12 July 2026, Matthew 13:1-9, 18-20, Let your kingdom go

Before coming here to Adelaide, I lived in Sydney for 10 years. Now, the time I've spent in Adelaide is actually much longer. If I had to pick the biggest difference between living in Sydney and Adelaide as a migrant, for me, it would definitely be the size of the Korean community.

In Sydney, there are about 80,000 Korean speakers. Over there, I was quite literally 'one of them'—just one out of 80,000. But here in Adelaide, the Korean community is only about 3,000 people. Because of that, there are times when I feel like 'the only one.' My role as a pastor probably makes me stand out a bit more, too. Don't be surprised—sometimes the South Korean Embassy contacts me directly, or I get invited to dinner when the Ambassador visits. I often find myself having to step up and represent the Korean community.

The story I want to share with you today came from one of those moments. Somehow, they got my contact details, and one day, I received an interview request from ABC Radio Adelaide.

It was April 2017. It's been almost 9 years now. Do you remember what was happening globally back then? It was right around the 100th day of US President Donald Trump’s administration. He was flexing his muscles, shouting 'America First.' And the international community was on edge. The tension on the Korean peninsula was incredibly high; it felt like a war could break out at any second. Trump was playing a dangerous game of 'chicken' with North Korea’s Kim Jong-un.

North Korea was using its nuclear weapons as a threat, aggressively testing missiles to show off its power. President Trump and Chairman Kim were mocking each other, trading insults like "Rocket Man" and "old dotard." A US nuclear-powered aircraft carrier was deployed to the waters around the Korean peninsula, the South Korean military was on high alert, and the stock market was violently fluctuating. Looking back, it was terrifying. Just like the recent clashes between the US and Iran, it really felt like war was imminent.

The global media, including the Australian press, were running front-page stories every day about the possibility of war. Against this backdrop, ABC Radio wanted to know how the Korean community in Adelaide was feeling and how I, as a community leader, was handling the situation.

But to be completely honest, before I went into the studio for the interview, my main thought was, 'This will blow over too...' I didn't feel any intense sense of crisis or tension. And it wasn't just me; most of the Koreans I met here seemed pretty unfazed as well. Even when I called my family in Korea, their response was always the same: "It's noisy, and the military is on standby, but do you really think anything will happen?" There was no panic buying of groceries, no disruption to daily life out of fear.

But the moment I sat down in front of the microphone in the broadcasting studio, I couldn't just give lighthearted answers. I knew the ripple effect my words could have on Australian society over the radio waves, so I remember feeling very tense, taking the interview incredibly seriously and carefully.

And that day, through that interview, I shared a message I felt I absolutely had to deliver. Back in 2017, due to a severe drought, over 40% of the North Korean population was suffering from severe malnutrition, living in a miserable state where even food rations were cut off. Under heavy sanctions from the US and the UN, North Korea was completely isolated.

On the radio, I raised my voice and said that the North Korean leader shouldn't be wasting astronomical amounts of money on nuclear weapons and missiles, but instead, for the sake of peace and to save his starving people, he needs to change course. I also earnestly pleaded with the Australian society to show warm compassion and provide humanitarian aid to the suffering people of North Korea.

This wasn't a prepared statement. But once the words came out of my mouth, the reality of the situation truly hit me, and my heart grew heavy.

After finishing the interview, I walked out of the studio and checked my phone. There was a text message from Dana. Since it was a live broadcast, she was probably a bit anxious. "You did great, honey. Good job." It was such a warm, encouraging message. My tension melted away. I replied, 'I think it went well.' (I am the definition of a radio Star!)

She texted back: "You did great. And... honey, can I ask you a favor? Could you go to Costco and pick up a few things?" Right after, a shopping list arrived on my phone.

So, carrying the heavy heart from just moments ago, talking about the starving North Korean people into a microphone, I headed to Costco for my everyday life. But the moment I stepped inside the store, I instinctively stopped in my tracks.

What unfolded before my eyes was a completely familiar, everyday scene. Groceries piled up to the ceiling, endless aisles of shelves, people's shopping carts overflowing with food... Everything was just so abundant and overflowing, down to the $1.99 hotdog and unlimited drinks.

But on that particular day, that familiar sight felt so strange and shocking. Because the faces of the starving North Korean people I had in my mind just a few minutes ago contrasted so cruelly with the massive abundance right in front of my eyes. A thought suddenly crossed my mind.

'Ah... to them, this place would be heaven.'

If you asked the North Korean people what heaven looks like, wouldn't they describe a place like this? To those who are hungry and starving, wouldn't Costco alone perfectly paint the picture of the Kingdom of God they so desperately imagine and long for? If I could bring them here right now and show them this, I felt like they would weep tears of joy, thinking they had truly arrived in heaven. As that thought hit me, a deep sense of sorrow and guilt washed over me. I felt so apologetic just pushing my cart into that abundance. It was really hard to shake off that feeling.

What kind of place is the Kingdom of God in your mind? If someone asked you, 'What does the heaven you so desperately want to go to actually look like?' what image would you imagine? Well, it probably wouldn't be 'Costco,' of course.

Perhaps in many cases, we imagine a place where the constant lack in our lives is finally filled, where the pain and tears that weigh us down are completely wiped away, a peaceful place filled with the things we cherish. Or maybe a place where we reunite with people we miss. For us, living on this weary earth, that is such a natural and desperate hope. But let's meditate on this a little deeper. What is the true Kingdom of God like?

Let's step into the 'Parable of the Sower' from Matthew chapter 13 that we read today. Actually, we've heard this parable so many times in our life of faith. To put it simply: A farmer planted seed. As he scattered the seed, some of it fell on the road, and birds ate it. The seed failed. Some fell on rocky places; they sprouted quickly, but because they had no deep roots, they soon withered away. Some fell in the weeds; as it came up, it was strangled by the weeds. And finally, the part that gets emphasized the most: some fell on good soil. And that seed eventually produced a crop—a hundred, sixty, or at least thirty times what was sown.

Because of this, we usually apply the message like this: "Let us all become good soil and live a life that produces at least thirty, up to a hundred times, or even more fruit!" We get encouraged by this. And then we ask ourselves: 'Am I the path? Am I the rocky ground? Am I the thorny bushes? Am I the good soil?'

However, in this parable today, Jesus did not say, "Therefore, you must become good soil and bear much fruit." It might sound strange, but Jesus simply said this: 'A sower sowed seeds. They fell on the path, on rocky ground, among thorns, and on good soil. And the good soil produced much fruit.' He was just telling a story based on the farming methods of that time. He didn't encourage or command us, saying, 'Therefore, you must absolutely become good soil.' I looked up the same story in the other Gospels. It's the same in Mark 4 and Luke 8. There are slight variations in where the seed falls, but it never ends with the conclusion we've always known: 'Become good soil and bear much fruit.'

Beloved, the true protagonist of this parable is not 'the condition of our heart's soil.' It's also not 'how much fruit we must produce by our own strength.' The real protagonist of this story is the 'Kingdom of God.' To be more precise, it is 'God,' who scatters the seeds of life so lavishly, almost recklessly.

Look at Matthew chapter 13. It has a nickname: "The Chapter of Kingdom Parables." Why? Because the entire chapter is filled with parables about the Kingdom of God. Don't be surprised—including the Parable of the Sower we read today, there are seven parables back-to-back. The focus of all these parables points to only one thing: the 'Kingdom of God.'

Look. Jesus continuously declares: 'The Kingdom of Heaven is like a mustard seed that a man took and planted in his field!' 'The Kingdom of Heaven is like yeast that a woman mixed into a large amount of flour until it worked all through the dough!' 'The Kingdom of Heaven is like treasure hidden in a field; it's like a merchant looking for fine pearls; and finally, it's like a net that was let down into the lake and caught all kinds of fish!'

If so, how should we read this very first story that opens chapter 13, 'The Kingdom of God is like a sower'? What kind of Kingdom of God is this parable showing us? It is the fact that the Kingdom of God advances boldly and relentlessly toward every corner of the world. The Kingdom of God doesn't just go to places that seem worthy. It goes everywhere—even to the path and the rocky ground, where there seems to be no hope and failure is guaranteed. This is the core message.

With our common sense, it's hard to understand. I mean, how can seeds fall on the path and be eaten by birds, fall on rocks and be scorched by the sun, or fall among thorns and be choked to death? If you were a farmer who cared about economic efficiency, you would beat your chest in regret. Three-quarters of the sown seeds were wasted; on the surface, it looks like a completely failed harvest. It seems too slow and frustrating.

But as I meditated deeply on this, I realized it wasn't a failure at all. Why? Because among them, the good soil yielded a crop a hundred times over. The Kingdom of God doesn't produce this fruit just to stockpile it for a bigger kingdom. Why? Because these fruits will become 'new seeds' to be scattered into the world all over again. I want to call it this: (They are the definition of the kingdom of God!)

We often think that the 'Kingdom of God' or 'Heaven' is a place we only go to after our lives are over. A space somewhere beyond the sky, a place where we are comforted and rewarded later, after leaving this weary world. We might imagine it as a place that has everything and lacks nothing, like a 'Giant Costco.' Yes, that is true, too.

But the parable Jesus shares today is incredibly mysterious. He tells us not to limit heaven to just 'a place we go when we die.' Jesus says, 'The Kingdom of God is like a farmer sowing seeds.' This farmer scatters seeds everywhere, without calculating failure or fearing waste. In other words, the Kingdom of God is not a static space we go to after death; it is a vitality that is constantly 'spreading out' right here, right now.

What is the world we live in like? It is still rough, like rocky ground and thorny bushes. It is full of places like the hard-packed path, hardened by despair and scars. But the Kingdom of God doesn't check for qualifications. It approaches boldly—to sinners, to enemies, regardless of whether they are great or small, rich or poor.

Even in barren places where it seems impossible for life to grow, God does not give up. He plants the seeds of life and does His absolute best to make them bear fruit.

It is inefficient. Sometimes, it looks like a reckless waste. But God never stops doing this work. Why? Because He works through 'us.' God first poured that unconditional grace and love into us. And now, He wants that love to flow through us. Right here, on the earth where we stand. Through us, He wants to make the Kingdom of God a reality in every barren corner of this land.

So, the prayer Jesus taught us comes to mind. "Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven." It hits me in a new way. Let's think about this meaning for a moment. (Pause)

I once shared this with you while we were talking about the Lord's Prayer. We shouldn't stop at just praying 'Your kingdom come' every day—that earnest plea for God's kingdom to come to this earth, into my life. Let it be 'Your kingdom come,' and our response should be 'Your kingdom go.' I believe that Jesus' parable of the kingdom today is exactly about this 'Your kingdom go.'

Beloved congregation, by His unsparing grace, the Kingdom of God has already been planted within us. That seed sprouts within us, grows strong, and bears fruit. And now, we are told to step out for the Kingdom of God. From 'Let your kingdom come' to 'Let your kingdom go.' He tells us to step out without hesitation to the rocky ground, the path, the thorns, the dark places, the cold places, wherever it is needed. We are told this is what it looks like for a Christian to live out the kingdom. If we have tasted the heaven that has already come to us, now we must 'Let your kingdom go'—we must let that seed of God flow beyond our own lives. Even if it looks like a waste, even if it goes against common sense, even if it doesn't seem profitable when we run the numbers.

Just as the farmer willingly sowed seeds regardless of the field's condition, we too must silently scatter the Kingdom of God toward our neighbors. With warm 'love' for someone, with 'prayers' offered in secret, with 'sharing' our small things willingly, with 'forgiveness' that covers wounds, and with 'acceptance' that embraces people exactly as they are.

This is the true story of the Kingdom of God that today's passage tells us, and it is the Gospel of the cross that Jesus Himself scattered with His entire life when He came to this earth.

Fittingly, this week is NAIDOC Week. Why does our Uniting Church in Australia (UCA) walk the journey of reconciliation with the First Nations peoples of this land? And why are we at the forefront of this effort more than other churches? It is because we want to share the Kingdom of God with them. And because we are called to this work. 'Your kingdom go!' Harboring the heart of God the farmer, sowing seeds without hesitation where there is pain. Just as His will is done in heaven, through us today, the Kingdom of God spreading boldly to the wounded corners of this Australian land... This is the kingdom of heaven on earth that we must live out.

Beloved, we all live dreaming of our own 'Kingdom of God.' Whether that place is like a giant, overflowing Costco, or a beautiful resort where we can rest without a single worry, we are all Pilgrim people walking with the hope of that eternal heaven held firmly in our hearts.

Yes, we will one day go to that glorious kingdom. But everyone, I hope we don't just leave that amazing heaven as a distant, future place we only go to after we die. That heaven we will eventually reach and live in eternally—why don't we practice it beforehand, right here where we stand today? And how about living each day enjoying it in advance, with that joy and overwhelming emotion?

With a sense of freedom, let go of the burden of 'how much fruit have I produced?' That is not our part. Thankfully, it is entirely the work of God, the farmer. So please, don't be discouraged if the love, prayers, and sharing you offer today don't immediately return as visible fruit. We simply need to sow the seeds faithfully. God will take care of the fruit. You can confidently say to yourself, "Today, I am doing my absolute best, working hard to sow seeds for the Kingdom of God!"

When we harbor the heart of that farmer who lavishly scatters the seeds of grace without questioning who deserves it, and when we let love flow to the wounded neighbors around us ('Your kingdom go'), we will vividly taste the joy and mystery of that future, completed heaven in our everyday lives right now.

'He who has ears, let him hear.' These are the words of Jesus.

Carrying the Lord's voice given to us today deep in your hearts, I earnestly pray in the name of the Lord that you will become blessed pilgrims who practice heaven every single day wherever your footsteps take you, living a life thoroughly soaked in that grace.