Thank you for your email. Yes, the terrible earthquake in China has been on TV here and makes me and all who see it so sorry for the people hurt and killed and especially the children and parents who have lost the only child the one child policy of China allowed them to have. The question is, why did God made our world with the possibility of earth tremors, quakes, tsunamis, floods, fires, famines etc and not a world with no possibility of anything to cause suffering? There are many possible answers to that question, but the answer that there is no God, is not the answer. God is there and he must have a reason.
The Bible seems to be answering the question in a number of ways. Jesus tells us that God will judge us on how we look after our neighbour who is in distress. Jesus said at the Judgement Day, he will be there, and he will say to us, “I was hungry and you fed me” or “I was hungry and you didn’t feed me” – read Jesus’ words in Matthew 25:31–46
If this were a perfect world with no possibility of sickness, accident, hunger or death, what could be the trial of our faith in God? Or what need to ask God’s or anyone else for help in time of need? There would be no needs – everyone would be self-sufficient and totally selfish and there would be no need to care for others or share anything. In other words, a world without suffering would be a world without love and sacrifice.
God uses sorrow and suffering to give us the work of loving and helping those in trouble and need, caring for others.
On TV we are seeing that many people in China are giving up their time and risking their own lives to rescue those trapped by the earthquake. Sadly, in Myanmar, the Generals who rule the country are not giving enough help to their people devastated by the hurricane and tsunami it caused. In Zimbabwe in Africa where people are starving President Mugabe is now ordering all aid-workers out of the country because he says they support the political opposition which claims to have won the country’s election. These are reactions of political leaders, and they are being watched by God just the same as all of us are being watched by God.
God sees all.
Our sermon at Trinity today was on Matthew 13:24–30. The disciples asked Jesus the meaning of this story of a man who sowed good seed but an enemy sowed seed of thistles and thorns in his field also, and when the seeds grew up, the gardener asked whether he should pull up the weeds. The owner said no, he might pull up the good with the bad; let both grow till harvest, then the useless weeds could be pulled up and burnt and the good harvest gathered in. Jesus said its like that with the world. God lets good and bad develop together until the end, when those who do evil will be punished and those who do good will be saved.
So it is not a “perfect” world but a world of good and bad, of accidents, illness and catastrophes, a world full of trial and error and struggles to do good and help the helpless or to look after only yourself, and God has given us Jesus who shared our suffering and died a cruel death to take the punishment of the sins of those who believe in him and are sorry for their wrongs, which he took upon himself to expiate our sins and thus forgive us.
Disasters can also be a “wake-up call” to remind us that life is short and we can die at any time, so we need to keep close to God so we will be ready to meet God when our turn comes to die! The disciples asked Jesus why some people at that time had met a violent and cruel death and Jesus gave them his answer as a warning to them, and to us too. Read Luke 13:1-5.
So it should be the great priority of our lives - each of us - to keep close to Jesus, and not to drift away from him. To take the opportunity he gives us to read our Bibles, pray, and look for fellowship with other Christians. Thus strengthened in these ways we will be ready when God takes us from this earth, whether suddenly in an instant we don’t expect, or not. But if we neglect these helps God has given us we won’t be ready when God comes for us. We need “oil” in our lamps and to “watch” and be ready. Read Jesus’ parable of the 5 wise women and the 5 foolish women in Matthew 25:1-13
If you try to keep close to the Lord all by yourself you cannot do it – You need the help - the “oil” that God provides - the Holy Spirit, the Word of God and the fellowship of other Christians – “oil in your lamp to keep you a brightly shining lamp.”
With much love, and prayers,
Jo
----- unquoted -----. 作者: qiqimama 时间: 2008-6-10 17:00
谢谢。. 作者: rrjmm 时间: 2008-6-10 22:21
拜托!哪位给翻译以下?. 作者: ostrichbaby 时间: 2008-6-10 22:53
Jesus tells us that God will judge us on how we look after our neighbour who is in distress. Jesus said at the Judgement Day, he will be there, and he will say to us, “I was hungry and you fed me” or “I was hungry and you didn’t feed me” – read Jesus’ words in Matthew 25:31–46
耶稣要我们爱邻居.帮助有困难的邻居.