A New Year Reflection on the Word 'BLESSING'
Pastor Tan Thai · Jun 4, 2011
This sermon explores the deep meaning of the word 'blessing' (Phước) through four components of the Chinese character: Nhất (first/best), Khẩu (mouth), Tâm (heart), and Điền (land), comparing them with biblical teaching. The author guides readers from folk concepts of blessing to the one True Blessing: forgiveness of sins and becoming a child of God through Jesus Christ.
The sermon opens with the Vietnamese and Chinese New Year custom of displaying the character for 'blessing' (Phước), particularly the tradition of hanging it upside down to signify that blessings descend from heaven. The author uses this as a starting point for a reflection on the meaning of blessing through the lens of Scripture, asserting that no book can explain the word 'blessing' more fully than the Word of God.
The main body of the sermon analyzes the four components of the Chinese character for Phước. The character Nhất (first, best) is linked to Deuteronomy 28:1-14, showing that those who obey God will be placed at the head and not the tail. The character Khẩu (mouth) highlights the power of words to bring blessing or disaster, and points especially to Jesus as the Word of God, through whom the gospel of salvation is passed from mouth to mouth. The character Tâm (heart) is discussed through the writings of Nguyễn Du and Trịnh Công Sơn, contrasted with Proverbs 4:23 and Psalm 51:10, emphasizing that a heart forgiven and indwelt by God is the true source of blessing. The character Điền (land/field) is expanded from its material meaning to the spiritual reality of an eternal dwelling place in Heaven, which Jesus promised to prepare for all who believe in Him.
Throughout the sermon, the author consistently contrasts folk wisdom and Eastern philosophy with biblical truth, demonstrating that wealth, fame, and talent are not true blessings and can even become sources of disaster. Passages from Ecclesiastes 5-6 and the poetry of Nguyễn Du are used to illustrate the meaninglessness of life without God. King David is cited as an example of a man who had everything yet declared that apart from God he had no blessing.
The conclusion calls listeners to repent of their sins and receive Jesus Christ as Savior, in order to receive the greatest blessing: forgiveness of all sins and adoption as children of God. The author affirms that everything people have traditionally considered a blessing is only a temporary blessing, and that True and Great Blessing can only be found in Jesus Christ.