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From WHAT to WHY – Pastor Jade Yi
Texts:
Genesis 2:18-24 Created for relationship
Psalm 8 You crown us with glory and honor. (Ps. 8:5)
Hebrews 1:1-4; 2:5-12 God has spoken by a Son
Mark 10:2-16 Teaching on marriage
Context
Growing up, some of our parents may have told us what we should be or do, but most of us got to explore what we wanted to be, such as chefs, teachers, musicians, doctors, etc. After becoming what we pursued to be, the question of why might pop up from time to time, especially when we lose our purpose of living.
在成長過程中,我們的父母可能會告訴我們將來應該做甚麼好或是從事甚麼職業好,但大多數的人都探索過自己想成為什麼,例如廚師、教師、音樂家、醫生等。就業之後,尤其是當我們失去了生活的目的和意義時,我們會時不時地問自己為什麼從事此職業。
One of the courses I am taking for my continuing education is on leadership development and realization of one’s potential. Last Wednesday, the instructor used a short video clip to emphasize the importance of knowing our WHY, not just our WHAT. In other words, pursuing the purpose of life doesn’t stop at what we want to be but should be continued by asking, “How do we know why we are doing certain things?” When we know our WHY, our WHAT becomes clear and more impactful.
我目前正在上的在職進修的課程之一, 是有關於領導能力的發展和實現個人潛力的課程。上週三,講師用一個簡短影片的片段,來強調我們不僅僅要知道要「做什麼」,更重要的是要知道「為什麼」做某件事。 換句話說,追求人生的目的並不僅僅停留在我們想成為什麼,而應該繼續問:“我們如何能清楚的知道,為什麼我們在做某些事情?” 當我們知道「為什麼」的時後,我們在「做甚麼事」就會變得明白且更具有影響力。
In that video clip we saw in class, a music instructor was asked to sing “Amazing Grace.” He knew the lyrics well by heart. He sang each note perfectly, its pitch, its rhythm and its length in G major key. He knew what he was doing because that’s what he was, a music instructor. Then he was asked to sing a different version by imagining that when he was a boy and got shot by his uncle who just got out of jail. With that story in mind, he sang “Amazing Grace” a second time.
在課堂上看的影片中,一位音樂老師被要求唱《奇異恩典》。他對歌詞瞭如指掌。他以G大調完美地演唱了每個音符,無論是音階、節奏或長短,都拿捏得完美。他知道自己在做什麼,因為他是位音樂老師。然後他被要求唱一個不同的版本的《奇異恩典》,想像當他還是個孩子的時候,被叔叔用槍射擊,而最近這位叔叔剛剛出獄。想著這個故事,他再次唱了《奇異恩典》這首歌。
His singing demonstrated not just what he knew as a music instructor. He expressed his WHY by using his singing voice to convey the story. It was powerful, soulful, and captivating. For sure, it was not in G major key. Hearing the pitch, the rhythm and the length of every note was like riding a roller coaster with various accelerations and unpredictable steep lopes and tight turns. A personal story is the WHY that makes Amazing Grace clear and impactful. When we know the WHY, the WHAT becomes clear and more impactful.
他的歌聲不僅展示了他作為音樂教師該有的資質。他用有力的、深情的、迷人的歌聲 在這《奇異恩典》的故事中,來傳達他的「為什麼」。當然,他採用的,不是 G 大調。聽著每個音符的音階、節奏和長短就像坐過山車一樣,有著不同的加速度和不可預測的陡坡和急轉彎。這個背景故事使他唱出的《奇異恩典》變得清晰且更具有影響力。當我們知道「為什麼」的時後,我們在「做甚麼事」就會變得明白且更具有影響力。
God’s Story
We all had our WHAT, what we wanted to be and to do. Nonetheless, after following Jesus, our WHAT has changed. We are instructed and called to be the light and the salt of the world as we were reminded last Sunday. Our new identity, being salt and light, makes us more aware of the tension occurring in us and around us while being exposed in the power of sin.
我們每個人都曾經定過自己的目標、有想成為的人、也有想做的事。儘管如此,在跟隨耶穌之後,我們的人生的目的發生了改變。正如上週日所提到,我們被指示並被呼召成為世界的光和鹽。時時刻刻暴露在罪的權勢下時,我們作鹽作光的新身份,使我們更加意識到,在我們內心和我們周遭,會不由自主的產生矛盾和壓力。
What was the power of sin that Jesus saw in Mark 10:2-16? It says that some Pharisees came to Jesus and tested him on the sensitive topic of marriage and divorce. The same conversation is also recorded in Matthew 19 and Luke 16. What did the Pharisees do at Jesus’ time? They were the primary voice of Judaism and interpreted the Mosaic law to maintain religious identity and purity.
耶穌在馬可福音 10:2-16 所看到罪的權勢是什麼呢? 經文記載著,一些法利賽人來到耶穌面前,用結婚和離婚這個敏感的話題來試探祂。同樣的對話也記載在馬太福音第十九章和路加福音第十六章中。耶穌時代的法利賽人是做什麼事呢? 他們是猶太教的主要發言者,他們的職責是解釋摩西律法,以維護其宗教的本質和保持其宗教的純潔。
To their question, Jesus clarified God’s WHY with the creation story. In Genesis, there are two distinguishable versions of God’s creation story in chapter 1 and 2. In both versions, they all covered what God created and why God created them. In terms of God’s WHY for creating man and woman, it says in Genesis 2:18 that no one should be alone. By affirming God’s WHY and the commandment against adultery, Jesus said to let no one separate the joined flesh. God’s WHY makes God’s WHAT clear and more impactful, from which we see that our God is merciful and loving.
針對他們所問的問題,耶穌用創世紀的故事闡明了上帝的「為什麼」。在創世記的第一章和第二章中有關上帝的創造故事,有兩個不同的版本。在這兩個不同的版本中,都也闡述到上帝創造了甚麼,和「為什麼」創造他們的故事。 關於上帝「為什麼」創造男人和女人的原因,在創世記 2 章 18 節說:「沒有人應該承受孤單。」耶穌肯定了神「為什麼」創造,也解釋了禁止通姦的誡命。耶穌說:「神使二人結為一體的,任何人必不可將他們分開。」上帝的「為什麼」創造,使上帝的「創造了什麼」變得更加明白和更具有影響力,從上帝的「為什麼」,也既是他創造的原因,我們看到我們所信的上帝是憐憫和慈愛的。
When God’s WHY is overlooked, the Gospel we share will lose its impact just as we see in Mark 10:2-16. Jesus gave two warnings to the Pharisees. The first one is the danger of being a fickle lover consumed by greed and lust in marriage. The second is the danger of being a knowledgeable adult consumed by pride and a personal hidden WHY agenda. Therefore, Jesus made his point very clear that people will never enter the kingdom of God unless they humble themselves, change and become like little children in Matthew 18, Mark 10 and Luke 18.
當神的「為什麼」被忽視時,我們分享出的福音就會失去其影響力,正如我們在馬可福音 10:2-16 中所看到的。耶穌向法利賽人提出了兩個警告。第一個是作為一個善變的情人,在婚姻中被貪婪和情慾吞噬的危險。第二個是作為一個知識淵博的成年人被驕傲和個人隱藏的「為什麼」之念頭所吞噬的危險。因此,耶穌在馬太福音18章、馬可福音10章和路加福音18章中都非常清楚地表明了祂的觀點。祂說:「唯獨我們謙卑自己,改變並變得像小孩子一樣,否則永遠無法進入神的國。」
Conundrum
The conundrum is when our WHY is not aligned with God’s WHY. The Pharisees knew what they were doing. But In their WHY, we don’t see a loving and merciful God who created the universe and everything in it. In their WHY, we don’t see a loving and forgiving Jesus Christ who died on the cross. Jesus’ WHY costs His life to pay the price for our sin.
我們面對的難題是,當我們的「為什麼」與上帝的「為什麼」不一致的時後。法利賽人知道他們在做什麼。但在他們的「為什麼」中,我們看不到一位創造了宇宙和其中的一切憐憫和慈愛的上帝。在他們的「為什麼」中,我們也看不到死在十字架上的慈愛和寬恕的耶穌基督。耶穌為了祂的「為什麼」,付出了自己的生命,來為我們的罪,付出了代價。
When we know our WHY in ministries and mission, our WHAT becomes clear and more impactful. What we are called to be is salt and light. Why we are salt and light is to bring out the goodness in people that God created according to their image, and that Jesus had redeemed and restored through the cross, and that there will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.
當我們清楚事工和使命的的「為什麼」時,我們所「做的事」就會變得明白且更具有影響力。我們蒙召作鹽和作光的「為什麼」,是要使人行出良善。因為上帝按照祂們的形象所創造的人類,藉著耶穌的十字架,已經被救贖和修復,在未來,不再有死亡,也不再有悲哀、哭號、疼痛,因為以前的事都過去了。
If one hasn’t experienced darkness in life, that person can’t appreciate how precious light can be. We don’t need to be like a beaming sun, but a dim little light like a glowing firefly in a dark forest. What does a firefly do to a child? It provides light. Why does a firefly glow in a dark forest to a child? A child’s answer can be very simple. It brings comfort by knowing that he or she isn’t alone. The firefly’s WHY makes its WHAT clear and more impactful.
如果一個人沒有經歷過生命中的黑暗,他就不會體會到光明的珍貴。我們不需要像燦爛的太陽一樣的耀眼,只需要有像黑暗森林中發光的螢火蟲一樣微弱的光。 對孩子而言,螢火蟲能「做甚麼」呢?牠是要提供光。對孩子而言,「為什麼」螢火蟲會在黑暗的森林裡向孩子發光呢?孩子的答案可能非常簡單。有了螢火蟲的光,知道自己並不孤單,光帶來安慰。螢火蟲的「為什麼」使其「做什麼」,變得明白且更具有影響力。
God’s Good News
What’s the Good News for today? Do we see what God has done in Psalm 8:4-6, which is also quoted in Hebrews 2:6-8?
今天好消息是什麼呢?我們在今日詩篇 8:4-6 看看神做了些甚麼事?此段經文也被希伯來書作者引用在第 2 章 6 至 8 節。
“What are mere mortals that you should be mindful of them,
human beings that you should care for them?
Yet you have made them little less than divine;
with glory and honor you crown them.
You have made them rule over the works of your hands;
you have put all things under their feet.”
「人算什麼,祢竟顧念他們?世人算什麼,祢竟眷顧他們?
祢叫他們比天使微小一點,並賜他們榮耀尊貴為冠冕。
祢派他們管理祢手所造的,使萬物都服在他們的腳下。」
The author continues in Hebrew 2:9 saying that we don’t see everything in subjection to humans beings, but we do see Jesus, who for a little while was made lower than the angels, now crowned with glory and honor because of the suffering of death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone. Jesus did what human beings couldn’t do. This is Good News.
在希伯來書的作者在 2 章 9 節中繼續說著,我們看不到萬物都服從了人類,但我們確實看到耶穌,祂曾一度被降為比天使低微,現在因所受死亡的苦難,得了榮耀尊貴為冠冕。藉著神的恩典,祂為每個人嚐到死亡的滋味。耶穌做了人類做不到的事。這就是好消息。
That’s how precious human beings are to God who did not send his only Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him, for God so loved the world that whoever believes in Jesus Christ shall not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:16-17.)
對神來說人類就是這麼的寶貴,神不是差遣祂的獨生子到世上來定世界的罪,而是要透過祂拯救世界,因為神愛世人,叫一切相信耶穌基督的,不至滅亡,反得永生。(約翰福音 3:16-17。)
We are approaching the end of the season after Pentecost. How is the little light of Christ shining in you today? Let us be the impactful little dim light to bring the goodness in people. That’s our WHY. May our WHY make our WHAT more clear and impactful. With the help of God, it is possible.
我們即將結束這個五旬節後的季節。你生命中那微小的基督之光,今日的亮度如何?讓我們成為具有影響力的微光,讓人們行出良善。這就是我們的「為什麼」。願我們的「為什麼」能使我們「做的一切」更加明白、更具有影響力。在神的幫助下,這是可行的。
Thanks be to God. Amen.
感謝主。 阿們。
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