第1个回答 2022-06-30
曾卩（Matthew Zeng)
2018年5月8号，马丁路德学院
讲道经文：使徒行传 9:36-42
在约帕有一个女徒，名叫大比大，翻希利尼话，就是多加（注：“多加”就是“羚羊”的意思）。她广行善事，多施周济。当时，她患病而死，有人把她洗了，停在楼上。吕大原与约帕相近；门徒听见彼得在那里，就打发两个人去见他，央求他说：“快到我们那里去，不要耽延！”
彼得就起身和他们同去。到了，便有人领他上楼。众寡妇都站在彼得旁边哭，拿多加与她们同在时，所做的里衣外衣给他看。
彼得叫她们都出去，就跪下祷告，转身对着死人说：“大比大，起来！” 她就睁开眼睛，见了彼得，便坐起来。彼得伸手扶她起来，叫众圣徒和寡妇进去，把多加活活地交给他们。这事传遍了约帕，就有许多人信了主。
今晚，我想先给你分享一个悲伤的故事。
曾经有一个名叫吉尔伽美什的国王。 他是一个伟大的国王， 他征服了广大的土地，有许多伟大的壮举，他王国的人民都爱戴他。 但有一天，他犯了一个错误。 他在森林里打猎时杀死了天神公牛，对神灵来说这是神圣的动物，他们非常愤怒。 他们要求以血债作为惩罚，于是杀死了吉尔伽美什最好的朋友恩奇都。 当吉尔伽美什看到他的朋友死去时，他突然意识到有一天他也会死去，而这种认识使他受到极大的折磨。 吉尔伽美什放弃了他的王国、他的财富和荣耀，终其一生寻找不朽。 尽管他寻遍世界的各个角落，想尽办法逃脱死亡，然而吉尔伽美什最终还是死了。
这是吉尔伽美什史诗的悲剧故事。 它是人类历史上最古老的传说之一，告诉我们人生的真相：有一天我们都将死亡， 死亡无可避免！
死亡是由历史上第一件悲剧所造成的结果。 就是亚当和夏娃受到诱惑，吃了善恶知识树的果子，就从完美中堕落。现在我们都知道了邪恶，结果我们也不得不知道死亡。 “你本是尘土，仍要归于尘土……”
诗人菲利普詹姆斯贝利曾写道：“地球上唯一的平等就是死亡。”我们所有人，无论贫富、高矮、高尚或卑鄙、基督徒或无神论者，我们都会死。 我们都必须找到自己应对死亡的方式。
我们中的一些人，像吉尔伽美什，试图逃脱死亡。 历史中充满了寻找像圣杯这样遗迹的人们，这样的遗迹被认为可以赐予不朽；或者寻找青春之泉，让你重返青春。 如今，医生寻找医疗途径的不朽。 每年有数十亿美元投入到医学研究中，寻找延长我们生命并消除癌症的方法，好像只要永远活着我们所有的问题就不治而愈了。
我们应对死亡的第二种方法就是忽略它。一旦意识到死亡无法避免，我们就想忽略它，想着明天、或将来有一天再说。 我们几位将要做牧师的学生今年有机会参加拜奥克博士的讲座，他是一位临终关怀的医生。 数百人挤在一个大厅里听他的讲座：知道我们会死，我们应该怎样生活，以及我们如何让他人舒适的死去。 他谈到了饶恕和爱、拥有充实的生活，但他的信息中有一个空缺，有些非常重要的东西被忽略了。 拜奥克博士讲了整整一个小时，但他从未触及过“我死后会发生什么？”或“我怎样才能没有恐惧地死去？”这样的问题。
最后，我们试图为死亡辩解。 我们试图说服自己，死亡是可以的，它是生命的天然成分。 有些人，像艺术家和作家试图告诉我们死亡是美丽的，是好的。 他们甚至建立了一个名为“善死程序”的机构，致力于教导我们为什么死亡是好的、是天然的。 但是它真的好吗？ 死亡真的是天然的吗？
寡妇失去丈夫后又失去唯一的儿子，好吗？
父亲失去唯一的女儿，是如此天然的事？
你的好友突然去世，你应当为此开心？
一个虔诚的基督徒姐妹应该生病死去，这怎么公平呢？
谁能说死亡是好的呢？ 当我知道自己会死，我所有爱的人也都会死去，我怎么会得到安慰呢？ 既然知道我们都注定要死、注定都有同样悲剧的终结，我们怎么能就这样活着？
那正是我们错了的地方。 你看，吉尔伽美什害怕死亡，因为他认为这是终结。 去参加拜奥克博士讲座的人们是要寻找让生活更美好的方法，从而忘记死亡。 “善死程序”机构试图想找到一种方法，使我们生命的终结，就是死亡能更美好一些。 但他们都忽略了这个要点：死亡不是终结！
纳恩城里那个寡妇的独子的死亡不是终结。
主看见那寡妇，就怜悯她，对她说：“不要哭！”
“少年人，我吩咐你起来！”
那死人就坐起，并且说话。耶稣便把他交给他母亲。 （路加福音第7章）
睚鲁的独生女的死亡不是终结。
他拉着孩子的手，对她说：“闺女，我吩咐你起来！” 那闺女立时起来走。 （马可福音第5章）
一位密友的意外死亡并不是终结。
他大声呼叫说：“拉撒路，出来！” 那死人就出来了，手脚裹着布，脸上包着手巾。 （约翰福音第11章）
我和你，我们敬拜一位掌管死亡的上帝。 他不仅使他人复活，更是使他自己从死里复活。 现在，我们看大比大，她就是你和我。
她的死不是终结。
你的死也不会是终结。
彼得叫她们都出去，就跪下祷告，转身对着死人说：“大比大，起来！” 她就睁开眼睛，见了彼得，便坐起来。
你、我和大比大，我们是耶稣的门徒，我们坚守着同样的福音：上帝的儿子耶稣替我们死在十字架上，我们藉着信他，将永远住在天国。 我们现在活着，有一天我们会像大比大一样死，但是接下来我们不是单纯在世上身体的复活，乃是在天国永恒的生命。
面对死亡，我们从救主的话得到安慰： 复活在我，生命也在我。信我的人，虽然死了，也必复活。凡活着信我的人，必永远不死。 （约翰福音11：25,26）
世界认为，死亡就是终结。 但对于你我来说，死亡却是起点。 还记得我刚刚告诉你的拜奥克博士的临终关怀讲座吗？ 讲座的题目就是“好活到死”。但作为基督徒，你和我知道我们只有死后才能活得好。 死亡是我们到达我们在天上家园的门。 我们在地上的生活是无法与天国等待我们的相比。 世界哀殇，因为死亡是他们的终结。 我们会欢喜快乐是因为死亡是我们的起点。 当死亡和惨剧把我们与亲人隔离时，我们可以在上帝的应许中得到安慰。
他已经吞灭死亡直到永远。
主耶和华必擦去各人脸上的眼泪，
又除掉普天下他百姓的羞辱，
因为这是耶和华说的。
到那日，人必说：
“看哪，这是我们的神。
我们素来等候他，他必拯救我们。
这是耶和华，我们素来等候他，
我们必因他的救恩欢喜快乐。“ （以赛亚书 25:8-9）
死亡不是好事，也不是天然就有的。 它必然要临到你和我。 但永生也必临到。 有一天，或很快或久远，就像大比大在死亡中一样，你的眼睛合上。 但你知道这不会是终结， 你会听到一个声音。那个声音说 ，“起来！ 我的孩子，欢迎回家。”
Reading
36 In Joppa there was a disciple named Tabitha (in Greek her name is Dorcas); she was always doing good and helping the poor. 37 About that time she became sick and died, and her body was washed and placed in an upstairs room. 38 Lydda was near Joppa; so when the disciples heard that Peter was in Lydda, they sent two men to him and urged him, “Please come at once!”
39 Peter went with them, and when he arrived he was taken upstairs to the room. All the widows stood around him, crying and showing him the robes and other clothing that Dorcas had made while she was still with them.
40 Peter sent them all out of the room; then he got down on his knees and prayed. Turning toward the dead woman, he said, “Tabitha, get up.” She opened her eyes, and seeing Peter she sat up. 41 He took her by the hand and helped her to her feet. Then he called for the believers, especially the widows, and presented her to them alive. 42 This became known all over Joppa, and many people believed in the Lord.
Tonight, I’d like to share with you a story.
There once was a king named Gilgamesh. He was a great king. He conquered vast lands, did great deeds, and the people of his kingdom loved him. But one day, he made a mistake. While he was hunting in the woods, he killed the Bull of Heaven, a sacred animal to the gods, and they became very angry. They demanded blood as punishment, and they killed Gilgamesh’s best friend, Enkidu. When Gilgamesh saw his friend die, he suddenly became aware that he too would die someday, and this knowledge tormented him. Gilgamesh abandoned his kingdom, his riches, and glory, and spent the rest of his life searching for immortality. But after searching throughout the world, and trying his hardest to outrun death, Gilgamesh died.
This is the tragic story known as the Epic of Gilgamesh. It's one of the oldest legends in human history, and it tells us a truth about life. We all will die someday. Death is unavoidable.
Death is a result of that first tragic story in history. Where Adam and Eve were tempted, fell from perfection, all for a taste from the fruit of the tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. And now we all know evil. And now we must all know death. “From dust you are and to dust you will return…”
The poet, Philip James Bailey once wrote, “The sole equality on earth is death.” All of us, no matter rich or poor, short or tall, nice or mean, Christian or atheist, we all will die. And we all must find a way to cope with death.
Some of us, like Gilgamesh, try to outrun death. History is filled with people who searched for relics like the Holy Grail, which was said to grant immortality, or the Fountain of Youth, which could make you young again. Nowadays, doctors search for medical immortality. Billions of dollars are poured into medical research each year to find ways to stretch out our lives and end cancer, as if living forever could cure all of our problems.
The second way we deal with death, is to ignore it. A few pastor track students were blessed with the opportunity to go to a presentation this year by a hospice doctor named Ira Byock. Hundreds of people packed into a ballroom to hear him speak on how we should live, knowing that we will die, and how we can make others comfortable as they die. He talked about forgiveness and love, and living a full life, but there was a hollowness in his message. Something was missing. Dr. Byock spoke for an entire hour, but he never touched the questions of “What happens after I die?” or “How can I die without fear?”
And finally, we try to justify death. We try to convince ourselves that death is okay, that it is a natural part of life. There are people, artists and writers who try to tell us that death is beautiful, that it's good. They’ve even founded a society called The Order of the Good Death dedicated to teaching us why death is good and natural. But is it really good? Is death really natural?
What is so good about a widow, after losing her husband, losing her only son?
What is so natural about a father losing his only daughter?
Why should you be happy when your close friend suddenly dies?
And how is it fair, that a good Christian woman should become sick and die?
How can anyone say that death is good? How can I be comforted when I know that I will die, along with everyone I love? How can we live knowing that we all are destined to die and meet the same tragic ending?
And that is where we are wrong. You see, Gilgamesh feared death, because he thought it was the end. The people who went to see Dr. Byock’s presentation were looking for ways make life better, to forget death. The Order of the Good Death tries to find a way to make the end of our lives, death, more palatable. But they all miss the point.
Death is not the ending.
The death of the only son of the widow at Nain was not the ending.
When the Lord saw her, his heart went out to her and he said, “Don’t cry.”
“Young man, I say to you, get up!” the dead man sat up and began to talk, and Jesus gave him back to his mother. (Luke 7)
The death of the Jairus’s only daughter was not the ending.
He took her by the hand and said to her, ““Little girl, I say to you, get up!” Immediately the girl stood up and began to walk around. (Mark 5)
The unexpected death of a close friend was not the ending.
He cried with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come forth!” And he who had died came out bound hand and foot with grave clothes. (John 11)
You and I, we worship a God who has power over death. He did not just raise others, but himself from the dead. And now, here is Tabitha, a picture of you and me.
Her death was not the ending.
Your death will not be the ending.
Peter sent them all out of the room; then he got down on his knees and prayed. Turning toward the dead woman, he said, “Tabitha, get up.” She opened her eyes, and seeing Peter she sat up.
You and I and Tabitha, we are disciples of Jesus, we cling to the same Gospel promise: Jesus, the Son of God, came to die and take our place on the cross, and by believing in him, we will live in heaven, forever. We are now living, and someday like Tabitha we will die, but what comes after isn’t just a bodily resurrection on earth, but one of eternal life in heaven.
In the face of death, we can take comfort in the words of our Savior: I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. (John 11:25,26)
For the world, death is the end. But for you and me, death is just the beginning. Remember the hospice presentation by Dr. Byock I told you about? It was titled, “Living Well Until We Die.” But as Christians, you and I know that we can’t live well until we die. Death is the doorway we pass through to reach our heavenly homes. And as well as we live here on earth, nothing can compare to what awaits us in heaven. The world mourns because death is the ending. We can rejoice because death is the beginning. When death and tragedy separates us from loved ones, we can take heart in God’s promises.
he will swallow up death forever.
The Sovereign Lord will wipe away the tears
from all faces;
he will remove his people’s disgrace
from all the earth.
The Lord has spoken.
In that day they will say,
“Surely this is our God;
we trusted in him, and he saved us.
This is the Lord, we trusted in him;
let us rejoice and be glad in his salvation.”
Death is not good. Death is not natural. It’s coming for you and for me. But so is eternal life. Someday, soon or far, your eyes, like Tabitha’s will close in death. But you know it won’t be the ending. And you’ll hear a voice. One that says, “Get up! Welcome home, my child.”