為甚麼有這個必要呢？我們的主提出這個要求時可能有甚麼目的？今天的經文把答案告訴我們：「你們多結果子，我父就因此得榮耀，你們也就是我的門徒了」。父的「榮耀」究竟是甚麼？是彩虹還是瀑布？還是唱詩的天使？都不是，父的「榮耀」是呈獻豐盛果子的兒女。你的生命多結果子嗎？它有豐富的收成，讓你的主可以從中得到永恆的快樂嗎？如果沒有，那麼也許是因為你是那「害怕死去的麥子」。你從神為你而設計的計劃中退縮出去，而那計劃不是要貶低你，是要培養你。如果你怕死，那麼正如耶穌說，你「仍舊只是一粒麥子」。

有一次，一位女士在我講完關於這個題目的道後來到我面前說：「為甚麼神那麼殘忍，對我們有那麼多要求？」她的意思是，為甚麼神要取去我所擁有的唯一東西──我自己？這位女士以為那是等於自我毀滅。她只看到自己要放棄甚麼，卻看不到會得到甚麼。如果我們要贏得這場戰爭，我們必須好像耶穌那樣，專注相信，因為在我們選擇了的十字架道路的背後，隱藏著最終的能力和勝利。

「十字架的背後隱藏著最終的能力和勝利」

進深研究
西一1-10；詩一3；太十三23；羅六22

1. 神對我們的旨意是甚麼？
2. 那包括甚麼？

祈禱
我的父、我的神，我不想退縮、躲避，或者將事情推遲。求您幫助我，現在就幫助我，在面對向私慾死去這件事情上，能徹底地作出決定。阿們。

The Corn of Wheat Afraid to Die

Day 250

What is the Father's "glory"?

"This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples." (v.8)

Bible reading:
John 15:1-11

1 "I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener.

2 He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes[a] so that it will be even more fruitful.

3 You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you.

4 Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.

5 "I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.

6 If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned.

7 If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.

8 This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.

9 "As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love.

10 If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commands and remain in his love.

11 I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.

Message

Over these last few days, we have been seeing that just as Christ came face to face with the issue - To die or not to die - so also must we, His disciples, face a similar challenge. It is one of the axioms of the Christian life that in order to realise God's purposes in our lives, we must be prepared to die to all self-interest.

Why is this so necessary? What possible purpse can our Lord have in making such a demand? Our text for today gives us the answer: "This is my Father's glory, that you may bear fruit in plenty and so be my disciples" (NEB). The Father's "glory" is what? Rainbows? Waterfalls? Chanting angels? No, the Father's "glory" is men and women who bring forth fruit in plenty. Is your life fruitful? Does it yield a rich harvest from which your Lord will derive eternal pleasure? If not, then perhaps the reason is that your are "a corn of wheat afraid to die". You draw back from experiences which are designed, not to demean you, but to develop you. And if you are afraid to die, then, as Jesus put it, you "remain only a single seed".

A women once came up to me after I had preached a sermon on this theme, and said: "Why is God so cruel in demanding so much of us?" She meant: Why does God demand the one and only thing I own - me, myself? It seemed to her that she would be consenting to her own extinction. She saw only what she had to give up - not what she had to gain. If we are to win this battle, then we must do as Jesus did and continually focus our gaze on the fact that beyond the chosen way of the cross lies ultimate power and victory.

"Beyond the cross lies power and victory"

Prayer
My Father and my God, I do not want to shirk, to dodge, or to put things off. Help me, and help me now, to face this issue of the death of my self-interests so that it is settled once and for all. Amen.

Further study
Colossians 1:1-10
Psalm 1:3
Matthew 13:23
Romans 6:22

1. What is God's purpose for us?
2. What does that entail?

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