Hosea 16 – Made-up God

Hosea 10:1-8

 

“Israel is a luxuriant vine that yields its fruit; the more his fruit increased, the more altars he built; the more prosperous his land became, the more beautiful he made his sacred pillars. Their heart is deceitful; now they must bear their guilt. The LORD will break down their altars and destroy their sacred pillars. Then they will say: “We have no king, for we did not fear the LORD; and what can a king do for us?” They speak empty words, swearing falsely when they make a covenant; therefore, judgment springs up like poisonous weeds in the furrows of the field. The inhabitants of Samaria shall fear because of the calf of Beth-Aven. Its people shall mourn for it, and its idolatrous priests shall wail over its glory, because it has departed from it. The calf itself shall be carried to Assyria as a present for the great king; Ephraim shall be put to shame, and Israel shall be ashamed of their own counsel. The king of Samaria shall be utterly cut off, like a twig on the face of the waters. The high places of Aven, the sin of Israel, shall be destroyed; thorns and thistles shall grow up on their altars. Then they will say to the mountains, “Cover us!” and to the hills, “Fall on us!”” Amen.

 

The Uncomfortable Truth That Remains: The Book of Hosea

The book of Hosea continues to be a truly uncomfortable truth for us. The most heartbreaking feeling when reading Hosea is the discovery that our current manner of believing in the Lord is often not so different from the era in which Hosea was written, when Israel turned away from God and committed great sin. Whenever we confront this reality, we are forced to deeply re-examine what our faith truly is, and which Lord we claim to know.

 

The Corrupt Places Illuminated by Hosea

In this context, as we have meditated on Hosea over the past few sessions, we have focused on geographical locations to examine the situation of Israel. One such place was the era of Gibeah. Gibeah was a town where the tribe of Benjamin resided. It was a time when corruption spread from the top, starting with the Levites, all the way down. It was a tragic situation where tribes killed each other. It was an age of tragedy where people sinned to cover up a sin, and sinned again to conceal that sin. Hosea points out that the wickedness of that era still remains in them. This is a piercing, yet perhaps unwelcome, truth for us to hear.

 

Another place was Gilgal. Gilgal was the most sacred site of the covenant. It was where God led the Israelites across the Jordan River, and where the first memorial stones, marking the numerous victories God granted, were laid. Yet, ironically, that sacred place had now devolved into the most shameful and sin-ridden location.

 

Idolatry Amidst Prosperity: The Luxuriant Vine

In an age that transforms the sacred into the sinful, Hosea raises yet another point today, as I mentioned last week. The structure of Hosea is one of continuous preparation and construction to lead us toward the message of chapters 11 through 14. In chapter 14, we encounter the green cypress tree, and in chapter 11, the story of God calling us out of Egypt appears. But today, in chapter 10, we encounter another city.

 

Prosperity Birthed Another Idolatry

First, Hosea refers to Israel, saying, "You are a vine that yields much fruit." If we read only the first clause of the verse, it certainly sounds like a compliment: "Israel is a luxuriant vine that yields its fruit." The word 'luxuriant' can also be translated as a "destructive vine," depending on the translation. Although the two words have vastly different meanings, this expression is possible in Hebrew, just as a single word in our language can have multiple meanings.

 

In any case, the verse, "Israel is a luxuriant vine that yields its fruit. The more his fruit increased, the more altars he built; the richer his land became, the more beautiful he made his sacred pillars (or 'standing stones')," means that as the church and God's people became more prosperous, more revived, and larger, they built more altars and made the sacred pillars on those altars more beautiful.

 

If one does not fully understand the sacred pillars and altars, one might think, 'Ah, the church is truly growing.' However, the altars and sacred pillars mentioned here all refer to places of idol worship. Therefore, this means they were increasingly creating idols, which, in our terms, is not so different from making the church increasingly more splendid, magnificent, and dazzling.

 

Indeed, there is a clear tendency for the church to become more luxurious as it declines. This is one of the proofs that the church is falling into spiritual decay. Of course, the nations that built those churches later survive on tourism revenue because the architecture is often incredibly beautiful. It certainly holds cultural value. However, as you know, what Christians in the Middle Ages labored most diligently over was how to build cathedrals more beautifully. This is not very different from the story we read today. They became luxuriant branches that bore fruit, truly succeeding and becoming abundant. But the increase in abundance led them to leave God.

 

The Seed of Pride: Forgetting the Lord in Affluence

This passage compels us to deeply consider, 'What is the reason for this? How does the Scripture interpret this event?' In fact, this story is the fulfillment of what Moses had already prophesied before Israel entered Canaan. I would like for us to examine Deuteronomy 8:11-14 together:

 

"Be careful that you do not forget the Lord your God, failing to observe his commands, his laws and his decrees that I am giving you this day. Otherwise, when you eat and are satisfied, when you build fine houses and settle down, and when your herds and flocks grow large and your silver and gold increase and all you have is multiplied, then your heart will become proud and you will forget the Lord your God..."

 

Now, everything has become abundant for Israel. As I explained last time, the Assyrians, who had threatened Israel, were no longer a direct enemy. Consequently, Israel was in a position to recover, and its economy began to significantly improve. Over those twenty years, Israel experienced considerable revival, even from our perspective, and historically, it truly prospered.

 

As this happened, they began to dream of the past again. They remembered the time of Jeroboam, saying, 'We were so well-fed and prosperous just a while ago! How much fun was that time? How many enjoyable things did we have? I wish we could return to that time.' These thoughts and behaviors began to appear.

 

When these behaviors manifest, Moses' warning can be simply summarized in our language: "When you are warm and your belly is full, you are prone to becoming proud and forgetting the Lord." They were warned that they would forget the Lord.

 

This is precisely the problem Israel is facing. Note that the Bible does not say they stopped calling upon God altogether. It does not say Israel stopped offering sacrifices. It certainly does not mean they completely abandoned the Lord God and turned entirely to something else. Israel was still offering sacrifices, and they likely called upon the name of the Lord God whenever things happened. But the Bible states clearly: "You have forgotten the Lord." And it attributes this forgetting to pride.

 

The Two Truths Pride Makes Us Forget

What, then, is pride? We can easily say it is an elevation of the heart. But following the Deuteronomy passage we read, specifically in Deuteronomy 8:15, it continues:

 

"...He led you through the vast and dreadful wilderness, that thirsty and waterless land, with its venomous snakes and scorpions. He brought you water out of hard rock. He gave you manna to eat in the wilderness, something your ancestors had not known..."

 

This is what the people of Israel forgot. They forgot how God had cared for them, walked with them, and loved them. Because they became proud, they forgot that grace. When one becomes proud, one forgets God for two main reasons.

 

1. Forgetting the Process and Purpose of Grace

First, they did not fully understand why God did those things, or they failed to be thankful for it.

 

God did not merely lead Israel out of the wilderness into Canaan. He gave them all those trials and temptations to train them, to humble them, to make them value His word, and thus to teach them that they were the people of God who would listen and obey His word. The trials were not pass-fail tests. They were all people who had received God's grace. The wilderness was a training ground where God taught them, "I am with you, and this is how I am making you into My people." But they forgot the lesson and the grace received through the wilderness.

 

They did not cherish God's touch—the time God spent with them—because they failed to realize what they had gained through the entire process. What was important to them was not that their very existence was being established as God's people, but merely the goal of quickly entering the land flowing with milk and honey, Canaan. They simply wanted to enter, eat well, live well, not suffer hardship or eat only the boring manna in the wilderness, but to go there and enjoy delicious food and meat. They did not want to strike a rock for water every time, but to live a life where water would spring up from a well just by digging. This desire became their sole focus.

 

If God's only purpose was for them to enter Canaan, why would He have made them pass through the wilderness? Was God malicious, causing them to suffer for forty years? Absolutely not.

 

God looked at their fear as they entered the promised land—their fear of the inhabitants, their confession that "God, we are like grasshoppers before the people of this land. We will surely die"—and He said, "No. Because I am with you, you must realize who you are. Look, I will lead you through these numerous enemies. Who can stop you? Who can defeat you? Who can shake you? Haven't you walked for forty years without your feet swelling or your clothes wearing out because I am with you?"

 

This is what He taught them, but what did they learn? They forgot it. How heartbreaking is this story, and how much a reality does it remain for us?

 

2. Forgetting Their Own Frailty

Another truth they forgot, besides God's touch, was their own nature. They forgot how weak and frail they were. That was the real reason God led them into the wilderness. In the wilderness, you cannot drink water as you please or eat food as you wish. You can only look to God and rely on God. That is what the Israelites were learning in the wilderness. But they were already forgetting how weak they were and that they were creatures who must live solely by depending on God. That is what pride is: forgetting how much you need God's help.

 

It is pride to forget that God trains me, and that my life is the best jewel God gives me. You and I might want to say, "I endured this difficult time and finally arrived at this point," and place a period at that point of 'arrival.' But from God's perspective, your entire life is both a dot and a line. This is what is precious to God; this is the jewel. It is through this process that you came to know God and His grace.

 

Forgetting the Suffering and Boasting Only of the Fruit

However, the fact that we came to know God through that suffering is not something we place much importance on. In the nuance of our language, those times are simply 'hardship'—hardship we want to forget. "Now I've finally made it to this point, I enjoy singing hymns, coming to church, and it seems God answers my prayers immediately. Lately, I'm so happy and things are great." Only this current state of satisfaction is important to you. But the moment you became a jewel was not there.

 

Yet, pride makes us forget this time with God and God's touch. It makes us look only at ourselves and think, "How well I overcame this hardship. I finally made it here after all that suffering."

 

It is good to be thankful for what you are enjoying now. But pride remembers and sees only that. Forgetting that God has shaped you like a jewel throughout your entire life—that is what pride essentially is.

 

Is this not how you and I have arrived here? Your journey here certainly included prosperity and the joy that came from the abundant grace God gave you. But simultaneously, there was worry and anxiety. You and we do not live life only through prosperity, joy, and delight, nor do we live only through worry and anxiety.

 

The Bible says you cannot make a single strand of your hair white or black. What do you live by? Yes, you have come this far by God's love and grace. That is how you live. If you do not cherish this, it is truly prideful.

 

If you only think, "I arrived here; I made it this far after all that hardship," and fail to realize that you could not have come here without God's love, mercy, compassion, and grace, even for a moment, then we can clearly see that our hearts have already become proud.

 

The Confession That the Fruit Belongs to God

In this regard, our tendency to focus only on the fruit is ultimately an act of denying the fact that "God helped me." This is the deepest root of our pride. We are reluctant to acknowledge that God helped us, or we wish to conclude for ourselves that 'I ultimately completed this work because God helped me,' rather than merely expecting His help. We forget the humble confession, 'I was a useless servant, but God, being my Master, bestowed grace upon me, and I have arrived here.'

 

God so diligently taught humility, yet we fail to learn it. God so diligently taught the principles of faith, yet we fail to learn them and only look at the fruit we possess. When we look only at the fruit, the most important aspect of this proud attitude is revealed: we come to believe that this fruit belongs to us.

 

There is a tree, and you and I are branches attached to that tree. The fruit ripens on the persimmon tree. The branch thinks, 'The fruit ripened here, so it's mine. I produced all of it.' What do you think of this? Of course, a branch doesn't literally say that to us, but that is not actually how it happens. The fruit is the result of invisible roots absorbing nutrients and sending them up, and the branch itself does not create nutrients. The leaves received sunlight and gave the nourishment produced through photosynthesis to the fruit. It is utterly absurd for the branch to think the fruit is its own just because it ripened on it.

 

Yet, we do this all too easily. We think the answer came because of the power of our prayer. Your prayer is precious because it is a moment of love that occurs between you and God. It is precious because God receives you, hears your voice, and responds with love; it is not because the prayer you offer possesses some great value or power that compels God to grant it. If God had answered all your prayers and everything you wished for had come true, this world would have ended long ago. I, too, have prayed many such prayers, and yet many people are still alive, are they not?

 

Instead, God often amends our prayers. God answers all our prayers in a broad sense. But within that answer is God's grace, which melts away our greed and unrighteousness through the cross of Jesus Christ. Therefore, it is not because we are obedient that those things happen; rather, we confess that those things are grace bestowed by God.

 

Hosea did not say this; Moses told us: "Remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth."

 

This verse clearly tells us: Though you have wealth now, it did not come from your own ability, but was given by God. Therefore, it is not yours. Humility, the opposite of pride, is knowing and confessing that all this belongs not to us, but to God.

 

Even My Suffering Belongs to the Lord

This applies not only to the possessions that you and we enjoy. It is not limited to the gifts and abilities you possess. It is not just the confession, "Lord, this belongs to God. I desire for God to use it." You see, it is not just your abundance. Within it is your entire life, because your life belongs to God.

 

Your tears, the moments of hardship, the times you worried about how to get water when you saw only rock and stone—even then, you belonged to God. In the wilderness, where dangerous scorpions appeared, in the peril of never knowing when a scorpion might sting you, your life and those moments belonged to the Lord. Even in the moment you felt so worn out that you wept alone, as if you would lose everything, you must remember that your life is not yours, but God's. My life, even my suffering, belongs to God. I am Christ's in that way.

 

A God to My Liking: Beth-Aven

As soon as Israel saw the delicious fruit available to them, they presumed they had produced it and that it was their own. In our terms, when we believe in Jesus and pray, we start to think, "Wow, He grants everything." We should, of course, be grateful, but sometimes we settle for that level of faith, believing it to be good faith, sharing our testimony, and stopping there. God answered, God opened the way, God gave this too, God is indeed different. This is certainly a reason to thank God, but sometimes our faith fails to take another step forward, because we can easily be deceived into thinking that this is the true answer God gives you.

 

You create a God who listens to you, a God who pleases you, because you like that kind of God. You call upon a Jesus to your liking and want to remain only there. If He doesn't grant it, you pour out complaints. And if only it stopped at complaints, but we can easily fall into self-doubt before God, asking skeptical questions like, 'How could God be like this?' or 'Do I even have faith or not?'

 

Bethel Turned into Beth-Aven, the House of Vain Idols

But something even more dangerous exists. It is the thought, "I love this God who takes my side." So, we want to find a God who supports even our sin, our emotions, our comfort and happiness, or even our greed. That is the name of the place we must remember today. The name of that city is Beth-Aven.

 

In the word 'Bet-Awen,' 'Bet' means 'house.' 'Awen' means 'vanity' or 'sin.' That is, it truly signifies an idol. It is the House of Idols.

 

While Beth-Awen is used as an actual place name, the prophets often use this word in place of another very famous city. What is the most famous city starting with 'Bet' that you know? Bethlehem, and there is also Bethel. 'El' is God, so Bethel means the House of God. Who named it? Jacob did. Jacob experienced God being with him and made a covenant there. But the name of that very Bethel is being called Beth-Awen. They are talking about the same city.

 

What does this imply about Bethel? That it has fallen into unspeakable degradation. So the prophet is saying that this place, which was originally the House of God, has now become the House of Idols, the House of Vanity, the House of Sin.

 

Not My Will, but Christ's Will

Because this falsehood and vanity occurred there, the prophet also calls it the place of lies. This place can perfectly fit you and my hearts, because our greed can be projected onto it exactly as it is. The God we believe in according to our flesh is the God of Beth-Awen, and the God who conforms to what we want is the God of Beth-Awen.

 

Therefore, we like that God, we try to create that deity, we worship the deity we have created, we adorn it, clothe it, feed it, offer sacrifices to it, and ask it for blessings. Because it fits our desires perfectly, we want to interpret this God with that mindset.

 

Stories that support this kind of deity appear in the Bible, too, for example, the saying, "Ask and it will be given to you." We use this verse as a basis to naturally ask for everything we want and expect it all to come to us. And sadly, when it is not granted, you do not think, "Ah, God sometimes does not answer my prayers." Instead, you think, "I must have done something wrong, so He didn't answer."

 

What did you do wrong? You start to think, "I must have done something wrong in my prayer, so He didn't answer. I must not have been devoted enough, so He didn't answer."

 

Friends, incorrect ideas can sometimes creep into our faith. "Ah, I should have been more devoted here. I should have been a little more obedient to God's word here. I should have read the Bible more. I should have prayed harder. I should have attended early morning prayer without fail. Then God would have granted this."

 

This is, regrettably, the voice of Satan.

 

God's voice is not that; it is, "Lord, I believe you will answer my prayer according to your will. Though my prayer may be so lacking and weak, Lord, please clothe us with your perfect grace. Teach us. Teach my prayer to align with your will."

 

You, too, know the right answer very well. But as is always the case, what good is knowing the answer? It is useless if you do not write it on the answer sheet.

 

The reason we examine ourselves is generally not to know our sin and weakness, but because we did not get what we wanted. When you do not get what you want, you plead with God. You might flatter God. You might do all sorts of things, hoping to please God. Even if God is not pleased at all, we create and devise those things and carry them out. The history of Christianity is the history of how thoroughly we have done this.

 

If your heart has said, "God, let me examine myself," that is a good thing. But a better prayer is, "God, help me to discover and seek your will, and to obey that path." However, if you do not take this seriously and truly seek God's will, we can very easily interpret even God's Word according to our own desires. We end up doing strange things with the same passage.

 

We know one thing: all prayer is fulfilled through Jesus Christ, not according to our will. That is why we add His name at the end of our prayers. "In the name of Jesus Christ, I pray." That means, 'I desire for it to be done according to Christ's will.' Not according to my own will; that is the nature of our prayer.

 

Rejecting God as King

Returning to today's passage, Hosea says in chapter 10, verse 3:

 

"Then surely they will say, 'We have no king, because we did not fear the Lord. But what can a king do for us?'"

 

What have they become? They are making themselves king. The Bible says the reason is that they do not fear God. Some commentators interpret this verse as mocking the king of Israel: "You call yourselves king? That's ridiculous. We don't even fear God; why would we fear you? What can you do for us?" Indeed, the kings of Israel at that time were pitiful and wretched figures.

 

However, the overall context of the sentence shows that they are not just referring to the King of Israel; they are mocking and rejecting the very idea of recognizing God as their King.

 

The Human Nature That Rejects Our King

The most heartbreaking and visible occurrence of this was the event before Pilate, was it not? When Pilate said, "Behold, your King!" and "Is this your king?" what did the Israeli crowd say? They cried out, "Away with him, away with him!"

 

This is a more terrifying statement than 'Destroy him, crucify him.' When Pilate asked, "Shall I crucify your king?" the chief priests answered. This is the verse that truly makes us cringe. The chief priests said, "We have no king but Caesar."

 

They actually did not recognize Caesar as king and regarded him as an enemy. But to kill Jesus, they even accepted Caesar as their king. Please consider for a moment that this is a reflection of ourselves. When faced with the gospel of Jesus Christ and the truth that we are saved by grace—the fact that Christ, not I, died for me—our nature originally reacts like this: "Rather than admit that, I'll believe in money, I'll believe in my own strength, I'll even side with the one I don't believe in or recognize, even my enemy." This is how we respond.

 

This means that this is our fundamental nature. How terrifying is that? They have a King, yet they claim to have no king. They can call their enemy their king, but they cannot recognize God as King. The reason is simple: He does not suit them.

 

Living as My Own King, Controlling God

Just as the Bible speaks of the Pharisees in extremely critical terms, are not many of the things you and I do before God similar? A God to my liking—that is the God of Beth-Awen. The belief that only the things that happen exactly as I want are the work of God—all of these things can be very dangerous.

 

They assert, "I am king. What can other kings do?" Furthermore, they say to God, "God, what can you do for us? Just stay quiet. We will build a magnificent church for you, offer offerings, hold worship services, and sing hymns. God, if you don't know, just be still. This is how we must live in this world." We either instruct God or even treat God like a servant. "God, you must do this. The approval stamp is from you, God, but in fact, this is something we are entitled to receive." In this way, we essentially claim, "Do as I say."

 

Empty Sacrifices, Twisted Judgments

Because Israel's heart became so deceitful, their center, Bethel, became Beth-Awen, the house of lies, the house of vanity, the house of idols. The priests there try to satisfy people's hearts. They build magnificent and imposing structures and temples to make the false god look real. God's Word is naturally despised. God's Word may resonate, but no one is truly interested. Because if they were genuinely interested in God's Word, they would strive with all their might to live by it.

 

Consequently, there is no place for the weak, the poor, and the powerless around them. They are oppressed and driven out, and the Bible says that our judgments are twisted. The judge firmly rules in one direction: in favor of the wealthy, for his own benefit.

 

We might think that because we live in a modern society, things are a little different from that era. However, we, too, must deeply reflect on how we treat the weak, the powerless, and those less fortunate than us for the sake of our own benefit.

 

This does not just mean thinking about the poor, the powerless, and the homeless. It is the same within the church. We often unknowingly assign roles of 'superior' and 'subordinate,' or we think of ourselves as 'superior' or 'subordinate.' We often think about who is higher and who is lower in status, and we become accustomed to viewing all matters through this hierarchy that is already within us.

 

The Kingdom of God Among You

This occurred during the era of Israel, a time called the theocratic kingdom. Back then, God governed Israel directly through the Law. He established a king, and through that king, He administered sacrifices and ruled as the Kingdom of God. Thus, if one broke the Law, they were dealt with according to the Law. If one violated the Sabbath, they were surely stoned to death.

 

The Kingdom Begun Within Us

What about now? Do we no longer have the Old Testament kingdom? The rule of the Old Testament and the rule of those kingdoms in the Old Testament have not disappeared—a thousand times no! What did Jesus say? "My kingdom is not of this world."

 

This means that the Kingdom exists. The Lord's Kingdom exists. And when asked where the Kingdom of God is, the Lord clearly stated, "The kingdom of God is within you."

 

The Kingdom of God has begun within you and me. This is the true theocracy, the Kingdom of God. God is King, and you have become His people.

 

Therefore, within your kingdom, within your heart, God rules as King, not only leading your life but also governing, protecting, and guiding your life. This Kingdom does not belong to the earth, but during the time we live, it proclaims God's righteousness on this earth, and on the last day, it will judge all the world.

 

Thus, realizing that we are the people living in this Kingdom, we naturally consider how we ought to live. Because God rules.

 

The Kingdom that David told us about, the Kingdom Abraham was blessed by, and the Kingdom that countless prophets proclaimed is the very Kingdom that is now within you. Jesus Christ came and gave us that Kingdom, and that Kingdom has begun within us. That Kingdom is at work within us, and that is the Kingdom we have received.

 

The Eternal Temple Established by Christ

This is the reality of the kingdom David spoke of—the reality of the Davidic Kingdom. Because the Davidic Kingdom could not be eternal. But what did God promise David? "Your throne shall be established forever."

 

You now have an eternal position, an eternal status as God's child—prince and princess. You are the prince and princess.

 

The Undefiable Temple of God

Thus, Israel was destroyed, and Judah would soon be destroyed. All the high places that they lavishly adorned would also be torn down. What is being destroyed? Even the Temple in Jerusalem is destroyed. Everything built by human hands collapses.

 

Now, through Jesus Christ, God has built a Temple not made by human hands. Because we live together in that Temple, this Temple cannot be compared to any temple built in the Old Testament. The Old Testament temples never knew when an enemy would invade and destroy them.

 

Though the Ark of the Covenant was covered with gold, it never knew when someone would strip it away. How many times was the Temple in Jerusalem plundered? The gold was peeled off every time. How many times were the Tabernacle furnishings stolen? The Ark was even captured by the Philistines. They were bound to be destroyed, and indeed, they were destroyed. But what was God's promise? He said, "You shall not be destroyed."

 

How could they possibly not have been destroyed? Of course, God called them back. Historically, that is true. But those events are shadows of this calling, the calling of you and me. God presented this Old Testament drama to us to explain what salvation you receive through Christ is.

 

Because this Kingdom was built by grace, it cannot be destroyed by human hands. Because Christ built this Kingdom, it cannot be destroyed by human hands. This Temple, the Kingdom of God, is God's uncorruptible Kingdom. This is the Kingdom ruled by God.

 

The Unique King Who Shares His Glory

While living on this earth, we are, in fact, not excellent citizens. Considering the value and name of this Kingdom, we are often not the truly complete and wonderful citizens fitting for that Kingdom. Nevertheless, we are clearly citizens. We are citizens who, under His rule, are coming to know who that Kingdom and that King are.

 

The King of this Kingdom is truly unique. He is the one who gives His life for us, and at the same time, He is the one who delights in laughing with us. He delights in us and desires for us to delight in Him. Though He is King, He is a King who walks with us, and He desires not only to enjoy all things—His entire self—with us, but also to share His very glory.

 

Friends, we have a famous English proverb: "Misery loves company, but glory does not."

 

When things are tough and difficult, everyone works hard together, starts a business together, and builds a nation together. But what happens when the question of who will be king arises? Treachery, murder, and political maneuvering proliferate behind the scenes. That position is not shared. That is the proverb we know, and it is true. Who would share glory? We can share hardships, cry together, and suffer together, but we do not want to share the truly good things.

 

God completely shatters our common sense and thinking in all these matters and clearly states:

 

"I will share My glory with you."

 

This is the power of the Word we now hold, and it is the true strength. Therefore, we must remember that we are living in this very Kingdom.

 

The Church of Acceptance and Encouragement

Of course, we are full of doubt and temptation. Even as we proclaim grace, we quickly apply the yardstick of the law to others. At other times, we arbitrarily disregard God's precious Law and live according to our own desires, perhaps judging ourselves without truly knowing, "I am a free person. I live under the grace God has given me." We do engage in such actions. And at times, we are exhausted and tired from our life of faith, feeling as if we have collapsed, thinking, "I shouldn't live my faith like this, but I'm just so weary."

 

The Community of Love Without Condemnation

However, we are in the Kingdom of God, in the Temple of God. Remember, there is no condemnation here. Anyone can make mistakes and fail, and instead of being condemned for it, the church is a place where we are led onto the right path, encouraged, and told to stand firm together.

 

The church does not exist to tear someone down, to prove that you are right and I am wrong. That is what is done in the world. The world can demonstrate your truth when it differs from theirs, but the church is not like that.

 

In the church, because our truth is right, it is a place where we bring life to others. It is for this reason—to encourage others and guide them on the right path—that we kneel and wash feet. The Lord did this. The Lord did not get angry and cut people off. This is a place where love is not abandoned, where repentance and forgiveness are as vast as the sea. It is a place where we accept one another, just as God accepted us.

 

There can be many misunderstandings. There can be much pain. And there can be times when you are hurt and troubled because of it. But we are here to learn the way of acceptance.

 

A Place That Ends at the Cross

Because God's hand is so secure, because the love with which God holds us is so perfect, we can bravely and fearlessly accept ourselves, our mistakes, and our failures here.

 

"Lord, I will start again. Lord, if this is not the way, please give me more of your wisdom. We will go this way again. If not, Lord, we will not retreat, but move forward one more time."

 

In this place, we walk that path together, and we confess again that even with mistakes, failures, and difficulties, that path remains within God's firm boundary. This is because it is the Temple established by Jesus, not the one we built.

 

We can genuinely confess our faults to each other, support one another's shortcomings, and strive for that. What might only end in scars in the world, ends at the cross in the church. Because we know grace.

 

My Heart as a Sacrifice to the Lord

We are studying the history of the Reformation. Calvin had such a difficult time going to Geneva, trying hard to reform, and then he was exiled. When he was exiled, Calvin was truly deeply wounded. People came into the worship hall on Easter Sunday with guns, axes, and farming tools—would that not be a lifelong wound for Calvin?

 

Friends, when I preach, and you keep your eyes closed without saying a word, the preacher worries a great deal. 'Is my sermon that boring? Why is there no reaction?' If you nod your head, I can think, 'Ah, they are sleeping.' Because sleeping is possible. But if you keep your eyes closed without even nodding, I wonder, 'Are they listening to something they don't want to hear?' All sorts of thoughts run through my mind.

 

But when I think of Calvin, I am constantly amazed. How did he live such a life? How did he endure people coming into the place of worship with guns or interrupting the sermon whenever they wanted to cause a disturbance? That is why Calvin, as he was exiled, said this: He was thankful, thankful that they had driven him out.

 

It Is Not Mine, So I Give My Heart to the Lord

But they called him back three years later. What did Calvin say then? He said this:

 

"I would rather suffer a hundred deaths by a cruel method than endure the cross of dying a thousand times every day."

 

He meant that he would rather die a hundred times by a very cruel and different method than endure the cross of dying a thousand times every day. He absolutely did not want to go back. This quote comes from a letter written to Farel.

 

He continues with this statement. This is the last thought I want to share with you, a statement that makes us all reconsider what faith is.

 

"If I had the choice..."

 

This part is truly astonishing. As I studied and prepared this passage, I thought a lot about my own pastoral mission and what I truly want to do.

 

"If I had the choice, there is nothing I would less willingly do than follow your will."

 

He means he absolutely does not want to do it. Going back to Geneva, he would rather die than return to Geneva. And he often said elsewhere, "I fear Geneva. I am terrified of the people there."

 

While I don't feel quite that way, sometimes in ministry, I wonder, 'Is it truly right that I came here to preach God's Word?' I frequently ask myself this question.

 

But Calvin makes this statement and reaches his final conclusion. It is a statement that makes all of us rethink what faith is:

 

"There is nothing I would less willingly do than follow your will. But I remember the fact that I am not my own. Therefore, I now offer my heart as a sacrifice to the Lord."

 

He confesses that even his suffering, his tears, his feelings of injustice, and his fear are not his own. The countless scorn and insults he received, and even the frustrating gazes of the citizens of Geneva that tore him down—he confesses them all this way:

 

"My life, everything I have experienced, all of me is not mine. Lord, I give my heart to You."

 

Later, his disciples summarized this confession as, "Prompte et sincere"—readily, swiftly, and sincerely.

 

Afterward, when Calvin returned to Geneva, he began to use a drawing of a heart as his personal letter seal: "I confess that my heart belongs to the Lord, that my life belongs to the Lord."

 

My beloved friends, what about you? "I am not my own, so I offer my heart to You, Lord."

 

Perhaps in ordinary times, this is an easy thing to say. But even as he went to a place where more scorn and insult awaited him, where he feared he might be exiled again, he confessed: "My whole life is not mine. Therefore, I have offered my whole life to the Lord."

 

May you, too, belong to the Lord. May your tears belong to the Lord. May your pain belong to the Lord. May the lives of all the people I love belong to the Lord in that way. May the lives of all the people who come to mind as I give this sermon belong to the Lord.

 

And because we belong to the Lord, may we become people who confess that we are truly, truly happy and joyful in this world, as confessed in the first question of the Heidelberg Catechism.

 

Let us pray.

 

Readily and sincerely, we offer it to you, Lord. We pray in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.