You hypocrites!
You know how to interpret the appearance of the earth and the sky;
why do you not know how to interpret the present time?
We have strategies like these that help us predict the future, and as a consequence help us feel some measure of control over that future. There may be more or less truth in our interpretative tools, which range from folk wisdom, to social statistics, to artificial intelligence. The point is not that any of these is necessarily wrong. Rather, the problem is when we become so preoccupied about the future that we don't correctly interpret the present time.
For he says, “In a favorable time I listened to you, and in a day of salvation I have helped you.” Behold, now is the favorable time; behold, now is the day of salvation (see Second Corinthians 6:2).
Jesus came to "proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor" (see Luke 4:19), a year of jubilee. But to celebrate a true year of jubilee would require the remission of debts, most particularly the debts associated with sin. If the meaning of the present time according to Jesus was that it was to be a year of jubilee then it was, in a special way, right the time to repent. It was the right time to finally be free from sin and to set others free from whatever smaller debt they owed by forgiving them in turn.
If you are to go with your opponent before a magistrate,
make an effort to settle the matter on the way;
The arrival of the Messiah pointed forward to the last judgment when Jesus himself would judge the living and the dead. Those who interpreted the present time correctly would act then and there in such a way as to be fit to enter into a year of jubilee which was eternal and perfect. But those with debts still outstanding were not yet sufficiently free to live in that eternal banquet of joy. Fortunately however, as long as they had begun and did not give up they would eventually be released unto that life in the world to come, but not until they paid the last penny. The emphasis of Jesus on the present time and its implications means that it is precisely now that we should repent and make ourselves ready for the life that we want to be ours for all eternity.
I, a prisoner for the Lord,
urge you to live in a manner worthy of the call you have received
We have been received a call to the year of jubilee, to an eternal wedding feast. We must begin to live now as those worthy of such a call, "with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another through love". Without such characteristics present in the attendees of a banquet is it likely that it would be enjoyable, much less a place we would be content to remain forever?
striving to preserve the unity of the spirit
through the bond of peace;
We are called into a unity the is a supernatural fruit of the Holy Spirit, made possible by the peace (not only within us, but among us) that is his gift. It is the Spirit who robes us with righteousness at our baptism and makes us worthy to enter the wedding feast. But we need to treasure this gift, keeping it unstained is best we can, and availing ourselves of his cleansing power when we fail. When we do this we correctly interpret the true meaning of the present, which points toward eternal now of heaven, where God will be all in all.
No comments:
Post a Comment