バイブルクラスが行われました

 

Bible
class on Saturday December 19th, 2015

明日はクリスマス礼拝、そして今日は今年最後のバイブルクラスです。

今日も出席は3名でルカによる福音書の8章の二回目、26節以下を学びました。

ルカによる福音書は４章から９章までの約三分の一をイエスのガリラヤ地方での伝道活動の記事に当てています。

イエスは悪魔の荒野での誘惑を退けた後、霊の力に満ちてガリラヤに帰られ各地で多くの伝道活動をされました。具体的には、神の国の福音を語り、病人をいやし、悪霊を追い出し、そして並行して後の初代キリスト教会創設の核になる弟子たちへの教育指導を行っています。

今回の８章には、「婦人たちの奉仕」「種まきのたとえ」「ともし火のたとえ」「イエスの家族に対する態度」「嵐を鎮める主」の記事が続きますが、それらの一つ一つがやがて派遣される弟子たちへの実技教育の意味を持つ内容です。イエスの教えは知識に偏った座学のみならず、その理解と対応能力を現場で問う実技を伴う教育です。イエスは限りある地上のご生涯において、後のキリスト教会形成の基盤となる弟子たちに対する教育を徹底して注力していたことが十分読み取れます。

前回の終わりの個所22節以下で、イエスは弟子たちに「向こう岸に渡ろう」と実地教育を意図した提案をし、弟子たちは嵐に遭い恐れの中で主に助けられ、同時にその御業の偉大さを知ります。そして今回の26節以下から、ゲラサというガリラヤの対岸の町での出来事へと展開していきます。この地に着いたとき、悪霊につかれた男がイエスのところにやって来ます。この男は長い間、衣服を身につけず、家に住み着かず墓場を住まいとしていました。町の人たちはこの人を監視し、鎖でつないでいましたが、効果がありません。人々は悪霊に取りつかれ苦しみ叫ぶ人を墓場に追いやることで平和を得ていたのです。

また、男がイエスに悪霊追放をしてもらい癒され正気になると、悪霊たちは豚の中に入ることをイエスに希望し許され、そして多くの豚が崖から落ちて死んでしまいました。町の人たちはその有り様を見て驚き、恐ろしくなってイエスに町から出て行ってくれるようにと頼みます。その町の人々は一人の人が回復されることよりも、自分たちの秩序が壊されることを恐れたのです。

また、イエスが舟に乗って帰ろうとすると、悪霊を追い出して貰った人が、イエスの供をしたいと願い出ますが、イエスは彼に「自分の家に帰りなさい。そして神があなたになさったことを土地の人に話して聞かせなさい」とその地で救いを証しするようにと勧めています。

「悪霊に取りつかれていた私はイエスによって救われた！」と証しすることはかなりの困難であったと予想しますが、聖書にはこの人は聞き従いそこを立ち去り、「イエスが自分にしてくださったことをことごとく町中に言い広めた」と記されています。そして、次のルカ9章に記されている「イエスの名を使って悪霊を追い出している者」（9:49）との関係性が想像できます。

私たちも今一度、聖書に記されているイエスの行った具体的な伝道のアクションモデルに倣って、座学による福音の教えと教会に相応しい救霊活動によって、教会の基盤構築に注力していきたいと思います。

The Madman and the Pigs

^26-29 They sailed on to the country of the Gerasenes, directly opposite
Galilee. As he stepped out onto land, a madman from town met him; he was a
victim of demons. He hadn't worn clothes for a long time, nor lived at home; he
lived in the cemetery. When he saw Jesus he
screamed, fell before him, and bellowed, "What business do you have messing
with me? You're Jesus, Son of the High God, but don't give me a hard time!"
(The man said this because Jesus had started to order the unclean spirit out of
him.) Time after time the demon threw the man into convulsions. He had been
placed under constant guard and tied with chains and shackles, but crazed and
driven wild by the demon, he would shatter the bonds.

^30-31 Jesus asked him, "What is your name?"

"Mob. My name is Mob," he said, because
many demons afflicted him. And they begged Jesus desperately not to order them
to the bottomless pit.

^32-33 A large herd of pigs was browsing and rooting on a nearby hill. The
demons begged Jesus to order them into the pigs. He gave the order. It was even
worse for the pigs than for the man. Crazed, they stampeded over a cliff into
the lake and drowned.

^34-36 Those tending the pigs, scared to death, bolted and told their story
in town and country. People went out to see what
had happened. They came to Jesus and found the man from whom the demons had
been sent, sitting there at Jesus' feet, wearing decent clothes and making
sense. It was a holy moment, and for a short time they were more reverent than
curious. Then those who had seen it happen told how the demoniac had been
saved.

^37-39 Later, a great many people from the Gerasene countryside got
together and asked Jesus to leave--too much change, too fast, and they were
scared. So Jesus got back in the boat and set off. The man whom he had
delivered from the demons asked to go with him, but he sent him back, saying,
"Go home and tell everything God did in you." So he went back and preached all
over town everything Jesus had done in him.

His Touch

^40-42 On his return, Jesus was welcomed by a crowd. They were all there
expecting him. A man came up, Jairus by name. He was president of the meeting
place. He fell at Jesus' feet and begged him to come to his home because his
twelve-year-old daughter, his only child, was dying. Jesus went with him,
making his way through the pushing, jostling crowd.

^43-45 In the crowd that day there was a woman who for twelve years had
been afflicted with hemorrhages. She had spent every penny she had on doctors
but not one had been able to help her. She slipped in from behind and touched
the edge of Jesus' robe. At that very moment her hemorrhaging stopped. Jesus
said, "Who touched me?"

When no one stepped forward, Peter said,
"But Master, we've got crowds of people on our hands. Dozens have touched you."

⁴⁶ Jesus
insisted, "Someone touched me. I felt power discharging from me."

⁴⁷ When
the woman realized that she couldn't remain hidden, she knelt trembling before
him. In front of all the people, she blurted out her story--why she touched him
and how at that same moment she was healed.

⁴⁸ Jesus
said, "Daughter, you took a risk trusting me, and now you're healed and whole.
Live well, live blessed!"

⁴⁹ While
he was still talking, someone from the leader's house came up and told him,
"Your daughter died. No need now to bother the Teacher."

^50-51 Jesus overheard and said, "Don't be upset. Just trust me and
everything will be all right." Going into the house, he wouldn't let anyone
enter with him except Peter, John, James, and the child's parents.

^52-53 Everyone was crying and carrying on over her. Jesus said, "Don't cry.
She didn't die; she's sleeping." They laughed at him. They knew she was dead.

^54-56 Then Jesus, gripping her hand, called, "My dear child, get up." She
was up in an instant, up and breathing again! He told them to give her
something to eat. Her parents were ecstatic, but Jesus warned them to keep
quiet. "Don't tell a soul what happened in this room."

The Message
(MSG)