害怕死去的麥子
遭攻擊，但無損
經文
馬太福音十5-20
5耶穌差這十二個人去，吩咐他們說：外邦人的路，你們不要走；撒瑪利亞人的城，你們不要進；
6寧可往以色列家迷失的羊那裡去。
7隨走隨傳，說天國近了！
8醫治病人，叫死人復活，叫長大痲瘋的潔淨，把鬼趕出去。你們白白的得來，也要白白的捨去。
9腰袋裡不要帶金銀銅錢。
10行路不要帶口袋；不要帶兩件褂子，也不要帶鞋和柺杖。因為工人得飲食是應當的。
11你們無論進那一城，那一村，要打聽那裡誰是好人，就住在他家，直住到走的時候。
12進他家裡去，要請他的安。
13那家若配得平安，你們所求的平安就必臨到那家；若不配得，你們所求的平安仍歸你們。
14凡不接待你們、不聽你們話的人，你們離開那家，或是那城的時候，就把腳上的塵土跺下去。
15我實在告訴你們，當審判的日子，所多瑪和蛾摩拉所受的，比那城還容易受呢！
16我差你們去，如同羊進入狼群；所以你們要靈巧像蛇，馴良像鴿子。
17你們要防備人；因為他們要把你們交給公會，也要在會堂裡鞭打你們，
18並且你們要為我的緣故被送到諸侯君王面前，對他們和外邦人作見證。
19你們被交的時候，不要思慮怎樣說話，或說甚麼話。到那時候，必賜給你們當說的話；
20因為不是你們自己說的，乃是你們父的靈在你們裡頭說的。
信息分享
今天的經文說：「看哪，我差你們去，如同羊進入狼群。」耶穌基督的福音是唯一敢向信徒說這些話的信仰。耶穌彷彿在說：「好比羊在狼群中，你能逃避困難和敵對的機會也是一樣」。如果你是基督徒，你可以預料別人會敵對你，甚至使你受傷。請注意我是說「使你受傷」，但不是「使你受損」。有些時候神可能不會保護我們免受傷害，但是祂會保護我們免受損害。
有一位作家用以下的說話來表達相同的思想：「有時候神會讓祂的兒女受到攻擊，但只要他們願意完全順從神以及祂的計劃，神就永不會讓他們受傷。」他使用「攻擊」(attack)這個字來指身體或言語上的傷害，使用「受傷」(injured)來指靈魂的創傷，意思是，來自外面的攻擊不能傷害我們，我們只會被自己內心錯誤的想法和錯誤的選擇所傷害。
我之前曾經引述過一句格言：「除非一個人能夠忍受發生在他身上的各種事情，否則沒有人是安全的。」有一個年青的學生寫信給我說：「這麼說來也就沒有甚麼人是『安全的』，對吧？」讓我在這兒給你們指出另一節經文，與今天的經文一起思考：「因為寶座中的羔羊必牧養他們」（啟七17）。基督在寶座上是我們的保證，我們無論如何都可以經過人和事的「狼群」而勝過它們。
「你可能會受傷，但不會受損」
進深研究
林後四1-12；西三3-4；啟一18
1. 保羅的見證是甚麼？
2. 保羅怎樣看生命？
祈禱
主耶穌，您是任何境況的主宰──就是在十字架上您仍然赦免那些釘您的人。求主幫助我懂得戰勝環境的挑戰；幫助我看到，除非我的內在被打倒了，否則我並不會被環境所擊倒。阿們。
The Corn of Wheat Afraid to Die
Attacked - but not injured
Bible reading:
Matthew 10:5-20
5 These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions: "Do not go among the Gentiles or enter any town of the Samaritans.
6 Go rather to the lost sheep of Israel.
7 As you go, proclaim this message: 'The kingdom of heaven has come near.'
8 Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy,[a] drive out demons. Freely you have received; freely give.
9 "Do not get any gold or silver or copper to take with you in your belts—
10 no bag for the journey or extra shirt or sandals or a staff, for the worker is worth his keep.
11 Whatever town or village you enter, search there for some worthy person and stay at their house until you leave.
12 As you enter the home, give it your greeting.
13 If the home is deserving, let your peace rest on it; if it is not, let your peace return to you.
14 If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, leave that home or town and shake the dust off your feet.
15 Truly I tell you, it will be more bearable for Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than for that town.
16 "I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves.
17 Be on your guard; you will be handed over to the local councils and be flogged in the synagogues. 18 On my account you will be brought before governors and kings as witnesses to them and to the Gentiles.
19 But when they arrest you, do not worry about what to say or how to say it. At that time you will be given what to say,
20 for it will not be you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.
Message
The gospel of Jesus Christ is the only faith that dares to say to its followers: "Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves" (AV). It is as if Jesus is saying: "You will have as much chance of escaping difficulties and opposition as sheep have in the midst of wolves." If you are a Christian, you can expect people to oppose you - even hurt you. Notice what I say: "hurt" you, but not "harm" you. Sometimes God may not protect us from being hurt, but He will protect us from being harmed.
One writer puts that same thought in this way: "At times God may suffer His children to be attacked, but providing they are fully abandoned to Him and His purposes, He will never suffer them to be injured." He is using the words "attack" to mean physical or verbal abuse, and "injury" to mean the scarring of the soul. In that sense, no attack from without can injure us; we can only be injured from within by wrong perspectives and wrong choices.
Some time ago I quoted a maxim that goes like this: "No man is safe unless he can stand anything that happens to him." A young student wrote to me and said: "Then there aren't many people who are 'safe' - are there?" I point you now to another verse to lay alongside our text for today: "For the Lamb in the midst of the throne will be their shepherd (Rev. 7:17, RSV). Christ's being on the throne is the pledge that we, too - somehow, some way - shall pass out of the midst of the "wolves" of people and things, to victory over both.
"You may be hurt but not harmed"
Prayer
Lord Jesus, Master of every situation - even on a cross where You dispensed forgiveness to Your crucifiers - give me this mastery over circumstances. Help me to see I am not beaten until I am beaten within. Amen.
Further study
2 Corinthians 4:1-12
Colossians 3:34
Revelation 1:18
1.What was Paul's testimony?
2. How did Paul view life?
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