エフェソの信徒への手紙4:27 Ephesians 4:27,

怒ることがあっても、罪を犯してはなりません。日が暮れるまで怒ったままでいてはいけません。悪魔にすきを与えてはなりません。　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　（エフェソ4:26-27）

　この26節は、日本語の聖書を読めば「怒ることがあるのは仕方ないけれども、怒りにまかせて相手を攻撃して罪を犯してはなりません」という意味であるように思えます。ところが、ギリシア語の原典には、文字どおりに翻訳すれば「怒りなさい。そして、罪を犯してはなりません」という驚くべき言葉が記されています。（中略）

しかし、人間の怒りはしばしば自己中心的な怒りになりがちです。そこで、自己中心的な怒りのゆえに弟のアベルを殺したカインのような罪を犯さないように、パウロは「罪を犯してはなりません」と教えています。怒ってしかも罪を犯さないためには、いったいどのようにすればよいのでしょうか？旧約聖書のレビ記19章17節には「心の中で兄弟を憎んではならない。同胞を率直に戒めなさい。そうすれば彼の罪を負うことはない」と教えられています。つまり、相手の人から悪いことをされたときは、心の中に怒りを溜め込んで相手を憎むのではなく、適切な仕方で怒りを表現して相手を率直に戒めるように、ということです。また、新約聖書のコロサイの信徒への手紙4章6節には「いつも、塩で味付けされた快い言葉で語りなさい。そうすれば、一人一人にどう答えるべきかが分かるでしょう」と教えられています。つまり、「怒り」を伝えるものであっても、「怒り」の理由を冷静に示し、どのようにすればよいかを相手に考えさせる言葉を語るように、ということです。

26節の後半の「日が暮れるまで怒ったままでいてはいけません」という御言葉は「一日の終わりまでに怒りを鎮めるようにしなければなりません」という文字どおりの狭い意味に解釈するのではなく、「できるだけ早く怒りを鎮めるようにしなければなりません」という広い意味に解釈するべきです。そのためには、先ほども申しましたように、怒りを自分の中で押し殺して溜め込まないで、「怒り」の理由を冷静に示し、どのようにすればよいかを相手に考えさせる言葉を語ることによって、自分の「怒り」そのものを客観的にさめた目で見ることができるようすることが大切です。そのためには、自分の思いを祈りの中で正直に神様にお話して、聖霊の御導きをいただくことが必要です。

このように考えてまいりますと、27節の「悪魔にすきを与えてはなりません」という御言葉も単に「悪魔が心に入って、感情的に怒って罪を犯さないように気をつけなさい」という意味だけではないことがわかります。感情的に怒ってしまう場合だけではなく、「怒り」を心に溜め込んで適切に表現しない場合も、「悪魔にすきを与える」ことになるのです。　　　　　　（10月12日の説教より）

We humans sometimes experience what might be called “ma ga sasu” in Japanese. According to the Japanese dictionary, this means “momentarily misjudging or acting wrongly, as if the devil had entered one’s heart.” For example, one might say, “Ma ga sashite hito no saifu ni te o nobashite shimau.” (The devil enters my heart and makes me reach for someone’s wallet.) However, upon reflection, one might question whether “ma” in “ma ga sasu” refers to the Buddhist concept deeply rooted in Japan, rather than the devil of Christian tradition. Attempting an academic definition of Buddhism’s “ma” would likely prove complex. Seeking a more accessible explanation, I searched using the keywords “Buddhism” and “ma” and encountered the website “Kotono-ha” (Words), operated by the Higashi Honganji Shinshū Kaikan of the Shinshū sect Otani-ha. Within its “Hibi no Bukkyō Go” (Buddhist Terms in Daily Life) section, Professor Ooe Kenjō, Honorary President of Kyushu Otani Junior College, writes about the “ma” in Buddhism as follows.

“Ma ga sashita.” Few phrases are more terrifying than this. For it signifies something beyond one’s control. However virtuous persons may be, somehow they end up committing an act they should not have. Phrases like “That person of all people couldn’t possibly be like that…” are rendered meaningless.

Now, this “ma” (māra) originally signifies killing, destroying, obstructing, hindering, and tempting. It interferes with human beings’ progress towards its goals, obstructs it, leads people astray from the path they ought to follow as human beings, and ultimately destroys and ruins them.

Incidentally, the Buddha’s first enlightenment beneath the Bodhi tree is termed “Gōma Zyōdō” (subduing Māra and attaining the Way). This teaching signifies that when Māra was conquered (subduing Mara), the true way to follow was thereby established (attaining the Way).

We tend to seek the cause of suffering outside ourselves, believing that eliminating that cause will end our suffering. In essence, we look for the “ma” externally and attempt to destroy it. However, the Buddha awakened to the truth that the cause binding us in suffering lies none other than within ourselves. However, the Buddha awakened to the fact that the cause of the suffering binding his own being lay none other than within himself. That is, he discovered the true nature of the “ma.” This is called “shōkaku” (true awakening). Once this is realised, the “ma” cannot act, loses its power, and retreats. Not to kill the “ma,” but to see through its true nature and thus deprive it of its power. This was the Buddha’s awakening.

So, what is the true nature of the “ma,” and what is hindering our progress? It is none other than “mumyō” (ignorance) and “bonnō” (worldly desire) operating unnoticed within ourselves. Yet, as long as we conceive the “ma” as existing outside ourselves, it becomes an object to be materialised and exterminated.

Human history is also one of continually attempting to exterminate the “ma” by personifying them as entities to be vanquished, while clinging to benevolent deities, all the while remaining unaware of the true nature of the “ma”: ignorance and worldly desire. It seems we are called upon to re-examine the world without averting our gaze from the profound depth of humanity’s karmic bonds. (Translated by MIYOSHI Akira)

According to this explanation, the Buddhist concept of “ma” is not something external to oneself, but rather the ignorance and worldly desire operating unnoticed within one’s own being. This may be akin to the Christian concept of sin. However, consulting the website of Engakuji Temple of the Rinzai school in Kamakura, Head Preist YOKOTA Nanrei notes that the concept of “ma” in Buddhism encompass not only the inner “ma” of the human mind but also the “Tenshima” – a “ma” functioning as a deity governing the external world. Therefore, even within Buddhism, the teachings on what constitutes “ma” may differ between sects.

The “devil” taught in Christianity seeks to enter the human heart and bring about destruction, yet fundamentally represents a personal force of evil existing outside humanity. Verse 27 of today’s Bible passage instructs us, “Give no opportunity to the devil.” Let us consider the meaning of this passage.

Reading verse 26, preceding today’s passage, in the Japanese Bible, it seems to mean: “It is unavoidable to feel anger at times, but do not sin by attacking others in the heat of your anger.” However, the original Greek text contains the astonishing words, translated literally as: “Be angry and do not sin.” English Bibles, from 17th-century translations to modern ones, often clearly convey this literal meaning. Moreover, as mentioned in last week’s sermon, a careful reading of the New Testament reveals several parables spoken by Christ where the master, representing God, becomes angry (Matthew 18:32-34, Luke 14:21). Moreover, Christ himself became angry with those who refused to allow him to heal a man with a withered hand on the Sabbath (Mark 3:1-5). These biblical passages express anger towards human sin – the refusal to properly receive and share God’s love. In other words, anger directed at the refusal to properly receive and share God’s love is appropriate anger.

However, human anger often tends to become self-centred. Therefore, to avoid committing sins like Cain, who killed his brother Abel because of self-centred anger, Paul teaches, “Do not sin.” How, then, can one be angry without sinning? Leviticus 19:17 in the Old Testament instructs: “You shall not hate your brother in your heart, but you shall reason frankly with your neighbor, lest you incur sin because of him.” This means that when someone wrongs you, you should not bottle up anger and hatred within your heart, but rather express your anger appropriately and reason the one frankly. Furthermore, Colossians 4:6 in the New Testament, instructs: “Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.” This means that even when conveying “anger,” you can speak words that calmly explain the reason for the anger and prompt the other person to consider how to proceed.

Furthermore, the latter part of verse 26, “Do not let the sun go down on your anger,” should not be interpreted in the narrow, literal sense of “you must calm your anger before the day ends,” but rather in the broader sense of “you must calm your anger as soon as possible.” To achieve this, as mentioned earlier, it is vital not to suppress and bottle up your anger within your heart. Instead, by calmly explaining the reason for your anger and speaking words that prompt the other person to consider how to proceed, you can gain an objective, dispassionate perspective on your own anger itself. For this, it is necessary to honestly share your thoughts with God in prayer and receive the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

Considering this, we see that verse 27: “Do not give the devil an opportunity” carries more than just the meaning of “be careful that the devil does not enter your heart, causing you to sin through emotional anger.” It is not only when we become emotionally angry that we give the devil an opportunity; even when we suppress anger within our hearts and fail to express it appropriately, we are giving the devil an opportunity. If words were not spoken to calmly explain the reasons for “anger” and to prompt the other person to consider how to proceed, what would become of the church? Without such words being spoken, the church ceases to be a community of faith and becomes merely a gathering where “anything goes.” That, indeed, is giving the devil an opportunity. Do you think the Christian church is a place where one should simply smile and say: “That’s OK” no matter what anyone does? If so, it would become a place rife with opportunities for the devil to exploit. Within the Christian church, it is vital not only to guard against committing sin through emotional anger, but also, when anger is warranted, to calmly explain the reasons for that anger, prompting the other person to reflect, thereby preventing the devil from finding an opportunity to infiltrate the fellowship of the community.

In the Bible, the devil is also called Satan. Satan’s existence is attested to in the Old Testament. Among these, a particularly striking passage is found at the beginning of the Book of Job, where Satan proposes to God that he may test the righteous man Job, and receives permission. Let me read Job 1:6-12.

Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan also came among them. The LORD said to Satan, “From where have you come?” Satan answered the LORD and said, “From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking up and down on it.” And the LORD said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, who fears God and turns away from evil?” Then Satan answered the LORD and said, “Does Job fear God for no reason? Have you not put a hedge around him and his house and all that he has, on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land. But stretch out your hand and touch all that he has, and he will curse you to your face.” And the LORD said to Satan, “Behold, all that he has is in your hand. Only against him do not stretch out your hand.” So Satan went out from the presence of the LORD.

In this passage, Satan is the accuser and slanderer of the righteous man Job. After this, Satan brings various calamities and sufferings upon Job, tempting him to curse God and perish. Yet Job, saying, “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return. The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD” (Job 1:21), thus resisting Satan’s temptation. Furthermore, when his wife said to him, “Do you still hold fast your integrity? Curse God and die” (Job 2:9), he replied, “Shall we receive good from God, and shall we not receive evil?” (Job 2:10). Thus, he gave no opportunity to the devil. Job then poured out his anguish before God as though wrestling with God, after which he repented and humbled himself, receiving God’s blessing anew.

At the beginning of his works as the Messiah, Christ triumphed over the devil in the wilderness temptation. As recorded in Matthew chapter 4, when the devil tempted Christ, saying, “If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread,” Christ replied, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’” Then the devil showed Christ a vision of standing on the edge of the roof the temple in Jerusalem, and quoted from the Old Testament, saying, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down, for it is written, ‘He will command his angels concerning you,’ and ‘On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone.’” Christ replied, “Again it is written, ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.’” Then the devil showed Christ all the kingdoms of the world and their glory and said, “All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me.” But Christ said, “Be gone, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God and him only shall you serve.’” Thus, he rejected the devil’s temptation. And by dying on the cross and rising again in a body of eternal life, Christ completely defeated the devil.

Though Christ himself achieved complete victory over the devil, Christians who believe in Christ still find themselves in the midst of the battle against the devil. Christians can only achieve complete victory over the devil when, having fought against the devil throughout their earthly lives, they are called to the heaven where Christ is and eventually receive a resurrected body on the Last Day. At that time, Christ will utterly destroy the devil through the Last Judgement and bring the kingdom of God to its completion. Paul, believing the completion of God’s kingdom was near, encouraged the Christians in Rome in Romans 16:20: “The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet.” Furthermore, in Ephesians 6:11, Paul exhorts, “Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.” The following verse, 12, declares that the Christian’s battle is not against flesh and blood, but against the devil, the “the cosmic powers over this present darkness.” Furthermore, in verses 16 and 17, he teaches that we should take up the shield of faith in the triune God to extinguish every flaming darts of the devil, and fight armed with the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. This battle is both a battle to proclaim God’s word and a battle of prayer, as verse 18 states, “Praying at all times zin the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints.” To prevent the devil from finding any opportunity, it is essential—both in our personal lives and in the work of the church—to pray ceaselessly, asking God to reveal his will, and to seek the guidance of the Holy Spirit so that we may walk according to God’s will.

At the beginning of today’s sermon, I introduced the Buddhist teaching concerning “ma.” I believe there is merit in listening to the Buddhist teaching that the true nature of “ma” is the ignorance and worldly desire operating within oneself unnoticed. This is because the Christian concept of devil entering humans from outside to dominate them may have led to the persecution of specific individuals or nations deemed to be under the control of the devil. For instance, we must not forget the history where people deemed to be in league with the devil were killed in so-called witch trials, or where Jewish people were viewed as a satanic nation, leading to large-scale massacres of Jews.

However, merely acknowledging that the devil resides within the human heart will not enable one to depart from an inward-focused existence of perpetual self-examination. If one merely examines oneself to see whether there is a devil within, one will be unable to live proactively—that is, to discern the essence of events occurring around oneself and act accordingly. We must recognise that the devil employs various external means to lead human beings towards ruin. By doing so, we can calmly observe events within the faith community of the church and in the wider world, and respond to them proactively. For instance, if someone within the church acts contrary to biblical teachings, we can admonish them with gracious speech which is “seasoned with salt.” Furthermore, if actions contrary to biblical teaching occur in the world, we can powerfully speak out, fulfilling the ministry of prophet, urging repentance and actions that please God.