But we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel. Yes, and besides all this, it is now the third day since these things took place” (Luke 24:21).
What does God speak to you in light of the shaking world due to Covid-19? As we walked through Lent from the Judean desert to the cross at cavalry and down to the resurrection, what lessons had we learned? The disciples journeyed with Jesus for three years but they understood neither his message nor the lessons he taught clearly until after the resurrection—“Then their eyes were opened, and they recognized him.” They lost their hope of redemption at his death. The “third day” didn’t seem to have any significance for their faith. Are we walking in a similar path? For the disciples, redemption was a restoration of the good old day in the days of King David.
Today we pray and hope for God’s redemption of the good old day before Covid-19—for health, normal socialization, business and work as usual, and church. Perhaps, God’s redemption for us in this uncertain time is more than just the physical good old days. I believe God hears our cries and God is redeeming us for the good old day but also a redemption that includes our faith and trust in God as a nation of faith – “In God we trust”, which may take little longer. In the Gospel, the message of redemption means more in the spiritual sense than in the physical sense—a return to God rather than the restoration of the glorious kingdom of David. Could this spiritual sense is what lingers the time for the good old day and for what God is speaking to us today? As we hasten to welcome the good old day of our time may we hasten also to give our trust and faith in God.
Prayer:
Loving God whom we know as the Risen Christ, we are desperate in this time of Covid-19 seeking for your redemption both in our physical well-being and spiritual well-being. With the power of resurrection, heal our loved ones, our economy, our health and faith. May we come to know that you are in control and put our trust wholeheartedly in you. Forgive us our shortcoming, self-reliance, and often, our unbelief. Amen.
“Peb ca sab tas nwg yog tug kws yuav cov tuabneeg Ixayees dlim. Dlua le ntawd, txij le muaj tej ntaw lug, tub tau peb nub rua nub nua lawm” (Lukas 24:21).
Vaajlugkub has rua peb le caag nyob rua lub sijhawm muaj tug kaabmob Covid-19? Lub caij Lent kws peb tau taug kev moog rua tom taj suabpuam ntawm Xeev Yudes moog txug rua ntawm Yexus tug ntoo khaublig hab nqeg moog rua ntawm lug qhov ntxaa kws Yexus sawv peb kawm tau dlaabtsi? Covthwjtim taug kev nrug Yexus uake tau peb lub xyoo tabsi puab tsi totaub txug zaaj kws Yexus qha txug rua thaum tomqaab Yexus tub sawv qhov tuag rov qaab lug – “Ces puab lub qhovmuag txawm qheb, hab paub nwg yog leej twg.” Puab tsi muaj kev ca sab tas puab yuav tau txais kev cawm dlim yog thaum Yexus tuag lawm. Xaam tau tas puab los tsi paub tas “nub peb” tseemceeb le caag. Puas yog peb taabtom taug ib txuj kev yaam nkaus le puab? Has txug kev cawm dlim, cov thawjtim puab totaub tas yog lub neej qubqaab kws muaj laj a tebchaws hab kev nyob kaaj sab le tam thaum fuabtais Dasviv nyob.
Nubnua peb thov Vaajtswv hab ca sab rua Vaajtswv txuj kev cawm dlim kuas tau lub neej qubqaab le yaav dlau lug ua ntej Covid-19—rua kev noj qaab nyob zoo, kev nyob ze uake, lag luam hab haujlwm zoo le qub, tsis pawg ntseeg. Tej zag Vaajtswv kev cawm dlim rua peb nyob rua lub sijhawm nuav yuav tshaaj le kev peb rov moog tau lub neej noj nyob le yaav qubqaa dlau lug. Kuv ntseeg tas Vaatjswv nov peb tej lug quaj thov hab Vaajtswv taabtom cawm peb kuas dlim tabsi tsi yog kuas dlim tau lub neej le yaav qubqaab xwb, tabsis lub neej paub ntseeg Vaatswv hab txhaj yuav siv sijhaw ntej zog. Nyob rua txuj Moo Zoo, zaaj lug qha txug kev cawm dlim txhais tau nyaav moog rua saab ntsujplig dlua le ntawm saab nqaj tawv—kws yog kev tig lub sab rov lug cuag Vaajtswv, tsi yog kev muaj fwjchim hab laj a tebchaws le tam Dasviv ua fuabtais. Puas yuav yog tim saab ntsujplig txhaj tseem ncua sijhawm rua peb rov tau txais lub neej qubqaab zoo dlhau lug? Yog le yog thaum peb rov tau txais lub neej qubqaab zoo dhlau lug nyob le qub lawm thov kuas peb paub tso sab rua hab mob sab ntseeg Vaajtswv.
Vaajtswv tug kws peb paub lug ntawm Tswv Yexus kws sawv qhov tuag rov qaab lug, peb xaav tau koj kev paab heev rua lub sijhawm muaj tub kaabmob Covid-19, thov koj kev cawm dlim lug paab peb tsi has ntawm saab nqaj tawv lossis saab ntsujplig. Lug ntawm koj lub fwjchim kws tsaav Yexus sawv, thov khu cov tuabneeg kws peb hlub tshua kuas zoo, peb ua dlejnum, kev mob kev nkeeg hab kev ntseeg kuas ruaj khov. Thov kuas peb paub tas koj yog tug tswjfwm taagnrho hab Txawj tso sab rua koj taagnrho. Thov zaamtxim rua peb yaam kws peb ua tsi tau, yaam kws peb kaav tas peb ua tau, hab ntau zag, peb kev tsis ntseeg koj. Amees.