John 8:1-11 Part 1 – Two Responses to Jesus: A Tale of Hearts and Choices

This is one of the most well-known and profound stories of Jesus: the account of the woman caught in adultery, brought before Him by the scribes and Pharisees in an attempt to test His wisdom and authority. Here I wanted to focus on the different response between the people who came to and the group of the scribes and the Pharisees. The first group came to listen and be taught by Jesus. The second group came to find a ground for accusing Jesus. Their contrasting responses reflect the choices we all make when we encounter Jesus.

In the opening of John 8, Jesus returns to the temple again after a series of dialogues with a hostile crowd in chapter 7. The scene immediately draws our attention to see the contrast between the people who came to Jesus early in the morning and the group of the scribes and the Pharisees.

Text Summary

Early in the morning, Jesus sat down and began to teach many people in the temple. The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman caught in adultery in front of Jesus, asking Him what needs to be done to the woman, invoking the law of Moses. Instead of responding directly to their accusations, Jesus stooped down and began writing on the ground. He then said, ‘Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her’ After Jesus stooped down to write the second time on the ground, people began to leave one by one. After no one left, Jesus told her that He did not condemn her and to not sin anymore.

The First Group: Eager to Learn

The first group is described as “all the people” (John 8:2). They gathered early in the morning, drawn to Jesus’ presence and teaching. Given that this is early morning, we have a reasonable basis to think that these people made a deliberate choice to seek Him out this time of the day with a humble, teachable heart. By sitting down to teach them, Jesus honored and accepted their desire to listen. This simple detail of sitting down points out Jesus’ character of intimacy, accessibility and humility.

The Second Group: Eager to Accuse

But then, an unwelcome interruption – a striking difference from the eager group. The scribes and the Pharisees, dragging a woman caught in adultery, intrude on the scene. In contrast to the people who came early with a teachable mind to listen to Jesus’s teaching, they came with an evil intent to establish ground to accuse Jesus (John 8:6). Their actions, likely fueled by jealousy (Mark 15:10), revealed their inability to inspire people with the same grace, truth, and authority that Jesus embodied.

The Choice

What a sharp difference we see between these two groups! The first group of people came early and Jesus began to teach them. They made a choice to come early in the morning to listen. The second group that comprised the scribe and the Pharisees came not to listen, but to test and establish a ground for accusing Jesus.

Even in these opening few verses in chapter 8, we can draw practical, immediate lessons: the same stimulus can evoke vastly different responses in people. Jesus exposed Himself to a wide variety of groups, especially after the start of His ministry. He taught in the temple, engaged with people across socioeconomic boundaries, preached on mountains, performed miracles like healing the blind, and debated with hostile Jews, including religious authorities. To all that Jesus taught and demonstrated, some responded attentively, like those who came early to the temple to hear Him teach while He sat down. Others, however—like the scribes and Pharisees—chose to test Him and seek grounds for accusation.

The Choice Before Us: A Teachable Heart or a Hardened Heart?

This passage invites us to reflect on the choices we make when we encounter Jesus. Do we approach Jesus with a teachable heart, seeking to learn and grow? Or, do we approach Jesus with a hardened heart, dismissing His teachings and allowing our hearts to be captivated by jealousy? The difference can be striking, and that choice remains within our discretionary decision. May we guard our hearts and cultivate a teachable spirit as we approach the presence of Christ, eager to learn and grow in faith

More to continue on the next blog.

Daniel 1 Part 2 (1:4-21) From Crisis to Opportunity: How God Used the Collapse of Judah to Expand His Remnants’ Understanding of Him

When His people sin, remaining faithful to His unchanging principles and character, God acts with justice to discipline His people. In the beginning of this chapter, God executed judgment on the nation. In the rest of the chapter, however, God showed compassion and grace to His remnant at the individual level through Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah.

God of Principle II (Compassion): Despite the sins of Judah, God showed compassion and ensured the survival of His people. Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah were among those who received God’s favor (Daniel 1:6, 8). Through God’s compassion, Daniel and his friends were able to abstain from the king’s choice food and instead eat only vegetables, thus keeping themselves undefiled (Daniel 1:8-16).

God of Principle III (Grace): For Daniel and his three friends – who were likely in their late teens or early twenties – being deported from their homeland of Jerusalem to Shinar in Babylon, a foreign land full of idols, was a traumatic and difficult circumstance. Nevertheless, God provided them with more than enough to live as men of God. God gave them knowledge and intelligence in every branch of literature and wisdom (Daniel 1:17).

Summary (Daniel 1:4-21)

Daniel was determined not to defile himself with the king’s food and wine. He sought permission from the commander of the officials to avoid consuming it. With God’s favor and compassion, the commander agreed to test Daniel and his friends by allowing them to eat only vegetables and water for ten days. When they appeared healthier than the other youths, the commander withheld the king’s food and continued to provide them with vegetables.

God gave these four youths knowledge and intelligence in every branch of literature and wisdom. After three years of education, they were presented to King Nebuchadnezzar and found to be ten times better than all the magicians and conjurers. Daniel continued to serve until the first year of King Cyrus.

Prudently denied King’s Choice Food

Daniel’s unwavering confidence in God was evident even though he hailed from a defeated nation. He understood that it was God’s will for Judah to be delivered to the Babylonians, and he prudently displayed this confidence to the Babylonians. With faith in his God, Daniel made the bold decision not to defile himself with the king’s choice food and requested that he be given vegetables and water instead.

While this may seem like a trivial matter, it was a risky request for Daniel to make as a prisoner from a conquered nation. If King Nebuchadnezzar had found the request displeasing, Daniel could have been executed. However, it was crucial for Daniel to maintain his identity before God the LORD, and his confidence in the sovereignty of the LORD gave him the strength to make this audacious request.

It’s worth noting that the term “defile” here refers to more than just physical intake but also spiritual intake. The meat offered to new students in the Babylonian royal institution was likely sacrificed to Babylonian gods and not prepared according to Levitical standards. By eating this meat, Daniel would have defiled himself spiritually. This was why he took the risk of requesting vegetables and water instead of the king’s choice food, displaying his unwavering faith in God even in the face of danger, even death.

… Yet, “accepted” Babylonian name and education

On the other hand, we find it intriguing that Daniel did not oppose being given a new Babylonian name, Belteshazzar (Daniel 1:7), and accepted Babylonian education (Daniel 1:5).

First, Daniel knew his identity in the LORD God. The meaning of Belteshazzar is “Bel will protect,” and Bel is one of the Babylonian deities, a far cry from the meaning of the name Daniel, which means “God is judge.” Although others in Babylon may have referred to him as Belteshazzar, Daniel knew the meaning of his name and his identity in God the LORD. Therefore, he did not care what other people would call him or how they would try to define him.

Second, Daniel did not reject being educated in Chaldean literature. Given that Babylon was the most powerful nation in the region, it is likely that their progress in science, technology, military, and agriculture was far more advanced than that of Judah. Additionally, Babylon may have had a better understanding of the literature and geopolitical insights of surrounding nations. These kinds of knowledge did not oppose the principles of God in and of themselves. Daniel was confident in God’s ability to use even the leading scientific knowledge and literature to further his understanding of God and to serve Him as well as the king of Babylon.

Opportunity to expand One’s Visions

The collapse of Judah was a great crisis for the Jewish people, as it threatened to erode their identity in God. But it also presented a great opportunity. In the aftermath of the destruction of Judah and God’s temple, the Jews had a chance to expand their understanding of God. God can work wonders with His remnants, even through the wisdom and literature of the gentiles, especially the Chaldeans.

Daniel and his three friends were among those remnants who were given knowledge and intelligence in every branch of literature and wisdom. They did not reject this education, but instead used it to further their relationship with God. They did not allow themselves to be turned by Chaldean literature and wisdom, but instead used it to become even stronger men of God who could serve both their pagan kings and honor God (Daniel 2 and 3).

If Judah had not collapsed, Daniel and his friends might not have had the opportunity to serve the king of Judah in such important roles. Those who were faithful to God might have faced persecution in Judah, as Jeremiah did. The intelligence and wisdom of Daniel and his friends might have shone more brightly under the Babylonian empire, where they were allowed to be educated. In addition to the word of God, they equipped themselves with the world-leading Chaldean wisdom and literature, becoming more refined men of God with competence.

We can learn from their example today. We too can use cutting-edge technology and frontier knowledge to serve our nation and honor God at the same time. We must not allow this knowledge to master us, but instead subject it to the service of God, our nation, and our neighbors. In this way, we can use even secular knowledge to become more refined men and women of God.

Conclusion

The last verse of this chapter shows that Daniel was a man who served faithfully for around 70 years until the first year of Cyrus. Daniel was undoubtedly a competent man of God, but it’s essential to recognize that his success and longevity were a manifestation of God’s faithfulness. Despite Judah’s sins and the collapse of their nation, God remained compassionate and gracious to His remnants, including Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. We can draw inspiration from the lives of Daniel and his friends and see how God’s wisdom and knowledge were instrumental in the foundation of their success in the kingdom of Babylon.

As followers of Christ today, let us continually praise God for His unwavering love and faithfulness towards us. May we seek God’s grace and compassion in our lives, knowing that He is the ultimate source of all wisdom, knowledge, and strength.

Judges 8: Absolute Power Corrupts

This chapter made me sad. Empowered by the Spirit of the LORD, Gideon indeed rose as a valiant warrior in Judges 7, pulling out a miraculous victory over the Midian army. In Judges 8, however, Gideon showed many alarming behaviors, such as taking personal revenge against small cities and building a ruling system which was no different from that under pagan kings.

This chapter somewhat reminded me of the Federalist Papers No. 50, which I had a chance to read when I was a graduate student. The country’s founding fathers, James Madison and Alexander Hamilton, emphatically stated the danger of power concentration, therefore, arguing for establishing checks and balances system in the Constitution. Absolute power absolutely corrupts. Sadly, Gideon underwent this experience.

Summary

Gideon with 300 men continued to pursue fleeing Midianites. In his pursuit, he asked for food at Succoth and Penuel, two cities in the Gad tribe, but were rejected. Nonetheless, Gideon continued to pursue and captured Zebah and Zalmunna, two remaining leaders of the Midiantes, and routed the rest of the Midianites army. On his way back, Gideon revisited the two cities, Succoth and Penuel, to punish them severely by killing the men of the town and destroying their major tower. After Gideon killed Zebah and Zalmunna, two remaining heads of the Midianites, he was asked by the men of Israel to rule over them. During his reign, although Israel had 40 years of peace, he had many wives and nearly seventy sons, and the people of Israel played harlot with an ephod that Gideon made.

Gideon Servile to the Strong…

The men of Ephraim (one of the largest Israel tribes) came to Gideon in anger because he did not call them during the early stage of war against the Midianites. In response, Gideon mitigated their anger tactically by giving the tribe of Ephraim a key credit to the overall war (Judges 8:2-3). Therefore, the men of Ephraim subsided their anger.

Gideon’s tactical response can be viewed either positively or negatively. In a positive perspective, he genuinely gave a full credit to the Ephraim tribe for achieving key victory against the Midianites – indeed, Ephraim, although participated late in the war, played a key role in capturing the two first kings of the Midianites (Judges 7:24-25). In a negative perspective, he was subservient to the strongest tribe of Israel, just to avoid the escalation of altercation.

Gideon, but Harsh to the Weak…

Let’s see how Gideon responded to a weaker tribe of Israel. On his way in pursuing the remaining Midianite leaders, Zebah and Zalmunna, he stopped by two cities, Succoth and Penuel in the Gad tribe, asking for food for his weary men. The two cities rejected Gideon’s request, and Gideon responded harshly by promising for vengeance (Judges 8:7-9). When Gideon returned, after capturing the two Midian kings, he came back to the two cities to punish and kill them (Judges 8:16-17).

I would like to note two observations.

First, Gideon’s harsh response and actions to the two cities in the Gad tribes point to two contradictions within the condition of his heart. On one hand, he showed a full trust in God what God would achieve in his statement, “when the LORD has given Zebah and Zalmunna” into his hand (Judges 8:7). On the other hand, however, he fully vented his anger by killing the men of Succoth and Penuel. This is ironic.

Second, we see little unity among the Israel tribes – even when facing a common external enemy. Succoth and Penuel choose not to offer any help to Gideon and 300 men when they were pursuing the Midianites, the common external enemy. The division and mistrust still seemed to linger between the Israel tribes on the west and east side of the Jordan River (Joshua 22 depicts this condition as well). Even though Israel was called to represent the Kingdom of God, the book of Judges showed a fragile national unity.

Gideon, the Ruler like a Pagan King

After defeating the Midianites, Gideon was asked by the men of Israel to rule over them (Judges 8:22). Notice that the men of Israel failed to perceive that the true source of victory was God the LORD. All they could see was a human, Gideon, who delivered them out of the enemies.

Gideon responded correctly, but failed to live up to his response. Gideon said to them that “the Lord shall rule over you (Judges 8:23),” but he collected a large sum of money (Judges 8:26) and made an ephod, which was supposed to belong to only the Levitical priests. The ephod eventually became a troubling source of Israel’s idol worship. In addition, just like a pagan king, Gideon had many wives and nearly seventy sons (Judges 8:30-31).

He failed to live up to his statement, “the Lord shall rule over you.”

Gideon, Still Man of Faith?

Let’s jump to the New Testament, specifically the book of Hebrews. Gideon was one of those men of faith (Hebrews 11:32), and this designation still puzzles me.

However, it reminded me that God’s perspective and our perspectives can differ significantly. God still saw the good that Gideon had done to Israel despite his flaws and mistakes (Judges 8:35).

This chapter was a sad one because we saw a man who had fallen from his peak. However, still God designated him as one of the men of faith.

Something more for us to ponder the meaning of faith.

KOSTA 2020: Two Sides of Faith

KOSTA conference made its debut online for the first time this year from July 2nd to July 4th (yes!). Before the outbreak of the pandemic, KOSTA has been a 5-day Christian conference that takes place in July every year near Chicago. Because most of the main and seminar speakers deliver their messages in Korean, almost all participants are those who understand Korean. Despite being online this year – or perhaps, because of it – the total number of participants reached nearly 900 people, significantly more than last year’s total participants of 500. This year’s theme was Fear to Faith with a hope to instill courage of Christ to everyone in such a time as turbulent as this.

Faith is a mysterious word. It is used very often in the Christian circle, and the use of it varies widely for many reasons. Faith is usually considered something that depends on our will to follow Christ. We may think we know the word, but the comprehensive biblical understanding of the term seems to require a series of herculean overnight meditations, research, and thoughts – at least, that was my impression from the main session by Pastor Song of Good Stewards Church and one of the seminar sessions by Pastor Kim of All Nations Church Seattle during the KOSTA conference. Thanks to their insights, many KOSTANs were able to obtain a more holistic understanding of the meaning of faith. Here’s my attempt to unfold my renewed understanding of the word “faith.”

Faith In the Son of God vs. Faith Of the Son of God

20 I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.
Galatians 2:20 New American Standard Bible (NASB); underlined added for emphasis

According to this NASB version of the underline phrase, “I live by faith in the Son of God,” the main subject of faith is “I,” which is Apostle Paul. If we were to apply this verse in our walk, we become the main subject of the faith. In other words, it is us that need to decide to place our trust in the Son of God and follow Him. For this reason, we hear this statement often: “I need to have more faith!” According to this translated version, faith is something that we must attain, and this has been the common understanding.

Both Pastors Song and Kim pointed out that the NASB version would be masking a very important aspect of the meaning of faith. Their assessment of the Galatians 2:20 based on the examination of the grammatical structure in the original Greek concluded that a better translation would be “I live by faith of the Son of God” not “faith in the Son of God.” The King James Version also maintains “faith of the Son of God.” In this version, the meaning of “faith” changes with a major shift of the subject: The faith of the Son of God empowers Apostle Paul to live. The main subject and the source of the empowerment is the faith of the Son of God, not Apostle Paul. A change of a single word – from “in” to “of” – can render a dramatically different meaning of the word “faith.”

Therefore, in summary, the word ”faith” in Galatians 2:20 points to the faith of Christ, not the faith of Apostle Paul. It was the faith of the Son of God that empowered Apostle Paul to live.

Then, what is the “faith of the Son of God?” I think the easiest way to describe the “faith of the Son of God” is to point to His main character – His character of steadfast pursuit of His people in His Love. Therefore, the last portion of Galatians 2:20 can be paraphrased as “the steadfast pursuit and love of Christ empowers me to live.”

17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “But the righteous man shall live by faith.
Romans 1:17 NASB; underline added for emphasis

With this understanding of the faith, we are able to correctly understand the phrase “faith to faith” better in Romans 1:17. The first faith indicates “the faith of the son of God” which is God’s steadfast pursuit of His people in His love. The second faith – which we are more accustomed to – indicates our response to the faith of the Son of God to place our trust in Christ. Therefore, the phrase “faith to faith” can be interpreted as “God’s steadfast pursuit of His people in His love spawned our response to place our trust in Christ.”

Conclusion

Our typical understanding of the word “faith” has been from a single side. The message by these two pastors allowed us to see the other side to have a holistic understanding of faith. Faith starts with God from His character. To His steadfast love, we simply respond in faith. Faith works two-way. Although this remains a difficult concept, it is a very hopeful, encouraging one because it spawns from God’s love.