A sermon preached at Kowloon Union Church on 25 October 2026, by Revd Judy Chan. The scripture readings that day was Jeremiah 31:31-34, Romans 3:19-28, John 8:31-36
"In Christ Alone"
Good morning. This is my first time to preach on Reformation Sunday. Which is kind of surprising since I’ve been a Presbyterian minister for 43 years. And I don’t forget that because every October my Presbytery in DC sends an email to congratulate me on the anniversary of my ordination. In fact, this robe I’m wearing and the red stole were gifts from the Chinese Community Church on my ordination day, so I’m grateful that the robe, the stole and I are still around 40+ years later so I can finally preach on Reformation Sunday. Thank you, Pastor Maggie.
Now, as Maggie has said, this Sunday commemorates an event that started the Protestant Reformation over 500 years ago. That’s when a German monk named Martin Luther protested over institutional corruption and unbiblical practices in the Catholic church at that time. Whether he made his protest by nailing a copy of his arguments to the church door is not for certain. But what is certain is he protested to his Archbishop against any teaching that did not affirm our salvation in Christ alone. We are not saved by our works or our ministers or money or ultimately even the church. As St. Paul says in Romans, we are only saved by grace through faith in the Cross of Christ.
Now, for some of you here this morning, that may seem rather obvious. Of course, we are saved by faith in Jesus. What else would it be? But, for others, you might be thinking, well what about works? Doesn’t it also say in James 2:17: “So faith by itself, if it has no works, is dead”? Now before we start thinking badly about Luther, one way or the other, we should know something else about him.
Luther’s opposition to what was going on in the church was based in part on his own traumatic spiritual past. He had a profound sense of worthlessness and guilt. He lived in terror of a holy and righteous God and his own inability to do what God required. For him, Jesus was not so much a loving Savior. He was a stern Judge who must condemn, and rightly so. Luther’s teachers emphasized verses like “Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect” (Matthew 5:28). You can imagine how that tormented someone as consumed as he was with his own sinfulness.
To save his soul, he joined a very strict religious order, determined to outdo everybody in that monastery. He prayed for hours and hours during the day and throughout the night; he fasted until he endangered his health; he worried during confession that he might have forgotten something so he kept on going and going. He chanted the Psalms 7 times a day in worship and committed large portions of Scripture to memory. To be honest, he would put most of us to shame in terms of spiritual devotion. But no matter what, he still couldn’t find peace with God.
That’s why Paul’s teaching in Romans transformed his life. He finally understood. He finally got it – there’s nothing, nothing we can do to deserve God’s love and approval. And that was the point. We don’t have to. We don’t have to try to make peace with God, because we can’t. But God can make peace with us and God did so through the Cross. As Romans 5:8 says – “Even while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us”. Friends, God loved us before we did anything – bad or good. God simply loves you and me and everyone because God made us and we are God’s children. God loves us just as we are. Isn’t that great news?
But, there’s more. God does love us just as we are. But God also loves us too much to leave us that way. So, believing is only the first step. Because that level of faith won’t take you far unless you put your faith in action. It’s like the story told by Christian author Max Lucado.
There was a lady who had a small house on the seashore of Ireland at the turn of the century. She was quite wealthy but also quite frugal. So, people were surprised when she decided to be among the first to have electricity in her home.
Several weeks after the installation, a meter reader came to her door. He asked if her electricity was working well, and she assured him it was. “I’m wondering if you can explain something to me,” he said. “Your meter shows hardly any usage. Are you using your power?”
“Certainly,” she answered. “Each evening when the sun sets, I turn on my lights just long enough to light my candles; then I turn [the lights] off.” 1
Lucado says she’s tapped into the power but doesn’t use it. Her house is connected but not changed. That’s the same as Christians who claim to trust Christ for their salvation but resist being transformed by Him. Oh, we may occasionally flip the switch, but most of the time we settle for living in the shadows. And that’s tragic. Because we could be living in the light 24/7.
So, what’s the solution? How do we spiritually move out from the shadows to dwell in the radiance of God? The late Presbyterian theologian Shirley Guthrie suggested three ways. Here’s what he says.2
1. If we want to have faith that truly trusts God, that frees us for the abundant life, we need to be humble. We have to admit we fall short, no matter how long we’ve been a Christian. Some days are just so hard, we have to admit we have doubts. That’s OK. But, then, we have to pray. Pray every new day for God to give us more – more faith, more hope, more love. Like the desperate father who came to Jesus for help: “Lord, I believe, help my unbelief!” (Mark 9:24) And God heard his cry.
2. If we want more faith, we need to put ourselves in situations that help us grow up. For most people, that means the church. We need to be in places where we hear the Good News again and again in worship, Bible study, prayer. But that’s not all. We need to be in places where we can fellowship with other believers, to be encouraged and accountable in our spiritual walk. (I confess here, I like being encouraged better than being accountable. But we still need both). But that’s still not all. We need to be in places where we can serve others. Why? Because serving others is the gold standard of whether our faith is dead or alive! (St James, we hear you.)
3. Finally, in order for faith to mature, we have to risk doing what faith requires. Faith in God is only possible when we live by faith. Otherwise, how will we ever know God can be trusted if we always want to be in control? How can we say we trust God if we don’t seek God’s will and obey Him? How can faith grow stronger if we never ‘get out of the boat’ when Jesus calls us? Maybe we need to think again next time we sing “Lord, I want to be a Christian in my heart.” Because, to tell the truth, following Jesus is anything but simple and easy. As Martin Luther said, “For where God built a church, there the Devil would also build a chapel.”
But, friends, don’t despair! Through the grace of God the Father, nothing is impossible. Through the sacrifice of God the Son, Jesus has done for us what we could not do for ourselves. And through the power of God, the Holy Spirit, we are being re-formed and trans-formed daily to follow Christ in faith as a church and a people. As Luther concluded: "This life is not godliness but the process of becoming godly, not health but getting well, not being but becoming, not rest but exercise. We are not now what we shall be, but we are on the way."
Soli deo Gloria! To God alone be all the glory!
I’d like to close this morning with a song I first heard at Hong Kong Union Church. It’s called “The Power of the Cross” by Keith Getty and Stuart Townend and sung by Krystin Getty. Some of you may know it. For me, it beautifully conveys the message of the Reformation and Romans Chapter 3. So, if you don’t remember anything else this morning, I hope you remember the Family Talk and this song – “The Power of the Cross”.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=uS7fc7VTJZs
# posted by Kowloon Union Church : Tuesday, October 27, 2026
A sermon preached at Kowloon Union Church on 18 October 2026, by Sunita Suna. The scripture readings that day was Psalm 99, Isaiah 45:1-7, Matthew 22:34-36
"Gracious God, as we hear Your Word, open our hearts and minds. Guide us by Your Spirit, inspire and empower us through Your Word. Amen."
Good morning!
KUC has a meaningful practice of inviting lay members of the congregation to actively participate in Sunday worship. I want to thank the Worship Committee and Pastor Maggie for the opportunity to share God’s Word with you today.
Last Sunday, our preacher joked that he might have picked the wrong Sunday to preach, given the complexity of the passage. This week, I felt confident. The passage seemed familiar… even straightforward. But as I sat down to prepare, to seek its true meaning… I realized—I might have picked the wrong Sunday too!
The passage we read today from the Gospel of Matthew is one many of us know well. I first learned about the “greatest commandment” in Sunday School.
But when we return to this text as adults, reflect on it more deeply, and ask what it really means for our lives, suddenly it’s not so simple. Understanding its true meaning is hard. And living it out… may be one of the most challenging tasks we face!
I am sharing my reflection on the passage from the perspective of a layperson.
In this chapter, Jesus is confronted by the Pharisees and the Sadducees with a series of questions to test him. And so - today’s passage continues this testing. But notice - Jesus does not only receive their questions. He also poses a counter-question, turning the tables on them.
In today’s reading, an expert in the law asks Jesus, “Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?” Jesus answers with words they all knew well, quoting from Deuteronomy 6:5: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.” “This,” Jesus says, “is the greatest and first commandment.”
But he does not stop there. He adds a second commandment, quoting from Leviticus 19:18: “You shall love your neighbour as yourself.”
Two commandments. One flowing into the other. Love for God—and love for neighbour. Together, they form the foundation of all the law and the prophets.
The Pharisees and Sadducees likely did not expect Jesus to highlight this particular law as the greatest commandment. And yet, He ties it directly to the second: “Love your neighbour as yourself.”
Jesus’ response is powerful — even classic. In doing so, He exposes their hypocrisy. Loving God is not about rituals, traditions, or outward displays of strength and power. The Pharisees and Sadducees were known for such things. But by referring to this law, Jesus reminds them that these are empty if the heart is not aligned with God.
To love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul, and mind means something deeper. It is pure. It is holy. It is genuine. It is without duality or pretence. This is the love that Jesus calls us to — a love that is real, wholehearted, and undivided.
And perhaps Jesus was pointing out to them: "Since you are not truthful to yourself, are you truly worthy to worship and love the Lord your God, the Yahweh who is…”
• Holy and Righteous (Isaiah 6:3)
• Love and Compassion (1 John 4:8; Psalm 103:8)
• Faithful and True (Lamentations 3:22–23)
• Just, and Judge of All (Isaiah 30:18)
• Merciful and Forgiving (Psalm 86:5)
• Provider and Shepherd (Psalm 23:1)
This is the God we are called to love — Such love is not optional. It is the very foundation of faithful living.
Jesus’ answer to the expert in the law was remarkable. Jesus was asked to choose the greatest law out of more than 600 laws. I believe Jesus added the 2nd commandment, “Love your neighbour as yourself,” intentionally, challenging them with a deeper question:
How can you truly love God without loving God’s people? “We may also wonder who belongs to God’s people.”
Psalm 24:1 declares: “The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it.”
Everything and everyone belong to God.
Therefore, Jesus was not limiting it to the Israelite community alone when he says, “love your neighbour” — He was extending it far beyond.
“I recall a specific experience of mine in India. After university, I was chosen to assist a doctoral student from Germany in her research as an interpreter. Her work required us to live in a rural village for a year. But the community was very particular — no outsider could simply move in. When we approached the village head, the answer was a firm ‘No,’ especially when they saw us as “foreigners”. A meeting was called, and after long discussions and negotiations among the leaders, they finally agreed to let us stay in a small mud house. At first, there was distance and suspicion. But slowly, the women began visiting us, sitting on our verandah to talk. Soon, children joined, and evenings became filled with stories and laughter. What began with resistance turned into friendship, and we were welcomed as part of their community-no longer “foreigners” to them. The village community extended its boundaries for us. That experience taught me that being a neighbour is more than living side by side — it is becoming part of one another’s lives.”
Leviticus 19:18 could be read as limiting "neighbour" to the Israelite community. But the same chapter, in verse 34, opens the circle wide: "The foreigner residing among you must be treated as your native-born. Love them as yourself, for you were foreigners in Egypt. I am the Lord your God."
Notice the reason God gives: "You were foreigners once." Our love for the stranger begins with remembering our own story.
This means that loving our neighbour” is not limited by nationality, culture, or community. It is a command to embrace all people — the stranger, the outsider, the different one. Jesus ties love of God and love of neighbour together because they cannot be separated. To claim one without the other is to miss the heart of the commandment.
Indeed, a commandment hard for the Pharisees and Sadducees to live out, and still hard for us today!
In today’s world, the definition of “neighbour” has expanded far beyond kin and clan. The command in Leviticus 19:34 — “The foreigner residing among you must be treated as your native-born. Love them as yourself…” — speaks directly into our modern reality. Migration has transformed the demographics of nations and regions. Communities are no longer homogeneous; they are diverse, multi-ethnic, multi-cultural, and multi-religious. I grew up in India, a land celebrated for its diversity. The challenge has always been to seek unity not through uniformity, but unity in diversity.
And this diversity is not accidental — it is part of God’s unfolding plan for humanity.
It reminds me of the traditional African philosophy of Ubuntu, which means ‘I am because we are.’ It emphasizes that our humanity is never solitary, but always a shared experience, marked by deep interconnectedness.”
“Last year I was in Bali, Indonesia, for a conference and visited a place called “Puja Mandala”. I witnessed a unique and powerful image: five houses of worship sit side by side, a mosque, a Catholic church, a Protestant church, a Hindu temple, and a Buddhist temple. Each community gathers daily for prayer, yet they do so as neighbours, respecting one another’s rhythms of worship, and they coexist. Puja Mandala is more than architecture; it is a living testimony that neighbours of different faiths can stand together in harmony. It reminds us that Jesus’ command to ‘love your neighbour’ extends beyond boundaries of religion or culture, calling us to embrace one another as part of God’s family.”
Throughout history, people have migrated for many reasons — seeking safety, opportunity, or simply a better life. And the numbers are striking today! The United Nations tells us that today, 1 in every 27 people worldwide is a migrant. And here in Hong Kong, the reality is even closer to home — nearly 1 in every 2.5 people is a migrant.” (UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs)
This means that the “foreigner among us” is no longer a distant concept. It is our co-worker, our helpers, our neighbour next door, the child in our schools, the family in our apartment building.
Many of us here in Hong Kong are migrants ourselves. We are “foreigners” to the local people, and Hong Kong is a foreign city for many who have come here. In truth, I am a foreigner to my neighbour next door, and my neighbour is a foreigner to me. This reflects the changing concept of neighbour in today’s context. A neighbour is no longer just kin or clan, but often someone different, even unfamiliar.
In our busy lives, especially here in Hong Kong, we seldom meet our neighbours. We miss the chance to truly know and understand the person and family next door. This isolation has made coexistence more difficult today. And we cannot ignore the growing tensions around migration. In many parts of the world, the influx of migrants has stirred fear and resentment.
In some countries, it has even become a trend for citizens to gather in the streets on Sundays, protesting against migrants or “foreigners” shouting the popular slogan: “Go back to your country!”
The Scripture calls us to a different response. Where the world says “Go back,” God says, “Love them as yourself.”
Easier said than done!
Perhaps this is a test for us — a test of how we love our God, and how we love God’s people, both individually and communally. And yet, we are not without hope. We do have many positive, inspiring and empowering stories to witness and celebrate. Across the world, many churches have opened their doors to their neighbours. Sanctuaries have become places of refuge, spaces of welcome, homes of compassion.
Kowloon Union Church is one among those churches. Here, neighbours near and far are invited in. Here, the richness of gifts and talents of locals and foreigners alike is celebrated. At KUC, over 30 nationalities gather in worship — isn’t that a wonderful testimony? Through service, consideration, and special care, KUC seeks to share the love of God with God’s people.
This is not just an idea; it is a living testimony of what it means to love our God through service, consideration, and special care.
Today’s Old Testament reading from Isaiah 45:1-7 shows the breadth of God’s concern. In exile, God’s people are promised deliverance — through Cyrus, a foreign king who did not worship Yahweh, yet was called God’s ‘anointed’ (Isaiah 45:1), and ‘shepherd (Isaiah 44:28). These titles of honour given to an outsider remind us that God’s purposes extend beyond Israel’s boundaries. The “foreigner” is not a threat but part of God’s plan. God’s work is greater than our borders, categories, and comfort zones, cautioning us against deciding who is ‘in’ or ‘out,’ for God may be at work through the very person we overlook.
At the close of his conversation, Jesus turned the tables on the Pharisees and Sadducees with a challenging question: ‘What do you think of the Messiah?’
“They replied, ‘The son of David.’
But Jesus cited from Psalm where David calls the Messiah ‘my Lord.’ In that moment, He revealed the mystery of His identity — both David’s descendant and David’s Lord, fully human and fully divine.”It was a profound declaration of divinity. Today, this scripture still speaks with power.
The Messiah who embodies both humanity and divinity calls us to recognize his presence not only in himself but in all of God’s creation and all God’s people.
May this revelation inspire us to see Christ’s light of divinity and humanity shining in ourselves, our neighbour, our family, and our loved ones. And may it strengthen and empower us to live with courage, compassion, hope and faith. Amen.
# posted by Kowloon Union Church : Tuesday, October 27, 2026
