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2018.3.18 (日)  Fifth Sunday of Lent


March 18, 2018 At Takasaki Church

First Reading: Jeremiah 31:31-34
Second Reading: Hebrews 5:7-9
Gospel Reading: John 12:20-33

My dear brothers and sisters in Takasaki Church, we’re celebrating the Fifth Sunday of Lent today. We have two more weeks before Easter Sunday. A week later we’ll be celebrating the Passion Sunday and entering the Holy Week. The time of the Passion of our Lord Jesus is drawing near. Today’s Gospel Reading from John’s tells of such an atmosphere. Jesus said that a grain of wheat bears much fruit if it dies, and he also said, “if anyone serves me, he must follow me; and where I am, there shall my servant be also.”

This word of Jesus points to us in advance the event of resurrection after the passion. We will wait for the Easter Sunday till we appreciate fully what the resurrection means. Meanwhile, it is enough to know “bearing much fruit” implies our resurrection, our sharing in the grace of resurrection and receiving eternal life.

Today I’d like to take up a term that deeply relates to it, “the blood of the covenant.” We often hear the term, but it’s hard for us to relate to. As Christians we know about “the blood of the covenant,” but it is the term we rarely use in our lives here in Japan. Meanwhile, you hear it at every Mass: “Take this, all of you, and drink from it, for this is the chalice of my blood, the blood of the new and eternal covenant, which will be poured out for you and for many for the forgiveness of sins. Do this in memory of me.” After this word of Consecration, the priest says, “The mystery of faith.” The people continue, acclaiming, “We proclaim your Death, O Lord, and profess your Resurrection until you come again.” The word of the priest has a profound meaning. Since we hear it at every Mass, we may be used to it without thinking much about it. But once we start wondering what it means and what it is all about, it doesn’t sound easy to explain.
In particular, what is this term, “the blood of the covenant (keiyaku no chi)”? Keiyaku, which corresponds to both covenant and contract in Japanese, is the term we use in our daily lives. In a way our life consists of different contracts, for even taking a train is a small contract of acquiring the right to ride a train in exchange of paying a transportation fee. In the world of the Bible, however, and in the Eucharist, what does “the blood of the covenant” mean? When I was a pastor at a parish church in Chiba Prefecture, one family brought their non-Christian member to Mass. He understood what was said in Japanese, and “the blood” in “the blood of the covenant” sounded horrible to him.
Moreover, it is “the blood of the new covenant.” The term “the new covenant” was mentioned by Jeremiah at the First Reading. The old covenant will be ending and a new covenant will be made. What are the commitments at the covenant? At the old covenant they were Moses’ Ten Commandments. They were inscribed on a stone tablet and given to Moses by God. When Moses showed them to the people of Israel, they answered they would keep them and observe them. Then Moses took the blood of oxen, threw the half of it against the altar and the other half upon the people. This kind of scene is very difficult for us to understand. Imagine the scene full of the smell of blood. This is the kind of the covenant concluded with blood-shedding, with the blood of the animals killed for sacrifice. With the covenant finalized that way, the Israelite didn’t honor the covenant. They couldn’t. So God gives them another chance. He will make a new covenant. Instead of inscribing on the stone tablet he will inscribe his commandments in their hearts. The commandments of God will remain in their heart, not outside, so that they can do the will of God themselves. They will. That’s the meaning of Jeremiah’s prophecy.
Later, Jesus of Nazareth appeared. At the last supper he took a cup of wine and told his disciples, “This is the blood of the new covenant which will be poured out for you. Do this in memory of me.” Now this is wine, not the blood of animals. This wine doesn’t change into the one with the smell of blood. But we believe this is the blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, not just another wine. Mass always reminds us that the new covenant is made by offering this wine.

Jesus did this for us. Here the preposition“for” seems to designate both a reason and a purpose: Jesus did this for the reason of our sins and for the purpose of our salvation. He did it because of our sins in the aim of our salvation. He never said he would shed his blood in vain. He did shed his blood on the cross and laid down his life. We believe that’s what let us bear much fruit, count ourselves among the fruit and dwell in the heavenly Father’s house.

I want all of us to tell people about this truth and make them believers. I know it’s very challenging. How should we talk about it? I just tried to explain it clearly and concisely in my own words only to find it difficult. How would you explain it? Can you put it more simply? The blood of the covenant is surely hard to relate to, isn’t it?

We use the word hofuru in Japanese to say “slaughter” or “sacrifice” animals. This blood-shedding simply means losing life. We human beings also bleed to death. We all die when we lose vast amounts of blood.

The Holy Week, Passion Sunday, and Good Friday are coming soon. Imagine how shocking it would be if we saw someone being crucified with his/her blood dripping and oozing all over before our very eyes! On the other hand, we wouldn’t be moved when we just think, “OK, that’s what happened in the past.”

So let us take our time today to ponder the mystery of “the blood of the new covenant.”



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