1. Paul at the situation of human boundary*

Recently, a number of similar homicidal cases occurred in Japan. For example, in March, eight people were killed at a railway station. The murderer, a 25 year old man, reportedly said, “I wanted to die but I couldn’t. So I thought I would be executed if I killed somebody.” Then in June, seventeen people became victims of a similar incident at another railway station. The killer was of the same age of the previous case. And in July, at a cooperative building,there was another outbreak of violence. The aggressor who wounded and killed visitors to the building said, “I did it because I was frustrated with the poor conditions and miserable situation of my job.”

These terrible events have two elements in common: targets were chosen at random and all were motivated by frustrated people with psychiatric disorders.* And some specialists analysing the reasons behind this phenomena say it is because of the present system of employment in Japan. Its a system which will not secure or guarantee the employees future level of living.

Being split between the social classes causes more and more difficulties for the younger generation. Unemployment without social security is increasing due to more relaxed administrative controls on hiring regulations. Generally in Japan, societies and companies prefer to recruit young people with newly acquired certificates and recent school educational achievements.

So, if those seeking employment fail to get an adequate full-time position, working conditions for them would only be temporary or casual. Such casual or temporary employment does not often attract social insurance, and increases in the rates of pay are not guaranteed. So much so, even though they work hard, their living conditions become worse as their age advances. They become frustrated with such circumstances, but they cannot find a way out of this dilemma. Extremely frustrated, some are driven to take some form of action, such as criminal aggression against those who they perceive to be representative of the society in which they suffer.

Indeed, there are pains and sufferings in all of our lives, some of which we can’t explain, find the cause, or the solutions. Death, illness, poverty or falling victim to violent aggression the streets, for example. When we encounter such situations, which go beyond the limit of our capacity to cope, we feel lost. What should we do when facing such disastrous incidents, how can we control these inner conflicts? * Today, we will seek probable answers by reading Paul’s letter, addressed to the Romans, 7:15-25. Paul wrote this letter while he was enduring his own particular kind of inner conflict, as if he too had reached the boundary of his understanding.

He says: “I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do…. I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing” (Romans 7:15 -19). Christians often experience a divided self: They know and will good, but are unable to do it. Then we almost hear his crying voice, “What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death?” (Romans 7:24). The eloquent testimony of two simultaneous realities in the Christian life: the wretchedness of sin and evil and the ecstasy of grace through Jesus Christ our lord.

What put him into such a distressed state, and how could he free himself from it? Let’s take a glance at his personal background. Paul’s personal testimony: “I am a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but brought up in this city. Under Gamaliel I was thoroughly trained in the law of our fathers and was just as zealous for God as any of you are today” (Acts 22:3). Gamaliel was a Pharisee and famous scholar of the Law. Paul also said, “I was advancing in Judaism beyond many Jews of my own age and was extremely zealous for the traditions of my fathers” (Galatians 1:14).

Paul’s extreme and zealous adherence to Judaism led him to play an important role as an oppressor of early Christians, who seemed to neglect the observances of the law. Because they worshiped a man who died on the cross, a person considered to be damned by God in accordance with the Jewish teaching. He went so far as to use violent methods against them: “Saul began to destroy the church. Going from house to house, he dragged off men and women and put them in prison” (Acts 8:3).

Paul had a crucial experience on the road to Damascus which led to his conversion, “As he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, ‘Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?’ ‘Who are you, Lord?’ Saul asked.” I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting’” (Acts 9:3-5).

Details are written in Acts chapter 9, but we don’t know exactly what happened. We can only believe that Paul saw resurrected Jesus. It was that very event, when he met the resurrected Jesus on the road to Damascus, that changed Paul from a former persecutor, to an evangelist of Christianity.

Paul, by straining in his human capacity to be upholding of the law, found himself powerless. He says in his letter to the Romans, “For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members” (Romans 7:22-23).

But Paul declares that the spirit’s victory over sin and death is assured. “because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the sinful nature, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in sinful man” (Romans 8:2-3). What humanity cannot do because of the impotence of human nature and the law, God has done, by sending his own son.

2. Martin Luther’s case

Martin Luther, theologian and church reformer, had a similar experience to Paul. ** After years of studies in schools he decided to become a monk. Luther dedicated himself to monastic life, devoting himself to fasting, long hours in prayer, pilgrimage, and frequent confession. Luther tried to please God through this dedication, which was common thinking among monks of the period. But Luther found that such a way of devotion only increased his awareness of his own sinfulness. He became extremely conscious of his sinful existence, which caused him to see God as a Judge, filled with anger. Then a light, or a revelation, came to him. It is often called “Luther’s Tower Experience,” because when the light broke upon him he was studying Romans 1:17 in the heated room of the tower of the Black Cloister in Wittenberg .

Through this marvelous experience he came to believe that humans could be saved by the passive righteousness that God freely gives to those who believe in God. The sinner is justified (declared righteous) by God through faith in the work and death of Jesus, not by our work or keeping of the Law.

This recognition accorded him some tranquility. As long as we seek righteousness through observance of the law, or good behaviour, God becomes a God of anger and judgement. But once we call on God’s name, and forget our self-righteousness, God becomes that of mercy, rather than judgement. After having read the Gospel under the heaven-filled light, Luther become a reformer.

Luther tells us that God is hidden from our sight, Deus absconditus. ** When we seek Him through selfishness, we find a God of anger, and we lose hope. Then we become aware of calling upon His name, and we meet the God of love, who sacrificed His own unique son for our salvation. Only when we meet that God will we have peace in accordance with the Gospels.

Experiences of Paul and Luther teach us that humans cannot always see their own limitations. Without knowing the human boundary one becomes arrogant and considers themselves to be capable of dealing with everything. But, in all crises, the human boundary is tested. For someone it might be being jobless, illness, or death of loved ones. Or some of us may experience conflict and splits within the family. Facing such harsh situations we become stressful and call upon God’s name. Thus, in those circumstances we come to meet God, who gives us peace of mind.

In contrast, instead of surrendering ourselves to God, if we express our pain or anger toward other people, we risk committing a criminal offence. We must present ourselves, just as we are, filled with suffering or anger, and find our refuge in the ever loving God. Like Paul and Luther, we need to surrender and trust in God.

3. Wretchedness of Sin, Ecstasy of God’s Grace

I chose 2 Corinthians 7:10 as today’s invocation verse: “Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death.”

The church at Corinth was given birth through Paul’s preaching ministry, and the number of believers increased. However as the time passed, church members commenced to drift away from Paul’s original teachings. Though Paul revisited the church and tried to rectify the problems, nothing changed. Some believers went so far as to blame Paul. Paul, inflicted with pain and depression, went back to Ephesus and wrote a letter addressed to the Corinthians, which is now called his ‘letter of tears’ or the painful letter. In the letter Paul accuses those who have insulted him. Within the contents there are passages which suggest that those ungrateful people should be expelled from the church. The Corinthians, having read the letter, apologised and changed their attitude, and ways of thinking. So Paul was filled with joy because of the unexpected result .

The verse above was written under such circumstances. He says the sorrow which inflicted them was Godly sorrow, because it leads them to repentance and reconciliation. There are two natures in sorrow, one is in concert with God’s will, and the other is not. The latter pushes us toward death. The sorrow experienced by the Corinthians was simply, “Godly sorrow.”

That doesn’t mean there are two different types of sorrow, but there are two different ways to enbrace it. We undergo painful experiences in our life, one after another. If we think that they occur in accordance with God’s will, doors will open, because trials provided by God should lead into a new life. If we consider them to be mere unhappy incidents, those sufferings and pains may even destroy us. If we take the latter attitude we risk committing a violent or criminal act. As for the aggressors about whom I talked before, If they had known Paul’s words they might have changed their behaviour, and not gone on to commit a crime.

Paul and Luther also could identify God’s anger as long as they sought Him through their own efforts. But once they resigned their self-confidence, surrendered, and looked for God’s mercy, they met the God of Grace. The same experience can be shared by ordinary humans like us, its not reserved only for those extraordinary, historical figures.

Indeed, I find similar testimonies written in many brochures issued by Christian organizations, people who found the God of mercy through their painful trials. There are innumerable Christians who have passed through the same process to meet the God of love. People who have been blessed by God can testify to His wonderful saving power. Thanks to God’s mercy we are dead to sin, but we are alive in Grace. So we must continue to witness and spread the good news of the Gospel all over the world.
————–
* http://www.bu.edu/paideia/existenz/volumes/Vol.1Salamun.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karl_Jaspers
**http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martin_Luther#Early_life_and_the_development_of_his_ideas
http://www.iep.utm.edu/l/luther.htm