ルカ4:21-30
ラブレターをもらった経験はおありだろうか？ もらった事がないという方、どうぞ心配しないで欲しい。 もらった事のある方、差出人との関係はどういう関係だっただろう？ 自分はその人を好きなのかどうかよくわからなかったという経験をお持ちの方がいると思う。また、そのラブレターはどんなことが書かれていただろうか？ 「私はあなたを好きです。 愛してます。」みたいな、手紙をもらった経験をされたかもしれない。あるいは、ところどころ意味がよくわからないようなラブレターをもらった経験のある方もいると思う。
さて、私は、聖書を一言でいうなら、神からのラブレターと申し上げたい。 わたしたちと、その差出人である神との関係は、どういう関係なのだろう？ また、聖書は、どんなラブレターなんだろうか？
今日与えられていた福音書箇所だけを読むなら、いきなり、「この聖書の言葉は、今日、あなたがたが耳にしたとき、実現した。」とある。
「この聖書の言葉」って何なのだろうか。 実は、もう少し前のほうから読まないとわからないが、イエスは、少年時代に慣れ親しんでいた会堂に来て、席を立ち会堂前方に向かい、イザヤ書から次のような言葉を読まれる：・「主の霊がわたしの上におられる。 貧しい人に福音を告げ知らせるために、 主がわたしに油を注がれたからである。 主がわたしを遣わされたのは、 捕らわれている人に解放を、 目の見えない人に視力の回復を告げ、 圧迫されている人を自由にし、 主の恵みの年を告げるためである。」
そして、席に戻ったが、さらに、イエスから次のようなインパクトのある言葉が発せられる。「この聖書の言葉は、今日、あなたがたが耳にしたとき、実現した。」 その場にいた人々の中には、すごいと感じた方もいれば、イエスの子供のころを知る人々の中に、「何を言ってんだ？大工の息子が？」といって、イエスの言わんとすることを理解しないものもいた。
さて、2400年程前のイザヤ書の言葉と2000年前のイエスの言葉を今、聞かれて、あなたはどう思われるだろうか？ 「圧迫されている人々に解放される」なんて実現していないと思われるだろうか。 なぜなら、この世の中、実に多く方々が、貧困の中にいて、貧しい現実がある。 また、世の中の動向がわからず、先が見えない。 圧迫感を感じている人々が多い。2400年間ずっと同じだ。
イエスの言葉を今日聞いているわたしたち、イエスがおっしゃりたいことは、「世の圧迫されている人々」、つまり第三者を問題にしているのだろか？
今日の聖書の箇所、最後のイエスの言葉を今一度、よく読みたい。 「あなたが耳にした時、実現した」とある。 そう、まず、あなた方、一人一人が、まず、この聖書の言葉を聞いたとき、圧迫や束縛から解放されるという現実が起こっている。 それは、イエスの言葉を聴いているここにおられるお一人お一人のこと。 その言葉というのは、私の言葉ではなく、イエスの言葉が今ここで語られている。
イエスは当時のユダヤ教の会堂の聖壇に現われただけではなく、今、礼拝という時間を持ち、そこに、イエス・キリストというお方が、この礼拝堂のスペースにいてくださり、そして、あなた自身の心のスペースにも、イエスの言葉、愛が入ってきている。
聖書には、出エジプト記２５章には、神はモーセとその民に幕屋を建設して、そのなかに聖所を作るように言われ、さらにそこに、私は住むと言われている。 今日読んだエレミアでは、エレミアの口の中に、神が私の言葉を入れると書いてある。 また、新約聖書になると、第一コリントでは、３章や６章に、「あなたがたの体が神の神殿である」とのことが書かれています。
神と一体なるイエス・キリストというお方は、一人一人の創り主なるお方で、たとえ神を嫌ってイエスを殺してしまうような人間でも、愛しておられる。 だれひとりとして、「私はだれに愛されることもなく、世の中の役に立たない人間だ」ということはなく、イエス・キリストの愛はそこに来ている。
聖書は、６６の書物からなっていて、それは、そのひとつひとつを読んで、特に旧約聖書のあるところだけに集中してしまうと、これは律法の書だとか、いや、人間の戦争の歴史だ、などという話になってしまう。 しかし、聖書全体のストーリとしては、神が一貫して、私たち人間ひとりひとりを、いかに大切にして、神が情熱的にわれわれを、さらに被創造物を愛しておられるかが書かれている書物。
通常、ラブレターを読むとき、この言葉おかしいとか、字が間違っている、ということを問題にするのではなく、主旨である差出した人の愛を読むものだと思う。
聖書を読むときも、神さま、イエスさまが、わたしたちを愛してくださっていて、私たちの間に、さらに私たちの心の中に言葉が入ってきて、私たちを喜びで満たしてくださる。 お一人お一人がそのような聖書の読み方をされるように祈る。
Message for Japanese Language Service Sunday, Feb. 3, 2013
“Love Letter from God” Luke 4:21-30 Pr. Hitoshi Adachi
When You Read a Love Letter
There are different interpretations of the Bible. Some people say it is a book of history, or a book of laws, or a book of war, or a book about the future. Some people, even, say it is a book about science! Reading certain portions of the Bible, you can interpret the Bible in many ways and I do not think those different interpretations are necessarily wrong. However, today, I would like to focus on one interpretation of the Bible, when read in its totality, as a “Love Letter from God”
Have you ever read a love letter from someone? What was the relationship between you and the person who sent you the letter? What kind of love letter was it? I mean, was it a simple “I LOVE YOU.” Or was it a long one and you didn’t quite grasp its depth the first time you read it….
I said that the Bible is “Love Letter from God,” I would like to raise two questions: The first question is what is the relationship between you and God? (Is it a one-sided relationship or a mutual relationship? Does God love each one of you without question?) The second question is: What kind of love letter is it?
In answering the first question, we are human beings and as such, there are also people who does not know what it means to love God. However, unfortunately, and there are even those who deny His existence. God loves all the people, since He created us in His own image. God informs everyone about His love through the Bible and by sending Jesus to Earth.
To answer the second question, the Love Letter from God is not a simple letter like “I love you.” Because of the Bible’s depth it has been translated into different languages, English and Japanese are two examples. It is a reality that, no matter what language it’s in, we do not understand the depth of some portions clearly until we reread them several times. Also, since it is composed of 66 books, and it is very long – we have many questions.
People in Israel 2000 Years Ago
For example, if we read the Gospel Text today, Jesus said, “This scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.” What is “this scripture”? We have to read some preceding text and we, also, need to know some historical background for context.
People in Israel were not only obliged to follow Jewish religious leaders, they were politically restrained by Roman power and taxes were increasing higher and higher. .Religious laws were restrictive and even though they keep those laws, many people were feeling oppressed and anxious about their future.Jesus appeared among those people, and at first near lake Galilee, he performed miracles and was a charismatic figure. Not only did he perform miracles, he visited synagogues in the area. One of those synagogues was in Nazareth where he grew up.
In that synagogue, he stood up and read scriptures from the Prophet Isaiah: this was Isaiah chapter 61: The spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me; he has sent me to bring good news to the oppressed, to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and release to the prisoners; to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.
Then he sat down. The words he spoke, had power and authority. And all the people in the synagogue watched Jesus. Their eyes were fixed on him. Then Jesus said the following words that greatly impacted the people: “Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.”
The words of Isaiah were from almost 2600 years ago, and the words of Jesus were from 2000 years ago. How are you feeling after listening to these words that Jesus read and Jesus spoke? Well, you might feel that, in 2000 years, our society has not changed all that much. Sure technology has changed but fundamentally society has not changed. There are still people who’re poor, oppressed, fearful, and anxious about the future. You might think that the words of prophet Isaiah have not been fulfilled in the last 2000 years.
Fulfilled In Your Hearing
Today, we are listening to what Jesus says… What you are hearing are not Hitoshi’s words, but Jesus’ words, God’s words. His words are not only for past and future generations, His words are for us now – in the present. I just want to read these words again: Today, this scripture has been FULFILLED IN YOUR HEARING.
As you hear these words today, the scripture has been fulfilled. This is about you now. God’s words are not just for a hypothetical perfect generation of people. His love letter to humankind is for everyone today.
There are many people struggling and feel they are held captive and oppressed by their circumstances. How about you? Are you held captive by a seemingly endless To Do list? Are you held captive by disease or addiction?
Congratulations! Each one of us, when we hear the words of Jesus Christ, we are freed from our captivity and oppression.
Let’s Read The Bible as a Love Letter from God
As Jesus came to the synagogue in Nazareth, he also comes to this sanctuary, at Resurrection Lutheran Church, and he is here now. Not only does he come to this sanctuary, but he also comes into your heart and is proclaiming the Good News through you.
In Exodus 25, God ordered Moses and his people to build a sanctuary and said that he would live among them. About 10 minutes ago, we listened to what Jeremiah said, God put His words in Jeremiah’s mouth. If you read beginning of 1st Corinthians, like chapter 3 and 6, it is written that we are God’s building, we each are temples where God lives.
God together with Christ and the Holy Spirit, the Trinitarian God, loves people and forgives people even though we crucified Jesus. There is no one unwanted or not useful in God’s eyes. He comes into us, our mind and body, through the Word, through faith, and through His Grace.
The Bible is composed of sixty-six books. When you read only one book or several and focus on only certain portions, you may think of it is a history book, or, or a book of laws, or a book of war… However, if you read through the Bible including the New Testament, we will know how God loves and cares for each one of us.
Think about a time when you read a love letter, did you just focus grammatical issues or skip over important sections and only read certain portions? Or did read the entire letter and concentrate on the depth of feeling in the letter? Most people would read the most important points and remember the depth of emotion contained within the letter. Why shouldn’t we read the Bible as a love letter from God? You will be fulfilled by hearing God’s love and by the joy of Jesus Christ, who lives among us and within us.
