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Advent Devotional for Thursday, December 9
How long had the people of God waited for the promised Messiah? Ever since they were evicted from their homeland, all they wished for was the one who could deliver them from foreign oppression.
Finally the Messiah came. At least some believed so. However, the Messiah said, “Those who don’t believe me will persecute you.” Not just that. “There will be no peace because of me … You might be killed. Be ready for that.”
I can see that this text is full of irony—ironies, in fact, that are not associated with the coming of the Messiah and the Good News. We often forget those ironies, along with the first Christians’ agony, fear, and very thoughtful (and at times wrenching) decision to follow the one who came from the other side.
We live in a society where those who don’t believe can do nothing to us. We live in a society where those who believe can have more credit, more stature, than those who don’t.
Where is our enemy, the one with whom we are at war? Suddenly, I find my enemy in me. I persecute myself; I destroy peace in me. When I see someone driving a beautiful, luxurious convertible, I persecute myself: What did you do, Sung-In, when others worked for money? When I think of my retirement, I deprive myself of peace: Who will take care of me? And How?
Temptation to seek a life full of ease, full of peace, but lacking in faith is my enemy. These are stumbling blocks when I follow my Messiah, for whom I waited. I know these desires for peace, an acceptance of the way things are, can kill me. Seeking the Kingdom of God requires something different. Where is your enemy, the one you must battle for the sake of this Kingdom?
Lord, now I know when I follow you there isn’t always good news. I need to fight against my inner ungodly desires, the ones that dominated when I did not know you. Come, help me to overcome them and to be a true disciple of Christ, the Son of God. Amen.
Sung-In Park (DMin’09)
Pastor, YeRang Korean Presbyterian Church, Round Rock, Texas
For the glory of God and to proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ, Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary is a seminary in the Presbyterian-Reformed tradition whose mission is to educate and equip individuals for the ordained Christian ministry and other forms of Christian service and leadership; to employ its resources in the service of the church; to promote and engage in critical theological thought and research; and to be a winsome and exemplary community of God's people.
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