Love other's as yourself
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I’ve heard more than a few people say since we started looking through Eccelsiaties - words to the effect of..
“there is something really comforting or reassuring about this depressing book.”
It seems it’s ok if my life feels depressing, hard, chaotic, uncontrolled.
It’s meant to be. In fact, I can embrace it!
We live a live striving after comfort - happiness - but it often doesn’t come.
We have joy for a time, but grief comes round the next corner.
How liberating to be freed from the constant pursuit that life is all about achievements or happiness, or success!
And to accept that God has deisgned a frustrating cylical world that leaves us wanting more!
And more we will have!
But only - when we humble ourselves before an almighty God!
Listen again to the conclusion of the book.
Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the duty of all mankind.
And what does fearing God and so keeping his commands look like?
Well that’s the question Jesus was asked a couple of times..
One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question: ‘Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?’ Jesus replied: ‘ “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.” This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: “Love your neighbour as yourself.”
Loving God we know means to repent of our sin and believe that jesus is our only saviour - who paid for our sin through his death, and gives us His inheritance in exchange.
But loving our others -
that is the lesson from chapter 4 - so let’s begin.
PRAY
The teacher in this chapter has 3 classic stereotypical people in view today to teach us a ‘better way to live’.
1. Oppressors - We’d be Better off dead! v1-6
1. Oppressors - We’d be Better off dead! v1-6
Again I looked and saw all the oppression that was taking place under the sun: I saw the tears of the oppressed— and they have no comforter; power was on the side of their oppressors— and they have no comforter. And I declared that the dead, who had already died, are happier than the living, who are still alive.
I think we consider ourselevs sheltered from significant oppression in the UK - and in many ways it is true.
But
Did you know that the global slavery survey of 2016 concluded that there were 136000 modern day slaves in the UK.
That’s 1 in every 500 people in some way enslaved:
Force labour
Forced sexual exploitation
Forced Marriage
Over 35% of our clothing imports in the UK are likely from modern slavery factories from across the world. That’s an £8 billion a year issue.
There is another £7 billion of IT and tech from slavery situations.
Oppression in everywhere - perhaps we just are better at hiding in the UK and turning a blind eye.
And oppression in the OT is not just about violence or slavery but more simply to do with someones position or oppertunity in life.
For example, the simple advancement of one person at the expense of another who cannot influence the situation is a form of oppression.
So engrained into our Western world view is the idea of unlimited growth and achievement - that we strive for it at any cost - negligent of those who loose out when we win!
unlike our western worldview, more traditional worldviews sometimes hold a theory of ‘Limited Good’.
It’s the idea that there is not an endless supply of good in the world
- so if one individual in the community chose to take some of that good through development and achievement and success
- it would actually be deemed as an unkind and anti-community action - for it took away from others.
you might be thinking - well that’s crazy!
There is plenty of good to go around -
your harming the whole community by holding the entrepreneurial back!
But perhaps we’re both wrong!
Perhaps there are aspects where development is achievable to the benfit of all,
But achievement and development also bring about oppression of those who really do miss out.
Ecclesiastes is good at raising questions we struggle to answer!
But this is clear..
Oppression is real!
It is our life.
Some loose, some win - some oppress, some suffer.
Which are you?
Which do you aim to be?
AM - I recon we plan for our children at school to do well in life - what do we mean by that?
It’s a good ambition, but have you helped them consider how to take others with them, how will their life benefit others?
PM - I recon those still at school plan to do well in life? But what’s do you mean by that?
A good ambition - but have you considered how you will take others with you - how will those around benefit?
Ultimately we all tend to live for ourselevs and our own gain - not that of others.
And when we observe terrible oppression, our teacher hear considers we’d be better off dead - than seeing this evil int he world.
2 And I declared that the dead,
who had already died,
are happier than the living,
who are still alive.
3 But better than both
is the one who has never been born,
who has not seen the evil
that is done under the sun.
How nieve we are to think that our comfortable 20th century UK lives are free from oppression!
our comfort comes at the expense of others,
One example might be the way the UK wheeled and dealed to make sure we all had our 1st, 2nd and even 3rd COVID vaccines - before most the worlds countries had even managed to get 1!
And we celebrated our government for doing it.
For the oppressed - well they might have been better off never living - than to live with the evil injustices of the world.
The great prophet Jeremiah facing persistent oppression and opposition says...
Why did I ever come out of the womb to see trouble and sorrow and to end my days in shame?
Feelings of wishing we hadn’t been born are not as strange or unhinged as we might think.
It’s an honest reflection on the evil we see (and often take part in) in our world.
And where does all this striving and oppression come from?
And I saw that all toil and all achievement spring from one person’s envy of another. This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind.
Envy is our driving force.
“They have - so, so should I” .
They are doing well, so I’ll try and stop them and take it myself.
I want to be better than what I see!
It’s envy.
It’s rooted in pride and greed.
What a miserable world we live in - what a miserable humanity we are.
So, is there a better way?
yes
Better than oppression - one handful with tranquility (loving others)
Better than oppression - one handful with tranquility (loving others)
Better one handful with tranquillity than two handfuls with toil and chasing after the wind.
What a beautiful verse.
It’s a good illustration - We all strive for 2 handfuls - when 1 is enough.
Handful of rice, a handful of money, a handful of pleasure - whatever it is - satisfied with what we need - rather than enviously pursuing more, even if it means others miss out!
So let go of the dream of more at the expense of others - or even more than our fair share - that is evil, envious and oppressive.
and enjoy - be content with the 1 handful - the enough - that God provides.
That is to love others like yourself!
The second stereotype we meet is the Scrooge!
2. Scrooge - A miserable business v7-12
2. Scrooge - A miserable business v7-12
Again I saw something meaningless under the sun: there was a man all alone; he had neither son nor brother. There was no end to his toil, yet his eyes were not content with his wealth. ‘For whom am I toiling,’ he asked, ‘and why am I depriving myself of enjoyment?’ This too is meaningless— a miserable business!
This is the Scrooge of Chalres Dickens’, A Christmas Carol.
We all no someone obsessed with work and no time for family (even if they have one) or anyone else, or even to enjoy what they have gained on earth.
Of course the question we don’t want to ask is - Am i the scrooge!!!
AM - Again it’s interesting to think what we encourage our children to be like as they grow - perhaps we priorities achedemic and career achievements as the MOST important goal.
Dream big - the world is your oyster - if you dream it you can have it.
PM - If you’re at school - this can often be the thing you’re being pushed towards! Life is all about the best grades and the best jobs.
Dream big - the world is your oyster - if you dream it you can have it!
The reality of achieving these things can be very lonely!
The bible says - of course work hard and study hard - but not for your own gain and achievement - but for God!
Learning to love others before yourself is more important than the best career.
It’s a miserable business to be a Scrooge!
and yet even that fear - doesn’t put us off self advancement!
It’s a miserable business says v 8!
Even the scrooge realises how sad their life has been
Working solidly for greatness, or wealth, or power or recognition, or success - when ultimately they’ll die with nothing.
Living for work and success is a miserable business - so what’s the better way?
Better than a scrooge - fellowship (loving others)
Better than a scrooge - fellowship (loving others)
Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labour: if either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up. Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone?
The difference is starck between a Scrooge seeking self gain
and the alternative of seeking the gain of others alongside yourself.
A life lived for fellowship - Loving others before ourselves is better by far.
You may not be as rich, but you’ll have friends and family and a church community you belong to.
And When you love others in fellowship - then when your time for oppression or adversity comes - others will pick you up.
When you’re working hard at harvest and you’re cold at night - you’ll be warm when working alongside and for the benefit of others.
Life is not a self indulgent scrooge like endevour!
God has designed it to be better in fellowship. Loving others before ourselves,.
If 1 is a miserable business
2 is a wonderful thing to have.
And so the conclusion is obvious..
Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.
We are here in life for each other - not for oursleevs - 2 is good, 3 is better and so on..
The NT - after the life and death of Jesus,
Who died to make us brothers and sisters -
tells us he came to unite us unite us as a family.
I wonder how much we think about living life for our church family - rather than ourselevs?
But The reward is security and comfort and friendship in each other - not wealth and achievement that is a misarable business.
A family that holds us to what is truly important - trusting in Jesus alone for life eternal, and living a life of loving others before ourselves. Avoiding the miserable traps of our world.
The Scrooge mentality could look like all sorts of things in your life?
desperate for Early retirement
Chasing a new job endlessly
work that benefits you but not your spouse?
But there is a better way.
The way of loving others before yourself.
fellowship - not scrooge.
so, 1 final stereotype in our world..
3. Arrogant Leaders - Detested by their people v13-16
3. Arrogant Leaders - Detested by their people v13-16
Better a poor but wise youth than an old but foolish king who no longer knows how to heed a warning. The youth may have come from prison to the kingship, or he may have been born in poverty within his kingdom. I saw that all who lived and walked under the sun followed the youth, the king’s successor.
How ironic that we tend to all want power (to be the king of Queen you might say) -but ultimately, deep down, we know that a wise person is better than a powerful one!
The king may be old - by which the teacher means to imply wisdom - as that is normally what age brings.
But an arrogant leader is detested by their people.
We have seen it repeatedly even among the evangelical church leaders of our time.
How much more we would prefer a wise youth!
Even one out of prison - if someone shows willingness to listen and learn, - that is wisdom.
‘An arrogant know it all - whoever old - ironically is a fool!’
So.
Better than an arrogant leader - a wise youth
Better than an arrogant leader - a wise youth
Wise leadership is not arrogant, or self advancing,
but a person who listens to and loves others before themselves!
It’s funny the things we strive for at work and home.
Control, authority, respect - effectively power to do as we choose.
When it is leader who listens humbly that God values and calls wise.
So, our
Conclusion
Conclusion
We have a big problem.
We look around at our lives and the world around us and even though we see there are ‘better ways’ to live - it still all ends up being meaningless.
Not least becasue even for want of trying
our lives still involve
oppression,
scrooge like gain,
envy
leading arrogantly!
I think that is his point when the wise youth comes to power suceeding the king - the one everyone loves..
but
There was no end to all the people who were before them. But those who came later were not pleased with the successor. This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind.
Even those who seek to live in fear of God and in accordance with his commands - and as such love God and love others - are still left wanting.
But fortuanetly -
as we learnt at youth on Friday night
if you guys were listening,
Our salvations doesn’t rely on what we do or achieve - but on the promises of God fulfilled in Jesus.
Jesus lived the life we cannot for us.
He was the wise youth who lived for his people perfectly,
He was the oppressed not the oppressor,
He barely took 1 handful - let alone 2 at the expense of others
He was the one who lived for fellowship not for himself like a scrooge.
His life ended in his death that paid the price for all of our oppression, selfishness and arrogance.
So now - rather than seeking to live for ourselves which is meaningless - we live in love of God, and love of others.
And when we fail - we remember that that is why life is like it is -
to keep us humble, on our knees, asking for mercy,
And yet always knowing - we already have it In Jesus.
Jesus summarises this chapter in
Then he said to them, ‘Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions.’ And he told them this parable: ‘The ground of a certain rich man yielded an abundant harvest. He thought to himself, “What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.” ‘Then he said, “This is what I’ll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store my surplus grain. And I’ll say to myself, ‘You have plenty of grain laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.’ ” ‘But God said to him, “You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?” ‘This is how it will be with whoever stores up things for themselves but is not rich towards God.’
Love God - and Love each other.
Because all is otherwise meaningless. - Judgement awaits us all unless we come to Jesus.
Jesus is our only hope.
Repent, believe,
and give it all back to God and those around you in love.
Pray