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十個童女的比喻

2024-05-03 in , /by

馬太福音21:33-46 「你們再聽一個比喻：有個家主栽了一個葡萄園，周圍圈上籬笆，裡面挖了一個壓酒池，蓋了一座樓，租給園戶，就往外國去了。 34 收果子的時候近了，就打發僕人到園戶那裡去收果子。 35 園戶拿住僕人，打了一個，殺了一個，用石頭打死一個。 36 主人又打發別的僕人去，比先前更多，園戶還是照樣待他們。 37 後來打發他的兒子到他們那裡去，意思說：『他們必尊敬我的兒子。』 38 不料園戶看見他兒子，就彼此說：『這是承受產業的。來吧，我們殺他，占他的產業！』 39 他們就拿住他，推出葡萄園外殺了。 40 園主來的時候，要怎樣處治這些園戶呢？」 41 他們說：「要下毒手除滅那些惡人，將葡萄園另租給那按著時候交果子的園戶。」

歡喜赴宴得享歡樂與祝福

耶穌用兇惡園戶的比喻（太21:33-46）指責當時祭司長、文士等宗教領袖沒有忠心於所託付的看顧和教導工作，接著用娶親筵席（太22:1-14）來比喻他們回絕、不理和抗拒福音，忽視神所預備的尊貴隆重且歡樂祝福的筵席。

在耶穌時代，猶太和羅馬上流社會邀人赴宴是件嚴謹的工作，主人通常先打發僕人遞出初步邀請，時候到了再派僕人通知客人赴宴；被邀請且答應要來赴宴的客人若不守約出席，是非常不禮貌，甚至可說是對主人的侮辱，有敵對、宣戰的意涵。

 Is Jesus Consistent with the Law?

2024-05-03 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is John 8:1-11.  I encourage you to read the passage yourself first and see what you can glean with the Holy Spirit’s help, then read the GAME sharing below.  Let’s go!

John 8:1-6 (NIV)

1 but Jesus went to the Mount of Olives.

2 At dawn he appeared again in the temple courts, where all the people gathered around him, and he sat down to teach them. 3 The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group 4 and said to Jesus, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery.

This passage opens with Jesus going off to teach around the Mount of Olives and the crowds coming to him to learn. During the middle of his teaching he is interrupted by the religious leaders. The Pharisees and Scribes bring a woman caught in the middle of the act of adultery and place her in the midst of the crowd and Jesus to see what he would do and how he’d interpret the Law of Moses.

What Pressure Can Do

2024-05-02 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is John 7:37-52.  I encourage you to read the passage yourself first and see what you can glean with the Holy Spirit’s help, then read the GAME sharing below.  Let’s go!

John 7:37-39 (NIV)
37  On the last and greatest day of the Feast, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink.
38  Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him.”
39  By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified.
 
On verses 37-39:  Jesus, who often sat when he taught, stands for emphasis and makes the invitation for all who are thirsty to come to him and drink.  The promise Jesus publicly gives here is the same promise Jesus privately gave to the Samaritan woman at the well in John 4:13-14: that those who believe in him will have streams of living water flowing from within them.  Streams of living water are a reference to the Holy Spirit. 

兩個兒子的比喻

2024-05-02 in , /by

馬太福音21:33-46 「你們再聽一個比喻：有個家主栽了一個葡萄園，周圍圈上籬笆，裡面挖了一個壓酒池，蓋了一座樓，租給園戶，就往外國去了。 34 收果子的時候近了，就打發僕人到園戶那裡去收果子。 35 園戶拿住僕人，打了一個，殺了一個，用石頭打死一個。 36 主人又打發別的僕人去，比先前更多，園戶還是照樣待他們。 37 後來打發他的兒子到他們那裡去，意思說：『他們必尊敬我的兒子。』 38 不料園戶看見他兒子，就彼此說：『這是承受產業的。來吧，我們殺他，占他的產業！』 39 他們就拿住他，推出葡萄園外殺了。 40 園主來的時候，要怎樣處治這些園戶呢？」 41 他們說：「要下毒手除滅那些惡人，將葡萄園另租給那按著時候交果子的園戶。」

歡喜赴宴得享歡樂與祝福

耶穌用兇惡園戶的比喻（太21:33-46）指責當時祭司長、文士等宗教領袖沒有忠心於所託付的看顧和教導工作，接著用娶親筵席（太22:1-14）來比喻他們回絕、不理和抗拒福音，忽視神所預備的尊貴隆重且歡樂祝福的筵席。

在耶穌時代，猶太和羅馬上流社會邀人赴宴是件嚴謹的工作，主人通常先打發僕人遞出初步邀請，時候到了再派僕人通知客人赴宴；被邀請且答應要來赴宴的客人若不守約出席，是非常不禮貌，甚至可說是對主人的侮辱，有敵對、宣戰的意涵。

Know Jesus Better

2024-05-01 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is John 7:25-36.  I encourage you to read the passage yourself first and see what you can glean with the Holy Spirit’s help, then read the GAME sharing below.  Let’s go!

John 7:25-26 (NIV)
25  At that point some of the people of Jerusalem began to ask, “Isn’t this the man they are trying to kill?
26  Here he is, speaking publicly, and they are not saying a word to him. Have the authorities really concluded that he is the Christ?
 
On verses 25-26:  Some in Jerusalem wondered why the Jerusalem authorities were allowing Jesus to preach publicly if they considered him to be public enemy number 1 (v25-26).  By not doing anything seemingly to stop Jesus, the religious leaders were seen by some as possibly approving of Jesus’ claims.  What can we learn from this?  When you’re silent on an issue, you may give others the impression that you accept the status quo as being okay.  May you have wisdom to know when to speak up and when to remain silent.  When you do speak up, may you speak up with wisdom, tact and courage.

兇惡園戶的比喻

2024-05-01 in , /by

馬太福音21:33-46 「你們再聽一個比喻：有個家主栽了一個葡萄園，周圍圈上籬笆，裡面挖了一個壓酒池，蓋了一座樓，租給園戶，就往外國去了。 34 收果子的時候近了，就打發僕人到園戶那裡去收果子。 35 園戶拿住僕人，打了一個，殺了一個，用石頭打死一個。 36 主人又打發別的僕人去，比先前更多，園戶還是照樣待他們。 37 後來打發他的兒子到他們那裡去，意思說：『他們必尊敬我的兒子。』 38 不料園戶看見他兒子，就彼此說：『這是承受產業的。來吧，我們殺他，占他的產業！』 39 他們就拿住他，推出葡萄園外殺了。 40 園主來的時候，要怎樣處治這些園戶呢？」 41 他們說：「要下毒手除滅那些惡人，將葡萄園另租給那按著時候交果子的園戶。」

歡喜赴宴得享歡樂與祝福

耶穌用兇惡園戶的比喻（太21:33-46）指責當時祭司長、文士等宗教領袖沒有忠心於所託付的看顧和教導工作，接著用娶親筵席（太22:1-14）來比喻他們回絕、不理和抗拒福音，忽視神所預備的尊貴隆重且歡樂祝福的筵席。

在耶穌時代，猶太和羅馬上流社會邀人赴宴是件嚴謹的工作，主人通常先打發僕人遞出初步邀請，時候到了再派僕人通知客人赴宴；被邀請且答應要來赴宴的客人若不守約出席，是非常不禮貌，甚至可說是對主人的侮辱，有敵對、宣戰的意涵。

作門徒的代價

2024-04-30 in , /by

路加福音14:16-24 耶穌對他說：「有一人擺設大筵席，請了許多客。 17 到了坐席的時候，打發僕人去對所請的人說：『請來吧，樣樣都齊備了。』 18 眾人一口同音地推辭。頭一個說：『我買了一塊地，必須去看看。請你准我辭了。』 19 又有一個說：『我買了五對牛，要去試一試。請你准我辭了。』 20 又有一個說：『我才娶了妻，所以不能去。』 21 那僕人回來，把這事都告訴了主人。家主就動怒，對僕人說：『快出去到城裡大街小巷，領那貧窮的、殘廢的、瞎眼的、瘸腿的來。』 22 僕人說：『主啊，你所吩咐的已經辦了，還有空座。』 23 主人對僕人說：『你出去到路上和籬笆那裡，勉強人進來，坐滿我的屋子。 24 我告訴你們：先前所請的人，沒有一個得嘗我的筵席！』」

路加福音14章後段記載了有極多的人和耶穌同行，於是，耶穌用蓋樓與打仗的比喻，提醒他們要估算跟隨主、作門徒的代價。路加用了25-27節當作楔子，銜接前段筵席的比喻（路14:16-24）和後段蓋樓與打仗的比喻（路14:28-33）。

福音書記載有一個富有的少年人來問耶穌要做什麼善事才能得永生，耶穌回應他要變賣所有的，分給窮人，還要來跟從主（太19:16-22，可10:17-22，路18:18-23）。接著，彼得問耶穌：「看哪，我們已經撇下所有的跟從你，將來我們要得甚麼呢？」（太19:25-27）

耶穌回應彼得說：「我實在告訴你們，人為我和福音撇下房屋，或是弟兄、姊妹、父母、兒女、田地，沒有不在今世得百倍的，就是房屋、弟兄、姊妹、母親、兒女、田地，並且要受逼迫，在來世必得永生。」（太19:29，可10:29-30，路18:29）

Wisdom from the Father

2024-04-30 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is John 7:14-24.  I encourage you to read the passage yourself first and see what you can glean with the Holy Spirit’s help, then read the GAME sharing below.  Let’s go!

John 7:14 (NIV)
14  Not until halfway through the Feast did Jesus go up to the temple courts and begin to teach.

On verse 14:  The Feast of Tabernacles lasted 8 days.  According to some scholars, it had been approximately 18 months since the last time Jesus visited Jerusalem.  Many were expecting Jesus to make a public appearance at the Feast, but Jesus does not appear when everyone expects.  Only when the Feast is halfway through did Jesus begin to teach in the temple courts.  There he amazes the crowd with his teaching.

Timing Can Be Everything

2024-04-29 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is John 7:1-13.  I encourage you to read the passage yourself first and see what you can glean with the Holy Spirit’s help, then read the GAME sharing below.  Let’s go!

John 7:1-5 (NIV)
1  After this, Jesus went around in Galilee, purposely staying away from Judea because the Jews there were waiting to take his life.
2  But when the Jewish Feast of Tabernacles was near,
3  Jesus’ brothers said to him, “You ought to leave here and go to Judea, so that your disciples may see the miracles you do.
4  No one who wants to become a public figure acts in secret. Since you are doing these things, show yourself to the world.”
5  For even his own brothers did not believe in him.
 
On verses 1-5:  The Feast of Tabernacles was the biggest festival in the Jewish calendar, so much so that it is sometimes in Scripture it is just called “The Feast”.  With the Feast closely approaching, Jesus’ brothers tell Jesus to go to Judea and show himself to everyone, since they know Jesus is claiming to be the Messiah, though they themselves did not believe him.  They tell Jesus to go to Judea for the Feast since naturally that’s what anyone who wants to get famous in Israel would do (v4). 

放在上帝的手中

2024-04-29 in , /by

詩篇31:15 我終身的事在祢手中，求祢救我脫離仇敵的手和那些逼迫我的人。

約伯記12:10  凡活物的生命和人類的氣息，都在祂手中。

一顆籃球在我手中，價值約幾百塊錢；它在麥可喬丹手中，價值約上億台幣；籃球的價值取決於它在誰的手中…

一根高爾夫球桿在我手中，毫無用處；它在老虎伍茲手中，他贏得多項高爾夫球錦標賽；球桿的價值取決於它在誰的手中…

我手中的杖驅趕野狗，摩西手中的杖分開紅海，杖的價值取決於它在誰的手中…

我手中的甩石是個玩具，大衛手中的甩石卻是致命的武器，甩石的價值取決於它在誰的手中…

五餅二魚在我手中，是我午餐的三明治；五餅二魚在耶穌手中，餵飽五千人；五餅二魚的價值取決於它在誰的手中…