“I am for peace”
[Psalms 120]
These days, my wife and I often laugh because of my youngest daughter, Yeun. Not long ago, when I went to church, Yeun asked me in the car what “patience” is. So I told her that patience is waiting. At that time, my wife, who was sitting in the seat next to me, told Yeun that patience is ‘waiting nicely’. At that time, Yeun asked me jokingly what 'waiting nicely' was. So I said “w” “a” “i” “t” “i”'n” “g” “n” “i” “c ”“e” “l” "y”. Then Yeun briefly answered “O” “M “G”. Hahaha. Here, “O.M.G” means “oh my gosh”. Hahaha. At that time, I laughed a lot with my wife. Even now, when I think about that moment, I am laughing. Haha. Meanwhile, during the Thanksgiving holiday last week, my family went to my father-in-law and my mother-in-law’s house. As we almost came back home, my son Dillon and another daughter Yeri were sleeping and Yeun kept on talking to my wife and I because we were talking to each other and I guesses Yeun felt left out. At that time, Yeun asked my wife and I to guess what she wanted and gave a hint that what she wanted started with “R”. At that time, my wife asked if Yeun wanted to eat. And she said ‘No.’ She said that it was drinking that she wanted. At that time, when I thought about what drink starts with the letter “R”. And I remembered Yerun said “Manu” (I have no idea what this mean) for “water” when she was little kid. So I thought that she wanted to drink water now. So even though I know that water doesn't start with “R”, I answered her “water”. Ten Yeun yelled excitingly that “You are right”, that is, I was right. Haha. At that time, my wife and I laughed because it was absurd. But nowadays, when Yeun often mutters on her own, she memorizes ‘Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among men’ (Lk. 2:14) and also brags to us. Maybe Yeun is memorizing this bible verse for a play on Christmas Eve at Children Sunday School. I say often these days to Yeun, ‘Let us make a happy family’. I'm trying to teach her that in order to make a happy family, we can't frown, cry, get angry, etc.. When I think of our church, I also recommend this: “Let's work hard to make a happy church.” What must we do to do that?
When we look at Psalms 120:7, this is what the psalmist said: “I am for peace, but when I speak, They are for war.” As believers in Jesus, we must want peace like the psalmist. Then our church can be a happy church. This is what Jesus said: “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God” (Mt. 5:9). The Bible tells us that we are peacemakers. Therefore, we ought to want peace as sons and daughters of God and live a life of peace. But why are there quarrels and conflicts among us? Why are there quarrels and conflicts in the church? The apostle James says that the cause is our “desires that battles within us (Jam. 4:1). When quarrels and conflicts arise in the church because of our desires that battle within us, there is inevitably “disorder and every evil practice” (3:16). Therefore, the apostle James exhorts us like this: “But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth” (v. 14).
In Psalms 120, even though the psalmist dwelled with those who hated peace for a long time (v. 6) and wanted peace among them, those who hated peace loved quarreling and enjoying lie to others (v. 5, Park). Therefore, he was suffering. In the midst of this, we see the psalmist praying to God like this: “In my trouble I cried to the LORD, And He answered me. Deliver my soul, O LORD, from lying lips, From a deceitful tongue” (vv. 1-2). Like the psalmist, we must also offer this prayer to God. The psalmist was suffering from the false lips and deceitful tongues of those who hated peace (v. 6). So he prayed to God for Him to rescue him from them. Therefore, when we are suffering from the false lips and deceitful tongues of those who hate peace in the church, we must pray to God for Him to deliver him “from lying lips, From a deceitful tongue” like the psalmist (v. 2). But if we find in us a sinful lust that hates peace, we should control our own lips (tongue) not to tell lies against the truth, and repent of the sinful lust that hates peace within us. We must ask God to deliver ourselves from that sinful lust. While praying like this, what we need to be wary of for peace is lying lips and the deceitful tongue (v. 2). As the apostle James puts it, we must not let praise and cursing come out of the same mouth (Jam. 3:10). If we aren’t careful about our tongues and break the peace of the church by using lying lips and the deceitful tongue like those who hate the peace in Psalms 120, the psalmist says: “What shall be given to you, and what more shall be done to you, You deceitful tongue? Sharp arrows of the warrior, With the burning coals of the broom tree” (vv. 3-4). The Bible says that the Lord will bring on His disaster on us. The Lord is saying that sudden fatal tribulation comes upon the owner of such a false tongue, like the sharp arrow of the warrior that pierces into the body (Park). And the Bible tells us that the Lord brings disaster to the owner of lying lips, as if an unquenchable fire like the charcoal of a rodem wood hits the body (Park).
Therefore, we must not break the peace of the church by using lying lips and the deceitful tongue like those who hate peace with a heart that fears the Lord's disaster. Rather, we should be those who want peace like the psalmist. In other words, we must be peace-loving and peace-makers. In order to do that, we must pray to God. Of course, if there are members of our church who are quarreling, we should pray for them. But if we find desires to quarrel and fight within us, we must pray to God to rescue us from that desires. In the midst of that, we need to control our lips. We must not tell lies against the truth. And, like Jesus, who is our peace (Eph. 2:14), we must preach peace (v. 17) and do the work of reconciliation (2 Cor. 5:18). Therefore, we pray for all of us to be praised by our neighbors and glorify God by keeping the unity in the midst of diversity of the church.
Want peace,
James Kim
As I rejoice in the birthday of Jesus, the King of Peace)