害怕死去的麥子
跟著心跳過活
經文
約翰福音五16-30
16所以猶太人逼迫耶穌，因為他在安息日作了這事。
17耶穌就對他們說：我父作事直到如今，我也作事。
18所以猶太人越發想要殺他；因他不但犯了安息日，並且稱神為他的父，將自己和神當作平等。
19耶穌對他們說：我實實在在的告訴你們，子憑著自己不能作甚麼，惟有看見父所作的，子才能作；父所作的事，子也照樣作。
20父愛子，將自己所作的一切事指給他看，還要將比這更大的事指給他看，叫你們希奇。
21父怎樣叫死人起來，使他們活著，子也照樣隨自己的意思使人活著。
22父不審判甚麼人，乃將審判的事全交與子，
23叫人都尊敬子如同尊敬父一樣。不尊敬子的，就是不尊敬差子來的父。
24我實實在在的告訴你們，那聽我話、又信差我來者的，就有永生；不至於定罪，是已經出死入生了。
25我實實在在的告訴你們，時候將到，現在就是了，死人要聽見神兒子的聲音，聽見的人就要活了。
26因為父怎樣在自己有生命，就賜給他兒子也照樣在自己有生命，
27並且因為他是人子，就賜給他行審判的權柄。
28你們不要把這事看作希奇。時候要到，凡在墳墓裡的，都要聽見他的聲音，就出來；
29行善的，復活得生；作惡的，復活定罪。
30我憑著自己不能作甚麼，我怎麼聽見就怎麼審判。我的審判也是公平的；因為我不求自己的意思，只求那差我來者的意思。
信息分享
我們昨天談到在約翰福音十二章記載耶穌接見希臘人的事件其實是有重要意義的，今天讓我們繼續這討論。雖然我們不能肯定希臘人究竟是為了甚麼來找耶穌，但他們的到來卻明顯的引起耶穌強烈的情緒，引致耶穌說出這句話來──「一粒麥子不落在地裡死了，仍舊是一粒，若是死了，就結出許多子粒來」（約十二24）。
有些解經家認為雖然聖經沒有清楚記載希臘人與耶穌的談話，但他們可能透過安得烈和腓力傳了口訊給耶穌，表示如果耶穌願意把祂的信息帶到他們所居住的地方去，祂就會得到豐盛長久的生命。事情真的是這樣嗎？我們不知道，最少在世上的日子不會知道這個真相，不過就算這是真的，耶穌的回答卻是：生命是來自生命的獻出，累累的碩果是出自落在地裡死去的種子。
耶穌不是跟著計時器來生活，祂是跟著心跳而活。祂知道當我們孤立自己，或好像一顆「害怕死去的麥子」時，我們的生命就顯得膚淺而且不結果子。如果拒絕付出最終的代價──獻出自己的代價，實際上那就是在付出死亡的代價。我們再一次聽到主基督的呼喊：「愛惜自己生命的，就失喪生命，在這世上恨惡自己生命的，就要保守生命到永生」（約十二25）。如果希臘人來要求耶穌愛惜、拯救自己的生命，並因此也拯救其他人的生命，那他們是在要求一種不流血的祝福。耶穌知道這是不可能的。因為沒有死亡便沒有生命，沒有痛苦便沒有收成，沒有十字架便沒有冠冕；我們只有透過降服，才能夠得到最終的勝利。
「沒有痛苦便沒有收成」
進深研究
路十五11-32；可八36；太二十五27-28
1. 浪子要學習甚麼？
2. 那個有恩賜的人要學習甚麼教訓？
祈禱
我的父，我的神，在進入另一個思想的課題以前，求您幫助我今天下定決心委身與您。奉耶穌的聖名祈求，阿們。
The Corn of Wheat Afraid to Die
Living by the heartbeat
Bible reading:
John 5:16-30
16 So, because Jesus was doing these things on the Sabbath, the Jewish leaders began to persecute him.
17 In his defense Jesus said to them, "My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I too am working."
18 For this reason they tried all the more to kill him; not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God.
19 Jesus gave them this answer: "Very truly I tell you, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does.
20 For the Father loves the Son and shows him all he does. Yes, and he will show him even greater works than these, so that you will be amazed.
21 For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, even so the Son gives life to whom he is pleased to give it.
22 Moreover, the Father judges no one, but has entrusted all judgment to the Son,
23 that all may honor the Son just as they honor the Father. Whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father, who sent him.
24 "Very truly I tell you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged but has crossed over from death to life.
25 Very truly I tell you, a time is coming and has now come when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God and those who hear will live.
26 For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself.
27 And he has given him authority to judge because he is the Son of Man.
28 "Do not be amazed at this, for a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice
29 and come out—those who have done what is good will rise to live, and those who have done what is evil will rise to be condemned.
30 By myself I can do nothing; I judge only as I hear, and my judgment is just, for I seek not to please myself but him who sent me.
Message
Although we do not know exactly why the Greeks came to Jesus, it is clear that their arrival aroused powerful emotions. He soliloquises: "Unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit" (John 12:24, RSV).
Some commentators think that although there is no record of the Greeks having actually conversed with Christ, they might have sent a message via Andrew and Philip to the effect that He could have a long and fruitful life if He brought His message to their shores. Was this so? We will never know - at least, not this side of eternity. But if it was, this was His answer: life comes through giving life, and fruitfulness through falling into the ground and dying.
Jesus did not live by the hourglass, but by the heartbeat. He knew that when we remain alone by ourselves - when we are like the "corn of wheat afraid to die" - we will find life shallow and fruitless. A refusal to pay the ultimate price - the price of giving ourselves - is to find ourselves paying the price of the deadness of life itself. Again we hear Him cry: "The man who loves his life will lose it, while the man who hates his life in this world [as I must do] will keep it for eternal life" (John 12:25). If the Greeks were coming to ask Him to love His life and save it - and thus save others - they were asking Him to bless without bleeding. Jesus knew that could not be done. There is no life without death, no gain without pain, no crown without a cross, and no victory except through surrender.
"There is no gain without pain"
Prayer
My Father and my God, soon I will leave this theme and focus on another. If I have not yet settled this issue of where my allegiance lies - with myself or with You - then help me to settle it today. For Your own dear Name's sake. Amen.
Further study
Luke 15:11-32
Mark 8:36
Matthew 25:27-28
1.What did the prodigal son have to learn?
2. What is the lesson of the man with one talent?
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