People Worthy of Respect

 

 

 

[Proverbs 16:31-33]

 

 

I read an article online from Sisa Journal in collaboration with Media Research, which selected the "most respected figures" in 30 different fields. In politics, it listed Representative Park Geun-hye; in business, the late Honorary Chairman Chung Ju-young of Hyundai Group; in IT, Ahn Cheol-soo, the chairman of AhnLab's board; and in finance, Warren Buffett, the chairman of Berkshire Hathaway. What caught my attention, however, was the list of the most respected figures within Protestant Christianity. The number one spot was held by Pastor Cho Yong-gi, emeritus pastor of the Full Gospel Church; second place by the late Pastor Ok Han-eum of the Love Church; third by Pastor Kim Sam-hwan of Myungseong Church; fourth by the late Pastor Han Gyeong-jik; and fifth by the late Pastor Ha Yong-jo. As I read the results of this survey, two thoughts crossed my mind. One was that all the names in the list of most respected people were pastors of large churches, while pastors of small or medium-sized churches, who are not well-known, were not mentioned. This made me think that perhaps surveys like this are just surveys and don’t really mean much. The second thought was about Pastor Cho Yong-gi, who was once the most respected figure but is now often criticized in the Christian news for various issues. Seeing how someone who was once greatly respected has now become the subject of harsh criticism made me question the true meaning of being respected by people.

Amidst this, I wondered: who were the people respected by the Jewish people in the Bible? And why were they respected? So, I looked into the Bible, and two individuals stood out to me: Mordecai, Esther’s cousin, mentioned in Esther 10:3, and the prophet Samuel, mentioned in 1 Samuel 9:6. First, let’s think about Mordecai, who was greatly respected among the Jews. In Esther 10:3, it says: “For Mordecai the Jew was second in rank to King Xerxes, and was great among the Jews, and in high favor with his many brothers, who sought the good of his people and spoke peace to all his people.” The Bible tells us that Mordecai was greatly respected among the Jews. Why was he so respected? Not only was he respected among the Jews, but he was also loved by many of his brothers. The reason for this was that Mordecai sought the welfare of his people. He gave comfort to the Jewish people. In other words, the reason Mordecai was greatly respected among the Jewish people was because he loved them. Because he loved them, Mordecai sought their welfare and gave them comfort.

Next, let’s think briefly about Samuel, a man of God who was respected by the Jewish people. In 1 Samuel 9:6, it says: "He answered, 'Behold, there is a man of God in this city, and he is an honorable man; all that he says comes true. Let us go there; perhaps he can show us the way we should go.'" The Bible describes Samuel as a "man of God" and a "respected man." Why was he respected? We can answer this question by looking at 1 Samuel 12:2-4: “… I am old and gray, and my sons are here with you. I have walked before you from my youth until this day. Here I am; testify against me before the Lord and before His anointed: Whose ox have I taken? Or whose donkey have I taken? Or whom have I defrauded? Whom have I oppressed? Or from whose hand have I taken a bribe to blind my eyes with it? If I have done any of these things, I will make it right." In the same chapter, 1 Samuel 12:23 says, "As for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the Lord by failing to pray for you…" Samuel was a man of prayer. Isn't it interesting that those who are respected are men of God, and men of God are people of prayer?

In today’s passage, Proverbs 16:31-33, we see people who are worthy of respect. I would like to divide these individuals into three categories and reflect on the lessons they offer so that we may obey and apply them in our own lives.

First, a person worthy of respect is an elderly person who has walked the path of righteousness throughout their life.

Let’s look at Proverbs 16:31: “The hoary head is a crown of glory; it is found in the way of righteousness.” Personally, I don't like dyeing my hair. I'm not sure what I'll do as I get older, but if my hair starts turning white and the white hairs accumulate in just certain parts of my head, while the rest stays dark, I might consider partial dyeing. But at least for now, even if my hair turns white, I don't want to dye it. The reason is because of Proverbs 20:29: "The glory of young men is their strength, and the beauty of old men is the gray head." Since the Bible says that the beauty of old men is in their gray hair, I don't want to dye my hair even as I age. Of course, I know that the “gray hair” spoken of by King Solomon here is not merely referring to the external white hair. However, I still think there is something beautiful about elderly people with their gray hair, just as it is.

If I say this, perhaps some elderly people might say, "Pastor, you too will get old!" As people grow older, they might dislike aging, preferring to stay youthful and want to be around younger people. But the passage of time and the fleeting nature of youth makes it undeniable that all of us will eventually age. The important question here is: how are we aging? In today’s passage, Solomon says, "The hoary head is a crown of glory; it is found in the way of righteousness." This teaches us how we should age: we should age living a righteous life. If we live righteously, and eventually become elderly, our gray hair will be a “crown of glory.”

By "crown of glory," Solomon means that living a long life is worthy of respect. Do you understand? Among elderly people who have lived many years, who do we particularly admire? Is it not those who, despite their age, continue to follow Christ faithfully, obeying His Word and becoming more like Him? Personally, I have seen elderly people with gray hair who do not command respect because, despite their age, their lives still reflect sin, rather than the image of Christ. But I respect those elderly people who, even though they are advanced in years, continue to faithfully fulfill the mission that God gave them, humbly serving the Lord, and particularly, when I see their transformed character, I cannot help but respect them.

In Proverbs 16:31, King Solomon says that elderly people who walk faithfully and humbly in the path of righteousness throughout their lives, even into old age, are worthy of respect. These elderly people are wise, they fear God, hate evil, love righteousness, and obey God's Word, living holy lives. Therefore, they receive the blessing of longevity (Proverbs 10:27). Furthermore, as they grow old in the Word of God, they rejoice in it (1 Corinthians 13:6), and their souls are at peace (Proverbs 3:2). As a result, they live healthy and long lives (according to Park Yun-seon).

The reward that God gives to these elderly people is the “crown of glory.” As they grow old and their hair turns white, they earn even more respect from others. Shouldn't you and I also strive to be elderly people with white hair who are respected in this way?

Secondly, a person worthy of respect is one who is slow to anger.

Let’s look at Proverbs 16:32: “He who is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city.” I came across an article on the internet that states there are two primary emotions that trouble modern people: depression and anger (internet). Depression is described as the internal expression of unhappiness, while anger is its external expression. While depression destroys oneself, anger destroys others. When we think about “depression,” we tend to take it more seriously and recognize its dangers, but we often don’t think about anger in the same way. This is because, in Korean culture, we tend to be more lenient about anger. Many people think that as long as there is no “aftershock” from the anger, it’s not a big problem to get angry occasionally. But for someone like me, who holds onto anger, even expressing it occasionally could be a big issue. However, in the United States, anger is considered a serious emotional issue. Americans view anger as a significant problem and put in a lot of effort to address it. One of those efforts is the “anger management” program.

When we look at the techniques in the anger management program, one of the first steps is to define what anger actually is. Do you consider anger to be a serious problem? What exactly is “anger”? The Chinese character for “anger” is composed of two parts: ‘分’ (separate, divide) and ‘怒’ (anger). The character ‘分’ means “to rise up in the heart,” or “something that has been gathered or accumulated in the heart rises suddenly.” The character ‘怒’ represents a strong emotion, like a rush of anger. So, according to the Chinese characters, the definition of “anger” is “the emotion that rises suddenly when one’s desires, demands, or expectations are blocked or rejected” (internet). I think this is an interesting definition. Anger arises when our desires or needs are thwarted or denied. How many people would like their desires or requests to be rejected? When that happens, the things accumulated in the heart suddenly explode into anger, leading to shouting, throwing objects, and even committing violence, and sometimes resulting in death. This emotion of anger is truly a serious problem.

There are five stages of anger (internet):

  1. Irritation: This is the lightest form of anger, which is a feeling of displeasure but doesn’t cause harm to oneself or others.

  2. Indignation: This is the stage where a person cannot forgive the wrong they’ve experienced and may have a desire for revenge. However, in most cases, this emotion is not openly expressed and is overcome.

  3. Wrath: At this stage, a person has a strong desire for retaliation. People at this stage often feel that they cannot eat or sleep unless they have avenged themselves. This stage is about the need to release anger in some form to feel at peace.

  4. Fury: When a person reaches this stage, they lose control of their emotions, and their anger eventually erupts.

  5. Rage: This is the most extreme form of anger, where a person goes completely out of control. It is destructive and can lead to catastrophic results.

Reflecting on these five stages of anger, have you ever experienced any of them? We’ve probably all experienced irritation. Indignation, wrath, and maybe even fury might be familiar to us as well. In Proverbs 14:17, the Bible says: “A quick-tempered man acts foolishly….” And in James 1:19-20, it says: “My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to become angry, because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires.” The Bible clearly tells us that our anger does not bring about God's righteousness. It tells us that being quick to anger is foolish.

Proverbs 25:28 also says: “Like a city whose walls are broken through is a person who lacks self-control.” When we do not control our hearts, it’s like a city without walls. We become vulnerable to the temptations of the enemy, and it becomes easier to sin against both God and others. So, what should we do? How should we resolve this issue of anger?

To solve the problem of anger, we must learn to control our hearts (Prov. 16:32).

In other words, when anger arises in our hearts, we must be able to control that emotion. For this, what we absolutely need is the fruit of the Holy Spirit, which is “self-control” (Gal. 5:23). When the Holy Spirit, who dwells within us, abundantly produces the fruit of self-control, we can overcome the problem of anger. So, what responsibility must we faithfully bear in order to bear this fruit? That responsibility is that we must meditate on God’s Word day and night and pray to God. When we do this, the Holy Spirit will guide our hearts with the holy Word of God, directing us to be led not by the feeling (emotion) of anger, but by the truth (fact) of God’s Word. The Holy Spirit will help us suppress our anger. The Bible calls those who can control their anger wise (Prov. 29:11). The wise, who conquer their own hearts, are considered better than a warrior who conquers a city, as King Solomon says in Proverbs 16:32.

Finally, third, a person worthy of respect is one who humbly accepts the will of God.

Look at today’s passage, Proverbs 16:33: “The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the Lord.” In the times of the Bible, one of the methods to seek God’s will (guidance) was by casting lots. A good example of this is found in the Old Testament in Jonah 1:7: “And they said to one another, ‘Come, let us cast lots to find out who is responsible for this calamity.’ They cast lots, and the lot fell on Jonah.” When the ship Jonah was on was almost destroyed by a great storm sent by God, the pagan sailors prayed to their idols for help, but when they received no answer, they decided to cast lots to determine who was responsible for the calamity (Jonah 1:1-7). The act of casting lots in ancient times had two meanings: first, to discover who was at fault or find the sin (1 Sam. 14:41-42), and second, divine guidance (Est. 3:7; Prov. 16:33). In this case, the sailors cast lots to discover the fault, that is, to find the sin. Another good example is found in the New Testament in Acts 1:26. After Judas Iscariot died, the twelve apostles needed to appoint a replacement to testify of Jesus' resurrection along with the remaining eleven apostles (Acts 1:22). They recommended two men: Joseph and Matthias (Acts 1:23). The eleven apostles then prayed to God, saying, "Lord, you know everyone's heart. Show us which of these two you have chosen to take over this apostolic ministry, which Judas left to go to his own place" (Acts 1:24-25). Then they cast lots, and Matthias was chosen (Acts 1:26). Thus, Matthias joined the group of the eleven apostles (Acts 1:26). In that time, when they cast lots to know God’s will (guidance), although the people cast the lots, the true decision came from God (Park Yun-Seon). The people humbly accepted God’s decision as His will.

However, after the completion of the Scriptures, during the church age, the practice of casting lots no longer reveals God’s will. In our time, only the Word of God guides us as a light (Ps. 119:105) (Park Yun-Seon). In other words, in today’s age, only the complete Word of God reveals to us His will (MacDonald).

Dear friends, when a person of God comes to know the will of God, they must set aside their own will and submit to God’s will. The supreme example of this is Jesus, who in the Garden of Gethsemane prayed to God the Father: “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will” (Matthew 26:39). Shouldn’t we, just like Jesus, lay aside our own will and submit to the Lord’s will?

When I think of “God’s will,” I especially think of the hymn “My Lord, Let Your Will Be Done” (Hymn #431). In reading the explanation of this hymn, I cannot help but think that Benjamin Schmolck (1672-1737), the Lutheran pastor who wrote and composed it, truly lived the life of a little Jesus and a true disciple. Due to the reactionary anti-reformation forces in the Roman Catholic Church, Lutheran churches were absorbed by Catholicism, and they were banned in the city, forced to be built outside, with no church bell towers. They had only a humble church made of logs with mud walls, and even visiting the sick or holding funerals could only be done with the permission of the Roman Catholic priest. Schmolck served in such a Lutheran church, with three colleagues who had to pastor a vast region of 36 villages.

Schmolck collapsed from overwork, became ill from a stroke, and after recovery, was left unable to use his right hand and suffered from cataracts. Despite these hardships, he continued to pour his energy into pastoring. One day, after he and his wife visited the sick, they returned to find their house completely destroyed in a fire. They also lost their two sons in the blaze. In shock, they knelt before the charred bodies of their sons and cried out in prayer. The content of their prayer, “My Lord, let Your will be done,” gave birth to this famous hymn.

The desire to avoid death and escape suffering is a human instinct. Even Jesus, when facing death, expressed the anguish of this human instinct: “Let this cup pass from Me,” but He also showed the practical example of obedience by saying, “Nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will” (Matthew 14:36). Schmolck lived the life of a small Jesus, the life of a disciple. Even when faced with challenges that seemed insurmountable, his deep faith and decision to submit to God’s will is reflected in this hymn “My Lord, let Your will be done.”

Let us now all praise God together by singing “My Lord, Let Your Will Be Done”:
(1) My Lord, let Your will be done, / I give my body and soul to You, / Guide me through the joys and trials of this life, / Direct me and let Your will be done.
(2) My Lord, let Your will be done, / In great sorrow, do not let me fall into despair, / Even You, Lord, sometimes wept, / Direct me and let Your will be done.
(3) My Lord, let Your will be done, / I entrust all my affairs to You, / Quietly I walk towards my heavenly home, / Whether I live or die, let Your will be done.

As we conclude our meditation, I think we live in a time where respect for others is greatly lacking. It seems that we can no longer find examples of respect in our homes, schools, workplaces, and even in the church. Even in our homes and churches, we see children not respecting their parents and congregants not respecting their pastors. Reflecting on today’s message, I believe the root of this issue lies in not faithfully walking the path the Lord has set for us, being quick to anger, and not living according to God’s will.

So, what should we do? What must you and I do to become people worthy of respect.