Yonsei University Church

2022. 12. 25. 11:00

Peace at Last!

Isaiah 52:7-10

7 How beautiful on the mountains

are the feet of those who bring good news,

who proclaim peace,

who bring good tidings,

who proclaim salvation,

who say to Zion,

“Your God reigns!”

8 Listen! Your watchmen lift up their voices;

together they shout for joy.

When the Lord returns to Zion,

they will see it with their own eyes.

9 Burst into songs of joy together,

you ruins of Jerusalem,

for the Lord has comforted his people,

he has redeemed Jerusalem.

10 The Lord will lay bare his holy arm

in the sight of all the nations,

and all the ends of the earth will see

the salvation of our God.

We rejoice and celebrate the birth of the baby Jesus who came as the Prince of Peace. I would like to express my gratitude to Yonsei University University Church and Pastor Kwak Ho-Cheol for inviting me to the worship service on a precious and blessed day.

The <Lord of the Rings> trilogy, based on the novel by J. R. Tolkien, is one of my favorite masterpieces. In the second series, The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, there is a scene from the Battle of Helm's Deep. It is also famous for its huge scale. The Rohanites and King Théoden are confronting Saruman's huge army across Mount Trumpet. However, the difference in strength was so great that it was like being surrounded. Win or lose seemed to be tilted already. Just then, in a moment of despair and discouragement, the sun begins to rise over the hills to the east, and Gandalf on a white horse appears, leading the cavalry of Rohan. A ray of hope began to shine. This is one of the most memorable scenes in the Lord of the Rings series.

I think this scene captures the emotion of today's topic, “Finally, peace.” When we think of peace, the images that come to mind usually come to mind abstract ideas such as pigeons, nature, calm, and inner peace, or emotional equanimity. However, the definition or concept of peace differs from person to person and from group to group. Sometimes, in the name of peace, we find contradictions that lead to violence and war. This is also referred to as the plurality of peace and is also called the “faces of peace.” The peace I want to share today is “finally, peace.” ‘Finally, peace’ literally means that we have waited for peace for a long time, and that means that we have been in a situation of violence and conflict, not peace.

The Battle of Helm's Gorge was a moment of despair, surrounded by enemies on all sides, with no hope. Despair seems darker than the dark night. But soon the sun starts to rise in the morning. Just then, up the hills to the east, Gandalf the White returned 'at last' with the cavalry of Rohan. The peace I want to think about with you today is like the sunlight that finally emerges after a dark night.

Good News! The news of victory in the Evangelion War

The text we read together today, Isaiah 52:7-10, is a verse that is often read along with the birth of Jesus Christ as a verse that prophesies the coming of the Messiah. The birth of the baby Jesus is, in a word, “surprisingly welcome good news.” The target of this news is primarily towards the Israelites who were captives in Babylon. It was the news of liberation and salvation that the day would finally come when they would return to their hometown after a long period of captivity. However, we know that Isaiah's prophecy is about the coming Messiah and is a prophecy of Jesus Christ who will save all mankind.

Good news (good news) refers to the gospel, that is, the good news of salvation. Interesting fact is that at the time of the Roman Empire where Jesus was born, the meaning of the word 'Evangelion', which means 'Gospel', is (1) the news that won the war and (2) the new emperor It is said that it represents the news of the king. As you know, the reason Jesus died on the cross was because he did not deny that he was the King of the Jews. The saints also believed in and followed Jesus as their Savior, not the Roman emperor at the time, and as a result, they had to endure severe persecution and even martyrdom.

The salvation of Jesus Christ was for everyone, but it was not good news for everyone. His coming was hailed by those who were waiting for the Messiah, mostly in the despair of life. It is difficult to understand the words of the Sermon on the Mount, that the ‘poor in spirit’ are blessed then and now.

The author of the Gospel of John describes Jesus' coming to this earth as 'the true light has come to illuminate the dark world' (John 1:1-14). But the darkness said it did not recognize the light. On the other hand, there are people who recognized this light, but they were people who were in a 'dark life'. I intentionally use light and darkness in an ambiguous way. In particular, the Gospel of Luke introduces that the first people to hear about the birth of Jesus were the shepherds watching over their flocks in the middle of the night (Luke 2:8-21). The fact that it was the shepherds, not the religious leaders who taught the law, who recognized Jesus who came as the light poses an important question for us today. Whether the news of peace is mediocre news or good news seems to be deeply connected to the place in our lives.

Going back to the main text, I think of the situation of the Israelites who had to spend a period of hardship and despair in Babylonian captivity. For them, the news of salvation, or liberation, meant freedom from the bondage of violence and oppression that had lasted for a long time. In other words, the good news in today's text is not just peace heard in a comfortable place of life, but a situation in which we hear the news of 'finally, peace' as the light of dawn shines after a long and long darkness.

Those feet running over the mountain (7)

This scene feels like a scene from a pretty dramatic movie to me both visually and audibly. If you think of this passage as a movie and read the main text, I think it will sound a little more real. So, I will read verses 7-8 as if I were a film director.

The film begins with a flash of fast-running feet. The shoes are old and full of dirt. You can also hear the sound of footsteps accelerating the steps and the sound of rapid breathing. The screen shakes as it alternately illuminates the busy feet and the ground. The sun has gone down and it is getting dark in the evening. It must be difficult to run long distances without stopping, but the destination is just around the corner, so there is no time to delay. Rather than being tired, I hurried on with pleasant fatigue and perseverance at the thought of telling this good news quickly.

The voice of the watchmen guarding the castle (8a)

We finally arrive at the castle. The watchman guarding the castle will spot him before anyone else. He recognizes at a glance that he is a special envoy sent to the kingdom of Babylon.

“What happened? How are we now?”

“It is freedom. freedom! Now we can go home!”

Instead of short words, I hurried my steps. Looking at the back, the watchman hugged each other and finally gave a shout of joy.

“Hey, liberation! Finally we can go home too!”

“How long has it been… is it really the end?”

They will see with their own eyes (8b)

Scenes in the movie change instantaneously. The flag is flying, announcing the end of old tyranny and the dawning of a new era. People run out into the streets in joy. The day of liberation has finally arrived. Those who were held captive in Babylon and were exhausted from hard labor.. When they get freedom and finally return to their hometown, Mount Sinai, which they saw in their childhood, greets them as it is. Those left behind raise their hands to form a welcoming crowd. ‘You really have returned to your hometown.’ They show their joy as they embrace each other. Finally, I feel a sense of security when I see the family sitting around and having a meal together. That's right. Peace is what you see with your eyes.

This scene is my imagination, but historically similar scenes also come to mind. In the last scene of my favorite movie <Les Miserables>, people stand on top of a castle and a barricade, arm in arm, and sing “Do You Hear the People Sing” together. While waving the tricolor flag symbolizing freedom, equality, and fraternity, the French monarchy collapsed and proclaimed republicanism, “Tomorrow Will Come!” and the film ends.

- Long live Korea's independence, resistance and resolution that finally shouted freedom from Japanese oppression!

- The fall of the Berlin Wall!

- The end of the Joseon Dynasty, when the yangban and Sangnom class system... Finally, a former butcher becomes a church leader

- The moment when extreme racism came to an end and South Africa's first black president was finally born.

- A long history of gender discrimination... finally seeing the moment when women confidently voted

Finally, the word that we will see with our own eyes that peace has been achieved is in line with the essence of our faith. The writer of Hebrews said that faith is “assurance of things hoped for” and “evidence of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1). But this faith paradoxically means seeing in an invisible situation. Because of their faith, “some have been tried, being ridiculed, being beaten with whips, even being bound, and being thrown into prison. They were also stoned, sawed down, and killed by the sword. They wandered in want, in hardship, in ill-treatment, in sheep and goat skins.” (Hebrews 11:36-37)

The situation they are in and the peace they look for in faith seem far away. Recently, I heard that Pastor Song Kang-ho's book <Peace, walking in that far-off hope> has been published as an English translation. As for me, I only watch this person's life from afar (I don't even dare to follow her), but I think a lot about what peace means to this person. I want you to live a very difficult life. The hope of peace always takes a back seat in real politics. Maybe that's why peace by force seems clearer and the easier way. Everyone says peace is important, but it doesn't really change. It must be our sinful nature. I wonder if the person who speaks of that distant peace can say 'finally, peace'.

You desolate places of Jerusalem (9)

In that sense, verse 9 of today's text, “You desolate places of Jerusalem,” takes on a new meaning. It is because these desolate places are the places where this news of peace must be heard as ‘finally, peace’. A deserted place does not necessarily mean only a physical space. I think of people in despair who have been pushed out of their lives for various reasons such as body and mind, broken relationships, structural and continuous violence, hatred and discrimination, alienation and exclusion, and various reasons.

When our seats are comfortable, we may pass the news of peace as mediocre news. However, if we look around us, there are people who are eagerly waiting for the news of peace. Here is a reason to look around us at Christmas and pray for those who dwell in desolate places.

Your status/circumstance determines how the good news of Christmas sounds. When director Bong Joon-ho's film <Parasite> was first released in Korea, my reaction was 'uncomfortable'. There are various aspects of Korean society. Of course, audiences around the world sympathized that the situation in Korea is no different from that in their own country. Even though I deeply agree with director Bong Joon-ho's awareness of the problem and the problems of polarization and inequality that are deepening in today's neoliberal system.

Then, last year, disasters caused by climate crises such as typhoons and heavy rains occurred frequently, and among them, rain damage that was particularly severe for those living in the semi-basement actually occurred. It was the moment when the text in the movie became a real reality. The huge rainwater that appears in the movie only flowed down the numerous stairs and went down. My place in life was a fairly safe space, so I passed Bong Joon-ho's movies to the point of discomfort, but for some, it was a desperate reality... We are repeating the regret that we realize only after losing many lives.

The direction in which the rain water flowed, ‘down and down’, is truly savage. We realize that disasters are not fair and are harsher on the weak. However, paradoxically, the birth of baby Jesus is not like that. The event of incarnation, which came to this earth in human form, is the rain of grace that came down from the highest place. And the rainwater runs down to the most desolate places. The place where we shed the most tears on this earth is where we need the living water of Christ's grace the most.

Everyone at the ends of the earth (10)

In verse 10, the message of peace is promised to be reached “to all who are at the ends of the earth.” In modern society, 'all' is not 'many'. It is an ethical concept that includes 'minority'. In particular, finally, the news of peace should flow for the socially underprivileged who desperately need peace more than anyone else. When the tears of the weary and broken people are wiped away and they find peace, the people of the world will witness the gospel news of Christ with their own eyes and give glory to God.

I like Martin Luther King's famous speech, "I have a dream." He overcame the hatred and discrimination he received as a black man, and dreamed of a world of hope and peace beyond the age of anger and conflict. I dreamed of a world where black children and white children would play hand in hand. The speech concludes with a quote from a black spiritual.

Free at last, free at last, almighty God, free at last!

Who is the good news of Christmas for today? We pray that peace may finally come to all who need it. I will pray.

Lord of Peace,

Even when it seems impossible

Even in pitch-dark and desolate conditions

Even in situations of failure, despair and loneliness

Amid sorrow, at last, peace

In despair, finally, peace

In solitude, may peace come at last

In the name of Jesus we pray. Amen.