經過考驗而得勝的信心
馬可福音七章24至30節
24耶穌從那裡起身，往推羅、西頓的境內去，進了一家，不願意人知道，卻隱藏不住。
25當下，有一個婦人，他的小女兒被污鬼附著，聽見耶穌的事，就來俯伏在他腳前。
26這婦人是希臘人，屬敘利腓尼基族。他求耶穌趕出那鬼離開他的女兒。
27耶穌對他說：讓兒女們先吃飽，不好拿兒女的餅丟給狗吃。
28婦人回答說：主阿，不錯；但是狗在桌子底下也吃孩子們的碎渣兒。
29耶穌對他說：因這句話，你回去罷；鬼已經離開你的女兒了。
30他就回家去，見小孩子躺在床上，鬼已經出去了。
信息分享
這是一個奇特的故事。那名婦人逼切地求耶穌醫治她的女兒，但耶穌卻顯出一副不大願意的樣子。其實，祂只是考驗她的信心而已。
當我們向神祈求的時候，我們應該緊記這個故事給我們的教訓。
留意這個婦人的態度。她是否走到耶穌面前，像耶穌一定要幫她一樣，命令祂去醫治她的女兒？不，她俯伏在祂的腳前，哀求祂的幫助。
她是否只求一次，見耶穌不肯答允就離開？不，第26節的意思是她不斷懇求。即使她得到一個奇怪的回應，她仍然沒有放棄，繼續懇求主。
耶穌對她說的話，可以理解為：「我來是要先幫助猶太人；我應該先盡力幫助他們，然後才幫助你們外邦人。」
婦人回答得很好。她說：「我明白這個道理，人不會先餵狗，然後才餵自己的兒女。然而，主人卻會容許家中的狗吃掉下來的餅碎。難道你沒有一些餅碎可以給我的女兒嗎？」
她的說話令基督大為驚訝。祂看見她的信心和逼切的祈求，於是對她說：「妳起來回去吧！妳的女兒好了！」
她立即起來回家；這個毫不遲疑的行動，再次充分顯示她的信心。當她回到家中，她便發現她的祈求真的得蒙應允了。
今天，讓我們好好思考這個故事，反省它對我們的禱告生活所帶來的啟迪。你的信心是否很容易動搖？抑或你會堅定信心，不住禱告，直至得到神的應允？
反思：
常常禱告，不要灰心。
FAITH TESTED BUT TRIUMPHANT
Mark 7:24-30
24 From there He arose and went to the region of Tyre and Sidon. And He entered a house and wanted no one to know it, but He could not be hidden.
25 For a woman whose young daughter had an unclean spirit heard about Him, and she came and fell at His feet.
26 The woman was a Greek, a Syro-Phoenician by birth, and she kept asking Him to cast the demon out of her daughter.
27 But Jesus said to her, “Let the children be filled first, for it is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the little dogs.”
28 And she answered and said to Him, “Yes, Lord, yet even the little dogs under the table eat from the children’s crumbs.”
29 Then He said to her, “For this saying go your way; the demon has gone out of your daughter.”
30 And when she had come to her house, she found the demon gone out, and her daughter lying on the bed.
Message
This is a strange story. It seemed almost as if Jesus did not want to heal the daughter of the woman who came to him. But what he was really doing was testing her faith in him as the Son of God.
It is a wonderful lesson for us to remember when we ask God for special things.
Notice the attitude of this woman. Did she stand in front of Christ and demand he heal her daughter? No, she came and fell at his feet and pleaded with him.
Did she ask once and then go away without an answer? No, verse 26 really means that she kept on asking Jesus for help. Even when he gave her a strange reply, she still asked again.
What Jesus said to her could be put this way. 'I have come to help Jewish people first of all. I don't think it is right to do something for you until I have helped all of them that I can.'
Her reply was wonderful, She said 'I realise that. You don't feed the little housedogs first before you feed your children. But the pet dogs are allowed to lick up any crumbs that fall. Couldn't I have just a little crumb for my daughter, please?'
Christ was thrilled with her reply. He saw her faith and her desire and said, 'Go on home, your daughter is healed.'
Once again her faith shows through. She immediately left the place where Christ was and went on home. When she got there, she found her prayer had been wonderfully answered.
Think through this story again today and see what it has to say to you regarding the way you pray. Is your faith easily turned aside or does it press on until God answers?
A THOUGHT:
We ought always to pray and not faint in doing it.