Summary:
There is no man who can live and not see death, this is a fact. There are many things in life we can hope for but cannot be sure of. Yes, we can put in a lot of effort for certain things. Oftentimes, we hope for certain outcomes but all these outcomes may not be sure. What is for sure is that there is no way we can live, and not see death — there’s nothing surer than that! That day WILL COME. Hence, to many, it’s a taboo and they don’t want to talk about death. But not talking about it doesn’t mean it won’t happen. We know that one day we live is also one day we’ve died. Why is it that life is also about death? Why do we live? Why do we die? What can we do about it?

An English Novelist made this statement: nothing is a matter of life and death except life and death in itself.

Another famous person making this statement: if you treat every situation as a life and death matter, you will die many times.

It is interesting that if we look at how others live their lives, or perhaps just observe and reflect on ourselves, we realise that many times people spend a lot of their effort on many things in the world. They’re perturbed about so many things as though they’re really a matter of life and death. Some even argue and fight over these things and they really seem like a matter of life and death. For example, have you ever seen people fighting over a parking lot? Some of us may have. If you haven’t, surely you’ve read news about it either via social media or newspaper. Do we need to fight over such things? We read it and shake our heads thinking, “Aiya, why like this? Is this a matter of life and death?” Yet, sometimes when we’re in the situation, we ourselves cannot take it. Certainly, we’ve seen people fighting over parking lots.

Perhaps in Singapore’s context it’d be fighting over a seat in a hawker center, “I chope with my tissue paper/umbrella already!” If someone takes a seat at my chope-d place, all hell will break loose. A hawker centre seat can also become a matter of life death. Another example would be people queueing overnight for a Hello Kitty toy. Because people queue for the whole night, they get frustrated easily and hence a Hello Kitty toy becomes a matter of life and death.

Sometimes we laugh when we read such news but these things do happen in life. When we reflect about how we live our lives; it may not be a parking lot, seat at a hawker centre, or a Hello Kitty toy, yet there are other things we are so perturbed about; we view them as a matter of life and death. Is this so?

If you treat so many things as a matter of life and death, you’ll really die anytime. There was another famous man named Bill Shankly; one of Liverpool’s past managers, arguably the most respected one. In the Liverpool Soccer club is a statue of him.

Bill Shankley said this, “Some people believe that football is a matter of life and death. I am VERY disappointed in them! I can assure you it is more serious than that.”

Indeed, many people today will not stay up to do many things. But, they will stay up late or wake up at a certain hour of the night to watch Soccer games. They’ll fly around the world to watch live Soccer games at stadiums. Occasionally, there are even people who riot after the games. Emotions run very high; perhaps something happened on the field where they found the referee unfair, perhaps the fans from the other Soccer club taunted them. For them, it was really like a matter of life and death; some even riot, sometimes.

It’s very interesting that many people, we included (for different matters), regard trivial things very highly. They may not truly be a matter of life and death yet we’re willing to devote so much time, effort and devotion into it.

There was a man who was very unwell and hence he went to the doctor’s. After the checkup, the doctor came out with a solemn face. He said, “I’m afraid I’ve got really bad news.”

The patient looked at the doctor, “Just tell it to me straight. How long more have I got?”
“10…”
The patient interrupted, “10 what? 10 what? Tell me quickly! Months? Weeks? Days??”
“9… 8… 7… 6… 5…”

This is a joke (🤣). Though it’s a joke, it reflects our lives, doesn’t it? How long more have we got? We may count in years but whatever it is, our lives are taking away. There is this term which people talk about: from cradle to grave. This is true! The moment we step out of the cradle, where are we heading? Every step we take is a step further away from the cradle but one step closer to what? If we put it all in perspective, one step away from the cradle is one step closer to the grave! Isn’t this factual?

Our lives are really taking away, how long more have we got?
This question is not just meant in the joke of counting down from 10 seconds. Even if we say that we have 10 years, at some point we’ll have 9 years left. Then at some point we’ll have 8 years left. If it’s 10 months, it’s the same thing. What about 10 decades? It’ll then count down to 9 decades, 8 decades, and before long there’s no more decades to count. Then we count in years but before long there’ll be no more years left to count. Then we count in months, days, weeks, minutes, then seconds. Isn’t it all the same?

Some people are too tense and take every matter like a matter of life but ironically we know that not everything is a matter of life and death. There really is an issue of life and death in itself. Do we even pay attention to it? Do we spend the right time and effort to seek what these all mean? Some people do, but in a more negative way because they try to do things to avoid death; things that may be somewhat superstitious. For example, many Chinese regard the number ‘4’ as a taboo because it sounds like the Chinese word for ‘death’.

The speaker once had a house. When he bought it from the developer, he didn’t quite think about it. Because his brother brought the house next door, they brought the house together. His brother brought the house number 22’ and the speaker’s was ‘24’. He didn’t think about it but it was only when he was trying to sell that house when he found it terrible. There were people who contacted the agent for house-viewing. When talking about location, the speaker would reply, “24…” and the appointment would be cancelled. This happened many times because the number ‘24’ in Chinese and especially Cantonese means ‘easy to die’. So yes, some regard life and death as important but they try to avoid death by not buying a house with the number ‘24’. They also don’t buy flats on level 4. The speaker has a friend who wanted to buy a car but was stopped by his father because the car plate was ‘1104’, meaning ‘you may die any day’ in Cantonese.

On the other hand, some people do things because they want to live longer. On Chinese New Year Eve, they’ll say to not let the children sleep too early because the longer they stay awake at night, the longer the parents will live. Or during birthdays, they’ll eat long birthday noodles and say that you cannot use the scissors to cut it because the action is cutting life. These are things people do. Even though they regard the matter of life and death as important, these are the things they focus on. It’s important to take the matter of life and death seriously but it’s more important for us to have the right perspective. We turn to Psalm 90:12;

‘So teach us to number our days, That we may gain a heart of wisdom.’

This is very important. In this short session today, it’s impossible for the speaker to speak so much. But he thinks that it’s important, at least, to take away some important teachings to reflect upon.

One of which is for us to learn how to number our days so that we may gain a heart of wisdom.
If we come to realise, as mentioned earlier on, that our lives are taking away, that realisation should give us the wisdom to pursue what life and death is really about; to pursue why we die and what we can do about it. Read Psalm 90:10;

‘The days of our lives are seventy years; And if by reason of strength they are eighty years, Yet their boast is only labor and sorrow; For it is soon cut off, and we fly away.’

Here the Bible tells us that our lives are really really short. It could be 70 years. Those stronger, perhaps 80. Of course, there are some exceptions that may live slightly longer, or some lesser than 70 years. But by and large, that’s about it. If that were the case, what’s life really about? Life is so short, do we have a correct understanding of it? Read Psalm 89:48;

‘What man can live and not see death? Can he deliver his life from the power of the grave? Selah’

There is no man who can live and not see death, this is a fact. There are many things in life we can hope for but cannot be sure of. Yes, we can put in a lot of effort for certain things. Oftentimes, we hope for certain outcomes but all these outcomes may not be sure. What is for sure is that there is no way we can live, and not see death — there’s nothing surer than that! That day WILL COME. Hence, to many, it’s a taboo and they don’t want to talk about death. But not talking about it doesn’t mean it won’t happen. To not buy a house with the number ‘24’ doesn’t mean death won’t happen. To not cut the birthday noodles doesn’t mean death won’t happen. What man can live and not see death? Read Ecclesiastes 8:8;

‘No one has power over the spirit to retain the spirit, And no one has power in the day of death. There is no release from that war, And wickedness will not deliver those who are given to it.’

Here tells us that no one has the power over the spirit to retain the spirit and no one has the power on the day of death. This is a very important truth the Bible tells us about life. Up till now, the content has been pretty morbid, but that’s what’s funny about life. We all know life is important and precious, we all want to avoid death and hold on to life. Yet, on our own, there’s not much we can do about it; life just keeps clicking away. The irony of it all is that one day we live is one day we’ve died. What is all this about? Why? Why is life like this? Why is life also about death? Is there anything we can do about it? Not cutting the noodles we eat? Not buying a house with the number ‘4’? Is that all we can do about it? If we have the correct perspective, we’ll find we need not submit to this fate without doing anything.

The speaker once had a friend (‘once’ because unfortunately, he has passed away) dear to him. He was a Christian and a successful man. He made a lot of money for himself and held a high position in his profession. If we look at him from the perspective of the world, he was successful and knew how to enjoy his life. He had a nice house, some nice cars, luxury watches, dresses well, travelled to many parts of the world, enjoyed sports, and watched sports.

Unfortunately, at a point of his life (approximately at the speaker’s current age), he was stricken with cancer. Initially, that cancer was something quite treatable. Hence, he went away for a year for treatment. Towards the end of that year, he responded very well to the treatment. The cancer where it originally was was kind of cleared.

He was in London then and the speaker in Singapore. He sent the speaker a video from his closed-circuit TV at home. It was a very interesting experience because he was getting better and hence doing some gardening in his garden. There was a tall tree in his garden. The video caught a tree that fell flat, which landed not too far away from the speaker’s friend. Basically, that tree had died and was hollow inside and no one knew. That video was sent to the speaker and a few friends, saying, “Wow, I was just cured from cancer and I almost died from that tree. I would have been so sad to die from a tree in my garden after going through treatment for a year. Hahaha” They were very happy and looked forward to meeting him again.

Unfortunately, not long after, he sent the speaker a text, “Not looking good mate, it’s gone to the bones.” What happened a year ago is that the doctor didn’t detect that the cancer had gone to the bones. They treated where he originally had the cancer and didn’t realise where it had spread to. When it’s gone to the bones, there’s no more cure. That is a fact. To cut the long story short, the speaker visited him. He was on his bed one day weeping. He then told the speaker something he still remembers very clearly now, “Tse Koon, the difference between you and I is that you know what it is all about, you know where you’ll be going. I’m lost. I don’t know where I’m going. I don’t know what this is all about.” It’s very sad. The speaker tried to preach the gospel to him but it was too late.

Why is there death?
Read Romans 5:12;

‘Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned— ‘

Through one man, sin entered the world. Death is through sin and this death spread to all men because this man sinned. This one man refers to Adam. When Adam ate of the forbidden fruit, sin came into the world. Because there is sin, death came into the world. As long as we are human beings, we have all inherited this sin. Whether we like it or not, this is a fact. Why is there this irony that one day we live, one day we die? Because there is sin in us.

Some may say, “That’s what I don’t like about you Christians. I’m a good guy! I’ve not done anything wrong. I’ve always tried to do good but y’all keep telling us I’m a sinner.” It’s not us Christians saying that you’re a sinner. All men have sinned, we Christians included. We’re just making a factual statement. What’s important is to recognise and act on it. Don’t wait till it’s too late. Read Romans 7:15-20;

15 ‘For what I am doing, I do not understand. For what I will to do, that I do not practice; but what I hate, that I do. 16 If, then, I do what I will not to do, I agree with the law that it is good. 17 But now, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me. 18 For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells; for to will is present with me, but how to perform what is good I do not find. 19 For the good that I will to do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice. 20 Now if I do what I will not to do, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me.’

This passage sounds like a tongue twister but if you read it slowly, you’ll know that it’s an accurate description. It’s not that there’s no good in us. In all of us, there IS some good in us. To some, there is a lot of good! But have we ever in our lives known what is good, want to do it, but could not do it? There are also times when we knew something was not good but still do it; we know we shouldn’t fight for that parking lot but still do.

The Bible tells us, “The very good that I will do,I do not do. The very evil I will not do, I do.” Why?
There is sin in each and every one of us. Yes, despite the fact that there is good in us, there’s also bad in us. Do you agree? Ask yourself this: who taught you to tell a lie? Have you ever lied? No? You just did. Who taught us to tell lies? Surely it wasn’t our parents. Surely it wasn’t our teachers. Somehow, as we grow up, we tell lies. The speaker doesn’t think that anyone teaches children bad things deliberately but somehow when children grow up, they know how to do bad and wrong things.

In the Bible is a story where someone brought an adulterous woman to Jesus asking, “What should we do with her?”

Jesus answered, “He who has no sin can take up the first stone and throw it.”

Gradually, they left, starting from the oldest to youngest. The more we live, the more wrong we do You may not agree; of course, you have your right to disagree. But sincerely think that through, really? Sincerely? If you sincerely think about it, you will agree. Why is there death? Because there’s sin. That’s a fact. What can we do about it? Is there anything we can do about it? Yes we can! If we can tackle sin, then we can tackle death. We can turn around in victory.

Some people have their own ways of tackling sin.
Some resort to the sacrifice of animals. If we look at history, there are many cultures where people offer animals as a sacrifice. Of course, in their own concept they think that if they set a bird free or sacrifice animals, those animals can atone for their sins. That is one perspective.

Yet, some others do not subscribe to that but they believe that they should do things to atone for their own sins. Therefore, they engage in many charitable acts to accumulate merits for themselves and in so doing, they atone for their sins.

If we were to think about this, what is the value of animals vs the value of men? If you want to buy something, you must at least pay for it with equivalent or more value. If you want to redeem something, you must also do so with the same. Can animals redeem a human being? Think again.

“I’m a sinner myself and I want to atone for my sins.” Is this possible?
By quantity or quality? These are methods that people employed. The speaker is not criticising others but just stating the different perspectives of the world.

For us Christians, we have a different belief. Read John 10:10;

‘The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.’

“I have come that they may have life and that they may have it more abundantly.”
Jesus has come into the world so that we can have life. Our own lives in this world will end up in death. Jesus knew this and came into the world to give us life! Read Matthew 20:28;

‘just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.”’

When Jesus came into the world, He came for one purpose: to die, to save all men. He died not for Himself but for us, to be a ransom to many. Because He died, we can live. Why? Because Jesus is God Himself. God is infinite. When God is infinite and comes to us as man, that sacrifice is an infinite one. When He, life, comes to die for us, that value in itself is clearly what we ourselves or animals could NOT have done! That is why, only if we believe in Jesus and accept the blood that Jesus shed on the cross for us which we receive during baptism, the Bible tells us that our sins are washed away. When our sins are washed away, we can have hope for eternal life. Just as Jesus Christ died and redirected, rose to heaven, we ourselves can rise from the dead and have eternal life in the heavenly kingdom. That is our Christian hope and that truly is the matter of life and death. In this short time, the speaker cannot talk about everything but he hopes that he can leave these few messages for us to make a decision to discover more about what life and death is about; to determine if Jesus is indeed the way to eternal life. May God help us.