八福
今天就來
經文
路加福音十九1-10
1耶穌進了耶利哥，正經過的時候，
2有一個人名叫撒該，作稅吏長，是個財主。
3他要看看耶穌是怎樣的人；隻因人多，他的身量又矮，所以不得看見，
4就跑到前頭，爬上桑樹，要看耶穌，因為耶穌必從那裡經過。
5耶穌到了那裡，抬頭一看，對他說：撒該，快下來！今天我必住在你家裡。
6他就急忙下來，歡歡喜喜的接待耶穌。
7眾人看見，都私下議論說：他竟到罪人家裡去住宿。
8撒該站著對主說：主阿，我把所有的一半給窮人；我若訛詐了誰，就還他四倍。
9耶穌說：今天救恩到了這家，因為他也是亞伯拉罕的子孫。
10人子來，為要尋找，拯救失喪的人。
信息分享
我們再多花一天的時間來思考八福的第一福：「虛心的人有福了，因為天國是他們的。」我以前提過的牧者兼心理學家克拉默（Raymond Cramer）博士說，在「耶穌心理學」中，是那些有困難的人得到主人的關注。
當我們的主在地上生活時，每個人都需要他，但隻有那些知道自己需要的人才得到他的關注。大家往往說神走向有需要的人。這個說法不對。更正確的說法是，神向那些明白和承認自己有需要的人走去。那些明白自己有需要的人，是應該得到祝賀的，他們值得羨慕，因為他們可以進入天國。
我們可以用以下的句子，來翻譯八福的第一句話，而不會破壞耶穌這句話的原意：「恭喜那些謙卑，願意承認自己有需要的人，因為他們會得到神的幫助。」相信我，天國沒有人不是「靈裡貧窮」的。如果你的手不是已倒空的，你便不能被充滿。救恩不是賺回來而是白白的領受。我們藉著恩典、透過信心才能得救。不是出於我們自己，而是神的恩賜（弗二8）。有一首古老的詩歌，歌詞是這樣有力的說：
我手中什麼也沒有帶，
隻是依附在你的十架……
污穢，我飛奔到水泉；
洗淨我，救主啊，免得我死亡。
「有困難的人得到主人的關注」
進深研究
腓三1-9；可十28；路五27-28，十八29-30
1. 保羅的態度是怎樣的？
2. 耶穌要求最初的門徒做什麼？
祈禱
天父，感謝您幫助我明白，「靈裡貧窮」是承認我自己全然無助、不能自救。我沒有什麼可以付出，但我可以接受一切。我現在謙卑地跪下接受您。阿們。
The Beatitudes
Come...today
Bible reading:
Luke 19:1-10
1 Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through.
2 A man was there by the name of Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was wealthy.
3 He wanted to see who Jesus was, but because he was short he could not see over the crowd.
4 So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree to see him, since Jesus was coming that way.
5 When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, "Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today."
6 So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly.
7 All the people saw this and began to mutter, "He has gone to be the guest of a sinner."
8 But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, "Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount."
9 Jesus said to him, "Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham.
10 For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost."
Message
We spend one more day meditating on the first of : "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." Dr Raymond Cramer, the minister and psychologist whom I mentioned earlier, says that in the psychology of Jesus, it is the one who has a problem that gets the Master's attention.
When our Lord was here on earth, everyone needed Him, but only those who realised their need got His attention. It is often said that God rushes to the side of a person in need. That is not quite true. It would be more correct to say that God rushes to the side of the person who recognises and acknowledges their need. Those who recognise their need are to be congratulated, they are to be envied - they are candidates for the kingdom of heaven.
We could translate this first Beatitude in the following manner without doing any injustice to the original statement of Jesus: "Congratulations to those who are humble and willing enough to recognise their need - for they are candidates for the help of God." Take it from me, there is no one in the kingdom of God who is not "poor in spirit". You cannot be filled until you are first empty. Salvation is not something earned, but something received. It is by grace we are saved, through faith, and that not of ourselves, it is the gift of God (Eph. 2:8). The old hymn puts it in a way that is powerful and effective:
Nothing in my hand I bring,
Simply to Thy cross I cling...
Foul, I to the fountain fly;
Wash me, Saviour, or I die.
"The one with a problem gets the Master's attention"
Prayer
Father, thank You for helping me understand that to be "poor in spirit" is to recognise my utter helplessness in trying to save myself. I have nothing to give, but everything to receive. Humbly I bow and receive You now. Amen.
Further study
Philippians 3:1-9
Mark 10:28
Luke 5:27-28; 18:29-30
1. What was Paul's attitude?
2. What did Jesus require of the first disciples?
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