日期﹕01/02/05
經文﹕<傳道書> 3﹕1 -15
題目﹕一個合宜的反思
主題﹕當面對生命中一些不可思議之遭遇時, 我們唯一合適的回應就是敬畏順服神

引言﹕
　　不久前﹐你可能還在說﹕“噢﹐怎麼還沒有到聖誕節和元旦﹐我已經等不及了! ” 但是現在﹐你或許會說﹕“天啊﹐聖誕節和元旦都已經過了﹖假期就這麼結束了﹖”隨著一個人的年齡增長﹐時間對他來說似乎也越走越快了。
我們是如何看待時間的﹖絕大多數時候﹐我們用滴答作響的鐘表擺動來衡量時間。近年來﹐24/7已經成為一個家喻戶曉的名詞。還有一種新的時間概念叫做“網際時間”( Internet time ) 。“網際時間” 把一天24個小時等分為1000“拍”( beats ) ﹐1“拍”相等于1分鐘26.4秒。我今天有17.36拍的時間講這篇道.
如果我們收看收聽上週的新聞媒體報導﹐就會發現本年度十大醜聞、十大電影、最佳和最差男女著裝、十大新聞事件和十大最糟主意都已經紛紛被揭曉了。但這些所謂的“年度之最” 在剛剛發生的亞洲海嘯悲劇面前﹐就顯得根本不值一提。這個悲劇將在我們的記憶中留下無法磨滅的印象。標記時間的不就是那些生命的遭遇嗎﹖我們無法忘記911是因為世貿中心在那日的早上被毀了﹐我們牢記12/26是因為在那天我們獲悉了亞洲的海嘯慘劇。
<傳道書>3﹕1-15講述的是關於生命遭遇的主題。這書的著者被稱為傳道人. 第一節經文說得好﹕“1萬事都有定期，天下萬務都有定時。”經文第二節至第八節列舉了生命的遭遇﹐聖經研究者長期以來一直在努力尋求正確解讀這段經文的方法。我們注意到這是一段既具有字面意義又具有比喻意義的列舉。此處的經文並不是說每個人的生命中都一定會經歷到那些遭遇﹐這段列舉只是對我們日常生活的一個概括描述。你在去年的經歷﹐過去這週的亞洲遭遇以及接下來的幾個禮拜就會是對這段經文最好的一個例證和詮釋。更重要的是﹕我們能從生命的遭遇中學到什麼功課﹖讓我們一起來仔細研究這篇經文。
I． 時間往往是以生命遭遇做記號。
經文第二節至第八節完整地描述了生命的遭遇。
1． 生命的開始與結束。 Vs 2a.
“2a生有時，死有時。”這是關於生命開始和結束的描寫。回首2004﹐我們見
證了會眾裡有許多家庭增添了新的小生命﹔同時﹐我們也痛苦地失去了一些長輩﹐朋友甚至是尚未出生的嬰兒。在星期五的<Houston Chronicle>上﹐有一版介紹在2004年﹐美國的各名人家庭裡總共誕生了194個新生命﹔然而﹐具有諷刺意義的是﹕在這份報紙的頭版上卻報導了成千上萬的兒童在這次亞洲的海嘯中死去。真是“生有時，死有時。”
2． 建立與拆下。 Vs 2b, 3
“2b栽種有時，拔出所種的也有時；3殺戮有時，醫治有時；拆毀有時，建造
有時。”這裡列舉了三對關於建立與拆下的行為。我們由此想到了海嘯帶來的巨大破壞和之後人們在當地的重建工作。在個人的層面上﹐你們當中有些人離開了熟悉的城市和國家來到這個陌生的休斯頓市成家立業﹔有些人放棄了習慣的工作環境﹐在另一個職業領域裡重新打拼﹔還有一些人在從事了一生的職位上退休以後﹐現在開始嘗試新的生活方式。
3． 人的情緒。Vs 4
“4哭有時，笑有時；哀慟有時，踴躍有時。”這一節講的是人的情緒。在回
顧2004年時﹐我們都能回憶起一些情感瞬間。有一些情緒是個人化的﹐比如﹕哭泣和歡笑。我們總是把眼淚往肚子裡咽﹔當然也會有喜樂的時候。是的﹐我們希望別人能理解我們﹐然而結果往往令人失望。大家都對<箴言>14﹕10的經文有所感觸吧﹕“10人的苦楚，只有自己心裡知道；心中的喜樂，外人也不能分享。”其他人是無法真正了解我們自己心中苦楚的。
也有一些情緒是公開化的。我們或許記得雷根總統去世時的舉國哀傷.在亞洲﹐我們看到了有丈夫因為失去妻子而痛哭流涕﹐也看到了他因為找回了孩子而父子團圓時的喜樂。我們會為失去了所愛的人和與人的關係感到哀傷。當然在不少公開的歡慶場合上我們也充滿了喜樂﹕比如婚禮慶典﹐畢業典禮或者找到了新的工作時。
Vs 5a比較難以理解﹕“5a拋擲石頭有時，堆聚石頭有時。”拋擲石頭可能指的是侵略和破壞他國的領土﹐堆聚石頭可能意味著在一塊土地上的繁衍和耕作。
4． 錢財與財富。 Vs 6
“6尋找有時，捨棄有時；保存有時，拋棄有時。”這裡講的是錢財與財富。
　　我們有時需要追求錢財與財富﹔有時卻要捨棄它們﹐放它們走。面對人們現在所面臨的悲劇﹐這不正是我們捨棄一些手中財富的時機嗎﹖“保存有時，拋棄有時。”這指的是我們沒有珍惜所擁有的一切。一些中了彩票大獎的人的故事就是最好的例證﹕有些人中了幾百萬的大獎﹐卻在幾年時間裡揮霍一空﹐不得不宣佈破產。你可能也在報紙上看到過這麼一則消息﹐那位新澤西州彩票最高獎金得主的妻子說道﹕“我真希望自己在兌獎前已經撕毀了那張彩票。”獎金被揮霍殆盡﹐她的丈夫兩次因酒後駕車被捕﹐外孫女也被殺害。
　　這節經文也同樣適用于面對我們的雄心壯志﹕有時需要去追求理想和抱負﹐但有時也要學會放棄和割舍。這就是生命﹐不是嗎﹖
5． 人際關係。 Vs 5b, 7,8
“5b擁抱有時，避免擁抱有時……7撕裂有時，縫補有時；靜默有時，講話有
時；8愛有時，恨有時；戰爭有時，和平有時。”這段經文描寫的是個人之間和國家之間的關係。
有時﹐新的關係會被建立﹔有時﹐已有的關係卻會變得緊張甚至破裂。還有的時候﹐破裂的關係又得到修補並且破鏡重圓﹕這需要我們懷著一顆寬容和饒恕的心來對待彼此。在國家間的關係上﹐有時會有戰爭﹐有時會有和平。在越南戰爭結束三十年之後﹐首架美國商業客機在幾週以前緩緩降落在胡志明市的機場。我們也渴求在中東地區和伊拉克能早日實現和平。
以上這些生命的遭遇為時間做記號。時間不單只是時鐘滴滴答答的搖擺﹐也不僅只是月歷一頁頁地翻過﹐它是生命遭遇的記號。
II． 在無法測透生命遭遇時會感受煩擾。9-11
“9作工的人在自己的勞碌上得到甚麼益處呢？10我看　神給予世人的擔子，
是要他們為此煩惱。11他使萬事各按其時，成為美好；他又把永恆的意識放在人的
心裡；雖然這樣，人還是不能察覺　神自始至終的作為。”這段經文發人深省﹐令人沉思。這裡面有一段宣告﹕上帝使萬事各按其時，成為美好。按字面的理解﹐天地萬物在各自的時間上和空間裡成為美好﹐各得其所。但是﹐當人類面對生命和死亡的問題﹐當我們親眼目睹一幕幕人生悲劇﹐當我們經歷歡笑和哭泣﹐喜樂和悲傷的時候﹐我們都不竟都會問一句為什麼。在經文第十一節裡﹐我們知道神已將永恆的意識放在人的心裡。人的思維是有過去, 現在和將來. 人不滿足于僅僅經歷那些遭遇﹐我們更想知道導致這一切發生的原委。
我們想知道為什麼會失去親人﹐為什麼彼此的關係會破裂﹔我們想知道為什麼這次亞洲的海嘯會帶來如此巨大的死傷。但是﹐<傳道書>的作者告訴我們﹐我們永遠不能察覺神自始至終的作為﹔那就是說﹐我們總是無法找到問題的答案。但是﹐我們並未放棄﹐不是嗎﹖我們總是嘗試著去作出解釋﹐希望藉此來為上帝的作為辯護。我們會告訴自己將來的結局是好的 (這也是對的)﹐或者告訴自己上帝原本就深知自己的作為(這也是對的)。我就在多個場合和情況下說過這些話。但坦白地說﹐當我面對上週的海嘯慘劇﹐當我看到那些身患癌症的病人和那些失去了腹中嬰兒的朋友們時﹐我發覺自己所能做的只有緊緊閉上我的口。神並不需要我來為他的作為辯護﹐也不需要我來為他解釋或評判他在世上的作為。神自己會處理這一切的問題﹐讓神為神。
III． 在無法測透生命遭遇時, 我們的責任。12-15
我們如何看待生命﹖又該如何面對那些看上去沒有答案的人生遭遇﹖經文
第12-15節為我們提供了一些回答﹕“12我曉得人生最好是尋樂享福，13人人有吃有喝，在自己的一切勞碌中自得其樂；這就是神的恩賜。14我知道神所作的一切，都必永存，無可增添，無可減少；神這樣作，為要使人在他面前存敬畏的心。15現在有的，先前就有；將來有的，早已有了；因為神使已過的事重新出現。(‘神使已過的事重新出現’原文作‘神尋回已過的事’)”
　　首先﹐我們要專注在神的身上。經文第十四節告訴我們﹕“14我知道神所作的一切，都必永存，無可增添，無可減少；神這樣作，為要使人在他面前存敬畏的
心。”我們不要向神問為什麼﹐要記住的是﹕
a. 神是永恆。他的作為必定永存。我們每個人都會消逝﹐但是神是永恆的。
b. 神是完整。“無可增添……”他是完全自足的。神不需要你我來為世上所發生的一切作出解釋和評價。他也無需你我同週圍的魔鬼來為神辯護。神是充足的﹐他沒有缺乏﹔他是完整的。
c. 神是不改變。“無可減少……”他是不變的神。他自始至終都是信實的、慈愛的、公正的。任何人類的悲劇﹐無論是海嘯還是大屠殺﹐都無法影響神是誰的這個事實。
d. 神關懷他的創造。經文第十五節﹕“15現在有的，先前就有；將來有的，早已有了；因為神使已過的事重新出現。(‘神使已過的事重新出現’原文作‘神尋回已過的事’)”歷史還會重演。現在的一切都將被未來重複。“神尋回已過的事” 字面上的意思是神注意到一切發生過的事。他一直注視著世上的所有變化以及我們每個人生命中的一切經歷。神關懷他的創造。是的﹐有時似乎難以理解﹐但這就是事實, 是真理。
當我們經歷個人或者全人類的災難﹐痛苦和死亡時﹐我們的信心將會遭遇極大的考驗。在<傳道書>的這段經文裡﹐作者要求我們專注在神的身上。神是不會改變的﹐任何人類的悲劇或遭遇都無法改變神的本性。他是昔在﹐今在和永在的神。他關懷他的創造。
其次﹐經文第十二和十三節告訴我們要喜樂﹐要享受自己已有的一切。我們所擁有的和生活中一切的美好都是來自于神的恩賜﹐讓我們享受這一切美好並從中得到喜樂。這就像是在對我們說﹕去吧﹐享受你的生活﹐享用你已擁有的一切。我們可能找不到心中問題的答案﹐但是這並不應該成為阻礙我們享用上帝所賜美好生活的絆腳石。這是神的恩賜﹐讓我們領受並享用它吧。
第三﹐經文第十二節要求我們要行善。是的﹐我們有太多無法了解的事物﹐我們不明白生命中的苦難﹐也不明白為什麼會遭受如此不公平的對待。我們的朋友還年青﹐卻已經被診斷患了癌症﹔孩童應該是最快樂和充滿燦爛未來的一群人﹐可是他們卻被海嘯無情地吞噬了生命。當有人遭遇苦難時﹐<傳道書>的作者要求我們停止說教式地解釋他們的處境﹐停止無用地追問發生悲劇的原委﹐只要我們行善. 行善就是以恩慈, 溫柔, 關懷, 饒恕對待那些帶給我們喜樂與歡笑的人. 行行善就是以恩慈, 溫柔, 關懷, 饒恕對待那些帶給我們痛苦與眼淚的人. 行善就是對那些受難的人提供他們所需要的衣服和食物. 在他們所需的一切上幫助他們. 我們不停留在理論或質問神的處境, 我們要去行善.。讓我們盡各自的能力去向各機構奉獻﹐好叫他們為亞洲受災地區的人們送去急需的食物﹐衣服和醫療資源。
第四.經文第十四節說道﹕“……神這樣作，為要使人在他面前存敬畏的心。”這些生命的遭遇將我們帶到何處? 很多情況下﹐當我們無法得到我們希望的答案時﹐就會對神懷恨在心﹐遠離了神。我想到有些基督徒﹐當他們為自身或者家人的痛苦和遭遇向神祈求﹐卻沒有得到他們滿意的回應時﹐就開始背離神﹐不想再與神牽上任何瓜葛了。
　　然而﹐<傳道書>的作者要我們轉向這位的創造主. 這一章, 這本書的結論就是要人敬畏神並遵守祂的命令.
　　在昨日報紙的首頁, 有一幅Sri Lanka 兒童在一禱告聚會的圖片. 當不同國家在爭論誰的賑災金額是最高時, 在人類的悲劇中, 有一群兒童卻轉向神. 生命的遭遇: 喜樂與憂傷, 難過與慶祝, 生與死, 是要帶我們到那位慈愛, 信實, 公義永不改變的神之處. 在這位神前, 我們唯一應該有的反應就是對他的敬畏並遵守祂的命令。
結論:
　　　在結束時, 請各位一起誦讀<馬太福音>25﹕31-40﹐“31當人子在他的榮耀裡，帶著所有的使者降臨的時候，他要坐在榮耀的寶座上。32萬族要聚集在他面前，他要把他們彼此分開，好像牧羊人把綿羊和山羊分開一樣：33把綿羊放在右邊，山羊放在左邊。34那時，王要對右邊的說：‘蒙我父賜福的，來承受創世以來為你們預備好的國吧。35因為我餓了，你們給我吃；我渴了，你們給我喝；我作旅客，你們接待我；36我赤身露體，你們給我衣服穿；我病了，你們看顧我；我在監裡，你們來看我。’37義人就回答：‘主啊，我們甚麼時候見你餓了就給你吃，渴了就給你喝呢？38又甚麼時候見你作旅客就接待你，赤身露體就給你衣服穿呢？39或者甚麼時候見你病了，或在監裡就來看你呢？’40王要回答他們：‘我實在告訴你們，你們所作的，只要是作在我一個最小的弟兄身上，就是作在我的身上了。’”
　　　敬畏神就是伸出手來, 慷慨的來幫助那些在苦難中的人. 當我們這樣做時, 我們就做在那位道成肉來到我們中間的那位神身上.
　　　
Date: 01/02/05
Text: Ecclesiastes 3:1-15
Title: A Timely Reflection.
Theme: As we face the unfathomable events in life, our appropriate response is to fear the Lord and be obedient to Him.

Introduction:
You remember a time when you would say, “I can’t wait for Christmas, or New Year to come.” Now, you probably say, “What, Christmas, New Year is here already? It’s over already?.” The older one becomes, the faster the time seems to move along.
How do we measure time? To many, it is measured by the ticking of the clock. 24/7 has become a household word in recent years. There is also a new measure called the internet time. Each 24 hour is divided into 1000 beats. 1 beat = 1 minute 26.4 seconds. This means I have 17.36 beats to preach this sermon.
However, if we read and listen to the media this past week, we read about the year’s top 10 scandals, the top 10 movies, the best or worst dressed men and women, the 10 news events, or the 10 worst ideas. Certainly the tragedy in Asia resulting from the tsunami will make all other events pale. This tragedy will leave an indelible mark in our memories. It’s the events that mark the time. We remember 911 because the WTC was destroyed that fateful morning. We remember 12/26 because we first heard of the tsunami tragedy in Asia.
Eccl 3:1-15 is about events in life. The writer of this book is known as the preacher. Vs.1, “For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven.” Verses 2 to 8 is a listing of events in life. Bible students have long struggled with the interpretation of this passage. We’ll note that it is a combination of literal and metaphorical listings. They are not events that happen to every person. Instead, they are descriptions of everyday living. Your experience this year and the events that occurred this past week and the coming weeks will serve as good illustrations for this passage. Even more important, what lessons can we learn from these life events? Let’s take a closer look at this passage.
I. Time is measured by events in life.
In vs.2 to 8 is a full description of life.
1. Beginning and end of life. 2a.
“2a time to be born, and a time to die;” This is about the beginning and the end of life. Looking back at 2004, we witnessed the birth of babies in many of our members’ families. At the same time, there were also the losses of a parent, friends as well as unborn children. In Friday’s Houston Chronicle was a section about 194 babies born to the celebrities in 2004. Yet how ironic it is that in the front page of the same paper, is the report of the death of thousands and thousands of children from the tsunami. There is a time to be born, a time to die.
2. Establishing and destroying. 2b,3
“a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted; 3a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;” These 3 pairs are about establishing and destroying activities. We think of the destruction from the tsunami and the human effort of rebuilding that region. At a more personal level, some of you have uprooted your family from a familiar city or country and are settling down in Houston. Others have put down a profession you are familiar with and ventured into a different career path. There are some who have retired from a life long career and is now doing something completely different.
3. Human emotions. Vs.4
“4a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;…” This is about human emotions. When we look back in 2004, we recall some of the emotional moments. There were the private emotions, such as: weeping and laughing. Our tears flowed inward. There were also moments of joy. Yes, we wish others can understand us, yet often we are disappointed. We understand and appreciate the words in Proverbs 14:10, “10The heart knows its own bitterness, and no stranger shares its joy.” No one can understand those painful moments.
There were also times of public display of our emotions. You remember how the nation mourned at President Reagan’s death. In Asia we saw the husband mourning over the death of his wife, and the joy of reuniting with his toddler. We mourned over our loss of loved ones, and relationships. Then there are moments of joy over some celebrative events, such as weddings, graduations or a new job.
Vs. 5a is a difficult phrase to understand “5a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together;” Casting stones may be a reference to aggression by ruining someone else’s land. Gathering stones could refer to cultivating a land.
4. Possession and wealth. Vs. 6
Vs.6, “6a time to seek, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;” This is a reference to possession and wealth.
There is a time for us to acquire wealth and possession, and there is also a time for us to give it away, to let go. In the midst of human tragedy, isn’t it the right time for us to give away some of the wealth we have? There is a time to keep and a time to cast away. This may refer to wasting what we have. The story of some of the lottery winners is a good illustration of this. Some who have won millions of dollars, squandered all the money in a few years’ time and have to declare bankruptcy. You may have read in the newspaper that the wife of a person who won the biggest lottery in NJ said, “I wished I had torn that ticket.” Money was wasted, he was arrested twice for drunken driving, and his granddaughter killed.
This can also apply to our ambitions. There is a time to pursue them, but there is also a time to let go of it. This is life, isn’t it?
5. Human relationship. Vs. 5b, 7,8
5b, 7-8, “a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing…..7a time to tear, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; 8a time to love, and a time to hate; a time for war, and a time for peace.” This is about relationships at a personal and national level.
There are times when new relationships are formed, but also a time when relationships are strained and broken. There are times when broken relationships need to be restored. This would involve being generous and forgiving. Then at the national level, there is a time for war, a time for peace. 30 years after the conclusion of the Vietnam war, the first US commercial airline, flew into the Ho Chi Ming city several weeks ago. Certainly we look forward to peace in the Middle East and Iraq.
These are the events that mark the passage of time. It’s not just the ticking of the clock, the flipping over of another calendar month, it is about events in human life.
II. Human frustration when we try to understand the events in life. 9-11.
Vs 9-11, “9What gain has the worker from his toil? 10I have seen the business that God has given to the children of man to be busy with. 11He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also, he has put eternity into man’s heart, yet so that he cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end.” This is a very sobering passage. There is a statement here: God has made everything beautiful in its time. This literally means that everything is appropriate in its time and place. However, when men face issues of life and death, with tragedy unfolding before our own eyes, weeping and laughing, joy and sadness, we want to know why. In verse 11 we are told that God has put eternity into man’s heart. This means that man thinks in terms of the past, present and future. Man is not satisfied with just seeing the events. Man wants to know why, the reason behind such occurrences.
We want to know why we lost our loved ones, why the relationship came to an end. We want to know why such death and suffering from the tsunami. However, the preacher tells us that we cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end. That is, often we do not know the answer. But we don’t give up, do we? We try to explain why and in doing so, try to defend God. We tell ourselves there will be good coming out it (certainly this is true), or God knows what he is doing (again, this is true). I have done that on many occasions. But to be very honest with you, when I face such a tragedy this week, when I face persons with cancer, individuals who have lost their unborn children, I’ve learned that the best I can do is to keep my mouth shut. God does not need me to defend him, or to try to explain and justify what happens in the world. God can handle it himself. Just let God be God.
III. Human responsibilities in the midst of events in life. vs.12-15
How do we face the totality of life? How do we face events that seem to have no answers? Verses 12-15 give us some suggestions. “12I perceived that there is nothing better for them than to be joyful and to do good as long as they live; 13also that everyone should eat and drink and take pleasure in all his toil—this is God’s gift to man. 14I perceived that whatever God does endures forever; nothing can be added to it, nor anything taken from it. God has done it, so that people fear before him. 15That which is, already has been; that which is to be, already has been; and God seeks what has been driven away.”
First, it calls our attention to God. vs. 14 tells us that, “…14I perceived that whatever God does endures forever; nothing can be added to it, nor anything taken from it. God has done it, so that people fear before him…” Instead of asking God why, remember that:
a. God is permanent. Whatever he does endures forever. We come and go, but he stays forever.
b. God is complete, “nothing can be added to it…” He is totally self-sufficient. He doesn’t need you or me to try to justify what is happing in the world. He does not need you and me to defend him for the evil around us. He is sufficient, adequate and complete.
c. God is immutable. “…nor anything taken from it….” He won’t change. He has been faithful, loving and just. No human tragedy, whether it is the tsunami or the holocaust, can affect who he is.
d. God cares for his creation. Then in vs.15, “…15That which is, already has been; that which is to be, already has been; and God seeks what has been driven away.” The past is repeated. The present will be repeated. God seeks what has been driven away literally means that God sees what is hurrying along. It means as the world turns, as events move along, God is watching, God cares. Yes, at times it is hard to understand, but it is true.
　　　When we experience personal and global human suffering, pain and death, our faith is often being stretched to its furthest extent. It can make or break us. Here, the preacher tells us to focus on God. God does not change and no human tragedy or events can alter his characters. God is the same yesterday, today and forever. In the midst of human suffering and pain, He cares for his creation.
Second, vs.12, 13 tells us to be joyful, to enjoy what we have. What we have, the good things in life are from God. Enjoy and rejoice in it. It’s like telling us, go ahead and enjoy life, enjoy what you have. We may not have the answers to our questions, but don’t let it stop us from enjoying the good God has given us. They are from God, enjoy it.
Third, vs.12 also tells us to do good. Yes, there are too many things we don’t understand. We don’t understand the pains in our lives. Our friends are young, but diagnosed with cancer. Children are supposed to be happy and facing a bright future, yet they were swallowed up by the tsunami. Facing suffering and other events of life, instead of pontificating about situations and asking why, the preacher tells us to do good. To do good means to be kind, gentle, loving and forgiving to those who have brought us joy. To do good means to be kind, gentle, loving and forgiving to those who have brought us pain, tears and anguish. To do good means to reach out and help the suffering ones with clothes, food and whatever they need. Instead of asking God why he allowed such tragedy to happen, go and do good. Give as much as you can so the different organizations can bring food, clothings and medicine to the suffering population in Asia.
Fourth, Vs.14, “…..so that people fear before him.” What does all these human experiences take us to? You know, so often when we fail to get the answer we want, we become bitter towards God and we turn away from him. I can think of some Christians, when they could not get a satisfactory answer from God regarding their personal and family members’ pain and suffering, turned their backs to God and wanted nothing to do with him anymore.
However, the preacher in this book urges us to turn to the creator God. The conclusion in this chapter, in this book is: Fear God and keep his commandments.
　　　On the front cover of yesterday’s Chronicle was a picture of children in Sri Lanka taking part in a prayer service. While nations may be bickering about who is the most generous, in the midst of such human tragedy, the children turned to God. Life’s events: joy and sorrow, mourning and celebration, life and death, i to lead us to the God whose love, faithfulness and justice never change. Before this God, our only appropriate response is to fear him and keep his commandments.
Conclusion:
　　　I want to conclude by asking you all to join me in the reading of this passage.
Matthew 25:31-40. “" 31"“When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne." 32"Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats." 33"And he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left." 34"Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world." 35"For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me," 36"I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’" 37"Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink?" 38"And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you?" 39"And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’" 40"And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’"
To fear the Lord, is to reach out and generously help those who are suffering. And in helping them, we are helping the God who came and lived among us.