[The Secret of the Church]
Ephesians 5:32, 6:1-4
Pastor Kim, Sung-woo
The book of Ephesians is Pauls letter written in a prison in Rome to a church in the region of Ephesus. Ephesus was the best port city in Asia where it met the Mediterranean Sea. Its splendors and wealth were beyond description. However, Apostle Paul raises his voice towards Ephesus of adulterous sins hidden behind the luxurious appearance that the final destination of the Church is family. The profound mystery of the Church and Christ is family, and the family is our ends of the earth once we are saved. Let us look into the mystery of the Church.
First, 'Children!' The mystery of the Church sends the wounded and weak children back to their families. Pastor Kim said that in order to restore the relationship, the victim must make applications, not the perpetrator. The wounded has the marvelous right to restore the broken relationship. We were all children before we became parents. As children, we were weak, and we went through the hurts that our parents do not remember in our broken families. These children must go back to their homes. Their family might have been broken because of the sin, but with an application of the children, the victims, they can restore the family. Jesus came to this earth as a humble and small one. Because He came as a weak child who did not have anything that we might admire, He could become the mediator between us and God. We can be great missionaries to restore the family as weak and wounded children. We have the privilege to restore the family in the image of creation.
Second, 'Obey!' The wounded and weak children have to obey before the calling. When we obey as victims, our family will be restored in the image that was made at creation. The Word does not say we should obey great and good parents it just says 'Obey your parents.' Here, the origin of the word obey is hypakouo which carries a much stronger sense than hupotasso, the word for a subjection of a wife to a husband. It means that the obedience to parents is connected to the obedience to God. There are so many strange parents even if we wanted to obey. That is why the purpose of a family is not happiness, but holiness. The home becomes the best place for us to be holy when we make obedience to something or someone not worthy of it. God created the order for children to obey their parents and it is natural to obey the parents who gave us life. God works through the obedience to this order. Paul says that it is right to obey our parents. As obedience in the army is directly connected to victory in battles, our obedience is directly connected to spiritual battles. When we learn how to obey at home, we can gain victory in spiritual battles. Heaven and earth can be entrusted to the one who obeys even a small order, and the kingship and the authority to judge will also be given. When the wounded victim obeys with the privilege, God allows a mystery to restore the creation against sin. God says that this is dikaion, the righteousness that people look for.
Third, 'Honor!' Honoring one is much harder than obeying one. If obedience is about outwardly action to the order, honoring someone has to do with the heart. It is impossible because we have to truly respect and love our parents at the center of our hearts. This week, I visited a family the wife had cancer and the husband was almost 60. The husband told me in tears that he was still afraid of his father and could not forgive him. So I answered him, 'You dont have to forgive him now. When you realize your sin in the community, understand his story, and realize this was Gods plan of grace for you to believe Jesus, then you will be able to forgive him.' It is very hard to honor our parents, and for that, God says it was the first commandment with a promise. He promised us well-being and a long life on earth if we honor the parents. The origin of the word honor, kabad, means weight. The heavier the weight of respect is, the more we can enjoy prosperous salvation and life. Through honoring the parents, the children learn how to honor God.
Fourth, 'Fathers!' We children became fathers in no time. After we become fathers, we have to hold ourselves back from infuriating our children. Children are weak and immature they often make mistakes. Fathers should not be angry at those moments. They make mistakes so that they can grow up, and when their mistakes are accepted and understood, their hearts grow. The most furious moments for children are: when they are compared or being treated unfairly, when the parents do not keep their promises, when the parents have double-standards and oppress them and most of all, when the parents fight. When the parents blame each other in front of the kids and divorce, the children are most anxious and furious. As parents, we can apologize. When we apologize to our children, they can forgive us and learn how to obey and honor Christ, forgive, and accept. As we learn holiness, order, love, honoring God, and glory, family is the mystery of the Church and the end of the earth we have to go to. God wants the families to be restored through the Church, the mystery created by Jesus. Home is a place for our holiness and where we are bound for salvation. Family is the mystery of the Church. And God has entrusted the key of the mystery to us, the children. To gain victory from the master of the darkness, we have to obey, honor, nurture our children with faith, and wear Gods armor. I pray that you all realize that family is the mystery of the Church and our destination.
