GO AND DO LIKEWISE Luke 10:25-37 Theme of the Month Intimacy and Family
Rev. Moses Seo
Guest Speaker, English Congregation Vancouver Chinese Baptist Church, Vancouver, British Columbia
Sunday Sermon for 27 June 2010
Scripture Passage Luke 10:25-37
On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. "Teacher," he asked, "what must I do to inherit eternal life?" 25
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"What is written in the Law?" he replied. "How do you read it?"
He answered, " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind' [a]; and, 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' [b]" 27
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"You have answered correctly," Jesus replied. "Do this and you will live."
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But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, "And who is my neighbor?"
In reply Jesus said: "A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he fell into the hands of robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. 31 A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. 32 So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. 33 But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. 34 He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him. 35 The next day he took out two denarii [c] and gave them to the innkeeper. 'Look after him,' he said, 'and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.' 30
"Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?" 36
The expert in the law replied, "The one who had mercy on him." Jesus told him, "Go and do likewise." 37
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It’s a wonderful time to share my testimony with you all today! It’s a great joy and honor for me. It’s a blessing from God. So I give all the thanks and glory to God. I also give thanks to Rev. Jeffrey Sharp and to all of you for this special invitation. When I entered this worship I felt that the Holy Spirit was full in the church. I believe it was because you have the mission-oriented minds. Today, I would like to talk to you a little about myself and my calling for the Native mission first. Then, I’ll talk to you about the conditions in which the Canadian Natives live. And finally, I’ll end the sermon with some of the things you should know when you visit the Natives. I studied theology in Korea. I’m Korea Baptist Theological Seminary class of 79. I graduated in 1986 and I was ordained in 1989. In 1988, the year of Seoul Olympics, I planted a church in Seoul and served it for 5 years. Then in September 1993, I went to study in New Zealand with my family and came to Canada in March 1995. Then in January 1997, God sent me to Montreal and had me plant All Nations Baptist Church. There, while serving a Korean congregation, God opened my eyes to see the Natives on this land. Now, I’ll tell you about the calling I received for the Natives. It was April 1, 1999. I came home that evening and turned on the TV and there was a live program on the birth of Nunavut, the new territory of Canada. I was immersed in that program. Canada’s Prime Minister, politicians and the Native people of the north, the Inuit, filled the auditorium. More than anything, I was taken in by those Inuit because it was as if I was looking at my neighbors from my country village when I was growing up. Sun-burned and thin faces, shabby clothes and unfashionable… But everyone looked so friendly. After that day, I began to study about Canadian history and the Natives with books and internet. More I studied; more drawn I was to them. Finally, I realized that the Natives on this land were like the man who fell into the hands of robbers in Luke 10:25-37. And through that Bible passage, God gave me the calling for the Natives. I shared that calling with the church leaders and we prayed together. I also participated in the short-term missions with my family. What I realized through the short-term missions was the need for a long-term ministry, a missionary who lived among them. So I made up my mind to spend my whole life among the Natives. Realizing the urgency for this mission, I looked for a way to begin this ministry without supporters. It was a tentmaker(self-support) missionary. So I decided to learn a skill. I thought about many possibilities. Car mechanic, computer technician, carpenter, barber… I chose to be a barber. For one of the short-term mission trips, a hairdresser had joined us and the free haircut was very popular. GOANDDOLIKEWISE 2
There are many benefits of hairdressing. There’s a personal bonding and it’s easy to get to know people. For 20-30 minutes you’re cutting the hair, the customer can’t get away. Once you start, he has to wait until you’re finished. You can start a conversation, and you can share your faith. Another advantage is that the tools fit into a bag so you can carry it anywhere. You can charge your tools ahead if there’s no electricity and combs and scissors don’t need electricity. You can begin anywhere. With the assistance of my church, I registered at a hairdressing school. I began in September 1999 and graduated 6 months later in march 2000. A minister became a barber. I practiced, cutting hair of my church members and the street people. There was one painful aspect of becoming a missionary. I had to leave my beloved church. The church was growing and I was so happy there. It was painful to leave but I had to make a decision because I was obeying God. In June 2001, 2 years after receiving God’s calling for the mission, I resigned from Montreal All Nations Baptist Church. With the advise of a retired missionary who have served the Natives for years, I chose Vancouver Island as my mission field and moved to Victoria in August 2001. For 9 years now, I’ve been serving the Natives around Victoria. We stay near the city because my wife and I have to be tentmakers and work in the city. I’ve worked as a barber and my wife as a home carer for seniors. Let’s return to the Bible, Luke10:25-37/ The robbed man/Go and do likewise ! They are robbed! Why? eg:Residential School… stolen the land, the language, and the names. Like my home country Korea 100 years ago under Japanese colony. Now, I’d like to talk about Native Canadians briefly. • Average life expectancy is 10% shorter than Canadian average. • Infant mortality rate is two times national average. • Over 60% are unemployed and/or dependant on welfare. • Housing or living conditions are far below Canada’s minimum standard. • No water supply or drainage in ¼ of houses, meaning no toilet. • 75% of children in reservations are growing up in single-parent homes. • Outside of reservations, single-parent families reach 90%. • Illiteracy rate is 2 times Canadian average. • Only 5% of Natives graduate from high school on time. • 40% drop out before grade 9.
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• Percentage of Native teenagers in prison is 3 times Canadian average. In Manitoba, 50% of prison inmates are Natives. • While 46% of non-Native offenders are released with admonition, only 15% of Native offenders are released. • Family income is half of Canadian average. • Most notable causes of Native deaths are accidents, assaults and suicide. • Suicide rate of Native teenagers is 5 times higher than non-Native teenagers. • 25% of murder during domestic violence occur in Native families. Natives consist of only 3% of Canadian population. • Most dire problem among Natives is alcohol and drugs. Over 50% of accidents and murder are related to alcohol and/or drugs. I’m going to close now. Mission is our Lord’s greatest commission and the last commandment. Those who follow will have glory but those who don’t will be shamed. We’re living at the end of the ages. We’re very near Jesus’ return. As an individual and as a church, we should be prepared to meet Jesus again. That means we must approach our neighbors who still don’t know the Lord, especially the Natives who fell into the hands of the robbers. The Natives have spent so many years in pain and they’re still in terrible conditions. We cannot ignore them. As people who’ve been saved first, as people indebted of God’s love, and as immigrants living in this land, we must have the Natives, the original owners of this land, in our hearts and pray for them. For the people who have heed and obeyed Jesus’ Great Commission, there will be a big reward on the last day. Until that day, Jesus continues to tell us: “Go and make disciples of all nations!” and “First Nations first!” Amen!
Reflection Questions 1. In addition to First Nation's peoples who else would you see as the one who fell among thieves? 2. Why is it difficult to get passionate about helping those who need our help? As you read through this story in Luke 10. Can you see yourself in any of the characters? 3. In what concrete ways are you being neighbor to those in need? GOANDDOLIKEWISE 4
4. What questions, thoughts, reactions, feelings does today's scripture passage and/or sermon raise in you?
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