Let Jesus Take Your Place

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Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is John 11:45-57.  Let’s go!

John 11:45-48 (NIV) 
45  Therefore many of the Jews who had come to visit Mary, and had seen what Jesus did, put their faith in him. 
46  But some of them went to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done. 
47  Then the chief priests and the Pharisees called a meeting of the Sanhedrin. “What are we accomplishing?” they asked. “Here is this man performing many miraculous signs. 
48  If we let him go on like this, everyone will believe in him, and then the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation.”

On verses 45-48:  The Sanhedrin, being the ruling council of the Jewish people, meet to discuss what to do about the popular, miracle performing Jesus.  The chief priests and Pharisees were concerned that the kind of following Jesus was getting would get the entire Jewish people in trouble with the Roman government and cause them in particular to lose their place of power.

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将心比心

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〈申命记〉 24:22  你也要记念你在埃及地做过奴仆，所以我吩咐你这样行。

阅读经文：〈申命记〉 24:10-22

神对穷人的眷顾，为何不是赐给他们钱财或好运，让他们都能脱离窘境，反而是希望别人在他们有需要时去帮助他人呢？神不是没有能力，为何不让世界变成一个均富的世界呢？假如这个世界里，大家拥有的都一样多，那么会不会减少很多问题？神起初造伊甸园时，祂的用意是想让人都能享受祂的创造，但是一旦罪进入世界，人的贪念和罪性就颠覆了神原先的理想。神没有立刻挪去人的贪念和罪性，但是祂却让人在这个充满贪念和私欲的世界里学习彼此相爱，从他人的需要里看到自己的责任，让人明白若不按神的教导度日，人终会自己灭了自己。

我想，神要我们明白，人若不彼此帮助，就没有希望。所以祂允许贫穷的存在。贫穷代表了人的软弱，人的有限；某些人的贫穷反映出某些人的贪婪和榨取。所以要使人回复正常心，就必须让人学习付出，活出神的形像。当我们来到神面前时，祂总是怜悯帮助；因此当有人需要我们的帮助时，我们也必须用神的爱去爱他们。

在上一章里，神说若是取人当头，不可拿人家的上下磨石，因为那是他们维生的工具。若是没了磨石，他们连吃饭的工具都没有了，从何有力气去赚钱来还你呢？因此怜悯别人，就是帮助自己。你想拿回人家借去的钱，那么你就帮助他们有赚钱谋生的机会，他们有钱不就可以还你了吗？岂不皆大欢喜。你若苛扣别人，让别人谋生不易，那么你就不要存著拿回钱的希望。因为你阻挡了人家的生路，就是阻挡了自己的生路。这就是神要让我们明白的，帮助别人就是帮助自己。

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Real Emotion, Real Power at Jesus’ feet

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Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is John 11:32-44.  Let’s go!

John 11:32 (NIV) 
32  When Mary reached the place where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet and said, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.”

On verse 32:  In the Gospels you will often find Mary at Jesus’ feet.  In Luke 10, we see Mary, in an act of spiritual hunger and teachability, sitting at Jesus’ feet, listening attentively to what he was saying. In John 12:3 and also John 11:2, we see Mary, in an act of worship and gratitude, anointing Jesus’ feet with perfume.  Here in verse 32 of John 11, we see Mary, in an act of mourning, weeping at Jesus’ feet.

What can we learn from this?  Whether you’re hungry to learn, eager to worship, or struggling to hope, humble yourself at the feet of Jesus.  You’ll find what you need at Jesus’ feet.

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Jesus Wants Your Personal Trust, Not Just Your Intellectual Assent

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Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is John 11:17-31.  Let’s go!

John 11:17-22 (NIV) 
17  On his arrival, Jesus found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb for four days. 
18  Bethany was less than two miles from Jerusalem, 
19  and many Jews had come to Martha and Mary to comfort them in the loss of their brother. 
20  When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went out to meet him, but Mary stayed at home. 
21  “Lord,” Martha said to Jesus, “if you had been here, my brother would not have died. 
22  But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask.”

On verses 17-22:  Martha was probably disappointed that Jesus did not arrive before her brother Lazarus passed away.  But when Jesus arrived on the scene, even then she still had hope in Jesus: “I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask” (v22).  What can we learn from this?  When you have Jesus in your life, you have hope that is even greater than death and disappointment. 

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对人的体贴和对神的尊重

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〈申命记 〉24:6 不可拿人的全盘磨石或是上磨石做当头，因为这是拿人的命做当头。

阅读经文：〈申命记〉 24:1-8

很多人想知道，离婚之后可不可以再婚，基督徒也不例外。摩西的说法，似乎是为人开了方便之门：「妇人离开夫家以后，可以去嫁别人。」但是耶稣说：「凡休妻的，若不是为淫乱的缘故，就是叫她做淫妇了；人若娶这被休的妇人，也是犯奸淫了。（太5:32）」因此法利赛人问耶稣：「这样，摩西为什么吩咐给妻子休书，就可以休她呢？（太19:7）」

在一个男人至上的社会里，妻子似乎变成丈夫的附属，可以呼之即来，挥之即去。丈夫不高兴就可以把妻子休了。一张休书换来多少眼泪。但是主耶稣说，这是不对的，你们把婚姻的关系弄错了，在婚姻里不该如此，「因为那起初造人的，是『造男造女』，并且说：『因此，人要离开父母，与妻子联合，二人成为一体。』既然如此，夫妻不再是两个人，乃是一体的了。所以神配合的，人不可分开（太19:4-6）。」

耶稣指出当初神『造男造女』，都是居于公平的原则，就是男不可无女，女也不可无男。尤其在结婚之后，夫妻就是一体，一个身体的关系，怎么说分开就分开呢？有谁觉得自己的手长得不好看，就把它砍掉吗？有人觉得脚不好看，就把它锯断吗？既然是一个身体，即使有不合理的事或不喜悦的事，就像身体有病，总要想办法去医治，怎样也不会说丢就丢，说锯就锯吧。这就是夫妻的关系，二人成为一体，是无法分割的。

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Life Bringer

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Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is John 11:1-16.  Let’s go!

John 11:1-4 (NIV) 
1  Now a man named Lazarus was sick. He was from Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. 
2  This Mary, whose brother Lazarus now lay sick, was the same one who poured perfume on the Lord and wiped his feet with her hair. 
3  So the sisters sent word to Jesus, “Lord, the one you love is sick.” 
4  When he heard this, Jesus said, “This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God’s glory so that God’s Son may be glorified through it.”

On verses 1-4:  Once again we see Jesus’ view on sickness.  Jesus saw sickness as an opportunity for God to display His power and an opportunity for God to be glorified through how people deal with the sickness.  Likewise, when you see problems and challenges in your life, train yourself to see them with the eyes of Jesus.  See them not gravestones marking your death, but stepping stones to something greater.

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使人和睦的人有福了！

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〈马太福音〉五章9节   使人和睦的人有福了！因为他们必称为　神的儿子。

用仇恨写历史

　　战争、纠纷、不满、抢夺，这些都是和睦的相反词。历史充满战争，人借着仇恨写历史。中国自战国七雄到今天，几乎每个时代，都是以战争开始，以战争结束，人民不满过去的统治者用军事势力，满足个人的贪欲，以不公不义统治百姓，压榨欺侮百姓。人要抢别人的东西时，编造谎言，讲尽好话，做尽坏事，逃避责任，使人对毫不察觉这些话语背后的邪恶动机。历史记载人与人之间的仇恨、嫌隙，记载人类的贪婪、野心。自从亚当犯罪以后，罪使人产生不应该有的贪婪。一个贪婪的人，一定对别人有不义的要求，用各样的理由遮掩自己的动机，用比别人更强的势力来侵犯别人。

　　除了贪婪，妒忌导致仇恨，仇恨导致杀人。圣经告诉我们，妒忌产生仇恨，仇恨产生凶杀。人心里若有妒忌，一定对别人不满，用非法、不当的行为侵占别人所拥有的。「嫉妒是骨中的朽烂」（箴14:30），这是箴言告诉我们一项很重要的法则。我们看不见骨中的朽烂，我们看见的是人的外表、笑容，以为对方对我们很好。许多人笑里藏刀，外表漂亮，内心凶恶，对于这样的人，防不胜防。妒忌的人无法与人和睦。妒忌、仇恨产生争战、凶杀诸如此类的坏事，破坏人际的和睦与社会的安宁，妨碍生命的进展。

忌妒心产生凶杀

　　威尔第（Giuseppe Verdi, 1813–1901）写了著名的歌剧《奥赛罗》（Otello）。主角奥赛罗是威尼斯官员，当奥赛罗被拔擢，许多人替他高兴，但有一个叫依阿戈（Iago）的人打从心底恨奥赛罗，他心里说：「恶魔在我心里，我要陷害奥赛罗，他绝对无法逃脱我的手」。于是，依阿戈在奥赛罗面前装作好人，使奥赛罗误会太太不忠。

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远避诸恶

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〈申命记〉 23:9 你出兵攻打仇敌，就要远避诸恶。

阅读经文：〈申命记〉23章

神在呼召对亚伯拉罕时，对他说：「为你祝福的，我必赐福于他；那咒诅你的，我必咒诅他。（创 12:3）」 这一句话直到今天依然有效。在以色列人要进迦南之前，神宣布有一些人不得入耶和华的会。耶和华的会指的是耶和华的会众，也就是成为以色列人。根据犹太人的条例，外邦人若想成为以色列人，首先要接受摩西五经的教导，并且要脱离奴隶的身份。就像摩西在〈民数记〉十五章15节说的：「至于会众，你们和同居的外人都归一例，作为你们世世代代永远的定例。在耶和华面前，你们怎样，寄居的也要怎样。」所有的外邦人都可以成为以色列人，除了罗得的子孙摩押人和亚扪人，以及外肾受伤的，或被阉割的人。

神的眼中善恶分明，因为摩押人和亚扪人不仅在以色列人出埃及的路上，不但不肯帮助他们，还雇了巴兰来咒诅以色列人，要害以色列人，因此神不接纳他们做祂的子民。反而神记念以东人，虽然以东人害怕以色列人，也没有帮他们，但是他们的先祖以扫是雅各的兄长，都是亚伯拉罕和以撒的后代，因此若他们愿意，他们的第三代子孙就可以加入，变成以色列人。奇妙的是，神也记念埃及人，因为以色列人在埃及四百卅年，虽然其中有四百年做奴隶，但总是在埃及成长壮大了，受过埃及的收留之恩。

在〈以赛亚书〉第十九章里，神也预言：「当那日，在埃及地中必有为耶和华筑的一座坛，在埃及的边界上必有为耶和华立的一根柱。这都要在埃及地为万军之耶和华做记号和证据。埃及人因为受人的欺压哀求耶和华，他就差遣一位救主，做护卫者，拯救他们。 耶和华必被埃及人所认识，在那日，埃及人必认识耶和华，也要献祭物和供物敬拜他，并向耶和华许愿还愿。

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Jesus’ View of Scripture

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Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is John 10:31-42.  Let’s go!

John 10:31-36 (NIV) 
31  Again the Jews picked up stones to stone him, 
32  but Jesus said to them, “I have shown you many great miracles from the Father. For which of these do you stone me?” 
33  “We are not stoning you for any of these,” replied the Jews, “but for blasphemy, because you, a mere man, claim to be God.” 
34  Jesus answered them, “Is it not written in your Law, ‘I have said you are gods’? 
35  If he called them ‘gods,’ to whom the word of God came–and the Scripture cannot be broken– 
36  what about the one whom the Father set apart as his very own and sent into the world? Why then do you accuse me of blasphemy because I said, ‘I am God’s Son’?

On verses 31-36:  When Jesus questions his Jewish opponents as to why they are trying to stone him, his opponents explain that they are stoning Jesus for blasphemy because he claims to be God.  Jesus’ response is intriguing.  First he quotes Psalm 82:6 and shows that in certain situations the Scriptures describe people as “ ‘gods’…sons of the Most High.”  In the case of Psalm 82:6 specifically, human judges were described as “gods” in that they possessed the power of life or death over others.  Jesus reasons that, since the Scriptures, which cannot be broken, already speak about people as “gods”, how is it blasphemy for Jesus to say that he is God’s Son?

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贞洁的凭据

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〈申命记〉 22:22  若遇见人与有丈夫的妇人行淫，就要将奸夫淫妇一并治死。这样，就把那恶从以色列中除掉。

在古老的社会里对于处理女人是否贞洁的方法，竟然有不约而同之处。这贞洁的凭据指的是在第一天同房的晚上，女人的处女膜破裂所流出来的血，要用一块布接住，作为贞洁的凭据；倘若没有血流出来，就会被怀疑为不贞洁。这当然是很不科学的，因为有时意外或剧烈的运动都会引起处女膜的破裂，以此来鉴定，肯定会有一些冤枉的例子。但对于古时候的人，这是一个唯一的鉴定方法。

从这个试验贞洁与否的方法，我们可以连想到耶稣的母亲马利亚当年的震惊和羞辱。当天使向马利亚宣布她要从圣灵怀孕时，马利亚的头会不会吓得嗡嗡作响，因为未婚而有孕在当时是何等可怕的事，是要被石头打死的。这也是为何约瑟得知后不想宣扬，而想暗暗把她休了。因而马太说约瑟是个义人，因为在他误会时，他依然考虑到马利亚的处境，不愿意明明地羞辱她，或置她于死地。

这也是为何马利亚的回应那样激荡人心：「我是主的使女，情愿照你的话成就在我身上！」明知前面的道路不好走，明知将会处境艰难，被众人耻笑，却毅然而然地接下神的托付。这就是马利亚的承担。就像被伊斯兰国的恐怖子处死的日本记者后滕建二，他原本不必冒着生命的危险去叙利亚，但是为了营救一名被伊斯兰国关押的日本人质汤川遥菜，而被伊斯兰国拘捕，终于被杀。基督徒的人生是否以得到神的祝福为目的呢？是否只要平安喜乐而其他都不管呢？有承担的人生必然面对苦难，却能因为体会了神的心意，而享受与神共赴使命的神圣感。因此将要面对羞辱的马利亚才能发出赞美：「我心尊主为大，  我灵以神我的救主为乐！」

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