보라! 내가 새일을 행하리니

In delivering and sharing God's word, the prophets of the Old Testament and the disciples of the New Testament were indifferent to public opinion. Consequently, many of God's people faced severe adversity or martyrdom. None of God's messengers spoke what people wanted to hear or what was pleasing to their ears. Around 627-580 BC, Jeremiah proclaimed God's judgment on the Southern Kingdom of Judah, which had fallen into idolatry. Similarly, around 745-680 BC, Isaiah declared God's judgment on Israel for its refusal to repent.

In the New Testament, Stephen was stoned to death while preaching the gospel. Likewise, Jesus' disciples, such as Paul and Peter, endured great hardships for spreading the gospel and, according to church history scholars, were martyred.

The world disregards absolute values and acts according to what seems right in their own eyes, much like the people during the time recorded in the book of Judges. However, the first step in Christian discipleship is self-denial, which means abandoning one's own views. This does not advocate for a reckless or arbitrary life; rather, it calls for filling that empty space with God's word. However, God's word is not always what humans want to hear.

The Bible consistently declares humanity's total depravity and warns that, just as Israel was judged for its sins, we too can face judgment. It addresses the issue of sin seriously and exposes the total depravity of humanity that necessitated Jesus' crucifixion. In Jesus' parable, the servant who was forgiven a debt of ten thousand talents (equivalent to $6 billion) but could not forgive his fellow servant who owed him a hundred denarii (about $12,000) offers a poignant lesson. We must reflect on the crucifixion and examine ourselves to ensure we are not behaving like the servant who was forgiven ten thousand talents.