❖ Video
❖ Audio (Message)
Blessings in the era of 100-year life
(Psalm 127:4-128:6)
Andy Nagahara
I took a break from the Psalm series for a while because of the Christmas story and the topic of the yourchurch membership, but today I am resuming the series where we listen to the words of Jesus Christ speaking to us through the Psalms. Today’s text, the second half of the Psalm127 and Psalm 128, have a common theme. That is a “blessing”. Let’s read the whole thing first.
4 Like arrows in the hands of a warrior are sons born in one’s youth. 5 Blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them. They will not be put to shame when they contend with their enemies in the gate.
0 A song of ascents. 1 Blessed are all who fear the LORD, who walk in his ways. 2 You will eat the fruit of your labor; blessings and prosperity will be yours. 3 Your wife will be like a fruitful vine within your house; your sons will be like olive shoots around your table.
4 Thus is the man blessed who fears the LORD. 5 May the LORD bless you from Zion all the days of your life; may you see the prosperity of Jerusalem, 6 and may you live to see your children’s children. Peace be upon Israel.
1. The Bible is God’s Word written in human languages
What impressions did you have after reading it? Is there anyone who feels uncomfortable? There are many question marks floating in my mind.
Is having a child a blessing? Is it a greater blessing to have a boy than a girl? Is it a blessing that my wife is within our house and has a lot of children? Are people who have grandchildren more blessed than people who have children? Is it a blessing to be more financially prosperous and make wealth Should peace be only over Israel?
If these verses were not part of the Bible, then that is exactly what you would say, “That’s your opinion, isn’t it?” but these are descriptions in the Bible, which is considered to be the Word of God.
If so, even if it seems unreasonable, does it mean that it is God’s and Christian’s values? In what sense is the Bible “the word of God”? Depending on how you perceive this, even Christians can see things very differently.
The differences between denominations such as the Catholic Church, the Orthodox Church, the Protestant Church of which we are a part, and the Lutherans and Presbyterians among these Protestant churches are the differences in the emphasis of the Bible’s teachings. These differences are also reflected in the expression of faith, and are reflected in each unique church and way of worship. In other words, they are different parts of the body of Christ, and it does not mean that any one is correct or superior. Therefore, there is no need to think that there are many denominations as a serious division.
However, there are serious divisions in the Christian church in another sense. That is the difference in how we think about the question, “In what sense is the Bible the Word of God?” This is not yet very noticeable in the Christian world in Japan, but in the US, this difference is causing divisions not only in the church but also in society as a whole. It is a difference that cuts across denominations, and even within the same denomination.
One position is that the words of this Bible must be taken literally. From this standpoint, the man described in this verse who has a wife who obeys her husband and stays at home and does not interfere, and who has sons and grandchildren, is a blessed one who fears the Lord, while the childless and the heathen are the cursed ones. Far from being equal, wives are owned by their husbands, and this is the value of God, the Bible, and Christianity.
Another position is that “the Bible is the word of God expressed in human words.” It means that it is expressed in the words of someone who cannot transcend the limitations of the time and culture in which it was written. Therefore, the idea is that unless we correctly interpret the meaning of the word in the context in which we are placed, we will not be able to correctly receive the divine will expressed in it.
The first position may seem like pure faith. On the other hand, the latter may give the impression that it is somehow human and not religious. However, in reality, it is impossible to take the Bible literally without adding any interpretation, due to the nature of language. When a person utters a word, even if the same word is heard, the nuances received by the person are different depending on the person. This is because the recipient interprets and understands the words according to their own values.
Also, even the most recent parts of the Bible were written in an ancient language that was written about 2,000 years ago. It is impossible for the meaning of the replaced modern word to be exactly the same as the original meaning.
Furthermore, it should be kept in mind that the words recorded in the Bible reflect the intentions of the person who spoke them, and that person is not free from the constraints of time and culture.
His letters clearly show that even Paul, the leading author of the New Testament, was not free from the severe prejudice against women of his time.
Those who insist on reading the Bible literally say that women are not allowed to teach in church because the Bible says so, but that’s what Paul said, not what Jesus forbade.
They say that homosexuals and transgender people are sinners because it is written in the Bible, but the concepts of homosexuality and transgender people did not exist at the time the Bible was written.
They say that abortion should be prohibited by law because the Bible says “Thou shalt not kill,” but they argue that their right to own an automatic rifle should be protected.
In other words, they are not taking the Bible literally as they say, but are simply “interpreting” the words that suggest them.
On the other hand, even among the latter, who know that the Bible must be interpreted, there is a danger of the temptation of “selfish” interpretation. What actually happened in the history of the church was that valuing the rights of each human being degenerated into anthropocentrism that ignored God, and faith became like philosophy. In fact, the former way of thinking, known as Christian fundamentalism, began as a reaction to this.
So how can we interpret the Bible “correctly and according to God’s intention”? There are parts of the Bible that clearly state truths that transcend time and culture. Those are the words of Jesus in the Gospels. We can clearly see from his words that only Jesus was free from the social and religious prejudices of his time. There are many passages in the Gospels where the essence of faith is revealed in conversations between Jesus and women. Jesus treated women as “a person” unlike the men of his day. Jesus is the key to correctly understanding the teachings of the Bible in modern times. “What would Jesus think?” is the guideline for interpretation.
2. Reviewing blessings/Blessings in the era of 100-year life
Now, let’s think about the blessings listed here while keeping in mind the guideline of Jesus.
In recent years, we have often heard the phrase “100-year lifespan”. The topic is about the fact that what used to be a matter of planning one’s life in three stages – 20 years of education, 40 years of work, and 20 years of retirement – is no longer the case. If you were born 100 years ago, the chance of living to be 100 years old was one in 100, but from now on, 100-year-olds will no longer be rare. In Japan, it is estimated that 50% of people born in 2007 will live to be 107 years old.
Is this a blessing? When a high school student born in 2007 heard this, he said, “I felt a little scared.” No wonder. The period of education remains unchanged at 20 years, but considering retirement savings and pensions, people will have to work until they are around 80 years old. Moreover, no one can imagine living happily and energetically for nearly 30 years after that.
In order to live happily to the end of your 100-year life, it is said that it is important to have not only visible tangible assets such as savings and real estate, but also invisible intangible assets. These intangible assets include knowledge and skills useful for work, good health, good relationships with family and friends, and the ability to change oneself in response to changes.
Do you feel like you understand? However, they completely overlook the more important and valuable intangible assets, without which we would not be able to happily survive the 100-year lifespan. You all should know that. what is it? It is the faith of believing in Jesus Christ as Lord and walking with Him. Moreover, Jesus not only connected each of us individually to Him, but also gave us the church as the “body of Christ” with Him as the Lord.
Not many people in any era, in any culture, or in any country could enjoy the blessings described in today’s text. They were able to make it their own, not because they feared the Lord, but because they were in a position to enjoy it. It was something that the slaves and the shepherds in the Christmas story could never obtain, no matter how righteous they were before God.
We know that if a married couple cannot have children even if they desire, it is not a curse from God but a medical problem. Jesus also knew that blessings and curses do not determine whether a person has a son or not, and whether they have many children or grandchildren.
While Jesus blessed the children, he also gave many blessings to women who were not the “good wives and wise mothers” portrayed in this text. In chapter 4 of the Gospel of John, Jesus speaks to a Samaritan woman. The Samaritans were not pure Jews, but were people who were avoided by Jews because they had a unique faith. Jesus revealed himself as the Christ to this Samaritan woman who had been married five times but was now single, and said, “Believe in me.” Through her, many Samaritans believed in Jesus as Lord.
We also live within the limitations of this social system. Even with advances in medical science, there are still many people who cannot have children even if they want to have them. No matter how hard they try, there are some people who cannot go to higher education due to financial reasons. People who had families may lose them for various reasons.
The Gospel of John tells of a mysterious episode that occurred just before Jesus’ death.
25 Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother, his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. 26 When Jesus saw his mother there, and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, “Dear woman, here is your son,” 27 and to the disciple, “Here is your mother.” From that time on, this disciple took her into his home.
Jesus entrusted his mother Mary to one of his disciples. I would like to see here the meaning of the church’s existence. It’s about being a family. We are a family that goes beyond blood ties.
At the very moment when his mother was about to lose Jesus as her blood son, as a human being, Jesus told the young disciple to treat her “as his own mother,” and to his mother Mary, “Rely on this disciple as your son. Jesus destroyed the concepts of happiness, blessings, misfortune, and curses that are still taken for granted in this society, not just Christianity, and taught us the happiness and blessings of walking with Him. And the receptacle for that is the church. This family with Jesus as its owner is a family that does not reject anyone regardless of their circumstances. The era of 100-year lifespans is nothing short of unsettling for those with weak economic foundations, those who have concerns about their health, and those who are subject to discrimination and prejudice.
But by becoming a member of the church family, those fears are removed. Our Lord Jesus is the one who declared that God’s glory would be revealed to those who are in this anxiety.
Furthermore, God has set up the church as a role model for society to follow. If the church, which brings blessings to the weak and small, has more influence, society as a whole will also be blessed.
As our name suggests, we want to be a church that welcomes everyone by saying, “We are your church, your family.”
(Prayer) God, thank you for blessing us so richly.
Thank you for the grace of living with you, eternal life that surpasses all riches.
You gave us the Bible to teach us the truth.
When we read the Bible, please help us to be aware of the limitations of the times, cultures, and authors, and to receive your intentions correctly.
We pray in the name of Jesus Christ.
Summary
The Bible is a message from God written in the words of humans who lived in a specific culture at a specific time. In order to receive God’s intentions correctly, let’s keep Jesus’ words in mind and receive God’s intentions carefully. Neither much wealth nor descendants are signs of blessing. Being with Jesus and being part of His body is a blessing. The church is the bearer of this blessing.
For Discussion
- In what sense is the Bible “the word of God”?
- What is a blessing?