Jesus the Mediator

by Miwako Katano

As I read John 4:5-26 and Romans 5:1-11, I see reconciliation as a theme in both texts. In the story about Jesus and the Samaritan woman, the reconciliation is between Jews and Samaritans. In the text from Romans, it is between God and us. In both passages, Jesus is the One who is "in between", the Mediator.

The topic of mediation and reconciliation is becoming known to us here in Japan. We have had some seminars on this theme. But I think that the mediation we talk about and the mediation referred to in John and Romans are different. Usually a mediator will not take the initiative to do something unless someone requests it, and mediation work itself will not start until both parties agree to it. Jesus, however, took the initiative without being asked. He spoke to the Samaritan woman. Neither Jews nor Samaritans had asked him to work on reconciliation.

How about the reconciliation between God and people? People in Jesus' day were asking for forgiveness and seeking the Messiah. God is always asking people to repent, and is willing to forgive them. In this sense, both the people and God seem to agree to mediation. God, however, also works to reconcile even those who do not know that they need it. (Yet, although God works actively for reconciliation, He never forces it on us, and He always gives us the freedom to accept or reject it.)

In Japan, we tend to wait until time goes by when we have had a conflict. There is a time for everything, of course. However, I think that we need to work more actively at reconciliation, just as Jesus did. He even died actively, not in a passive way. We must not forget that we always need Jesus as Mediator for any reconciliation.

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