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两个瞎子得医治

马太福音9: 27_31两个瞎子得医治

27 耶稣从那里往前走,有两个瞎子跟着他,喊叫说:「大卫的子孙,可怜我们吧!」 28 耶稣进了房子,瞎子就来到他跟前,耶稣说:「你们信我能做这事吗?」他们说:「主啊,我们信。」 29 耶稣就摸他们的眼睛,说:「照着你们的信给你们成全了吧!」 30 他们的眼睛就开了。耶稣切切地嘱咐他们,说:「你们要小心,不可叫人知道。」 31 他们出去,竟把他的名声传遍了那地方。

毕德生牧师对这两个瞎子得医治有一个很特别的看法。他说,为什么主耶稣专门医治那些不听祂话的人?叫他们不可叫人知道,他们倒把得医治的事宣扬得人人皆知?

在求医治时,耶稣问他们什么都答得很好,又有信心,又称耶稣为大卫的子孙。耶稣说什么,他们都同意。一旦得了医治,就不记得耶稣说过什么话了。

他这样说,好像在骂人。因为大多数的人都是如此。有事时求耶稣,拜托这个祷告,拜托那个祷告。等他的问题解决了,你再请他来聚会,他连手机都不接了。

瞎子跟随耶稣,因为他们希望得医治;瞎子不听耶稣,因为他们以为眼睛开了,目的己经达到,所以就我行我素了。

Catching More of God’s Vision For His Church

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 1 Kings 8:41-53.  Let’s go!

In today’s passage, as Solomon continues to pray for the newly constructed temple, we catch a glimpse of God’s heart for His church.  Yesterday we learned that God wants His church to be a place of hope for the broken and hurting.  In today’s passage we see four other ways God sees His church.

1 Kings 8:41-43 (NIV) 
41 “As for the foreigner who does not belong to your people Israel but has come from a distant land because of your name– 
42 for men will hear of your great name and your mighty hand and your outstretched arm–when he comes and prays toward this temple, 
43 then hear from heaven, your dwelling place, and do whatever the foreigner asks of you, so that all the peoples of the earth may know your name and fear you, as do your own people Israel, and may know that this house I have built bears your Name. 

不要怕,只要信

马太福音9: 18_26不要怕,只要信

18 耶稣说这话的时候,有一个管会堂的来拜他,说:「我女儿刚才死了,求你去按手在她身上,她就必活了。」 19 耶稣便起来跟着他去,门徒也跟了去。 20 有一个女人患了十二年的血漏,来到耶稣背后,摸他的衣裳䍁子, 21 因为她心里说:「我只摸他的衣裳,就必痊愈。」 22 耶稣转过来看见她,就说:「女儿,放心!你的信救了你。」从那时候,女人就痊愈了。
23 耶稣到了管会堂的家里,看见有吹手,又有许多人乱嚷, 24 就说:「退去吧!这闺女不是死了,是睡着了。」他们就嗤笑他。 25 众人既被撵出,耶稣就进去,拉着闺女的手,闺女便起来了。 26 于是这风声传遍了那地方。

在马可福音五章和路加福音八章都记载着同样的故事,但有不同的细节,这个来找耶稣的是一个管会堂的,名叫睚鲁。在犹太人的会堂里管会堂的和现在教会里管会堂的定义有点分别。现在教会里管会堂的是指管理和维持建筑物的安全和整齐,当时管会堂的是指有权位的领袖级人物。在路加福音第13章里记载管会堂的指责耶稣在安息日治病。敢指责拉比的人,必然有一定的权位。传说中睚鲁原先并不怎么喜欢耶稣,和法赛人和文士一样觉得耶稣不守律法。但是当他的女儿生病不治时,听到耶稣救活了拿因城寡妇之子,因而痛改前非,来到耶稣面前,俯伏在祂脚前,再三求祂。人的尽头,就是神的开始。

The Church = Where Ordinary People Find Extraordinary Hope

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 1 Kings 8:31-40.  Let’s go!  

1 Kings 8:38-39 (NIV) 
38 and when a prayer or plea is made by any of your people Israel–each one aware of the afflictions of his own heart, and spreading out his hands toward this temple– 
39 then hear from heaven, your dwelling place…

On verses 31-40:  Here Solomon prays that when people in Israel encounter various problems — whether it’s having wronged a neighbour (v31), being defeated by an enemy (v33), suffering from famine (v35) or some other form of disaster or disease (v37) — they will find hope, healing, and help whenever they prayed to God “in this temple” (v31, 33) or even “toward this temple” (v35, 39).  He prays that in each of these cases God would “hear from heaven” (v32, 34, 36, 39, and repeated three more times from verses 41 to 53) and respond with His help and forgiveness.  

新旧难合的比喻

马太福音9: 14_17新旧难合的比喻

14 那时,约翰的门徒来见耶稣,说:「我们和法利赛人常常禁食,你的门徒倒不禁食,这是为什么呢?」 15 耶稣对他们说:「新郎和陪伴之人同在的时候,陪伴之人岂能哀恸呢?但日子将到,新郎要离开他们,那时候他们就要禁食。 16 没有人把新布补在旧衣服上,因为所补上的反带坏了那衣服,破的就更大了。 17 也没有人把新酒装在旧皮袋里,若是这样,皮袋就裂开,酒漏出来,连皮袋也坏了。唯独把新酒装在新皮袋里,两样就都保全了。」

有一位神学院教授说:「耶稣的学生,跟随三年,还是听不太懂老师的话,因为他们被犹太传统框架,遮蔽了双眼。而我是第一代基督徒,跟随耶稣多年,我发现阅读圣经也是有很多不懂,因为我有华人儒家文化、民间信仰的框架。跨文化成功时,阅读圣经越来越有趣~」

当施洗约翰听到耶稣的一些作风时,他也不明白为何耶稣和他们的作法不同。施洗约翰是个内心诚实,十分敬虔的人;法利赛人也是宗教界比较敬虔的人,他们都有共同的价值观和原则,要常常禁食以表示敬虔。施洗约翰是耶稣的表兄,曾经为耶稣施洗,相信耶稣是神所差来的。可是在他努力观察之后,他不明白,怎么耶稣的作风和他们不一样呢?

Step Into Your Destiny as a Priest in God’s Kingdom

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 1 Kings 8:22-30.  Let’s go!

1 Kings 8:22 (NIV) 
22 Then Solomon stood before the altar of the LORD in front of the whole assembly of Israel, spread out his hands toward heaven 

On verses 22-30:  Here we see King Solomon leading the entire assembly of Israelites in prayer at the dedication service for the newly constructed temple.  This was Solomon’s most glorious moment where he steps into his role not only as a ruler but as a spiritual leader and priest for the people he is leading.  Just like David wore the linen ephod as a priest would and danced before God with all his might (2 Samuel 6:14), here Solomon is taking on the equivalent of a priestly role, praying on behalf of the nation.

我喜爱怜恤

马太福音9: 10_13我喜爱怜恤

10 耶稣在屋里坐席的时候,有好些税吏和罪人来,与耶稣和他的门徒一同坐席。11 法利赛人看见,就对耶稣的门徒说:「你们的先生为什么和税吏并罪人一同吃饭呢?」 12 耶稣听见就说:「康健的人用不着医生,有病的人才用得着。 13 经上说:『我喜爱怜恤,不喜爱祭祀』,这句话的意思你们且去揣摩;我来本不是召义人,乃是召罪人。」

这段经文是说到在耶稣呼召马太之后,马太邀请耶稣到他家吃饭所发生的事情。马太也邀请了很多朋友一起来跟耶稣吃饭。想当然的,马太是税吏,他的朋友大多也是税吏,或是一些犹太人眼中的罪人,为罗马政府做事的。

法利赛人是一群很谨守律法的人,他们听了耶稣的教训,又看到耶稣行大能医治各样的疾病,他们可能觉得耶稣至少要记得自己的身份,最好和税吏或罪人划清界线。当然,他们不好意思问耶稣,就问耶稣的门徒,为何耶稣要和税吏和罪人一同吃饭?没想到耶稣的耳朵真灵,老远也听见,就立刻回答了。

耶稣说:「康健的人用不着医生,有病的人才用得着。经上说:『我喜爱怜恤,不喜爱祭祀』,这句话的意思你们且去揣摩;我来本不是召义人,乃是召罪人。」

God’s Preferred Real Estate

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 1 Kings 8:12-21. Let’s go!

1 Kings 8:16 (NIV) 
16 ‘Since the day I brought my people Israel out of Egypt, I have not chosen a city in any tribe of Israel to have a temple built for my Name to be there, but I have chosen David to rule my people Israel.’ 

On verses 12-21:  After a cloud of God’s presence has miraculously filled the temple (v11), Solomon tells God that this temple is for Him to dwell in (v12-13).  He then blesses the entire assembly of Israelites (v14) and tells them about how God faithfully fulfilled the promises He made to Solomon’s father David (v15).  Then in verse 16, Solomon quotes God as saying: 

“Since the day I brought the Israelites out of Egypt, I have not chosen a city in Israel to have a temple built so that my Name might be there, but I have chosen David to rule my people Israel.” (v16) 

呼召马太

马太福音9: 9_呼召马太

9 耶稣从那里往前走,看见一个人,名叫马太,坐在税关上,就对他说:「你跟从我来!」他就起来跟从了耶稣。

根据马可福音第二章和路加福音第五章,以及本章本节的记载,马太其实就是利未,亚勒腓的儿子。马太是希伯来文,利未是希腊文。马太形容,耶稣看见「一个人」;马可形容耶稣看见「亚勒腓的儿子利未」;路加形容,耶稣看见「一个税吏」。

在第一世纪,也就是耶稣的时代,那时加利利湖的沿岸设有多个港口,迦百农就是其中之一。迦百农又位于一条重要的国际交通干道之间,北达叙利亚、米所波大米,南至埃及,又是个港口,交通非常方便。其次是迦百农位于希律安提帕管辖区的边缘,过海便是希律腓力的分封地。在这两个地界的边界设有税关,要收出入境税,马太,又名利未,那时就在税关里做事。

这个税关是抽犹太人的税交给罗马政府,在犹太人眼中是无耻又可恶。所以当路加说耶稣看见一个税吏时,是说耶稣看见一个当时犹太人眼中的卖国贼,坏蛋! 马可说耶稣看见亚勒腓的儿子利未,也有隐含的意思,就是那个做税吏的! 只有马太说耶稣拿他当人看。你有没有不被当人看待的经历?当别人拿你当个人看待时,你有怎样的感觉?

Longing for More of God’s Powerful Presence

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 1 Kings 8:1-11.  Let’s go!

1 Kings 8:1-5 (NIV) 
1 Then King Solomon summoned into his presence at Jerusalem the elders of Israel, all the heads of the tribes and the chiefs of the Israelite families, to bring up the ark of the LORD’s covenant from Zion, the City of David. 
2 All the men of Israel came together to King Solomon at the time of the festival in the month of Ethanim, the seventh month. 
3 When all the elders of Israel had arrived, the priests took up the ark, 
4 and they brought up the ark of the LORD and the Tent of Meeting and all the sacred furnishings in it. The priests and Levites carried them up, 
5 and King Solomon and the entire assembly of Israel that had gathered about him were before the ark, sacrificing so many sheep and cattle that they could not be recorded or counted.