提后 2：20-21

在大户人家，不但有金器银器，也有木器瓦器。有作为贵重的，有作为卑贱的。人若自
洁，脱离卑贱的事，就必作贵重的器皿，成为圣洁，合乎主用，预备行各样的善事。

2 Tim 2:20-21

Now in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver but also of wood and
clay, some for honorable use, some for dishonorable. Therefore, if anyone cleanses
himself from what is dishonorable, he will be a vessel for honorable use, set apart as
holy, useful to the master of the house, ready for every good work.

最近我經常想起音樂劇《悲慘世界》(又名《孤星淚》)裡面的一首歌，Empty
Chairs at Empty Tables，裡面的一段歌詞是這樣的：

Recently a song in a musical Les Miserables is haunting in my mind. The song’s name is
Empty Chairs at Empty Tables. Below is part of it lyrics:

There's a grief that can't be spoken,

There's a pain goes on and on.
Empty chairs at empty tables,
Now my friends are dead and gone.

歌中的場景乃是法國大革命以後人去樓空的畫面。歌者的朋友已在革命中逝去，所
以桌椅皆空。

The context of the song is French Revolution. The friends of the singer passed away in
the revolution, leaving only empty chairs and empty tables.

我想之所以想起此曲，乃是在疫情之下，教會的活動被迫停止。很多平常使用的桌
椅和器皿，如今只能靜靜安置在教會之中。 如羅馬書 8：20 所說，因为受造之物
服在虚空之下，不是自己愿意，乃是因那叫他如此的。

The reason that I recall this song is that our church activities have to stop under the
pandemic situation. The tables, the chairs, and the vessels are now only lying in the
church quietly. The scene feels like what is said in Rom 8:20, “For the creation was
subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected
it…”

但今天的經文給予我一個盼望：原來神家中真實的器皿，乃是我們。物質的器皿有
被擱置一邊的時候，但“人若自洁，脱离卑贱的事，就必作贵重的器皿，成为圣洁，合乎
主用，预备行各样的善事。”神能隨時使用那些願意自潔的器皿！所以在今日，教
會並非人去樓空，因為神家的器皿就是我們，隨時被使用。

Yet, today’s Scripture gives me a hope. The real vessels in the house of our God is us.
The material vessels may be put away, but “if anyone cleanses himself from what is
dishonorable, he will be a vessel for honorable use, set apart as holy, useful to the master
of the house, ready for every good work.” God in any time is able to use the vessels who
cleanse themselves from what is dishonorable! Today, our church is not empty, because
the vessels in it are us. We are prepared to be used.