害怕死去的麥子
到雅典生存下來吧

經文
約翰福音七25-39
25耶路撒冷人中有的說:這不是他們想要殺的人嗎?
26你看他還明明的講道,他們也不向他說甚麼,難道官長真知道這是基督嗎?
27然而,我們知道這個人從那裡來;只是基督來的時候,沒有人知道他從那裡來。
28那時,耶穌在殿裡教訓人,大聲說:你們也知道我,也知道我從那裡來;我來並不是由於自己。但那差我來的是真的。你們不認識他,
29我卻認識他;因為我是從他來的,他也是差了我來。
30他們就想要捉拿耶穌;只是沒有人下手,因為他的時候還沒有到。
31但眾人中間有好些信他的,說:基督來的時候,他所行的神蹟豈能比這人所行的更多嗎?
32法利賽人聽見眾人為耶穌這樣紛紛議論,祭司長和法利賽人就打發差役去捉拿他。
33於是耶穌說:我還有不多的時候和你們同在,以後就回到差我來的那裡去。
34你們要找我,卻找不著;我所在的地方你們不能到。
35猶太人就彼此對問說:這人要往那裡去,叫我們找不著呢?難道他要往散住希利尼中的猶太人那裡去教訓希利尼人嗎?
36他說:你們要找我,卻找不著;我所在的地方,你們不能到,這話是甚麼意思呢?
37節期的末日,就是最大之日,耶穌站著高聲說:人若渴了,可以到我這裡來喝。
38信我的人就如經上所說:從他腹中要流出活水的江河來。
39耶穌這話是指著信他之人要受聖靈說的。那時還沒有賜下聖靈來,因為耶穌尚未得著榮耀。
信息分享
昨天結束時,我們提及希臘人可能想說服耶穌將祂的信息帶到雅典,一個哲學和學問的中心去。他們是否想要對祂說:「將你關於神的國這個了不起的信息以希臘思想作為媒介,它就能迅速地傳遍世界。不要留在耶路撒冷等死,到雅典來吧,起碼你能生存下去」。
當然,我們無從肯定當時的情況是否這樣,我只是提出他們心裡可能有這麼一個想法。如果我們思考今天的經文,那麼這個想法就不會顯得牽強:「難道他要去流散的人民那裡……教導希臘人嗎?」(35節,RSV譯本)。以色列以外的其他國家對他那革命性的生命取向感興趣嗎?據說當年伊得撒(Edessa)的王曾經傳信息給耶穌,邀請耶穌到他們那兒講述關於上帝國度的信息。
無論這是否屬實,有一件事情是肯定的──希臘人的到來,為耶穌的心靈帶來了壓力:「我現在心裡憂愁,我說甚麼才好呢?父啊,救我脫離這時候……父啊,願你榮耀了你的名!」(約十二27-28)。雖然承受著壓力,但耶穌不會找藉口或妥協,他會面對他一直都委身的事情,不是雅典的哲學教席,而是耶路撒冷那可怕的十字架。耶穌會落入地裡死去,並獲得豐富的收成,超過世界所能提供的一切。
「耶穌的死帶來難以想像的豐富收成」
進深研究
太十六24-28,二十七32;約十九17
1. 十字架象徵甚麼?
2. 「背起你的十字架」是甚麼意思?
祈禱
主耶穌,求您幫助我在面對未來的挑戰時能效發您的精神。我盼望我的生命能夠淋漓盡致的發揮,求您告訴我如何與您同工。阿們。
The Corn of Wheat Afraid to Die
"Come to Athens and live"

Bible reading:
John 7:25-39
25 At that point some of the people of Jerusalem began to ask, "Isn't this the man they are trying to kill?
26 Here he is, speaking publicly, and they are not saying a word to him. Have the authorities really concluded that he is the Messiah?
27 But we know where this man is from; when the Messiah comes, no one will know where he is from."
28 Then Jesus, still teaching in the temple courts, cried out, "Yes, you know me, and you know where I am from. I am not here on my own authority, but he who sent me is true. You do not know him,
29 but I know him because I am from him and he sent me."
30 At this they tried to seize him, but no one laid a hand on him, because his hour had not yet come.
31 Still, many in the crowd believed in him. They said, "When the Messiah comes, will he perform more signs than this man?"
32 The Pharisees heard the crowd whispering such things about him. Then the chief priests and the Pharisees sent temple guards to arrest him.
33 Jesus said, "I am with you for only a short time, and then I am going to the one who sent me.
34 You will look for me, but you will not find me; and where I am, you cannot come."
35 The Jews said to one another, "Where does this man intend to go that we cannot find him? Will he go where our people live scattered among the Greeks, and teach the Greeks?
36 What did he mean when he said, 'You will look for me, but you will not find me,' and 'Where I am, you cannot come'?"
37 On the last and greatest day of the festival, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, "Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink.
38 Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them."[a]
39 By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified.
Message
We ended yesterday by suggesting that the issue which the Greeks might have wanted to talk over with Jesus was that of taking His message to Athens - the centre of philosophy and learning. Were they intent on saying to Him: "Put Your marvellous message of the kingdom of God into the medium of Greek thought, and in no time it will spread throughout the world. Don't stay in Jerusalem and die; come to Athens and live"?
We have no way, of course, of knowing for sure that this was the situation, and I am simply suggesting that this is what may have been in their minds. The idea is not as far-fetched as you might imagine when placed against the verse that is before us today: "Does he intend to go to the Dispersion... and teach the Greeks?" (v.35, RSV). Had other nations beyond Israel's boundaries showed interest in His revolutionary approach to life? Tradition says that the king of Edessa once sent a message to Jesus inviting Him to come to his country and present His message concerning the kingdom of God.
Whether or not this was so, one thing is certain - the coming of the Greeks precipitated a crisis in Jesus' soul: "Now my heart is troubled, and what shall I say? 'Father, save me from this hour'?...Father, glorify your name!" (John 12:27-28). He would not rationalise or compromise; He would face the issue to which He had always been committed. It was not to be a philosopher's chair in Athens, but a grisly cross in Jerusalem. He would fall into the ground and die, and bear a harvest richer than anything the world could offer.
"Jesus' death would produce an unimaginably rich harvest"
Prayer
Lord Jesus, help me to catch something of Your spirit as I face the challenges that lie ahead of me in the coming days. I want to make my life count for the utmost show me how we can work things out together. Amen.
Further study
Matthew 16:24-28; 27:32
John 19:17
1. What does the cross signify?
2. What does it mean to "take up your cross"?
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