Category: Luke

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Sacrificial Love

Summary of my sermon, based on Luke 6:27-36. Preached at Greenhills Christian Fellowship Toronto on April 7, 2024.

One of my favorite activities during my time in Japan was walking. There were two main reasons for this. The first was a beautiful pond near my apartment called Sayama-Ike. The path around the pond was 2,850 meters long, and a full circuit along with the walk from my apartment to the pond and back covered almost exactly 4 km. The picture in my mind from April 2018, when the cherry blossoms were just starting to bloom, remains vivid to this day.

The second reason I loved walking in Japan was because I arrived there just a year after Pokémon Go had taken the world by storm. Almost as soon as I settled in, I got myself a pair of sweat-resistant Bluetooth earphones, and walking quickly became a daily ritual. I’d put on an audiobook, fire up Pokémon Go, and set off around Sayama-Ike. On weekends, especially when there were in-game events, I’d often go around the pond two or three times in an afternoon. Over the two years I lived in Japan, I ended up walking just over 2,500 km.

But this walking wasn’t just for leisure. In November 2017, I visited the island of Kyushu and took an overnight ferry to a hot spring town called Beppu. When I arrived, I noticed a number of exhausted participants trudging along the streets. It turned out they were completing the Yukuhashi ~ Beppu 100 km walk, and seeing them made me want to take on the challenge myself. I never got around to doing it, though. Despite all the walking I did in Japan, I never attempted that 100 km walk because, quite frankly, it seemed too hard. Walking 100 km in a single go, at an average speed of 5 km/h, would take 20 hours straight, and that’s assuming you maintain a steady pace. For most people, it’s a challenge that feels nearly impossible.

This story ties into today’s scripture, which many consider the “100 km walk” of the Bible—a challenge that seems insurmountable. We’re looking at a passage where Jesus commands something incredibly difficult: to love our enemies, to bless those who curse us, and to pray for those who abuse us. In Luke 6:27-28, Jesus says, “But I say to you who hear, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you” (ESV). These words are not easy to digest. Loving God and loving our neighbors make sense, but loving our enemies? Allowing ourselves to be mistreated? This is a command that seems beyond our capacity to obey.

Yet, this is exactly what Jesus taught. From the last sermon in our series on the Beatitudes, we learned that God’s kingdom is anything but expected. It’s a kingdom where the poor, the hungry, the weeping, the hated, and the excluded are blessed. The Beatitudes serve as both an invitation to and preparation for the most difficult commands Jesus gives us.

So, what does Jesus mean when he commands us to love our enemies? It’s tempting to think He’s exaggerating for effect—a literary hyperbole. After all, most of us don’t have enemies in the dramatic sense of the word. But even if we don’t have people who actively hate us, we all encounter those who make life difficult, those who annoy us, or those who might not like us for reasons we don’t understand. Jesus’ command to love our enemies is not mere hyperbole; it’s a call to extend love and grace even in challenging circumstances.

Jesus goes on to provide concrete examples in Luke 6:29-31: “To one who strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also, and from one who takes away your cloak do not withhold your tunic either. Give to everyone who begs from you, and from one who takes away your goods do not demand them back. And as you wish that others would do to you, do so to them” (ESV).

These examples may seem extreme, but the principles behind them are what matter most. The first principle is grace. We should be gracious when insulted or rejected, just as early Christians were often met with violence but continued to minister despite the rejection. The second principle is vulnerability; we should not seek revenge but remain open to those who wrong us, especially in the context of religious persecution.

The third principle is generosity. Jesus calls us to meet the needs of others, going beyond mere acts of charity to embody a lifestyle of giving. Finally, the fourth principle is the Golden Rule: “As you wish that others would do to you, do so to them” (Luke 6:31, ESV). This rule is not just about refraining from harm but actively doing good to everyone, including those who oppose us.

Jesus justifies this difficult command by pointing out that loving those who love us, doing good to those who do good to us, and lending expecting repayment are things even sinners do. But His disciples are called to a higher standard, one that reflects the love and mercy of God Himself. In Luke 6:35-36, Jesus says, “But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, for he is kind to the ungrateful and the evil. Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful” (ESV).

The ability to love in this way comes from a renewed perspective—one that looks beyond earthly rewards to the greater reward in heaven. As Colossians 3:1-2 instructs, “If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth” (ESV).

In conclusion, Jesus’ command to love our enemies is a daunting challenge, akin to a spiritual 100 km walk. But with a heavenly perspective, understanding that we are called to reflect God’s mercy and love, we can take on this challenge with the assurance that our efforts are not in vain.

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The Veracity of the Resurrection

Summary of my sermon, based on Luke 24:1-12. Preached at Greenhills Christian Fellowship Toronto on Easter Sunday – March 31, 2024.

As your pastor for the past year, I hope I’ve conveyed just how much I love the Bible. This love stems from a deep appreciation of its power to reveal God and communicate the Gospel, the way of salvation. However, my love for the Bible goes beyond this. I’m particularly passionate about Biblical Studies, one of the core academic disciplines in Christianity, alongside Church History and Systematic Theology.

Biblical Studies focuses on interpreting and applying Scripture, understanding the history of how the Bible was written, compiled, and passed down through generations. My passion for this discipline is evident in my participation in groups like “Nerdy Biblical Language Majors,” where we dive deep into the intricacies of biblical languages and texts.

But loving the Bible also requires understanding its role and nature. The Bible is the “Words of Life,” revealing God and declaring the Gospel. Yet, we must remember that the physical book itself is not intrinsically holy. Unlike some other religions that revere their scriptures to the point of idolatry, Christianity recognizes that the Bible is a historical artifact, a tool through which God reveals Himself.

The Bible’s physical form is not sacred. Many of us have old, worn-out Bibles sitting in our homes. The paper and ink are not what we worship; it’s the Word of God within those pages that matters. As 2 Timothy 3:16 (ESV) says, “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness.”

This understanding doesn’t diminish the Bible’s importance. Instead, it emphasizes that the Bible is a living document, written by human authors under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. As 2 Peter 1:21 (ESV) reminds us, “For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.”

One of the challenges we face, particularly around Easter, is the attempt by some to discredit the Bible and the resurrection of Jesus. The media often airs documentaries that cast doubt on these events, presenting theories that Jesus didn’t really die, that His disciples hallucinated, or that the resurrection was faked. But this skepticism isn’t new; it dates back to the very first Easter.

In Matthew 28:11-15 (ESV), we read about the Roman and Jewish leaders spreading the lie that Jesus’ disciples stole His body. This attempt to undermine the resurrection has persisted through the centuries, but we have strong reasons to trust the Bible’s account.

Firstly, the New Testament was written soon after the events it describes. Matthew and Mark’s Gospels were penned around 50 A.D., less than 20 years after the resurrection. Luke wrote his Gospel around 60 A.D., after carefully gathering eyewitness testimonies. Even John’s Gospel, written between 80-90 A.D., was completed within a generation of the events it recounts. Compared to other ancient biographies, such as Plutarch’s “Life of Caesar,” written over 150 years after Caesar’s assassination, the New Testament is remarkably close to the events it describes.

Secondly, the sheer number of ancient copies of the New Testament underscores its reliability. We have over 5,600 Greek manuscripts of the New Testament, far surpassing the few copies of other ancient works like those of Plato or Julius Caesar. These manuscripts, some dating back to just 100 years after the originals, provide a strong foundation for the trustworthiness of the New Testament.

However, the Bible’s reliability goes beyond its historical accuracy. The Bible is living and active, as Hebrews 4:12 (ESV) says, “For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” It’s a document that has the power to change lives, not because of the paper it’s printed on, but because it contains the living Word of God.

The Bible’s truth is further affirmed by the fact that the first witnesses to the resurrection were women. In a society where women’s testimonies were often dismissed, the Gospel writers faithfully recorded that Mary Magdalene and other women were the first to discover the empty tomb. This detail, unlikely to be fabricated, points to the authenticity of the resurrection account.

Moreover, Jesus appeared to many others after His resurrection, as recounted in 1 Corinthians 15:5-8 (ESV): “He appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive… Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. Last of all… he appeared also to me.”

Finally, the ultimate testament to the resurrection’s truth is the willingness of the early Christians to die for their faith. From Stephen’s martyrdom in Acts 7:58-60 (ESV) to the countless others who gave their lives, the early believers’ sacrifice underscores their unwavering belief in the risen Christ.

The Bible’s reliability as a historical document, combined with the testimony of those who lived and died for their faith, gives us confidence in the truth of the resurrection. As we continue to study and apply the Scriptures, let us remember that it is the living Word of God, powerful and transformative, guiding us in our walk with Christ.

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Blessings and Curses

Summary of my sermon, based on Luke 6:20-26. Preached at Greenhills Christian Fellowship Toronto on March 17, 2024, 2024.

The story of David and Bathsheba is one of the most tragic episodes in the life of King David. It begins with a subtle yet telling detail in 2 Samuel 11:1, where we read, “In the spring of the year, the time when kings go out to battle, David sent Joab, and his servants with him, and all Israel…” This verse sets the stage for what follows—a king who was once celebrated for his courage and military prowess now shirking his responsibilities. David, who once led Israel to victory and was praised with the words, “Saul has struck down his thousands, and David his ten thousands,” (1 Samuel 18:7), now chooses to stay behind while his men go to war.

This decision marks the beginning of David’s downfall. While he was in the wrong place, avoiding his duties, David saw Bathsheba, the wife of one of his soldiers, bathing. Overcome by lust, he took her and slept with her, leading to her pregnancy. In a desperate attempt to cover up his sin, David called Bathsheba’s husband, Uriah the Hittite, back from the battlefield under the pretense of seeking a report on the war—an ironic request considering David himself should have been leading his troops.

David’s plan was simple: send Uriah home to his wife so that her pregnancy would appear to be from her husband. But Uriah, a man of integrity, refused to go home while his comrades were still on the battlefield. Thwarted by Uriah’s righteousness, David resorted to a more sinister plan. He sent Uriah back to the front lines with a letter instructing Joab, the commander, to place Uriah where the fighting was fiercest and then abandon him, ensuring his death. In a bitter twist of fate, Uriah unknowingly carried his own death sentence back to the battlefield.

Bathsheba became David’s wife, and it seemed that the affair was successfully covered up. But, as we know, nothing is hidden from the Lord. God sent the prophet Nathan to confront David with a parable about a rich man who, despite having plenty, took the only lamb of a poor man to serve it to his guest. David, enraged by the injustice in the story, declared, “As the Lord lives, the man who has done this deserves to die, and he shall restore the lamb fourfold, because he did this thing, and because he had no pity” (2 Samuel 12:5–6). Nathan’s response was as piercing as it was revealing: “You are the man!”

This story is a powerful example of irony—a situation where the outcome is the opposite of what is expected. David, the king, and warrior, who was supposed to uphold justice, instead committed grave injustices. His anger at the fictional rich man was justified, but he failed to see that he was condemning himself. Irony is often used to highlight a deeper truth, and in this case, it reveals the blindness that sin can cause, even in the most righteous of people.

Irony also plays a significant role in the teachings of Jesus, particularly in the Beatitudes. In Luke 6:20, Jesus says, “Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God.” This statement is shocking, even paradoxical. How can the poor be blessed? In our world, wealth and success are often seen as signs of God’s favor, yet Jesus turns this idea on its head. He continues with more unexpected blessings: “Blessed are you who are hungry now, for you shall be satisfied. Blessed are you who weep now, for you shall laugh” (Luke 6:21). And in contrast, he pronounces woes on the rich, the full, and those who are praised by others (Luke 6:24–26).

These teachings are difficult to accept, especially for those of us living in relative comfort. By global standards, many of us are rich. A full-time worker earning just above minimum wage in Canada is among the top 20% of income earners in the world. Jesus’ words challenge our assumptions about what it means to be blessed and force us to consider the responsibilities that come with wealth.

The irony in Jesus’ teachings is not meant to condemn us but to awaken us to the realities of God’s kingdom—a kingdom where the last shall be first, and the first shall be last. This kingdom is not about accumulating wealth or seeking the approval of others. Instead, it calls us to live with humility, generosity, and a deep awareness of our dependence on God.

So, how should we respond to this challenging message? First, we must recognize that blessing is not about material wealth or social status. True blessing is found in a relationship with God, as expressed in the priestly blessing: “The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace” (Numbers 6:24–26). This blessing is ultimately fulfilled in Jesus, who reveals the face of God to us and offers us peace that surpasses all understanding.

Let us be grateful for the blessings we have received, not taking them for granted, but using them to serve others. Let us also remember the weight of blessing—that it comes with responsibility. As we reflect on the story of David and Bathsheba, and the teachings of Jesus, may we be reminded of the irony of blessing and the call to live lives that honor God in all circumstances.

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Come to Jesus

Summary of my sermon, based on Luke 6:17-19. Preached at Greenhills Christian Fellowship Toronto on February 25, 2024.

In December 2013, a young Public Relations executive named Justine Sacco made a decision that would drastically alter the course of her life. As she prepared to board a plane to South Africa, she sent out a tweet to her 170 followers: “Going to Africa. Hope I don’t get AIDS. Just kidding. I’m white!”

Despite her relatively small following, Justine’s tweet quickly spread worldwide, igniting a firestorm of criticism. The backlash was swift and severe, with people across the globe expressing their outrage. One person lamented, “How did @JustineSacco get a PR job?! Her level of racist ignorance belongs on Fox News. #AIDS can affect anyone!” Another tweeted, “All I want for Christmas is to see @JustineSacco’s face when her plane lands and she checks her inbox/voicemail.”

The public shaming that followed was relentless. While Justine was on a 12-hour flight from London to Cape Town, unaware of the storm brewing on the internet, the hashtag #HasJustineLanded began to trend on Twitter as people eagerly awaited her reaction upon landing. When she finally touched down and saw the damage, she deleted the tweet and closed her account. But the damage was done. Branded as a racist and fired from her job, Justine’s life was effectively ruined.

In an attempt to move forward, Justine traveled to Ethiopia to volunteer for an NGO working to reduce maternal mortality rates. However, even this effort was met with scorn. The journalist who had initially amplified her tweet found out about her volunteer work and shared it with the world, writing, “Sacco, apparently spent the last month hiding in Ethiopia after infuriating our species with an idiotic AIDS joke…”

In February 2015, Jon Ronson published an article about Justine in the New York Times Magazine. In it, she tried to explain herself: “To me it was so insane of a comment for anyone to make, I thought there was no way that anyone could possibly think it was literal.” Ronson attempted to redeem Justine, suggesting that her tweet might have been a reflexive critique of white privilege rather than a literal statement. But this did little to rehabilitate her image. A quick Google search of her name still brings up the infamous tweet, a testament to the permanence of her public shaming.

Justine’s story is just one of many instances of lives being ruined through public shaming by the internet mob. Some might be tempted to connect this with the lack of grace and mercy within certain cultural movements, particularly since many people are “cancelled” for comments or actions related to sensitive topics like race, gender, and sexuality. However, the desire to destroy someone’s life for a public blunder is not new. It is a universal phenomenon that has existed long before the advent of social media.

Jon Ronson, in his article about Justine, compared the online mobs to public shamings in New England from as far back as the 18th and 19th centuries. The truth is, the lack of grace and mercy is ingrained in the fallen human condition—it is the result of sin. As Christians, we are called to a higher standard. In a world that lacks grace and mercy, we must call on people to “Come to Jesus.”

The Gospel of Luke, which we will be exploring in a new series of sermons, provides a powerful reminder of the grace and mercy that Jesus offers to all. Unlike the other Gospels, Luke was written by someone who was not an eyewitness to Jesus’s life. Luke was a physician and a companion of Paul, who compiled stories from eyewitnesses to create his account of Jesus’s life. Luke’s Gospel is unique in that it was written for Gentile converts to Christianity, addressing the inclusion of Gentiles in God’s plan of salvation and the hostility with which first-century Jews viewed Jesus and the early Christians.

One of the most significant sections of Luke’s Gospel is the Sermon on the Plain, found in Luke 6:17-19: “And he came down with them and stood on a level place, with a great crowd of his disciples and a great multitude of people from all Judea and Jerusalem and the seacoast of Tyre and Sidon, who came to hear him and to be healed of their diseases. And those who were troubled with unclean spirits were cured. And all the crowd sought to touch him, for power came out from him and healed them all.”

This passage highlights two key aspects of Jesus’s ministry. First, it shows that Jesus’s invitation is for everyone, regardless of ethnicity or circumstance. The mention of people from Tyre and Sidon—Roman cities—demonstrates that the Gospel is for all, not just the Jewish people. As Paul writes in Romans 1:16, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.”

Second, this passage illustrates the healing and rest that Jesus offers. Those who were troubled with unclean spirits were cured, and the entire crowd sought to touch Jesus because they knew that power came out from him and healed them all. This echoes Jesus’s words in Matthew 11:28-30: “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

In a world that is quick to condemn and slow to forgive, let us remember the grace and mercy that Jesus extends to all. Let us be quick to offer that same grace and mercy to others, pointing them to the One who offers healing, rest, and salvation.

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Treasures in Heaven – Part 2

Summary of my sermon, based on Luke 21:1-9. Preached at Greenhills Christian Fellowship Toronto on January 14, 2024.

In last week’s sermon, we delved into Jesus’ teachings in Matthew 6:19-24, where He instructs us to lay up treasures in heaven rather than on earth. Jesus emphasized that “where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matthew 6:21, ESV). This teaching, part of the larger Sermon on the Mount, underscores a fundamental principle of Christian ethics: our hearts follow our treasure. The passage also hints at how we can store up heavenly treasures—by embracing generosity and rejecting the twin evils of stinginess and jealousy.

Jesus further illustrates this point by drawing a stark contrast between a healthy and a bad eye, a first-century idiom for generosity versus greed. He closes the passage by addressing the idolatry of wealth, stating, “You cannot serve God and money” (Matthew 6:24, ESV). This sets the stage for today’s message, which builds on last week’s lesson by exploring the practical application of generosity through tithing and offerings in the church.

Today’s topic is not easy to discuss, primarily because it involves personal finances—a subject often considered taboo. Moreover, discussing giving in the church can be uncomfortable for pastors and congregants alike, especially in light of the potential for abuse. Many of us are familiar with the so-called “Prosperity Gospel,” a dangerous distortion of Christian teaching that promises health, wealth, and prosperity as the divine right of all believers. This false gospel preaches that financial blessing and physical well-being are guaranteed by faith, often leading to the exploitation of vulnerable individuals.

As theologian Stephen Hunt explains, the Prosperity Gospel centers on the belief that “health and wealth” are the automatic divine rights of Christians and can be attained through faith. However, as John MacArthur rightly points out, this message is not just misguided—it’s satanic. It preys on the sinful desires of people to accumulate wealth, offering them false promises in exchange for their money. Prosperity preachers often live lavish lifestyles, using their wealth to further deceive their followers into giving more, all in the name of “activating” divine blessings.

One of the scriptures frequently twisted by Prosperity Gospel proponents is Luke 6:38: “Give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap” (ESV). On the surface, this verse seems to support the idea that giving leads to financial gain. However, when we examine the full context—“Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful. Judge not, and you will not be judged… forgive, and you will be forgiven” (Luke 6:36-37, ESV)—it becomes clear that Jesus is not talking about material wealth, but about mercy and forgiveness.

This misuse of scripture is a prime example of the potential for abuse when discussing giving in the church. It’s understandable that such distortions can make people wary of sermons on tithing. However, the truth remains that Christians are indeed called to give generously. The motivation behind our giving is what truly matters.

So, what should motivate our giving? First, it’s essential to understand that everything we have belongs to God. Psalm 24:1-2 reminds us, “The earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof, the world and those who dwell therein” (ESV). Our giving, then, is not about meeting God’s needs—He has no needs—but about acknowledging His lordship over all creation.

Tithing, or giving 10% of our income, is a biblical principle rooted in passages like Leviticus 27:30: “Every tithe of the land… is the Lord’s; it is holy to the Lord” (ESV). While we are no longer bound by the Mosaic Law, tithing remains a beneficial practice that honors God and supports the work of the church. Proverbs 3:9 further instructs us to “Honor the Lord with your wealth and with the firstfruits of all your produce” (ESV). This principle suggests that our giving should be from our gross income, not after taxes and other deductions.

Moreover, tithing helps reorder our priorities, aligning our hearts with God’s kingdom rather than with earthly wealth. Jesus’ words in Matthew 6:21—“For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (ESV)—serve as a poignant reminder of this truth.

Finally, tithing provides for the needs of the church and the community. Malachi 3:10 encourages us to “Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house” (ESV). The early church exemplified this practice, as seen in Acts 4:34-35: “There was not a needy person among them… as any had need” (ESV).

As we consider our giving, let us remember the example of the poor widow in Luke 21:1-4, who gave two small copper coins—“all she had to live on” (ESV). Her gift was small in value but immense in faith. May we, too, give generously, not out of obligation, but out of love for God and a desire to see His kingdom flourish.