus Christ but are full of dissatisfaction.
I am dissatisfied with the fact that God clearly has something but does not seem to be giving it to me.
There are many other christians who are upset about God’s unfairness.
It is because there is no knowledge of God.
This is because they do not know how to make our own the portion that God has given us in Christ.
It is true to say that everyone believes in Jesus and that they have all received grace.
In fact, they received all the gifts from God in Christ.
It's definitely true.
The reason the money we have is precious is because of the purchasing power it has.
If you have money, you can change anything.
Money is attractive to everyone because I can buy anything and exchange anything with money.
But let’s say I want to eat bulgogi right now in front of a bulgogi restaurant.
However, just because I have money does not solve my craving for bulgogi.
My heart is dark and discouraged and I want to be comforted right now, and saying that I believe in Jesus and that I believe in God is really useless.
At that moment, you must be able to turn Jesus Christ into your comfort.
A spiritual function that can change with my wishes and with my strength must operate within me.
Even if I say to myself in front of a bulgogi restaurant that there is no problem with bulgogi because I have money, the desire to eat bulgogi does not go away.
Most people's faith are of this style.
Although I am obviously thirsty, tired, and frustrated, I believe in Almighty God, so I say I have no worries.
But why are you walking around with such a dissatisfied expression?
To put it bluntly, most people's beliefs are like that.
The reason for this is because we are not trained to listen to the word of God.
There is a saying, “Listening Word and listening world”.
It means knowing how to listen to the Word and how to listen to the world.
Hearing means listening to sounds.
Hearing is simply hearing the sound as it is heard.
Because we have ears, we hear sounds.
However, listening means that I try to hear what it means.
However, even when the word of God is proclaimed, some people only hear it.
They just hear what it sounds like.
After finishing the meeting, they say; today the pastor's words are very good.
There are people who only do hearing this way.
However, if you want to hear the words properly, you should ask yourself why he says that and what meaning he has in those words.
We need to dig into what they want to give us.
And instead of just going around to see the world, let's learn to listen to the voice of God who wants to speak to us through this whole world (listening world).
This means that as you watch the world change, you learn to listen God through that world.
It's not just about going around to see things, it's about listening to God's message through nature.
These are the two words of advice that John Stad gave to the Korean church.
The reason for this is, as mentioned above, they all say they believe in Jesus Christ.
The reason why the Gospel of John is important is because it is a gospel that allows us to apply the attributes of Christ in the Gospel of John.
However, just because we know the Gospel of John does not mean that it applies to us.
The Book of Romans is the book that explains the Gospel of John in such a way that it sticks with us in every detail.
The word Proverb in Korean means chimjam (箴), word (言), and it means that the word sticks in us.
So Romans is a book written logically, verse by verse, so that it can be embedded in our hearts, minds.
It is a reference book for the Gospel of John.
Through the Gospel of John, Jesus Christ says that he is this kind of, that he gives us this kind of salvation and this kind of blessing, and that his disciple, the Apostle Paul, explains how he makes us through Jesus Christ in the book of Romans.
In that sense, I hope you can listen the word of God through the Bible.
Pray that happens. Please try it.
I think I've paid more attention to listening than hearing since I studied theology.
I accept it as a blessing that God has made it happen.
When professors gave lectures, I not only listened to the content of the lecture, but I also tried very hard to capture the pulse of the lecture.
How does he know God? What perspective does he view the Bible from?
What kind of scholar was that person influenced by?
What kind of book would he read and say something like that?
Instead of looking at surface water, we put a lot of effort into digging up the groundwater.
So, I listened to and read all the tapes and books of the pastors who were said to be the leaders of the Korean church, and I also tried to read, listen to, and study many books and tapes of world-famous people.
I have listened to more than 3,000 tapes of other people’s sermons and lectures.
But in the end, it led me to the Bible.
All of them are reference books.
As I listened intently, the Lord led me to the Bible.
Also, as I listened to the Bible diligently, it led me to Jesus Christ, and Jesus Christ led me to God the Father.
In that sense, I also encourage you to try to listen to the Bible, the Word of God.
Someone said that to me.
He asks for some commentary tape.
Then I ask, “How do you want to hear it?”
I told him I couldn't give it to him if he said he would just hear it.
Because he just want to hear.
He is not saying he's going to listen.
If anyone decides to take quiet time and focus on listening to God's word, God will let them hear his voice.
God makes Himself heard to them.
God doesn't just hear our voices, he hears us.
Rather than saying we listen to God’s words, we must listen to God’s character and attributes.
We must listen to God and God must listen to us.
If a parent tells a child, ‘Stop making noise,’ they don’t just hear a voice saying, ‘Stop making noise.’
They listen to their parents' heart telling me not to make noise.
Likewise, we must listen to God through the word of the Lord and offer ourselves through the word of God, but most people only want to hear.
That's why I didn't give him the commentary tape (DVD).
I give it to him if he is thinking about listening to the word of God.
Because that person definitely hears the Lord.
Such a person hears the voice of the Holy Spirit and hears God.
In that sense, John 13 is a story about a buyer and a seller.
Jesus also bought us by selling his body on the cross.
He sold all of heaven to buy us.
In Matthew 13, a man found treasure buried in a field and sold everything to buy it. Jesus did the same and teaches us that we too must sell everything to buy it.
However, Judas Iscariot sold out Jesus even though he should have bought Jesus who wanted to buy us so much.
If we compare Judas Iscariot and Peter here, Judas Iscariot is a servant of Satan.
He thoroughly used Jesus for his own purposes.
According to Josephus' record, when Judas Iscariot followed Jesus, he did not follow him to become Jesus' disciple, but he followed him with a worldly ambition that he, like Jesus, would have the ability to liberate Israel.
That's why Jesus said that Jesus would die on the cross, but since he was nothing special, Judas Iscariot exchanged him for thirty pieces of silver and sold Jesus out.
How many people are still selling out the name of Jesus Christ?
So I created a new word called missioness.
It is a mixture of mission and business, meaning it is a mission for business.
Ministry for the Lord is business... If you do it wrong, you will sell out Jesus for the sake of doing ministry.
So, the Christian business was booming, but churches in Europe were emptying out, and now Korean churches are also becoming empty.
This is the phenomenon of the Book of Revelation, and churches such as the Church of Laodicea will remain loyal to their work without knowing what the deception is, but Until that day, the Church of the woman clothed with the sun and the two witnesses will testify of the Lord Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit of truth without regard for the rich or poor.
Written by Ptr. Yohan Kim.
Translated by Nancy Chung
COME AND SEE WORLD MISSION
To God be the glory.