Et tu, Brute?

Delivered by Rev. Jonathan Oh on Sunday, May 4, 2025.

英語のテキストの後に日本語訳があります。こちらはChatGPTによる機械翻訳であり、文法的な誤りが含まれている可能性があります。基本的な正確さを確認しております。

Passages:

John 21:1-19 (NRSV)
Jesus Appears to Seven Disciples

1 After these things Jesus showed himself again to the disciples by the Sea of Tiberias; and he showed himself in this way. 2 Gathered there together were Simon Peter, Thomas called the Twin, Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two others of his disciples. 3 Simon Peter said to them, “I am going fishing.” They said to him, “We will go with you.” They went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing.  

4 Just after daybreak, Jesus stood on the beach; but the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. 5 Jesus said to them, “Children, you have no fish, have you?” They answered him, “No.” 6 He said to them, “Cast the net to the right side of the boat, and you will find some.” So they cast it, and now they were not able to haul it in because there were so many fish. 7 That disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on some clothes, for he was naked, and jumped into the sea. 8 But the other disciples came in the boat, dragging the net full of fish, for they were not far from the land, only about a hundred yards off.  

9 When they had gone ashore, they saw a charcoal fire there, with fish on it, and bread. 10 Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish that you have just caught.” 11 So Simon Peter went aboard and hauled the net ashore, full of large fish, a hundred fifty-three of them; and though there were so many, the net was not torn. 12 Jesus said to them, “Come and have breakfast.” Now none of the disciples dared to ask him, “Who are you?” because they knew it was the Lord. 13 Jesus came and took the bread and gave it to them, and did the same with the fish. 14 This was now the third time that Jesus appeared to the disciples after he was raised from the dead.  

Jesus and Peter

15 When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my lambs.” 16 A second time he said to him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Tend my sheep.” 17 He said to him the third time, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” Peter felt hurt because he said to him the third time, “Do you love me?” And he said to him, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep. 18 Very truly, I tell you, when you were younger, you used to fasten your own belt and to go wherever you wished. But when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will fasten a belt around you and take you where you do not wish to go.” 19 (He said this to indicate the kind of death by which he would glorify God.) After this he said to him, “Follow me.”

Acts 9:1-20 (NRSV)
The Conversion of Saul (Acts 22:6–16; 26:12–18)

1 Meanwhile Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest 2 and asked him for letters to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any who belonged to the Way, men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. 3 Now as he was going along and approaching Damascus, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. 4 He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?” 5 He asked, “Who are you, Lord?” The reply came, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. 6 But get up and enter the city, and you will be told what you are to do.” 7 The men who were traveling with him stood speechless because they heard the voice but saw no one. 8 Saul got up from the ground, and though his eyes were open, he could see nothing; so they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus. 9 For three days he was without sight, and neither ate nor drank.  

10 Now there was a disciple in Damascus named Ananias. The Lord said to him in a vision, “Ananias.” He answered, “Here I am, Lord.” 11 The Lord said to him, “Get up and go to the street called Straight, and at the house of Judas look for a man of Tarsus named Saul. At this moment he is praying, 12 and he has seen in a vision a man named Ananias come in and lay his hands on him so that he might regain his sight.” 13 But Ananias answered, “Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much evil he has done to your saints in Jerusalem; 14 and here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who invoke your name.” 15 But the Lord said to him, “Go, for he is an instrument whom I have chosen to bring my name before Gentiles and kings and before the people of Israel; 16 I myself will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name.” 17 So Ananias went and entered the house. He laid his hands on Saul and said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on your way here, has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” 18 And immediately something like scales fell from his eyes, and his sight was restored. Then he got up and was baptized, 19 and after taking some food, he regained his strength.  

Saul Preaches in Damascus

For several days he was with the disciples in Damascus, 20 and immediately he began to proclaim Jesus in the synagogues, saying, “He is the Son of God.”

Sermon Text:

1. Betrayal: Every one of us knows what betrayal is. You trusted someone, and you believed that this person would care for you, and then, in one moment, that trust is shattered because they said or did something that betrayed you. It even impacts us when we are young… like a friend who spilled your secret by gossiping to others or even being snubbed by not being asked to someone’s birthday party when you thought you were tight with them. There are so many stories, both real and fictional, that tell us the centuries-old pattern of trust and betrayal, love and hate, joy and tears. Whether it’s Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar turning to his confidant Brutus as his friend prepares to stab him, saying, “Et tu, Brute?”, whether it is Judas Iscariot kissing Jesus to show who should be arrested on the night before His death, to countless episodes of American soap operas or Korean dramas of various backstabbing and dark backdoor deals, or even the Japanese ghost story “Yotsuya Kaidan” where several people are harmed or killed for selfish, evil greed and lust... the concept is familiar, and for so many, incredibly painful.

2. Truth: We know backstabbing, painful betrayal that can haunt us for so many years. It’s interwoven into the deep fabric of our fallen nature. Even in the Garden of Eden, when God asked Adam why the man ate from the forbidden tree, Adam betrays his own wife, saying that she’s the reason why he ate the fruit (and God is the One who placed her in the garden). There is a cost to betrayal - the loss of truth and innocence, the loss of trust and peace, and ultimately, the loss of union and life.

3. Gospel: Our two passages today show us that even in betrayal, relationships can be redeemed, and trust can be restored. There is a high cost to redemption, but that cost has been paid, and the good news is that even after betrayal, healing is possible.

4. First Passage: Consider our first passage from the Gospel of John. After the Eleven Apostles saw Jesus alive again, they were living in a new reality. Their Lord, who had been beaten, crucified, and buried, was now alive again. And yet, they weren’t sure what was next, knowing that Jesus had said that He was going back to Heaven to be with the Father. So what do they do? Peter goes back to what he has always known - fishing. He goes out with a few other of his fellow disciples and starts casting nets - all night - and catches nothing. Then a man calls out, asking if they caught anything. They hadn’t. So the man tells them to try casting the nets on the other side, and they’ll catch some, and boy, did they catch fish - so much that they couldn’t drag the nets onto the boat. The Apostle John goes to Peter, “It is the Lord!”

5. Context: You have to remember where Peter’s mind must have been. On the night Jesus was betrayed, the twelve disciples were gathered together eating what would be Jesus’ last meal before His death. Jesus told Peter that He had prayed for his disciple, but when Peter said he would be willing to die for Jesus, the Lord warned Peter that he would deny knowing Jesus three times. And Peter did - scared of being found out by others that he had been following Jesus. But after he had denied Jesus three times, Peter knew that he had betrayed his own Lord - saying that he never knew his Master, and he wept bitterly after doing so. One would think that this pain would linger, knowing that he did such a deed. He didn’t turn Jesus in like Judas Iscariot did, but it was a betrayal - a denial that would place Peter into what he believed was a broken relationship. So maybe he went fishing after Jesus rose again because he thought what he did in denying Jesus disqualified him from doing what Jesus called him to do. So when John tells Peter on this fishing trip that it is the Lord, Peter put on his clothes, jumped into the water, and swam toward Jesus while the others rowed the boat and their catch to the shore. Peter wanted to be with Jesus, but what anguish he must have also felt because this separation must have felt so real to him.

6. Restoration: When the disciples arrived on shore, there was already a fire going with some fish, and they all had their meal together. Then Jesus turns to Peter and asks, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?” We don’t know if “these” meant the fish or the disciples, but the key is that Jesus asked if Peter loved Jesus (using the Greek verb agapao - the deep, sacrificial love that Christ gave). Peter responds saying, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” Peter uses the Greek verb phileo - the deep, brotherly love. We don’t know if culturally there was a huge difference between the two verbs per se (some scholars believe there is significance, but others say this is not particularly unusual in this specific context), but it is interesting to see that Peter did not use the same verb as Jesus did. And Jesus asked the same question, and Peter once again answered the same way, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” At this point, you wonder what might be going through Peter’s mind - why is Jesus asking me this question? Then Jesus once again asks, using a different verb - phileo - “Simon son of John, do you love me?” Now we know this hurt Peter. If I had asked my wife three times in a row, “Rachel, do you love me?”, I think she would also be both surprised and hurt by me, probably would even ask, “Whyyy?” But Jesus did this on purpose: for the three times that Peter denied Jesus, Jesus asked for each one, and through this, Jesus showed that Peter was fully restored. In the end, He tells Peter the same two words when He first called Peter just a few years ago when the man was fishing - “Follow me.”

7. Truth: There is pain and price in redemption. We have to acknowledge that in betrayal, something has gone wrong. We have to accept that our transgression, our betrayal, our actions have broken the peace that had been in place. When we humble admit to this truth, we are able to see that Jesus had already paid the price for our redemption. He pours out this love, and we are forgiven and restored. Our denial of Christ, our betrayal of Christ as our Lord, our Savior, and our God through our sins hurt Him, but it also hurts us. But the story does not end there. Because Christ has risen, He has overcome victoriously over death, and He redeems us through His work on the cross.

8. Saul: Peter betrayed Jesus by his denial because he was afraid, wanting to protect his own life. But betrayal can come in another form - believing that what you are doing is right - many times in the name of God. When we look at our second passage in Acts, we read about a man named Saul (also known as Paul), who has an encounter with Jesus. Saul had been responsible for persecuting and even killing followers of Christ, believing that he did what was pleasing to God. He even receives the endorsement of the religious establishment to go to Damascus and do the same there. And yet, Saul has this amazing encounter with Jesus, being told that what he is doing is hurting Jesus. Jesus asks, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?” Saul thought that he was doing what honored and pleased God, and so this question must have come as a huge shock. Me, hurting God? Through this time of reflection in his blindness, Saul realizes that he had been going down the wrong path the whole time. And once his sight is restored, Saul proclaims that Jesus is the Son of God. That is an incredible transformation, though it came at some cost to Paul. The knowledge that he had committed harm and murder in the name of God, persecuting the church, is something Paul never forgot. And yet, Paul also took refuge, solace, and hope in the fact that Jesus redeemed even him. The Lord called Paul into a lifetime of service in missions, and the work he did impacted a significant part of Europe and beyond. God is in the business of second chances and redemption, and our passages today give us just two examples of this incredible truth.

9. Application: As we reflect upon the Scriptures today, it gives us an opportunity to ask - where have we betrayed someone? We can probably remember when we’ve been betrayed, but we don’t always reflect upon when we betray others, whether to protect ourselves or thinking that we’re doing “the right thing”. Sometimes, you realize that you have betrayed someone right away, like Peter did. Other times, you don’t even realize that you did it, like Paul didn’t until his encounter with Jesus on the road to Damascus. But whether we realize it or not, that type of betrayal and sin against our sister or brother creates incredible pain, and it is not the way Christ intended for us to be with others. Yet, our loving, risen Savior is greater than anything that you might have done. Our Savior has taken on betrayal and the pain that comes from that. Redemption comes at a price, but Christ has paid for that redemption. You can be forgiven in Christ, and you can be healed in Christ. Because of Jesus, reconciliation is possible. Today, if you are hurting from your own actions of betrayal and sin, Christ is ready to receive your confession and to forgive and restore you. For He knows all things, and He knows how to make things new again. And after restoration in Christ, there is the door to reconciliation. Not all broken situations will lead to reconciliation, but it is within our responsibility if at all possible to live at peace with one another, to reach out and to express sorrow in a broken situation, and seek to live out the peace that Christ gave to us in love and grace. May we in our fallen, broken world look to the One who has experienced pain and betrayal in order to find complete hope and restoration today. Amen.

日本語の翻訳：

裏切り：誰でも「裏切り」がどういうことか知っています。誰かを信じて、その人が自分を大切にしてくれると思っていたのに、たった一言や一つの行動でその信頼が壊れてしまうことがあります。子どもの頃からそうした経験をすることもあります。たとえば、友達に秘密をバラされたり、仲がいいと思っていたのに誕生日パーティーに呼ばれなかったり…。現実の話でも、物語の中でも、「信頼と裏切り」「愛と憎しみ」「喜びと涙」というテーマは昔から語られ続けています。シェイクスピアの『ジュリアス・シーザー』で、シーザーが親友ブルータスに刺される前に「ブルータス、お前もか」と言う場面や、イエスが十字架にかかる前の夜、ユダにキスで裏切られる場面、アメリカの昼ドラや韓国ドラマの数々の裏切り、さらには日本の怪談『四谷怪談』での欲や嫉妬による恐ろしい事件…。こうした裏切りの話は、誰にとっても身近で、そしてとてもつらいものです。

真実：裏切りの痛みは、人の心に長く残ることがあります。人間の弱さや罪深さの一部と言ってもいいかもしれません。聖書の最初の物語、エデンの園でも、アダムは神様に「なぜ禁じられた木の実を食べたのか」と聞かれると、自分の妻であるエバのせいにして、自分の責任から逃げようとしました。裏切りには代償があります。真実や純粋さを失い、信頼や平和を失い、最終的にはつながりや命さえも失ってしまうのです。

福音：でも、今日の聖書の2つの場面からわかるのは、裏切りがあっても、人間関係は回復できるということです。信頼を取り戻すことは簡単ではありません。でも、そのための代償はすでに払われているのです。裏切りの後にも、癒しは可能なのです。

第一の場面：ヨハネの福音書のこの話を見てみましょう。イエスの弟子たちは、イエスが復活したのを見たあと、新しい現実の中で生きていました。十字架にかかって殺されたイエスが、もう一度生き返ったのです。でも、これからどうしたらいいのか、まだわかりませんでした。イエスが「天に戻る」と言っていたからです。そこでペテロは、自分のよく知っていること、つまり漁に戻りました。ほかの弟子たちと一緒に船に乗って、夜通し網を投げましたが、魚は一匹もとれませんでした。すると、岸から男の人が「魚はとれたか」と声をかけてきます。とれていないと答えると、その人は「反対側に網を投げてみなさい」と言います。すると、驚くほどたくさんの魚がとれて、網を引き上げることもできないほどでした。そのとき、ヨハネはペテロに言いました。「あれは主だ！」

ペテロの心の中を想像してみてください。イエスが裏切られた夜、十二人の弟子たちは最後の晩餐を共にしていました。イエスはペテロに「あなたのために祈った」と言いましたが、ペテロは「自分はイエスのためなら死ぬ覚悟がある」と言いました。しかしイエスは、ペテロがその夜に三度、自分のことを知らないと言ってしまうだろうと警告しました。そして実際に、ペテロはイエスの弟子であることを知られたくなくて、三度も「知らない」と否定してしまいました。そのあと、彼は自分が主を裏切ってしまったことに気づき、激しく泣きました。その痛みは、きっと心に深く残ったでしょう。ペテロはユダのようにイエスを売ったわけではありませんが、それでも主を否定したことは大きな裏切りでした。ペテロは「自分はもうイエスに仕える資格がない」と思ったのかもしれません。だからこそ、復活したイエスに出会ったあとでも、漁に戻ってしまったのではないでしょうか。

そして、舟の上でヨハネが「あれは主だ！」と叫んだとき、ペテロはすぐに上着をまとって、水に飛び込み、岸にいるイエスのもとへ泳いで行きました。ほかの弟子たちは舟で魚を引きながらついて行きました。ペテロはイエスに会いたかったのです。でも同時に、きっと大きな不安や後悔の気持ちもあったはずです。自分の裏切りで、主との間に深い溝ができてしまったと感じていたかもしれません。

回復：弟子たちが岸に着くと、すでに火が焚かれ、魚が焼かれていて、みんなで一緒に食事をとりました。そしてそのあと、イエスはペテロに向かってこう言います。「ヨハネの子シモンよ、あなたはこれらのもの以上に、わたしを愛していますか？」ここで「これら」とは魚のことか、他の弟子たちのことかは分かりません。でも重要なのは、イエスが使った「愛していますか？」という言葉が、ギリシャ語の「アガパオ（agapao）」だったということです。これは、犠牲的で深い愛を意味する言葉です。

ペテロはこう答えました。「はい、主よ。あなたが私を愛していることをご存じです。」ここでペテロが使った「愛する」は「フィレオ（phileo）」という言葉で、兄弟のような親しい愛を意味します。学者の中には、この２つの動詞の違いに意味があると考える人もいれば、文脈的にはあまり大きな違いではないと考える人もいます。ただ、ペテロがイエスと同じ言葉を使わなかったのは興味深い点です。

イエスはもう一度同じ質問をし、ペテロも同じように答えました。「はい、主よ。あなたが私を愛していることをご存じです。」

そして三度目、イエスは今度は「フィレオ（phileo）」という言葉を使って、「ヨハネの子シモンよ、わたしを愛していますか？」と聞きました。このとき、ペテロは深く傷ついたと書かれています。もし私が妻に「レイチェル、君は僕を愛してる？」と三回も続けて聞いたら、きっと驚かれるし、傷つけてしまうかもしれません。そして「なんでそんなこと聞くの？」と問い返されるでしょう。

でも、イエスはあえてそうされたのです。ペテロが三度イエスを否定したことに対して、三度の「愛しているか？」という問いかけを通して、イエスはペテロを完全に回復させたのです。

そして最後にイエスはペテロに言いました。あの数年前、ペテロが漁師だった頃、最初に声をかけられたときと同じ二つの言葉を——「わたしについて来なさい。」

真実：贖い（あがない）には、痛みと代償があります。裏切りがあったということは、何かが壊れてしまったという事実を、私たちは認めなければなりません。私たち自身の過ち、裏切り、行動が、そこにあった平和を壊してしまったということを、正直に認める必要があります。そのことをへりくだって受け入れるとき、私たちはイエスがすでにその代価を払ってくださったことに気づくのです。イエスは私たちに愛を注ぎ、私たちは赦され、回復されます。私たちの罪によるキリストへの否定や裏切りは、イエスを傷つけるだけでなく、私たち自身をも傷つけます。しかし、それで終わりではありません。キリストは死を打ち破り、復活されたのです。そして十字架によって、私たちを贖ってくださったのです。

サウロ（パウロ）：ペテロは自分の命を守りたいと思い、恐れてイエスを否定し、裏切りました。自分の命を守りたかったのです。でも裏切りには、もう一つの形があります。「自分が正しいことをしている」と思いながら、人を傷つけてしまう場合です。使徒の働きに出てくるもう一つの場面では、「サウロ」という男（のちのパウロ）がイエスと出会う出来事が語られています。サウロはキリストの弟子たちを迫害し、殺すことさえしていました。それを「神に喜ばれること」だと信じていました。彼は宗教的な指導者たちからの許可を得て、ダマスコという町へ行き、同じようにクリスチャンを迫害しようとしていたのです。

ところがその途中、サウロはイエスと出会い、「サウロ、サウロ、なぜわたしを迫害するのか？」と問いかけられます。自分が神に仕えているつもりだったサウロにとって、この問いは大きな衝撃だったはずです。「自分が神を傷つけている？」盲目になって考える時間の中で、サウロは自分が全く間違った道を歩んでいたことに気づきます。そして視力が回復した後、彼は「イエスこそ神の子である」と宣言します。それは本当に劇的な変化でしたが、簡単なことではありませんでした。自分が神の名のもとに人を傷つけ、殺してしまったという事実を、パウロは一生忘れることがありませんでした。しかし、それでも彼は、イエスがそんな自分をも贖ってくださったという希望にすがり、支えられて生きていきました。

その後、パウロは宣教者として生涯をかけて仕え、多くの地域、特にヨーロッパに大きな影響を与えました。神は「もう一度のチャンス」と「贖い」の神です。今日の二つの聖書の箇所は、そのすばらしい真実を教えてくれています。

適用：今日の聖書を読んで、私たち自身を振り返る機会にしましょう。私たちは「裏切られた経験」はよく覚えていますが、「自分が誰かを裏切ったこと」については、あまり深く考えないことがあります。それが自分を守るためだったとしても、「正しいことをしている」と思っていたとしても、裏切りには違いありません。ペテロのように、すぐに自分の裏切りに気づくこともありますが、パウロのように、神との出会いによって初めて気づくこともあります。

どちらにしても、人を裏切ること、罪を犯すことは、相手にも、自分自身にも大きな傷を残します。それはイエスが望まれた人との関係の形ではありません。でも、イエスはそれよりも大きなお方です。裏切りや痛みを、すべてイエスはご自身で引き受けてくださいました。贖いには代償が必要ですが、その代償はすでにキリストが払ってくださったのです。あなたはキリストにあって赦され、癒されることができます。キリストのおかげで、和解が可能になります。

今日、もしあなたが自分の罪や裏切りによって傷ついているなら、キリストはあなたの告白を受け入れ、赦し、回復してくださいます。イエスはすべてをご存じで、すべてを新しくすることができる方です。回復のあとには、和解への道も開かれます。すべての関係が必ず元に戻るとは限りませんが、それでも私たちは、できる限り平和をつくり出し、壊れた関係の中に悲しみや謝罪を示し、キリストが与えてくださった愛と恵みによる平和を生きるように招かれています。

この壊れた世界の中で、痛みと裏切りを経験したイエスに目を向けることによって、私たちは今日、本当の希望と回復を見出すことができるのです。アーメン。