In Korea’s distant past, masks were used in religious rites to ward off evil spirits. Today they are a customary feature in Korean folk theater and dance. Masks like Yangban and Punae (above), are part of the re-telling of traditional tales. They are treasured, and identified by the South Korean government as national “cultural assets.”
Obviously, masks conceal the identity of the actors wearing them. Confronted by our sin, our natural initial instinct is to disguise ourselves from God and maybe tell a tale or two to explain ourselves in a favorable context. When King David wrote “search me, O God, and know my heart (Psalm 139)” he was acknowledging God’s all-knowing penetration of the truth about who we really are. Thankfully, David also wrote “I . . . did not cover up my iniquity . . . and you forgave the guilt of my sin (Psalm 32).”
Unmasked by God’s law, we confess our sin. Then trusting God’s promise of forgiveness for the sake of Christ’s sinless life on our behalf, his death at the cross in our place, and his glorious resurrection, we Christians receive our Savior’s comforting good news: “Take heart, son (daughter, too), your sins are forgiven (Matthew 9).”