The Payoff 回报
Dexu Xia
Seek first [God’s] kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
In 1921, artist Sam Rodia began construction on his Watts Towers. Thirty-three years later, seventeen sculptures rose as high as thirty meters over Los Angeles. Musician Jerry Garcia was dismissive of Rodia’s lifework. “That’s the payoff,” said Garcia. “That thing that exists after you’re dead.” Then he said, “Wow, that’s not it for me.”
So what was the payoff for him? His bandmate Bob Weir summed up their philosophy: “In eternity, nothing will be remembered of you. So why not just have fun?”
A wealthy, wise man once tried to find the “payoff” by doing everything he possibly could. He wrote, “I said to myself, ‘Come now, I will test you with pleasure to find out what is good’ ” (Ecclesiastes 2:1). But he noted, “The wise, like the fool, will not be long remembered” (v. 16). He concluded, “The work that is done under the sun was grievous to me” (v. 17).
The life and message of Jesus radically counter such shortsighted living. Jesus came to give us “life to the full” (John 10:10) and taught us to live this life with the next one in view. “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth,” He said. “But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven” (Matthew 6:19-20). Then He summed it up: “Seek first [God’s] kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well” (v. 33).
That’s the payoff—both under the sun and beyond.
By: Tim Gustafson
How do you want to be remembered? What does it mean to “store up treasures in heaven”?
Father God, please help me serve You joyfully with eternity in view.
你们要先求[上帝]的国和祂的义，这些东西都要加给你们了。—马太福音6章33节
在1921年，艺术家西蒙·卢地亚（Sam Rodia）便开始建造他构思的华兹塔。33年后，17座的雕塑建筑终于在洛杉矶市拔地而起，有些高达30米，甚为壮观。然而，歌手杰瑞·加西亚（Jerry Garcia）对卢地亚的毕生心血不屑一顾。他说：“这就是他的回报。这种只有在人死后才会出现的事，我一点都不感兴趣。”
那么，加西亚要的回报是什么呢？他的一名乐团成员概述了他们的人生哲学：“在永恒里，根本没人会记得你做过些什么。所以，为何不及时享乐呢？”
一位富裕的智者也曾竭尽所能想得到“回报”。他在心里对自己说：“来吧，我用享乐试试你，让你看看有什么好处”（传道书2章1节，新译本）。但他察觉到“智慧人和愚昧人一样，永远无人记念”（16节）。最后他总结道：“在日光之下所发生的事，都使我厌烦。”（17节，新译本）
耶稣的生命和祂传讲的信息，彻底驳斥了这种短视的生活观。祂来到世上是要赐给你我更丰盛的生命（约翰福音10章10节），并且教导我们要以永恒的眼光过今生的年日。耶稣说：“不要为自己积攒财宝在地上⋯⋯只要积攒财宝在天上”（马太福音6章19-20节），然后祂总结说：“你们要先求[上帝]的国和祂的义，这些东西都要加给你们了。”（33节）
这就是日光之下和日光之上截然不同的回报。作者： 葛庭墨
你希望如何被人记得？何谓“积攒财宝在天上”？
天父上帝，请帮助我以永恒的眼光喜乐地事奉祢。