August 17, 2025

Wisdom from Heaven

Pastor Rok Lee

Luke 12:54-56

54 He also said to the crowds, “When you see a cloud rising in the west, you immediately say, ‘It is going to rain,’ and so it happens. 55 And when you see the south wind blowing, you say, ‘There will be scorching heat,’ and it happens. 56 You hypocrites! You know how to interpret the appearance of earth and sky, but why do you not know how to interpret the present time?

Last July in Texas, there was a terrible flood, and more than 100 people died. Many scientists have warned us about rain boom, extreme heat, and heavy snow in this age of climate crisis. But we never thought it would become so real for us. What is most heartbreaking is that some of the victims were children who were attending a Christian camp. I cannot help but wonder: if we had listened to the scientists’ warnings, and if we had worked harder to protect the environment, maybe those children would still be alive today, smiling happily with their parents.

Science has helped us see and know many things in advance. Even in the past, people used the wind and the sky to predict the weather. When I was serving in a small rural town, an elderly lady once told me how to predict how many times it would snow in a year. It had something to do with counting dates from the full moon, though honestly, I don’t remember exactly. But she showed me her records of ten years, and according to her notes, her predictions were always correct.

Just like this, people have always tried to predict the weather in different ways. It was the same in Jesus’ time. People could look at clouds and the direction of the wind to know if rain was coming or if the season was changing. They farmed according to the weather. There’s a saying in Korea: “People in Seoul think whenever it rains, it will be a good harvest.” It means that those who never farmed think that a lot of rain always means good crops. I am a person from Seoul, and as I told you before, I am not good at growing plants. I give them too much water, and they die. If even a small flowerpot is difficult, how much harder is farming. Farmers worry when it rains and also when it doesn’t rain. That is why it was always important to know the weather in advance and prepare for it. People in Israel also farmed this way—preparing for rain, sowing seeds in spring, and planning ahead.

But according to Jesus, there was one thing that people could not see, even though they could predict the weather. They could not see the flow of time—the movement of the age. They could read the wind the direction of air, but they could not read the air of times they were living in.

Jesus was not talking about politics or economy. He was talking about the spiritual direction of the age. The Bible says, “Make the best use of the time, because the days are evil” (Ephesians 5:16). It also says, “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind” (Romans 12:2). The Bible clearly says the times are evil. But many people in those days did not believe it. Some felt safe under the protection of Rome. Some thought, “Everyone else is living this way, so it must be fine.” They got used to it. They adapted.

Think about when Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022. At first, we were shocked. We said, “This war must stop right away!” But now, most of us hardly think about it anymore. We have adjusted.

There was an experiment comparing people who won the lottery and people who lost part of their body. At first, lottery winners were very happy, and those who lost a body part were deeply unhappy. But after two months, their happiness levels were almost the same. The lottery winners were no longer especially happy, and those who lost a limb were not necessarily unhappy anymore. They had both adjusted to their situations.

This is how people lived in Jesus’ time too. At first, they resisted Rome. But after a while, they adjusted and lived under it. The Roman culture looked beautiful, advanced, and philosophical. But behind that, there were dark and terrible practices. Gladiators were forced to fight animals for entertainment. Sometimes even women had to fight in the arena. Human sin and greed were on full display. Behind the comfort and luxury, there was corruption and evil.

So Jesus called them hypocrites. Outwardly, they enjoyed beauty and wealth, but inwardly, they enjoyed evil things. We must learn to see beyond culture and recognize what is hidden. This is the wisdom of heaven. The times are evil, and they try to trick us with beautiful packaging. They tempt us with a gift box that looks nice, but inside, it is full of things far away from Jesus’ teaching.

The Bible warns us: “Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world” (1 John 4:1). At first glance, some things look good. Some even look like Jesus’ teachings. But when we examine carefully, they are very different.

This year marks 140 years since the first American missionary went to Korea. Today, about one-third of Korea’s population is Christian. Do you know who the first missionary to Korea was? It was Henry Appenzeller, a Methodist pastor. He went to Korea when he was still only a second-year seminary student. At that time, no one wanted to go to Korea. Most talented missionaries went to India, China, or Japan. For example, Donald McGavran served in India and later became a seminary professor. Hudson Taylor was a missionary to China. Leslie Newbigin served in India and became the general secretary of the International Missionary Council. Many famous and highly educated missionaries went to India, China, and Japan. They built hospitals and schools and gave their lives in service.

But look at the results: less than 10% of China is Christian, less than 3% in India, less than 1% in Japan. Building schools and hospitals, and being talented missionaries—these alone did not spread the gospel. We think that if we heal the sick and educate the poor, we are living as Jesus taught, and that people will naturally see Jesus’ love. But the truth is different.

What we think is Jesus’ teaching and what Jesus actually taught are not the same. Jesus was not just a moral teacher. He did not say, “Be nice. Live correctly.” He taught one main thing: “Live according to the will of God.” Heavenly wisdom is judging everything by God’s will. It is discerning: Is this God’s will, or my will, or something false that is beautifully packaged?

For this, we must clearly know God’s will. If our standard is shaky, we will mistake the world’s attractive lies for the teachings of Jesus. The Bible says, “This is the will of God, your sanctification” (1 Thessalonians 4:3). To discern the times, we must become holy. Romans 12:2 also says that only by being transformed and renewed in our minds can we know God’s good and perfect will.

Holiness is not something we achieve by ourselves. It happens when God lives in us. God’s will is that we grow closer to God. The closer we are to God, the more naturally we know His will. Think about human relationships—when you spend more time with someone, you know what they think and feel. The same is true with faith. The longer and closer we walk with God, the more naturally we know His will. And when we know His will, we can clearly tell the difference between lies and the true teaching of Jesus.

Dear church, we must discern the world with God’s will. The world tries to trick us, to hide what is true. But when we walk closer with God, we can naturally see the difference between truth and lies. I bless you this week to come closer to God, to receive heavenly wisdom, and to discern the world in the light of His will.

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