Day: 13

All Hope Lost

Catholic writings initially made their way into Korea through China in the early 1700’s. By the first half of the century, a Catholic priest on a missionary journey established a church with 4,000 members comprised of devoted believers who had been reading the Catholic readings.

By the early 1800’s, Christianity had become a threat to the monarchy. Enter persecution. 1866 was perhaps the most brutal year for the early church of Jesus in Korea. Korea’s Catholics were enduring the fourth great round of persecution. Only 20,000 Catholics had survived the earlier killing sprees; that year, another 10,000 were killed.

Andrew Kim Taegŏn wrote a letter to his parish as he awaited his death in prison:

“My dear brothers and sisters, know this: Our Lord Jesus Christ suffered innumerable pains and birthed the Church through His own pain. Now, sixty years since the Church entered Korea, the faithful suffer persecution again. Many of our friends including myself, have been thrown into prison….

However, as Scripture says, God cares for the least hair of our heads, and therefore, how can persecution be considered as anything other than the command of God, or his prize?…

We are twenty here, and are still well. If any of us are killed, I beg you not to forget his family. I have many more things to say, but how can I express them with pen and paper? Since we are now close to the end of the struggle, I pray you to walk in faith, so that when you have finally entered into Heaven, we may greet one another. I leave you my kiss of love.”

General Sherman

That same year, a trading ship named the General Sherman headed to North Korea. On the way, it struck a sandbar and was grounded near Pyongyang. For the next two weeks, local Koreans repeatedly attacked the General Sherman. Finally, the locals lit a small boat on fire and ran it into the General Sherman and she began to sink. The battle ended as abruptly as it began. Fourteen of the shipmates were shot, two burned to death, and two jumped overboard.

Robert Jermain Thomas

Robert Jermain Thomas was one of those who jumped overboard. He was the first protestant missionary to Korea, on a mission to bring the gospel to Korea for the second time. He had been sent back out by the London Missionary Society after barely escaping with his life on his first mission trip.  He had set sail on the General Sherman with cases of Bibles on an incredibly dangerous effort to bring the Word of God and the Gospel to Korea.

There are several accounts of his death. It is thought that he jumped overboard, clutching a bible. A Christian relative of one of the Korean fighters later reported that one of the white men begged his executioner to take a red book from his hands just before his death.

Killed in Korea

Over the course of 200 years, the Catholic church made major inroads into Korea at great cost, but many of them were violently killed by 1866.

That same year, God sends another emissary, Robert Jermain Thomas, a protestant to Korea for a second time. He barely escaped with his life on his first effort to reach Korea. On his second trip, he’s martyred before he ever even shares the Gospel with one person.

All God’s efforts to bring the Gospel to Korea at that point ended in bloodshed and murder, seemingly coming to naught.

Pretty discouraging right?

We Are At War

Jesus made it clear that Christians are soldiers in an on-going war between kingdoms. Wars involve a lot of bloodshed and death. Defeats and setbacks should be expected; one battle should not be never be confused with the entire war!

I think this perspective has become lost on western Christians. Living under religious freedom for 200-plus years has caused the western Church to become sleepy and disoriented. The idea that we have been drafted into the greatest war in all of history is lost on us.

We view Christianity through a lens of what it can do for me rather than what we are called to. I’ve heard many western Christians talk about how God would never allow one of his children to suffer and how He works all things together for good (interpreted as “our good.”)

And Now for the Rest of the Story

Satan had tens of thousands of Catholic believers killed over decades in the 1800’s. In one final blow, he killed off the last ten thousand Catholics and a courageous protestant on his way to deliver tens of thousands of Bibles and the gospel to Korea.

I’m sure he was quite satisfied.

Mission completed, game over! Right?

Nope!

The Seed Planted

Remember the Bible that Robert handed to his executioner?

One creative Korean used the pages of strange red book, the bible, as wallpaper for their house in Pyongyang, to be read over and over again by curious family members, friends, guests, neighbors, and others.

Now remember, God’s word does not return void, especially when delivered by a martyr!

Within fifteen years of the death of Robert Jermain Thomas, Pyongyang had 10,000 Christians. Within thirty years, it had so many Christians that it became known as the Jerusalem of East.

Because of the sacrifice of one faithful servant, one Bible was planted into the soil of Korea – and the gospel exploded.

You see it over and over again: the blood of the martyr is the seed of the church and out of death, comes life!

Rejoice

What happened in Pyongyang should be a great encouragement to the church and to you personally. Especially as you go through periods of “death” in your life.

Remember two things:

First, God’s core being, His DNA, is to bring healing, life, and growth. He wants to take the death that will come into your life and mix it with His Spirit’s teaching to create life and wisdom. If you let your pain drive you to Him, He will bring life and growth out of it.

Second, remember that you are involved in the greatest war ever waged. It is a secret war but one that all of history and our lives revolve around.

Jesus told you that you would be shot at and wounded in this battle, because you wear His uniform. But don’t ever confuse one battle in your life with the outcome of the war.