Title Introduction / Matthew 6:6
About 15 years ago, I went to Germany to study abroad with my wife and my eldest son, who was then two years old. I started living there by looking for a small house, and there was a large old Roman Catholic church near the house. There, there was a sculpture called ‘Angel’s Eyes’. The angel's eyes were quietly watching those passing by. On the engraving was written in Latin: 'Angels are always watching you'.
I passed in front of the sculpture and sent the child to kindergarten every morning. At that time, I often read the Latin to the child. It says "Angels are always watching you." Then he continued, threateningly saying, 'An angel is always watching you, you shouldn't do anything bad just because no one is watching you, an angel is always watching you'.
However, several years later, the eldest son wonders if his father's interpretation is wrong. I mean, that's not what it means. Above all else, humans shouldn't be such a threat. 'Angels are always watching you' doesn't mean that you shouldn't do anything bad, it just means 'Even when you feel lonely or lonely, angels are watching you wherever you are'. will be So, it means to be strong, to be at peace.
I was shy back then. I thought the children's judgment was right. An angel's gaze cannot be a watch or a threat. It is the gaze of love. Such a loving gaze saves people, gives them strength, and gives them the courage to stand up again even if they fail. And only when we can feel those gazes can we not be honest in front of those gazes?
The Bible teaches that we have God's eyes on us. God is watching. The Bible says that God “sees in secret.” Of course, that doesn't mean that humans are being watched by God. Rather, it doesn't mean that God is looking at me because He is interested in humans, no, this and that me. To be interested means to have love.
If you say that God is always watching you, you may feel uncomfortable. Besides, you are watching in secret. But is that so? Could it be the opposite? Wouldn't it be reassuring to say that God is everywhere, because He is watching Him? God's gaze is on the world, and God knows everything. It is such that he knows all, even in secret places. Even where you might think there is no one else, God is looking at you. Isn't that the source of our strength to live? Wouldn't it be a source of courage and a source of justice that makes us choose the good at any time?
God is always looking at the world. You are interested. He is interested in even the smallest and most secret things. The world we live in is such a place for God. We humans are such beings to God.
The Bible says that “God loved the world so much that he gave his only begotten Son.” What does it mean? It can be said that, for God, this world is the place where he sent his beloved only begotten Son on that Christmas day. That is, the world is, for that reason, of more than average concern to God.
Last year and last year, my eldest son went to a homestay in a small town called Lancasta, USA, and spent the summer season. At that time, I was able to freshly understand the meaning of the words ‘God loves this world so much that he sent his only son’ and ‘God sees in secret’. Because since my eldest son moved to America, the town has been all I care about. Of course, the village is so small that even if you open the world map, it does not appear. However, since that village is the village where the eldest son, whom I have no need for, is out, it is my biggest concern, and it has become a place I want to know everything about. No, not only that, I've never been there, but it's become a town I love. It has become a town that makes your heart pound just by hearing its name.
That is what it is to say that God loves us, that God loved this world, and that he sent his beloved only Son into this world to save it. Since that Christmas day, for God, the world has become a place to set his gaze. That has become a matter of greatest concern. That is why God's love's gaze extends to every corner of the world. That is God's presence in the world. Therefore, the fact that God sees the world, that He sees even the secret places, is not a watchful eye. God is not watching the world. God loves this world. Such gazes are directed toward each of us.
Where does human strength come from? Where does the power to inspire us come from? Could it be that there is someone who knows everything about my failures and successes, and things that cannot be said to people? Isn't it because there is God's gaze on me? God knows everything. So, there is no need to show off before God. You don't even need to decorate. You don't even need to hide it. Because that gaze is not for judgment, but because of love.
Matthew 10 says, “Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul, but fear him who can destroy both body and soul in hell. Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Unless you do, not one of them will fall to the ground. Even the hairs on your head are all numbered.”
What is a sparrow that is being sold for one assarion for two? That is, the sparrow cannot be put on a price for one. This is because an assarion is the smallest unit of currency. Because it is equal to 1 won. One won for two animals means you can't put a price on one. It must be that God is the one who pays the best attention to, protects, and watches over even the smallest things. We can't count our hairs, no matter how much we've lost in recent years. that you don't know. Even if it's your own hair, you don't know the number. Still, God knows. In other words, God knows me like this more than I do. Are you lying in front of someone who knows me more than me, and who cares about me more than me?! It won't be.
We may have been walking the steps of life without telling the truth. I don't know if I've been living without seeing my true self. He excuses himself from being busy, hides it with a pleasant story, explains it to people that it's a good life, but keeps the questions of life that have not been solved until the end, until he dies. If we are living like that, we are living a lie until the very end. That's not a good thing.
No, it's not just a Japanese problem, it's a human problem. The Bible says, “Your God is in secret.” There, speaking truthfully with God is prayer. It's not about leveling the surface. You don't even need to be fancy. Where God's loving gaze is poured out, it is necessary to be true to yourself. Where human beings become true to themselves in the truest sense, true stories are possible before Him. That's a 'secret place'. That is the place of prayer. And there is the gaze of true love that pours out there. And from there, you can begin to meet your true self and take your true steps. Such experiences are what truly make us new. I think we want to become people who really know God, know ourselves, and moreover, discover our true neighbors.