어떤 교회에서 한 두 시간으로 야고보서 개요를 강의해 달라는 요청을 한 두 달 전에 받았습니다. 일단 외상이니까 그렇게 하겠다고 덥썩 물었습니다. 그리고 지난 주일 오후 3시 반 특강을 마치기까지 몸살을 했습니다. 꼭 외상이라는 것만으로 하겠다고 대답을 한 것은 아닙니다. 한 번 생각해 보십시오. 제가 야고보서를 공들여 살핀 것은 지금부터 거의 40년 전의 일입니다. 그 땐 남아공에서 박사과정 공부를 할 때였습니다. 처음에는 조직신학으로 시작했다가 실천신학 그것도 설교학으로 과목을 바꾼지도 꽤 되었던 시절입니다. 세 가정이 새벽에 모여서 기도를 하던 때입니다. 세 가정이지만 목사는 두 명이나 되었으니 한 주간씩 돌아가며 기도모임을 인도했습니다. 내 차례에 누가복음 1장을 읽고 뭘 새벽에 나눌지 처음에는 참으로 막막했습니다.
그러다가 누가복음에서 야고보서를 가지고 왼종일 연구했고 저녁을 먹고는 하루종일 살폈던 말씀을 어떻게 전할 것인지 메모를 해서 새벽에 전했습니다. 그리고는 귀국을 해서 장승배기 두레교회를 개척해서 주일 낮에 설교를 했고, 뒤에는 울산에 내려가서 처음에는 수요일 밤에, 나중에는 주일낮에 전했습니다. 그리고 44편의 설교로 엮어져서 <읽는 설교 야고보서>가 2년 전에 <조이북스>에서 출간되었으니 한 두시간 강의를 못할 리 없어보였습니다. 그런데 시일이 가까워지면서 섬세조율을 하면서 귀착된 것이 20분씩 세 차례를 하기로 했습니다. 달리말해 밀당 끝에 야고보서 5장을 한 시간에 다루기로 했는데, 막상 준비를 하면 할수록 불가능해 보였지만, 약속은 약속이니 시도할 수 밖에 없었습니다.
결과는 보나마나였습니다. 격려가 없었던 것은 아닙니다. 최근에 야고보서 설교집을 낸 박목사님께 문자를 보냈습니다. “어제밤 늦도록 강의초안을 작성하면서 목사님의 책 <시험을 만나거든>을 잘 참고했습니다. 표절시비에 걸리지 않으려면, 차라리 짜고치는 고스톱이라도 되었으면 하고 신고합니다~~ 그런데 문제는 20분 짜리 3회로 하겠다는 만용을 부린 것이 엄청 후회가 됩니다 ㅋㅋ” 이어서 답이 왔습니다. “사랑하옵는 목사님, …제 야고보서는 목사님 책 표절했으니 완벽한 짜고 치는 고스톱 되겠습니다. 크게 따시길 기도합니다.” “큰 위로와 격려의 말씀 감사합니다. ㅋㅋ” 강의 후에 그 교회 사모님께서 아내에게 보낸 카톡입니다. “사모님! 가시는거 뵙지도 못했네요. 야고보서를 적어도 하루에 1장씩 일주일은 해야 하는 강해일텐데 속성으로 했어도 참 좋았습니다~ 목사님께 감사하다고 전해주세요 … ” 그러나 제 스스로의 평가는 며느리의 질문에 한 답에 담겨 있습니다. “59분에 야고보서 전체를 강의하는 모험은 거의 만용이었음을 깨닫는 좋은 기회였단다 ㅋㅋ”
그렇습니다. 야고보서 설교는 설교자인 제뿐만 아니라 제 설교를 들은 청중들의 기억속에 시간이 흘러도 그 감격을 오래 기억하는 설교인 동시에 책으로 출판된 설교도 새로운 감동으로 독자에게 전달되었지만, 1시간에 전체 개요를 강의하는 것은 전혀 다른 이야기이기 때문입니다. 그렇다고 허술하게 준비한 것은 결코 아닙니다. 매일 산책을 하면서 수없이 야고보서를 듣고, 내가 쓴 <읽는 설교 야고보서> 44편의 설교를 밑줄까지 그어가며 전체를 탐독을 하고, 개요작성을 위해서 저자의 사후 결재까지 받으며 <시험을 만나거든>을 다시 읽었지만 문제는 현장에서, 그것도 정해진 오후 시간에, 뭔가 생명을 전한다는 것은 다시는 시도하지 말아야 하는 모험임에 틀림 없습니다. 그 가운데도 한 줄기 은혜가 있었다면 그것은 정말 위의 분의 은혜였을 것입니다.
A month or two ago, I received a request from a church to deliver an overview lecture on the Book of James in just an hour or two. Thinking it was still far off in the future—buying on credit, so to speak—I readily agreed without hesitation. And right up until completing that special lecture at 3:30 last Sunday afternoon, I suffered through an exhausting ordeal. Of course, agreeing to it wasn't solely because the due date seemed so distant. Just think about it: it was nearly forty years ago that I first studied the Book of James with painstaking dedication. That was back when I was pursuing my doctoral studies in South Africa. Having initially started in systematic theology, quite some time had already passed since I switched my field to practical theology, specifically homiletics. Three families used to gather together for early morning prayer. Even though there were only three households, two of us were pastors, so we took turns leading the prayer meetings week by week. When my turn came, having read Luke 1, I felt completely at a loss as to what to share at dawn.
Eventually, moving on from Luke, I spent entire days studying the Book of James. After dinner, I would jot down notes on how to preach the Word I had reflected upon all day long, and deliver it at dawn. Later, upon returning to Korea, I planted Dure Church in Jangseungbaegi and preached through it during Sunday morning services; afterwards, when I moved down to Ulsan Church, I preached it first on Wednesday nights and later during Sunday morning services. Furthermore, those were compiled into forty-four sermons and published two years ago by Joy Books under the title Reading Sermons: The Epistle of James. With such a background, teaching a one- or two-hour lecture didn't seem impossible at all. However, as the date drew near and we fine-tuned the schedule, we settled on three 20-minute sessions. In other words, after much back-and-forth negotiation, it was decided that all five chapters of James would be covered in an hour. As I prepared, it seemed increasingly impossible, yet a promise is a promise, leaving me no choice but to push through.
Naturally, the outcome was predictable. It wasn't that there was no encouragement. Late the night before, I sent a text message to Pastor Park, who had recently published a collection of sermons on James: "While drafting the lecture outline late into the night yesterday, I drew heavily upon your book, When You Encounter Trials. To avoid any plagiarism controversies, I am reporting in advance—perhaps it's best viewed as an amicable collaboration between us! Yet the problem is, I deeply regret having the foolhardy audacity to tackle this in three 20-minute sessions haha." Soon a reply came: "Beloved Pastor . . . my own book on James basically plagiarized yours, so it is indeed a perfect match and collusion. I pray you win big." "Thank you for your immense comfort and encouraging words! Haha." After the lecture, the pastor's wife of that church sent a KakaoTalk message to my wife: "Mrs. Jung! I didn't even get the chance to see you leave. An exposition of James should normally take at least an entire week with one chapter per day, but even as a crash course, it was truly wonderful~ Please pass along my heartfelt thanks to the pastor . . . " Nevertheless, my own honest evaluation was summed up in my reply to my daughter-in-law's question: "The adventure of lecturing on the entire Book of James in 59 minutes was a great opportunity to realize that it was sheer, reckless folly haha."
Indeed. Preaching through James remains deeply etched not only in my own memory as a preacher, but also in the memories of those who listened over the years, retaining its deep emotion; even when published as a book, those sermons conveyed fresh inspiration to readers. But attempting to present an overarching survey of the entire epistle in a single hour is an entirely different story. That does not mean I prepared carelessly—far from it. Every day during my walks, I listened to James countlessly; I read through the forty-four sermons in my own Reading Sermons: The Epistle of James, underlining passages cover to cover; and I even re-read When You Encounter Trials, effectively securing the author's retroactive endorsement for my outline. Yet the reality remains: standing on site, especially during an afternoon slot, and attempting to impart life in that manner is a hazardous venture that ought never to be attempted again. If there was even a solitary ray of grace amidst it all, it was truly grace given from the One above.
’n Maand of twee gelede het ek ’n versoek van ’n gemeente ontvang om binne ’n uur of twee ’n oorsiglesing oor die boek Jakobus aan te bied. Omdat dit toe nog op skuld gekoop het gelyk—ver in die verskiet—het ek dadelik en gretig ingestem. En tot en met die afsluiting van daardie spesiale lesing verlede Sondagmiddag om halfvier, het ek letterlik daaronder gely. Ek het natuurlik nie net ingestem omdat die betaaldag so ver weg gevoel het nie. Dink net daaraan: dit is bykans veertig jaar gelede sedert ek die boek Jakobus vir die eerste keer noukeurig bestudeer het. Dit was destyds toe ek besig was met my doktorale studies in Suid-Afrika. Aanvanklik het ek met sistematiese teologie begin, maar dit was al geruime tyd nadat ek my studierigting na praktiese teologie, meer spesifiek homiletiek, verskuif het. Drie gesinne het destyds soggens vroeg vir oggendgebed byeengekom. Al was daar net drie gesinne, was twee van ons predikante, en daarom het ons beurte gemaak om die bidure week vir week te lei. Toe my beurt aanbreek, nadat ek Lukas 1 gelees het, het ek aanvanklik heeltemal radeloos gevoel oor wat ek met dagbreek sou deel.
Uiteindelik het ek van Lukas na Jakobus oorgeskakel en heeldag daaroor nagedink en dit bestudeer. Ná aandete het ek aantekeninge gemaak oor hoe om die Woord wat ek deur die dag oordink het, oor te dra, en dit dan teen dagbreek verkondig. Later, ná my terugkeer na Korea, het ek die Dure Gemeente in Jangseungbaegi geplant en tydens Sondagoggenddienste daaroor gepreek; daarna, toe ek afgetrek het na Ulsan Gemeente, het ek dit eers op Woensdagaande en later tydens Sondagoggenddienste gebring. Boonop is dit saamgevat in 44 preke en twee jaar gelede deur Joy Books uitgegee onder die titel Leesbare Preke oor Jakobus. Met so ’n agtergrond het dit glad nie gelyk of ek nie ’n lesing van ’n uur of twee sou kon behartig nie. Namate die datum egter nader gekruip het en ons fyn aanpassings gemaak het, het die besluit geval op drie sessies van 20 minute elk. Met ander woorde, ná heelwat heen-en-weer onderhandeling is daar besluit om al vyf hoofstukke van Jakobus binne ’n enkele uur te behandel. Hoe meer ek voorberei het, hoe meer onmoontlik het dit gelyk, maar ’n belofte bly ’n belofte, en ek moes dit eenvoudig aanpak.
Die uitslag was vanselfsprekend. Nie dat daar geen bemoediging was nie. Ek het laat die vorige aand ’n teksboodskap gestuur aan ds. Park, wat onlangs ’n preke-bundel oor Jakobus gepubliseer het: “Terwyl ek gisteraand tot laat aan die konsep van my lesing gewerk het, het ek u boek Wanneer julle beproewings teëkom deeglik geraadpleeg. Om enige beskuldiging van plagiaat te vermy, verklaar ek dit maar vooraf—laat ons dit liewer as ’n goeie samespanning beskou! Maar die probleem is dat ek diep spyt is oor my oorywerige waaghalsigheid om dit in drie sessies van 20 minute elk te probeer inpas, haha.” Kort daarna kom sy antwoord: “Geliefde Dominee . . . my boek oor Jakobus het basies uit u werk geleen, so dit is ’n volmaakte samespanning. Mag u ryklik geseën word.” “Baie dankie vir die wonderlike troos en bemoediging! Haha.” Ná afloop van die lesing het die predikantsvrou van daardie gemeente ’n KakaoTalk-boodskap aan my vrou gestuur: “Mevrou! Ek het nie eers die geleentheid gehad om u te groet voor u vertrek het nie. ’n Verklaring van Jakobus behoort eintlik minstens ’n week te duur teen een hoofstuk per dag, maar selfs as ’n kitskursus was dit werklik wonderlik~ Dra asseblief ons innige dank aan die dominee oor . . . ” My eie eerlike oordeel was egter vervat in my antwoord op my skoondogter se vraag: “Die waagstuk om die hele Jakobus binne 59 minute te doseer, was ’n uitstekende geleentheid om te besef dat dit pure dwaasheid en oorywerigheid was, haha.”
Ja, inderdaad. Die prediking oor Jakobus is iets wat nie net in my eie geheue as prediker nie, maar ook in die herinneringe van diegene wat geluister het, met die verloop van tyd ’n blywende indruk gelaat het; selfs as ’n gepubliseerde boek het daardie preke nuwe besieling aan lesers gebring. Om egter ’n algehele oorsig binne ’n enkele uur aan te bied, is ’n heeltemal ander saak. Dit beteken geensins dat ek dit ligtelik voorberei het nie. Tydens my daaglikse staptogte het ek tallose kere na Jakobus geluister; ek het die 44 preke in my eie Leesbare Preke oor Jakobus van hoek tot kant deurgelees en onderstreep; en ek het selfs Wanneer julle beproewings teëkom weer deurgewerk, met die outeur se stilswyende goedkeuring vir die skema. Maar die werklikheid ter plaatse—en dit nogal op ’n vasgestelde Sondagmiddag—om lewe só te probeer oordra, is ’n waagstuk wat ’n mens nooit weer behoort aan te durf nie. As daar te midde van dit alles selfs ’n enkele straal van genade was, was dit waarlik die genade van die Een hierbo.