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Sow seeds of joy and peace
Matthew 10:26-29
Andy Nagahara
One day at the end of the last year, Tamori-san was on a TV program called Tetsuko’s Room and when Tetsuko asked him what kind of year he thought next year would be, he replied, “I think it will be like a new pre-war year, won’t
It?”.
I was born in 1955. It was ten years after the end of World War II. For younger people today, this may feel like just shortly after the war, but I was not aware of this at all. However, my parents lived through the war, and my father in particular was exposed to the atomic bomb in Hiroshima, and although he survived the bombing, he experienced the loss of most of his family, including his parents.
When I heard Tamori-san’s words, I thought to myself, “Hold on a minute. I can’t just ignore what he said, “Isn’t this going to be a new prewar period?” To be pre-war means that war will be happening next. It seems to me that the determination engraved on the Cenotaph in Hiroshima not to repeat the evil, in other words, the determination to “never wage war again,” has been completely forgotten in this country.
Indeed, it is not hard to understand why Mr. Tamori feels that way. When we see Russia’s aggression in Ukraine, North Korea’s development of nuclear missiles, and China’s growing might, it is natural to wonder if we are about to be drawn into a terrible war.
For those of us who want to walk following Jesus, how should we view today’s society? To avoid making 2023 a “pre-war” year, how should we live our lives?
On the first day of the new year, the Prime Minister said, “Japan is at a turning point in its history,” and I have a feeling that things will go even worse than what we are seeing.
We should listen to Jesus to consider these matters. Let’s listen to the words of Jesus as recorded in the Gospels.
Let’s read the Gospel of Matthew 10:26-29.
26 “So do not be afraid of them. There is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, or hidden that will not be made known. 27 What I tell you in the dark, speak in the daylight; what is whispered in your ear, proclaim from the roofs. 28 Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell. 29 Are not two sparrows sold for a penny ? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father.
1. The Situation of Jesus and His Disciples, and Ours
Jesus lived as a person on earth about 2,000 years ago in Israel. Israel was under the rule of the Roman Empire. As we see in the Gospels, Israel had a king who was approved by Rome, and it also had a religious court. The high priest who was the highest religious authority also served as its head. But the high priest was also appointed by a governor who was sent from Rome. The time in which Jesus and his disciples lived was far harsher than the situation in Japan today. There were various conflicts among both royalty and religious politicians who were embedded in a complex power structure with the Roman emperor at the top, but Jesus became their common enemy, and he and his disciples were hated and even targeted for their lives by all of them. This was because Jesus severely condemned those in power, especially the religious leaders who were associated with power and despised the poor and weak.
In Eastern Europe, a large country is openly attacking its neighbors, and in East Asia, countries around Japan are steadily amassing military power. Under such circumstances, the Japanese government says that they cannot protect the country from invasion by other countries with the current military budget, so they want to first double the military budget by holding down other budgets, and people are beginning to think that this is reasonable. At this rate, 2023 will still likely be the year of pre-war. Although I would not want anyone to experience what my father did when he lost most of his immediate family in an instant at the end of the clash of forces between countries, it cannot be prevented no matter how much military power is strengthened. That is the mistake this country once made. Peace cannot be protected by increased military power, instead it will only lead us to face greater and greater dangers. And so, I would rather have this country occupied than send any of you, your loved ones, your children, or your grandchildren to the battlefield. Although the Jewish kingdom where Jesus lived was ruled by the Romans, Jesus did not make an issue of it, as did the nationalists of his day. Instead, Jesus taught that the essence of the problem is not the Roman occupation, nor the corruption of the authorities, nor the hypocrisy of the religious leaders, but the state of mind that we all have. In other words, it is the human nature that the Bible calls sin. This sin has a negative impact on society, whether it is in an independent country or under occupation by another. It is especially more serious for the poor, the weak, and the minority. Japan is already facing problems such as declining population, falling birthrates, and the increasing number of poor people. If these issues are not addressed before defense costs, the society we are supposed to protect is likely to be destroyed.
And yet, Jesus calls to us, “Do not be afraid”. Why we don’t need to be afraid, what do we need to do here, let’s listen to the words of Jesus.
2. Meaning of “Do not be afraid” and “Be afraid”
In Japanese, we are told not to be afraid of “people”. It is “them” as in the English translation. They are those who have power religiously, politically, and economically, especially religious leaders among them. Then Jesus said, “Do not be afraid to spread boldly what I have taught you, for their hypocrisy will soon be revealed. The people are irresponsible. Although they openly denounced the great powers, and celebrated Jesus as a superhero who healed people, they changed their attitudes abruptly when they realized that being with Jesus meant risking persecution and even death. When Jesus was crucified, all, including his disciples, abandoned him for fear of “the people.”
But Jesus does not condemn such betrayal because of human weakness. What Jesus meant by “don’t be afraid” is not to fight against them. Instead, Jesus is telling us that no matter who rules society, we should do what Jesus taught us to do, and although it may take time, hypocrisy will be brought to light, so don’t give up, say what we need to say, and spread the word. Then Jesus goes on to tell us that they are not to be afraid in the following words.
Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul.(28)
Do you have any doubts about the Japanese translation of this verse? (Japan Bible Society Interconfessional Version) Most Japanese translations up to now have been translated as “soul” instead of “life. The original word means “breath,” and from that it came to mean “life”. But in Japanese, life has been translated as “soul” because it strongly reminds us of the state of the body being alive. Although I am not sure why the new translation dares to use “life,” which is closer to the original, this “life” is the essence of our existence, and it is something that will not cease to exist even if our bodies perish. That is, Jesus says that the end of the body is not the end of life, and that no matter how great the power of people may be to destroy our bodies, they cannot take “life” from us.
What is life that does not end in this world? The Bible describes it as “eternal life”. Life exists with God even after our earthly walk is over.
The second half of this verse is, “Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell.” Some people imagine a “terrible God who will throw them into hell if they don’t believe in Him,” but that is not the case. The phrase ” afraid of God” is a comforting reminder that we can be forever with God who not only created us, but also came to this world as one person because He loves us so much.
3. Sow seeds of joy and peace around you fearlessly
As you can see from the weekly bulletin, Your Church is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year. Although, according to Prime Minister Kishida, “Japan is at a turning point in its history,” I do not think anything we do is going to be different.
Ongoing corona outbreaks and the many horrific events that have occurred in the last year will have a major impact in 2023 as well. There are not many factors that can give us cheerful joy, not in the economy, in politics, in diplomacy, or in the natural environment. Yet, if we are walking by following Jesus, we have nothing to be afraid of, no matter what our circumstances are.
As for the church’s progress, the landscape we see changes with the seasons, but Jesus’ fundamental instructions remain the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow. It is to “Love”. Do you remember the covenant that we renew each year? It is ” We love God, we love each other, and we love the world. No matter what the surrounding society is like, no matter what the world is like, that is all we should and can do. That would be sowing the seeds of joy and peace in the very near range of our own sight.
（Prayer）
Thank you, God, for guiding our steps until now.
We have come this far because you have encouraged us to continue to love, no matter what the circumstances.
Your love cannot be stopped in any kind of society.
So, please let us not be afraid of those who have no regard for you, but in the society they control, let us be with those who suffer and grieve, and sow seeds of joy and peace there.
We pray in the name of Jesus Christ.
Summary
While it is a world in where we live with many problems and an uncertain future, God has placed us yourchurch here to do his will. We have experienced various changes due to COVID-19 pandemic. The appearance of the church changes with the times and its environment. Yet the essence of what we do has not changed since when Jesus walked the earth. It is to love and thereby sow seeds of hope and peace all around us.
For Discussion
1. What are you most worried or worried about right now?
2. Why should we not be afraid?