1. Harmony in love
We observe Christmas worship today. “Christmas” meant etymologically “the Mass for Christ” which celebrates the arrival of the Messiah in a human body on the earth. In reality, it is rather difficult for us, modern people, to recognize that the man was the Son of God as a fact. Nonetheless numerous persons admit that the event should concern their real life. Today we will reflect on the meaning of Christmas by reading Romans 15.
When Paul wrote the letter to the believers in Rome, the congregation had severe problems inside. Divergent points of view on the faith generated conflicts between Jewish-Christians and Gentile-Christians. It was natural that Christians there had various ways of thinking due to different backgrounds. And Paul wrote to those believers not to criticize each other. ; - Accept into your group someone who is weak in faith, and do not argue about opinions.(Romans 14:1)
Jewish-Christians thought that they must not eat impure foods because of their Jewish education. In contrast, Gentile-Christians considered all foods to be gifts of God. So they didn’t hesitate to eat meat came from idolatry temples. Besides, they scorned Jewish-Christians as the weak in faith. Personally, Paul shared the same stance with Gentile-Christians because, ; - In the kingdom of God, eating and drinking are not important.(Romans 14:17)
Nonetheless, he taught Gentile-Christians not to eat meat if their act might cause others to sin.
He developed more deeply the argument in the chapter 15. ; - We who are strong in faith should help the weak with their weaknesses, and not please only ourselves.(Romans 15:1 )
He said that those who were “strong in faith” or freed from ancient teachings must take into consideration weakness in faith of others. And he continued, ; - Let each of us please our neighbors for their good, to help them be stronger in faith.(Romans 15:2) Because ; - Even Christ did not live to please himself. It was as the Scriptures said: “When people insult you, it hurts me.”(Romans 15:3 )
Jesus lived to bear blames and criticisms addressed to other persons. He conducted many healing acts and healed. Mostly healed persons were impure of sinner in morals of the society. For example, Jesus cured a man from a skin disease. In that era, “a skin disease” suggested leprosy. Jesus felt sorry for the man, so he touched the leprous body to cure him. (see Mark 1:40-45 ) Or, when Jesus saw a widow who had lost her only son, he felt very sorry for her. So he touched the coffin to resurrect her son (see Luke 7:11-17) Jesus also curried the sick on Sabbath day.(see Mark 3:1-6) All those acts were strictly interdicted by the law.
Those examples show that Jesus shared pains with suffering persons regardless of harsh criticisms and blames of the Jewish authority. Paul was teaching in Romans 15 that Christians, living by following in footsteps of Jesus, must not reject different points of view of others. So Paul added, ; - May the patience and encouragement that come from God allow you to live in harmony with each other the way Christ Jesus wants. Then you will all be joined together, and you will give glory to God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.(Romans 15:5-6)
2. Accept each other
Now we read the verse which is the core of today’s passage, Romans 15:7, ; - Christ accepted you, so you should accept each other, which will bring glory to God.
As a matter of fact, very different types of persons gathered in the church. Their cultural basis, generations and social positions diverge a lot. So it is natural that their ways of thinking are different from each other. And the church sought and found the means to resolve problems of divergence in “Obedience to Christ.” It is reported that D. Bonhoeffer*1 wrote the verse above in the letter addressed to his niece Renate. She was about to get married with Eberhard Bethge, Bonhoeffer’s best friend. Bonhoeffer was a German Lutheran pastor, theologian, and martyr. He was also a participant in the German resistance movement against Nazism. His involvement in plans to assassinate Hitler resulted in his arrest in April 1943 and his subsequent execution by hanging in April 1945. He praised the verse as one of the most suitable holy verses for wedding.
The message of Bonhoeffer to the future couple was like this:
— Romans 15:7 teaches that our sins are forgiven so that we must live in harmony in that forgiveness. Without mutual tolerance, any relationship cannot be persevere. Especially, marriage cannot survive without total acceptance of each other. Don’t insist on your right categorically. Don’t judge or criticize each other. Please respect the partner as he or she is. —
When he wrote the letter he was under the menace of execution. Regardless of that harsh situation, he prayed for them and expressed congratulations from the bottom of his heart. Romans 15:7 is indeed showing happiness of Christians who knew the joy of following in footsteps of Jesus Christ.
*1 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dietrich_Bonhöffer
3. The other wise man
Today’s invocation verse is Matthew 25:40 ; - Then the King will answer, ‘I tell you the truth, anything you did for even the least of my people here, you also did for me.’
Matthew reported the scene of Epiphany in chapter 2:1-12, in which three wise men brought presents to new born Jesus. They are called Magi *1(Magus in latin singular), which denote priests of Zoroaster. It is believed that they could read the stars. Though Matthew didn’t record the number of them, certain legends say they were three, perhaps because they brought three gifts, gold, frankincense, and myrrh. However we know another legend which tells that there was the forth man and H.Van Dyke wrote a short story about him*2. The title is “The other wise man.”
— In the days when Herod reigned in Jerusalem, there lived in the city of Ecbatana in Persia, a certain man named Artaban. He was one of the followers of Zoroaster. He learned to read stars with three other followers, Caspar, Melchior, and Balthasar. Thus they understood that the new king of Israel would be born. They decided to set out together for Jerusalem, to see and worship him. They made the appointment for the day of departure.
Artaban bought a sapphire, rubbie and a pearl as gifts to the new born king. And the day has come. But Artaban couldn’t keep the appointed day with the other Magi. Because, on the way to the place, he saw a Jewish man who was affected with serious illness. Artaban spent days to take care of the person. As a result, he must give up the journey due to his compassion. His friends had started the journey without him. However he was still willing to worship the King. So he sold his sapphire to buy a train of camels, and provision for the journey to catch up them.
A mysterious star guided Artaban to a village called Bethlehem. He looked for the house in which he should present his gifts to the baby. But, before arriving at the house, he met a woman hushing a baby and she told him of the strangers from the far East. She said that they had paid reverence to the child of Joseph of Nazareth and given him many rich gifts. “But the travellers disappeared again,” she continued, “then the man of Nazareth fled away to Egypt took with the child and mother.”
Just after the conversation, there came desperate voices crying, “The soldiers of Herod are killing our children.” The soldiers came hurrying down the street with swords dripping with blood. Artaban went quickly to the captain and showed him the ruby. The captain understood and accepted the offer and cried to his men, “March on! There is no child here.” In exchange for the second jewel, Artaban saved the baby hold by the woman.
Despite the loss of two jewels, Artaban went to Egypt. He still wished to see the King. Though he couldn’t find the couple from Nazareth, he learned from a Jewish rabbi that the newborn baby escaped from Bethlehem should be raised as the Messiah in Jerusalem.
Three-and-thirty years of the life of Artaban had passed away. His hair was now white as the wintry snow. Though worn and weary and ready to die, he was still looking for the King. When he came for the last time to Jerusalem, it was the season of the Passover. On this day a singular agitation was visible in the multitude. Artaban inquired about the cause of the tumult. They told him about the crucifixion of a man, called Jesus of Nazareth who pretended to be the Son of God.
Artaban understood that the man was the promised Messiah. He was sure of having come in time to offer his pearl for the ransom of that man. But, near the Damascus gate of the city, he encountered some soldiers dragging a young girl with torn dress. “Save me from worse than death!” she cried to him, “I am seized for debts of my father to be sold as a slave.”
Artaban trembled. But he took the pearl from his bosom and said, “This is your ransom, daughter.” It was the last of his treasures which he kept for the King-Messiah. Suddenly, a violent earthquake occurred. A heavy tile fell from the roof and struck him on the temple. He lay breathless and pale. As the girl bent over him, there came a very small voice. Then the old man’s lips began to move, as if in answer to the voice. She heard him say, “Not so, my Lord! For I never saw you hungered and fed you. Or thirsty, and gave you drink. Or naked, and clothed. When did I see you sick or in prison, and came to you? Three and thirty years I have looked for you but I have never seen your face, my King.”
He ceased, and the sweet voice came again. This time she understood the words clearly, “’I tell you the truth, anything you did for even the least of my people here, you also did for me.”
Artaban’s journey was ended. His treasures were accepted. The Other Wise Man had found the King. —
The story might be a mere fable. Some would say that the arrival of Christ didn’t change anything. And it is true that humans are still killing each other. Others blame the church for being hypocritical because, in US for instance, the whites and the blacks won’t join a common congregation. Those criticisms have certain basis. Nonetheless, I think the message that ArThe other wise man
In the days when Herod reigned in Jerusalem, there lived in the city of Ecbatana in Persia, a certain man named Artaban. He was one of the followers of Zoroaster. He learned to read stars with three other followers, Caspar, Melchior, and Balthasar. Thus they understood that the new king of Israel would be born. They decided to set out together for Jerusalem, to see and worship him. They made the appointment for the day of departure.
Artaban bought a sapphire, rubbie and a pearl as gifts to the new born king. And the day has come. But Artaban couldn’t keep the appointed day with the other Magi. Because, on the way to the place, he saw a Jewish man who was affected with serious illness. Artaban spent days to take care of the person. As a result, he must give up the journey due to his compassion. His friends had started the journey without him. However he was still willing to worship the King. So he sold his sapphire to buy a train of camels, and provision for the journey to catch up them.
A mysterious star guided Artaban to a village called Bethlehem. He looked for the house in which he should present his gifts to the baby. But, before arriving at the house, he met a woman hushing a baby and she told him of the strangers from the far East. She said that they had paid reverence to the child of Joseph of Nazareth and given him many rich gifts. “But the travellers disappeared again,” she continued, “then the man of Nazareth fled away to Egypt took with the child and mother.”
Just after the conversation, there came desperate voices crying, “The soldiers of Herod are killing our children.” The soldiers came hurrying down the street with swords dripping with blood. Artaban went quickly to the captain and showed him the ruby. The captain understood and accepted the offer and cried to his men, “March on! There is no child here.” In exchange for the second jewel, Artaban saved the baby hold by the woman.
Despite the loss of two jewels, Artaban went to Egypt. He still wished to see the King. Though he couldn’t find the couple from Nazareth, he learned from a Jewish rabbi that the newborn baby escaped from Bethlehem should be raised as the Messiah in Jerusalem.
Three-and-thirty years of the life of Artaban had passed away. His hair was now white as the wintry snow. Though worn and weary and ready to die, he was still looking for the King. When he came for the last time to Jerusalem, it was the season of the Passover. On this day a singular agitation was visible in the multitude. Artaban inquired about the cause of the tumult. They told him about the crucifixion of a man, called Jesus of Nazareth who pretended to be the Son of God.
Artaban understood that the man was the promised Messiah. He was sure of having come in time to offer his pearl for the ransom of that man. But, near the Damascus gate of the city, he encountered some soldiers dragging a young girl with torn dress. “Save me from worse than death!” she cried to him, “I am seized for debts of my father to be sold as a slave.”
Artaban trembled. But he took the pearl from his bosom and said, “This is your ransom, daughter.” It was the last of his treasures which he kept for the King-Messiah. Suddenly, a violent earthquake occurred. A heavy tile fell from the roof and struck him on the temple. He lay breathless and pale. As the girl bent over him, there came a very small voice. Then the old man’s lips began to move, as if in answer to the voice. She heard him say, “Not so, my Lord! For I never saw you hungered and fed you. Or thirsty, and gave you drink. Or naked, and clothed. When did I see you sick or in prison, and came to you? Three and thirty years I have looked for you but I have never seen your face, my King.”
He ceased, and the sweet voice came again. This time she understood the words clearly, “I tell you the truth, anything you did for even the least of my people here, you also did for me.”
Artaban’s journey was ended. His treasures were accepted. The Other Wise Man had found the King.—
taban sent us is important. And we can still find followers of Jesus similar to Artaban in today’s world. I present you an example, Mr. Miyata Hisaya, as the founder of the organization which is saving poor children of Kenya. In Kenya, reportedly almost 12% of babies die before the age of five. Because they cannot take medical treatments due to the poverty. Many of them die from easily curable diseases, like diarrhea, malaria or pneumonia. Mr. Miyata knew the fact and conceived the Child-Doctor system and each of which supporter pays 1,000 yen a month. The sum can provide free medical cares to one child .
Previously, he decided to work for a NGO when he was almost dead in a hospital. When he was student, he was stubbed four times in the chest by an attacker on a subway train in Canada. He thought then that it should be remorseful to die without contributing any thing to this world. After graduate, he joined the Child-Doctor*3 to work for the sake of others. To begin with, he was sent to Kenya, but he felt there powerless because of too many difficulties to alleviate living conditions of Kenyans.
However, in the last visiting region, he became to realize that he had been empowered by miserable children for whom he worked. They always encouraged him. That realization pushed him to seek a more efficient system to help them than before. As a result, he started the Child-Doctor system. I think he is one of other wise men. As long as there is, at least, a person who practices this teaching of Jesus, “Christ accepted you, so you should accept each other,” something can be changed. Christmas is the most suitable time to wish perseverance of the church with that spirit.
*1 Magi http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magi
*2 The other wise man http://www.classicreader.com/book/593/1/
*3 the Child-Doctor (in Japanese alone) http://child-doctor.org/index.htm
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