WHAT’S THE MEANING OF ALL THIS?
The meaning of life – What is it? Who understands it? Those are the questions people badly want answered, but nobody seems to know how to obtain them. Believe it or not, all of us are engaged in a search to find these answers. Take a look around. We live in a world that is desperately seeking to define human existence. We live in a culture that has serious questions about the value or worth of human life. We wonder what it all means.
The problem is that we cannot look beyond what we see. As human beings we are limited to what we experience or observe around us. And so, in a time of weakness, we might be led to ask: WHAT’S THE MEANING OF ALL THIS? God is patient, however, and leads us to understand that this is 1) A question asked in frustration. Yet, God does not leave us alone in our query. We quickly learn that there is 2) An answer given by grace.
1) A Question Asked in Frustration
Solomon was looking for answers to the same questions we have. He would look around the world ask, “What’s the meaning of all this?” The answer God led him to find was a bit unsettling, but true. As Solomon looked here and there over all the activities in this life, he learned this truth: It’s meaningless. “Meaningless, meaningless! Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless!” This sounds rather discouraging. We might be tempted to think that Solomon was having “one of those days” when he penned these words. Yet, when we look closely at what he says, we see that Solomon was quite accurate and true.
Meaningless. The original idea behind that word is “breath.” The idea becomes very clear on a cold day, when we see our warm breath, only to watch it vanish. That is an accurate picture of life on earth. Behind all the hustle and bustle, the sparkle and shine, lies an existence that is empty and fleeting. This is hard to accept because we want a piece of the eternal right now. Deep down inside all of us there is the desire to obtain paradise. So we grasp at thin air in the hopes of catching something that will last.
And so off we run, searching for more. We shop, we purchase, we stockpile, and we hoard away all sorts of things. And why? Deep down we’re trying to convince ourselves that our lives are meaningful. Have you ever taken a look in your garage or your attic? I believe the average American’s garage is proof of Solomon’s observation: Everything is meaningless. Now, there might be a few items in there that mean something at the moment because they are important at that time. For example, the lawnmower, the bicycle, the car (if you can fit it in there), are generally meaningful things. Then there’s all that stuff, which when you look at it you might ask, what’s the meaning of all this? Then we get frustrated because we have all these things, but really don’t know what to make of it all. What once was so important often turns into a meaningless memento that is now stashed in some cobweb-ridden corner. It’s all an effort in futility. Solomon understood this frustration. If you read all of chapter two, you’d find that Solomon had a grand collection of things and people. All of it was meant to bring meaning to his life, but it only granted frustration in the end.
What’s even more frustrating is the other point Solomon makes. He says, “I hated all the things I had toiled for under the sun, because I must leave them to the one who comes after me. And who knows whether he will be a wise man or a fool?” What an injustice! We work so hard! We struggle, toil, and sweat for a lifetime, only to go to the grave without any guarantee that what we leave behind will be appreciated. When we look at life from this angle, much of it does seem meaningless and futile. In fact, it’s frustrating.
Solomon completes his point by describing the work-a-day life. “What does a man get for all the toil and anxious striving with which he labors under the sun? All his days his work is pain and grief; even at night his mind does not rest. This too is meaningless.” Solomon is not trying to rain on anybody’s parade. He’s not a pessimist. He’s being truthful. Pursuit for the meaning of life ends in stress. There’s physical stress. From all the overtime at the job to the chores around the home, people deny themselves the precious gift of rest. What’s the meaning of all this? Couple that with the mental stress and fatigue people experience --anxiety, worry, depression, feelings of worthlessness --and is it any wonder that millions spend sleepless nights in front of the TV? Perhaps you’ve been there. Again, what’s the meaning of all this? The real issue is that people are looking for spiritual rest and meaning. They are looking for spiritual answers in this physical world. Every evening people spend restless nights, on the sofa or in the armchair, watching the likes of Miss Cleo, dealing out her Tarot cards, and hoping to find meaning and answers.
2) An Answer Given By Grace
Solomon looked under the sun. That is to say he looked here and there. He looked high. He looked low. He examined wisdom, foolishness, pleasure, and accomplishments – everything under the sun. His conclusion? He found it all lacking. And yet, life goes on. The real question to ask is, “how do we live it?” God gives some answers through Solomon’s pen. In this life, he says, the best a person can do is to “eat and drink and find satisfaction in his work.” Now, that’s seems like poor advice because Solomon demonstrated how meaningless work and toil is, yet, Solomon adds the second, more crucial part of his answer. He says that this is possible only “from the hand of God.” What’s the meaning of all this? God answers the question by revealing his grace. This is something seen in God’s hand. As the psalmist says, “The LORD opens his hand and satisfies the desire of every living thing” (Psalm 145:16). In the Bible, God’s hand symbolizes unlimited power. And God uses that power to transform the meaningless into the meaningful.
We’re led to see that true enjoyment rests in God’s hands. That applies to this life. Enjoyment in this life is a gift only God can grant. For, you see, we are handcuffed by our own selfish ambitions. We are also shackled by our own sinful inability to meet those ambitions. We are unable to find enjoyment on our own. We are weak. We are corrupt. We are sinful. This inability to meet our own demands frustrates us.
God frees our hands from those shackles. He frees us by explaining the meaning of life to us. The key to true meaningful, lasting life is found in Christ. The meaning of this life is found in Christ’s life. He gave up his life so that we might be free to enjoy ours right now and forever. Christ himself says, “I have come that they may have life and have it to the full” (John 10:10).
Our Savior has freed us from the desperate search for meaning. Can we dare stand before the cross of Christ and ask, “What’s the meaning of this?” No! The meaning is clear. Sins are obviously forgiven. God loves us as his own. God means it. The cross proves it. There’s the power of God’s hand. God’s hand frees us to enjoy his blessings with both our hands.
That means we can enjoy this life. We can enjoy all those things we have piled up in our garages and attic, not because we find in them the meaning of life. No, we enjoy these things because we know they are rich blessings that come from the hand of the Creator of life, the Redeemer of life, and the Sanctifier of life – our gracious Savior-God!
What’s the meaning of all this? I had a grade school teacher who often said that whenever someone got into trouble. “What’s the meaning of this?” he would bellow. I suppose there were times when he really had to wonder how we could be so foolish.
Sometimes, we wonder the same thing. We get frustrated with ourselves, the world around us, or even with God. Still, God comes and reveals the grace that flows from his hand. When we become frustrated and want answers -- that’s when our Savior comes and opens his hands. There we see the nail marks –those wounds of love – which our Savior gladly endured. And suddenly, it makes sense. Amen.
