Transforming Society Through the Gospel
Rev. Sang Ho Bae's 10th expository work on the gospel of Matthew explores the meaning of the gospel as light and its power to dispel darkness and transform lives, societies, and nations.
John the Baptist was sent as the forerunner of Jesus, proclaiming repentance and administering baptism, and he testified that Jesus is “the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.” However, he was arrested because he rebuked Herod for taking Herodias, the wife of his brother Philip, as his own. Herod wanted to kill John, but he feared the people who regarded John as a prophet, so he only put him in prison. Then, on Herod’s birthday, when the daughter of Herodias danced before the guests and pleased Herod, he promised to give her whatever she asked. At her mother’s prompting, she requested the head of John the Baptist, and because of his pride before the guests, Herod could not refuse. As a result, John was beheaded. On the surface, it appears that John was senselessly killed for speaking the truth to a tyrant. Yet in the providence of God, John’s death signified that his mission had come to an end. As the one who prepared the way for Jesus, he was called to work only until the Lord began His public ministry. Just as John confessed, “He must increase, but I must decrease” (John 3:30), he stepped off the stage of history as the moon fades when the sun rises. God allowed him to be martyred so that the moment of his departure would be most blessed.
From a spiritual perspective, the pitiable one is not John, but Herod, who killed him. Jesus’ response to the news about John seems almost indifferent. John, who was killed without guilt, was Jesus’ relative, had baptized Him, and was the last prophet of the Old Testament era. Since such a man was unjustly killed, it would seem that the righteous Lord should not remain still; yet the Lord, remaining silent, preached only the gospel in the land of Zebulun and Naphtali, in Galilee. The reason the Lord acted this way clearly reveals the purpose of His coming. Jesus did not come as a revolutionary. He did not come to overthrow corrupt social systems, as liberation theology or revolutionary theology claims, and He never used the sword in His entire life. Rather, He said, “All who take the sword will perish by the sword” (Matt 26:52). Though He could have summoned the armies of heaven, He never did so even once.
The Christian spirit is fundamentally nonviolent. The church must trust in God’s providence and His final victory, refrain from using violence, and entrust all things to Him. Activism that resorts to violence arises from unbelief. The early Christians, even under Roman persecution, did not resist with force but chose martyrdom and devoted themselves solely to proclaiming the gospel. The church is not a group that seeks to build physical power, but one that focuses on the spiritual purpose of saving souls and transforming human lives.
This does not mean that Christianity should remain silent about the injustices of the world. In Scripture, the people of God did not stay silent about the unrighteousness of worldly rulers. Samuel rebuked Saul, Nathan rebuked David, Elijah rebuked Ahab, and John the Baptist rebuked Herod. Jesus also criticized the wrongs of Herod and the religious leaders. The church must speak out against policies or ideologies that contradict the spirit of Scripture. It must raise a clear voice of opposition regarding issues debated in Korea, such as the “Comprehensive Anti-Discrimination Act,” “homosexuality”, or “communist ideology”.
However, raising a voice of opposition is one thing; using physical violence as a means to achieve that end is quite another. It is very important to note that, even with so many issues demanding attention, Jesus focused on proclaiming the gospel. The gospel alone is the fundamental solution to the problems of human society. The gospel creates a new heart, breaks the power of sin, and purifies society. If sin is the cause of all misery, then the gospel is the cure for all misery.
The gospel also addresses economic problems. God feeds His children and adds what is needed to those who seek His kingdom and His righteousness. This is why nations that received the gospel were not poor. A people who serve God, work diligently for six days, and keep the Lord’s Day holy will not starve. When one’s relationship with God is set right, human relationships are restored as well. The destruction of families and the darkness of society also arise from turning away from God. The problems of the world are not solved by revolution or by force.
Society is transformed when the light of the gospel exposes sin and plants new life. This is not a passive method but the most certain and effective one. A strong wind cannot strip a traveler of his cloak, but warm sunlight makes him remove it willingly. It was also the power of the gospel that made Geneva a holy city through Calvin and transformed Scotland through John Knox. The reason Jesus preached only the gospel even in the face of John’s unjust death is that the true remedy is the gospel. Unless people are changed, no matter how good a system is introduced, society will not be transformed. The fact that human rights were gravely violated during the age of humanism (the 14th–16th centuries), which loudly proclaimed human rights, and that workers were most exploited in communist states that claimed to defend workers’ rights, proves this. Jesus’ silence regarding the colonial rule, royal corruption, slavery, and human oppression of His time does not mean He was indifferent. He knew that the root of the problems lay in sin, sinful nature, and the activity of Satan, and He knew that turning people back to God was the true solution.
The apostle Paul also was not ignorant of the injustices of the social systems of his day, but he devoted himself to preaching the gospel because that was more important. The gospel alone is the only remedy that heals society. This is the mission entrusted to the church. Jesus did not organize a political party or lead a social movement; He preached only the gospel, and through this, He clearly revealed the essential mission of the church. Scripture testifies that Jesus is the Light. “The people sitting in darkness have seen a great light, and to those sitting in the land of death and shadow, a light has dawned” (Matt 4:15–16). The Lord is the light that dispels darkness, the light that gives life, and the light that leads into truth. Wherever the gospel comes, the light of life shines, turning death into life and despair into hope. Just as the warm spring sunlight brings all creation back to life, only the Lord’s light of life can transform the world.