Category: Hebrews

Jesus Overcame His Own Sorrow to Save Sorrowful Humanity

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Hebrews 2

10 In bringing many sons and daughters to glory, it was fitting that God, for whom and through whom everything exists, should make the pioneer of their salvation perfect through what he suffered. 11 Both the one who makes people holy and those who are made holy are of the same family. So Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers and sisters.[g] 12 He says,

“I will declare your name to my brothers and sisters;
    in the assembly I will sing your praises.”[h]

13 And again,

“I will put my trust in him.”[i]

And again he says,

“Here am I, and the children God has given me.”[j]

Ecclesiastes 9

9 So I reflected on all this and concluded that the righteous and the wise and what they do are in God’s hands, but no one knows whether love or hate awaits them. 2 All share a common destiny—the righteous and the wicked, the good and the bad,[a] the clean and the unclean, those who offer sacrifices and those who do not.

As it is with the good,
    so with the sinful;
as it is with those who take oaths,
    so with those who are afraid to take them.

3 This is the evil in everything that happens under the sun: The same destiny overtakes all. The hearts of people, moreover, are full of evil and there is madness in their hearts while they live, and afterward they join the dead. 4 Anyone who is among the living has hope[b]—even a live dog is better off than a dead lion!

5 For the living know that they will die,
    but the dead know nothing;
they have no further reward,
    and even their name is forgotten.
6 Their love, their hate
    and their jealousy have long since vanished;
never again will they have a part
    in anything that happens under the sun.

7 Go, eat your food with gladness, and drink your wine with a joyful heart, for God has already approved what you do. 8 Always be clothed in white, and always anoint your head with oil. 9 Enjoy life with your wife,whom you love, all the days of this meaningless life that God has given you under the sun—all your meaningless days. For this is your lot in life and in your toilsome labor under the sun. 10 Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might, for in the realm of the dead, where you are going, there is neither working nor planning nor knowledge nor wisdom.

Richard: This is a little bit of a skeptical view by the author. However, none the less, it is timeless wisdom. However, our days don’t have to be days of “meaningless life’. In the Urban Family Life Success and Happiness Seminar we will discuss God’s plan for life and how to live a successful, happy and fulfilled life.

Rev. Sun Myung Moon
July 12, 1959

John 14: 1-19

Jesus knew God as his father, but what kind of father did he know Him to be? When Jesus wore the crown of thorns, he felt that God was wearing a crown of thorns that was a thousand times more painful than his. When he was being nailed to the cross, he realized that God was experiencing his pain thousands of times over. Even when the spear pierced his side, he accepted it as if it were deserved since he knew that Heavenly Father had continued to struggle for His children in spite of pain much greater than his.

That is why he could not hold a grudge and sorrow in his heart. He was determined not to leave a grudge and sorrow in his heart in front of humanity in spite of his pain. Although he was in a position to hold unimaginable rage and vengeance toward his enemy, he could not do so when thinking about what Heavenly Father had endured. Jesus had to overcome his own sorrow because he had come to save sorrowful humanity. He had to overcome his own pain and death because he had come to resolve the pain and death of mankind. Because he was like this, Jesus was the Savior. Because mankind had already lost its life, he had to be in a position never to condemn God even if he lost his life or had to give up all desires. We should realize that Jesus was able to become the savior of life who had taken on God’s heart because he accepted this.

Satan was unable to accuse Jesus because he had no heart of vengeance, no indignation, and was not dominated by the historical sorrow. What kind of being is Satan? He accuses you by putting forth the historical sorrow and blocks you when you are caught up in private matters. Yet Satan still could not accuse Jesus because Jesus had nothing to do with the sorrows of this fallen world and the universe. Satan, who even accused God, threw up both hands and gave up.

It was not empty talk when Jesus said to love your enemy. Satan cannot accuse the one who cries and worries about the eternal death of humanity more than about his own death. If he does, Satan’s own being will be destroyed. Satan cannot have dominion over such a person. Only God can have dominion over such a person. Although Satan may at any time accuse within the realm of faith and hope, he cannot touch one iota of the realm of an unchanging, sincere heart. Because the Kingdom of Heaven transcends everything connected with Satan, it has nothing to do with him.

We call God our Father and Lord upon Jesus’ merit. We are unworthy to do so. Even now we are struggling within the realm of sin, and we cry over the small sorrows in our life. When we look at today’s society and this world, the trends bear out the historical sorrow and are surrounded by fear. What controls my emotions in such a world? Fear. What overwhelms my life? It is justice that is in tatters. God wants to establish the new world and uphold true justice, yet there is no one to accomplish this. We have to realize that God, as always, is still searching for such a person.

The Grievous Resentment Over the Unreasonable Death of Jesus Has Remained

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Hebrews 6

6 We must try to become mature and start thinking about more than just the basic things we were taught about Christ. We shouldn’t need to keep talking about why we ought to turn from deeds that bring death and why we ought to have faith in God. 2 And we shouldn’t need to keep teaching about baptisms[a] or about the laying on of hands[b] or about people being raised from death and the future judgment. 3 Let’s grow up, if God is willing.

Richard:  Yes!  God needs mature people who are willing to take responsibility and build His Kingdom, not passive children who are just following someone.

1 Corinthians 16

13 Keep alert. Be firm in your faith. Stay brave and strong. 14 Show love in everything you do.

The Path In Search of the Original Homeland Rev. Sun Myung Moon July 5, 1959

Luke 15: 11-32

The grievous resentment over the unreasonable death of Jesus has remained on this earth. That is why Heaven has dealt with man through a heartistic ideology from Jesus’ death until now. The reason that the Jewish people have been able to gain victory in the world is because of the heartistic connection of looking forward to the one future time. If the Jewish people had attained heartistic unity by centering upon the people who were in search of and looking toward the heavenly goal, a doctrine of cosmic significance, which could have had a greater impact on the heart of man, would have emerged. If this had been the case, a unified world would have definitely been accomplished through the Israelites. I believe so.

But where did that kingdom, that nation of the original hometown that was to be built around Jesus, go? Where did it go? Where did the land of Canaan go? Where did that original hometown go? Where did the land and the holy temple where Abraham received blessing and made sacrifices before God go? Where did Adam, over whom God could have a direct dominion, go? Where did Noah, whom God selected with his family inside the ark, disappear to? The world of the original hometown, the heavenly haven, does not exist. That is why it is written in the Bible that we are like orphans and widows.

There is a legend in Korea about a man named Saht-gaht Kim. He wore a conical bamboo rain-hat and wandered about, a lone traveler, throughout the whole extent of Korea. He was considered great. So even if you who are walking this course of life appear miserable, you must become men of character. You must become those who can sing of the cosmos with Heaven, who can be paired with Heaven along with all things in the universe. Your loving Shim Jung must match the heavenly emotion. If I had met such a man, even if he was reduced to beggary and carrying an empty can, I would have attended him with my utmost devotion.

We human beings have repeated the history of sorrow. We have bound up, beaten and destroyed ourselves many times. The same thing happened at the time of Noah, and also at the times of Abraham, Moses and Jesus. This is the final period of history today, when it is forewarned that human beings must work out their destiny, fulfill their mission, and open up the path of life. Where will God drive humanity to? In the time of Jesus, God drove humanity to restore the kingdom of the original hometown. From now on, God is driving them for the sake of the world of the original hometown He wishes for.

To build and govern the world of the original hometown, it is said the king of kings would come. He is the Lord whom we eagerly await. If a man were to fall down in the course of life yet drag himself on and then die for the sake of restoring the kingdom of the original hometown, he would remain as a loyal subject and meritorious retainer in the kingdom. Heaven will surely raise him up. That was why Saint Paul abandoned all of his social authority and walked the path of miserable death without a single human tie. He could do that because he was confident that such a time would come. Since God is confident that such a time will come, He has come forth unfolding this dispensation. You know that your life is fated to go this kind of path and that you must go this path with confidence. Are you confident? Are you sure?



Hold Fast with a Firm Faith and Love

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Revelation 2

2 This is what you must write to the angel of the church in Ephesus:

I am the one who holds the seven stars in my right hand, and I walk among the seven gold lampstands. Listen to what I say.

2 I know everything you have done, including your hard work and how you have endured. I know you won’t put up with anyone who is evil. When some people pretended to be apostles, you tested them and found out that they were liars. 3 You have endured and gone through hard times because of me, and you have not given up.

4 But I do have something against you! And it is this: You don’t have as much love as you used to. 5 Think about where you have fallen from, and then turn back and do as you did at first. If you don’t turn back, I will come and take away your lampstand. 6 But there is one thing you are doing right. You hate what the Nicolaitans[a] are doing, and so do I.

7 If you have ears, listen to what the Spirit says to the churches. I will let everyone who wins the victory eat from the life-giving tree in God’s wonderful garden.

Acts 3

3 The time of prayer was about three o’clock in the afternoon, and Peter and John were going into the temple.[a] 2 A man who had been born lame was being carried to the temple door. Each day he was placed beside this door, known as the Beautiful Gate. He sat there and begged from the people who were going in.

3 The man saw Peter and John entering the temple, and he asked them for money. 4 But they looked straight at him and said, “Look up at us!”

5 The man stared at them and thought he was going to get something. 6 But Peter said, “I don’t have any silver or gold! But I will give you what I do have. In the name of Jesus Christ from Nazareth, get up and start walking.” 7 Peter then took him by the right hand and helped him up.

At once the man’s feet and ankles became strong, 8 and he jumped up and started walking. He went with Peter and John into the temple, walking and jumping and praising God. 9 Everyone saw him walking around and praising God. 10 They knew that he was the beggar who had been lying beside the Beautiful Gate, and they were completely surprised. They could not imagine what had happened to the man.

Richard:  We are counting on God for a miracle!

The Religious Person’s Attitude

Sun Myung Moon
March 29, 1959

Hebrews 11:1-32

11 Faith makes us sure of what we hope for and gives us proof of what we cannot see. 2 It was their faith that made our ancestors pleasing to God.

3 Because of our faith, we know that the world was made at God’s command. We also know that what can be seen was made out of what cannot be seen.

4 Because Abel had faith, he offered God a better sacrifice than Cain did. God was pleased with him and his gift, and even though Abel is now dead, his faith still speaks for him.

5 Enoch had faith and did not die. He pleased God, and God took him up to heaven. That’s why his body was never found. 6 But without faith no one can please God. We must believe that God is real and that he rewards everyone who searches for him.

7 Because Noah had faith, he was warned about something that had not yet happened. He obeyed and built a boat that saved him and his family. In this way the people of the world were judged, and Noah was given the blessings that come to everyone who pleases God.

8 Abraham had faith and obeyed God. He was told to go to the land that God had said would be his, and he left for a country he had never seen. 9 Because Abraham had faith, he lived as a stranger in the promised land. He lived there in a tent, and so did Isaac and Jacob, who were later given the same promise. 10 Abraham did this, because he was waiting for the eternal city that God had planned and built.

11 Even when Sarah was too old to have children, she had faith that God would do what he had promised, and she had a son. 12 Her husband Abraham was almost dead, but he became the ancestor of many people. In fact, there are as many of them as there are stars in the sky or grains of sand along the beach.

13 Every one of those people died. But they still had faith, even though they had not received what they had been promised. They were glad just to see these things from far away, and they agreed that they were only strangers and foreigners on this earth. 14 When people talk this way, it is clear that they are looking for a place to call their own. 15 If they had been talking about the land where they had once lived, they could have gone back at any time. 16 But they were looking forward to a better home in heaven. That’s why God wasn’t ashamed for them to call him their God. He even built a city for them.

17-18 Abraham had been promised that Isaac, his only son,[a] would continue his family. But when Abraham was tested, he had faith and was willing to sacrifice Isaac, 19 because he was sure that God could raise people to life. This was just like getting Isaac back from death.

20 Isaac had faith, and he promised blessings to Jacob and Esau. 21 Later, when Jacob was about to die, he leaned on his walking stick and worshiped. Then because of his faith he blessed each of Joseph’s sons. 22 And right before Joseph died, he had faith that God would lead the people of Israel out of Egypt. So he told them to take his bones with them.

23 Because Moses’ parents had faith, they kept him hidden until he was three months old. They saw that he was a beautiful child, and they were not afraid to disobey the king’s orders.[b] 24 Then after Moses grew up, his faith made him refuse to be called Pharaoh’s grandson. 25 He chose to be mistreated with God’s people instead of having the good time that sin could bring for a little while. 26 Moses knew that the treasures of Egypt were not as wonderful as what he would receive from suffering for the Messiah,[c] and he looked forward to his reward.

27 Because of his faith, Moses left Egypt. Moses had seen the invisible God and wasn’t afraid of the king’s anger. 28 His faith also made him celebrate Passover. He sprinkled the blood of animals on the doorposts, so that the first-born sons of the people of Israel would not be killed by the destroying angel.

29 Because of their faith, the people walked through the Red Sea[d] on dry land. But when the Egyptians tried to do it, they were drowned.

30 God’s people had faith, and when they had walked around the city of Jericho for seven days, its walls fell down.

31 Rahab had been a prostitute, but she had faith and welcomed the spies. So she wasn’t killed with the people who disobeyed.

32 What else can I say? There isn’t enough time to tell about Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel, and the prophets.

Prayer

Please look at us with compassion. Father, we sincerely wish and desire that You guide us to the position where our minds and bodies can be recognized as Your body and limbs.

Many people are setting out now toward the goal of resembling the heavenly character. However, when we think of how few true sons and daughters there are who go forward with the heart of the Father, we cannot help being concerned.

It has been six thousand years since You called and began searching for us. As the owner of all creation, You have called and sought us in person. When we think honestly whether we come forth in front of Your knees as the fruits of joy who are acceptable to You, we cannot help feeling remorse for all of our past thoughts and deeds. We feel we must reflect on all our normal activities. Please forgive us for being in a position to feel remorse.

The original countenance of the person Heaven longed to see was glorious and proud. Nevertheless, we have not become people of such countenance, the true original countenances upon whom You can call. Since we find ourselves in a position to lament over ourselves, Father, we sincerely wish and desire that You allow us to at least have an ardent mind of remorse over having no excuse to offer You. Continue reading “Hold Fast with a Firm Faith and Love”

Live for the Father’s Sake

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Hebrews 11

23 Because Moses’ parents had faith, they kept him hidden until he was three months old. They saw that he was a beautiful child, and they were not afraid to disobey the king’s orders.[b] 24 Then after Moses grew up, his faith made him refuse to be called Pharaoh’s grandson. 25 He chose to be mistreated with God’s people instead of having the good time that sin could bring for a little while. 26 Moses knew that the treasures of Egypt were not as wonderful as what he would receive from suffering for the Messiah,[c] and he looked forward to his reward.

Richard:  Faith is a beautiful thing.

Psalms 74

18 Remember your enemies, Lord!
    They foolishly sneer
    and won’t respect you.
19 You treat us like pet doves,
    but they mistreat us.
Don’t keep forgetting us
    and letting us be fed
    to those wild animals.

The Incarnation of Jesus, A Pioneer

Sun Myung Moon
February 1, 1959

Matthew 8: 18-22

Prayer

The Father has guided us to this place, we who have been wandering without knowing our path. We prostrate ourselves before the holy presence of the Father with wounded minds and hearts.

Although we have not prepared anything to give You, please lead us and grant us Your compassionate grace. Father of love, please hold our fatigued hands and embrace our bodies, which have no place on which to lean. My Father, we ardently wish that You let this be an hour when You give us the love of the eternal world and instruct us in the name of the Father of hope for which we have yearned. Continue reading “Live for the Father’s Sake”

Claim Back Jesus’ 30 Years as a Bride of Christ

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Hebrews 8: 4

If he were on earth, he would not be a priest, for there are already priests who offer the gifts prescribed by the law.

John 4

48“Unless you people see signs and wonders,” Jesus told him, “you will never believe.”

Richard:  The word cautions and implores us to believe in Jesus and to recognize him at his Second Advent.

Let Us Become the Brides Who Reclaim What Was Lost to Jesus

Rev. Sun Myung Moon
October 4, 1957
Chung Pa Dong Church
Seoul, Korea

John 12:44-50

Moreover, you have to understand that, at the same time Jesus’ words were rejected, the sacrificial course of the thirty years of his life was also forsaken. In other words, you have to understand that, although it is true that the words of Jesus were abandoned, Jesus himself was also abandoned. As a result, the thirty years of his life were rejected.

Today when you are to become the brides of Jesus, what must you do? You should be able to claim back, through your own self, the thirty years of his life course, which were abandoned.

Although Jesus lived in the family of Joseph for thirty years, there was no one who welcomed what he was doing. He did not live in an environment where he was free to visit anywhere he wished. There was an enormous gap between the life he led and his will and words. Because he could not find even one person with whom he could share all of his situation, Jesus could not speak all the words he wanted. Instead, he silently carried on with his life while doing the work of a carpenter.

Moreover, Jesus was the central hero who could fulfill the will that God had tried to accomplish by sending numerous prophets. In other words, Jesus was the center of the people and the center of the religion. Furthermore, he was not only the center of the individual, he was also the center who represented the whole.

Yet Jesus was not only the master who represents everything on the earth. He also understood that he had to dominate the spirit world. As all of these things were undermined, he led a more and more sorrowful life. As one can see, the responsibility for Jesus losing his life rests with the Israelites of the past, Judaism, Joseph’s family, John the Baptist and the beloved disciples of Jesus.

You who have learned this fact, what must you do? You should be able to comfort Jesus, who is returning as the hopeful bridegroom of all people on behalf of the world. He comes on behalf of the people, on behalf of the countless religious groups, on behalf of the numerous families today, and on behalf of his beloved disciples.

Moreover, you have to realize that as God has been working with this earth through the Holy Spirit, He has been longing for the appearance of someone who exerts all of himself to feel the anguished heart that Jesus felt deep in his bones and flesh.

The Faithful Believers of the Last Days Who must Become the Representatives of Jesus

To spread the words of the new gospel, Jesus shouldered the worries and difficulties of the Israelites, even as he suffered faithlessness and persecution wherever he went. However, there was not even one person, at that time, who considered the words and works of Jesus as his own. Jesus single-handedly shouldered all the worries of the people. This is the reason you today must cleanse all the sins that the chosen people committed by abandoning the words and work of Jesus. You must establish the ideology of Jesus on the earth. Moreover, you must find and rectify the ideology of Jesus, who tried to become the friend of all created things on behalf of the will of Heaven.

When we examine this from the biblical perspective, what level of truth did Jesus come to the earth with? Due to the faithlessness of the people of Israel, Jesus passed away without being able to manifest the entire, eternal ideal of God. What then is the ideal of Jesus? His ideal is to realize the one nation, one world and one ideal garden by joining Heaven and earth together. However, we have to understand that, indeed, this is not an easy thing.

If there is a nation, then there must be one national ideology. Moreover, there will also be political institutions whose purpose is to govern the nation. There are some policies. Furthermore, there is some official procedure, based upon which the policies are set. We can understand that, as a result of this, all citizens can lead their particular lives centering on those official guidelines.

You must understand that in order for a nation to establish a national ideology, it must pass through a complicated process. The individuals who are to achieve the great tasks of the heavenly principles have the responsibility to claim back the words, the life and the works of Jesus. However, you should know that because there is no one has completed this responsibility, the ideology of Jesus could not be manifested on the earth. This has caused great sorrow for God. Furthermore, you must take after the examples of the people who demonstrated loyalty toward Heaven for the purpose of constructing the new Heaven and earth, in other words, to construct the Kingdom of Heaven.

Among the words that Jesus spoke to his beloved disciples, the most important are “You are my bride.” In other words, when he came to the earth, Jesus implanted the ideology of the bride and bridegroom.

For this reason, today you must pass through the position of the bride and bridegroom. After that, you must transcend your families, your society, and your nation to link up with the world and reach a state of oneness with the ideology of the Father, the Creator, who represents the heavenly principles. You have to clearly understand that if you have some inadequacies in the course of your advancement, you will cause a corresponding amount of sorrow for Jesus.

What then must the faithful believers who are living in the Last Days do today? They must restore the words that can connect them with the heart of Jesus. At the same time, they must restore the ideology of his life and works. By doing so, they must become the people who can step beyond the family to be linked with the society, the nation, the world and the whole universe.

Because Jesus should have secured the ideology of Heaven and because God tried to elevate Jesus as the master of the Kingdom of Heaven, Jesus took responsibility for the will of God and introduced the new ideology to construct the Kingdom of Heaven on this earth.

To inherit this mission, Jesus turned away from all his personal paths and walked this path, representing the one religion and God. You must keep in mind that this is the reason he single handedly walked a lonely path and left behind words of lament and wistfulness toward human beings.