有人teh等無？Is there anyone waiting?

12/6/09 Sermon by Rong-Hu Lu translated by Rebecca Kuo

有人teh等無？Is there anyone waiting?

瑪拉基書（Malachi）2:17-3:6

Last Monday, I saw a news about the intensive campaigns for the election of mayor and county chief in Taiwan, which will take place on the 5^th of December. 馬英九 (Ma, Ying-Jo) travels for supporting the KMT (Chinese Nationalist Party) candidates. His effort is his own business, and I have nothing to say about that. However, Mr. Ma’s shameful conduct disgusted many people: in order to accommodate his tight campaign schedule, his car was racing and drifting on the highway regardless of the traffic law. He also had the police cars to help clean the way by honking and signals. It feels like in the ancient time that whoever opposes the Emperor must die.

Mr. Ma also made a campaign appearance in 金門 (Jing-Men) county. He had his bullet-proof car shipped over there before he departed. People asked him who is going to pay the shipping bill. He said, “of course, it’s the people, because the bullet-proof car is the president’s car.” However, does he allow of spending people’s money when he appears in campaigns as a chairman of a party? In the other circumstance, making a campaign appearance as a president violates the Government Administrative Neutrality law.

Mr. Ma also lied about the poll in favor of the KMT candidates. When people from other parties accusing him, the KMT spokesman said that it was a mistake because Mr. President did not know there was a such law. It seems like one is free from blame when one has no knowledge of the law. When a reporter asked the spokesman if Mr. President should pay the fine of 50,000 NTD, he ignored and walked away. This is so irritating.

While Mr. Ma arrived 桃園市 (Tao-Yuan County) for a campaign event, he had the roads blocked with his identify of the President. Those KMT people were able to hold a campaign event in the center of the city, whereas those DPP (Democratic Progressive Party) candidates and its team were not allowed to enter.

At the other county, a DPP candidate was asked to shut off the microphone and stay quiet during his own campaign event.

Who were the people complaining those issues? Of course they were the people from DPP or other non-KMT parties who experienced suppression. KMT members used their political power wantonly and abusively and enjoyed the possible incoming dominant victory. Because of their hateful conduct, surely, I complained, too.

Those recognitions might help us understand today’s verses: the people who were taught by Malachi were complaining all the time. Complain was the whole point of their talk. And, their talk has tired the Lord Yahweh out. But they did not know and even asked, “How have we tired Him?”

And then, Malachi said to them, “you said that the Lord Almighty thinks all evildoers are good; in fact he likes them.” You people also complained that “Where is the God who is supposed to be just?” This is very similar to the plaintiveness of Taiwanese: such as “Heaven does not even have an eye. KMT has the Chinese government for back-up. What can you do about it?”

The time of Malachi is the fifth century B.C. after the Temple in Jerusalem was rebuilt. The Isrealites who returned from other countries realized that rebuilding their communities was not as easy as living in other foreign countries. Therefore, they became very pessimistic, slack and corruptive in life and worship of God. They did not give Him the offerings that were rightly due Him, and not live according to His teaching. They even thought that “It’s useless to serve God (3:14);” because the reality in the society was “Proud people are the ones who are happy. Evil people not only prosper, but they test God’s patience with their evil deeds and get away with it (3:15).”

It’s just like those DPP people who hope to win the election this time, and bring hopes and reformations back to the society, and rebuild a just system. The people who Malachi faced only had a vague hope which was hoping the Lord who they have been searching for will come, and build an ideal kingdom of Messiah. However, there were not many people had this kind of hope.

The message of Malachi was, “Yes, the Lord you are looking for will suddenly come (3:1).” In chapter three and four, Malachi told the people that once the Lord’s Messiah came, the Lord is going to judge. At that time, God’s people will see “the difference between what happens to the righteous and to the wicked, to the person who serves me and the one who does not (3:18).”

Malachi delivered a message from the Lord Almighty that says, “The day is coming when all proud and evil people will burn like straw. On that day they will burn up, and there will be nothing left of them. But for you who obey me, my saving power will rise on you like the sun and bring healing like the sun’s ray. You will be as free and happy as calves let out of a stall (4:1-2).”

Last Sunday, I emphasized the foundation of the Old Testament and the New Testament. What the Lord said to the Isrealites is not only limited to those people, it is for everyone who believes in Him. The Messiah that the Lord will be given is not only the savior of the Isrealites, but the savior of all people. And, He is not only going to judge the righteous and wicked among the Isrealites, but also judge all the human being.

In the time of Malachi, because of the difficult life and the unjust society, those who still have the Lord in their mind did not have too much faith in Him. In contrast, among the people in the world, there are more people who always complain all the time than the people who are humble, responsible and righteous. It is true that there are many unjust things going on among various societies; however, the general public does not always obey the law and not accept Jesus Christ as a Savior by faith, and live according to His teaching.

Malachi said to the people who feared the Lord that: do not complain. Do not blame on the Lord that He seems like seeing the righteous ones as evil, seeing the wicked as right. This is what you thought. It is not true. “In his presence, there was written down in a book a record of those who feared the Lord and respected him (3:16).” Therefore, we have to return to the Lord.

Turning or returning to the Lord means that treating Him with a sincere heart, and making the offering of Tithes (3:8-10). And do not offer the matters that you despise to the Lord, this despised the Lord (1:12-13).

Dear brothers and sisters, we as Christians believe that “the Word became flesh” is a gospel that saves us. Most of the prophecy in the Old Testament emphasizes the Day of Judgment, the day of Jesus Christ's second visit. “When Jesus Christ comes, he will sit on his royal throne, and the people of all nations will be gathered before him…He is going to judge them (Matthew 25:32).” Advent is waiting for Jesus Christ’s coming.

Waiting itself can be expressed in many different ways. Some may just simply wait till time passes by. For example, since last Tuesday, we’ve been waiting for the arrival of my daughter’s family for the Thanksgiving holiday. I took a nice nap, so the waiting time was shortened much for me. My wife was busy for clean up and cooking for the sake of the family members’ comfortableness. She used the waiting time for preparation.

Malachi the Prophet told us that the Lord will come suddenly; meaning that the arriving time is unpredictable. Up to today, He has not yet come, so we still have to wait because he will come for sure.

Regarding the Lord’s coming, His disciples were very care about it from the beginning: when it’s going to be? What time? The Lord said nobody is able to know the day. The Day of the Lord will come as a thief comes at night. Since the ancient history of the Church, there were people who doubt the Lord’s coming. Peter encouraged people not to give up their hope. This is what Peter taught them: “My friends, as you wait for that Day, do your best to be pure and faultless in God’s sight and to be at peace with him. Look on our Lord’s patience as the opportunity he is giving you to be saved (II Peter 3:14-15)”

In this way, it looks like Christians have to wait for the Lord’s coming; on the other hand, Jesus Christ is waiting for people, including those slacking Christians to right themselves, believe in Him and obey Him, so people can free from punishment and receive grace when he comes again.

Amen