Cheon Seong Gyeong 437
If a young grandchild comes home
and asks in a bossy voice, “Hey, where
did Grandpa and Grandma go?” how
would you feel? Is it proper for him to
demand, as soon as arrives, and in front
of his mother and father and his brothers
and sisters, to know, “Where are Grand-
pa and Grandma?” This is improp-
er because he is speaking in an impo-
lite manner. Here the grandparents are
now over eighty years old, and this little
brat audaciously stands firm in front of
his father and mother and elder broth-
ers and elder sisters, who are superior to
him, demanding to know, “Where have
Grandpa and Grandma gone?” Would
any of them be shocked and scold him
saying, “Where are your manners?”
Why do you think this happens?
Normally, if someone did the same thing
in another situation, you would scold
him or her saying, “How can you treat
Grandpa like this?” But if the grandchild
stands firm and asks again, you will be
pleased. You will reply, “Okay, okay, so
you want to see your grandfather, do
you?” When he asks where his grand-
father is, is he asking for rice cakes or
some food? What does he have on his
mind? He misses his grandfather. So is
it good or bad to miss him? It is a good
thing!
Cheon Seong Gyeong 914
Your ancestors in the spirit world
would look down and want to come with
the desire to assist their descendants of
whom they are proud. That is why many
of your ancestors come down to you.
This is the realm of religion based on
the tribes that transcends denomina-
tions. Do you understand? Your ances-
tors want to follow you while placing
their trust and love in you. That is why
they want to devote themselves in assist-
ing you. (189-278, 1989.5.1)
The Person Who Will Serve the Grieving Father
Sun Myung Moon
May 24, 1959
23 Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples:
2 The Pharisees and the teachers of the Law are experts in the Law of Moses. 3 So obey everything they teach you, but don’t do as they do. After all, they say one thing and do something else.
4 They pile heavy burdens on people’s shoulders and won’t lift a finger to help. 5 Everything they do is just to show off in front of others. They even make a big show of wearing Scripture verses on their foreheads and arms, and they wear big tassels[a] for everyone to see. 6 They love the best seats at banquets and the front seats in the meeting places. 7 And when they are in the market, they like to have people greet them as their teachers.
8 But none of you should be called a teacher. You have only one teacher, and all of you are like brothers and sisters. 9 Don’t call anyone on earth your father. All of you have the same Father in heaven. 10 None of you should be called the leader. The Messiah is your only leader. 11 Whoever is the greatest should be the servant of the others. 12 If you put yourself above others, you will be put down. But if you humble yourself, you will be honored.
13-14 You Pharisees and teachers of the Law of Moses are in for trouble! You’re nothing but show-offs. You lock people out of the kingdom of heaven. You won’t go in yourselves, and you keep others from going in.[b]
15 You Pharisees and teachers of the Law of Moses are in for trouble! You’re nothing but show-offs. You travel over land and sea to win one follower. And when you have done so, you make that person twice as fit for hell as you are.
16 You are in for trouble! You are supposed to lead others, but you are blind. You teach that it doesn’t matter if a person swears by the temple. But you say that it does matter if someone swears by the gold in the temple. 17 You blind fools! Which is greater, the gold or the temple that makes the gold sacred?
18 You also teach that it doesn’t matter if a person swears by the altar. But you say that it does matter if someone swears by the gift on the altar. 19 Are you blind? Which is more important, the gift or the altar that makes the gift sacred? 20 Anyone who swears by the altar also swears by everything on it. 21 And anyone who swears by the temple also swears by God, who lives there. 22 To swear by heaven is the same as swearing by God’s throne and by the one who sits on that throne.
23 You Pharisees and teachers are show-offs, and you’re in for trouble! You give God a tenth of the spices from your garden, such as mint, dill, and cumin. Yet you neglect the more important matters of the Law, such as justice, mercy, and faithfulness. These are the important things you should have done, though you should not have left the others undone either. 24 You blind leaders! You strain out a small fly but swallow a camel.
25 You Pharisees and teachers are show-offs, and you’re in for trouble! You wash the outside of your cups and dishes, while inside there is nothing but greed and selfishness. 26 You blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of a cup, and then the outside will also be clean.
27 You Pharisees and teachers are in for trouble! You’re nothing but show-offs. You’re like tombs that have been whitewashed.[c] On the outside they are beautiful, but inside they are full of bones and filth. 28 That’s what you are like. Outside you look good, but inside you are evil and only pretend to be good.
29 You Pharisees and teachers are nothing but show-offs, and you’re in for trouble! You build monuments for the prophets and decorate the tombs of good people. 30 And you claim that you would not have taken part with your ancestors in killing the prophets. 31 But you prove that you really are the relatives of the ones who killed the prophets. 32 So keep on doing everything they did. 33 You are nothing but snakes and the children of snakes! How can you escape going to hell?
34 I will send prophets and wise people and experts in the Law of Moses to you. But you will kill them or nail them to a cross or beat them in your meeting places or chase them from town to town. 35 That’s why you will be held guilty for the murder of every good person, beginning with the good man Abel. This also includes Barachiah’s son Zechariah,[d] the man you murdered between the temple and the altar. 36 I can promise that you people living today will be punished for all these things!
37 Jerusalem, Jerusalem! Your people have killed the prophets and have stoned the messengers who were sent to you. I have often wanted to gather your people, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings. But you wouldn’t let me. 38 And now your temple will be deserted. 39 You won’t see me again until you say,
“Blessed is the one who comes
in the name of the Lord.”
Prayer
We know that Heavenly Father resides in a world of infinite patience and endeavor. We know the heart and will of the Father. You have dealt with all human sin since the first ancestors. We cannot help bowing our heads in shame before You. You have walked a path of great effort and perseverance to uncover beings of the original creation.
I earnestly pray that You allow us to extend ourselves and welcome You with our minds and bodies. Our Father has been struggling to persevere with our ancestors. He fought with them to hold onto humankind throughout the long years of history, treating those years as if they were one day.
We realize that so many people on this earth avoid the path of hard work. Only a few seek the path of understanding Your circumstances and trying to keep Your heart in both mind and body.
When we realize that there are only a few who are loyal to the Father, a few who prepare the altar to become offerings, a few who express the Father’s heart of patience on this earth, we see how miserable our Heavenly Father is. We cannot help seeing that Heavenly Father grieves over humankind, in spite of His love for them. He shows concern and strives for humankind.
My Father! Please hasten the coming of the day when the situation of the Father can be seen and understood by humankind on earth. We earnestly hope that the Father’s situation can be deeply felt in the hearts of humankind.
Father, on this holy day today, there are many who kneel in front of You and expect Your blessing. Please do not let us be the kind who do not realize that blessing belongs to Heaven and the way of endeavor, suffering and patience belongs to humankind.
We know that not many of Your sons and daughters return to Heaven what is Heaven’s, and take responsibility for what is humankind’s. Please guide us so that we do not become such shameful people in front of You.
If we have any joy, please let us render it to You. If we have happiness and gratitude, let us render them also to You. I sincerely hope and pray that You allow us to become Your sons and daughters, who take on the sad and sorrowful way of the Father as their own.
Are there any sons and daughters of Yours here who were tossed about in the storms of life during this last week and who became exhausted in the fight, unable to unite with the Father’s heart? The exhausted minds are looking for a resting place, and the exhausted bodies are looking for the grace of being embraced in the Father’s bosom. Please, Father, embrace their minds and take hold of their bodies so that they know where to go. I desperately pray, Father, that You allow this time to be one of fulfilling our responsibilities and a grace-filled time of reawakening.
Father! Please lead our hearts and sinful concepts in the right direction. Please do not take Your hand of sympathy away from the bowed heads. Have pity on our minds, as we desire with all our hearts to find Your heart of sympathy. I sincerely hope and pray that this may be a time when You will be with us personally.
We know that even today lonely members all over the nation are kneeling down and appealing to You, their bodies exhausted with battle. Please place Your hand of indiscriminate blessing over them. I sincerely pray that You will protect them to be sanctified people who can win out in spite of persecution and who can get up in spite having fallen, in order to erect an altar and bow in front of You.
Please bless this miserable race of people, and bless the many religious bodies. I earnestly ask and hope that You allow them to become a race of people and religious groups who leave and offer everything for Your will. Please allow them to live for the great cause and gather for the great will in the last days.
As we leave everything to You, please have dominion over us from the beginning until the end. Never allow Satan to invade us.
Sincerely asking that You allow us this time to reveal the joy and glory of the Father, safeguarded by a myriad of holy saints, I pray in the name of the Lord. Amen.