EZEKIEL 47: 6-12

 From reading newspapers, we can glean the fact that accidents happen every day around the world.  Last week, from reading an electronic news media, I learned that farmers in Korea are suffering due to the worst drought in history.  South Korea, as well as North Korea, received record minimum rainfall this past year; many people are eagerly waiting for the rain to come.  In Nepal, the crown prince shot and killed his parents, as well as other 9 other relatives to include cousins, aunts, and uncles attending a banquet, with an automatic rifle; he ended up injuring 20 people in addition to those he killed. 

According to media, this prince committed this atrocity because his parents, the king and the queen of Nepal, opposed his prospective bride.  In Japana country known for its orderliness, security, lawfulness of its citizens, and lack of major incidentsan unheard-of massacre took place in an elementary school classroom.  In an elementary school located in the city of Ikeda, at the outskirts of Osaka, a crazed man in his late thirties entered a classroom and stabbed numerous students at will; as a result, 8 students died and 20 were severely injured.

 All people of this world desire peace, stability, and happiness; however, the endless parade of problems, strife, and pains mark our grim reality today.  This morning, we will think about an abundant life.  Compared to the past, we possess a lot more today; yet, there is always a sense of emptiness that surrounds us.  “More, a bit more!” has become the battle cry of modern day denizensand even though we may achieve our goal of gaining more, we are never content and we never feel abundant or satiated.  There is an old joke about the man who finished a meal in a restaurant.  “Waiter!”  He called out. 

“Waiter, first of all, the food here was absolutely vile!  Second, the portions were too small.”  What are we to make of such complaints, when someone gripes that he does not have enough of disgusting food?  Day to day, we live in the midst of complaints and dissatisfaction.

 A professor named Victoria Medvec of Northwestern University once conducted a research on satisfaction index of Olympic medalists.  According to this study, silver medalists tended to be more dissatisfied with their performance and results than bronze medalists.  Silver medalists harbored the thought that somehow, they had failed in their quest for the gold medal; bronze medalists, in comparison, felt a sense of relief and accomplishment in receiving a medalalbeit it is a bronze one.  Professor Medvec, through her studies, was able to discover that people who achieved greater accomplishments tended to feel a greater sense of inadequacy and dissatisfaction than those who had achieved comparatively less do.  Through all this, we can deduce that the path to true feeling of adequacyof abundancerests not on some external factors.  More money, bigger house, nicer car, higher status, greater authority, and such things do not make our life more abundant.

 Before we search for the secret to the abundant life, we must first find out about ourselves.  Who are we?  First, we are defined by what we do.  We are what we do.  If we do something good, if we succeed in something, then we tend to feel good about ourselves.  But when we fail in some endeavor, or when we do something we know to be wrong, we tend to feel depressed and inadequate.  Second, we are determined by what others say about us.  We are what other people say about us.  When others praise and laud us, we feel good.  Conversely, when others criticize and disparage us, we feel bad and disappointed. 

Third, we are destined by our possessions.  We are what we have.  For example, I have a family, siblings, and some degree of wealth.  But should I lose some portion of this wealth, I would feel great sadness and I would be deeply scarred.  Unbeknownst to us, we are controlled by what we do, what others say about us, and what we own.  Doing benevolent things, being judged in a good light by others, and possessing many things all tend to make us happy and content.  When we can no longer do good deeds for others, when others start criticizing and deriding us, and when do lose those things we hold dear, we lose our morale and begin despairing.  Then, the question we must ask this morning is, can we feel happiness and a sense of fullness regardless of what we do, how others judge us, and what we own? 

 I would like to find this answer in the great vision that Ezekiel witnessed.  Ezekiel, as I mentioned last week, was a prophet during the time of Babylonian dominance of Israel.  God showed Ezekiel, through the miraculous and mysterious vision, the eventual fate of the people of Israel: resurrection from the ruins of defeat and the glory of being able to worship in the new temples of Jerusalem.  God had promised Ezekiel that despite the current sufferings and pains, He would resurrect the people of Israel, return them to their land, and bless them with new religious freedom and capacity to worship in the new temples of Israel if they return to God.  In the Book of Ezekiel, chapter 47, verses 1 through 12, are outlined the picturesque vision of how God will bless the new Jerusalem. 

According to this vision, water flowed from the doorsill of the temple, flowing eastward.  This river, which started as ankle-deep water, became knee-deep and waist-deep until it became an impassable, deep body of water.  Wherever this river flowed, trees grew and fruits blossomed; all forms of life came to life; even the Death Sea became a body full of life, abundant with fish and other marine life.  This was indeed a great vision that showed, in a single glimpse, the capability of the holyor lifewater that flowed from the temple has in giving life and making the world abundant.    

 According to today’s scripture, first, our abundant life can be realized through the life water that flows from the temple.  The water that flows from the doors of the temple can be construed as the life-giving words of Jesus Christ.  The life-giving water of Jesus Christ, as proclaimed from God’s temple, the church, will make all things abundant, all life resurrected and revived, and all trees bear many fruit wherever it seeps in. 

 Second, as life water of Jesus Christ seep deeper into us, we will fall into greater grace of God and enjoy an ever-abundant life.  In paying a particular attention to Ezekiel 47: 3-5, we can see that there are ‘ankle Christians,’ who are only ankle-deep in life water; there are also ‘knee Christians,’ who wade knee deep in life water, and ‘waist Christians.’  In order to live a life that is abundant, we must immerse ourselves completely into the river of life-giving water that flows from our Lord, Jesus Christ.  A fish cannot feel thirst while being immersed in water.  Likewise, when we are immersed in our God’s life-water river, no matter what we do, no matter what others say about us, and no matter what we own, we will feel contentment and a sense of fullness through Jesus Christ alone.

 Third, the water that flows from Jesus Christ has the capability to flow in all directions, moisten all arid land, make desolate soils fertile, and bring to life all forms of life on earth.  In verse 12, it is stated, “Along the bank of the river, on this side and that, will grow all kinds of trees used for food; their leaves will not wither, and their fruit will not fail.  They will bear fruit every month because their water flows from the sanctuary.  Their fruit will be for food, and their leaves for medicine.”  The Bible states that the water from God’s temple, the church, can make this world abundant and produce medicine that can cure diseases of this world.  The great strength that can cure today’s world of its illnessesmurder, war, fear, anger, division, etc.lies within the water that flows from the door of God’s temple.

 The world is full of violence, conflict, death, and fear.  Despite possession of many things, people of this world do not know contentment and happiness.  We must be able to envision the great vision Ezekiel witnessed through God.  We must be able see, within our minds, the vision of the small stream of water flowing from the door of the temple making all things abundant on earth.  At this moment, how much do each of you experience Jesus Christ, who became this life-giving water?  Up to your ankles?  Up to your knees?  Up to your waists?  Or are you completely immersed in the river of this water? 

The degree of contentment and the sense of abundance you feel will vary with the depth to which you are immersed in this river.  I wishin the name of our Lord, Jesus Christthat each one of you will become completely immersed in this river of Jesus Christ, enjoying spiritual abundance that nothing in this world can deprive.  Amen.