July 27, 2025 Sermon English Manuscript

Today’s sermon is by Rev Konno but we will not have live translation so please follow along here!

Psalm 1 “ How Wonderful It is”      Rev Yoshiro Konno   July 27, 2025

Today, Jonathan and his family are attending a foster parent meeting in Hokkaido, Koffi is attending ARI Sunday at Nishinasuno Church, B Jonathan is in Nagasaki, and Miyoko Tashiro is attending a 49-day memorial service for her recently deceased husband, so many of the usual members are not here. I am filled with anxiety, including about computer operations. In such circumstances, Ms. Fumiko Watanabe will be taking charge of today's music for the first time. She will utilize her hidden gifts to compensate for any shortcomings. God's providence is truly wonderful. I am delighted.

Starting today, I will be delivering sermons on the Psalms for a while. I will speak on three themes.

First, the Psalms are called “Tehillim” in Hebrew, meaning ‘praise’ offered to God. Why are the Psalms and prayers referred to as “praise”?

The content of the 150 Psalms includes expressions of gratitude to God, personal lamentations and sorrows, and pleas for deliverance from enemies, among various forms and contents. Among these, 75 Psalms are attributed to King David.

We cannot usually bare our souls to others. We cannot tell anyone about our shameful secrets from the past. However, when we stand before God, who is invisible and knows everything, there is no need to put on a facade or hide anything. Praying with honesty leads to a dialogue with God, which in turn leads to a dialogue with God that allows us to examine ourselves.

In that dialogue, many are shattered by the realization, “Oh, I am truly a worthless person,” and their prayers become pleas for help, relying solely on God.

At that moment, they are mysteriously drawn to God, regain their trust in God, and discover the strength to overcome their anxieties and challenges. This is the example of the prayers in the Psalms.

A small boat is tied to the shore by a rope. When we pull the rope while sitting in the boat, we may mistakenly feel as though we are pulling the shore toward us. However, the truth is that the shore (God) does not move; rather, we are being drawn toward the shore along with the boat. In the same way, our prayers do not change God's will; instead, our prayers are drawn into God's plan, broken, purified, and elevated.

Prayer is the core of religion, and there is no religion without prayer. Through prayer, people enter into a personal relationship with God, and through prayer, faith is transformed into trust and into “praise” for God. That is why the Psalms are called ‘praise’ or “tehillim.”

Today, we will look at Psalm 1. It is both the introduction and conclusion to the entire Book of Psalms, and it speaks of “trust in the Word.” Since it has no title, it is thought to have been placed at the beginning by the editor as a fitting conclusion to the compilation of the Psalms.

Second, since it is a short psalm, I would like to savor its words carefully.  In verse 1, “How blessed are you.” “Blessed” comes first (in Hebrew, “ashrei”), which has a good ring to it. It means “congratulations” or “blessings.” The nine ‘blessed’ statements in the Sermon on the Mount in the Gospel of Matthew are the same. This one also comes first (in Greek, “makarioi,” which is a very good-sounding word). No matter what situation you are in now, you are already in an unshakable state of blessedness. It is a one-sided declaration.

What is “blessedness”? It is being “not following the schemes of those who oppose God, not remaining on the path of the sinful, and not sitting with the arrogant.” The verbs “walk,” “remain,” and “sit” describe the gradual inclination toward evil and sin. First, you unknowingly draw near and walk alongside them, then find yourself staying among them, and eventually become so accustomed to it that you settle in deeply.

At first, you approach those who engage in gossip and backbiting, and join such a group. You then create similar groups around yourself, dividing people into friends and enemies. Such behavior gradually strips you of the “blessedness” you once possessed.

2. Only the Lord's teachings and God's words protect us from evil. “Those who love the Lord's teachings and recite them day and night.” God's words constantly shatter the evil within our hearts and are the source of good fruit.

Section 3. This is a region where water is very precious. A fortunate person is like a tree planted by the river. When the time comes, it bears fruit, and its leaves never wither. Everything that person does brings prosperity. A tree cannot move on its own, but a tree planted by the river extends its roots underground toward the water of life, naturally bearing fruit, growing leaves, and growing.

In the past, every household had a bamboo mat, and I used to watch people use it to blow away dry leaves or separate rice husks. This was also seen in Palestine. Verse 4: “Those who rebel against God are not like that. They are like rice husks blown away by the wind.”

We must not wander aimlessly in search of “happiness.” We must live firmly rooted in the words of life, not being blown away by the winds of the times or society, or by shifting values. Then the Word of God will nourish us and bring prosperity.

Verse 5: “Those who defy God are constantly under judgment, and the wicked cannot endure the assembly of those who follow God.”

Being judged by God is, in itself, a terrifying thing. However, there is also a blessed aspect to being judged by God. From my own experience, I have found that when I sin and fail, it is often when things are going smoothly and I have become arrogant without realizing it. The essence of arrogance is not recognizing God as God. It is looking down on God and becoming self-centered. To make us aware of this, God judges us and calls us to repentance. Those who defy God cannot endure judgment. However, those who trust in God are permitted to receive judgment with gratitude.

Recently, I made a mistake that caused great distress to others. I felt that my arrogance had been judged, and I was led to repentance. I also realized that it is a blessing to be in a position where I cannot lift my head, cannot raise my face, and can only say, “I'm sorry.” Though it was a painful experience, being judged is also an opportunity for repentance and restoration.

In verse 6, it says, “The Lord knows the way of the righteous.” This word ‘know’ is one of the key words in the Bible. The first time it appears is in Genesis 4:1, where it says, “Adam knew Eve, and she conceived and bore Cain.” This “knew” refers to a physical, intimate relationship through sexual intercourse. “To know” does not mean intellectual knowledge or superficial relationships, but rather a relationship bound by love and a deep connection.

As we remember the meaning of this word, reading this verse again, “The Lord knows the way of those who follow him,” resonates deeply. We may feel a sense of gratitude for being in such a deep bond with the Lord.

Finally, this psalm contrasts “the wicked” with “those who follow God,” but it does not simply state that “the wicked” will be unhappy and “those who constantly recite the Word” will be happy. Reality, both then and now, is complex, with both sides existing simultaneously or even reversing roles.

NHK morning drama. I enjoy watching “Anpan.” It is the story of the creators of Anpanman, Mr. and Mrs. Yanase. Mr. Yanase once said, “Justice changes hands,” and “The world is not all sunshine and rainbows. The world is better when good and evil coexist in balance.”

In the New Testament, there is the parable of the weeds, where good seeds are sown, and then, unbeknownst to anyone, weeds are also sown. We might eagerly say, “Let's pull out the weeds quickly,” but the master says, “Let both grow together until the harvest.” This is because the roots are intertwined, and pulling out the weeds might also pull out the good wheat. We must not arbitrarily label others as tares. The responsibility of the servants and the good wheat seeds is to grow without being overcome by the tares.

Augustine answered the question of why the all-powerful God created evil in this world by saying that it is so that humans can overcome evil. Calvin also stated in his commentary on this passage that “this world exists to create order out of chaos.”

Ashere Makarihoi, believing in being blessed, believing in being a tree planted by the river, facing evil, and being known by God, we praise the ability to overcome it with strength. 

 Let us pray.