Where there are sinners.. is sweet / unknown

     Korean text  

Mk 2:17 On hearing this, Jesus said to them,

"It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick.

I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners."

There were 2 families neighboring each other.

One family was so sweet and all the family members were respect one another from the grandfather to little children.

However the other family was not silent everyday.

The husband and the wife often quarreled each other for trivial things.

 

One day, the 'noisy couple' visited the 'sweet family' and asked the reason or secret of their neighbor's sweetness and quietness in spite of many family members living under the same roof.

Then the sweet neighbor answered with his smiling face;

"The reason we are sweet and quiet in our house is

each one of us think ourselves 'a sinner' before the Lord.

So that we cannot blame others because we are same sinners.

For example, I spilled cup-water on the table,

and I say sorry for my mistake.

Then my wife thinks it is her fault,

because she put the cup with water and didn't notice of it to her husband.

My mom also say 'It is my fault.

because I thought somebody could spill the cup-water,

but I didn't take it away. So that it is my fault!' 

Likewise everyone of our family thinks,

if there is any fault or mistake,

it is because of me, and I am the 'sinner'.

 

That's right.

Where there are 'sinners' gathered together is quiet and clam,

because everyone thinks it is their fault if a problem happened there.

One might think I was lazy in my intercessory prayer for my family 

that's why the problem occurred.

The other might think I didn't teach and explain them very well

so that it happened, and it is because of me! It is my fault.

On the contrary,

Where there are 'the righteous' gathered together is stressful everyday.

Everyone of their community blames one another. It is because of his fault, and not mine!

Are you a (forgiven) sinner before the Lord

or the righteous (not forgiven yet) before the Lord?

Look at your family and your working place.

Are they quiet and good relationship because of you?

Or are they stressful because of you?

It testifies you are a sinner or a righteous!