降临节之二

乃是要成全

——马太福音五章十七节

基督先于历史，又高于历史；但他甘愿进入历史，使之得与永恒相接相联。

他不废掉历史；他来，乃要成全，使历史中一切美好的得到肯定，得到补足，得以升华，得以成圣。

进入历史的基督，不只是大卫后裔；他是人子，乃属于整个人类。他所要成全的，也不只是希伯来一个民族的历史，而是整个人类历史。

万族都将在各自漫长的沧桑之中寻见基督，并在各自的残缺之中等待他的接纳、祝福与成全。历史无法成全自己，正如历史中的人无力自救；但基督的救赎之恩，使人的历史和历史的人，终将寻见那永恒的居所。

Advent 2

Matthew 5:17

 But to fulfill them

Christ was preexistent before history began and is above and outside of history. But he was willing to enter history, so that history could be united with all of eternity.

Christ did not destroy history. He came to fulfill it, that all which is good in history might be affirmed, made whole, raised up and made holy.

The Christ who entered history was more than a descendent of David. Jesus Christ was the Son of Humanity, for he belongs to all people. Christ came to fulfill not only the history of the people of Israel, but the history of all peoples.

All peoples must seek Christ in the midst of the struggles of their own nations. Each nation in itself is incomplete. Yet it is in this incompleteness that the people of a nation await the acceptance, the blessing and the fulfillment that is Christ. History cannot complete itself, nor do the people in history have the power to save themselves. It is Christ’s saving grace that enables human history and people in history to see their everlasting home one day.