Ecclesiastes 2:18-23.                        Chasing the wind - without God                 31/7/16

(Eccl 1:1)  The words of the Teacher, son of David, king in Jerusalem: {2} "Meaningless! Meaningless!" says the Teacher. "Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless."

{12} I, the Teacher, was king over Israel in Jerusalem. {13} I devoted myself to study and to explore by wisdom all that is done under heaven. What a heavy burden God has laid on men! {14} I have seen all the things that are done under the sun; all of them are meaningless, a chasing after the wind.

(Eccl 2:18-23)  I hated all the things I had toiled for under the sun, because I must leave them to the one who comes after me. {19} And who knows whether he will be a wise man or a fool? Yet he will have control over all the work into which I have poured my effort and skill under the sun. This too is meaningless. {20} So my heart began to despair over all my toilsome labour under the sun. {21} For a man may do his work with wisdom, knowledge and skill, and then he must leave all he owns to someone who has not worked for it. This too is meaningless and a great misfortune. {22} What does a man get for all the toil and anxious striving with which he labours under the sun? {23} All his days his work is pain and grief; even at night his mind does not rest. This too is meaningless.

Here in this reading we have a great spot of wisdom for us to ponder over this morning. In fact, I would suggest that you go home and read the whole book of Ecclesiastes. It is wisdom that is very relevant to life in our world today; even though it was written way back in Old Testament times.

It is interesting to note that the wisdom spoken of here flies in the face of a good deal of thinking that is promoted today. Yet history has proved it right time and time again. But still many refuse to listen and learn: They would prefer to think that they know better; they are cleverer than that, because we are now living in a new and modern age.

Yet on the other hand this philosophy that we are encouraged to follow in our world today, is no different than that which has also been tried hundreds and thousands of years ago, and has continually been found wanting. Here it is referred to as it really is, useless - it is chasing the wind.

Chasing the wind - an interesting concept isn't it. Have you ever chased and caught the wind? Do you really know what it is that you are chasing, if you are chasing the wind, and do you really think that you can catch hold of it?

Yet like the writer here, how often don't we get caught up in this thinking, and feel like this in life. Chasing after something that we are told is so good and important; but can't quite get a handle on it. We are assured that it is what will really ‘make’ life for us; and that when you have ‘made it’ then everything will be well. These would be things like, wealth, happiness, security or even a truly upright and alive Christian life.

No matter how good and how hard we might try; no matter how much we have; even if we get to the top of the ladder, will still will feel and know that we really haven’t still achieved anything much at all. There is still left that thinking that there is still something more. And as this reading says; in the end you die and have to leave everything you have worked for to someone else, and who knows what they will do with it. It all still seems a bit useless in the end - a chasing the wind.

When the focus and centre is on any of these things, in the end they will leave us wanting and empty. The great dream the we are chasing will in the end be a nightmare if it becomes the be all and end all of our desires. No matter what we put our mind to do with regard to what we think is important in worldly terms we will always come up short and we will be let down badly.

Now I would venture to say that there are many, many people today who feel this way about life: struggling to find any real point to it - wondering what it is all about; and coming to the conclusion that it is all a bit futile. The high suicide rate and the alcohol and drug abuse in our country is a very good indication that things are not right; but there are many other indicators as well. Yet we don’t want to face the real issue. We don’t want to get to the heart of the matter.

But to help us understand a little better what is happening here, let us narrow our thinking down a little, to just one aspect of life. The book of Ecclesiastes looks at all the main areas where humanity looks to find life and fulfilment. But in this reading we have the focus put on working for, earning and accumulating wealth.

This is a good aspect to centre our attention on because for many people today this is what life is all about – this seems to be their ultimate philosophy for life. So they spend all their time working, thinking, worrying and hassling over earning a dollar and accumulating assets and wealth. This is what they are told to and encouraged to do over and over and over again; and so this aspect then is just about all there is to life for so many people today.

So what do we find? We go to school and send our children to school so that they can get a good education, so that they can get a good job; so that they can earn lots of money; so that they can have a luxurious home, a couple of cars, a boat and many other assets. All the while, so that they can build up their security and have a nice large retirement nest-egg, so that they can live to their hearts pleasure. And they are doing this because they are told that this is what life is all about.

Now here this morning we are told that all this is a chasing after the wind. If that is all there is to life, it is useless – it is a complete waste of time. That is the wisdom of the writer of Ecclesiastes. It is the wisdom of the Scriptures. It is the wisdom of God Almighty himself. And it is the understanding of any truly wise person today.

Why? Well listen to what we are told here in this reading. We work and worry to earn and accumulate; and for most of us, that is what we do throughout most of our life. And for many that involves heartache, and even sleepless nights; it involves struggle and loss of a job, or being taken down by a fraudster. And so at the end of it all we still have very little, and in the end we die broken people. Even if we manage to get through unscathed; and having built our bigger barns and are finally in a position where we are comfortable - we die, and leave all that we have worked for, to someone else. And the successor to it all may be wise in their use of it, but most will not: they have not worked for it and so quickly squander it. So what do we find? We have worked all our life – worried, hassled and struggled, only to leave it all to someone else. It is useless – it is a chasing the wind.

The book of Ecclesiastes also looks at just about every other situation in life, and draws the same conclusion – it is all chasing the wind. When we only look at our efforts, aspirations and achievements in every aspect of life; even the religious; it is useless – it is a chasing the wind. Even our achievements –great as they might be - are really nothing in the big scheme of things. And what do we have left - on our own, nothing.

Now having come to that conclusion, we are left with only one other option. That is, that it is God and God alone who makes anything and everything worthwhile. It is he who changes the whole perspective on life; and it is he who gives true wisdom, knowledge and happiness.

And when we look to the Lord we find the wisdom that truly helps make sense of life and put everything in its right perspective. Living in his wisdom then our work, leisure, religion and everything else has its place and its meaning and purpose. With that, suddenly, there is a peace, security and understanding to life that is beyond comprehension; because God is in control, not me - not others, not the merry-go-round of life, out of control.

Also with God in the centre of everything we find knowledge that is truly worthwhile and helpful. Knowledge that puts all human education in its proper perspective and helps us to use it in a way that is good, useful and helpful. Because it is God's knowledge, it is to be used in the way he wants, and that in turn brings real happiness - lasting happiness. And again it is only to be had when we look to the Lord and trust in him and what he has done for us.

Then we will have the joy of knowing that it is all under control, and that it all will work out for best in the midst of and despite our human weakness, failures and tragedies. Our Lord alone turns life around and gives it meaning and purpose. It is in him, and him alone, that everything else finds its place and is worthwhile and good. Everything else is useless - it is a chasing the wind.

We can be sure of this because of Jesus’ life, death and resurrection. This God who gives us this wisdom came amongst us and then died so that we might be forgiven and accepted into God’s family for all time. He rose again from the dead so that we can be sure that in connection with him we to can have life in heaven for all eternity. So we can look to him and trust him. He not only is the all- important one in life, but he can be for each one of us as we go through life every day. In him we can find all the meaning, purpose, hope and fulfillment that we need and that truly lasts. He is where it is at.

That is the wisdom that we need to hear and heed today. And that more than anything else is what our country needs at this time also. So instead of looking to ourselves and our human philosophy and thinking, and what we can achieve, are doing and might be able to do, here again we are encouraged to look to our Lord: to look to him as the centre of life; and there only will we find meaning, fulfilment and security. So trust him - trust God; Father, Son and Holy Spirit.                  AMEN.

Pastor Roger Atze

Glandore/Underdale Lutheran Parish