はしためによる賛歌
昨日、めぐみ幼稚園のクリスマス・ページェントが行われ、子どもたちがイエス様誕生の物語を演じました。満３歳のことり組は出てくるだけでかわいいですし、年少のうさぎ組も大きな声で元気いっぱい歌いました。年中のゆり組は聖歌隊になって歌い、星と羊飼いも演じて物語を豊かにしました。年長のひかり組にはそれぞれのセリフと歌があり、イエス様の誕生に関わった人たちの姿を見せてくれました。ページェントに集まったご家族にも感動を与えたことでしょう。
イエス様の誕生に関わった人たちの中で、もっとも中心的な人物といえば、もちろんイエス様の母となったマリアです。今日の御言葉は、そのマリアが歌ったとされる賛歌です。イエス様誕生の物語では中心的な人物ですが、マリアはこの賛歌で自分のことを「身分の低いはしため」（48節）と呼びます。「はしため」とは召使いのような女性のことです。
マリアが自分を「はしため」と言うのは、単に謙遜しているだけではなく、実際に彼女がそのような地位に置かれていたからでしょう。マリアも含めた当時のナザレの人たちはほとんどが農民でした。その生活は厳しく、毎日十分に食べることもできませんでした。借金が重なって、その穴埋めに娘が奴隷とされて家族から引き離されることも珍しくはありませんでした。
そのような厳しい状況を、農民たちは助け合いのシステムを作って生き延びていました。５～６家族が中庭を取り囲むように家を建て、その中庭で共に食事をしました。食べ物や生活用品も共有し、一緒に子どもを育て、何かあった時には助け合っていました。
しかしその助け合いのシステムも、マリアが生きていた時代には崩れつつありました。重い税金のために借金がかさんで農地を失う人たちが増えていったためです。土地を失った人たちは小作人や日雇い労働者になりの家族を守る術もなくなりました。
この状況で真っ先に犠牲になるのは女性と子どもたちです。ですからマリアは当時の社会においてまさに「身分の低いはしため」だったのです。それと共に、マリアはこの歌において彼女と同じように危険に晒されやすい人たち、社会の周辺に置かれ、低い地位に追いやられている人たちと自分を重ねています。ですからマリアの賛歌は、地域も時代も越えて、神さまが「はしため」のような人たちのために行われたことを歌っているのです。
引き上げるために引き降ろす
マリアはこう歌います。
「わたしの魂は主をあがめ、わたしの霊は救い主である神を喜びたたえます。
身分の低い、この主のはしためにも目を留めてくださったからです。」（ルカによる福音書1章47～48節）
神様ははしために目を留める方です。どんなに小さな存在であっても、世の中でどのように見られていようとも、その一人ひとりに目を留めてくださるのが神様です。その神様が約束してきたことが、今まさに始まろうとしていることをマリアは知らされました。
「主はその腕で力を振るい、思い上がる者を打ち散らし、
権力ある者をその座から引き降ろし、身分の低い者を高く上げ、
飢えた人を良い物で満たし、富める者を空腹のまま追い返されます。」（ルカによる福音書1章51～53節）
これは過激な思想だと思う人もいるかもしれません。身分の低い人が高められ、飢えた人が食べられるようになるのはいい。けれども、権力者を引き降ろすとか、豊かな人を追い返すというようなことは必要ない、と思うかもしれません。
しかし、マリアと同時代の人たちが共有していた世界観からは、これは必然でした。彼ら・彼女らは、この世のあらゆる物に限りがある、と考えていたのです。そして実際に食糧などを生み出せる能力には限界がありました。そのため、誰かがより多くを持つようになるためには、他の誰かの取り分を奪うことが伴いました。貧しい人たち、はしためたちは、奪われた人たちです。彼ら・彼女らが力を取り戻すためには、奪われたものを取り返さなければならないのです。
一方、現代は「無限の成長」が可能であることが前提とされています。この数十年の間、あらゆる分野で技術が飛躍的に進歩し、効率化は急速に進みました。人間が必要とするものは無限に作り出すことができるような錯覚さえ感じます。
確かに人類は大きな力を得、大量の物を作ることができるようになりました。けれどもそれは無限に行えるものでもありません。地球上の資源は有限であり、環境も絶妙なバランスの上に成り立っています。そこから貪り続けることは、永遠に続けられるものではありません。そのツケは環境破壊や環境汚染となって、人間に帰ってきます。これまでも貧しい人びとがそのツケを強いられてきましたし、将来の世代にも負わされています。
また、「無限の成長」という幻想のために、私たちも過剰な負担を負わされます。休む時間を削って働き続け、愛する人たちと共に過ごす時間を奪われ、人生を十分に楽しむこともできないのであれば、それは人間らしい生き方と言えるでしょうか。神様が望んだ生き方と言えるでしょうか。
そのように考えると、マリアの賛歌は現代にも通じて来ます。神様が約束なさったことは無限の成長ではありません。既に十分な力を得た者が、更なる力を得るために誰かがツケを払わされたり、人間らしさを犠牲にしたりするようなことではないのです。神様は低い身分に追いやられたときに、私たちを引き上げてくださいます。必要なものが足りない時に良い物で満たしてくださいます。その実現のために必要であれば、御腕を振るって思い上がる者を打ち散らし、権力ある者をその座から引き降ろすことが、神様の約束なのです。
神様による逆転
イザヤ書11章には、イエス様の誕生の預言だと理解された箇所があります。そこではイエス様のことを、「弱い人のために正当な裁きを行い、この地の貧しい人を公平に弁護する」方だと告げています（イザヤ書11章4節）。そのイエス様が導く世界を、イザヤは印象的な姿で語りました。
「狼は小羊と共に宿り 豹は子山羊と共に伏す。
子牛は若獅子と共に育ち 小さい子供がそれらを導く。
牛も熊も共に草をはみ その子らは共に伏し
獅子も牛もひとしく干し草を食らう。
乳飲み子は毒蛇の穴に戯れ 幼子は蝮の巣に手を入れる。
わたしの聖なる山においては 何ものも害を加えず、滅ぼすこともない。
水が海を覆っているように 大地は主を知る知識で満たされる。」（イザヤ書11章6～9節）
イエス様が私たちを導いていくのは、「何ものも害を加えず、滅ぼすこともない」世界です。その約束は、マリアが歌ったように、権力のある豊かな者と、弱く貧しい者とが入れ替わる逆転によって起こされていきます。この約束の成就は、現在の延長線上にあるものではなく、その途上で逆転が必然的に起こります。
けれどもそれは、権力者が変わって新たな支配体制が作られる、ということでもありません。高ぶる者と低められた者、持つ者と持たざる者、強い者と弱い者といったような人類社会の在り方が根底から覆されるという変革が起こるのです。
全てを完成される終わりの日に、それは必ず起こる、と神様は約束されました。そしてその約束の成就が、イエス・キリストの誕生によって始まりました。身分の低いはしために過ぎなかったマリアを神様が選び、神の子の母として選ばれたことに、神様が起こされる逆転の印が現れています。神様はこの世界に逆転を引き起こし、平和で公正な世界へと導いていくのです。
牧師 杉山望
December, 5th 2021 Sunday Service
" The Great Reversal "
Scripture reading is taken from Luke 1:46~55
A Servant’s Song
Megumi Kindergarten’s Christmas pageant was held yesterday, where the children acted out the story of Jesus' birth. The three-year-old Kotori class was cute just by showing up, and the Usagi class (3-4yr old) sang with loud voices and lots of energy. The Yuri class (4-5 yr. old) sang as a choir and enriched the story by acting out the stars and the shepherds. The Hikari class (5-6yr old) had their lines and songs, showing us the people who were involved in the birth of Jesus. Families and those who gathered for the pageant were most likely touched by the pageant.
Of all the people who were involved in the birth of Jesus, the most central figure would be of course Mary, mother of Jesus. Today's passage is the words that are said to have been sung by Mary. Although she is one of the central figures in the story of Jesus' birth, Mary refers to herself as follows in the passage: “the humble state of his servant” (Luke 1:48/New International Version (NIV)).
When Mary refers to herself as a "servant," she is not simply being humble, but she was likely placed in such a state. Most of the people in Nazareth in those days, including Mary, were farmers. Their lives were difficult, and they could not eat enough each day. For some, their debts were so great that it was common for daughters to be taken away from their families and made slaves to make up for them.
The farmers survived such harsh conditions by creating a system of mutual support: five or six families would build houses around a common courtyard and eat together there. They would share food and daily necessities, raise their children together, and help each other out whenever something went wrong.
However, this system of mutual support was falling apart during the time of Mary’s life, as more people were losing their farmland due to heavy taxes and debts. Those who lost their land became peasants or day laborers and had no way to protect their families.
In such situations, women and children were the first to be harmed. Thus, in such a society, Mary was truly a "servant at a humble state.” At the same time, Mary also identifies herself with those who were just as vulnerable as she is, those who were on the margins of society and pushed to a lesser, more lowly state or position. Therefore, Mary's song transcends time and place as it professes what God has done for “servants” like her.
Bringing Down to Lift Up
Mary professes the following in her song: “My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant.” (Luke 1:46-48/NIV)
God is the one who is mindful and looks with favour upon the servants. No matter how insignificant they may be considered or how they are perceived in the world, God is the one who gently looks at the state of each one of them. Mary was told that God’s promises were about to begin.
“He has performed mighty deeds with his arm; he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts. He has brought down rulers from their thrones but has lifted up the humble. He has filled the hungry with good things but has sent the rich away empty.” (Luke 1:51-53/NIV)
Some may feel that this is a radical notion. It would be good for the humble to be lifted and the hungry to be filled. Yet, we may think that it is not necessary to bring down the powerful or turn away the rich.
But from the worldview shared by Mary and the people of her time, this was inevitable. They saw everything in the world as finite. They had a limit in their ability to produce food and other things. Thus, for someone to have more, it meant that they would have had to take from someone else’s share. The poor and the servants were those who were extracted from and made less. For them to reclaim their power, they would have to take back what was taken from them.
Our modern world, in contrast, is built on the idea that “unlimited growth" is possible. Over the past few decades, technology has advanced dramatically in many areas, and efficiency has increased rapidly. There is even a sense that we humans can create an infinite number of whatever we may need.
Indeed, humankind has gained a great deal of power and is now able to produce in enormous quantities. But this is not infinite. The earth's resources are limited, and the environment is built on a delicate balance. It is not possible to keep devouring and extracting forever. The consequences of such greed come back to humankind in the form of environmental destruction and pollution. So far in our world and often, the poor and those made less have been burdened with these consequences. Future generations will also not be able to avoid it as well.
We are also overburdened by this illusion of "unlimited growth in other ways too. If we continue to work without rest, if we are deprived of time to spend with our loved ones, and if we are unable to enjoy life to the fullest, can we say that this is a humane way to live? Is this the way God wants us to live?
In this light, Mary's song is relevant to our life and time. God's promise is not unlimited growth; God's promise is not that someone will pay the price or compromise their humanity to gain more power when they already have enough. God lifts us when we are cast aside to a humble state. God fills us with good things when we lack what we need. God promises that, if necessary, God will perform mighty deeds with his arm to scatter the proud and bring down the powerful, to fully bring forth God’s promise.
God’s Great Reversal
There is a passage in Isaiah 11 that is understood to be a prophecy of Jesus' birth. It speaks of Jesus as the one who "with righteousness…judge the needy, with justice…give decisions for the poor of the earth” (Isaiah 11:4a/ NIV). Isaiah goes on to illustrate a striking image of the world that Jesus brings in the following words.
The wolf will live with the lamb, the leopard will lie down with the goat, the calf and the lion and the yearling together; and a little child will lead them. The cow will feed with the bear, their young will lie down together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox. The infant will play near the cobra’s den, and the young child will put its hand into the viper’s nest. They will neither harm nor destroy on all my holy mountain, for the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea. (Isiah 11:6-9 / NIV)
The world Jesus leads us to is a world where “They will neither harm nor destroy.” This promise will be brought about by a great reversal, where the powerful and rich will be replaced by the poor and the weak, just as in Mary’s words. The fulfilment of this promise will not be an expansion of the present framework, but a reversal will inevitably occur on its way to being fulfilled.
This is not about a change in power and the establishment of a new system of rule. Rather, it is a transformation that will fundamentally overturn the frameworks of society, with such categories as the proud and the humble, those who have and those who do not, and the strong and the weak.
God promises that this will happen in the last days when everything will be completed. The fulfilment of this promise began with the birth of Jesus Christ.
God has promised that this will happen in the last days when everything will be completed. And the fulfilment of this promise began with the birth of Jesus Christ. The fact that God chose Mary, a mere servant of a humble state, to be the mother of the Son of God is a sign of the reversal that God will bring about. God is creating a reversal in this world to lead it to be a just and peaceful world.
Pastor Nozomu Sugiyama
Lord's Supper
1 Corinthians 11: 23-26 (establishment of the Lord's Supper)
"For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.” For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes. "
The Lord's Supper is our response to what the Lord Jesus Christ has commanded and invited us to do. This bread and this wine poured into the cup symbolize the body and blood of Jesus Christ, who was crucified for our sake. We are not saved by having the bread and wine, but we receive it to express our gratitude as those who have been saved.
The Lord's Supper also represents our participation in the fellowship of the church. We remember that Christ, who died on the cross and rose on the third day, continues to suffer with us and unites us as a church. The church is the body of Christ, and a community of those who have been united in the Lord Jesus, the Head of the church.
The Lord's Supper invites us to make a new decision. The Risen Lord will come again to the world. On that day, the love of the Lord will reach all people, and we will share the joy expressed at this table. To prepare for that day, we who receive the bread and cup will work with the Lord in dedication.
To prevent the spread of the COVID-19, we will not be taking the bread and cup together. However, let us renew our gratitude for what the Lord has done for us, our participation in the fellowship of the church, and our dedication to the Lord's ministry. And let us joyfully embrace the source of it all, God’s free and unconditional love. Let us follow and walk in the example of the Lord Jesus, who loves the Lord and his neighbors as himself. And finally, as we pray that the blessings and works of the Lord will be more and more revealed in the world, let us have hope in the Lord's divine plan.
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