害怕死去的麥子
譴責蒼天
經文
約伯記五1-16
1你且呼求，有誰答應你？諸聖者之中，你轉向哪一位呢？
2忿怒害死愚妄人；嫉妒殺死癡迷人。
3我曾見愚妄人扎下根，但我忽然咒詛他的住處。
4他的兒女遠離穩妥的地步，在城門口被壓，並無人搭救。
5他的莊稼有飢餓的人吃盡了，就是在荊棘裡的也搶去了；他的財寶有網羅張口吞滅了。
6禍患原不是從土中出來；患難也不是從地裡發生。
7人生在世必遇患難，如同火星飛騰。
8至於我，我必仰望神，把我的事情託付他。
9他行大事不可測度，行奇事不可勝數：
10降雨在地上，賜水於田裡；
11將卑微的安置在高處，將哀痛的舉到穩妥之地；
12破壞狡猾人的計謀，使他們所謀的不得成就。
13他叫有智慧的中了自己的詭計，使狡詐人的計謀速速滅亡。
14他們白晝遇見黑暗，午間摸索如在夜間。
15神拯救窮乏人脫離他們口中的刀和強暴人的手。
16這樣，貧寒的人有指望，罪孽之輩必塞口無言。
信息分享
現在讓我們來聚焦於所探討的主題的另一面，就是那顆害怕死去的麥子。我們已逐漸掌握到聖經其中一個最偉大的真理，那就是捨棄生命的反而得著生命，種子落在地裡死去才能結出果子。要是我們堅持只靠自己，只倚賴人的資源，那麼我們的生命只能是膚淺並且不結果子。我們拒絕付上「捨己」的代價，最後就會發現自己所付上的竟然是死寂生命的代價。
在我們的生命裡有一處地方會呼喊著不要遭遇痛苦，但如果我們願意付出自己、承受苦難的話，我們就會得到屬靈上豐盛的收穫。今天的經文提醒我們，「人生在世必遇患難，如同火星飛騰」，我們當中沒有人會無緣無故的為這些話的真實性而感到哀傷。有一位喜歡觀察現代人類處境的人這樣描述：
孩子，世界是黑暗的，充滿哀傷和死寂
太黑暗了，人們唯有高聲譴責蒼天。
我相信沒有甚麼比難擔的苦難更令人要「高聲譴責蒼天」。英國作家沃波爾（Horace Walpole）說：「對善於思考的人來說，生命是喜劇；對善於感受的人來說，生命是悲劇。」很少人是不會「感受」的，難道對大部分人來說生命就是一場悲劇？神沒有使祂的兒子免受苦難，祂做了更美好的事；所以當我們面對難擔的苦難時，只要沿著這「更美好的事」的思路就可以找到正確的答案。
「難道生命對大部分人來說都是悲劇？」
進深研究
詩一一六1-19，七十一20；耶八15
1. 詩人在困難時做些甚麼？
2. 他有甚麼樣的見證？
祈禱
神我的父啊，我必須找到苦難的鑰匙，因為我要開啟生命和豐盛事奉的大門，並通過它走向勝利。求您今天幫助我找到那根鑰匙。奉耶穌的名求，阿們。
The Corn of Wheat Afraid to Die
"Men cry out against the heavens"
Bible reading:
Job 5:1-16
1 "Call if you will, but who will answer you? To which of the holy ones will you turn?
2 Resentment kills a fool, and envy slays the simple.
3 I myself have seen a fool taking root, but suddenly his house was cursed.
4 His children are far from safety, crushed in court without a defender.
5 The hungry consume his harvest, taking it even from among thorns, and the thirsty pant after his wealth.
6 For hardship does not spring from the soil, nor does trouble sprout from the ground.
7 Yet man is born to trouble as surely as sparks fly upward.
8 "But if I were you, I would appeal to God; I would lay my cause before him.
9 He performs wonders that cannot be fathomed, miracles that cannot be counted.
10 He provides rain for the earth; he sends water on the countryside.
11 The lowly he sets on high, and those who mourn are lifted to safety.
12 He thwarts the plans of the crafty, so that their hands achieve no success.
13 He catches the wise in their craftiness, and the schemes of the wily are swept away.
14 Darkness comes upon them in the daytime; at noon they grope as in the night.
15 He saves the needy from the sword in their mouth; he saves them from the clutches of the powerful.
16 So the poor have hope, and injustice shuts its mouth.
Message
We now focus on yet another aspect of our theme - . Slowly we are coming to grips with one of the greatest truths of Scripture, namely that life comes through the giving of life, and fruitfulness through falling into the ground and dying. When we remain by ourselves, using only human resources, our lives will turn out to be shallow and fruitless. Refusing to pay the ultimate price of giving ourselves, we find ourselves paying the price of the deadness of life itself.
Another area of life from which we often cry out to be exempted, but one which, if we are willing to give ourselves, yields great spiritual fruitfulness, is the area of unmerited suffering. Our text for today reminds us that "man is born to trouble as surely as sparks fly upward", and there are few of us who have not had cause to lament the truth of those words. A more modern observer of the human condition puts it thus:
My son, the world is dark with griefs and graves
So dark that men cry out against the heavens.
I suppose there is nothing that makes people "cry out against the heavens" so much as the anguish that comes through unmerited suffering. Horace Walpole said: "To those who think, life is comedy, to those who feel, life is tragedy" There are few of us who do not "feel" - so is life a tragedy to most? God did not deliver His Son from suffering - He did something better. And it is along this line of the "something better" that we will find the answer to unmerited suffering.
"Is life a tragedy to most"
Prayer
O God my Father, I must find the key to this issue of unmerited suffering. For the doors of life and fruitful service will be closed to me unless I know how to open them and walk through to victory. Help me to find that key. In Jesus' Name. Amen.
Further study
Psalm 116:1-19; 71:20
Jeremiah 8:15
1. What did the psalmist do in trouble?
2. What was his testimony?
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