During our Easter service yesterday, we showed a video asking the question, “Why do you seek the living among the dead?” This question is based on the first several verses of Luke chapter 24, where the women take spices to the tomb of Jesus and find the stone rolled away. They also discover that the body of Jesus is no longer there. At that point, two angels ask the women, “Why do you seek the living among the dead?”

This question is then connected to some other important questions: “Why do we seek life in things that lead to death?” “Why do we look for a savior in all the wrong places?” “We want to live life to the fullest, but we chase the things that ultimately kill us.” “Why do we search for fulfillment in emptiness?”

Too often, that emptiness we pursue is pleasure. Dr. Scott Wilson, a preacher in Australia, writes about the specific emptiness of pleasure, with Solomon as his example. Of course, Solomon pursued all of the “under the sun” pleasures: money; possessions; alcohol; sex; music; even work. He chased after everything he saw and wanted.

Then Dr. Wilson goes on to share some truths about pleasure in life. With some paraphrasing, condensing, and summarizing, here are a few of his points:

• Sin can be pleasurable, but ends up hurting others and killing you.
• Pleasure is not evil, but it is empty (and evil) to seek pleasure apart from God.
• God created pleasure and wants us to enjoy it as a gift from Him.
• The greatest pleasure in life is knowing and loving God, and this ultimate joy brings life’s “smaller” joys into their proper place and perspective.