傳道書10:16 邦國啊，你的王若是孩童，你的群臣早晨宴樂，你就有禍了！
閱讀經文：傳道書10:16-18
16邦國啊，你的王若是孩童，你的群臣早晨宴樂，你就有禍了！17邦國啊，你的王若是貴胄之子，你的群臣按時吃喝，為要補力，不為酒醉，你就有福了！18因人懶惰，房頂塌下；因人手懶，房屋滴漏。
當所羅門王說這句話時，他可能萬萬沒有想到，他的兒子羅波安就是他筆下的“孩童”。在這裡“孩童”指的不是年齡，而是心智上不成熟的人。因為一早起來就和群臣宴樂，怎麼會有心去處理國家大事，或為百姓爭取公道，做一個明智之君？
羅波安自小在宮庭長大，養尊處憂，不識人間疾苦，因此當碰到問題時，自己也不懂得思想，即使有群臣在旁，也無法判斷誰的建議是智慧或愚蠢。當百姓希望他減輕苦役和重擔時，他不但不同情，反而選擇了加重他們要負的軛，以致引起叛變。最後以色列十個支派都歸附耶羅波安。這事雖然也因為神對所羅門拜偶像而引發的處治，但是羅波安的“孩童”之心則是使以色列國分裂的關鍵。
Hi GAMErs!
Today’s passage is Mark 15:42-47. Let’s go!
Mark 15:42-47 (NIV)
42 It was Preparation Day (that is, the day before the Sabbath). So as evening approached,
43 Joseph of Arimathea, a prominent member of the Council, who was himself waiting for the kingdom of God, went boldly to Pilate and asked for Jesus’ body.
44 Pilate was surprised to hear that he was already dead. Summoning the centurion, he asked him if Jesus had already died.
45 When he learned from the centurion that it was so, he gave the body to Joseph.
46 So Joseph bought some linen cloth, took down the body, wrapped it in the linen, and placed it in a tomb cut out of rock. Then he rolled a stone against the entrance of the tomb.
47 Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses saw where he was laid.
On verses 42-43: According to scholars, usually crucified criminals were not buried. Rather their bodies were left to rot on the cross. However, in Jewish culture, giving a dead person a proper burial was the right thing to do.
傳道書10:12 智慧人的口說出恩言，愚昧人的嘴吞滅自己。
閱讀經文：傳道書10:12-15
12智慧人的口說出恩言，愚昧人的嘴吞滅自己。13他口中的言語起頭是愚昧，他話的末尾是奸惡的狂妄。14愚昧人多有言語，人卻不知將來有什麼事，他身後的事誰能告訴他呢？15凡愚昧人，他的勞碌使自己困乏，因為連進城的路他也不知道。
雅各說：“舌頭在百體裡是最小的，卻能說大話；它能污穢全身，也能從地獄中把生命的輪子點起來”（雅3:5-6）。一句話可以令人笑，一句話也可以令人跳，一句話可以讓人飄飄欲仙，也可以把人逼死。所以當智慧人口說恩言，恩言是指什麼？恩言的反面是什麼，且稱之為絕句吧，因為它會讓人跳，讓人叫，讓人氣到渾身發抖。
有一個人把夫妻間的恩言和絕句寫了下來，您且看看對不對？恩言如下：「你好厲害哦！」「我好喜歡跟你在一起。」 「你今天看起來好帥 / 漂亮哦！」 「我真慶幸能嫁給 / 娶到你！」「辛苦你了！」 「我有榮幸幫助你嗎？」 「謝謝你為我禱告。」「對不起！我不是故意的。」 「我好愛你哦！」 「我好想念你哦！」等等。
Hi GAMErs!
Today’s passage is Mark 15:33-41. Let’s go as we take a verse by verse look at Jesus’ death on the cross.
Mark 15:33 (NIV)
33 At the sixth hour darkness came over the whole land until the ninth hour.
On verse 33: The sixth hour to the ninth hour would be from 12pm to 3pm. Mark describes how there was supernatural darkness that came over the whole land as Jesus hung on the cross and neared death. Truly these were three of the darkest hours in human history. One can only imagine what was going on in heaven when Jesus, heaven’s darling, was hanging on the cross.
傳道書10:8 挖陷坑的自己必掉在其中，拆牆垣的必為蛇所咬。
閱讀經文：傳道書10:8-11
8挖陷坑的自己必掉在其中，拆牆垣的必為蛇所咬。9鑿開石頭的必受損傷，劈開木頭的必遭危險。10鐵器鈍了，若不將刃磨快，就必多費氣力，但得智慧指教便有益處。11未行法術以先蛇若咬人，後行法術也是無益。
華人常喜歡說一命二運三風水。何謂“命”？就是指你出生的環境，是沒得選擇的。出生在富貴人家或出生窮苦人家都不是自己可以決定，這就是命。“運”是指機遇。有話說好運來時擋都擋不住，運來時避也避不掉。“風水”就是環境及各種形成的因素。因此有許多人覺得自己無法把握人生的趨勢，所以總想從算命或看星座去看看自己的將來如何，也因而經常受騙。
《聖經》裡告訴我們，生命是神賜給我們的，祂是掌管生命的神。因此不管我們出生在怎樣的家庭，碰上怎樣的機遇，只要相信神，把事情交託給祂，祂就必成全。人生難料，但是只要抓住神的手往前行，就可以走入一條神為我們預備的路。我們的前途在神的手中，但我們也有自己必須承擔的責任。所以所羅門王告訴我們：“掌權者的心若向你發怒，不要離開你的本位，因為柔和能免大過”（傳10:4）。一個因為不滿上司而經常換工作的人，可能永遠沒有辦法學到當學的功課。奇美集團的董事長許文龍說：“跌倒的時候，不要馬上爬起來，先看看地上有沒有什麼寶貝可以撿”。
Hi GAMErs!
Today’s passage is Mark 15:16-32. Let’s go!
Mark 15:16-20 (NIV)
16 The soldiers led Jesus away into the palace (that is, the Praetorium) and called together the whole company of soldiers.
17 They put a purple robe on him, then twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on him.
18 And they began to call out to him, “Hail, king of the Jews!”
19 Again and again they struck him on the head with a staff and spit on him. Falling on their knees, they paid homage to him.
20 And when they had mocked him, they took off the purple robe and put his own clothes on him. Then they led him out to crucify him.
On verses 16-20: After enduring the extreme physical torture of flogging (v15), Jesus is brought into the palace to be abused psychologically and emotionally by the soldiers.
All the things Jesus legitimately deserved – to be robed in royal robes, to be crowned with many crowns, to be bowed down before, to be honoured and praised – the soldiers took and applied to Jesus in the most mocking, humiliating and violent way. (By the way, I believe people do something of the same today when they use the name of Jesus as a curse word, spoken out of frustration and irreverence.)
傳道書10:4 掌權者的心若向你發怒，不要離開你的本位，因為柔和能免大過。
閱讀經文：傳道書10:4-7
4掌權者的心若向你發怒，不要離開你的本位，因為柔和能免大過。5我見日光之下有一件禍患，似乎出於掌權的錯誤，6就是愚昧人立在高位，富足人坐在低位。7我見過僕人騎馬，王子像僕人在地上步行。
讀了第十章的第二節之後，不知有沒有人刻意檢查一下，自己的心臟長在左邊，還是右邊？很不幸，雖然醫學史上也有一兩個人的心臟是長在右邊，但大多數人的心臟都長在左邊。可見我們都很需要從神來的智慧。若沒有從神來的智慧，我們所選擇的道路往往通向滅亡，或關係的破裂，而不是關係的重建。因為人的心都很剛硬，不柔和。今天的圖片是2020年5月30日在美國佛州拍的。因為46歲非裔美國男子佛洛伊德（George Floyd）在明尼蘇達州遭白人警察壓頸在地，期間曾多次求救，仍不幸身亡. 此事在全美掀起一陣暴力示威，全美有26個城市實施宵禁、13州部署國民兵協助執法。但佛州珊瑚牆市的抗議場面大不相同，來自不同警局的員警單膝跪地，與抗議群眾一同祈禱。他們沒有選擇以暴制暴，而是用最柔和謙卑的方法來安撫民眾。
掌權者代表的就是有權力管理我們的人。他們的決定和作法不一定有智慧，但他們的話，我們卻不能不聽。因而很多人經常處在憤怒的情緒中，覺得一個比我蠢的人，怎麼會坐在比我高的位置上。就好像巧婦常伴拙夫眠，很多妻子覺得她比丈夫靈巧聰明，但是神卻把丈夫立為妻子的頭，讓妻子很受不了。
Hi GAMErs!
Today’s passage is Mark 15:1-15. Let’s go!
Mark 15:1-5 (NIV)
1 Very early in the morning, the chief priests, with the elders, the teachers of the law and the whole Sanhedrin, reached a decision. They bound Jesus, led him away and handed him over to Pilate.
2 “Are you the king of the Jews?” asked Pilate. “Yes, it is as you say,” Jesus replied.
3 The chief priests accused him of many things.
4 So again Pilate asked him, “Aren’t you going to answer? See how many things they are accusing you of.”
5 But Jesus still made no reply, and Pilate was amazed.
On verses 1-5: “As a lamb before its shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth” (Isaiah 53:7). That’s Jesus for you. In the face of so many accusations, Jesus remained silent. Why? It’s not because Jesus was guilty of any sin or crime. This was Jesus submitting to God’s will, and in so doing fulfilling the prophecy about him in Isaiah 53:7.
傳道書10:1 死蒼蠅使做香的膏油發出臭氣，這樣，一點愚昧也能敗壞智慧和尊榮。
閱讀經文：傳道書10:1–3
1死蒼蠅使做香的膏油發出臭氣，這樣，一點愚昧也能敗壞智慧和尊榮。2智慧人的心居右，愚昧人的心居左。3並且愚昧人行路顯出無知，對眾人說他是愚昧人。
想起「膏油」，便想起祭司用的膏油，這膏油可使物件成聖（利8:10），特別能啟動會幕，把它變為聖潔，因而有聖化的功能。然而，這節經文卻提到死蒼蠅使膏油發出臭氣，似乎指出膏油未能聖化死蒼蠅，反而讓死蒼蠅的不潔污穢了名貴的膏油。
幸好，經文清楚地說出這比喻的意思，指出死蒼蠅代表愚昧，膏油象徵智慧和尊榮，而原文直譯是：「一點的愚昧勝過智慧和尊榮」，這並非代表智慧和尊榮變了質，而是代表一點的愚昧所帶來的破壞力遠遠掩蓋了智慧和尊榮所帶來的正能量。當一個愚昧人出現在一班智慧人當中，這一點的愚昧能足以讓整個群體發臭。好名聲需要年日建立，但只需要一次的跌倒便化為烏有。
這便是〈傳道書〉所提及的虛空。
Hi GAMErs!
Today’s passage is Mark 14:66-72. Let’s go!
Mark 14:66-72 (NIV)
66 While Peter was below in the courtyard, one of the servant girls of the high priest came by.
67 When she saw Peter warming himself, she looked closely at him. “You also were with that Nazarene, Jesus,” she said.
68 But he denied it. “I don’t know or understand what you’re talking about,” he said, and went out into the entryway.
69 When the servant girl saw him there, she said again to those standing around, “This fellow is one of them.”
70 Again he denied it. After a little while, those standing near said to Peter, “Surely you are one of them, for you are a Galilean.”
71 He began to call down curses on himself, and he swore to them, “I don’t know this man you’re talking about.”
72 Immediately the rooster crowed the second time. Then Peter remembered the word Jesus had spoken to him: “Before the rooster crows twice you will disown me three times.” And he broke down and wept.
On verses 66-72: Earlier that day, Peter said to Jesus in front of the other disciples, “Even if all fall away, I will not…Even if I have to die with you, I will never disown you.” (Mark 14:29, 31) Yet hours later, that very night, Peter finds himself disowning Jesus three times.
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