The poor you will always have with you, but you will not always have me **

 Matthew 26:1-16

When Jesus had finished saying all these things, he said to his disciples, “As you know, the Passover is two days away—and the Son of Man will be handed over to be crucified.”

While Jesus was in Bethany in the home of Simon the Leper, a woman came to him with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, which she poured on his head as he was reclining at the table.

Aware of this, Jesus said to them, “Why are you bothering this woman? She has done a beautiful thing to me. The poor you will always have with you, but you will not always have me. When she poured this perfume on my body, she did it to prepare me for burial. Truly I tell you, wherever this gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her.”

Then one of the Twelve—the one called Judas Iscariot—went to the chief priests and asked, “What are you willing to give me if I deliver him over to you?” So they counted out for him thirty pieces of silver. From then on Judas watched for an opportunity to hand him over.

It is two days before Passover Day, when the lambs were killed in re-enactment of that day, long ago in Egypt, when their blood kept death from the Israelites door. The symbolism is deeply significant for Matthew. The chief priests and elders of the Sanhedrin Council make the death-plot official.

At this crucial moment, Judas, perhaps disillusioned about the kind of Messiah Jesus has turned out to be, or for some other motive, unexplained, changes side.

Why?

This woman is the only one who poured perfume on Jesus for him before he crucifies.

Jesus told them he will be handed over to be crucified. Might be caused Judah disillusioned about the Messiah.

There are many poor in our environment, but it is seldom walking with Jesus. For we are always busy in our business, but less have a close relationship with Jesus.

----------

1.大祭司等人商量一個計謀要殺耶穌，因為他們是既得利益者。抗拒耶穌，否定神。當人遇見神挑戰我們內心在意的事，很容易拒絕神。

2.玉瓶的香膏，價值一年的薪水。可以做很多善事，抹在主身上，何必枉費此事呢?什麼是有意義的事，什麼是沒有意義的?沒有成果，我們常常認為沒有成果是浪費時間。讀經沒有讀出亮光，這段時間好像浪費。這提醒我們，不是看是否有成果，但是是否討神的喜悅?重要的是親近神，不一定要有成果。以西結去傳神的話，神已經說沒有人會聽，以西結豈是都浪費呢?這女人知道耶穌的心情。耶穌講了三次主要受死的事，門徒卻一直沒有反應，只有這個女人注意到耶穌的心情。我們關心的事，是否是神所關心的事?

3.所謂將香膏賣了，就可以幫助窮人。猶大去和祭司長討價還價的價錢，也是這香膏的價錢。猶大寧可不要主，要30兩銀子，這個女人是被人拒絕的，卻不要銀子而要耶穌。我們好像要去幫助窮人，其實是為了自己，為了自己的名望。我們主日來教會好像一天浪費了，我們是要主還是認為要陪家人比較重要?不管神的心。

-------------

How?

Come close the Jesus for Jesus is our best friend.

Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.

Matthew 25:31-46

When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.

Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.

The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.

Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 

Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.

The sheep and the goats. At the judgment, God takes account of how each one has treated others in this life. In the parable, the 'goats' are punished for failing to do what they should have done.

Why?

This is the last judgment in heaven, people are desperate to two groups, one is the sheep, another are the goats, one is righteousness, another is the evil group.

Jesus asked us to have mercy and favor to the needy men, such as the hungry man, the thirsty, the stranger, no clothes, the sicker, the prisons. 

Love our neighbor and love the Lord is the basic rule in the kingdom of the Lord.

———-

最後審判的區分。

是否我們要去做愛心工作？做善事的人才得救，豈非行為主義？

我弟兄中最小的，助人的對象是在卑微的人當中，不重要的人，可以說是人也是事。哪些人對教會增長有益處的？我們認為重要的與神認為重要的可能不同？讓我們思考什麼是神喜悅的事。

———-

How?

What we have done in our daily life will be revealed before the Lord on that Day.

===============

God is faithful to me! After struggling for two months the problem of IoT, access to the Arduino board from the web, are solved. It is not the problem of programming but the problem of my office wifi configuration. God let my boss purchased a new router set to solve the wireless signal issue, then when I turn the domain from 192.168.11 to 192.168.68, it is worked. I have prayed to the Lord long period for this issue.

神是信實的，垂聽我的禱告，雖然經過兩個半月終於解決了我在物體聯網開發中的瓶頸，神讓我的老闆忽然在賣場買下新的無線分享組，辦公室多了一個無線網路，問題就解決了。原來192.168.11的網路有缺陷。雖然如此，同時間我也接觸更多板子及處理方法。當時每個方法都做到一半可終止，的確令人氣餒。但是我沒有放棄。願一切頌讚、榮耀歸于神！

For whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them

Matthew 25:14-30

Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his wealth to them. To one he gave five bags of gold, to another two bags, and to another one bag, each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey. The man who had received five bags of gold went at once and put his money to work and gained five bags more. So also, the one with two bags of gold gained two more.  But the man who had received one bag went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money.

After a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them. The man who had received five bags of gold brought the other five. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with five bags of gold. See, I have gained five more.’

 “His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’

“His master replied, ‘You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed? Well then, you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers, so that when I returned I would have received it back with interest.

So take the bag of gold from him and give it to the one who has ten bags.  For whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them. And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’

A talent was a large sum of money, not a coin. Each man is entrusted with a capital sum in line with his business ability, and he is expected to trade with it. How people use what is given them in this life will determine their future destiny.

Why?

Third story to describe the lazy servant will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

The Lord gives us different resources, talent, and prosperity as gifts. Can we like lazy servants don't do anything? No. we should use these resources to make them more and benefit others. Especially the wealthy is needy to the gospel.

Different servant God gives us a different gift, it is fair to everyone. 

--------------

這是連續四個比喻中的第三個。1)按時分糧，2)十個童女，3)五千兩，二千兩與一千兩。誰是忠心有見識的僕人，按時分糧。4)山羊，綿羊

管理神家裏的事，好好分糧，為主人的好處著想，讓主人高興，為神的榮耀。神照每個人被造時的才幹付予不同的任務。神給人託付不一樣，賞賜卻是一樣。為主做事本身就是恩典。沒有貪污、沒有損失主人就滿意了嗎？這是指一種人什麼都不做，只是等耶穌再來。我們不是不做，而是繼續做，成為更多的祝福！這種僕人只顧自己，只要將來被提就好了，神是否得榮耀關心。

--------------

How?

Do our best of talent to earn more and waiting for the coming again of Jesus Christ.

Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour

 Matthew 25:1-13

At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish and five were wise. The foolish ones took their lamps but did not take any oil with them. The wise ones, however, took oil in jars along with their lamps. The bridegroom was a long time in coming, and they all became drowsy and fell asleep. “At midnight the cry rang out: ‘Here’s the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!’ “Then all the virgins woke up and trimmed their lamps. The foolish ones said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil; our lamps are going out.’ “‘No,’ they replied, ‘there may not be enough for both us and you. Instead, go to those who sell oil and buy some for yourselves.’ “But while they were on their way to buy the oil, the bridegroom arrived. The virgins who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet. And the door was shut. “Later the others also came. ‘Lord, Lord,’ they said, ‘open the door for us!’ “But he replied, ‘Truly I tell you, I don’t know you.’ “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour.

The wise and foolish girls. This story makes the same point, stressing that one day time will run out. Preparedness is an individual thing. It cannot be borrowed from someone else.

Why?

Prepare the heart and be a faithful servant of the Lord, when Jesus comes again no one knows the time.

What we are doing could not be replaced or borrow from others. It is our credit make in our life.

----------

十個童女的比喻，沒有準備好，要哀哭切齒。這是當地的習俗，新娘的好友，童女準備燈迎接新郎。

1.為什麼? 只有燈沒有油，真的是愚拙。表達沒有好好預備的，只是外表，卻沒有生命，不能發光的燈。我們參加教會的所有活動，卻完全在乎耶穌再來，就如擺設品一樣。

2.燈的油不足。恐怕不夠你我用。表達一個概念，我們所預備的不能分享給別人，生命不能分享給別人，自己的成長不能給別人。可以互相影響，提醒，卻不能以為一個得道，雞狗昇天。一人得救，每個人當信主耶穌，全家才會得救。我們每人與神的關係是單一。

3.怎麼都睡著了。因為有人會通知他們，應該睡覺、休息就休息，平日做他該做的事。預備好就可以高枕無憂。警醒，預備不是緊張的，可是與主有好的關係，按時作習，等待耶穌來。.耶穌來的時間，沒有人知道。

4.神給我們預備的時間夠不夠。新郎延遲，不是延遲是寬容我們，讓我們去預備。當號筒吹響時就來不及了。神給我們預備的時間是足夠的。

----------

How?

Keep watching what I am doing as if Jesus comes today or tomorrow.

So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him

Matthew 24:36-51

As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left. Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left.

Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come. But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into. So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.

“Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom the master has put in charge of the servants in his household to give them their food at the proper time? It will be good for that servant whose master finds him doing so when he returns. 

But suppose that servant is wicked and says to himself, ‘My master is staying away a long time,’ The master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he is not aware of. He will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the hypocrites, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

The good and bad servants. Because his return will be unexpected. Jesus' followers must always be ready.

Why?

Jesus' coming time is unexpected, so we have to be ready for Jesus. 

The days of Noah will be the same as the coming of the Son of Man. People were eating and drinking, marrying as usual. But one will be taken and the other left on earth. There is no way to regret for his sins.

All of Christians are the servant of the Lord, only the good servant will be saved and rewarded by the Lord.

------

1.在人一般生活中就來了。一般人根本不在意末日到了的信息，不知不覺中耶穌就來了。

2.v40-41:如何預備主再來呢?耶穌來時，取一個放棄一個，被取的人一定是預備好，而且在田中，在推磨，一樣在工作！仍然在做今天本來該做的事。

3.45-51: 為什麼同樣在工作，有人被取，有人被撇下。有人為主而做，知道我們是僕人是管理者，主才是擁有者。惡僕人不按時分糧，分糧也是按照私意，所做的都是為自己。

-------

How?

Be ready in case Jesus will come today, and do the job that God has told us.

Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.

Matthew 24:27-35

For as lightning that comes from the east is visible even in the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. Wherever there is a carcass, there the vultures will gather.

Immediately after the distress of those days ‘the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from the sky, and the heavenly bodies will be shaken.’

Then will appear the sign of the Son of Man in heaven. And then all the peoples of the earth will mourn when they see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven, with power and great glory. And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other.

Now learn this lesson from the fig tree: Even so, when you see all these things, you know that it is near, right at the door. 

 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.

The rest of Jesus' teaching in this section comes in the form of parables: he uses stories to drive home the points of the previous chapter.

Why?

Jesus coming again on that day like the lightning, no one knows when and where Jesus comes from. 

Wherever there is a carcass, there the vultures will gather, the dead men will have the sign of the vultures, so be aware the sing. 

Sun, moon, stars will drop means the sky is dark on that day.

When the Son of Man appears we will know and glad, but all the peoples of the earth will mourn for they have not the opportunity to repent and they have to face their own sins.

All of these prediction words from Jesus Christ will come true.

--------------

1)耶穌降臨的情形：全地的人都可以看見，而且是顯而易見的。人子來是快速，不可預判的。啟示錄1:1也提到此事，耶穌再來是超越時間空間。

2)我們不會看錯：有屍首的地方就有禿鷲，這是很明顯且必然的都可以認出來。回應前面要分內之事誰是真的耶穌

3)地上的政權都要滅亡：日、月、星晨都沒有了，表示地上所有的帝國、強權，有價值的都滅亡了，以日、月、星來描述這情形。以西結書，太陽不發光……這是耶和華說的。

4)神榮耀的彰顯：人子駕雲降臨，耶穌再來不再是嬰孩，人不知道誰

5)神召聚他的子民： 等神降臨不是在等公車，一直在看、在等。神要用號筒大聲招祂的選民來。

耶穌再來的時候沒有人知道，為什麼有人還相信那一天，在那裏的一些傳言?末世來之前有徵兆，每個人都知道。有人說以色列建國就是無花果開花了，聖經沒有將以色列比喻為無花果，反而比較多以葡萄來比喻以色列國。不要對號入座來預言末日。

---------------

How?

Be aware before that day, confirm our faith in Jesus Christ.

For false messiahs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and wonders to deceive

Matthew 24:15-26

Pray that your flight will not take place in winter or on the Sabbath. For then there will be great distress, unequaled from the beginning of the world until now—and never to be equaled again. 

If those days had not been cut short, no one would survive, but for the sake of the elect those days will be shortened. At that time if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Messiah!’ or, ‘There he is!’ do not believe it. For false messiahs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. See, I have told you ahead of time.

The disciples must not be misled - there will be many wars and natural disasters, persecutions, and false Messiahs. These are not signs of the end. There will be time for worldwide preaching of the gospel. And when the end does come, it will be totally unexpected. But there will be clear warning signs of the destruction of Jerusalem (The city and Temple were in fact destroyed by the Romans in AD 70).

Why?

There is no sign of the end day, but there will be some terrible disaster happen to signature the day is near.

This great distress is never happening before and never to be equaled again. The end of this day is a new world in Heaven. 

When Jesus coming again will be seen by all people, not only for part of the people. So the false messiahs and false prophets will appear in some places and some people hear about him.

------

24:1-14 說到未來發生的事。

為什麼門徒把聖殿指給耶穌看，當時聖殿是希律王蓋的，他們從北方來，看到聖殿如果華麗，但是耶穌看到的是人心的堅持到底才是最重要。一方面問聖殿被拆毀是什麼時候?另一個是末日什麼時候來到?

1)宗教的混亂：要謹慎分別誰是真先知，假先生，因為對未來沒有安全感，因此對耶穌帶來的信息感興趣。這只是出於好奇心。在真理上要站立的穩

2) 逼迫教會的事會愈來愈多，不用祈求世界和平，因為戰爭只會愈來愈多，當禱告末日的時間較短，因為人冷漠，人與人關係愈來愈疏遠。

3)耶穌的勸勉： 我們要堅持自己的信仰，還要想到還有許多人還沒有信主。

15-26節

行毀壞的人員站立在聖殿：是指在但以理的時代發生的，這種事情以後還是會發生。這裏是指羅馬帝國發生的事，那時要趕快逃走。同時也預表耶穌再來的日子，我們看到這些徵兆，要割捨，逃離，不要留戀地上的生活，這不是我們要的。我們喜歡算命式的預言，更重要是在災難中能夠堅持不懈。求主讓我們在災難中可以度過。我們要擔心的不是災難，要擔心的是我們是否會被假基督迷惑。以後的假基督會令人難分辨，因為他們也會行神蹟，奇事，因此認識真理，好好學神的話很重要。我們傳的是十字架，不要只是求神蹟奇事，真基督是先有苦難，後來才有神蹟。基督再來時，不是我們來分辨誰是基督，而是基督來指出誰是堅持到底的。預言的目的不是譁眾取寵，不是危言聳聽，不是滿足人的好奇心。求讓我們認識真理，不是追求世界的瑪門。

--------

How?

Keep following the word of Jesus told us, be aware of the false teaching, and knowing the truth from Bible.