Loving My Country, Loving My People
(Matthew 15:21-28, Acts 1:6-8)
In Matthew 15, we see the Canaanite woman whose daughter was possessed by a vicious demon. In desperation, she came to Jesus, having heard of His power and mercy to heal the sick. She knelt before Him and pleaded, “Lord, help me!” But Jesus responded harshly, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. It is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.” Nevertheless, the woman answered, “Yes, Lord, I am like a dog; but even the dogs feed on the crumbs which fall from their masters’ table.” Amazed at the woman’s faith, Jesus said to her, “O woman, your faith is great; it shall be done for you as you wish.” In the end, with just one statement, the woman’s faith healed her daughter.
To the disciples, Jesus was full of power, strength, and authority. With just a word, the sick were cured. And by just calling out, “Lazarus!”, even the decayed rotting bodies of the dead were raised as if merely waking from sleep. Seeing this power, the disciples thought, “This man is the true leader of independence, who can restore Israel’s sovereignty from the Roman army, so we can serve the Lord of hosts once again.”
But Jesus did not restore the nation to the people of Israel. Instead, He was seized by Roman soldiers, struck until His back was ripped like a plowed field, His scalp split open, and His beard torn out. Having not eaten for several days, He carried a cross of raw wood weighing over 100 kg, falling multiple times along the way, and ultimately died on the cross. Seeing this, the disciples began to think Jesus might have been a fake. And they all fled since people were threatening to kill those who believed in Jesus. Disappointed and in despair, they scattered and returned to their hometowns(Luke 24:13–14).
Just a few days earlier, when Jesus entered Jerusalem riding on a donkey, the crowds believed that the Savior had come from Nazareth, and welcomed Him with cries of “Hosanna to the Son of David!” They took off their garments and laid them on the ground, and hundreds of thousands of people celebrated Him. But only three days later, those seeking positions and money from the priests incited the crowd to shout, “Crucify Jesus!” The people demanded that Barabbas be released and Jesus be crucified, and they even dared to say to Pilate, “Let the guilt for His blood be on us and on our nation of Israel.”
On March 1st, 1919, when cries of “Long live Korean independence!” shook the land of Korea from end to end, the Declaration of Independence was proclaimed. It stated, “We hereby declare that Korea is an independent nation and that Koreans are a self-governing people.”
This declaration of independence could only have sprung from the depths of national consciousness and patriotism. With bare firsts, people fell, pierced and shot by the sharp Japanese bayonets and guns. Imagine the tragic scene: people beaten to death in the streets, heads shattered, eyes burst so they couldn’t see, and legs limping. At that moment, the nation’s shouts erupted from the core of their hearts like a roaring furnace, like a volcanic explosion, and everyone burned with love for their country and their people.
Yu Gwan-sun’s martyrdom and patriotic movement stemmed from her unwavering faith in the Lord of hosts. True patriotism is impossible without faith. In terms of the nation, it is martyrdom for the country; in terms of Christianity, it is martyrdom for the faith. Born in Cheonan, she embraced the Gospel with such deep devotion that she never left the church after converting. It’s said
she would go to church and pray whenever she had a spare moment.
In Yu Gwan-sun’s biography, it is said that she thought, “Jesus prayed so hard in the Garden of Gethsemane, sweating for the sins of His nation, His people, and all humanity. Can independence truly be achieved by just shouting, ‘Long live independence’?” From then on, she would pour out sweat as she climbed the mountain behind her village and praying, “Please save this nation. Please grant this nation freedom.” At 17 years old, Yu Gwan-sun was apprehended by Japanese police while shouting “Long live Korean independence!” When the officer asked, “Why are you shouting for independence?” she responded, “God created our nation, and this land belongs to Korea. Why have you come to steal our sovereignty and commit atrocities?” This led to even more severe torture and beatings. Nevertheless, she asserted, “I will not yield; I will live and die for Korea’s independence until my last breath. You should try believing in Jesus too!” and boldly shared the Gospel. As a result, she was sentenced to seven years in prison.
With a burning patriotism in her heart, she evangelized those in prison, believing that only by spreading the Gospel of Jesus would her nation achieve freedom and liberation. She repented for never having shed a tear for her own nation, let alone the entire world, even though Jesus wept for all nations, and for not properly delivering the Gospel of Jesus to her people. The love for her homeland always burned brightly within her.
A Patriot of God’s Kingdom
When Jesus was on Earth, he was also a patriot of the Israelite people. In a broader sense, he was a patriot of God’s kingdom, embracing the entire world. Jesus loved his people so much that, as stated in today’s passage, he said it was not right to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs. The Bible records Jesus weeping three times while on Earth:
(1) When Jesus’ friend Lazarus died, He was deeply moved and wept.
John 11:33 When Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her also weeping, He was deeply moved in spirit and was troubled,
(2) Coming down from the Mount of Olives after praying, Jesus looked at Jerusalem and wept.
He shed endless tears looking at Jerusalem across the Kidron Valley from the Mount of Olives. Jesus, being God, knew all that was to come.
Luke 19:41-44 When He approached Jerusalem, He saw the city and wept over it, (42) saying, “If you had known in this day, even you, the things which make for peace! But now they have been hidden from your eyes. (43) For the days will come upon you when your enemies will throw up a barricade against you, and surround you and hem you in on every side, (44) and they will level you to the ground and your children within you, and they will not leave in you one stone upon another, because you did not recognize the time of your visitation.” He entered the temple weeping, only to find that the place meant for prayer and proclaiming God’s Word had become aden for making money, selling goods, and keeping animals. Jesus took a whip, drove them all out, and said, “My house shall be called a house of prayer, but you are making it a robbers’ den.”
(3) Before being crucified, he wept bitterly in the Garden of Gethsemane.
He prayed so intensely for the sins of humanity, and especially for the people of Israel, that his sweat became like drops of blood. Have we ever prayed with such intensity in our lives of faith that our sweat became like blood?
Hebrews 5:7 In the days of His flesh, He of fered up both prayers and supplications with loud crying and tears to the One able to save Him from death, and He was heard because of His piety.
Jesus wept, beating the ground and His body, tearing at His hair. Jesus came to this Earth with a fervent love and burning flame of patriotism for his people and all humanity. He didn’t simply say, “I am the Son of God, believe in me to be saved.”
The disciples, just like Jesus, were fervent nationalists and patriots. They believed that by simply following Jesus, they could overthrow the Roman regime through His authoritative Word. There were even zealots among them. They expected miracles, but instead, He silently endured beatings with no signs or wonders appearing. They called Him the atoning Lord, Son of God, and the Holy Trinity of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, yet He died a seemingly meaningless death on the cross at the hands of uncircumcised, non-believing Roman authorities.
But after three days, He broke the power of death and resurrected. Seeing this, the disciples, 40 days later, thought, “We thought he was dead, but he’s alive—now’s the time! Surely the resurrected Lord, who conquered death, will restore the nation of Israel.” With this in mind, they asked, “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?” Jesus then replied, “It is not for you to know times or epochs which the Father has fixed by His own authority; 8 but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.” (Acts 1:7-8).
The gospel must be preached for the people of Israel to be liberated. If we believe in Jesus, we must receive the power of the Holy Spirit. Without it, we cannot overcome ourselves or sin, and will simply live aimlessly and die. God commanded, “Preach the word; be ready in season and out of season” (2 Tim 4:2). That is the Gospel of life, the Gospel of salvation. It is patriotism towards the world. It’s saying, “If you have been thinking only of the narrow Israel, now expand your hearts and embrace Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and the ends of the earth, and preach this gospel of eternal life.”
Jesus loved His people thoroughly and passionately, as if it were His own body. However, Jesus was a global patriot, extending beyond His own family, people, and nation. He crossed ethnic boundaries to go to Samaria and met the Samaritan woman at Jacob’s well, didn’t He? Through that encounter, the Gospel was spread to Gentile nations (John 4). Jesus was not only a patriot for His own people but also for foreign nations like Korea. We, as believers, should move beyond a narrow Korean national consciousness and become patriots who embrace all nations of heaven
and earth. Christ has a homeland, but no borders. Similarly, we believers have Korea as our homeland, but no borders, because we must preach the Gospel to the ends of the earth.
In Israel, there’s a national museum, and then there’s Yad Vashem, the Holocaust Martyrs’ and Heroes’ Remembrance Authority. It exhibits items from the genocide of six million Jews, including soap made from their bodies. There, you’ll find just two phrases: “Never forget!” and “Never again!” Do we have anything similar in Korea? Furthermore, to foster patriotism rooted in the faith in the God of Israel, six million trees were planted across the entire land of Israel.
During the Korean War, communist murderers, especially those from the political security bureau, would cut down those loyal to South Korea with blades and hang their bodies on bamboo poles at the gates of their homes. Countless patriots were killed, and 84,000 people were abducted to the North. War must never happen again. Three million of our people were sacrificed during the Korean War. We must teach our descendants to love their country and their people, just like the people of Israel.
Countless Korean patriots fought for independence. Because they loved their country and their people, no one only looked after their own job or family. In particular, those who love God cannot help but love their country and people. Patriots raised in the faith love their nation while also loving the world, and furthermore, love God fervently. Therefore, a true patriot is one who loves God and loves their own people. “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.” This is what God commanded Moses to tell the people (Deut 6:5). This is the very beginning of patriotism.
Jesus told those who loved the people of Israel and dreamed of their restoration, “When the Holy Spirit comes on you, you must go out and preach the gospel in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth, only then will you be a patriot.” Evangelism is absolutely essential. One who loves God can love their own homeland. When facing difficult obstacles, bowing down on the ground and entrusting the country and people to God in prayer, loving one’s neighbor, and truly loving one’s spouse and children—all of these are acts of patriotism.
No greater spirit can save a nation than faith. Love for God and love for country are in harmony. By loving God, one comes to love their country, and when one loves God, their heart is always renewed (Col 3:10).
Colossians 3:10 and have put on the new self who is being renewed to a true knowledge according to the image of the One who cre ated him
Lee Seung-hoon was arrested by Japanese military police during the independence movement. He was severely beaten and tortured to the brink of death for three months in jail. Finally, a sharp-witted Japanese prosecutor asked him, “Did someone order you to engage in the independence movement?” He replied, “Yes.” The prosecutor, pleased, offered, “If you tell me who it is, I’ll release you. Who is it?” Lee Seung-hoon responded, “It was our living God who ordered me.” It’s said that whenever he was tortured, Lee Seung-hoon invariably stated, “God did it all. It’s not my will, but God’s will. God commanded me to love my people and my country! And I am obeying that command by loving my country.” In this way, an independence movement commanded by God is true patriotism.
Jesus said, “When the Holy Spirit comes on you, your nation is not just Judah or Jerusalem, but to Samaria and beyond, to the ends of the earth!” During Jesus’ time, Rome wielded immense power and ruled the world. Rome philosophy of rule was that power meant justice and peace, and everyone else believed that peace was maintained by the power of Rome. However, Jesus made a new, revolutionary declaration. He said, “When the power of the Holy Spirit comes upon you, you will be able to rule the world.” He proclaimed new teachings such as loving humanity, having no enemies, and loving others as oneself, but people didn’t grasp these words. The gospel of Jesus is the gospel of grace, my gospel, the gospel of heaven, life, and salvation. The gospel contains the power and authority of God.
Believers should rely on God rather than powerful nations or strong weapons. In Isaiah 30, when Israel tried to rely on strong nations and buy their weapons, God called Isaiah to rebuke the king, saying, “If you trust in strong nations, that’s just flesh and blood. I will destroy the nations that help, and I will destroy the nations that receive help. Therefore, rely only on Me and trust only in Me!” What is the strongest nation for believers? It is the nation that trusts in God.
Isaiah 30:1-3 “Woe to the rebellious children,” declares the Lord, “Who execute a plan, but not Mine, and make an alliance, but not of My Spirit, in order to add sin to sin; (2) Who proceed down to Egypt without consulting Me, to take refuge in the safety of Pharaoh and to seek shelter in the shadow of Egypt! (3) “Therefore the safety of Pharaoh will be your shame and the shelter in the shadow of Egypt, your humiliation.
No matter how many atomic bombs or other unknown weapons this nation may possess, if our mighty Lord speaks but once, they will all vanish. I am someone who believes this. In Judges 7:18, Gideon’s 300 men killed 120,000 and captured 15,000. What was the cheat code God gave Gideon then? It was “For Gideon! For the Lord!”
“War belongs to God.”
Those who say “there is no God” instigate wars among themselves. Yet, as the Bible says, no matter what people plan, God has declared, “O people, war belongs to me.”
1 Samuel 17:47 and that all this assembly may know that the Lord does not deliver by sword or by spear; for the battle is the Lord’s and He will give you into our hands.”
“God is a God who is mighty in war.”
God is mighty in battle. He is a strategist who does not just barely win, but wins overwhelmingly factors. That is why we must trust in God.
Psalm 20:7 Some boast in chariots and some in horses, but we will boast in the name of the Lord, our God.
Psalm 24:8 Who is the King of glory? The Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle.
Dear saints, there’s no need to worry about what will become of South Korea. If you trust in God as your Father, when you plead with Him, “Father, this nation is in peril,” believe that the God above will not remain silent but will answer, “I understand,” and everything you pray for will be fulfilled. So, no matter how many problems or political turmoil South Korea faces, watch how this nation prospers. Who is responsible? It is because of the prayers of the believers and because of our Father God. Believe that God, for the sake of His holy seed, His holy children, will overlook our mistakes and protect all us saints so that we may be well.
A true patriot is one who believes in Jesus well and spreads the Gospel
Young people, just twenty-one or nineteen years old, fought in the Korean War. Aren’t they patriots? Is throwing stones, breaking windows, hitting teachers, cutting hair, or throwing flour being a patriot? People call themselves patriots just because they resist dictatorship. But more than that, true patriots were those who shed their blood and sweat, went without food and clothing, and gave their all to the nation’s highest command, serving diligently as soldiers, police officers, and members of civilian organizations, dedicating themselves to the very end. I ask you, in the name of the Lord, to remember and never forget the sacrifices of those who toiled 55 years ago, and to devote yourself to our nation.
Let us now pray.
Thank You, God. The month of June is the month of patriotism. Following the example of Jesus who loved His own people and, beyond that, embraced the whole world with passionate, tearful prayer, please make us people who love not only this nation but also the whole world through the Gospel. Whether sitting or standing, eating or drinking, please make us warriors of the cross who preach the gospel of eternal salvation in Jesus Christ, testifying until we enter Your Kingdom. Please make us Your precious sons and daughters who love our country and our people. Asking for all these things, I offer this prayer of thanks in the precious name of Jesus. Amen.
June 12, 2005
Sunday Main Service
Rev. Abraham Park
*You can also read this article on the 'True Peace' online platform.
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2025 World Redemptive History Evangelist Conference (Proclaim)
