你渴嗎?
約翰福音七章37至44節
37節期的末日,就是最大之日,耶穌站著高聲說:人若渴了,可以到我這裡來喝。
38信我的人就如經上所說:從他腹中要流出活水的江河來。
39耶穌這話是指著信他之人要受聖靈說的。那時還沒有賜下聖靈來,因為耶穌尚未得著榮耀。
40眾人聽見這話,有的說:這真是那先知。
41有的說:這是基督。但也有的說:基督豈是從加利利出來的麼?
42經上豈不是說基督是大衛的後裔,從大衛本鄉伯利恆出來的麼?
43於是眾人因著耶穌起了分爭。
44其中有人要捉拿他,只是無人下手。
信息分享
到了節期的最後一天,人們都開始拆卸帳棚,收拾物件,準備回家。就在這個節期的尾聲,我們的主似乎覺察到,許多人的心靈仍是空虛和失落的。宗教活動和節期紀念,都未能真正滿足人的心靈。
就在這一刻,在喧鬧的人聲中間,傳來了祂的呼喊:「人若渴了,可以到我這裡喝。」人們都驟然止步,靜下來聆聽呼聲,有些人更接受了基督的邀請。但另一些人,卻嗤笑這個出身加利利的人,有啥本事為他們做些甚麼。
基督究竟發出了甚麼邀請?「人若渴了」--即人若認識到自己的最深切需要--「可以到我這裡來」。我們先要認識自己是個罪人,和承認自己需要救贖。
我們要到哪裡去?--就是來到耶穌基督的面前。只有祂才能滿足我們的需要。任何人都可以去到祂的面前,祂歡迎所有人;可是,邀請卻十分明確:「不是到別的地方去,卻是只到耶穌基督那裡去。」
耶穌基督邀請我們去做甚麼?--去「喝」。接受基督的邀請,祂就會滿足你的需要。
將會有何結果?--基督所賜的新生命,會像活水江河一樣在你裡面湧流不息,讓別人也可以分享得到。這幅圖畫豈不是很美麗嗎?你和我的生命像這個樣子嗎?基督不僅要滿足我們的需要,且要使用我們滿足別人的需要。祂要藉著我們去把活水分給別人。祂一直等待,要將祂那湧流不息的靈先充滿我們,然後再由我們分給別人;我們是否願意接受祂的邀請呢?
反思:
我若想幫助別人,就必須先飽喝基督的活水。
ARE YOU THIRSTY?
John 7:37 - 44
37 On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink.
38 He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.”
39 But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive; for the Holy Spirit it was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.
40 Therefore many from the crowd, when they heard this saying, said, “Truly this is the Prophet.”
41 Others said, “This is the Christ.”
But some said, “Will the Christ come out of Galilee?
42 Has not the Scripture said that the Christ comes from the seed of David and from the town of Bethlehem, where David was?”
43 So there was a division among the people because of Him.
44 Now some of them wanted to take Him, but no one laid hands on Him.
Message
Now it was time to take down the tents and to pack up and go home. Soon it would be all over for another year. As the ceremonies ended, it seems that our Lord sensed there were many people whose hearts were still empty and unsatisfied. Religion and its ceremonies do not really satisfy the human hearts.
Right at that moment, a voice was heard above the noise of the crowd, 'If any man thirst, let him come unto me and drink.' The people stopped and listened and some of them accepted Christ's invitation. Others laughed at the whole idea of a man from Galilee being about to do anything for them.
What did Christ say? 'If any man thirst'; if any man realizes his own deep need, 'let him come unto me'. Here is where we begin, when we acknowledge our own need as sinners.
Who do we come to? To Jesus Christ. He is the only one who can meet our needs. Anyone can come. Everyone is welcome, but the invitation says, 'Come to Jesus Christ and to no-one else'.
What do we do? 'Drink'. Take what Christ offers, he will meet our need.
The result? The new life Christ gives is like a flowing stream of water from which others can drink too. Isn't that a wonderful picture? Is your life and mine like that? Christ not only wants to meet our needs, he wants to use us to help meet the needs of others too. He wants to reach others through us. He is always waiting to so fill us with his Spirit that there will be a continuous overflow to others. Are we allowing him to do this?
TOUGHT FOR TODAY:
I need to drink deeply myself if I am to help anyone else.

