From Achen’s Desk
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
Praise the Lord.
God bless the Emmanuel family.
Once again it is my pleasure to address the Emmanuel family through this month’s newsletter.
Lent is not only a period of forty days of fasting before Easter, but also a period of ‘spring’ for spiritual renewal. Redemption is a concept derived from one of the most basic features of human life in society, the urge to exchange something in one’s own possession for something possessed by another. All kinds of objects have been exchanged, normally with the conviction that what was received was equal to or even more valuable than what was given. The terms redemption, redeem, redeemer, and occur frequently in the Old Testament. From its basic meaning of buying back by paying a ‘ransom’, the term was extended to cover major deliverances of any kind whether or not a payment is involved.
Isaiah 58:1-14 contains the classic voice of prophecy as in Micah 6:8. God does not desire sacrifice of material things. He asks us to be just and merciful to our fellow human beings and to live in humble obedience to God. Prophet Isaiah vehemently condemns false religion as well as religious fundamentalism. A heart that is pure toward God cannot be indifferent toward other human beings in delivering others in Christ's name, we ourselves are delivered. In the last two verses prophet Isaiah reminds the readers of the importance of the Sabbath not in legalistic terms but in loving terms. If we claim to love the Lord, we should also love the Sabbath day. To the Jews Sabbath was part of God’s original plan for every one as well as an integral part of the law.
St.John 2:1-11, the redemptive act revealed through the transformation of Jewish legal system into the supply of good wine out of water. Jewish legal system typified by the ceremonial Jars was partial and imperfect. The renewal of life and salvation to which all religious ceremonies point could not be achieved by legal means. The real meaning of Jewish religious customs is fulfilled and made new only by Jesus, who transforms the old ceremonial system into something which humans could experience. The church as a redeemed community tends to empower others, particularly the weaker section in the church and society to enjoy the privileges equally or even more than what they enjoy every day. Amen.
Yours loving,
Jose Achen
