为何先论「施舍」，后论「祷告」？
《马太福音》第六章一开头将「施舍」与「祷告」连在一起谈。这两件事看似无关，实际上，这两件事有一个很重要的关联，就是：在恩典的事情上，我们先领受了上帝的恩典，然后再把恩典施予别人，所以这两件事其实是一件事。上帝是恩典的源头。当我们蒙恩的时候，我们是被动的；当我们施恩的时候，我们是主动的。耶稣把基督徒怎样蒙恩、基督徒怎样施恩这两件事连起来，上帝怎样把恩典赐给我们，我们要学习怎样把恩典分享与人。但从一到八节，我们看见次序好像是倒过来的——人先施恩，再向上帝求恩。
为什么这个次序是倒过来的呢？世人施舍时常以为自己是恩典的源头，耶稣在这里就是要纠正我们错误的态度。人永远不是恩典的源头，如果我们能够帮助别人，是上帝借着我们来帮助别人，上帝永远是恩典的源头，上帝永远是主动的，但我们记不记得上帝是主动施恩的源头呢？我们常常忘记这个次序，常以为自己是别人的施恩者，在施舍的事情上不够敬畏上帝，好像我们自己有能力帮助世人，把自己当作救世主，夺取上帝的荣耀。这是为什么耶稣先论「施舍」，后论「祷告」。
Hi GAMErs,
Today’s passage is Luke 23:13-26. Let’s go!
Luke 23:13-15 (NIV)
13 Pilate called together the chief priests, the rulers and the people,
14 and said to them, “You brought me this man as one who was inciting the people to rebellion. I have examined him in your presence and have found no basis for your charges against him.
15 Neither has Herod, for he sent him back to us; as you can see, he has done nothing to deserve death.
On verses 13-15: As both Pilate and Herod confirmed, Jesus had done nothing to deserve death. Jesus was innocent, and yet like a lamb led to the slaughter, Jesus was being condemned to death.
出埃及记40章 17-19节 第二年正月初一日，帐幕就立起来。摩西立起帐幕，安上带卯的座，立上板，穿上闩，立起柱子， 在帐幕以上搭罩篷，把罩篷的顶盖盖在其上，是照耶和华所吩咐他的。
摩西用五章经文来描述神所要建立的帐幕，从百姓的奉献到帐幕建成，其中还包括了祭司和大祭司的制服。〈出埃及记〉35-40章，形容以色列人在出埃及后的第二年月初一日，建立了神所要的帐幕，神在以色列人中间终于有了自己的家。原来神是如此盼望和他们住在一起，神所盼望的就是成为以色列人当中的一份子。你能够想像，神也希望成为你家的一份子吗？神盼望成为我们生活中的一份子。耶和华不只是高高在上的神，祂更要成为我们生命中最要好的朋友。
「以马内利」不只是一个说词，那是神最深切的心愿，神要与我们同在，与我们同行。只有当你对某人爱得刻骨铭心，你才会渴望朝朝暮暮和对方在一起，这就是神对我们的爱。有个父亲写信给他的女儿，他说：「女儿，你要记住，天下不会再有男人像我那样爱你。我是天下第一个最爱你的男人，也是最后一个。」当然，他的意思不是要女儿一辈子和他在一起，而是提醒她，不管发生何事，父亲永远等着要帮助她，成为她的力量。父神也是如此，期望我们永远明白祂爱我们，祂对我们的爱永远不会改变。
神的帐幕在人间，摩西记下了神吩咐的每个细节，邀请凡是自觉心里有智慧的，心里受感和甘心乐意的人一起来建造神的帐幕。这三个条件都很重要，因为神给每个人不同的智慧，有的人会纺纱织布，有的人会砍树造型，有的人有手艺做盘子或雕塑，有的人会调香料，神需要不同的人合作，才能制造一个完美的家。也不要外行管内行，越管越凄凉。
其次是要心有所感，心里有感动，明白是出于神的呼召，做事才会有使命感。同样一件事，有使命感的人一定会做到最好才罢休，没有使命感的人可能会觉得，只要做得差不多就可以了。第三，要甘心乐意，不管是奉献或事奉，神都希望我们不是被强迫的。做得不高兴就宁可别做了，免得影响其他人的情绪。
Hi GAMErs,
Today’s passage is Luke 23:1-12. Let’s go!
Luke 23:1-7 (NIV)
1 Then the whole assembly rose and led him off to Pilate.
2 And they began to accuse him, saying, “We have found this man subverting our nation. He opposes payment of taxes to Caesar and claims to be Christ, a king.”
3 So Pilate asked Jesus, “Are you the king of the Jews?” “Yes, it is as you say,” Jesus replied.
4 Then Pilate announced to the chief priests and the crowd, “I find no basis for a charge against this man.”
5 But they insisted, “He stirs up the people all over Judea by his teaching. He started in Galilee and has come all the way here.”
6 On hearing this, Pilate asked if the man was a Galilean.
7 When he learned that Jesus was under Herod’s jurisdiction, he sent him to Herod, who was also in Jerusalem at that time.
On verses 1-7: Being under Roman rule, the chief priests and teachers of the law did not have the authority to order capital punishment. So they go to someone with that authority, namely, Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor of Judea. The chief priests and teachers of the law try to convince Pilate that Jesus is deserving of death. Despite the assembly falsely accusing Jesus of subverting the Jewish nation and opposing payment of taxes (v2), and despite Jesus acknowledging that he is the king of the Jews (v3), Pilate finds no basis for a charge against Jesus (v4).
出埃及记34章1-3节 耶和华吩咐摩西说：「你要凿出两块石版，和先前你摔碎的那版一样，其上的字我要写在这版上。明日早晨，你要预备好了，上西奈山，在山顶上站在我面前。谁也不可和你一同上去，遍山都不可有人，在山根也不可叫羊群牛群吃草。」
摩西又要上山了，这一次也是四十昼夜。没饭吃，没水喝的四十昼夜(出34:28)。〈阿摩司书〉4章11节，主耶和华说：「人饥饿非因无饼，干渴非因无水，乃因不听耶和华的话。」摩西的经历很可以印证神的话，他两个四十天在山上见神，都是这样过来的，虽然无饼无水，但是他的身体十分健朗，上下山一点无碍。
他的健康不仅没有受到影响，他的脸反而因为亲近神而有了神的光辉。他自己不知道，但是亚伦和以色列众人看见摩西的面皮发光，就怕挨近他。因此，摩西跟他们讲话时，就用帕子蒙上脸；但摩西进到耶和华面前与祂说话就揭去帕子，及至出来的时候，便用帕子蒙上脸，再将耶和华所吩咐的告诉以色列人。
因为亲近神而有了神的荣光，摩西却没有一点属灵的骄傲，自觉高人一等；反而，一旦发现众人因而害怕接近他时，他便用帕子蒙上脸，好让众人可以放心地亲近他。摩西这样的做法很可以帮助我们，教导我们不要有属灵的骄傲。
有的人因为圣灵赐给他(她)讲方言的恩赐，就自觉高人一等，觉得别的信徒都不如他(她):有的信徒得了神某方面的医治，也自觉高人一等，批评起人事，信口开河。这些都是不成熟的表现。不管我们从神领受了什么，都不表示我们高过其他信徒。神恩待你，也恩待别的信徒，为何要表现得有如鹤立鸡群？摩西的谦和很足以让我们学习。
神叫摩西凿了两块石版，祂还是自己亲自在石版上写下十诫和其他的律例。有神亲手写的石版，实在宝贵，本来放在约柜里保存，可惜不知何时弄丢，就再也没有了。摩西带着石版上山后，耶和华在云中降临。
Hi GAMErs,
Today’s passage is Luke 22:54-71. Let’s go!
Luke 22:54-71 (NIV)
54 Then seizing him, they led him away and took him into the house of the high priest. Peter followed at a distance.
55 But when they had kindled a fire in the middle of the courtyard and had sat down together, Peter sat down with them.
56 A servant girl saw him seated there in the firelight. She looked closely at him and said, “This man was with him.”
57 But he denied it. “Woman, I don’t know him,” he said……
Peter’s denial was based on weakness and fear. After the Last Supper, Jesus took the disciples to the Garden of Gethsemane to await His arrest. There Jesus told them to be alert and prayerfully while He went off to pray by Himself. When Jesus returned to them, He found the disciples sleeping. Jesus warned Peter to stay awake and pray because the spirit was willing, and the flesh was weak.
Peter, despite this warning, fell asleep, and by the time the soldiers had come to arrest Jesus, it was too late to pray for the strength to endure the trial ahead. Later, after Peter was restored, he urged Christians to be alert in 1 Peter 5:8. Peter’s weakness caused him to be devoured temporarily as he denied the Lord three times because he wasn’t prepared in prayer and underestimated the extent of his weakness.
出埃及记33章13节 我如今若在祢眼前蒙恩，求祢将祢的道指示我，使我可以认识祢，好在祢眼前蒙恩。求祢想到这民是祢的民。
从山上下来，摩西就好像被卷入了一个巨大的漩涡里。一边是百姓的悖逆，一边是神的愤怒。他处理了百姓中那些不顺服，不愿属神的人，也拒绝了神给他的建议，他不要神灭绝这些百姓，也谢绝神要为他建立的王国。处理这些事，使摩西筋疲力竭。
然后，神跟摩西说：「我曾起誓应许亚伯拉罕、以撒、雅各说：『要将迦南地赐给你的后裔。』现在你和你从埃及地所领出来的百姓，要从这里往那地去。我要差遣使者在你前面，撵出迦南人、亚摩利人、赫人、比利洗人、希未人、耶布斯人，领你到那流奶与蜜之地。我自己不同你们上去，因为你们是硬著颈项的百姓，恐怕我在路上把你们灭绝。」(出33:1-3)
神说祂不要与以色列人同行了，祂要派使者领以色列人去迦南。神也不满意以色列人，发生了这样得罪神的事，还在身上挂一堆装饰。因此以色列人从住何烈山以后，就把身上的装饰摘得干净。
那时以色列人还没有正式的会幕，因此摩西将他的帐篷支搭在营外，离营甚远，他称这帐篷为会幕。凡求问耶和华的，就到营外的会幕那里去。当摩西出营到会幕去的时候，百姓就都起来，各人站在自己帐篷的门口，望着摩西，直等到他进了会幕。摩西进会幕的时候，云柱降下来，立在会幕的门前，耶和华便与摩西说话。众百姓看见云柱立在会幕门前，就都起来，各人在自己帐篷的门口下拜。摩西转到营里去，唯有他的帮手，一个少年人嫩的儿子约书亚，不离开会幕。(出33:7-11)
摩西进会幕的时候，云柱降下来，立在会幕的门前，耶和华便与摩西说话。
耶和华与摩西面对面说话，好像人与朋友说话一般。
Hi GAMErs,
Today’s passage is Luke 22:39-53. Let’s go!
Luke 22:39-40 (NIV)
39 Jesus went out as usual to the Mount of Olives, and his disciples followed him.
40 On reaching the place, he said to them, “Pray that you will not fall into temptation.”
On verses 39-40: Previously, when his disciples asked Jesus how to pray, one of the lines Jesus taught them to pray was “lead us not into temptation” (Luke 11:4). Now is when the rubber meets the road, when the disciples are in a situation where they need to pray more than ever the way Jesus teaches them to pray.
How often do you pray, “Lord, lead me not into temptation”? It may be a prayer we ought to pray more often.
Luke 22:41-42 (NIV)
41 He withdrew about a stone’s throw beyond them, knelt down and prayed,
42 “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.”
On verses 41-42: Jesus is the Son of God, the most powerful man to ever live. Yet notice the way Jesus approaches his Father in prayer:
出埃及记32章34节 现在你去领这百姓，往我所告诉你的地方去，我的使者必在你前面引路，只是到我追讨的日子，我必追讨他们的罪。
耶和华神在山上告诉摩西，以色列人在山下造了一只金牛犊，向它下拜献祭。摩西求神不要降祸于祂的百姓，神应允了他。当摩西手里拿着两块神亲手写的法版下山时，就看见牛犊，又看见人跳舞，便发烈怒，把两块版扔在山下摔碎了，又将他们所铸的牛犊用火焚烧，磨得粉碎，撒在水面上，叫以色列人喝。
摩西责备亚伦，亚伦却把责任都推给百姓。摩西就站在营门中，说：「凡属耶和华的，都要到我这里来！」于是利未的子孙都到他那里聚集。他对他们说：「耶和华以色列的神这样说：『你们各人把刀跨在腰间，在营中往来，从这门到那门，各人杀他的弟兄与同伴并邻舍。』」利未的子孙照摩西的话行了。那一天百姓中被杀的约有三千。摩西说：「今天你们要自洁，归耶和华为圣，各人攻击他的儿子和弟兄，使耶和华赐福于你们。」(出32:26-29)
这段经文让我们看了不解，摩西为何要叫他们杀自己人呢？只为了拜偶像吗？拜偶像是这么严重的死罪吗？你认为呢？
假如我们把主耶稣的话放在这里，可能可以有更深一层的理解。耶稣说：「人到我这里来，若不爱我胜过爱自己的父母、妻子、儿女、弟兄、姐妹和自己的性命，就不能做我的门徒。 (路14:26) 」不能做主的门徒，意思就是与祂无份了，与耶稣无份的人有什么样的结局呢？
Hi GAMErs,
Today’s passage is Luke 22:25-38. Let’s go!
Luke 22:25-27 (NIV)
25 Jesus said to them, “The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them; and those who exercise authority over them call themselves Benefactors.
26 But you are not to be like that. Instead, the greatest among you should be like the youngest, and the one who rules like the one who serves.
27 For who is greater, the one who is at the table or the one who serves? Is it not the one who is at the table? But I am among you as one who serves.
On verses 25-27: Back in Jesus’ time, the highest profile leaders were very much about titles and throwing their weight around (v25). In contrast, Jesus calls his disciples to a revolutionary kind of leadership, one that is about service. In God’s economy, the greatest and most valuable leaders are those who serve.
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