“The ministry of Jesus’ mission: Seven ways of mission”

John1:14, Mark 10:45  

While I was getting old and when I was thinking about the “life” “faith” “gospel” and “mission, I came to say “seven ways of life” “five ways of faith” “three ways of gospel” and “seven ways of mission.” When I was thinking about mission I was thinking about the life and ministry of Jesus, the supreme model of mission. Then I was counting ‘seven ways’ which Jesus was stepping and following. Jesus was sent by God the Father to the world to carry out the mission of God. Jesus said as the following. "My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work.”(John 4:34). "Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you."(John 20:21). Jesus was the first missionary sent by God the Father to carry out the mission of God. Before I mention about “The ministry of Jesus’ mission: Seven ways of mission” I am going to mention a kind of introductory stories in connection with the mission. 

Whereas the perspective of God the Father is world-wide, universal, and mission directed, the perspective of the human beings are individualistic, racial, national, and mission denial. I myself was individualistic, sensual, national, critical, exclusive and hypocritical. There were a number of teachers who awoke me to hold and cherish the world-wide, universal, and mission directed perspective and vision of God. They were the Rev. Cho Dong Jin, Dr. Ralph Winter, professors of the Fuller School of Mission, Dr. John Stott and Dr. Peter Beyerhaus. When I was about to return home after my studying abroad in USA for 11 years I met the Rev. Cho Dong Jin. He advised me to go to the Fuller School of Mission before my retuning home. Since I carry open ears of listing I said yes and I went to the Fuller School of Mission and stayed there for 8 months for doing research and studies about world mission. While I was attending classes and listening to the lectures of the world-renown scholars of mission I was able to widen my perspective about my life and ministry. I was able to graft and combine theology of history and theology of mission. The lectures of Dr. Winter were especially impressive. While I was somewhat critical about Dr. Winter’s progressive positions I was challenged and awakened to admit some of the new important insights. Since then we have become close friends. When Dr. Winter visited Korea in 1976 I was interpreting his lectures. When he finally visited Korea in May 2008 we enjoyed our happy reunion and we delivered lectures together as well as interviews together. At that time Dr. Winter pointed out very important insights as the followings. 1) It is very wrong to say that salvation is immediately gained from confessing a few words. 2) Short term mission travels are very harmful to mission. 3) Noisy singings with drums are very harmful to worship service. 4) It is very wrong to make churches specialized groups of meetings since Christian churches are originally family and community oriented. Such insights were very precious. I have also learned from Dr. John Stott about the balanced views of mission, balanced views of evangelism, balanced views of dialogue, balanced views salvation and the balanced views of conversion. Such saying as “dynamic unity holding both extremes” was very impressive to me. I have also learned from Dr. Peter Beyerhaus about the trends of the evangelical theology of mission as well as the modern ecumenical theology of mission.

I think we have to look up Jesus the supreme model of mission in order to understand what is mission all about. I think the best Scriptural passages describing the life and ministry of Jesus are John 1:14, Mark 10:45. “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.”(John 1:14). “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many."(Mark 10:45). Now we are going to consider concretely what it is all about “The ministry of Jesus’ mission: Seven ways of mission.” 

Firstly, Jesus’ mission was ‘abandoning’ ‘leaving’ and ‘going somewhere.’ Jesus, the supreme model of mission, abandoned the heavenly glory and left the heavenly home and came to the world. “Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.”(Philippians 2:6,7). Bible pointed out that “He made himself nothing.” The Rev. Park Yune Sun interpreted this passage as meaning Jesus abandoned and left the heavenly glory. Jesus the son of God abandoned the heavenly glory and left the heavenly home and came to the world, even to a manger of animals. Jesus lived almost whole life in the house of a poor carpenter. The ministry of Jesus’ mission was ‘abandoning’ ‘leaving’ and ‘going somewhere.’ The ministry of Jesus’ mission was going to the poor and sick people who were despised and condemned. In fact Abraham, Moses, and the disciples of Jesus followed the ways of ‘abandoning’ ‘leaving’ and ‘going somewhere.’ Robert Jermaine Thomas left the home country of Wales and came to the poor country of Korea. Underwood and Appenzeller left the home country of USA and came to the poor country of Korea. They were precious and honorable forefathers of missionaries in Korea. They became honorable forefathers of the Korean church.

Secondly, Jesus’ mission was not only ‘going somewhere’ but ‘becoming’ a kind of people of the place. Jesus was originally God and the Logos but abandoned and left the heavenly home and came to the world and ‘became’ a man with human flesh and blood. “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.”(John 1:14). It was called ‘incarnation.’ Jesus even became a kind of sinful man. The apostle Paul pointed out that God sent his own Son in the likeness of sinful man. “For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the sinful nature, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in sinful man,in order that the righteous requirements of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the sinful nature but according to the Spirit.”(Rom 8:3,4). It is really unthinkable and amazing truth that God the almighty becomes a man with sinful flesh and blood. To the Jews as well as to the Greek it was unthinkable, foolish and despising thing. But the Bible repeatedly pointed out the unthinkable truth as the following. “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich.”(2 Cor 8:9).

Mission is ‘becoming.’ Mission is ‘becoming’ even poor, week and despised. Jesus became a similar person to the sinful Samaritan woman in order to do mission. Jesus became tired and thirsty because she was tired and thirsty. The apostle Paul confessed that he became many different kinds of things in order to carry out the ministry of mission. “Though I am free and belong to no man, I make myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible. To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law. To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God's law but am under Christ's law), so as to win those not having the law.To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some.I do all this for the sake of the gospel that I may share in its blessings.”(1 Cor 9:19-23). Mission is white peoples’ becoming colored peoples, American peoples’ becoming Korean peoples, and Korean peoples’ becoming Thailand peoples. St. Francis was born as a son of a wealthy man in Assisi and became a beggar and a sick person. The Rev. Son Yang Won had a sincere desire of becoming a leper. Mission is denying one’s own being and becoming other kinds of being. A good missionary is a missionary who can eat whatever kinds of food which the native people eat and who can live whatever kinds of life which the native people live. Mission is not only ‘going somewhere’ but ‘becoming’ a kind of people of the place. 

Thirdly, Jesus’ mission was ‘dwelling together.’ Jesus was originally living in glory together with God the Father, God the Holy Spirit and angels. In time Jesus came to this world and dwelt with all kinds of human beings. “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.”(John1:14). Mission is not just ‘becoming’ but ‘dwelling together’ among us. Jesus was born as a human baby and lived with human mother and human father. Jesus later lived together with his disciples and even with all kinds of sinners. Jesus went to the sinners and ate with them. “While Jesus was having dinner at Matthew's house, many tax collectors and sinners came and ate with him and his disciples”(Matt. 9:10). Mission is white peoples’ living together with African peoples like Livingstone and Schweitzer. Mission is American peoples’ living together with Korean peoples like Underwood and Appenzeller. Mission is Korean peoples’ living together with Thailand peoples like Shin Hong Shik and his descendants. St. Francis and the Rev. Son Yang Won left home and lived together with the lepers. Mission is not just going somewhere and providing a large camp of evangelism and returning soon. Mission is going somewhere and ‘living together’ with some other people. 

Dr. Sundermeier a German missiologist defined mission as ‘konvivenz’ meaning ‘living together’. The word ‘konvivenz’ came from the Brazilian villages where village peoples were living together, helping together and celebrating together. The word ‘konvivenz’ meant “mutual helping, mutual learning and mutual celebrating.” Dr. Sundermeier found the principle of ‘konvivenz’ in the life of Jesus recorded in the Gospels of the New Testament. He said as the following. “Jesus lived together with the people and shared pains and joy together with them. Jesus lived not only for them but also with them. Jesus often shared eating table with people. Missionary church is the church ‘living together’ with others.” It is true. Mission is ‘living together’ with other peoples. .

Fourthly, Jesus’ mission was ‘serving’ with compassion, forgiveness and love. Jesus said as the following. “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many."(Mark10:45). “I am among you as one who serves.”(Luke 22:27). There were always compassion, forgiveness and love in the heart of Jesus when he served sinners and sick peoples. Jesus touched the body of a leper and served him kindly. Jesus touched the hand of a woman with fever and served her kindly. Jesus touched the eyes of blind men and served them kindly. Jesus extended his hands of compassion, forgiveness and love even to the Roman soldiers who crucified Jesus on the cross and even to the robbers beside him and served them kindly. Jesus told his disciples to love enemies and even those who persecute them. Mission is ‘serving’ with compassion, forgiveness and love. St. Francis and the Rev. Son Yang Won extended the hands of compassion, forgiveness and love to all kinds of peoples and served them kindly. Mission is ‘serving’ with compassion, forgiveness and love.

Even though I am a lacking and shameful sinner I have visited various places of the world and tried to extend hands of love and service to the poor people. In the summer of 1988 I visited Burkina Faso in North Africa and helped them to dig more than 10 wells for the famine stricken Muslim people. In 1989 I visited Bangladesh and helped them to build an eye clinic for the calamity stricken poor and sick people and sent a nutritionist missionary. Since 1995 I began to help flood stricken North Korean people as well as leprous people. Since 1999 I began to help about 160 orphans and poor students in Yanbian area in China. In 2005 I helped the Afghanistan people to build a school for the poor students in Murodsheh, Afghanistan. I also arranged that nine leaders from 5 different religions in Korea visited Kaesung city in North Korea with 300 tons of flour on August 27, 2010. In January 2014 I visited Pakistan to comfort the terror stricken people in Peshawar.

I have found out a surprising fact that extending hands of love and service creates remarkably warm responses. When I visited Muslim or Communist countries I did not preach or give lectures. I just extended hands of love and service. There were, however, always remarkable responses of gratitude and thanksgiving. In some Muslim places they expressed gratitude and thanksgiving by singing as the following. “We thank you in the name of Jesus, Halleluiah. We welcome you in the name of Jesus, Halleluiah.” I was really surprised and shocked. I have found out the remarkable truth that the way of mission is not necessarily the way of preaching or lecturing. The way of mission is the way of ‘serving’ with compassion, forgiveness and love. I have found out such remarkable truth in Burkina Faso, Bangladesh, Yanbian area in China, Afghanistan and North Korea.

Fifthly, Jesus’ mission was bringing ‘reconciliation’ and ‘peace’. The ultimate purpose of Jesus’ coming was bringing and fulfilling ‘reconciliation’ and ‘peace’ together with saving sinners on earth. He came as the king of peace. “For to us a child is born…. He will be called Prince of Peace.”(Isaiah 9:6). “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests"(Lk 2:14). “For he himself is our peace, who has made the two one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, by abolishing in his flesh the law with its commandments and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new man out of the two, thus making peace, and in this one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility”(Eph 2:14-16). Jesus visited a Samaritan woman as the lord of ‘reconciliation’ and ‘peace.’ She was living in despair and hatred against the world. Jesus approached her with a humble and warm attitude and began to talk to her. She was at first resistant against Jesus. Jesus was, however, patient and continued to talk gently. At the end she surrendered. She was finally reconciled with Jesus and gained peace. She was even reconciled with Samaritan people and gained peace.

St. Francis followed the footsteps of Jesus bringing ‘reconciliation’ and ‘peace.’ St. Francis even went to the animals and plants and realized ‘reconciliation’ and ‘peace’ with them. St. Francis prayed as the following. “Lord, make me an instrument of peace. Where there is hatred, let me sow love; where there is injury, pardon; where there is doubt, faith; where there is despair, hope; where there is darkness, light; and where there is sadness, joy. Lord, make me an instrument of peace.” Rev. Son Yang Won and the Rev. Han Kyung Chick also approached to all kinds of poor and despised people with humble and warm hearts and realized ‘reconciliation’ and ‘peace’ with them.

Mission is bringing ‘reconciliation’ and ‘peace.’ I firmly believe that the kind of missionary which the modern world needs badly is the missionary who could bring ‘reconciliation’ and ‘peace.’ I believe that bringing and realizing ‘reconciliation’ and ‘peace’ is the goal and omega point of the Bible and the salvation history. Mission is the means and process of accomplishing ‘reconciliation’ and ‘peace.’ ‘Reconciliation’ and ‘peace’ between South and North as well as with Muslim countries is not an elective task but an indispensable and required task. It is the will of God and the commandment of God. “Join them together into one stick so that they will become one in your hand.”(Ezekiel 37:17). “To be put into effect when the times will have reached their fulfillment--to bring all things in heaven and on earth together under one head, even Christ.”(Eph 1:10).

How can we bring ‘reconciliation’ and ‘peace’? It is impossible by means of political or military approaches. It is impossible through holding up high the flags of truth. First of all we have to be washed through the blood of Jesus Christ. There should appear men of God carrying humble compassion, forgiveness, love and reconciliation in their hearts and bodies. Men of God such as Jacob and Joseph who did not revenge their brothers but knelt down before them and wept with compassion and love should appear. “And Joseph wept so loudly that the Egyptians heard him, Then Joseph said to his brothers do not be distressed and do not be angry with yourselves for selling me here, because it was to save lives that God sent me ahead of you”(Gen 45:2-5). The kind of missionaries God wants and the world needs are such missionaries who could go to the various places suffering from angers, hatreds and battles and could bring and realize ‘reconciliation’ and ‘peace’ there.

I hated the Japanese, the North Korean, the Chinese, the Muslims and other religious peoples. I hated even liberals as well as full gospel peoples. I have, however, gradually changed. St. Francis, the Rev. Son Yang Won and the Rev. Han Kyung Chick played important influences upon my changes. I came to respect and love the Japanese, the North Korean, the Chinese and other kinds of peoples and played important roles of expanding fellowship and mutual help. I took an initiative role in helping the poor North Korean people as well as the poor Korean Chinese children in Yanbian area in China. I visited the Muslim countries such as Bangladesh and Afghanistan and helped them to build an eye clinic in Bangladesh and a school in Afghanistan. I came to respect such liberal church leader as the Rev. Kang Won Yong and such full gospel church leader as the Rev. Cho Yong Gi and came to enjoy intimate fellowship with them. I even came to make intimate fellowship with the leaders of five other religions in Korea. I arranged that the nine leaders of five other religions visited Kae-sung city in North Korea and delivered 300 tons of flour to the North Korean delegates on Aug. 27 2010. I have to confess that all of these changed things happened through the abundant mercy and grace of God and through the influences of forefathers of faith. I firmly believe that the kind of missionaries which the modern world needs badly is the missionaries who could bring and realize ‘reconciliation’ and ‘peace.’

Sixthly, Jesus’ mission was ‘playing together’ with others. Jesus was eating and chatting and ‘playing together’ with children and with all kinds of sinners. Mission is not merely preaching, lecturing or teaching. I believe that mission is ‘becoming’ ‘living together’ ‘serving with love’ ‘making peace’ and ‘playing together.’ I have many happy experiences of ‘playing together’ with missionaries and local people. Sometimes I played bowling. Sometimes I played ping-pong. Sometimes I played soccer. ‘Playing together’ has brought many happy fruits. Once I played bowling with three young missionaries in Brazil two evenings. Later I found out that a younger missionary was experiencing much stress and despair in the field of mission and he was about to quit and go home. After playing bowling with a professor two evenings he came to change his thinking of leaving mission field and going home. I was very happy to hear the good news. ‘Playing together’ brings many good fruits in mission fields. Once I played games with about 20 children in Vladivostok about four hours. I played basketball, soccer, swing and other games. I distributed gifts. They were the children of the Korean missionaries in Russia. The children became very happy and much encouraged after playing games with a grandfather. A small boy handed me a gift of box when I left. Inside the box there was a sentence of letter as the following. “Pastor Thank you Come again Chung Ye Chan 2000 6. 10” I still keep the box in my office. In the afternoon I took half dozen wives of missionaries to the sea side and entertained them with delicious sea food. They were happy and so much encouraged. Five years later I visited Vladivostok again and met them again. The 46 missionaries together with their children gathered together at a Korean restaurant. They were very happy. The children were extremely happy. Some of them showed me a picture. It was the picture of the children and me taken together five years ago. I was deeply moved. Once I took the local Russian pastors to lunch and played ping-pong with them. They were very happy and we became closer and friendly. I still believe that mission is not only preaching, lecturing or teaching. Mission is ‘playing together’ with other people. When we are ‘playing together’ our minds are touched and moved. I have such moving experiences in Thailand, Cambodia, Indonesia, and Hong Kong. Mission is ‘playing together.’

Seventhly, Jesus’ mission was living a ‘life of sacrifice’ and dying a ‘death of sacrifice.’ Jesus the supreme model of missionary lived a life of sacrifice and died a death of sacrifice. “Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and a sacrifice to God.”(Eph. 5:2). Christianity is the religion of sacrificial life and sacrificial death. Mission was never accomplished without a life of sacrifice and a death of sacrifice. The mission in Korea started with a life of sacrifice and a death of sacrifice of the Rev. Robert Jermaine Thomas, the young missionary from Wales. He died a death of sacrifice at the Dae-dong River in Pyung-Yang North Korea on September 5, 1866. If there were no sacrifice of the Rev. Thomas there could have never been the coming of such missionaries as the Rev. Underwood and Appenzeller in 1885. Sixteen years later the commercial treaty between Korea and America was made in 1882. Two years later in 1884 Dr. Allen came to Korea. In the following year of 1885 missionary Appenzeller and missionary Underwood came to Korea. We are really surprised and deeply moved to find out what kind of lengthy, deep and amazing influences a ‘life of sacrifice’ and a ‘death of sacrifice’ did bring in the history of salvation. The Rev. Horace Underwood and the Rev. Henry Appenzeller came to Korea and they lived the ‘life of sacrifice’ and dyed the ‘death of sacrifice.’ They built the foundations of the Korean churches as well as Korean schools and hospitals. Mission is living a ‘life of sacrifice’ and dying a ‘death of sacrifice.’ The life of sacrifice and death of sacrifice create the history of salvation and the history of mission. Mission is living a ‘life of sacrifice’ and dying a ‘death of sacrifice.’

Now I am going to summarize what I have spoken about the mission of Jesus Christ. Firstly, Jesus’ mission was ‘abandoning’ ‘leaving’ and ‘going somewhere.’ Secondly, Jesus’ mission was not only ‘going somewhere’ but ‘becoming’ a kind of people of the place. Thirdly, Jesus’ mission was ‘dwelling together.’ Fourthly, Jesus’ mission was ‘serving’ with compassion, forgiveness and love. Fifthly, Jesus’ mission was bringing ‘reconciliation’ and ‘peace.’ Sixthly, Jesus’ mission was ‘playing together’ with others. Seventhly, Jesus’ mission was living a ‘life of sacrifice’ and dying a ‘death of sacrifice.’ If we follow the ways and footsteps of mission and if we carry the seven characteristics of mission in our body and heart there will happen the remarkable ministries of compassion, forgiveness, love, salvation, reconciliation, and mission in the world. If I add one more, partnership and cooperation are badly needed in the ministries of mission. I really wish and pray that I could imitate the missionary life of Jesus and missionary lives of the forefathers of faith.

Finally I am going to quote “My wish and prayer” which I wrote a few years ago. “O God, my father, I confess I am the chief of sinners. Have mercy upon me and wash me thoroughly from all my iniquities through the blood of Jesus. Please let me follow the footsteps of the Lord and let me go to the suffering people and extend hands of comfort and encouragement. Please let me follow the footsteps of the apostle Paul and the footsteps of the Rev. Choo Ki Cul and the Rev. Son Yang Won and let me live a life of sacrifice and let me die a death of sacrifice for such suffering people as the North Korean brothers and Muslim brothers. Please let me become a small fertilizer and seed to bring mercy, forgiveness and love where there are enmity, anger and hatred. Please let me bring reconciliation, unity and peace where there are division, conflict and confrontation. Please do not let me just deliver fluent sermon or profound lecture. Please let me carry the tears of mercy which the Lord carried. Please let me carry the heart of love which the Lord carried. Please let me carry the marks of death which the Lord carried. I pray these things in the name of Jesus relying upon the blood of Jesus and relying upon the mercy and love of God the Father. O God, my father, have mercy upon the Korean church, upon the North Korean people, upon the Japanese and Muslim people.”(2011. 3. 29).

Rev. Kim Myung Hyuk is the retired pastor of the Kangbyun Presbyterian Church, Chairman of the Korea Evangelical Fellowship, Juridical trustee of Korean World Mission Association