Divine Community

OT Lesson: Isaiah 6:1-8 (NLT)

It was in the year King Uzziah died that I saw the Lord. He was sitting on a lofty throne, and the train of His robe filled the Temple. Attending Him were mighty seraphim, each having six wings. With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they flew. They were calling out to each other,

“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of Heaven’s Armies!
The whole earth is filled with his glory!”

Their voices shook the Temple to its foundations, and the entire building was filled with smoke.

Then I said, “It’s all over! I am doomed, for I am a sinful man. I have filthy lips, and I live among a people with filthy lips. Yet I have seen the King, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.”

Then one of the seraphim flew to me with a burning coal he had taken from the altar with a pair of tongs. He touched my lips with it and said, “See, this coal has touched your lips. Now your guilt is removed, and your sins are forgiven.”

Then I heard the Lord asking, “Whom should I send as a messenger to this people? Who will go for us?” I said, “Here I am. Send me.”

NT Lesson: John 10:22-39 (NRSV)

At that time the festival of the Dedication took place in Jerusalem. It was winter, and Jesus was walking in the temple, in the portico of Solomon. So the Jews gathered around Him and said to Him, ‘How long will You keep us in suspense? If You are the Messiah, tell us plainly.’ Jesus answered, ‘I have told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in my Father’s name testify to Me; but you do not believe, because you do not belong to My sheep. My sheep hear My voice. I know them, and they follow Me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one will snatch them out of My hand. What My Father has given Me is greater than all else, and no one can snatch it out of the Father’s hand. The Father and I are one.’

The Jews took up stones again to stone Him. Jesus replied, ‘I have shown you many good works from the Father. For which of these are you going to stone Me?’ The Jews answered, ‘It is not for a good work that we are going to stone You, but for blasphemy, because You, though only a human being, are making Yourself God.’ Jesus answered, ‘Is it not written in your law, “I said, you are gods”? If those to whom the word of God came were called “gods”—and the scripture cannot be annulled— can you say that the one whom the Father has sanctified and sent into the world is blaspheming because I said, “I am God’s Son”? If I am not doing the works of my Father, then do not believe Me. But if I do them, even though you do not believe Me, believe the works, so that you may know and understand that the Father is in Me and I am in the Father.’ Then they tried to arrest Him again, but He escaped from their hands.

Sermon

Introduction

Good morning. I hope you all managed well during last Friday night’s storm. We experienced quite a rainfall, but I am thankful that we do not often face extreme weather like tornadoes or hurricanes here in central Indiana.

Today is Trinity Sunday, and tomorrow is a day off for many. For those who are retired, it might not make much of a difference, but for those still working, it is significant. However, tomorrow is not just another day off; it is Memorial Day. This is a time to remember and honour the brave men and women who have given their lives in service to our country. Their sacrifices have afforded us the freedoms we enjoy today. As we observe Memorial Day, let us also remember the families who have lost loved ones in the line of duty. May God grant them comfort and peace, and may we find inspiration in their sacrifices, moving us to serve one another with love and compassion.

As I mentioned earlier, today is Trinity Sunday. The word “Trinity” comes from Latin, meaning “three in one.” The Trinity is one of the greatest mysteries in Christian theology. Many throughout history have tried to understand it, but it remains elusive. There are numerous explanations about the essence of the Trinity, yet none of them fully satisfies me. I may never fully grasp or perfectly comprehend the mystery of the Trinity in this lifetime, and that is no surprise because God is greater than my mind and my understanding. Nonetheless, let us continue our efforts to understand the Trinity while respecting and not condemning those who hold different views.

Trinity in the OT

Today’s Old Testament lesson from Isaiah 6 is one of the most well-known Scriptures, often used in ordinations and seminary commencements because it speaks of God’s calling and Isaiah’s response. Sermons on this passage typically conclude that we, like Isaiah, need to answer God’s call. But today, let us focus on something different. At the end of today’s passage, God says to Isaiah, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?” Do you see what is unusual here? It should be either, “Whom shall I send? Who will go for me?” or “Whom shall we send? Who will go for us?” But God says, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?” If this number mismatch is not just a simple mistake, it must be something theological.

Interestingly, we see something similar at the very beginning of creation. After finishing the creation of the universe, God says, “Let Us make humankind in Our image, according to Our likeness.” Then the Bible tells us, “God created humankind in His image.” So, once again, the sentence starts with “Our image” in the plural and then shifts to “His image” in the singular. So, is God singular or plural, one or many?

In the Hebrew language, number and gender are very important, not only in nouns and pronouns but also in verbs. The Hebrew word for God is אֱלֹהִים (Elohim), and this word is plural. This same word is also used to refer to many foreign gods. In English, we add ‘s’ at the end of words to make them plural, such as car—cars, flower—flowers, and photo—photos. Similarly, -im is the plural ending in Hebrew, as in Seraphim and Cherubim, which we sang today. Likewise, Elohim is also plural. But the verb that accompanies Elohim is always singular when it refers to the God, our Creator. It is like to say in English, ‘Our Gods is good.’ It looks like clearly a grammar mistake, but the Bible is constant in this way without any exception. But when it refers to other foreign gods, the Bible uses plural verbs. So, the Creator God is by nature one and, at the same time, many.

Now, let me take you to Genesis 18, which is right before the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. For clarity, I will use Yahweh to avoid confusion since the passage includes both “Lord” and “lord.” Chapter 18 begins by saying that Yahweh appeared to Abraham. Abraham looked up and saw three men standing nearby. Thinking they were travellers, Abraham invited them into his tent because hospitality was essential back then. After eating, the men said that Abraham’s elderly wife would have a son by the same time next year. Abraham probably thought they must have been prophets or something similar. Then the three men went out of the tent with Abraham. Yahweh then began talking to Abraham about going down to Sodom. In this short passage, the Bible switches freely between three men and Yahweh. It is like you can refer me as Je Lee or Presbyterian pastor. And you can freely switch between Je Lee and Presbyterian Pastor. Because the Bible freely switches between three men and Yahweh, we may be able to say that three men are three Persons in the Godhead, but there is one God. Is it not perfectly clear to you? Don’t worry. Me too.

Trinity in the New Testament

In today’s New Testament lesson, Jesus says, “The Father and I are one.” This is not about being one team or on the same side; it means they are one in essence. Jesus often states that He is in the Father and the Father is in Him. If we were to draw a Venn Diagram to illustrate this, the two circles representing the Father and Jesus would completely overlap, forming a single circle.

The Apostle Paul’s closing benediction in his second letter to the church in Corinth includes the Holy Spirit alongside the Father and the Son, emphasising the equal status of the Holy Spirit with God the Father and God the Son: “The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.” Jesus also confirms this in His Great Commission, saying, “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” Jesus did not instruct us to baptise in three different names, but in one name that encompasses the three Persons in the one Godhead.

Divine Community

As I mentioned before, the mystery of the Trinity is beyond my understanding. Trying to fully comprehend it may only give us headaches. However, there is something we can grasp from the fact of one God in three Persons: God forms a community. The divinity itself is a community—a community in perfect harmony and cooperation. Nowhere in the Bible do we see one Person of the Godhead forcing another with commands like, “You do it!” Instead, we see expressions of unity and collaboration, such as “Let us.” Genesis 1:26 shows this communal decision in harmony: “Let Us make humankind in Our image, according to Our likeness.” Thus, we are all created in the image of God, reflecting the divine likeness.

This means that there are many aspects in which we resemble God. One significant aspect inscribed in human nature, according to the divine likeness, is the need for community. We must form communities and belong to them. Later in the creation story, God said it is not good for humankind to be alone, leading to the institution of marriage—the smallest community. The very first thing God did after creating humankind was forming a community. Beyond marriage, there are larger families and congregations, all of which are communities. Just like the three Persons in the divine community exist in perfect harmony, our communities must also be built on mutual respect and harmony.

May is the Mental Health Awareness Month and thanks to Lisa Hutcheson, we learned a lot about mental health. One of the things we learned is that sense of belonging helps much mentally while having no community causes many mental problems. I believe that is because we humans were designed and created to be in the communities.

What is the most important thing in a community, or any community? I recall seeing an advertisement on a Winnipeg Transit bus that read: “There is no Community without U.” This is very true. Without the letter U, we cannot spell the word “Community.” Likewise, if you are not present, it is not a community for you. So, you are the most important part of any community. Only when you are there, being present, does a community have meaning. Without you, it is not a community but nothing.

However, being present is not limited to physical presence, though that is primary. Just as a father on a business trip overseas can video chat with his children, being present online is one way to participate in a community. There are many other ways to be present in your beloved community. Because there is no community without U, you are crucial to the community. But this does not mean that others are less important than you. We cannot say that God the Father is above the Holy Spirit or that the Holy Spirit is inferior to God the Son. All three Persons in the divine community share equal authority and value. They exist in perfect harmony based on mutual respect and love.

Similarly, we must build our communities in perfect harmony, based on mutual respect and love in our Triune God. When our community is filled with love and harmony, it reflects a divine community. Then we can call our family or this congregation a true divine community.

Church—Divine Community

Calling this congregation a divine community makes perfect sense because the church is the body of Jesus Christ, who is a member of the Trinity, the true Divine Community. As the body of Christ in the world, we must reflect this reality because the church is the tangible expression of the Trinity’s communal nature. And that communal nature is love. Near the end of the Last Supper, Jesus told His disciples, “I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. By this, everyone will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”

However, this love should not be confined to ourselves. Because we are the tangible expression of the Trinity’s communal nature of love in the world, others must be able to experience it. It is tangible only when it can be touched and felt. So let us make our Christian love tangible for others in the world.

Conclusion

Friends, on this Trinity Sunday, let us marvel at the mystery and beauty of the Triune God—a perfect community of love and unity. Because we are created in the image of this communal God and called to live in community, let us strive to improve our communities with our love, starting from the smallest one. Let our love overflow in our homes, within this congregation, and then throughout our city and beyond. 

Let us embody the love of the Father, the grace of the Son, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit in all that we do. May our lives be a testament to the world of the transformative power of living in community, following the example of our Triune God. By our love, the whole world will know that we are Christians, if we have the love of the Triune God who began this divine community on earth by death and resurrection of Jesus and by the coming of the Holy Spirit on all believers. Amen.