“Although I desire peace…”
[Psalm 120]
These days, my wife and I often find ourselves laughing because of our youngest daughter, Ye-eun. A little while ago, while we were on our way back from church, Ye-eun asked me what "patience" meant, and I told her that patience is about waiting. At that moment, my wife, who was sitting next to me, said that patience is "waiting nicely." Ye-eun, playfully, asked what "waiting nicely" meant, so I spelled it out for her: "w" "a" "i" "t" "i" "n" "g" "n" "i" "c" "e" "l" "y." Ye-eun then quickly responded, "O.M.G.!" which stands for "Oh my gosh." We couldn't stop laughing! My wife and I laughed so much at that moment. Even now, thinking back to that moment makes me smile.
Then, last week during the Thanksgiving holiday, we went to my in-laws' house, and while driving back home, when we were almost there and Dylan and Ye-ri were sleeping, Ye-eun started talking just to us and asked if she could join the conversation. She kept talking and told us to guess what she wanted, giving us a hint that it started with the letter "R." My wife asked her if it was something to eat, but Ye-eun said no, it was something to drink. I thought to myself, "What could be a drink starting with 'R'?" Remembering that when she was younger, she used to say "manu" for water (though I have no idea where she got that word from), I guessed she wanted water. So, even though I knew water doesn't start with "R," I said "water." Ye-eun excitedly shouted, "You are right!" and we both burst out laughing because it was so absurd.
Lately, Ye-eun has been muttering something to herself, saying: "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among men" (Luke 2:14), and then proudly telling us that she can memorize it. She’s probably learning it for a Christmas Eve play at her Sunday school. The verse from the Korean Bible, Luke 2:14, goes like this: "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to those on whom His favor rests."
These days, I often tell Ye-eun: "Let us make a happy family." (Let’s strive to create a happy family.) I’m trying to teach her that in order to have a happy family, we shouldn’t complain, cry, or get angry, and I’m trying to instill this lesson in her.
I also want to encourage our church with the same message: "Let’s strive to build a happy church." But how exactly should we do this?
Today, in Psalm 120:7, the psalmist says: “I am for peace, but when I speak, they are for war.” As believers in Jesus, we should naturally desire peace, just as the psalmist did. When we do this, our church can become a happy church. Jesus said: “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God” (Matthew 5:9). The Bible calls you and me peacemakers. Therefore, as children of God, we should desire peace and live lives that promote peace.
But why is there fighting and disputes among us? Why are there conflicts and quarrels in the church? The apostle James says that the cause lies in “the desires that battle within you” (James 4:1). Because of these battling desires, when conflicts and disputes arise within the church, there can only be “disorder and every evil practice” (James 3:16). Therefore, the apostle James encourages us: “But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth” (James 3:14).
In Psalm 120, the psalmist speaks about living among people who hate peace (verse 6), and although he desires peace, those who hate peace love to quarrel and take pleasure in using lies to harm others (verse 5, Park Yun-seon). As a result, the psalmist was suffering. In the midst of this, the psalmist prayed to God: “I called on the Lord in my distress, and he answered me. Save me, O Lord, from lying lips and from deceitful tongues” (Psalm 120:1-2). Like the psalmist, we too should offer this prayer to God.
In today’s passage, the psalmist was suffering because of the lying lips and deceitful tongues of those who hate peace (verse 6). He prays for God to deliver him from them. Likewise, when we face difficulty and pain because of those who hate peace and speak deceitfully in the church, we should pray, like the psalmist: “Save me from lying lips and deceitful tongues” (verse 2).
However, if we find in ourselves the sinful desires that hate peace, we must control our own lips (tongue) that are inclined to speak falsehoods, and repent of the sinful desires within us. We should pray for God to deliver us from these desires. As we pray, we must guard against “lying lips and deceitful tongues” (verse 2). As the apostle James teaches, we must not allow “both blessing and cursing” to come from the same mouth (James 3:10). If we do not control our tongues and, like those who hate peace in today’s passage, use deceitful words and malicious speech, we will break the peace of the church. The psalmist says: “What will he do to you, you deceitful tongue? He will punish you with a warrior’s sharp arrows, with burning coals of the broom tree” (Psalm 120:3-4).
The Bible tells us that the Lord will bring judgment. Just as a sharp arrow suddenly flies from a warrior’s bow and strikes the body, sudden and destructive trouble will come upon those who have a deceitful tongue (Park Yun-seon). The Bible also tells us that the Lord will bring unquenchable fire, like the burning coals of a broom tree, upon those who possess a deceitful tongue (Park Yun-seon).
Therefore, we must not break the peace of the church or act like those who hate peace, using false lips and deceitful tongues, fearing the Lord's anger. Rather, we must be like the psalmist, desiring peace. In other words, we must be those who love peace and are peacemakers. To do so, we must pray to God. Of course, if there are members in our church who are fighting, we must pray for them. But if we discover in ourselves desires to argue and fight, we must pray to God to deliver us from those desires. In the midst of this, we must control our lips. We must not speak falsehoods that go against the truth. And like Jesus, who is our peace (Ephesians 2:14), we must proclaim peace (verse 17) and carry out the ministry of reconciliation (2 Corinthians 5:18).
Therefore, as we maintain unity in the diversity of the church, may we glorify God and be those who are praised by our neighbors.
Desiring peace,
Pastor James
(During the Christmas season, rejoicing in the birth of the Prince of Peace, Jesus)