十字架的道路
馬可福音九章30至41節
30他們離開那地方，經過加利利；耶穌不願意人知道。
31於是教訓門徒，說：人子將要被交在人手裡，他們要殺害他；被殺以後，過三天他要復活。
32門徒卻不明白這話，又不敢問他。
33他們來到迦百農，耶穌在屋裡問門徒說：你們在路上議論的是甚麼？
34門徒不作聲，因為他們在路上彼此爭論誰為大。
35耶穌坐下，叫十二個門徒來，說：若有人願意作首先的，他必作眾人末後的，作眾人的用人。
36於是領過一個小孩子來，叫他站在門徒中間，又抱起他來，對他們說：
37凡為我名接待一個像這小孩子的，就是接待我；凡接待我的，不是接待我，乃是接待那差我來的。
38約翰對耶穌說：夫子，我們看見一個人奉你的名趕鬼，我們就禁止他，因為他不跟從我們。
39耶穌說：不要禁止他；因為沒有人奉我名行異能，反倒輕易毀謗我。
40不敵擋我們的，就是幫助我們的。
41凡因你們是屬基督，給你們一杯水喝的，我實在告訴你們，他不能不得賞賜。
信息分享
耶穌登山變像和治好一個被鬼附的孩子之後，祂便與門徒一起上路。路上發生了兩件似乎是互相矛盾的事。首先，耶穌暗暗地告訴門徒，祂將要被人殺害，但到了第三天便要復活。另一件事，是門徒在路上一直爭論他們中間誰為最大。
其實，這至少是基督第二或第三次告訴門徒，祂將要在耶路撒冷受害。他們怎麼好像聽而不聞、一點兒也不明白呢？其中一個原因，是因為他們不想去明白。他們心中所惦念的，就只有世上的國度；他們一心所盼望的，也只是在這國度中擔任一官半職。
然而，神的道路卻有別於人的道路。基督降世是為了受死，祂無論如何也不能逃避十字架的道路。可是，門徒卻絕不希望他們的夢想落得如此下場，所以，他們刻意不去問個明白。他們一直要到後來，才明白神的整個計劃和心意，並因而深深地感謝神。
神對我們一生中的計劃，我們許多時候都並不明白。每當我們好像要走上一條屬於自己的十字架道路，我們總是想刻意去迴避。然而，那若是出於神的心意，神就有最好的安排；當我們走過之後，我們就會明白神的心意，並獲得神為我們所預備的福。
最後我們要緊記的是，我們若希望自己能夠被神使用，就必須去除驕傲，學習謙卑。祕訣是在於第35節：「若有人願意作首先的，他必作眾人的末後的，作眾人的用人。」這不是一項容易學會的功課；可是，我們的主卻親自為我們立下了榜樣，成為眾人的僕人，我們這些跟從祂的門徒，又怎能不學效祂的榜樣呢？
THE WAY OF THE CROSS
Mark 9:30-41
30 Then they departed from there and passed through Galilee, and He did not want anyone to know it.
31 For He taught His disciples and said to them, “The Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of men, and they will kill Him.And after He is killed, He will rise the third day.”
32 But they did not understand this saying, and were afraid to ask Him.
33 Then He came to Capernaum.And when He was in the house He asked them, “What was it you disputed among yourselves on the road? ”
34 But they kept silent, for on the road they had disputed among themselves who would be the greatest.
35 And He sat down, called the twelve, and said to them, “If anyone desires to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all.”
36 Then He took a little child and set him in the midst of them.And when He had taken him in His arms, He said to them,
37 “Whoever receives one of these little children in My name receives Me; and whoever receives Me, receives not Me but Him who sent Me.”
38 Now John answered Him, saying, “Teacher, we saw someone who does not follow us casting out demons in Your name, and we forbade him because he does not follow us.”
39 But Jesus said, “Do not forbid him, for no one who works a miracle in My name can soon afterward speak evil of Me.
40 For he who is not against us is on our side.
41 For whoever gives you a cup of water to drink in My name, because you belong to Christ, assuredly, I say to you, he will by no means lose his reward.
Message
The Glory Mountain and the miracle of healing were followed by two very different stories. First Christ spoke about his death and resurrection and the disciples argued over who was going to be the greatest among them.
This was at least the second or third time that Christ had tried to tell the disciples that he was on his way to Jerusalem to die. Why didn't they believe him? Why didn't they understand? One reason is that they didn't want to. They could only think of an earthly kingdom and they wanted to be the leaders in it.
But our ways are not always God's ways. Christ had come into this world to die and there was no way the cross could be avoided. The disciples didn't want their dreams to end that way, but this was God's plan. Later they came to understand it and to thank God for it all.
We don't always understand God's plans for our lives. Sometimes when it seem as if we are facing our own personal cross, we feel that we don't want that road at all. Yet it may be God's way for us just then. Later we will see the reason for it and enter into the blessing he had planned for us.
Remember too that if we want to be used by God, we need to be humble rather than filled with pride. We need to learn the secret of verse 35 - 'if anyone wants to be first, he shall be last of all, and, the servant of all'. That is not easy for any of us. But it is the way the Master went, should not the servant tread it still?