作者Right Revd Dr Jo wells 主教 那時,上來過節禮拜的人中,有幾個希利尼人。他們來見加利利伯賽大的腓力,求他說,先生,我們願意見耶穌。腓力去告訴安得烈,安得烈同腓力去告訴耶穌。耶穌說,人子得榮耀的時候到了。我實實在在的告訴你們,一粒麥子不落在地裡死了,仍舊是一粒.若是死了,就結出許多子粒來。愛惜自己生命的,就失喪生命.在這世上恨惡自己生命的,就要保守生命到永生。若有人服事我,就當跟從我.我在那裡,服事我的人,也要在那裡.若有人服事我,我父必尊重他。 我現在心裡憂愁,我說甚麼才好呢?父阿,救我脫離這時候,但我原是為這時候來的。父阿,願你榮耀你的名。當時就有聲音從天上來說,我已經榮耀了我的名,還要再榮耀。站在旁邊的眾人聽見,就說:打雷了.還有人說,有天使對他說話。耶穌說,這聲音不是為我,是為你們來的。現在這世界受審判.這世界的王要被趕出去。我若從地上被舉起來,就要吸引萬人來歸我。耶穌這話原是指著自己將要怎樣死說的。 我想告訴大家,坐在前排的這些弟兄姊妹,今日踏出接受堅振禮的一步,是他們人生之中最好的決定。事實上,不管你是甚麼人,亦不論何時何地,跟隨耶穌,永遠都是最佳決定。 或者我們可以運用想像力,將今日預備接受堅振禮的弟兄姊妹,置身在上耶路撒冷過節的群眾中間。在擠擁的群眾當中,有幾個人亦同樣踏出一步,想要尋找耶穌的門徒腓力。比較令人意外的是,這幾位是希利尼人。儘管他們是外邦人,不能和猶太人一齊慶祝踰越節,他們卻願意採取主動,以莫大的勇氣去問腓力,他們可不可以去見耶穌。他們並非決定跟隨耶穌,至少在這一刻還未決定,但他們不怕公開表達對耶穌的好奇之心。他們有心追求,亦不怕承認,於是就開口提問,由此啟動了一串連鎖反應:他們問腓力,腓力去問安得烈,安得烈又和腓力一齊去問耶穌。這令我想起小熊維尼作者緬恩(A. A. Milne)的一首打油詩,開頭幾句是這樣的:國王問王后,王后又去問牛奶女工:「可不可以給我們一點牛油,讓國王塗在麵包上?」詩歌接著說,有人建議國王不如改吃柑橘醬,但國王卻是個老古板,堅持非吃牛油不可。他說:「我只是想要一點點牛油而已。」同樣地,不知道「求見主面」這個要求,是否太過分?究竟有無可能實現? 我在想,大家今日來到這裡,是否也是希望求見耶穌?不論你是最近信主,或者返教會已有幾十年,又或者對於教會根本全無認識,我都盼望你今日能夠抱著開放的態度,以好奇甚至渴慕的心情,來到求見耶穌,來到發掘更多。因為崇拜的意義,本來就是如此。 希利尼人究竟可不可以去見耶穌呢?耶穌自己給了答案。他沒有助手或主教侍從代為擋駕,只有親自接招。然則,我們從他的回答學會了甚麼?看到了甚麼?如果希利尼人只是想拿耶穌的簽名、與名人自拍selfie上載IG、然後回家向朋友炫耀一番,他們的收穫可以說是超乎預期。不過,這位名人與其他名人有點不同。耶穌首先提到人子要得榮耀,但是轉頭又將榮耀與死亡相提並論。耶穌亦都表明,門徒的生命若要發揮任何影響力,單是見見耶穌並不足夠,必須要跟隨他才可以。他們不能只是拍攝一張照片,然後把它存在雲端置諸不理。他們不能只來參加堅振禮,亮一下相,然後就隱形不知所終。要真真正正的見到耶穌,就要一直留在耶穌身邊,不論日子順逆,都要不離不棄,並且要知道,如此跟隨耶穌,是一件光榮的事。不是為名、不是為利,而是為了真正重要的榮耀,就是來自上帝的榮耀。第26節這樣說:若有人服事我,就當跟從我.我在那裡,服事我的人,也要在那裡.若有人服事我,我父必尊重他。 然後,耶穌將他的論述重點,由原則轉移到具體,由所有人轉移到他自己。我們將會見到的,不單是耶穌的外表,我們更加能夠看到他的內心世界。我們看到了甚麼呢?原來耶穌心裡憂愁,不知道自己能否承受得了,能否保持忠心,不論順逆都不會離開上帝。大家明白嗎?凡是耶穌要求我們去做的,沒有一樣不是他自己已經親身經歷過的,這就是道成肉身的意義。各位朋友,大家即將要委身跟隨耶穌,作出人生最好的決定。大家的心情可能戰戰兢兢,但這樣的委身也表明了莫大的勇氣。我想指出,大家要跟隨的這一位耶穌,已經向你以至向所有人,完全敞開自己。耶穌同凡人一樣會過節,就好似我們,假若能夠買到門票,都會希望參加節日盛會。然而,見到耶穌,原來就等同見到上帝,可以感受到上帝的心腸,不單歡迎猶太人,也歡迎希利尼人;對於敬虔人和邊緣人,同樣包容接納。更加重要的是,上帝的心腸,隨時預備為這個需要上帝的世界而破碎,落在地裡而死,結出許多子粒,為的是將羞辱化為榮耀,幫助我們真正看見,帶給我們愛的確據,讓我們知道,在上帝內心深處,對我們的愛是何等長闊高深。 原來,親眼見主,也包括親眼見證他的痛苦。不過,痛苦並不是結局。親眼見主,也包括親眼看見主的榮耀。不過,不是風和日麗在水上行走的那種榮耀,而是在風暴中飽受打擊的榮耀。忍受苦難本身就是一種榮耀;苦難的另外一面就是榮耀。今日的福音經課,以希利尼人求見耶穌作為開始,演變成一則關於榮耀的信息,既指向過去的榮耀,亦指向未來的榮耀。經文說:有聲音從天上來說,我已經榮耀了我的名,還要再榮耀。有人以為這是雷聲,也有人以為是天使說話。顯然,並非人人都能領略上帝的聲音。但耶穌卻肯定這是上帝的說話,既帶有審判,亦帶有歡迎世人的確據。他說:我若從地上被舉起來,就要吸引萬人來歸我。 這道理不是人人都能明白。即使是正在講道的我,亦不能完全明白。今日預備接受堅振的弟兄姊妹,就算不完全明白也沒有關係。但是我們應該緊記今日福音經課的教訓:人人都可以求見耶穌,沒有需要害怕。不論人生前路如何,我們若跟隨耶穌到底,最終見到的將會是榮耀。我在開始的時候說,這是你一生中的最佳決定,原因正在於此。 Now among those who went up to worship at the festival were some Greeks. 21They came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, and said to him, ‘Sir, we wish to see Jesus.’ 22Philip went and told Andrew; then Andrew and Philip went and told Jesus. 23Jesus answered them, ‘The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. 24Very truly, I tell you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains just a single grain; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. 25Those who love their life lose it, and those who hate their life in this world will keep it for eternal life. 26Whoever serves me must follow me, and where I am, there will my servant be also. Whoever serves me, the Father will honour.
‘Now my soul is troubled. And what should I say—“Father, save me from this hour”? No, it is for this reason that I have come to this hour. 28Father, glorify your name.’ Then a voice came from heaven, ‘I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again.’ 29The crowd standing there heard it and said that it was thunder. Others said, ‘An angel has spoken to him.’ 30Jesus answered, ‘This voice has come for your sake, not for mine. 31Now is the judgement of this world; now the ruler of this world will be driven out. 32And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.’ 33He said this to indicate the kind of death he was to die. I put it to you that the folks sitting on the front rows, those who’ve decided to take the step of confirmation today, are making the very best decision of their lives. The very best decision that anyone can ever make in any circumstances. To follow Jesus. They are those who we might picture jostling in the crowds in Jerusalem. Where a few people –surprisingly they are Greeks – take the step of finding Philip, one of Jesus’ disciples. Even though they’re outsiders at this Jewish festival of Passover, they take the initiative, and with immense courage ask if they might see Jesus. They’re not making the decision to follow – not yet – but they’re going public with their curiosity: they’re honest in their searching, and so they ask. And that sets off a sort-of chain reaction – they ask Philip, Philip asks Andrew, then Andrew and Philip ask Jesus. (Reminded of A.A.Milne poem where the king asks the queen, and the queen asks the dairymaid, ‘could we have some butter for the royal slice of bread?’… In that poem the king first gets offered marmalade instead and ends up having to persist like the original fuddy-duddy, ‘but I would like just a little bit of butter for my bread?’) I wonder, is it too much to ask to see Jesus? Is it possibly possible? I wonder, if you came here today in hope of seeing Jesus? (Whether you’re a brand new disciple or you’ve been hanging out in church for most of your life, or you’ve no idea what church is all about, I hope you came here today with an openness, a curiosity, even eagerness, to see Jesus. To discover more. That’s what worship is all about). Well it’s Jesus who replies for himself. No layers of protection from PAs or chaplains here. He takes the bull by the horns. And what is it we learn, who is it that we see from the reply? Those Greeks got more than they’d bargained for if they just wanted his autograph, the selfie for Instagram, the moment with celebrity. they just wanted to go home and tell friends that they got close to a celebrity. But this celebrity is different. Jesus speaks of glory, and being glorified. But in the next breath he links it to dying. Then he links dying to eternal life. And the necessity of not just seeing but following if their life is to have any impact. They can’t just take the snap and save it on iCloud. They can’t just show up for confirmation and then sail off into the sunset. Seeing Jesus – really seeing Jesus – means staying with Jesus. Sticking with him through thick and thin. And finding in that following true honour. Not fame, not fortune, but what really matters. Honour from God. 26’Whoever serves me must follow me, and where I am, there will my servant be also. Whoever serves me, the Father will honour.’ And then Jesus moves from the general to the particular, from speaking about everyone – whoever – to speaking about himself. It’s like we get to see not only the outside of Jesus, but the inside of Jesus, his heart. And what do we discover? That his heart is close to breaking and he wonders about his capacity to cope, to be faithful, to hang in there through thick and thin with God. (Do you see, there’s nothing he asks of us that he doesn’t first go through himself? That’s the incarnation for you). Friends, the one to whom you are committing yourself to following, this ‘best decision’ you’re making today, perhaps in fear and trembling and tremendous courage, is with someone who opens himself up to you, to all of us, wholly and completely. And in seeing Jesus – the human being who went to festivals just as we all like to do if we can get a ticket – seeing Jesus turns out to be seeing God, the heart of God which is not only welcoming to Greeks as well as Jews, inclusive to outsiders as well as to religious types, but it’s a heart that is ready to break for a world in need, to fall into the earth and die, to bear much fruit. To turn shame into honour. To help us see. To assure us we are loved. Deeply loved, on the inside. It turns out that Seeing Jesus includes seeing something of his agony. But it doesn’t end there. Seeing Jesus is also about seeing glory. Not the kind of glory that walks on water on blue sky sunny days but the kind of glory that withstands the depths when the storm would seem to be overpowering. The glory that withstands suffering; the glory that shines on the other side of suffering. The revelation here that’s unleashed through a few people asking to see Jesus turns into a message about glory, glory in the past and glory in the future, a voice that clearly not everyone catches – ‘I have glorified it and will glorify it again’. Some think it’s just thunder, others think there’s some angel. But Jesus affirms it as God’s word, a word of judgement as well as the definitive word of welcome. ‘I when I am lifted up will draw all people to myself’. Not everyone gets it. Even as I preach about it I’m aware that I don’t fully get it. It’s ok if those of you being confirmed don’t fully get it. But hear this from today’s gospel: no one should be afraid to ask to see Jesus. And know that what you’ll see, whatever life serves up on the way, what you’ll see if you follow Jesus all the way, is glory. That’s why this is the very best decision of your life.
0 評論
作者Revd Dr Samuel Wells 聖馬田堂主任牧師 你覺得你滿足嗎? “滿足什麼?”你可能會説。一切都要得到滿足?如果有一種多數人也經歷過的焦慮,那就是對不足的焦慮。因為經濟發展是依賴於人們認為自己只需要更多。 十誡打破了“一切都不足”這種令人厭煩的假設。看看第八條誡命,不可偷盜。想一想偷竊的心理。”偷竊”是覺得世上的資源是不足的,如若我要得到所需,就必有人因此而受苦。但上帝説:“不可偷盜”。 看看第四條誡命,當守安息日。想想每天工作時的心理。這工作必須完成,且只有我能做到,每個人都依賴我,沒有足夠的時間,這是一個競爭激烈的世界,如果我沒有得到這份合同,機會便會給了其他人,如果我多花一點時間的話這個提案將會很完美,我不夠聰明,只能用努力來彌補。我連週末也不能坐下來休息因為我父母沒有支付我的學費。但違反安息日的命令就等於説這個宇宙中只有一位救世主,那就是我。但上帝説‘你要安息’.. 看看第三條誡命,你不可妄稱上帝的名。想想當我們這樣做時我們的腦海裏在想什麼。當我的言詞似乎未能表達我們內心那強烈及深刻的感覺時。我們便借用上帝的名。我們把神聖貶成廉價的言詞,。每當我們誇大其詞時,也是一樣。我們就是在說真理仍有不足。你不可妄稱上帝的名. 然後是第二條誡命,你不可為自己塑造偶像。這實際上就是覺得上帝還有不足的心理,覺得上帝不夠大,或者至少不夠近 。所以我要創造一個能與我產生共鳴的上帝,一個和我一樣大小的上帝 - 也許是一輛汽車,也許是一份職業,甚至是能告訴我體重的秤。現在我們已經接近問題的核心了。我們有一種恆常的焦慮,因為我們的不足 - 財富的不足,時間的不足,愛的不足,言詞的不足。但問題的核心是我們覺得我們沒有足夠的上帝。我們所唱的詩歌、崇拜、祈禱和一切經歷上帝的時刻,上帝是不足夠。 因此上帝説這些話的那一刻才如此重要。以色列剛離開埃及,就已經開始想像留下來是否會更好。上帝説:‘問題不是我有不足,而是對於你,我是太多了。 你貧窮的想象限制你去理解我。我愛所有受造物,更珍惜你們每一個都是獨特的。你能想象到嗎? ‘不,你不能,可以嗎?你仍然認為我還是不足夠。你變得焦慮,當你焦慮時,你開始想要更多的上帝、更多的錢、更多的東西。我在沙漠裏給你嗎哪,超過你所需要的。你仍然在安息日收集,因為你擔心不足夠。我在沙漠裏給了你水。但你的思緒仍然回到了埃及。如果你能用你的想像,讓我釋放你,帶你進入應許之地。 “但這刻,這裏有一些規則來提醒你什麼是最重要的,我就是你所需要的一切,我的豐盛總是大於你的匱乏。不要有其他上帝:他們越多,我就越少。沒有偶像:它們永遠不能滿足你,並且會令你忘記我是充足的。守安息日:我會給你所需要的時間。照顧你年邁的父母,不可偷竊盜 - 我會給你所需要的一切。不可殺人 - 他們是我給你所有的其中一部分。不要亂用言詞 - 是就說“是” 。不是就說“不是” 對你就已足夠了。 實際上,這取決於第一條誡命和最後一條誡命。你,不安焦慮、貪婪垂涎着他人看似的美好,卻越發感覺貧窮,越發失落,越發自憐,越發困入於自己的想象籠牢中,越發成為奴隸。上帝説,你每一個繁複和美麗的細節不都是我精心所創造,並將你從最黑暗的監獄中釋放出來,即使你最仇視的是你自己也一次又一次地原諒你,並以耶穌來到你中間與你同行。 只有你,只有上帝。面對面。那就是上帝伸出雙手給你十誡的時刻。上帝説:‘你可能會一再跌落去想像及感覺我的不足。很多人也都這樣做。所以這裏有一些禮物。他們會幫助你記住你的自由。他們會挑戰你的想象力並讓你認識到我是一位豐盛的神,給予你超乎所需的豐富,遠遠超過你所渴望或需要的。我創造的星系超過人能看見,我寬恕的深度超過一切罪人的罪 ,我給你在耶穌裏的愛超過你所能理解。 我們從上帝手中接過這份禮物,凝望上帝的面容,我們説:‘願這些誡命永遠成為我心中的恩賜,而非負擔。願他們時刻提醒我,你是獨一真神。是釋放我自由的上帝,請把這些話刻在我的心上,使我永遠不會忘記,你就是我所需要的一切。因為我現在明白,和你在一起,一個就足夠了。” Do you think you have enough? ‘Enough what?’ You may say. Enough anything? If there’s one anxiety most people can share, it’s an anxiety about not having enough. It’s just as well, because the economy depends on people thinking they need just a little bit more.
The Ten Commandments dismantle this nagging assumption that there is not enough. Look at the 8th commandment, you shall not steal. Think for a moment about the psychology of stealing. Stealing is saying there isn’t enough in the world and if I’m going to have what I need then someone else is bound to suffer. But God said, ‘You shall not steal’. Look at the 4th commandment, remember the Sabbath day. Think about the psychology of working every day. It has to be done, only I can do it, everybody is depending on me, there’s not enough time, it’s a competitive world out there, if I don’t get this contract someone else will, if I put a bit more time in this proposal will be perfect, I’m not clever enough, I can only make up for it with hard work, my parents aren’t paying for my education so I can sit around all weekend. Breaking the command to rest is saying there’s only one saviour in this universe and it’s me. But God said ‘You shall rest’. Look at the 3rd commandment, you shall not make wrong use of the name of God. Think about what is in our minds when we do so. It’s when the language at our disposal doesn’t seem to convey the strength or depth of feeling in our hearts. So we invoke the name of God. We make the holy into the trivial, and thus impoverish the language. Whenever we exaggerate, we do the same thing. We say the truth is somehow not enough. You shall not make wrong use of the name of God. And then there’s the 2nd commandment, you shall not make yourself an idol. Surely the psychology of this is that God is not enough – not big enough, or at least not near enough. So I shall make a god I can relate to, a god my size – a car perhaps, a career maybe, even the scales that tell me how much I weigh. And now we’re getting nearer the heart of the problem. There’s an abiding anxiety that we don’t have enough – not enough property, not enough time, not enough love, not enough language. But the heart of the matter is that we feel we don’t have enough God. For all our hymns and services and prayers and moments of truth, God is not enough. And that’s why the moment in which God speaks these words is so significant. Israel has come out of Egypt, but is already beginning to wonder if it wouldn’t have been better off staying. God says, ‘The problem is not that I am not enough for you – it is that I am too much for you. Your imaginations are simply too small to comprehend me. I love every creature I have made, but I treasure each one of you as if you were the only one. Can you imagine? ‘No, you can’t, can you. You still fall into thinking I’m not enough. You get anxious, and when you get anxious you start wanting more gods, more money, more things. I gave you manna in the desert, far more food than you needed. You still collected on the Sabbath because you feared there wouldn’t be enough. I gave you water in the desert. But still your thoughts were straying back to Egypt. If only you could let your imaginations go and enter the land I am promising you, and let me set you free. ‘But in the meantime, here are some rules to remind you of what matters most, that I am more than enough, that my abundance is always greater than your scarcity. Have no other gods: more of them means less of me. Have no idols: they will never be remotely enough, and will lead you to forget that I am plenty. Keep the Sabbath: I will give you all the time you need. Look after your aging parents and don’t steal – I will give you everything you need. Don’t kill people – they are part of the everything I am giving you. Don’t misuse language – yes and no will be enough for you.’ Really it comes down to the first commandment and the last. Here are you, anxious, covetous, looking at all the fun they seem to have next door, and all the time feeling more and more impoverished, more and more deprived, more and more sorry for yourself, more and more trapped in your stunted imagination, more and more a slave. And here, says God, am I, meticulously creating you in all your intricacy and beauty, setting you free from the darkest of prisons, forgiving you time and again even when your greatest hatred is for yourself, and coming among you to be your companion in Jesus. Just you, and just God. Face to face. And that’s the moment when God stretches out two hands and gives you the Ten Commandments. God says, ‘You may fall back into thinking or feeling that I am not enough. A lot of people do. So here are some gifts. They will help you remember your freedom. They will challenge your imagination to realise that I am a God of abundance, who gives you more than enough, far more than you could ever want or need, who created galaxies no one may ever see, who has depths of forgiveness no sinner may ever require, who gives you in Jesus more love than you could ever realise.’ And we take the gift from God’s hands, and we look into God’s face, and we say, ‘May these commandments be to me always a gift and never a burden. May they always remind me that you are the one true God who has set me free. Write these words on my heart so I never forget that you are always more than enough. For now I realise that, with you, one is plenty.’ 作者歐錫全弟兄 (平信徒分享) 我相信在座的大家可能都很享受過去兩週的中國新年聚會。今年,恰逢很多學校的期中假期來臨 。我藉此機會會見了近年來移居英國的朋友和家人。相信在座的一些家長可能理解派利是的負擔 。即使是沒有孩子的人,在過去的兩週裏也可能遇到了有孩子的家庭,因為過年期間拜訪和互致問候是我們中國的傳統。
與相識多年的朋友家人見面時,我們很享受,經常一起吃大餐,看三十年前的照片,回憶在香港的時光。 我們的討論還談到了在這個國家定居的快樂和挑戰,展示了他們為了孩子走出舒適區的勇氣。 除了回顧之外,有趣的是,我們經常討論父母共同關心的問題:尋找有效的解決方案來限制孩子在長假期間看屏幕的時間。 這一挑戰對於我們這一代人來説尤其明顯,因為電子遊戲和視頻在四十年前並不那麼有吸引力或容易獲得。此外,學校期中假期的概念對我的許多朋友來説都是新的。 。在香港,我們沒有經歷過沒有菲傭的為期一週的休息,而且這種情況一年會發生三次,而不是一次。由於大多數新搬到英格蘭的家庭無權享受免費的托兒服務,一些有附近朋友和家人的幸運父母可能會選擇分擔托兒責任。然而,很多人都在掙扎,有些人對我表示羨慕,因為我的兩個兒子年紀大了,看屏幕時間的問題似乎更少。”然而,我向他們保證,情況並非如此,我們都經歷着同樣的過程的成長.只是我對兒子的態度可能顯得更嚴格。 幾年前,當我兒子還很小的時候,我每週照顧三到四個晚上,照顧年齡相仿的教女和教子。四個孩子一起長大,我總是確保他們在使用 PlayStation 或平板電腦之前完成必要的閲讀和作業。曾經有一段時間,小兒子的在線作業每天只需要 20 分鐘,而我的大兒子兩年前就完成了。兩個孩子都很聰明,找到了不同的方法來完成他們的任務。雖然大兒子喜歡學習並覺得這些練習很有價值,但年幼的小兒子卻不同.....當弟弟要做作業時,他常常會誇獎他的哥哥和教姐聰明又樂於助人,本質上是讓他們為自己選擇正確的答案 。這讓他每天都能快速完成工作,同時還以為我不知道他的伎倆. 我對此保持沉默兩週,有一天晚上我與他對質。我説:“我發現你的作業準確率非常好,甚至比你哥哥兩年前的還要好。這些任務對你來説似乎太容易了。所以,如果你在我面前完成了今天的任務,你就可以直接進入遊戲,而以後不必再做。 你可以想象,當他意識到在線任務已經被他的兄弟和教姊隨着時間的推移提升到如此高的水平,以至於他無法理解任何問題時,他哭了接下來的20分鐘。然而,在接下來的八個月裏,我發現自己為他感到非常自豪,因為他在沒有任何屏幕時間的監督下努力奮鬥,直到完成考試,進入了他哥哥所在的理想學校。讓我印象特別深刻的是,他成功地抵制了慾望並控制了自己的行為。我們都知道,遊戲可以帶來即時的滿足感,而獲取知識的回報卻是很延遲的。 男孩的願望,就像我們小時候的願望一樣,常常與父母的期望不同。父母關注孩子的未來,孩子更關心自己現在的願望。我發現,理解年輕人的掙扎,再加上我們剛開始瞭解耶穌時與祈禱作鬥爭的經歷,與我們今天讀到的經文中的人物所面臨的挑戰是相似的。 讓我總結一下我們今天讀的兩節經文。在亞伯拉罕的故事中,我們見證了他對上帝應許賜給他一個兒子的堅定信念。儘管等待時間很長,而且撒拉無法懷孕,這對夫婦還是考慮與撒拉的僕人夏甲生一個孩子,作為實現上帝應許的一種手段。然而,神介入並明確表示這不是他實現應許的預期方式。最終,神祝福了夏甲所生的以實瑪利和撒拉所生的以撒,但最令人驚訝的是,祝福遠遠超出了亞伯拉罕最初的預期。 。亞伯拉罕不再只有一兩個繼承人,而是被應許成為萬國之父,展示了信仰、信任和信念在與上帝建立新關係方面的力量。 今天另一節經文中的主角彼得也面臨着類似的情況。在他宣佈耶穌隱藏的基督身份後,耶穌試圖向他解釋作為基督的真正含義。 。然而,彼得立即試圖説服耶穌改變他的計劃,或者換句話説,他不同意耶穌對基督的描述,因為這不符合他的期望。考慮到歷史背景,彼得和許多門徒期望耶穌領導一場反抗羅馬統治的叛亂,並讓門徒組成一個新的管理機構。而且,擁有數千名追隨者,組建軍隊也是輕而易舉的事。此外,耶穌的奇蹟,例如提供食物和醫療服務,似乎支持他領導革命的想法。然而,耶穌斥責彼得追求財富和個人安全,因為這違背了上帝的旨意。耶穌嚴厲地斥責他,甚至稱他為神的敵人。 我曾經懷疑為什麼神的兩個選民會犯這樣的錯誤,或者神是不是犯了一個錯誤,沒有選擇更瞭解他的人。然而,我最終意識到我的假設是錯誤的。我在那段時間同情彼得,因為耶穌宣佈他即將死亡,並要求他的追隨者背起十字架,這會令許多尋求“贏得勝利的上帝”的人放棄跟隨他。 。事實上,聖經記載,當耶穌確認他的追隨者也會承受苦難時,許多人就拋棄了他。這很容易被當時的人們誤解為揹着十字架的人是罪犯或戰敗者。 彼得對成功的期望本質上並不是錯誤的。畢竟,誰會願意選擇受苦而不是勝利和榮耀呢?只有耶穌揭示了真理:我們現在的生命轉瞬即逝,難以為繼,而真正的生命和寶藏卻在別處 。同樣,遊戲本身並沒有錯,但在履行職責之前優先考慮遊戲這就可能變成障礙。 我們的天父上帝樂於向那些響應他的呼召的人,作出並信守承諾,即使我們可能因為自己的期望而誤解了他的祝福。祂耐心地等待我們認識到,與祂所提供的真正恩典水平相比,我們的理解力是有限的 。即使我們有誤解,祂也允許我們跟隨祂,給我們犯錯誤的空間。即使祂看似沉默,祂也為我們提供發現自我的空間,隨時準備引導我們,即使我們試圖用錯誤的方法來獲得祝福。舊約和新約都表明,神的愛以他的恩典為特徵,他所應許的真正寶藏超出了我們自己的願望。正如對亞伯拉罕的祝福不僅僅只是擁有一個後裔,而是涵蓋了萬國的後裔,反映了他對神的信任和忠實的追隨,彼得最終勇敢地承擔了建立基督身體的角色。 那麼從現在到永恆,神想要給我們最重要的獎賞是什麼?我確實相信擁有兒子的生命並一直與父親在一起就是答案。為了接受這最終的恩典,耶穌指出了放棄舊生活方式並忍受十字架重擔是的唯一方法。 如果您發現很難想象如何開始,這個關於一對基督徒夫婦改變生活的故事可能會有所幫助。 去年,我被邀請去他們的新家。 T女士高興地領我去飯廳吃晚飯。突然,天花板上傳來敲擊聲,持續了幾秒,她臉上的笑容消失了。 。她説:“我喜歡這套公寓裏的一切——位置、寬敞、材料、室內裝飾——但就是噪音。賣家沒有告訴我們樓上的房客隨時隨地都會有這樣的行為 。我這層樓的鄰居告訴我,他們多年來一直容忍這種行為,並放棄了阻止他的努力。昨天,我和丈夫去他家門口做了自我介紹,並請他停止敲門。他説他會嘗試,但情況仍在繼續。" 這種拷擊聲讓我想起多年前我在社區心理健康團隊工作時認識的一位患者。我向她建議,樓上這位先生可能很難講道理,但看在上帝的份上,她可以善待他,也許會帶來一些改變 。她説:“我搬進來就沒好好睡過一覺,怎麼可能對這個搗蛋鬼好呢?" 後來我帶着一點內疚離開了他們的家,那天晚上我問自己是否是一個偽君子,建議我的朋友執行一項我自己可能無法執行的寬恕與和解任務 。然而一個月後,她興奮地給我打電話:“你可能不相信,你走後的第二天早上,敲門聲又響了。我感到憤怒和沮喪,但我內心的一個聲音敦促我試着對他好一點。我拿了一些早餐剩下的小籠包給他 。你知道,一開始很難,因為我認為無論如何它都無法阻止噪音。他很客氣地接過包子,並向我道歉,説他的精神狀況使他沒有時間意識,敲門是不自覺的。 他給了我他的電話號碼,並建議我每當它叫醒我時就給他發短信,他會嘗試停止。儘管噪音仍然存在,但當我給他發短信時,他真的試圖停下來。現在,他每週都會和我們一起吃晚飯。很難相信他擁有兩個碩士學位並且對音樂有很好的瞭解。 我感謝上帝在她勇敢和解後給予她的獎賞。 然而,幾個月後,T 女士打電話給我,阻着電話哭訴着。 我樓上的鄰居已經走了。救護車工作人員仍在他的公寓裏,他的媽媽感謝我過去幾個月為她提供的晚餐,因為她的兒子已經很多年沒有走出公寓了……這麼好的一個人怎麼會發生這種事? 我一時不知道該如何安慰她,但內心的一股衝動讓我説:“我很高興你那天違背自己的意願,帶着包子上樓了。今天,你為朋友而哭泣,而不是説出殘酷的話,“噪音終於消失了。” 我親眼目睹我慈悲的救主喚醒了她的靈魂並住在她裏面。雖然她經歷了寬恕不值得的人的痛苦,但她最終感受到了別人的痛苦,並發現了上帝應許給我們的真正的寶藏 。願這裏的每個人都受到神的同在的祝福,引導我們遠離錯誤的慾望,並在我們的生活中實現神的國度,願我們永遠以他的豐富為樂,而不會被自己的慾望所阻礙。 |
講道分享輯錄在聖馬田中文堂分享和講道的文字稿,讓弟兄姊妹能在日常重溫,咀嚼講員所分享的話。 類別
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