2007. 11. 04 Rev. Kim, Young Bong

Jesus goes to Theater (2): "Pay the Price"
Psalm 51: 1-17

1.

The movie “Mil-Yang” is based on a short novel called “Insect Story” written by Lee Chung-Jun, who is one of the few truth-seeking novelists in Korea. The short novel was adapted to the movie by the director Lee Chang-Dong in his unique style. In his “Insect Story,” novelist Lee Chung Jun intended to criticize “Cheap Forgiveness” to which the Christian church refers. He was taking exception to the concept of forgiveness where the victims of sinners suffer in darkness while the sinners claim to be forgiven by God and happily bask in the sun. Although Director Lee Chang-Dong changed the details of the “Insect Story”, he used the same theme throughout his movie.
The scene in the jail where Sin-Ae confronts Park Do-Sup makes us ponder what true forgiveness is about. Last week, we watched this scene from the view of Sin-Ae’s play. Today, we will watch the same scene from the view of “what true forgiveness is about.” Please pay special attention to Park Do-Sup’s confession.

Scene chap 15 1:30:55 to 1:34:28

When I first saw this movie, I felt inexplicable shame from this scene. As if I had seen a shameful secret of Christianity, which should not have been revealed, I felt flushed with embarrassment. It was because while both Park Do-Sup and Sin-Ae were speaking of God and talking about forgiveness, love, and grace, they both appeared hypocritical and fake. If such pretense was merely their problem, I would not have felt ashamed. The scenes by Sin-Ae and Park Do-Sup are, however, too easily seen in today’s churches and among not a few Christians. That is why I felt truly embarrassed. The intention of this movie is not to criticize Christianity, but to portray Christianity as it is. And this very portrayal is what gives us cause for embarrassment.

2.

What did you think when you heard Park Do-Sup’s confession? Based on his confession and his facial expression or behavior, it was possible that he had a kind of transcendental spiritual experience. In fact, there was no problem for Park Do-Sup to tell Sin-Ae that he had been forgiven by God. As a matter of fact, it clearly shows the essence of sin. All our sins are first committed to God, and therefore, we first have to be forgiven by God. Here is an example. A child is injured from his quarrel with his siblings. In such a case, the parents’ feelings are more hurt than the child’s. So, the sibling who inflicted the injury on his brother must not only apologize to his brother, but also must ask for forgiveness from his parents. As such, God loves everyone, whether he is a believer or not. God loves everyone as a parent loves his children. So, if I inflicted any injury to a person, whether the person is a Christian or not, I have to ask for forgiveness from God as well as from the injured person.

Psalm 51, the chapter we read today, is written by King David and is well known for his repentance. David committed in the height of his power the most heinous and scandalous sin. He committed adultery with Uriah’s wife. Uriah was one of his most loyal generals. Then, in order to conceal his sin, he intentionally sent General Uriah to a dangerous war where the general ended up being killed. Although David tried to make it a perfect crime, Nathan the Prophet charged David with his sin. To the powerless prophet, King David of Great Israel admitted his sin and pleaded for forgiveness. In today’s Psalm verses, he pleads, “For I acknowledge my transgressions and my sin is always before me. Against you, you only, have I sinned, and done what is evil in your sight, so that you are proved right when you speak and justified when you judge.” David, realizing that he had committed a deplorable sin to Uriah, his wife, and his family, first knelt in front of God. He cried and repented that he had caused irreparable harm to Uriah, Bathsheba, and God who loved them all dearly. David repented before God that he had betrayed the power that was given to him by God, and that he had betrayed God’s trust.

3.

When we look at the situation in this light, there would be nothing wrong in Park Do-Sop giving a tearful confession that he had repented and obtained God’s forgiveness. That’s exactly how it should happen. We who believe must never forget that the sins we commit towards others are, first and foremost, sins we commit against God. And so, we must, first and foremost, seek forgiveness from God. Unless we stand in the presence of God, it is difficult to truly acknowledge our sins. After receiving God’s forgiveness through confession and tears, we will then have the courage to repent and face those we have hurt and so wait for their forgiveness. Through God’s forgiveness of our sins, we are granted the courage to confront our victims, and to take the sacrifices and losses necessary to heal the hurt.

An atheist philosopher once said on his deathbed, “There is only one thing I envy about you Christians. You have someone who will forgive you. I have no one who will forgive me.” We are fortunate indeed to have someone who will forgive us. When everyone in the world seems wagging their finger at us; when it seems that everyone in the world has their backs turned on us; it is then that we are so thankful that we have a place to go and lean against. It is a precious grace that we have God who embraces us, cleanses us, and makes us anew. Besides the grace, there exists no other power that can save us from the shackles of sin.

Some people criticize this as “Cheap Forgiveness.” Well, they ask: isn’t it cheap and meaningless if all we have to do is to repent and pray for forgiveness, no matter how serious is the sin we have committed? Once, I myself had great difficulty with this doctrine of forgiveness. When my understanding was limited, the cross appeared to be simply a “Forgiveness Vending Machine.” I felt that if I put in a coin marked “repentance,” the machine would simply, ka-chunk, drop “forgiveness.” That just didn’t feel right, but the church taught us to simply believe unconditionally, so I used to do just that, put my “repentance” coins into the machine, and reached for the “forgiveness” that came from it. Like bad-tasting coffee from vending machines, such cheap forgiveness offered little comfort and, after a while, was quickly forgotten.

But one day, I came to face the meaning of my own sins. I spent days fasting, praying and shedding tears in the presence of the cross, and realized the true meaning of repentance and forgiveness. I realized that what I had to give to God was not just pay “lip-service” to repentance, but offering repentance with my whole trembling body and heart being shredded to pieces. I realized that, unlike the cheap coffee from vending machines that offers only momentary comfort, the forgiveness from God, as it emanates from the Cross, has the greatest power to restore us to a deep fellowship with God and to heal even the deepest hurts hidden in our hearts. It was then that I realized that, through Jesus Christ, God had already paid the price we had to pay for our sins.

Those who have faced the gravity of their sins with fear and trembling can witness to this reality, the reality of paying the high price of sincerely confessing and repenting one’s sins. False repentance, habitual repentance, or creedal repentance is cheap and easy, but true repentance is very expensive. It is a costly atonement indeed, the atonement as manifested by God through Jesus Christ’s act on the cross. Therefore, the act of sincere repentance to God and receiving true forgiveness from God is definitely not a cheap grace. It’s an expensive grace indeed.

4.

Has Park Do-sop really repented? Was the forgiveness he supposedly received a genuine forgiveness coming from God? There is no way of knowing; however, looking at Park Do-Sup’s attitude when he confessed God’s grace of forgiveness to Sin-Ae, we feel otherwise. Doesn’t he look rather shameless for a man begging for forgiveness? Shouldn’t it have been that Park Do-Sup could not face Sin-Ae directly, and could only beg her for her forgiveness with heartfelt tears? If the forgiveness he had received from God was real, shouldn’t he have acted that way? I am not sure how contrite and repentant he was in the solitude of jail before meeting with Sin-Ae. However, facing someone for the first time to whom he had caused so much pain, wasn’t he supposed to collapse to pieces once again?

I told you earlier that once you are forgiven by God, you will gain the courage to face the person you have hurt with your sin. I am not saying that the person forgiven by God should feel unashamed of his actions in front of the victim of his sin. Simply it means that those who have been truly forgiven by God will no longer be afraid of the possible punishment by others, and for that reason only they will be able to lay down everything and have the courage to say, “I will endure any kind of punishments. I will do whatever I can if it heals the pain that my sin has caused you.” While their heart becomes brave, their meeting with God makes their hearts more compassionate also. Therefore, they become more sensitive to the pains they caused and feel more empathy for those who have been hurt by their sins

We must not misunderstand David’s confession in Psalms 51:4; “Against You, You only, have I sinned.” He is not saying, “I am not responsible to anyone else but God.” It is just an expression emphasizing that his sin is against God before anyone else. Those who have truly repented in front of God are likely to be more susceptible to pains they caused to others. Therefore, after being forgiven by God, David must have begged for forgiveness to those who were hurt by his sin, and must have made a great effort to heal their wounds as much as he could.

Sometime before Shin-Ae visits jail, due to her distraction, she almost runs over a pedestrian while driving. When that happens, the passerby throws a significant remark at her. It is something we need to ponder, in relation to Park Do-Sup’s confession. Here is the clip.

Scene chap.15. 1:23:34 to 1:24:09

Not long after this scene, we get to see Park Do-Sup, seemingly trying to elude the moment by casually saying he is sorry for murdering a person. This provokes us on behalf of Sin-Ae. We get angry that his irresponsible apology is adorned with God’s grace and love. We feel sympathy toward Sin-Ae for her effort to forgive Park without having her heart fully prepared, but we feel contempt for Park talking about ‘forgiveness’ in the name of the Lord. It looked disgraceful.

We have to seriously acknowledge that incorrectly expressed Christian gospel can appear despicable to non-believers. Therefore, we must not so easily claim ourselves to be representatives of the Christian gospel. Particularly, those with a so-called strong faith, those known as fervent prayers, those in the leadership, and those who consider themselves earnest and special must be more prudent. How much Christianity is being misunderstood and criticized because of their unthinking words and actions. I would rather see they do not utter the word ‘God.’ I would rather see they do not claim to be Christians.

5.

The forgiveness that Christianity has taught based on the Bible is neither cheap nor irresponsible. Traditional Christian theology teaches that there are three elements to enable a truthful forgiveness. They are called ‘Three R’s of Repentance: first, Repentance, second, Restitution, and the third, Reformation. Regretting with tears for one’s sin before God is repentance; trying to make up for one’s sin in whatever way is restitution; and correcting oneself so as not to repeat the same mistake is reformation. Full repentance is composed of these three elements.

After the visit, Jung-Chan says that it is incredulous that the look on Park Do-Sup’s face was too good for a sinner. He says that, based on that, God really is alive and He really is a fearsome God. However, the very comment proves that the forgiveness Park Do-Sup claims to have received from God is a fake. If the grace he received really came from God, his expression would not have been so comfortable. Even when he had peace in his mind from knowing that he had been forgiven by God, he should have suffered together with Sin-Ae’s family for the pain his sin caused them. That would have been the ‘restitution’ he could have made to Sin-Ae. When Sin-Ae visited, he should have collapsed in pieces in great pain and agony. He should have cried hundreds even thousands of tears if crying was what it took. Park Do-Sup makes a confession that he will keep praying for Sin-Ae until his last day; nevertheless, it sounds like he will do that in a spirit of charity not repentance.

Including myself, how many Christians are neglecting our obligations for others in the pretext of God’s forgiveness? If our forgiveness from God is true, we would be more sensitive and active in our responsibilities for others, but often in reality, the opposite is true. How often do we dare to utter ‘God’s forgiveness’ in order to avoid personal loss?
This reminds me of an elder that I was acquainted with in Korea. One day, he injured an elementary school child in a car accident. He could have just done the minimal obligation by making arrangements with the insurance company and sincerely repenting to God for the pain he had caused the child’s family. When such things happen in Korean society, generally people have a tendency to take care of the very basic and legally required minimum acts so as not to receive more damages than necessary. He could have done the same. Nevertheless, until the child was released from the hospital, the elder visited him every single day on the way home after work; and prayed for the child and his family everyday at early-morning prayer meetings.

This is the type of ‘restitution’ we believers must practice. I am not trying to elevate the elder as a perfect man in every respect. However, in this one incident, he repented truthfully and behaved appropriately for a man who was forgiven by God. The elder and the child’s family became very close in that process, and they started coming to church, deeply moved by his sincerity, without being prompted to.

6.

Let’s now reflect on the third element of repentance, that is, reformation. If a person recognizes his own sin and repents and receives God’s forgiveness, and with that power he tries his best to help the victim, then there is one more thing he has to do. That is to correct himself. At times we feel guilty deserving Gods punishment, and then such guilty feeling is followed by the feeling of having received the grace of God’s forgiveness. This is when we go around busily witnessing and praising God’s grace. But we are negligent in our efforts to prevent a repetition of the same sin. And there are many who do not feel the need for the effort that is apparent from such a perspective. True repentance requires one’s deep reflection and receiving newness in God’s grace.

From this perspective, David’s repentance in Psalm 51 is very precious. In his prayer he not only asks to cleanse his sins but also asks for renewal.

From Verse 10-12 we can read David’s true wish.
10Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
11Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me.
12Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.

David clearly knew that correcting himself could not be done by himself. As long as God creates a clean mind and renews the human mind, David did not have any hope of doing it all by himself. So he appealed to God. He asked for renewal and for the strength not to fall into the sin again. Cross is not a “Forgiveness Vending Machine”. Without correcting ourselves and while repeating the same sin, inserting the forgiveness coins is a meaningless act. When we think about the weakness of our human nature, the possibilities of repeating sin are always there, but we have to ask God again and again for our renewal. Cross is not the “Forgiveness Vending Machine” that spits out the “forgiveness thing” whenever we need it, but has the power to cleanse us from ours sins and to renew us. If we live with the power of Cross, we can shed our sins.

My beloved congregation. Let’s reflect on ourselves. All of us, you and I, knowingly and unknowingly we gave to and received from others hurts, small and big. But perversely we only remember the hurts that we have received and cannot remember the hurts that we have inflicted on others. Or we don’t want to remember such actions. But our denial of such fact does not change the truth. It is evident that we gave more and deeper hurts to others than we have received from others. We are now living like that and will continue to live like that in the future.

What are we going to do about it? There are many options we can choose. One plan is to harden our hearts and make our hearts impervious to any mistakes and focus only on pursuing our success and happiness. But this kind of life makes not only ourselves but also our neighbors unhappy. Or, by accepting superficially the Christian precepts of repentance and forgiveness, we can live in the comfort of a good conscience by prayers of repentance whenever we have guilty feelings. We may feel comfort and peace with ourselves in such a life but it is not much different from a life of illusion. With such a prayer of repentance we cannot receive God’s true grace of forgiveness and there will be no newness in us. Non-believers would feel repugnance when they see such repentance.

The only true road for us is to realize clearly what is true repentance, and armed with the grace of the Holy Spirit, we must first receive the gift of true forgiveness from God through our true repentance. Secondly, with the power of grace and love, we should concentrate on healing the hurts that we have inflicted on others through our own sins. Thirdly, in order to receive newness through the grace of the Holy Spirit, we must pursue further a spiritual life.

With this kind of life, we can truly enjoy the true freedom and happiness within God. His grace and blessing will not lead us to illusion but help us to concretely delve into the real life, and help us to pay the price we must pay. Only then will we be renewed and the world will believe in the miracle of love only after seeing our true repentance and forgiveness.

My beloved congregation, shall we dream and yearn together for such repentance and forgiveness?

Oh Lord
The repentance and forgiveness that we have longed for and witnessed, we recognize that they are as irresponsible, self-centered and delusional as those of Park Do-Sup.
Have pity on us
How much have you been abused by us?
Give us your mercy
Help us witness your living existence with our repentance and forgiveness
O, Lord
Help us to be capable of true repentance and forgiveness.
Amen