For Kouri, a Japanese sailor... - All The Good Seed Daily Devotionals for 2025

But even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them.
2 Corinthians 4:3–4

For Kouri, a Japanese sailor, only one thing counts: pleasure. No one needs to come to him with Jesus Christ – to Kouri, He is the god of foreigners.

One evening, Kouri is once again out and about in a disreputable district of Tokyo. There he feels a hand touching his sleeve. Someone hands him a leaflet. What is this? Another one of those Christian flyers? He crumples it up and throws it away.

A little later, Kouri is back on the same street. A group of Christians is singing songs of their faith. Kouri comes closer and listens. Finally, a young Japanese man steps forward and reads, “For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God” (1 Corinthians 1:18).

Kouri listens; he finds the beginning of the text interesting and true: “The word of the cross is foolishness”. But then there is this annoying postscript about being lost! And now the reader adds in a loud voice: “Yes, folly for those who are lost. If anyone here thinks that the gospel is folly, it is the sure sign that he is running to destruction.” The words strike Kouri like lightning. So he is among those “who are perishing” then?

At the end of the event, Kouri approaches the young preacher of the gospel. He has a deep desire to know more about the “word of the cross”. He wants to know more about the power of God that can save him.

Today’s reading: 2 Kings 23:1-11 · Psalms 108:1-14