Deoksugung Palace (Seoul, South Korea)

Normally, this week would have been my last session of segajok (new member) training, and next week would have been my official registration at the church. But the training was postponed today, so my registration has also been pushed back by a week. Below is the sermon from my fifth-week service at Saemoonan Church.


John 13:1

13 It was just before the Passover Festival. Jesus knew that the hour had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end.

In the passage, the people of “His own” whom the Lord loves are expressed in Greek as tous idious. This means a unique, personal possession belonging only to Him—not just anyone, but a private, intimate ownership. To our Lord, we are not just one among countless people in the world; we are treasured beings He can never give to anyone else, always wanting to keep close and cherish. The Lord regards us with the tender love of a parent for a child. Even though we are flawed, weak, and sinful, the Lord calls us “His own” and loves us to the very end, simply because He has chosen us.

The expression of loving us “to the end,” heis telos, carries three meanings. First, it is love that lasts until the very last moment of life. Even facing the agony of the cross, the Lord’s concern was entirely for the safety and well-being of the sheep He would leave behind. Second, it is complete love that descends to the very limits. The Lord even washed the feet of Judas, who would betray Him, and personally fed him the bread. He went to a depth that human reasoning cannot comprehend, taking full responsibility with all His heart for those He had chosen. Third, it is love that does not give up until the intended purpose is fulfilled. We may grow weary and want to give up on ourselves, but the Lord continues to lead us until His plan for our lives is realized. This is called “the grace of perseverance”.

The Lord never abandons us. Even when we fall into sin or lose hope in ourselves, He does not forsake us. He sustains us with relentless, unwavering love until His purpose is accomplished.

I find myself conflicted and unsure on how to process the idea that God forgives us no matter what. When I think about myself, I feel deeply grateful for His love and warmth despite my shortcomings. But when I think about people who hurt others, it becomes difficult to accept. They act cruelly, then go to church, pray, and find comfort in the belief that God loves them anyway, only to go back and hurt others again. When I think of Jesus caring for Judas, the one who betrayed Him, it is hard for me to understand what kind of love that is. How can one show such tenderness to a person who has chosen to betray, harm, and crush them?