“Why the Bible?” (Acts 8:26-39) - Back to Basics III -

“I Can’t Read!”

This past week Grace, my baby no. 3, graduated from her nursery school. She is very happy and proud of herself. She is also very ambitious. She wants to do anything her older siblings do. Since both Lydia and Abe love to read, Grace also wants to read. But Grace cannot yet read. Sometimes she announces to us out of frustration, “I can’t read!” But anyway she reads a book. And she reads very fast. One time I saw her reading the Bible. Her eyes were moving back and forth across the pages of her Bible, reading but not reading, serious and attentive but not understanding.

At first, I was amused and impressed. But later, I had to stop and ask myself, “How about me? How do I read the Bible? Do I really understand what I am reading?” The answer was “No.” Then I found another person just like me and Grace in today’s scripture – an Ethiopian eunuch. He was a God-fearer. Although he was a gentile, he had a great thirst and desire to know God. So he decided to go to Jerusalem to worship, which means he had to travel at least 750 miles one way to worship in Jerusalem. It would have taken him at least 30 days by chariot. If he would have stayed a month in Jerusalem, then he spent at least a quarter of a year just to travel to Jerusalem to worship God. And now he was returning home, seated in his chariot, reading the Bible – reading but not reading, sincere and devout but not comprehending. But at the end of the story, somehow he became a new person. In the meantime something had happened. So today, we will explore what happened to this man, that we may also be transformed.

Reading vs. Listening 
At first, the eunuch was reading the Scriptures by himself, and he didn’t understand what he was reading. But the Scriptures are the words to be listened to rather then read. They are the words to be listened to, submitted to, obeyed, and lived! Most of the words in our Scriptures were not formed first in writing. God spoke, and people heard. The Scriptures were an oral language – lively, interpersonal, repeatedly reminded. Our biblical ancestors heard the word of God, listened to it, obeyed it, without a script. But then, later the Scriptures were written, handed down for the next generation. Though it’s great to have the word of God in written form, one of the biggest drawbacks is that we often read the Bible to get information that we could use to raise our standard of living, rather than listen to it for a new life. Eugene Peterson rightly tells us the difference between listening and reading in this way:

Listening and reading are not the same thing… Listening is an interpersonal act; it involves two or more people in fairly close proximity. Reading involves one person with a book written by someone who can be miles away or centuries, or both… When I read a book, the book does not know if I am paying attention or not; when I listen to a person, the person knows very well whether I am paying attention or not. In listening, another initiates the process; when I read, I initiate the process. In reading I open the book and attend to the words. I can read by myself; I cannot listen by myself. In listening the speaker is in charge; in reading the reader is in charge.[1]

The eunuch was first reading the Bible. Perhaps he wanted to get more information about God – who God is. But then, we see the supernatural work of God. God sent Philip, guide and helper. And the eunuch began to converse with him, asking and answering questions back and forth. He then began to understand and listen to the word of God. Here the point is not that we should use Audio Bible instead of reading the Bible. The point is that when we read the Bible, we ought to allow the Scripture to speak. In other words, we ought to give up control over the scripture and let God speak to us, shaping us into our true being. What we need is to read the Bible in order to be formed and shaped by the Word.

Eat the Bible!
One of the most striking metaphors for formational reading of the Bible is found in Revelation. In chapter 10 an angel of the Lord said to John, “Take the scroll, and eat it – eat the Bible!” The background is this: John heard the voice of the seven thunders – glorious revelation, and then he was about to write down. But the angel said, “No, seal up what you had heard. Instead, take Holy Scripture and eat it. And then prophecy!” Here the angel was saying, “Don’t just get information and pass it on. Eat the Word. Let the Words be tasted, chewed, savored, digested, internalized, assimilated into the tissues of your life. Become what you read.” In Deuteronomy 6 Moses tells us what it looks like to eat the Bible in our everyday life in this way:

“Listen, O Israel! The LORD is our God, the LORD alone. And you must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength. And you must commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these commands that I am giving you today. Repeat them again and again to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed and when you are getting up. Tie them to your hands and wear them on your forehead as reminders. Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.” (6:4-9, NLT)

Lectio Divina
Eat the Bible. Our biblical ancestors practiced lectio divina to eat the word of God. Eugene Peterson defines lectio divina as follows: “Lectio divina, often translated "spiritual reading," reading that enters our souls as food, enters our stomachs, spreads through our blood, and becomes holiness and love and wisdom.”[2] Lectio divina consists of four elements: lectio (we read the text), meditatio (we meditate the text), oratio (we pray the text), and contemplatio (we live the text). It’s important to remember that lectio divina is not a methodical technique for reading the Bible. It is an organically cultivated, disciplined way of living the Word.

The story of the eunuch can be a good example of how lectio divina works authentically and organically. First, the eunuch reads the text (lectio). He was reading without understanding – perhaps to get information or use for his own purpose, then by God’s grace he begins to listen, understand, receive the Word. And then he actively engages in discussion with Philip. He answers and then asks questions. That’s to meditate and pray the text (meditatio and oratio). And finally, he chooses to live the text that he read/listened, mediated and prayed (contemplatio). After hearing the good news of Jesus Christ, he cannot be the same. He has to choose either to receive Jesus as his Master and follow him, or to reject him and go on his way. At that spot the eunuch gives his life to Christ and is baptized. And he returns home, going back to his ordinary life, but with a new heart, a new spirit. Irenaeus, an early church father, wrote that this Ethiopian eunuch became a missionary to his own people. And I am sure his lectio divina was not a one time event, but since that day he would continue to practice – read, meditate, pray and live the text, transformed into God’s image from one degree of glory to another day by day.

Wonderful Words of Life
God’s word is living and active. If listened and received rightly, God’s word is supernaturally at work in our lives. And we are transformed. This past week I felt like I was way behind schedule. I felt busy. I felt burdened. So I stopped and listened to the Word. It was Matthew 11:28-29:

“Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls” (NRSV)

I read it. I listened to it. I chewed it. I savored it. I prayed it. Then this phrase stood out, “for I am gentle and humble in heart.” So I asked, “What does this phrase have to do with finding rest?” The answer came, “You are busy and burdened, because you are vain and not humble.” Then the voice continued, “You want to appear important. So you develop a crowded schedule to solve people’s problems and make them happy. And they acknowledge your significance, and your vanity is fed. Don’t think you are doing something. Instead, become aware of what God is already doing around you and participate in it.” After this, I began to more acknowledge what God was doing and join him in his work. And my burdens were lifted one by one.

In 2 Timothy 3:16-17 Paul says, “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work” (NIV). So how do you read the Bible? Do you understand what you are reading? Like the Ethiopian eunuch, let us be humble without pretension, saying, “How can I, unless someone guides me?” Then, the Guide, the Holy Spirit, will come and take us by the hand and guide us into all the truth (cf. John 16:13). And we will be transformed and participating in God’s story, rejoicing and glorifying God. Amen.

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[1] Eugene H. Peterson, Working the Angles (Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co. 1987), 88.

[2] Eugene H. Peterson. Eat This Book: A Conversation in the Art of Spiritual Reading (Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co. 2006), Kindle Locations 103-104.

“Why Pray?” (Romans 12:1-2) - Back to Basics II –

The Power of Prayer

It’s Mother’s Day. On this special day we honor our mothers and also give thanks to all our spiritual mothers, who have loved us, mentored us, nurturing our hearts and souls. For me personally, one of my spiritual mothers (fathers) is my grandfather, who is now 93 years old, retired pastor. This past week I had a chance to have a video call with him. The first thing he said was, “Victor, I pray for you, your wife, and your children every single day, because I love you all.” And I know and believe that he does pray for me everyday. In fact, it was he who helped me to come to the faith. It was he who helped me to believe the power of prayer. I still vividly remember how I lost my hearing in my right ear because of serious ear infections when I was 8 years old. Doctors recommended me to have a surgery, but my family couldn’t afford it. I took some medication, but it didn’t help. Many people prayed for me. In particular, my grandfather had persistently prayed for me. About four years later, I got a phone call from him. He said with great excitement, “Victor, God answered my prayer! You are healed!!” At that time, I didn’t feel any difference. But a few days later, all of sudden I realized that I was able to hear from both of my ears.

That healing experience did draw me closer to God, and made me curious about God, and about my grandfather’s faith. Even at that young age, I knew he was the real deal. And I knew prayer was at the heart of his life. He prayed before starting his day. He prayed before preparing the message. He prayed before making decisions. He prayed before meeting difficult people. I don’t remember what he preached on Sundays, but I do still remember how he lived between Sundays – how he treated his family and others. Indeed, he lived a transformed life through prayer.

Several weeks ago, as we studied Revelation 8, I shared that the primary purpose of prayer is not to change the circumstances or to get the response we want. The primary purpose of prayer is to change us.  Prayer changes us, so that we may become more like Christ. That’s the ultimate purpose of prayer. (cf. Sunday Message, Feb 19, 2019). Today’s message is the sequel. The second purpose of prayer is to change us, so that we may become agents of change. For transformed people transform people – particularly our family, our children.

Why Transformation?

When we think about what kind of world we are living in today, we come to realize that transformation of the heart is necessary. We (and our children) live in a busy, noisy, distracting world. Jesus said to Nicodemus, “You must be born again (converted, transformed) to see the kingdom of God in this world” (cf. John 3:3). In today’s passage Paul says to Roman Christians and us, “You must be transformed to know God’s will in this world.”  

Eugene Peterson says that Christians are like a “harpooner.”

In Herman Melville's Moby Dick, there is a turbulent scene. All the sailors in a whaleboat are laboring fiercely, every muscle taut, all attention and energy concentrated on the task, in pursuit of the great, white whale, Moby Dick. In this boat, however, there is one man who does nothing. He doesn't hold an oar; he doesn't perspire; he doesn't shout. This man is the harpooner, quiet and poised, waiting. And then this sentence:

"To insure the greatest efficiency in the dart, the harpooners of this world must start to their feet out of idleness, and not out of toil."[1]

We, Christians, are called to live a life as a harpooner, who fights and overcomes the white whale, symbol of evil, in this world. But too often we are distracted and exhausted in the midst of our busy, noisy life. And we are not ready and accurate when it is time to throw our javelin. Then, how can we be quiet and poised harpooners in the midst of turmoil? How can we not be conformed to this world, but be transformed? The answer is prayer.

Transforming Prayer

In Psalm 46 we meet the psalmist, who is a harpooner – quiet and poised, waiting – in his turbulent times. He says:

God is our refuge and strength,

a very present help in trouble.

Therefore we will not fear,

though the earth shake in the heart of the sea;

though its water roar and foam,

though the mountains tremble with its tumult.

He has “though” faith. He sees God deeply through his pain and suffering. Then, at the end of the psalm he hears God saying: “Be still, and know that I am God!” We see and hear God in stillness, not out of toil. Prayer shapes us. Prayer shapes us to be quiet and poised harpooners in this busy, noisy world.

Many of us already know we need prayer. We have desire to pray. But still, we need to learn how to pray. To be more precise, we need to discipline ourselves in prayer, in order to have a meaningful, transforming prayer time. In this respect, Paul says, “So I run with purpose in every step. I am not just shadowboxing. I discipline my body like an athlete, training it to do what it should” (1 Corinthians 9:26-27, NLT). Prayer is a discipline. Any of us can try to run a marathon. But soon enough, we come to realize that we cannot run a marathon, even if we tray really, really hard. When it comes to running a marathon, we must train, not merely try. In the same way, when it comes to transforming prayer, we must train, not merely try here and there. John Ortberg right said, “Spiritual transformation is not a matter of trying harder, but of training wisely.”

The first step for transforming prayer is planning. We ought to plan. We ought to cultivate the habit of prayer by keeping to a fixed time every day. Some people say that we don’t need a specific time and place to pray or that we can find God all the time and everywhere. But in this matter, E. Stanley Jones rightly said, “If you are to find God all the time, you must find God some time. And if you are to find God everywhere, you will have to find God somewhere.” I love my wife, Joyce, and I know she loves me. We are always together. And we can talk anytime whenever we want. But still, we must find some special quality time to cultivate and deepen our relationship on a regular basis. In the same way, we need to find a special time and place to pray daily to nurture our relationship with God. For me personally, I spend the first two hours of the day in prayer, from 4:30 to 6:30 am. During these two hours I enjoy a quality time with God without interruption. E. M. Bounds says, “If God is not first in our thoughts and efforts in the morning, He will be last during the remainder of the day… No one receives God who does not follow hard after Him, and no soul follows hard after God who is not after Him in the early morning.”[2] Here the point is not simply early rising and early praying. The point is the intense desire to seek after God. The point is the intense desire to give God the best of our time, the heart of our time and strength. As we discipline ourselves in prayer in this way, we will begin to see prayer shape us, transform us.

How Author John Dickson Came to the Faith[3]

The Australian Christian author John Dickson came to Christ through the faithful witness of an ordinary mother named Glenda. In Australia, the public schools used to offer a Scripture class taught by a volunteer from the local church, and Glenda became his teacher. Eventually, Glenda invited the whole class to her house on Friday afternoons for lunch and honest conversation about Jesus. She treated them like they were family. Dickson was one of the students. One night they hung out, and Dickson’s friend, Daniel, was rather intoxicated. They couldn’t take him to his house because of his angry dad. So they decided to take him to Glenda’s house around midnight. She didn’t bat an eye. She welcomed them in. Dickson writes:

We took Daniel to Glenda's house because she had left a real impression on us that Christians actually like sinners. We had no doubt that she hated our drinking habits. She was a teetotaler, and talked openly about avoiding alcohol. But even in that situation, her first instinct was not to condemn us but to love us more, and it was extraordinary… After about six months of Scripture classes, Friday afternoon events, and the incident with Daniel, we found ourselves thinking that Jesus was real, that he is inescapable, that he is powerful. So about six or eight months into it, about five of us became Christians—we really surrendered to Christ's lordship and accepted his mercy.

Years later, John Dickson started his own ministry. And he visited Glenda to ask her what her secret was – how to reach out new people so effectively. Without batting an eye, Glenda said, "Prayer." He was really disappointed, but she continued, "That year a bunch of us who taught Scripture decided to make it a year of prayer—just to plead the Lord of the harvest to do something special. And we did. By the end of the year, there you all were, confessing Jesus."

Generation to Generation

We all have our Glendas – our spiritual mothers, who prayed for us, loved us unconditionally, nurtured us so faithfully. For me personally, along with my grandparents and my parents, I always remember my 3^rd and 8^th grade Sunday school teachers. How they treated me, how they showed me Jesus through their lives, how they taught me the Bible, I am eternally grateful to them. On this Mother’s Day let us remember our spiritual mothers and express our deep gratitude to them: “Thank you!”

And now it’s our turn to leave a legacy. The best legacy we can give to our next generation is to live a transformed life through prayer. It is to show Jesus through our lives, through how we treat other people as ourselves, how we use our possessions, time, resources in a godly way. And our children will remember us and turn to God, glorifying His holy name. Amen.

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[1] Eugene Peterson, The Contemplative Pastor: Returning to the Art of Spiritual Direction (Eerdmans Publshing, 1989), Kindle Locations 221-225.

[2] E. M. Bounds, Power through Prayer (Whitakerhouse, 1082),

[3] “The Power of Prayer: How Author John Dickson Came to the Faith,” Preaching Today, https://www.preachingtoday.com/illustrations/2012/january/2012312.html

“Why Communion?” (Matthew 26:26-30) - Back to Basics I -

Communion

What are the most significant meals you have shared in throughout your life so far? Who were you with? What did you eat? Why was the occasion significant? For me personally, my two most favorite meals are Chinese New Year and Korean Thanksgiving. When I was young, during those holidays all of my family got together, made traditional food together, ate together. There was a lot of laugher and love.

For some reason, when we mark special occasions, such as a baby’s 1^st birthday, graduation, wedding, and funeral, we get together and share special meals. Eating together is crucial because, as we share food, our relationships flourish and our communities are strengthened. That’s why the early church practiced the Love Feast. And that’s why our church continues this beautiful practice today. The word Communion means sharing with God and with each other. The emphasis is on community and fellowship. It’s a family meal. Then, why is it so important to celebrate Holy Communion? There are three reasons for that, and we will explore past, present, and future dimensions.

Remember: Past Dimension

The first reason why we should celebrate Communion is because Jesus commands us to do this. At the last supper, Jesus took bread and said, “This is my body given for you. Do this in remembrance of me” (Luke 22:19). There is power in remembering. When we remember, the power of the past comes into the present.

Pat Summitt retired in 2012 from coaching women’s basketball at the University of Tennessee. During her tenure as coach, she won over 1,000 games and 8 national championships. She wanted to keep coaching, but she had to retire because of early-onset Alzheimer’s disease. In her recent autobiography, Pat tells us about the power of remembering. She claims, “What better way to kick a memory-wasting disease in the teeth—to keep my mind sharp and my heart engaged and my life in perspective—than with a memoir?” As she deals with the new reality of life with Alzheimer’s, she is still certain of this: “God doesn’t take things away to be cruel. He takes things away to make room for other things. He takes things away to lighten us. He takes things away so we can fly.”[1] The power of remembering. Even as her memory begins to fade, these truths remain etched in her mind.

Every time we come to the Lord’s Supper, we hear and remember God’s salvation story – How God made us in his image; how we turned away; how God delivered us from the power of sin and death. Every time we partake of Communion, we see bread is taken, blessed, broken, and given. And we remember Jesus’ body (life) was taken, blessed, broken, and given for us. And we also remember we are called to be “bread,” which is taken, blessed, broken, and given for the world. Every time we come to the Table, we remember who God is and remember who we are.

Celebrate: Present Dimension

The second reason why we should celebrate Communion is because the benefits of doing it are so great. In John 6 Jesus fed the five thousand. But it was not a normal meal. It was Communion. Jesus used four eucharistic (communion) verbs: He took the five loaves, blessed (gave thanks) and broke the loaves, and gave them to the people.[2] After this, Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty” (35). Then, he continued, “Unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you… Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood abide in me, and I in them” (53, 56). As our bodies are strengthened by bread and wine, so are our souls by these tokens of the body and blood of Christ. Communion is the food for our souls. Our sins are washed away by the blood of Jesus, and our souls are refreshed and strengthened by the bread of life. Some of us avoid Communion for different reasons, but we need to realize what we are missing. John Wesley states plainly what is at stake:

If . . . we have any regard for the plain command of Christ, if we desire the pardon of our sins, if we wish for strength to believe, to love and obey God, then we should neglect no opportunity of receiving the Lord’s Supper. Then we must never turn our backs on the feast which our Lord has prepared for us. We must neglect no occasion which the good providence of God affords us for this purpose. This is the true rule—so often are we to receive as God gives us opportunity. Whoever therefore does not receive, but goes from the holy table when all things are prepared, either does not understand his duty or does not care for the dying command of his Savior, the forgiveness of his sins, the strengthening of his soul, and the refreshing it with the hope of glory.[3]

Every time we come to the Lord’s Supper, God feeds our souls. And we celebrate Jesus, the bread of life given for all of us. We celebrate the risen Christ. We celebrate the presence of Jesus among us today!

Anticipate: Future Dimension

The third reason why we should celebrate Holy Communion is because it gives us a foretaste of what is to come – the heavenly banquet!  In Revelation 19 believers are invited to the wedding feast of the Lamb. And in Isaiah 25 the Prophet Isaiah describes what the feast would look like: “He will remove the cloud of gloom, the shadow of death that hangs over the earth. He will swallow up death forever! The Sovereign Lord will wipe away all tears. He will remove forever all insults and mockery against his land and people” (7-8). The feast will be a celebration of reconciliation and the defeat of death. So in Communion we anticipate what is yet to come. We anticipate our own invitation. We anticipate great reunion.

Yesterday morning I’ve got an email from a beloved Christian sister, who was one of the pillars of the previous church. She wrote:

“In February my husband broke his right hip and has had surgery and rehab but has reached his ability for getting from chair to bed or bathroom. At 96 it is pretty sure that he will not recover enough to come home and be safe. Even with 24 hour care I cannot be safe also. Because of our love for you I want to keep in touch as we journey toward the Heavenly Place that God has prepared for us. Sometimes the trip has us on bumpy and winding paths but God has the GPS!”

Joyce and I used to eat together with this beautiful couple when we had a monthly church supper. We may not have another chance to do it here on earth. But every time I come to the Lord’s Table, I am reminded of this truth: I will be eternally united to the loved ones in Jesus Christ, and we will celebrate the heavenly banquet together. We will see Jesus face to face. In Communion we foretaste what is to come.

Come and Eat!

When we come to the Lord’s Table, we remember God’s gift of salvation for us through the death of Jesus. We celebrate Jesus as true food for our souls. We anticipate the heavenly banquet. But some of us may not have felt or experienced any benefit of receiving Communion so far. Some may say, “I have received Communion so long, but I have not found the benefit I expected.” Then, I exhort you to remember the bronze serpent in Numbers 21. When the Israelites spoke against God and against Moses, God sent poisonous serpents, and they bit the people and many died. But then, the people came to Moses and confessed their sins. So Moses prayed for the people. Then the Lord said to Moses, “Make a snake and set it on a pole. Whoever is bitten and looks at it will live.” There was no intrinsic power in the bronze serpent. Nothing special about it. But because God said so, anyone bitten by a snake who then looked at the bronze serpent lived.

In the same way, there is no power in bread. Apart from God, it is just a shadow. It is in itself dead, empty thing. But because Jesus says, “Do this in remembrance of me,” we celebrate Communion. Because Jesus says, “I am the bread of life. Unless you eat my flesh and drink my blood, you have no life in you,” we celebrate Communion. Because the Bible says, “There will be the wedding feast of the Lamb, and you are invited,” we celebrate Communion. We may not feel the satisfying effects right away, but surely we will find benefit sooner or later, because God promised to do so. Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us keep celebrating Communion as often as we can in the obedience of faith. Let us keep on doing this “until Christ comes in final victory and we feast at his heavenly banquet.” Amen.

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[1] Pat Summitt with Sally Jenkins, Sum It Up: 1,098 Victories, a Couple of Irrelevant Losses, and a Life in Perspective (New York: Crown Archetype, 2013), 376. Quoted in Kenneth M. Loyer, Holy Communion (Abingdon Press, 2014), Kindle Locations 834-836.

[2] In John 6 the verb “break” was omitted, but the other Gospels have all four verbs (cf. Matthew 14:19, Mark 6:41, Luke 9:16)

[3] Albert C. Outler and Richard P. Heitzenrater, John Wesley’s Sermons: An Anthology (Abingdon, 1991), 503.