Entries by

沒有牧人的羊

馬太福音9: 35_36沒有牧人的羊

35 耶穌走遍各城各鄉,在會堂裡教訓人,宣講天國的福音,又醫治各樣的病症。36 他看見許多的人,就憐憫他們,因為他們困苦流離,如同羊沒有牧人一般。 

當你看到耶穌當年做的事情,你會有什麼感想嗎?祂走遍各城各鄉,而不是只留在一兩個地方。那時的文通不像現在有汽車,有巴士,有各樣的交通工具,那時就靠著一雙腳,所以每天都會很累。

祂做哪些事呢?一是在會堂教訓人,就是教導,可能類似現在的講道;祂講的內容是天國的福音。法律賽人和文士們也教導,但是他們只懂律法,不知有天國。耶穌說:「 除了從天降下仍舊在天的人子,沒有人升過天。(約3:13)」所以,除了耶穌之外,還有誰更有資格講天國的福音?除了耶穌,誰能告訴我們天國的福音?

因為有天國,所以人有盼望,不是一死百了;因為有天國,所以人有價值,因為神愛我們,我們是有家可歸的人,永恒的家;因為有天國,所以人的價值觀需要改變;因為有天國,我們希望成為可以被神接納的兒女,等等。你可以想到,當我們一旦知道有天國之後,我們生命和生活的目標就完全不一樣了。為什麼說耶穌帶來劃時代的革命,因為祂讓人知道有一個天國。

God Cares More About Your Character than Your Accomplishments

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 1 Kings 9:1-14. Let’s go!

1 Kings 9:1-2 (NIV)
1 When Solomon had finished building the temple of the LORD and the royal palace, and had achieved all he had desired to do,
2 the LORD appeared to him a second time, as he had appeared to him at Gibeon.

On verses 1-9: Earlier in 1 Kings 3:5, when Solomon was just starting his reign, God appeared to Solomon in a dream at the city of Gibeon. At that time God told Solomon to walk in His ways and obey His statutes as David his father had (1 Kings 3:14). Now, fast forward to today’s passage in 1 Kings 9. Here we see that Solomon has completed building the temple, his own palace and “achieved all he had desired to do” (v1). God appears to Solomon again in a dream (v2) like He did over a decade earlier in 1 Kings 3:5 and His message for Solomon is the same: “walk before me faithfully with integrity of heart and uprightness as David your father did, and do all I command and observe my decrees and laws.” (v4).

耶穌趕鬼醫啞巴

馬太福音9: 32_34 耶穌趕鬼醫啞吧

32 他們出去的時候,有人將鬼所附的一個啞巴帶到耶穌跟前來。 33 鬼被趕出去,啞巴就說出話來。眾人都稀奇說:「在以色列中從來沒有見過這樣的事!」 34 法利賽人卻說:「他是靠著鬼王趕鬼。」

這故事是耶穌在傳道時做的一部份工作,醫病趕鬼都是為了讓人能明白救贖主來到人間,因此坐在死蔭地的人看見有大光照著他們。在前面幾個醫治裡,有癱子、患血漏的、病死的,等等,都是生理上的疾病;現在耶穌要醫治另一種病。

這種病本來不是病,卻是因為有鬼在人的身體裡,以致於這個人變成了啞巴,說不出話來。耶穌把鬼趕出去之後,那人就能說話了,可見他的啞是因為鬼作怪,並不是生理上的問題。

How to Worship God

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 1 Kings 8:54-66.  Let’s go!

1 Kings 8:54 (NIV) 
54 When Solomon had finished all these prayers and supplications to the LORD, he rose from before the altar of the LORD, where he had been kneeling with his hands spread out toward heaven. 

On verse 54:  Solomon began his prayer standing (v22), but he ends his prayer kneeling with his hands spread out to God.  Why?  It’s because as Solomon continued to pray, he realized more and more how much he and his people needed God.  His humility and his desperation for God grew the more he prayed.  

兩個瞎子得醫治

馬太福音9: 27_31兩個瞎子得醫治

27 耶穌從那裡往前走,有兩個瞎子跟著他,喊叫說:「大衛的子孫,可憐我們吧!」 28 耶穌進了房子,瞎子就來到他跟前,耶穌說:「你們信我能做這事嗎?」他們說:「主啊,我們信。」 29 耶穌就摸他們的眼睛,說:「照著你們的信給你們成全了吧!」 30 他們的眼睛就開了。耶穌切切地囑咐他們,說:「你們要小心,不可叫人知道。」 31 他們出去,竟把他的名聲傳遍了那地方。

畢德生牧師對這兩個瞎子得醫治有一個很特別的看法。他說,為什麼主耶穌專門醫治那些不聽祂話的人?叫他們不可叫人知道,他們倒把得醫治的事宣揚得人人皆知?

在求醫治時,耶穌問他們什麼都答得很好,又有信心,又稱耶穌為大衛的子孫。耶穌說什麼,他們都同意。一旦得了醫治,就不記得耶穌說過什麼話了。

他這樣說,好像在罵人。因為大多數的人都是如此。有事時求耶穌,拜託這個禱告,拜託那個禱告。等他的問題解決了,你再請他來聚會,他連手機都不接了。

瞎子跟隨耶穌,因為他們希望得醫治;瞎子不聽耶穌,因為他們以為眼睛開了,目的己經達到,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

馬太福音9: 18_26不要怕,只要信

18 耶穌說這話的時候,有一個管會堂的來拜他,說:「我女兒剛才死了,求你去按手在她身上,她就必活了。」 19 耶穌便起來跟著他去,門徒也跟了去。 20 有一個女人患了十二年的血漏,來到耶穌背後,摸他的衣裳繸子, 21 因為她心裡說:「我只摸他的衣裳,就必痊癒。」 22 耶穌轉過來看見她,就說:「女兒,放心!你的信救了你。」從那時候,女人就痊癒了。
23 耶穌到了管會堂的家裡,看見有吹手,又有許多人亂嚷, 24 就說:「退去吧!這閨女不是死了,是睡著了。」他們就嗤笑他。 25 眾人既被攆出,耶穌就進去,拉著閨女的手,閨女便起來了。 26 於是這風聲傳遍了那地方。

在馬可福音五章和路加福音八章都記載著同樣的故事,但有不同的細節,這個來找耶穌的是一個管會堂的,名叫睚魯。在猶太人的會堂裡管會堂的和現在教會裡管會堂的定義有點分別。現在教會裡管會堂的是指管理和維持建築物的安全和整齊,當時管會堂的是指有權位的領袖級人物。在路加福音第13章裡記載管會堂的指責耶穌在安息日治病。敢指責拉比的人,必然有一定的權位。傳說中睚魯原先並不怎麼喜歡耶穌,和法賽人和文士一樣覺得耶穌不守律法。但是當他的女兒生病不治時,聽到耶穌救活了拿因城寡婦之子,因而痛改前非,來到耶穌面前,俯伏在祂腳前,再三求祂。人的盡頭,就是神的開始。

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.  

新舊難合的比喻

馬太福音9: 14_17新舊難合的比喻

14 那時,約翰的門徒來見耶穌,說:「我們和法利賽人常常禁食,你的門徒倒不禁食,這是為什麼呢?」 15 耶穌對他們說:「新郎和陪伴之人同在的時候,陪伴之人豈能哀慟呢?但日子將到,新郎要離開他們,那時候他們就要禁食。 16 沒有人把新布補在舊衣服上,因為所補上的反帶壞了那衣服,破的就更大了。 17 也沒有人把新酒裝在舊皮袋裡,若是這樣,皮袋就裂開,酒漏出來,連皮袋也壞了。唯獨把新酒裝在新皮袋裡,兩樣就都保全了。」

有一位神學院教授說:「耶穌的學生,跟隨三年,還是聽不太懂老師的話,因為他們被猶太傳統框架,遮蔽了雙眼。而我是第一代基督徒,跟隨耶穌多年,我發現閱讀聖經也是有很多不懂,因為我有華人儒家文化、民間信仰的框架。跨文化成功時,閱讀聖經越來越有趣~」

當施洗約翰聽到耶穌的一些作風時,他也不明白為何耶穌和他們的作法不同。施洗約翰是個內心誠實,十分敬虔的人;法利賽人也是宗教界比較敬虔的人,他們都有共同的價值觀和原則,要常常禁食以表示敬虔。施洗約翰是耶穌的表兄,曾經為耶穌施洗,相信耶穌是神所差來的。可是在他努力觀察之後,他不明白,怎麼耶穌的作風和他們不一樣呢?