1 Most important commandment

Today we celebrate the 40th foundation day of this church. However we won’t organize any special ceremony, or publish commemorating brochure because we think that it is better that we focus on the future than on the past. The 40th anniversary is a passing point for the church.Just we give thanks God for preserving this flock and for according us the lecturing portion “Most important commandment” for the very day. Because we consider that passage to be the fundamental directive of the formation of the church.

The concerning scripture in Mark’s Gospel tells us Jesus’ teaching which was given during the week of the Passion. Jesus entered in Jerusalem the Sunday of the week and the crowd welcomed him as the Messiah. However there was certain groups who were opponents against Jesus. They were Jewish religious authority and priests, or more exactly Pharisees and Sadducees. They wanted to beat him and challenged by asking difficult questions to answer. But every time Jesus responded in brilliant way. So much so, ;- One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him, “Of all the commandments, which is the most important?"(Mark 12:28)

He should be impressed such strongly by Jesus. In that era, the Jewish people thought that the salvation should be given as a reward of respecting strictly the commandments of God, for example, observing the Sabbath day, or practicing circumcision.

Moreover they thought they must respect also numerous laws fixed by Rabbis at the similar degree to the commandments written in the Bible. It is said that at that time there were 614 religious instructions in total. In consequence many of people felt lost under so much complicated system. That law teacher might be one of them.

But Jesus’ answer was simple ;- “The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’(Mark 12:29-30)

Mark’ writing is referring to Deuteronomy 6:4-5, which Jewish people repeat every morning and evening. Thus it must be a very convincing answer for them.

Then Jesus added another ;- The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these."(Mark 12:31)

Though that one comes from Leviticus 19:18 ; - ” ‘ Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against one of your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the LORD. ” it should surprise them, because they thought love for neighbors was not so important as that for God. Besides for them to love God is the synonym of to give worship and to offer sacrifices so it must be ridiculous to do similar things toward neighbors.

So we need to seek the real significance of the commandments. Let us take the iconic ones in consideration, Mosaic laws. The first of them is ; - “I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. “You shall have no other gods before me.(Exodus 20:2-3)

Please pay attention to the verbal part ” shall have,” which expresses an inevitable attitude in future. The translation is respecting literally the Hebrew text, which is not in form of prohibition. It means that it is impossible to have any other gods but me because only God saved them from Egypt by love. And concerning adultery it is under the same logic. It must be impossible to cause grief to their wived by committing such a sin because they were loved by God .

As we see there that observation of the commandments must be response of humans to love and blessing of God. Nonetheless humans altered them into heavy obligations like yoke. In consequence God’s blessing turned into curse which was binding and restricting their life. Jesus pointed out the fact.

2. To love God is to love neighbors

The law teacher was astonished by Jesus’ righteousness and said ; - “You are right in saying that God is one and there is no other but him. To love him with all your heart, with all your understanding and with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself is more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices."(Mark 12:32-33)

In deed, God would be mostly pleased by those who love and are ready to help their neighbors. Therefore Jesus appreciated the response of the law teacher and said ; - “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” (Mark 12:34)
However in another way “not far from” means he is not yet inside the kingdom of God. It should be because he only listened and understand God’s words but not was practicing them.

According to Luke in the parallel passage, the law teacher added another question , “And who is my neighbor?” and Jesus told “the parable of the good Samaritan” as the answer.

The parable is a story of a man who was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho. During the journey he fell into the hands of robbers and was harmed by them. Half dead, he was laying on the roadside where a priest came down. When he recognized the man, though seeing man’s miserable state, he passed by on the other side. Then a Levite passed and did the same as the priest. After those two persons a Samaritan came. The Samaritan had pity on and took care of the injured Jewish man at his own expense. (see Luke 10:30-35) ”

After telling the story Jesus said ;- “Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?” The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.” Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.” (Luke 10:36-37)

Of course, all of us are willing to be a good neighbor. Nonetheless when we see a homeless person laying on the roadside the majority of us might be reluctant to do something for him. We might passe by on the other side of the road by hoping that someone takes care of him or informs a relating institution. At that moment we are another Priest or Levi. Conducting ourselves like the good Samaritan asks us too much. For example, in similar circumstance, one should take into consideration the risk of being attacked by the same robbers. In that case behaving as a good neighbor would put our life in danger.

Till now we were reading the story as outsider. But please imagine that you are really involved in the similar incident, a Jewish person, harmed and injured by robbers. Let you see what happens as the very victim. You are waiting for someone to help you. Then you heard footsteps and look up. You find a priest coming near. You must think your are saved. But he passe on the other side and did nothing for you. Then a Levi came. He did likewise. You despair, even curse both of them. Then another man comes. This time you won’t have any hope because he was a Samaritan, member of a people who dislike Israelites strongly. But an incredible happening occurs. The Samaritan begins taking care of you ! At that very moment you must shout in your heart, “I will surly help Samaritans who are facing difficulties. ”

Naturally we should help willingly our family members or relatives, regardless of certain disadvantages. However we can’t cannot behave as a good Samaritan as long as we feel stranger to neighbors. But if they were those who helped us once we should wish to help them. That is the point of Jesus’ teaching. We must think that each suffering person is the Samaritan who saved you. Thus it would be natural and normal that we help them willingly, regardless of disadvantages. That is exactly the desirable attitude toward neighbors.

3. We love because we are loved

Today’s invocation verses are 1 John3:16-17 ; - This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him?

As long as we remain in our human nature we cannot live authentically neighbors. However we know that Jesus offered his life to take care of us who were injured and laying down. He sacrificed his blood and flesh as the good Samaritan cured the man with olive oil and wine. Once we take recognition of that we should be capable to love neighbors in real sense. Because Jesus taught us to follow in his footsteps and we are willing to live that way. Thus we, ordinary humans arrive to love others by believing in Jesus Christ.

Furthermore if we love neighbors through Jesus’ love a new social structure can be established. I can tell your two of examples, Sweden and Finland. In those countries citizens enjoy sufficient welfare system. I read an article in Asahi* the 27th October 2009 , concerning correlation between number of suicidal cases and unemployment rate. The writer is Tubono Yoshitaka, professor of Tohoku University. He shows there that in Japan two statistic numbers draw parallel lines on a graph. And the same tendency is find in other countries. A article published in the Lancet*, in which correspondence between unemployment and suicide numbers was analyzed. And it concluded two rates move in correlation. Besides they are related also to deaths directly from alcohol abuse. It is convincing that condition of life without employed nor financial bases makes us unstable then disparate, which push very often people to kill themselves.

In contrast to those countries, the same parallelism is not found in Finland and Sweden. In Finland unemployment rate increased drastically from 3.2% up to 16.6% from 1990 to 1993 but suicidal cases were decreased during the same time. Similar phenomena occurred in Sweden during 1991-1992, during which unemployment rate became 5.7% from 2.1% .

Professor Tubono says that those countries, where jobless persons can live without lack of needs, give lesson and hope to many Japanese who are now living under threat of unemployment and temptation of suicide.

Both of two countries are well known as states of hight welfare system with hight tax rates and their policy might seem incompatible with Japanese capitalism. But I think that is exactly what the Bible compels to us to choose. Because ” hight welfare system and hight tax rates” reflects the attitude of sharing taught in the Bible.
Professor also says :
-Many thought that such a system will collapse in process of enlarging globalization. Nonetheless, in reality, two those countries managed to maintain their policy successfully by adjusting industrializing structure and labor market system. They strained to do because they are giving priority to a society where humans can live with their dignity, not to increasing domestic products.

I read also in the article that in Swedish social service is called “sharing sorries. ” I think Swedish people are motivated to be helpful to others. A society based on such a mentality is near the Kingdom of God, where citizens would not complain against high tax rates. Because they are willing to help neighbors. They support voluntarily the aged, the unemployed or working mothers. Thus love for neighbors could build up a kingdom of God on the earth.

Jesus compels us to act, not only to listen to his words. When we find physically and mentally weak persons or working mothers without social support we must share their burdens as our own. Behind them we should see Jesus himself, who bore our pains on his shoulder. This way we will be allowed to enter into the kingdom of God.

When I ask the question why they came to the church majority of visitors answer ” Because I’m suffering from illness.” In contrast, to the same question members of our congregation answer very often ” Because Jesus shares my sufferings and I can feel that. ” Indeed, exactly for that reason they should come here every Sunday. And I wish to establish a church together, in which Jesus remain among us. On this day of 40th year anniversary I aspire to it more strongly than ever before.
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*]http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(09)61787-6/fulltext