害怕死去的麥子
將考驗化為見證

經文
路加福音二十一1-13
1耶穌抬頭觀看,見財主把捐項投在庫裡,
2又見一個窮寡婦投了兩個小錢,
3就說:我實在告訴你們,這窮寡婦所投的比眾人還多;
4因為眾人都是自己有餘,拿出來投在捐項裡,但這寡婦是自己不足,把他一切養生的都投上了。
5有人談論聖殿是用美石和供物妝飾的;
6耶穌就說:論到你們所看見的這一切,將來日子到了,在這裡沒有一塊石頭留在石頭上,不被拆毀了。
7他們問他說:夫子!甚麼時候有這事呢?這事將到的時候有甚麼預兆呢?
8耶穌說:你們要謹慎,不要受迷惑;因為將來有好些人冒我的名來,說:我是基督,又說:時候近了,你們不要跟從他們!
9你們聽見打仗和擾亂的事,不要驚惶;因為這些事必須先有,只是末期不能立時就到。
10當時,耶穌對他們說:民要攻打民,國要攻打國;
11地要大大震動,多處必有饑荒、瘟疫,又有可怕的異象和大神蹟從天上顯現。
12但這一切的事以先,人要下手拿住你們,逼迫你們,把你們交給會堂,並且收在監裡,又為我的名拉你們到君王諸侯面前。
13但這些事終必為你們的見證。
信息分享
今天我們要思考第三個關於處理難以承擔的苦難的步驟──不要浪費太多時間尋找苦難的原因,而是聚焦於如何去面對它。聖經讓我們看到耶穌花很少時間去解釋人類的苦難,更沒有解釋如何消除苦難。如果耶穌嘗試解釋苦難,那麼祂的福音便會變成哲學,這樣就不是福音了。哲學嘗試解釋一切,可惜一切依舊不變。耶穌沒有怎麼樣去作解釋,但祂卻改變所觸及的一切。耶穌來不是要帶來一種哲學,而是一個事實。
那個事實是甚麼?事實是耶穌自己經歷了苦難,並將它轉化為更高層次的東西。從這事實,我們領悟出我們的哲學,那就是我們藉以活出生命的原則和步驟。請留意是先有事實,然後才有關於事實的哲學。這個不單是一個「好消息」,更是戰勝罪惡和苦難,從中產生出一種生命之道。
第四個步驟是,要提醒自己,在神的宇宙中,祂只容許那些祂能使用的東西出現。我們在今天的經文看到耶穌提出苦難臨到我們的九個來源:混亂的宗教人士(假基督)、社會的戰爭和衝突、自然災難等等。然後耶穌說:「但這些事終必為你們的見證。」換句話說,你不能逃避麻煩,也不能只當它是神的旨意來忍受,你需要好好地利用它。
「耶穌少作解釋,但是祂改變一切」
進深研究
約十七1-26,十六33;羅五3-4
1. 耶穌應許甚麼?
2. 耶穌祈求甚麼?
祈禱
親愛的主耶穌,您用您的苦難美化了您所做的一切,求您教導我將每一個考驗都轉化為見證,將每一個悲劇都轉化為勝利。禱告是奉您親愛的名字,阿們。
The Corn of Wheat Afraid to Die
Turning tests into testimonies

Bible reading:
Luke 21:1-13
1 As Jesus looked up, he saw the rich putting their gifts into the temple treasury.
2 He also saw a poor widow put in two very small copper coins.
3 "Truly I tell you," he said, "this poor widow has put in more than all the others.
4 All these people gave their gifts out of their wealth; but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on."
5 Some of his disciples were remarking about how the temple was adorned with beautiful stones and with gifts dedicated to God. But Jesus said,
6 "As for what you see here, the time will come when not one stone will be left on another; every one of them will be thrown down."
7 "Teacher," they asked, "when will these things happen? And what will be the sign that they are about to take place?"
8 He replied: "Watch out that you are not deceived. For many will come in my name, claiming, 'I am he,' and, 'The time is near.' Do not follow them.
9 When you hear of wars and uprisings, do not be frightened. These things must happen first, but the end will not come right away."
10 Then he said to them: "Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.
11 There will be great earthquakes, famines and pestilences in various places, and fearful events and great signs from heaven.
12 "But before all this, they will seize you and persecute you. They will hand you over to synagogues and put you in prison, and you will be brought before kings and governors, and all on account of my name.
13 And so you will bear testimony to me.
Message
We look now at the third step in the process of dealing with unmerited suffering: don't spend too much time trying to understand the reason for suffering - focus rather on how you can deal with it. Notice, Jesus spent very little time trying to explain human suffering, much less explain it away. Had He undertaken to explain it, then His gospel would have become a philosophy - in which case it would not have been a gospel. A philosophy undertakes to explain everything, and then leaves everything as it was. Jesus undertook to explain little, but He changed everything He touched. He did not come to bring a philosophy, but a fact.
What was that fact? The fact was His own method of meeting suffering and transforming it into something higher. Out of this fact, we put together our philosophy - a system of principles and procedures by which we live out our life in this world. Notice that fact comes first, and then the philosophy about the fact. The good news is not merely "good news"; it is the fact of sin and suffering being met and overcome, and a way of life blazed out through them.
The fourth step is this: remind yourself that in God's universe, He allows only what He can use. In the passage before us today, Jesus gives the nine sources from which suffering comes upon us: confused religionists (false Christs), wars and conflicts in society, calamities in nature, and so on. Then He says this: "It will lead to an opportunity for your testimony." In other words, you are not to escape trouble, nor merely bear it as the will of God - you are to use it.
"Jesus explained little but changed everything"
Prayer
Blessed Lord Jesus, You who used Your suffering to beautify everything You did, teach me the art of turning every test into a testimony and every tragedy into a triumph. For Your own dear Name's sake. Amen.
Further study
John 17:1-26; 16:33
Romans 5:3-4
1. What did Jesus promise?
2. What did Jesus pray?
本文英文版權屬 CWR 所有,承蒙允准刊載。
背景音樂版權屬 讚美之泉音樂事工 所有,承蒙允准使用。

