October 5 - Reconciliation and Peace 화해와 평강

October 5 - Reconciliation and Peace

 

“For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.” –Matthew 6:14-15

 

 

Jesus has concluded a model prayer to God the Father (Matthew 6:9–13). Famously referred to as the LORD's Prayer, this is meant as an example—not a mantra—for His disciples and followers. Here, Jesus returns to a key point in that prayer. As part of the way believers are to pray, Jesus mentioned asking God to "forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors" (Matthew 6:12). That can be understood fairly easily. It means asking God for forgiveness as well as declaring our forgiveness of those who have wronged us.

If you forgive the sins of others against you, Jesus says your heavenly Father will also forgive you. If you don't forgive, you won't be forgiven (Matthew 6:15). This is among the most challenging of all the instructions Jesus gives in the Sermon on the Mount. It is also extremely easy to misunderstand if not considered carefully. Taken with no other context, Jesus seems to be saying we earn God's forgiveness after we forgive the sins of others against us, and we lose

 forgiveness when we refuse to forgive others. Difficulty or not, Jesus is speaking with the authority of God, and He always means what He says. We should never dismiss Jesus' teaching because it is hard to understand or reconcile with other teachings. In His other messages, Jesus repeatedly emphasized that God is displeased by those who refuse to forgive others despite being forgiven for much greater wrongs by God (Matthew 18:23–35). There is a clear sense in Christian teaching that unforgiving attitudes are inherently sinful. At the same time, Jesus speaks before His death as the final sacrifice for human sin. His blood, His loss of life, is the payment for sin, including the sin of unforgiveness (John 3:16–17). God takes Jesus' death as payment for the sins of those who trust in Christ and gives them credit for Jesus' sinless life. God will not accept us into eternity based on our ability to forgive others (Titus 3:5) but based on Jesus' perfect righteousness (2 Corinthians 5:21).

 

If a person is a true Christian, he ought to forgive any brother or sister who has wronged him and reconcile. Jesus said, “Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First, be reconciled to your brother, then come and offer your gift” (Matthew 5:23-24). Thus, reconciliation is essential in a worship service, whereas discord creates all kinds of falsehood and hypocrisy in the church. If we have such discord with a brother, we ought to come to God and pray to reconcile with God the Father and the fellowship with Jesus Christ in the Holy Spirit. And we ought to ask for the strength to reconcile. We need to be peacemakers who reconcile with brothers, sisters, and neighbors (Matthew 5:9). 

 

The prophet Isaiah said that Jesus himself was the Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6), and he predicted the peace that comes through Jesus Christ. “Peace, peace, to those far and near” (Isaiah 57:19). Gentile, different tribes and nations of the world, rich, poor, educated, uneducated, and everyone is in peace when they are in Christ. We must realize that the church establishes peace and reconciliation in a world of diversion and dispute. 

 

“Christian faith is... basically about love and being loved and reconciliation. These things are important and foundational and can transform individuals and families.” - Philip Yancey.

 

Today’s Prayer: Pray that your family and friends will learn to appreciate and respect each other and that any divisions will be mended. 

Prayer Pointer: I have so much to do (today) that I shall spend the first three hours in prayer. - Martin Luther

Bible Reading: Isaiah 31-33; Philippians 1

 

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10월5일 - 화해와 평강

 

“너희가 사람의 과실을 용서하면 너희 천부께서도 너희 과실을 용서 하시려니와 너희가 사람의 과실을 용서하지 아니하면 너희 아버지께서도 너희 과실을 용서하지 아니하시리라” - 마 6:14-15

 

주님이 가르치신 기도로 잘 알려진 예수님께서 하나님께 드리는 기도는 주술적인 주문과 같은 것이 아니라 하나님께 드리는 모범적인 기도의 내용을 보여주신 것입니다(마 6:9-13).  신자들의 기도 가운데 반드시 포함되어야 할 내용인 예수님의 기도에서 "우리가 우리에게 죄 지은 자를 사하여 준 것 같이 우리 죄를 사하여 주옵시고"(마 6:12) 라고 간구할 것을 말합니다.   우리는 이 기도의 내용은 하나님께 용서를 구하는 우리는 반드시 우리에게 잘못한 사람들을 용서해야 한다는 점을 쉽게 이해할 수 있습니다. 

 

당신이 다른 사람들의 죄를 용서하면 하늘에 계신 하나님 아버지도 당신을 용서하신다고 말씀합니다. 남을 용서하지 않으면 자신도 용서받지 못합니다(마 6:15). 예수님께서 주시는 산상수훈의 말씀중에 가장 도전적인 말씀중 하나입니다. 또한 이 말씀은 신중하게 생각하지 않으면 오해하기 쉬운 말씀입니다. 우리가 다른 사람들의 죄를 용서해야 하나님의 용서를 받고 다른 사람들을 용서하지 않으면 우리 작신들이 용서받지 못한다는 말씀으로 들립니다. 어떻든 예수님은 하나님의 권위로 말씀하고 있으며 하나님은 항상 우리에게 말씀하십니다. 예수님의 교훈의 말씀이 이해하기 어렵고 다른 멀씀과 조화가 안되는 이유 때문에 예수님의 말씀을  무시해서는 안 됩니다. 

 

예수님은 자신이 큰 잘못을 용서받고도 다른 사람들을 용서하지 않는 사람들을 기뻐하지 않으신다고 반복해서 말씀하셨습니다(마 18:23-35). 기독교에서 용서하지 않는 태도는 본질적으로 죄라고 가르칩니다. 동시에, 예수님은 인류의 죄를 대속의 희생이 되신다고 죽으시기 전에 언급하였습니다. 예수님은 우리의 용서 받지 못한 죄와 값을 지불하기 위해 십자가의 보혈로 희생제물이 되셨습니다(요 3:16-17). 하나님은 믿는 자들의 죄를 요서하기 위해 그리스도를 보내셨고 죄사함 받은 은혜의 축복을 믿는자들에게 주십니다. 하나님은 우리가 다른 사람을 용서하는 근거에 따라 받아주시는 것이 아니고 (딛 3:5), 오직 예수님의 온전한 의(고후 5:21)에 근거하여 우리를 영원히 받아주시는 것입니다.  

 

진정한 그리스도인은 자신에게 잘못한 형제나 자매를 용서하고 화해합니다. 예수님은 "그러므로 예물을 제단에 드리려다가 거기서 네 형제에게 원망들을 만한 일이 있는 것이 생각나거든 예물을 제단 앞에 두고 먼저 가서 형제와 화목하고 그 후에 와서 예물을 드리며”(마 5:23, 24)라고 말씀하셨습니다. 그러므로 예배전에 화해하는 일은 필수적이며 형제와 자매간의 불화가 교회안에ㅐ 있다면 여러 가지 위선과 거짓이 나타나게 되는 것입니다. 만일 형제과 어떤 불화가 있다면 하나님께 나아가 화해하고 성령 안에서 그리스도와 교제하기 위해 기도해야 합니다.   그리고 우리는 반드시 화해할 수 있는 힘을 간구해야 하고 형제, 자매, 이웃과 화해하는 그리스도인으로 화평하게 하는 자가 되어야 합니다(마 5:9).

 

이사야 선지자는 예수님 자신이 평강의 왕이라고 예언하였고(사 9:6), 평화는 그리스도를 통해 온다고 예언했습니다. "먼데 있는 자에게든지 가까우 데 있는 자에게든지 평강이 있을지어다” (사 57:19). 예수님은, 이방인, 세상의 다른 부족과 국가, 부자, 가난한 사람, 교육받은 사람, 교육받지 못한 사람, 모든 사람이 그리스도 안에 있을 때 평화기 온다고 말씀하셨습니다. 우리는 변화와 분쟁이 가득한 세상에서 평화와 화해를 이룰 책임이 교회에 있음을 깨달아야 합니다. 

 

"기독교 신앙은... 기본적으로 사랑과 사랑 받고 화해하는 것에 관한 것입니다. 이러한 것들은 매우 중요하고 기초이며 개인과 가족을 변화시킬 수 있습니다." - 필립 얀시

 

오늘의 기도: 당신의 가족과 친구들이 서로 감사하고 존경함으로 나누어진 관계들이 다시 회복 되도록 기도하십시오. 

기도 지침: “나는 (오늘) 할 일이 많아서 첫 세 시간 동안 기도한다.” – 마르틴 루터

성경 읽기: 이사야 31-33장; 빌립보서 1장