The Way Of The Spiritual Leader (Part 1)

by Rev. Sun Myung Moon



Section 1. Those Who Were Called In The Dispensation

1. Noah

When we look at history, because the ties of indemnity are formed only through Abel's blood-line, Noah had paid much indemnity even before the call from God. For this reason, when he tried to establish the condition through 120 years after receiving God's commands, there was Satan's attack. Satan tested him: "You think you are doing good. Let's see how much you really love God. Let's see if you will build the ark for 120 years." Everyone, please think about this. If the ship was built near river, it is a different matter, but isn't it fundamentally wrong to build on the mountain? It is a task which will surely receive opposition. Absolutely, it cannot be seen as normal. Also, when Noah was on his way to build the ship, do you think he went up thinking, "Maybe today I will go up after eating lunch and after taking a nice walk?" No, he didn't. He went up to the mountain to build the ark, even without concern for food.

Noah was a person who invested his whole heart and effort day and night. He had the heart that he must reduce the 120 year period, even if God gave the commandment of building the ark for 120 years. Likewise, he established the integrity of heavenly character. (18-156)

Have you thought about Noah's family? Noah built the ark on the top of a mountain. If it was on flat land, it would be a different story, but building a ship on the top of a mountain is not only beyond common sense it also certainly passed the limits of logical tolerance. In any ordinary sense, Noah is acting like a crazy person. If he wanted to build a ship, he should have built it on a bank; however, since he built it on a mountain, his action was totally beyond common sense.

Do you think God who ordered such a command did so in a joking manner? No. God knew better than anyone that Noah's course required a life of long dedication on the path of unbearable suffering, and He did not command him with a more peaceful (inner) content than Noah's suffering course. Because there was a even more difficult content for God, with such a condition God hoped to gain one way to resolve His inner situation, and He commanded Noah to go the path of suffering for 120 years. How miserable would such a heart of God be? His misery was indescribable.

Therefore, when Noah took the obedient position at the decisive, tense moment of whether to accept or not to accept that command, don't you think God was happier than Noah? Moreover, God is the one who could be saddened more than Noah. God's position cannot be established without establishing the position of such an owner who takes the responsibility for joy and sorrow. (48-69).

Noah fought for 120 years in order to conquer himself and his own family. It was not an easy task. After receiving the command of God which foretold that He will judge this earth after 120 years, Noah didn't wait around thinking, "Only a year has passed, now 119 years are left." God promises once to a person who embraces and relates to a great purpose. (19-237)

What should you do if you want to be victorious? You should go into the satanic world and be hit. It is same as Jacob entering into Laban's family which represented satanic world and be tricked ten times and thus be hit ten times. However, Jacob patiently and without a word waited until he stood in front of God's Will. Noah is same. The grandpa Noah was patient and remained loyal to God for 120 years. God commanded Noah to build the ark, informing him that He will judge the world after 120 years.

Why did God gave such a command? Seen from the common sense perspective this command was not normal. Although a ship should be built near a river or ocean, why did God command Noah to build the ship on the top of the mountain? It was a strategy to put Noah in the position where everyone would oppose him. Among the people who lived at that period, there was no one who did not judge Noah with words. He had to stand in such a position. Consider the situation of grandpa Noah building the ark for 120 years, regardless of the young and old and the women and men; all pointed their fingers at Noah, mocking and kicking him and giving all kinds of unthinkable persecution. This was to place Noah in the position where Satan could do everything he could symbolically and substantially.

To a person whom God loves and brings forth, God allows the satanic world to hit him first. It is because if the satanic world hits first, then God can hit the satanic world. judgment is carried out in such a way. God allows his loving children to be hit first, and then He hits Satan. Noah was so; Jacob who established the victorious foundation of Israel was brought out after being tricked in Laban's house; Moses and Jesus were the same. (14-112)

We can see another example in Noah's building the ark on the mountain for 120 years. He fought with Satan for that long period. Noah suffered rejection from his own wife, family, neighbors and relatives. He received mockery and opposition from his own nation and the whole world. If he attempted to abandon his task even once, then he would have been attacked by Satan again. However, he overcame all difficulties and was successful in completing his mission.

He fought against Satan and separated himself from Satan. God came to love him, and he came to dwell within the realm of God's love. However, that was not all. Whoever comes to dwell in the midst of God's love, God makes that person sacrifice himself by sending him into the satanic world and into difficulties. Of course, one reason may be to train him; however, it is really for the purpose of saving more people. Noah who was righteous, honest and good had to always sacrifice himself with a sorrowful heart and with the shedding of tears. (52-52)

Even in the environment of persecution and chaos, grandpa Noah was able to win over such an environment because he gave his utmost effort. He went forth with the humble mind that he can only try his best in front of God's law to fulfill the duty of filial piety and loyalty. As he went closer in front of God, he felt the cruelty of his environment and became sorrowful. In such moments, because the grandpa Noah went on shedding the tears of repentance and feeling sorry to God, there was no one who could stop his way. Do you understand?

Think of Noah who lived in such way for 120 years. Even though the satanic world mobilized every possible means to hit this one person Noah, he never deviated from the standard which God established as the center. That standard is established as the absolute center of the cosmos, as the righteous man of the cosmos, and as the victor of truth. Therefore, God wanted to cleanse the elements of all enemies which go against this standard. Likewise, if one is hit until the end then a great thing may result. (18-159)

2. Abraham

Let us see Abraham. He was the son of a idol merchant. To Abraham who was living in an affluent environment, God called and commanded, "Oh! Abraham, come out of your home." Thereupon, without a word of complaint, without any guarantee of a good life anywhere else, Abraham left his hometown, Ur of the Chaldeans, abandoning everything. As a result, what did he become? He became a gypsy wandering across borders.

If God calls you to come out, then come out. After coming out, no matter what kind of difficulty you may face, you should never regret or resent God. If you complain then you go back to the position of fallen Adam.

Abraham had to believe God even more absolutely than Adam. In so doing he should become one with God. Then he comes to receive God's love. Because Abraham always went with a grateful heart and never with complaint no matter how much God made him wonder, God loved him and blessed him that "Your descendants will fill the earth like the stars in the sky and the sand in the land." (53-43)

Let us look at Abraham. God separated him from his father who was a idol merchant. He had to abandon his own family, own nation, all the material wealth and everything else. In this manner, by separating him from the satanic world, he came into the land of Canaan. God trained him and advanced the dispensation by making him cry not only for his own people but for other people and even for his enemies.

God made him work leaving his own nation for a foreign land. He had to wander around like a gypsy. He always prayed in tears with earnest heart, and lived with the hope that God could save many people through his prayers.

When we look at the Bible, we may get the impression that God blessed Abraham and loved him unconditionally. However, it is not so.

Abraham had to separate himself from Satan by abandoning his loving family, nation, material wealth, and every thing else, by going to the unknown chosen land, and by always shedding tears for God and for the people. He prayed much for his people and suffered much pain for his nation.

Through such conditions, God was able to establish Abraham as the ancestor of faith and to bless his descendants to prosper greatly. Although such content is not recorded in the Bible, behind God's blessing there was such a background. (52-53)

It was the same for Abraham and Noah. The son of an idol merchant, Abraham was a person whom Satan loved most. However, God has taken away that bright and loving son. The world Abraham dreamed of was different from his father's. Even though he was the son of an enemy, his thinking was different from his father's. Abraham did not worry only about his own family but he worried about the future Israel.

What would have happened when God took away Abraham? When he was growing up, he thought his environment and relatives were on his side, but everything became his enemy. Moreover, think about where would be Abraham's home, relative, nation and world after breaking away from his own nation and tribe, and opposing his own parents? Indeed he was alone. Therefore, wherever Abraham went he experienced hardship and pain. \When he went to Egypt, the king Pharaoh tried to take his wife; he became a gypsy receiving persecution wherever he went. (18- 160)

In order to resolve the miserable history of lamentation, God chose Abraham and made him live a life of wandering. Therefore, Abraham had to go the path of miserable destiny leaving behind the beloved land, his hometown.

Because of this, the road Abraham walked was a miserable one. He had to cross many borders. He became a gypsy. Moreover, he was even driven into the situation where his wife was taken away from him by the deceit of Pharaoh and his family became isolated. (64-210)

However because Abraham felt more seriously that the Israel nation was calling him, the victory was calling him, and the foundation of happiness was searching for him he only longed to enter into the Kingdom of Heaven.

Therefore, God gave His blessing to Abraham. Anyone else would have betrayed God if they had called him into such a severe suffering and difficult environment; however Abraham attended God with the heart that can develop an even deeper relationship with God in such a situation. For that reason, the door of happiness opened in front of his path. (18-160)

3. Jacob

God blessed Jacob. Jacob who received the blessing went into Haran and walked the suffering course for 21 years. He went the path of persecution even being deceived ten times. He was in the sorrowful position. He was driven to the lonely position. However, if Jacob ever became a person who complained about his despair, who felt grief for oneself centering on himself, he could have never occupied the national authority of representing Israel.

Jacob believed until the end that God's blessing will never change even in the suffering course where 20 years were added. He believed that God's promise will never change no matter how much the environment changed. He penetrated and went forth no matter how great a financial power blocked him. There, Laban tried to block the path of Jacob by presenting different things. However, the final victory went not to Laban but to Jacob.

Without bringing such a historical result God cannot establish His victorious day in history. Therefore, you must understand that the victorious foundation for God is the history established when the people in torment did not lose hope.

Although Jacob was driven to the realm of lamentation and despair, he did not lament nor felt despair. He stood proudly believing in the future blessing. Therefore, the realm of the First Israel was established.

It is same for God. No matter how much He was immersed in the realm of despair, He did not lose hope because of despair. He did not lose the ideal of creation because of despair. The stronger and heavier the despair became, the more God determined internally to achieve the ideal of creation centering on his heart and ideal.

Therefore, even if the path that God walks becomes engulfed in the whirlpool of the realm of despair, He does not amalgamate within but steps over that realm of despair to create a day of victory.

If God does not do so, then there is no way for Him to be liberated totally from the realm of despair. Therefore, you must understand that even in the situation of extreme despair and suffering, victory is assured to the people who hold onto God and go forth in belief that "Even in such a position, God does not lose hope nor become discouraged." (64-212)

Jacob treasured the blessing he received from God and in order to receive the blessing he did everything that is unimaginable in the human world. He believed in God's promise absolutely and escaped to the land of Haran to fight for 21 years overcoming all the difficulties by investing his sincerest effort. You must understand that no matter how much opposition you receive, you must overcome it and reach the position of love where you become one with God. (53-43)

Jacob left his home to go to Haran and lived as a servant. He was deceived by his uncle Laban. Uncle Laban gave him Leah instead of Rachel. After taking Rachel, he escaped and returned home. Upon the foundation of difficulties during his 21 years in Haran, God was finally able to bless him. During that period, Laban deceived him ten times. However, by overcoming all those hardships, he was able to leave Haran.

Even in the midst of such hardships, he had the mind of praying for those who deceived him. Also, his action of wrestling with the angel was the action of fighting against Satan who interfered with accomplishing his mission. (52-54)

Jacob fought with such desperate effort he even broke his hip. He wrestled betting his life thinking, "My effort during the past 21 years is decided with this one fight! Depending on the outcome of victory or defeat in tonight's battle, the destiny of my life is decided and the foundation for the blessing of Israel is decided!" Do you think he fought with the angel in a joking manner?

When the angel came, Jacob knew that he came as a messenger from God. Therefore, he asked the angel, "Do you come with the mission to hinder me or to bless me?" The angel answered "I have come to bless you." Jacob then asked, "If you came to bless me, then why don't you simply give me the blessing?" The angel answered, "I cannot give it to you freely because your portion of responsibility is still left."

In other words, the angel was saying unless Jacob could win the fight, he could not give the blessing. That meant that unless Jacob fights with the angel betting his life, the angel will not give the blessing. When angel came out with such a condition, Jacob wrestled with the determination that thought, "OK! Even if I break my finger or my arm, I will not lose to you! I will not let go of you even if you behead me with a sword." How long do you think the battle took? They fought the whole night, Jacob fought with the determination that unless you die first, I will not let go.

God attended there and so did Satan. How desperate was Jacob at that last decisive moment? Jacob did not let go even when the angel broke his hip bone and bent his leg. His determination was such that "Even if I and you both die, I will not let go." How many hours do you think he fought on like that? Ten minutes? One hour? Two hours? He fought like that for more than seven hours. (20-229)

4. Moses

Because the path which God walked was miserable, the path of the people who followed Moses was also miserable. The path of the Israelites was miserable. The path of Moses was also miserable. Moses after 40 years of life in the Pharaoh's palace was driven out from the palace because he took the side of the Israelites. Moreover, he was in the situation where he could not even appear in front of the Israelites and had to live in the Median wilderness as a shepherd. (64-210)

What was one thing which he kept in his mind as he lived the life of a shepherd in the Median wilderness after leaving the palace? He did not feel despair in the fact that his situation was caused by him siding with the Israelites. He did not think that because of the Israelite people he became so. The reason why Moses could win the trust of God was this very point. He thought that even if the fault lay with the Israelites, the reason for him being in this situation was for God. The loneliness he felt was to take responsibility for God's loneliness, and the sacrifice he made were to be a shield to prevent God's suffering.

Don't you think that there would have been attacks from wolves and snakes when he took care of the sheep? However, no matter how much danger, loneliness, and despair seemingly surmounted him, he thought the reason why he came to be in such a situation was not because of Israelites but because of God. Moses who came to that great inner awakening thought that, "I will be loyal to God until the day God's Will is fulfilled."

In so doing, the Israelites who were to inherit God's Will came to relate with him. He stood in the front-line of his people with the autonomous authority and with the thought that, "The reason for me to stand for Israel was ultimately for God's Will." Although there were numerous Israelites, Moses was the most worthy person to stand in front of them -- with the inner and external heartistic attitude.

As ten years passed by, as twenty, thirty, forty years passed by, Moses recollected his forty years of meaningless life in the Pharaoh's affluent palace and said to himself, "I must not be a person who admires the Pharaoh's palace."

It is certain that he admired the nation which God and he longed for, that one palace, where he would live far above the life of Pharaoh's palace and would rule. He longed for that one day when the Israelites would be liberated.

You should know that God ordered Moses to be the representative of Israel because everyone including the descendants of the 12 tribes of Israel, all those who inherited the tradition and the sincere investment of their ancestors, and those who had the authority of special privileges, should have followed the ideology and the tradition of Moses. (64-213)

Then, what was the forty years of life as a shepherd for? Since it was the preparatory period for leading the chosen Israelites, God thought of it as a platform and a period of hardship upon which to grow Moses' strength. He could then overcome, even if over 40 years of suffering may confront him. Because Moses overcame that period, God raised him again and sent him in front of the Israelites.

If he thought of his past even a little, then he would have dreamed on about the luxurious life of the Pharaoh's palace. He would have longed for such an environment, would have compared his situation, and would have fallen into despair as the differences became magnified. Externally, Moses became a person who had completely lost all opportunity. He lost the opportunity in the Pharaoh's palace, and he lived in the Median wilderness for 40 years as a person who could not have any opportunity in front of God. However, Moses was able to unify the Israelites and save the Israelite nation, because he longed for the opportunity, the day which God promised, because he had the mind to save the Israelite people, because he held onto the integrity of loyalty which enabled him to overcome the lost opportunities and his environment.

In order to accomplish his task, how close to God do you think his inner heart, which nobody understood, had to be? Behind his heart, numerous heartistic inner situations with which God could not help but to sympathize, were tied together. To such a person, it was certainly God's responsibility to give him that one heavenly opportunity, and also it was God's Will to do so. (57-301)

5. David

We should know also that God from among many of the ancestors who related with His will, chose a miserable shepherd, David. He placed him in the position to guide Israel. He was a lonely shepherd. He was not born in a great place.

However, in worrying about the nation, he stood in the loneliest place. In such a place he longed for God. You should know that he was concerned about God's agony in his deepest mind. He prayed in front of God with a deeper heart than anyone at that time in order to lighten the burden of God's concern.

When the giant Goliath defied the Israelites and stood with great authority, and when the Israelite army was about to be eliminated, David appeared wearing a shepherd's cloth with his sling and stones. However, David's master was not a human being. He was not subject to a nation. He instead set God as his master. He came out with greater faith in God than any of his ancestors. He knew that God was a living God. He believed that God would protect him even if he faced death.

David walked a lonely path, but he was not lonely. He was in a miserable situation but was not miserable. God was with David because David had resolved to end God's suffering heart. From this we understand that no matter how great Goliath may be, he had to collapse like bits of straw in front of David. (64-211)

6. John The Baptist

Look also at John the Baptist. He also had to leave his beloved home and live in the wilderness. He walked a path that abandoned his loving family, that denied the secular relationships, and that united God's Will and became one with God. God drove him out so that his standard could be recognized as being even better than that of Adam and Eve and as being more loyal than that of the archangel who disbelieved God. (53-44)

Before looking at Jesus, let us look at John the Baptist. John the Baptist was led to the wilderness. In other words, he had to leave his home, be separated from his past, and go out to the wilderness, surviving only on locusts and wild honey. He shed tears for the coming messiah, for God, and for his nation and people. When he prayed, he shed tears of peculiar significance. He shed tears for the nation, for the messiah whom the Israelites longed for and for God's will. In this sense he was the greatest prophet among all prophets.

In other words, all the earlier prophets could not receive the messiah, but John the Baptist was there to straighten the road that the messiah would walk. All the others could not pray for this coming messiah, but John the Baptist could pray for him and would be able to work for him. This was the difference. This was why he was the greatest of all prophets.

However, although John prayed for the messiah as the ruler of his nation, Jesus came as the ruler of the whole world. There was some difference between John's view point and God's heart. This was the beginning point from which he could not be united with Jesus.

John's view of the Messiah was for his own nation. Therefore, he dreamed that the messiah would come to save the Israel people, Therefore, he expected that Jesus would keep the Mosaic Law which was the rule of Israelite people, but he knew that Jesus instead of keeping the Law, violated it.

Coming to save the whole world, Jesus' perspective was much wider and was different from John's. In Jesus' perspective there was no one particular nation. This made them go their own separate ways. Therefore, John the Baptist ended up standing in the position of the Israelites who opposed Jesus, and he rushed into his own death.

If he had stood on the side of Jesus and became one with him, then he would have become the primary disciple and thus the disciples of John would have become Jesus' disciples. Had that happened, the followers of John the Baptist and all people who believed John to be the greatest among all the prophets would have followed Jesus. (52-54)

7. The Disciples Of Jesus

Just as Jesus Christ came as the mediator representing God's love, today, we should appear as the substantial testimony of hope, faith, and love by receiving Jesus Christ's hope, faith, and love.

Without us becoming such people, we cannot fulfill the condition to indemnify the standards of Jesus Christ's hope, faith, and love anywhere we go. Therefore, today, we have to pay back the debt to Jesus Christ who appeared as God's hope, faith, and love in front of this satanic world. Our payment should not be partial but full and complete. Humankind tried to pay back, but was never able to do so fully. However, you should understand that Jesus wanted to reveal a model for such a course through his three disciples.

Then, who was the person who appeared as the substantial fruit of faith? It was Peter. Also, who was the person who appeared as the substantial fruit of hope? It was James. And who was the person who appeared as the substantial fruit of love? It was John.

By these three people taking responsibility for each part of Christ's gospel, today I was able to receive the fruit of faith, the fruit of hope, and the fruit of love. Ideally these three should harmonize and be culminated as one perfected body. This was the last teaching which Jesus left on this earth.

Therefore, today, in order for you to appear as the final perfection, you have to become the representative body of Christ. However, if you cannot stand as one, unchanging, substantial being from this root of three disciples, then you cannot stand in front of the bridegroom Jesus. We have to harvest in each of us the fruit of love which Jesus established through John. (1-92)

8. Peter

The person whom Jesus looked back at as he was walking the lonely path of cross at the peak of Golgotha, was Peter; He was the representative of the beloved 12 disciples. Today, you should feel once again Jesus' gaze that looked back at Peter with a loving heart, even while his heart was bitterly sorrowful for his concern for God's will.

However, Peter denied Jesus three times saying that he did not know Jesus. He stood separated from God's will and without any relationship to Jesus. Although Jesus knew these things, he looked back at his beloved primary disciple Peter, for he wanted to find even one person on this earth who could cover his back on his way toward death, and even one person who could sympathize with his mind and body. Today, you should realize that Jesus' will to find one true person was immersed in his blazing gaze, looking back at his beloved disciple Peter.

There would not be any more sorrowful moment than this for Jesus who came with the responsibility of fulfilling God's overall dispensation. It was so because there was no one who understood his painful heart. He could not find one person who could inherit his mission as he was going the way of Golgotha, the way of death. Therefore, Jesus was pierced by an indescribable sorrow. Only God understood his painful heart and was concerned for him.

When Jesus recollected about his 30 years of life, the painful course walked as he undertook the burden of God's sorrowful situation, he was overwhelmed by the desire to blame humankind and to curse the earth. However, in suppressing such a mind, he stopped his footsteps and looked at Peter who was following. You should clearly know that if you cannot feel Jesus' inner heart today, then you cannot inherit God's Will in place of Jesus.

Then, what would Peter's mind be as he looked at Jesus? He must have been in an indescribably miserable situation, remembering the original relationship of love which he had in the past with Jesus, and groaning in his loneliness. Peter's heart must have hurt so much as he saw the crowd mock the sorrowful Jesus, blame the innocent Jesus, and pull the innocent Jesus.

However, Peter came to stand in the position of thinking only of himself. He did not realize that Jesus came as the messiah with the mission of changing the whole world. When the maiden servants approached Peter who stood in this situation and asked "Aren't you one of Jesus' people?" he replied, "I don't know him," three times. You should clearly know that Peter represented all of humanity on the earth.

When we recollect once again the situations of Jesus and Peter, we come to realize that Jesus looking back at the Peter who denied him three times is not the situation that happened only between Peter and Jesus but happened throughout the process of whole human history. (225)

Although Peter denied his teacher three times at the difficult situation, Jesus truly looked at Peter turning his body toward him. Therefore, when Peter looked at Jesus who had forgotten about his own difficulty, his own sorrow, his own situation and was looking at him, a great transformation occurred in Peter's mind. Peter's emotion exploded when he saw Jesus, forgetting about his own sorrow he truly loved him, and was concerned with his future. Moreover, at that moment Peter realized his identity, as he rekindled the old relationships he had with Jesus when he felt joy, anger, love, and everything together with his Lord.

Peter saw Jesus Christ striving to pioneer the way of human salvation. As he saw that he felt his shortcomings. In other words, when he thought that he stood in the position of a disciple who should have dedicate his whole hearted loyalty to Jesus alone, Peter realized how great a gulf existed between the faith of Jesus toward God and his faith toward Jesus.

When he realized that he believed Jesus as his Lord but did so centering on himself, he was intolerably ashamed in front of Jesus' glance toward him. In other words, he lamented over his unfaithful self. Peter's mind was suddenly transformed and a stirring desire to live for his Lord emerged in his heart. From the moment when Peter realized his unfaithful self, he felt ever more poignantly his shortcomings, as he compared the life course of himself with Jesus.

The three disciples deeply felt how their lives were so self-centered, as they observed carefully Jesus, who offered everything of himself as a sacrifice to God for God's Will and for all people of this earth, without ever seeking his personal happiness, and who never became resentful of complaining as he was dragged on with the burden of the cross. Therefore, the disciples repented in front of Jesus Christ, who was not self-centered, and were able to determine and pledge to inherit and practice the will which Jesus always cherished.

Then, what did Peter feel? He felt the disbelief of those around him as he felt his own disbelief. Peter was able to look through the sorrowful and lonely heart of persecuted Jesus in Jesus' gaze, as he saw the evil people around him as they bound the innocent Jesus Christ and felt pleasure in lashing him. Peter felt the insolence of that environment in front of the burning gaze of Jesus. There, Peter, the disciple of Jesus, determined righteously to fight against such insolent powers around him, until the Lord would come again to destroy the evil people. (2-28)

9. Stephen

Stephen was not a wise person. He was a risk-taker and a person who seemed to lack things. However, he had a trait of deciding splendidly when betting his life. Such traits became the elements for him to be a martyr. With it he became the first generation martyr in Christianity. From this perspective, it is true that Stephen was well above many other people.

10. The Apostle Paul

When the apostle Paul was traveling to witness in the area of Minor Asia, he faced many problems which brought him close to death. The apostle Paul was threatened by his own tribe, by foreigners, and by his enemies, but he went forth accepting all those dangers as his necessary responsibility and mission for being a forerunner and a pioneer. He faced historical journeys of suffering in his short life time. He walked the pioneering course under the single-minded thought to unify and indemnify everything.

11. The Other Prophets

The prophets, whom God called, were people who had no choice but to hold onto God, raise their hands when God asked them to do so, and did not exist for their own selves. Any leader who is not like them will fall away because he cannot hold onto God. However, before you sympathize with them for their hardships, you have to know that God's hardships for sending them was much greater. (11-281)

God urged, "Have the smile of Esther." Accept any kind of persecution. Keep the appearance of not being sad, even if you are sad. Have the appearance that can forget about the false accusations, even if you are falsely accused. When you are enraged, bear it with the determination to forget even the fact that you are born. In recollecting this fact, you should understand that God had to act in such a way until today. (17-92)

Two thousand years ago, Jesus fed bread to numerous people on the field near Bethsaida. Then, why were all those who ate the bread destroyed? Why did the people who heard Jesus betray him? Why did the disciples who followed him through all those hardships for three years betray Jesus? They betrayed him because they thought those words were just for that day, and that bread was to just to fill the stomach in that hour. They did not know that those words which Jesus gave to them were the words which they had to convey to the whole world. They did not know that the bread which Jesus shared with them was the bread which they had to share with all the people of the world. (4-85)

You know about the famous representative of the life of poverty in the Medieval Age called Francis (Giovanni Francesco Bernardone). He advocated the life of poverty. When he lived such a lifestyle, he did not feel resentful, complaining, and sorrowful even if he faced a harsh life and was persecuted by his external environment. If he felt resentful and complained then he would not have inherited God's Will. However, because he felt gratitude in the midst of suffering, had hope in the midst of pain, sought new standards under such hardships, God was able to help him. Therefore, we can see how a new age dawned there. (66-41)

As we know through Saint Francis' holy work, how happy it is to be supported by the whole creation? Of course, I know that you have received much persecution during these times. I am sorry. However, there was no other way. Father was the same. Instead, please possess Father's heart. (11-322)

When Christianity first came into Korea, do you think that while Rev. Thomas was in the place where he had shed blood and was dying prayed, "Father, I came here and now I am dying. Because I came and witnessed here in order to receive my salvation, let me go to the Kingdom of Heaven and let these people go to hell?" No, he didn't. He prayed "Father, even if I die, please resurrect this people instead of the blood I shed." Because he did so, thirty million people are paying respect to him as a son of God.

A person who uses a nation to advance himself has nothing to do with that nation. When we shed tears, we should do it for the world. At this time, because a national repentance did not happen, we should shed tears for the nation. Because a worldwide repentance did not take place, our tears cannot stop. Those who go toward such future would be connected to the will of that history.

You must start, not centering on yourself, but centering on God. You should know that if you start centering on yourself, then it will remain as suffering to God. You must surely go together with God. It is all right even if you don't know how to pray. You just have to be such a person whose heart becomes sad, if God's heart is sorrowful, and whose heart becomes naturally happy when the day is so bright and there is joy in the environment. (32-111)


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