The Unity of the Church
[Psalm 133]
Pastor Ahn Hee-hwan (from Cham Sarang Church) wrote an article titled "The Church That Does Good But Gets Criticized," in which he reflects on the positive roles the church plays in society, highlighting a few of them (source: internet). For example, he mentioned blood donation. According to a study by the Korean Institute for Religious Social Ethics, between 1998 and 2001, Protestant Christians accounted for 81.79% of blood donations. In comparison, Catholicism, Won Buddhism, and Buddhism contributed only 10.54%, 0.55%, and 0.86%, respectively. This shows that the rate of blood donation in Protestantism is overwhelmingly high.
Secondly, he mentioned organ donations, particularly bone marrow donations. From records between 2000 and 2002, Protestant Christians again had an overwhelming contribution rate of 38%.
Thirdly, he pointed out the operation of social welfare facilities, and fourthly, the support of homeless organizations. Despite these efforts, the church's reputation in society is not very favorable and, in fact, is somewhat hostile. Although the church is fulfilling its role as light and salt in the world, and although its actions are extensive, the criticisms against the church far outweigh the praises.
Pastor Ahn identifies six main reasons for this, but highlights two in particular: the corrupt behavior of clergy and the divisions within the church. When leaders of well-known, large churches are caught embezzling funds or committing adultery, the ripple effect is beyond imagination. Moreover, large churches that often split into factions inevitably receive criticism from society.
Because of these negative actions of the church, anti-Christian activities have been on the rise. Today, we see many anti-Christian groups organizing to attack Protestantism, infiltrating various websites to tarnish the church's reputation. There are even organizations like the "Anti-Christian Citizens' Alliance" that collect membership fees, with the goal of eradicating Christianity. In this situation, we as Christians must repent and return to God, ensuring that the church becomes more truly the church. The world will become darker, and it will become more corrupt. As this happens, our church must shine even more brightly in this dark world and reveal its true beauty to the world.
So, what is the true beauty of the church?
The true beauty of the church is found in the union of brothers and sisters in the Lord, living together in harmony. Look at Psalm 133:1: “Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!” This verse reminds me of a passage from Isaiah 53:2, which we meditated on during last week's dawn prayer meetings: “For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him.”
Jesus, who had no outward beauty or majesty that would attract people to him, is a reflection of the current state of the church. Today, it seems that the world has no interest in the church. Why is this? Because, in their eyes, the church has no attractive, desirable beauty.
When we, as Christians, look at our own church, do we see any beauty that is worthy of admiration? I think the answer is "no." Even when we look at our own church, it has lost its charm. There is no beauty that would make others want to be a part of it. Why has the church become like this? Why does the church, in the eyes of the world and even our own eyes, lack the kind of beauty that would draw people in?
The reason is that the church is not obeying Jesus, who is the head of the church. Though Jesus had no outward beauty to attract people to him, He is beautiful in the eyes of God because He obediently fulfilled the will of the Father, even to the point of dying on the cross (Philippians 2:8). In other words, the beautiful image of Jesus, the obedient Son, is pleasing to God the Father. This is the true beauty of the Lord's church and the beauty of you and me, as disciples of Jesus.
In other words, our beauty lies in obeying the words of the Lord. The church that obeys the words of the Lord is beautiful in the eyes of God.
Where is the Goodness of the Church?
If the beauty of the church lies in its obedience to the Lord's commandments, where is the goodness of the church? I find the answer in Romans 8:28 and Ephesians 2:10. In Romans 8:28, the Bible says, "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." In other words, the goodness of the church is the manifestation of God’s goodness. Therefore, the church must continually and fully taste God's goodness (Psalm 34:8). When the church does this, as mentioned in Ephesians 2:10, it is "created in Christ Jesus to do good works," and by doing good deeds, the church’s goodness is made known to the world. As Matthew 5:16 says, "Let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven."
Today, in Psalm 133, the psalmist David, while writing this song for ascending to the temple, declares that it is truly good and beautiful when brothers live together in unity in the Lord. This does not refer to the physical or bloodline unity of the Israelites, God’s people, based on their lineage (as Park Yoon-seon notes). Rather, it refers to the spiritual unity of God's people. In other words, it points to the unity of the church of the Lord. When the church obeys the Lord’s commandment to love one another and, through God's love, maintains peace and unity in the church, how beautiful it must be in God’s sight! If the world were to see the church united, they would not criticize or despise it. On the contrary, they would feel attracted to it. We Christians, too, when we obey the Lord's command and love one another, will see the beautiful image of Jesus within the church. Therefore, we must listen attentively to God’s word about the unity of the church. Through the redemptive death of Jesus Christ, God has saved His chosen people and made them one in Christ ("unity") (Ephesians 1:10). Therefore, the church must "make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace" (Ephesians 4:3). The body of the Lord’s church must "be built up in love" (Ephesians 5:16).
In the first half of Psalm 133:2-3, the psalmist David compares the goodness and beauty of the church, which is the unity of God’s people, with two images.
(1) David says, "It is like the precious oil upon the head, running down on the beard, the beard of Aaron, running down on the edge of his garments" (Psalm 133:2).
This verse speaks of the oil poured on Aaron's head, which has a "fragrant, rich, and spreading nature." When this oil is poured on Aaron's head, it flows down his beard and to the edge of his garments. Similarly, brotherly love is a love poured out by God, and it is a love that spreads and flows to others (Park Yun-seon). In Romans 5:5, the Bible tells us that through faith in Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit has poured God's love into our hearts. This love that has been poured into us must be practiced. In other words, the church should be filled with this spreading love of God. Through this love, we are to love one another. When we do so, the church can maintain its unity. This way, the church can display its goodness and beauty.
(2) David compares the goodness and beauty of the church, the people of God, in unity and fellowship to "the dew of Hermon, which falls on the mountains of Zion" (Psalm 133:3).
According to Pastor John MacArthur, Mount Hermon, which stands at 9,200 feet, is a high mountain located in the northern part of Palestine. The snow at the top evaporates, rises, and then descends to Judah, bringing dew (Park Yun-seon). Dew is vital in Judah; without it, crops cannot survive. David, therefore, compares the goodness and beauty of the church's unity to the dew that falls from the high places of Mount Hermon, spreading out over Zion. This is a picture of how true love from God comes from above, being poured out on the church. And it is said, “For there the Lord commanded the blessing—life forevermore” (Psalm 133:3b). This means that where God's love is present, there the blessing of eternal life is commanded by God (Park Yun-seon). Indeed, when God's love is in the church, the church can enjoy the blessing of eternal life.
David, the psalmist, says: "How good and pleasant it is when brothers live together in unity!" (Psalm 133:1). The goodness and beauty of the Lord's church lies in the unity of the brothers and sisters, living together in harmony. The love of God has been poured into our hearts, and this love spreads to our brothers and sisters. In this way, the church can maintain its unity in Jesus Christ. When this happens, the church is good and beautiful in the eyes of God. Let us pray that our church may be a church that is good and beautiful in God's sight.
With a desire to preserve the unity of the Spirit in love,
Pastor James Kim
(Pursuing Unity Within Diversity)