イエス様の福音宣教-OPEN YOUR HEART TO BE MOULDED BY THE POWER OF GOD'S LOVE

 イエス様の福音宣教

マルコ1.21-28

皆さん、今日の福音はイエス様の宣教活動の幕開けとなるカファルナウムの会堂での出来事が紹介されています。人々はイエス様の教えに大変驚きました。その教えは、律法学者のように事実を説明するのではなく、イエス様の御言葉が事実となっていくという人々に感動と驚きを与えたからです。

イエス様にとって「初めて」公の場で教えを語ったのですが、それまでのイエス様はナザレの田舎町で素朴な両親、ヨゼフとマリアと一緒に、ひっそりと暮らしていました。決して人々に期待されるような存在者ではなかったのです。多くの人々が驚く中で、特にイエス様の新しい教えの元に集まってきた病人や悪霊に取り憑かれた者達でした。彼らはイエス様の御言葉に心を癒し、イエス様の教えに従ってついていこうと思ったに違いありません。

今日の福音は宣教における基本的な方向性が示しています。イエス様の苦しんでいる人達を待つのではなく、自分の方から出向いて行こうという態度こそが宣教の本質であると思います。

イエス様の宣教の最初の言葉は「悔い改めて福音を信じなさい。」でした。このイエス様の御言葉を信じる前に私達は悔い改めるという努力をしなければなりません。悔い改めるという行為は決して簡単なことではありません。イエス様の御言葉を信じることよりも難しく、心の痛みを伴うこともあると思います。自分の弱点や罪に目を向けるのは、とても嫌なことです。しかし、イエス様は私達の全てを受け止めてくださいます。

皆さん、私達キリスト者は、神様に見つけていただき、憐れみの心を授けられ、そして導かれています。それ故に、イエス様の教えと私達の行いは完全に一致しなければいけません。私達を縛り付ける考え、習慣、病気、対立などから解放されるためにもイエス様の教えに従って、心を柔らかくして生きていきましょう。

今日の福音について黙想した時、私は次の詩篇の言葉を思い出しました。「主は憐れみ深く、恵みに富み忍耐強く、慈しみは大きい。永久に責めることなくとこしえに怒り続けられることはない。主は私達を罪に応じてあしらわれることなく私達の悪に従って報いられることもない (詩編103.8-10)」。 神様は全ての人を慈しみ、救済の手を差し伸べてくださいます。私は 憐れみ深い神様の「無限の愛」と「憐れむ心」を改めて感じました。皆さんにも是非この詩篇の言葉を深く味わっていただきたいと思います。

日本ではまだ寒い冬が続きますが、皆さん今週もお元気でお過ごしください。

主の平和

 

OPEN YOUR HEART TO BE MOULDED BY THE POWER OF GOD'S LOVE

Mark 1:21-28 

My dear brothers and sisters in Christ Jesus. Have you ever felt amazed when you see something? If so, why do you feel amazed? Is it because the thing you see and observe is beyond your thinking? Is it beyond your ability to be able to do it? Is it because no one has ever been able to do such things before? I guess, that's the range of possibilities that make you and me feel amazed when we encounter something.

After being amazed, what happens to us? In my opinion, accompanied by a sense of salute in our minds, our eyes will be concentrated on that thing. Then our lips will chuckle in amazement so that our mouths may unintentionally praise and tell it to people who are not witnessing it, even often to others who have seen it.

A sense of awe was also experienced by those who listened to Jesus' teaching. Because Jesus taught as a man of authority, unlike the scribes. While the scribes taught only with words, Jesus came forth teaching with meaningful words and saving actions. Jesus taught with words full of power that could heal many people. Teaching makes people educated and educates people in life to know the difference between good and bad things. As the bearer of good news, what Jesus taught were good things that could change the mindset and lifestyle of many people.

Many people were also amazed at Jesus' act of casting out an unclean spirit from the body of a Capernaum resident. The unclean spirit knew Jesus was "the Holy One of God". The evil spirit that possessed the man did not want Jesus' presence, but it had no power to resist or go against Jesus' command for it to come out of his possessed body. The unclean spirit was unable to disturb or hinder Jesus.

Many people were amazed to see divine power at work in Jesus' ministry, both in teaching them and in casting out unclean spirits. Jesus cast out evil spirits with words only, not with other powers as most healers did at that time. Here Mark wants to present an understanding that what Jesus taught was not empty words but a powerful word about God's power to save us. Jesus' teaching and actions reveal the divinity of God.

My dear brothers and sisters. Our life is the work of God's love. If we realize this, then we will be amazed and we can only give thanks for God's love in our lives.

As disciples of Christ, we are called to open ourselves up by giving God full authority over our lives. We must be humble by being open to be guided and led by the power of God. We must always be ready to open ourselves to be renewed and molded by the power of God. By opening ourselves to be guided by God's power, we will be able to resist the bad influences of evil spirits that are often present in our lives.

We are also called to learn from Jesus, by listening to His words and putting those words into action in our daily lives. The Apostle James says "Faith without works is dead." These words invite us to imitate the attitudes and actions of Christ in our lives. Jesus not only taught the good news but also made Himself the good news for us. May our presence also be good news and a blessing to others we meet every day.

 

PEACE BE WITH YOU