지난 주간에 누가복음 강해설교의 첫 권이 두란노에서 출간되었습니다. 그 첫 권 이름이 <구원사의 서곡>입니다. <구원사의 서곡>이라고요? 옛 기억창고나 여러분의 서가에 혹시 꽂혀 있는 책도 같은 이름이라고요? 네 맞습니다. 두란노에서 -정근두 목사의 누가복음 강해설교 1-이라는 이름으로 <구원사의 서곡>이 누가복음 1-3장의 설교를 담아서 1999년 봄에 나온 적이 있습니다. 그러나 이번에 출간된 <구원사의 서곡>은 누가복음 1-6장의 설교를 담아서 다시 출간합니다. 그리고 2권은 16장까지, 마지막 3권은 24장까지 모두 200편 가까운 설교를 3권으로 엮어서 연내에 모두 출판하려고 합니다.
작년처럼 전집물이 “안 나가도 너무 안 나가는 시대에” 도서출판 두란노에서 누가복음 강해설교를 3권으로 출판하기로 했다는 것은 출판사로는 대단한 모험인 동시에 저자로서는 엄청 감사한 사건입니다. 지난 24년동안 누가복음 첫 절에서 마지막 절까지 한 절도 빠뜨리지 않고 설교한 것을 주님께서 귀하게 보시고, 12 바구니의 부스러기를 모으도록 명하신 주님의 마음이 <구원사의 서곡> 첫 권을 세상에 나오도록 하셨다고 믿습니다. 그동안 설교자로서 누가복음의 본문을 한 절 한 절 대하며 “이 본문이 오늘 우리에게 무엇을 말하는가?” 라는 질문을 하면서, 다른 복음서의 기록과도 대조하며, 성경신학적인 해석에 충실하려고 나름 노력했습니다.
신학교를 다니면서부터 남이 들려준 예수님 이야기가 아니라 제가 확인한 예수님 이야기를 전하고자 하는 소원을 품었습니다. 그리하여 자연스럽게 복음서 중 가장 아름다운 복음서로 불리는 누가복음을 만나고, 그 안에서 발견하게 되는 예수님 이야기를, 사람들에 대한 폭넓은 이해와 따뜻한 시선의 소유자 누가의 눈으로 사회적 약자들을 바라보게 되었습니다. 세상을 바라보는 의사 누가의 시선뿐 아니라 하늘을 바라보는 성도 누가의 시선도 특별했습니다. 그래서 특히 기도에 관한 스냅사진, 음성파일이 풍성하고, 성령에 관한 유별한 관심이 찬양으로 터져나오는 누가복음을 가까이 하게 된 것은 하나님의 선물과 같습니다. 그렇습니다. 우리의 삶에 가장 좋은 것은 모두 하나님의 선물입니다. 제가 복음서 가운데 누가복음서를 설교하게 된 것도, 여러분이 하필 이 글을 읽게 된 것도 모두 위로부터 주시는 선물입니다.
<구원사의 서곡> 서문에서 밝힌대로 누가복음 출판 이후 30년이 지나 새로이 태어나는 누가복음 강해설교집은 저에게 각별합니다. 그간 누가복음을 설교하며 누렸던 하나님의 크신 은혜가, 이전에 살아보지 못한 이 험한 시대를 살아가는 독자들에게 동일하게 임하기를 소원합니다. 주일예배의 자리에서 청중들에게 전한 설교문을, 책으로 대하는 독자들을 위해서, 간결하게 다듬는 수고를 마다 하지 않는 두란노 팀들에게 감사합니다. 그분들의 수고로 설교를 한 편도 줄이지 아니했지만, 모두 3권에 담을 수 있게 되었습니다. 감사합니다. (누가복음 강해설교 <구원사의 서곡>은 온라인 서점이나 오프라인 전국 서점에서 만날 수 있습니다.)
Last week, the first volume of an expository sermon series on the Gospel of Luke was published by Duranno. The title of that first volume is Overture to Redemptive History. "Overture to Redemptive History?" you might wonder. "Isn't that the exact same title of a book tucked away in my old memory chest or resting on my bookshelf?" Yes, you are right. In the spring of 1999, Duranno published a book entitled Rev. Keun-Doo Jung's Expository Sermons on the Gospel of Luke 1: Overture to Redemptive History, which covered Luke chapters 1 through 3. However, this newly published edition of Overture to Redemptive History has been expanded and released anew to include sermons from Luke chapters 1 through 6. Following this, Volume 2 will cover up to chapter 16, and the final Volume 3 will reach chapter 24. Within this year, we intend to publish nearly 200 sermons compiled across all three volumes.
In an era like last year where multi-volume book collections "sell so poorly that they barely move at all," Duranno Press's decision to publish these expository sermons on Luke in three volumes is a tremendous venture for the publisher, and at the same time, an occasion of immense gratitude for me as the author. Over the past 24 years, I preached verse by verse through Luke, from the very first verse to the last without skipping a single one. I believe the Lord looked favorably upon this journey, and it was His heart—the same heart that commanded the disciples to gather the twelve baskets of leftover fragments—that brought this first volume, Overture to Redemptive History, into the world. During all those years, approaching the text of Luke verse by verse as a preacher, I constantly asked, "What is this text speaking to us today?", compared it with the other Gospel accounts, and strived in my own humble way to remain faithful to biblical-theological exposition.
Ever since my days in theological seminary, I harbored a deep longing not to preach a Jesus second-hand from someone else's telling, but to share the Jesus I had personally encountered and verified. Thus, I was naturally drawn to the Gospel of Luke, often hailed as the most beautiful of the Gospels. In the stories of Jesus found therein, I learned to view the vulnerable and marginalized through the eyes of Luke—a man blessed with a broad understanding of humanity and a warm, tender gaze. Luke possessed not only the keen eye of a physician observing the world, but also the extraordinary perspective of a devoted saint looking toward heaven. Luke's Gospel is remarkably rich in verbal snapshots and audio recordings of prayer, and its special attentiveness to the Holy Spirit continually bursts forth in songs of praise; drawing close to such a Gospel has been nothing short of God's gift to me. Indeed, the very best things in our lives are all gifts from God. That I was led to preach through the Gospel of Luke, and that you have happened upon this reflection today, are both gracious gifts from above.
As I noted in the preface to Overture to Redemptive History, this expository sermon series on Luke, reborn after more than thirty years since its earliest publication, is deeply special to me. My prayer is that the immense grace of God which I experienced while preaching Luke will rest in the same measure upon readers walking through these turbulent and unprecedented times. My heartfelt gratitude goes to the dedicated team at Duranno, who spared no effort in condensing and refining sermons originally delivered from the pulpit during Sunday worship so that readers could encounter them gracefully in book form. Thanks to their labors, not a single sermon was omitted, yet all could be beautifully embraced within three volumes. Thank you. (Overture to Redemptive History, an expository sermon series on Luke, is available in both online and offline bookstores nationwide.)
Verlede week is die eerste volume van 'n verklarende preekreeks oor die Evangelie volgens Lukas deur Duranno uitgegee. Die titel van hierdie eerste volume is Voorspel tot die Verlossingsgeskiedenis. "Voorspel tot die Verlossingsgeskiedenis?" wonder u dalk. "Staan daar nie dalk 'n boek met dieselfde titel in my ou herinneringskist of op my boekrak nie?" Ja, u is heeltemal reg. In die lente van 1999 het Duranno 'n boek uitgegee onder die titel Ds. Keun-Doo Jung se verklarende preke oor Lukas 1: Voorspel tot die Verlossingsgeskiedenis, wat preke oor Lukas 1 tot 3 bevat het. Hierdie pas verskene uitgawe van Voorspel tot die Verlossingsgeskiedenis is egter uitgebrei en opnuut uitgegee om preke oor Lukas hoofstukke 1 tot 6 in te sluit. Daarna sal Volume 2 strek tot hoofstuk 16, en die finale Volume 3 tot hoofstuk 24. Ons beoog om bykans 200 preke in drie volumes saam te vat en nog vanjaar almal te publiseer.
In 'n tyd soos verlede jaar waarin veeldelige boekreekse "so bitter swak verkoop dat hulle skaars beweeg," was Duranno-uitgewers se besluit om hierdie verklarende preke oor Lukas in drie volumes uit te gee, 'n reuse-onderneming vir die uitgewer en terselfdertyd 'n bron van geweldige dankbaarheid vir my as skrywer. Oor die afgelope 24 jaar het ek vers vir vers deur Lukas gepreek, van die heel eerste vers tot die laaste sonder om 'n enkele een oor te slaan. Ek glo dat die Here hierdie arbeid genadig aangesien het, en dat die hart van die Here—dieselfde hart wat beveel het om die twaalf mandjies vol oorskietbrokstukke bymekaar te maak—hierdie eerste volume van Voorspel tot die Verlossingsgeskiedenis die wêreld laat binnegaan het. Deur al die jare het ek as prediker elke vers van Lukas genader met die vraag: "Wat sê hierdie teks vandag vir ons?", dit vergelyk met die ander Evangelies, en na my beste vermoë getrag om getrou te bly aan 'n bybels-teologiese uitleg.
Van my kweekskooljare af het ek 'n diepe verlange gekoester om nie 'n Jesus te verkondig wat bloot deur ander oorvertel is nie, maar 'n Jesus wat ek self ontmoet en getoets het. So het ek vanselfsprekend die Evangelie volgens Lukas teëgekom—dikwels die mooiste van al die Evangelies genoem—en in die verhale van Jesus daarin die kwesbares en randfigure leer aanskou deur die oë van Lukas, 'n man met 'n ruim deernis vir mense en 'n warm, liefdevolle blik. Lukas het nie net die skerp oog van 'n geneesheer gehad wat die wêreld waarneem nie, maar ook die besondere blik van 'n toegewyde gelowige wat na die hemel opkyk. Omdat Lukas se Evangelie besonder ryk is aan woordfoto's en stemopnames van gebed, en sy merkwaardige belangstelling in die Heilige Gees telkens in lofsange uitbars, was dit soos 'n geskenk van God om naby hierdie Evangelie te leef. Ja, waarlik: die heel beste dinge in ons lewe is alles gawes van God. Dat ek juis oor die Lukas-evangelie kon preek, en dat u juis vandag hierdie woorde lees, is albei genadegawes van Bo.
Soos ek in die voorwoord van Voorspel tot die Verlossingsgeskiedenis verduidelik, is hierdie verklarende preekbundel oor Lukas, wat meer as dertig jaar na die eerste verskyning hergebore word, vir my besonder kosbaar. My vurige wens is dat die oorvloedige genade van God wat ek tydens die verkondiging van Lukas beleef het, op dieselfde wyse mag neerdaal op die lesers wat hul weg baan deur hierdie stormagtige en ongekende tye. My opregte dank gaan aan die Duranno-span, wat geen moeite ontsien het om die preke wat tydens Sondagerediens aan die gemeente gelewer is, stylvol en bondig te skaaf sodat lesers dit as boeke kan geniet. Danksy hul toegewyde arbeid is nie 'n enkele preek weggelaat nie, en kon almal tog in drie volumes byeengebring word. Baie dankie. (Voorspel tot die Verlossingsgeskiedenis, die verklarende preekreeks oor Lukas, is beskikbaar by sowel aanlynboekwinkels as fisiese boekhandelaars landwyd.)