Title Matthew 11:28-30 Gospel for Today
Content Human beings are beings that live in time. All living humans live in close connection with the times of ‘yesterday’, ‘today’ and ‘tomorrow’. ‘Today’ means the present time sandwiched between yesterday and tomorrow. Therefore, the day ‘today’ is built on the ground laid out by yesterday. And it is also a day to lay the groundwork for tomorrow. Therefore, we need to pay attention to ‘today’, which is more precious than yesterday and more than tomorrow. And how should I live? You should not miss the opportunity and make good use of it.
For humans living in time, today's time is greatly influenced by yesterday's experiences, tomorrow's expectations, past memories and future dreams. When we trace our memories of the past, we often get caught up in the traces of failure or regretful memories of life that we do not want to recall. So, consciously or unconsciously, we become caught up in our past experiences such as failures and wounds. And there are many times when we are weighed down with a heavy sense of guilt. There is one thing that awaits us most certainly and inevitably when we think about the time of the ‘future’ to come. It is 'death'. In the face of this death, humans feel a sense of fear, emptiness, and finiteness. This is the limit of human existence living in time. No one will be able to lead the time of ‘today’ as a creative and productive life without humans overcoming the limitations of time.
The reason why the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ is the “gospel” for us today is because it opened the way for us to completely overcome human limitations. The event of Jesus Christ's crucifixion (death) became the basis for the 'faith' that set us free from all the guilt and burdens of our past. And the resurrection of Jesus Christ laid the groundwork for the ‘hope’ that promised eternal life beyond the finiteness of ‘death’.
Human existence, gripped by the loneliness, frustration, and emptiness that has been experienced in the passing of time (chronos), must now be restored to peace and freedom in Jesus Christ.
By looking at God's time of salvation (kairos) through the eyes of faith, I came to live a creative life, recognizing 'today' as a meaningful moment of emotion, joy, and hope. This is today's gospel that we must believe.
Are you trembling with the guilt of the past and the anxiety and fear of future death? Look to Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith (Hebrews 12:2). He invites those who are burdened with life to “come to me.”
In him we can enjoy true ‘today’ freedom. The time we are living in ‘today’ is a time when we are caught up in various problems and truly request God’s grace. A time of suffering is a golden opportunity for us to receive God's mercy. As Christians living in eschatological tensions, we should discern the time of “today” and use it wisely.