말보다 말씀! 빚보다 빛!

[Key Verse]
"He did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, just as his father Uzziah had done, but unlike him, he did not enter the temple of the Lord. Nevertheless, the people continued their corrupt practices."
— 2 Chronicles 27:2 (NIV)

[Our Story]
In the village where I grew up, there was a massive "jeonggi tree" (a dialect word for a large zelkova tree) at the entrance. Compared to the surrounding trees, it was enormous—towering high and with a trunk so wide that it would have taken several adults linking arms to encircle it. Its thick, abundant branches created a magnificent canopy of shade, offering a cool refuge for the villagers who often gathered there to share conversations. For us children, it was a magical playground. Simply climbing up and down its branches was a thrilling adventure. When I was very young, I couldn’t even dream of climbing it. But as I grew taller and stronger, I was able to scale the tree with ease. From up there, it felt like I could see a whole new world. The fields looked much broader than they did from the ground, and even without a telescope, I could see far into the distance. The breeze was also cooler and fresher up in the branches—it felt better than any air conditioner. However, one day, while climbing down, I stepped onto a branch that suddenly snapped beneath me. What looked strong at a glance turned out to be a dead branch, brittle and weak. Thankfully, I instinctively grabbed onto another branch and avoided falling, but cold sweat ran down my back. It taught me a lasting lesson: what looks fine on the outside isn’t always strong on the inside.

[Bible Story]
2 Chronicles 26–28 recount the stories of the kings of Judah—kings who appeared good but were deeply corrupt beneath the surface. King Uzziah, for instance, seemed at first to be a righteous king (2 Chronicles 26:1–15). He acted uprightly before God, especially during the life of Zechariah, who taught him to fear the Lord. As long as he sought the Lord, God granted him success. Uzziah achieved victories over the Philistines and prospered in building projects and agriculture. His army grew increasingly strong. However, success led to pride, and Uzziah overstepped his bounds by entering the temple to burn incense—a role reserved for priests alone (2 Chronicles 26:16–23). When rebuked, he became angry rather than repentant, and as a result, God struck him with leprosy. He spent the rest of his life isolated, unable to enter the temple or the royal palace. Beneath his impressive exterior, corruption had taken root. His son, King Jotham, also seemed righteous at first glance (2 Chronicles 27). He built parts of the temple and won military victories, but he, too, stayed away from the temple worship and allowed the people to continue their evil practices (2 Chronicles 27:2). The situation worsened with King Ahaz, Jotham's son. Unlike his predecessors, he openly embraced evil. Following the detestable ways of the Canaanites, he even sacrificed his own children by fire. Rather than seeking the Lord, he relied on the Assyrians. He shut the doors of the temple and set up altars for idol worship. His reign was so wicked that when he died, he was denied burial in the tombs of the kings. Though they appeared righteous at first glance, the kings of Judah revealed a tragic story of corruption and downfall.

[Your Story]
How about us? Does our inner life match the appearance we present to others? Could it be that while we look fine on the outside, inwardly we are far from the truth? Are we shining outwardly but shrouded in darkness within? Are we burning with zeal externally but cold-hearted inside? Are we seemingly serving the church while secretly pursuing our own desires? Are we outwardly faithful Christians but inwardly living another story altogether? May we become people whose hearts and lives are wholly aligned, inside and out. As Jesus said, "Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside also will be clean." (Matthew 23:26, NIV)

Praying for you,
Pastor Hyung Joong Kim
Copyrightⓒ 2025 by Hyung Joong Kim