Tajima church Dec. 8,2019
Rev. R.Ishida
" Of his reign there will be no telos(end)"
The decision of a woman who was of Nazareth in Galilee has changed our life completely. She is Mary, the mother of Jesus. While a lot of countries had risen and perished, Jesus' reign has never ended since this happened to Mary and he is guiding our feet into the way of peace (Lk. 2:79), we are sure Mary is standing here.
Gabriel says to Mary, "Rejoice, you who are in God's grace (unfailing love of God). God is with you (Lk. 1.28). The word used here is related with a Hebrew word which means unfailing love, grace, mercy, comfort and encouragement. These words decisively are of God, but not man. Therefore they have no end. What God is with you means that these steadfast love has been with her and is and will be with her.
So Mary says to God with thanks," I am a slave of the Lord, Mary does not feel herself misery, afflicted, oppressed, desperate or helpless in the word "slave". So her word " I am a slave of the Lord"comes and springs out of her joy and thanks to the Lord.
A Greek word "rema" is "word" in English, It contains unfailing love of God and "Good News", “euangelion”.
So her son Jesus is of God's unfaing love. So we can say, “There is no end in and under Jesus' reign”, whom God has sent.(1:33)
Mary's decision in front of Gabriel has made the reign of grace, of mercy, of love and of comfort possible.
Babylon, Rome and other big countries had gone into the past. But God's reign in Jesus, his son, will never end but is going on.