至高的大祭司
希伯来书五章1至10节
1凡从人间挑选的大祭司,是奉派替人办理属神的事,为要献上礼物和赎罪祭(或作:要为罪献上礼物和祭物)。
2他能体谅那愚蒙的和失迷的人,因为他自己也是被软弱所困。
3故此,他理当为百姓和自己献祭赎罪。
4这大祭司的尊荣,没有人自取。惟要蒙神所召,像亚伦一样。
5如此,基督也不是自取荣耀作大祭司,乃是在乎向他说你是我的儿子,我今日生你的那一位;
6就如经上又有一处说:你是照着麦基洗德的等次永远为祭司。
7基督在肉体的时候,既大声哀哭,流泪祷告,恳求那能救他免死的主,就因他的虔诚蒙了应允。
8他虽然为儿子,还是因所受的苦难学了顺从。
9他既得以完全,就为凡顺从他的人成了永远得救的根源、
10并蒙神照着麦基洗德的等次称他为大祭司。
信息分享
这段经文的最后几节让我们犹如踏足圣地。我们觉得它们不容易理解,因为它们引领我们进到一个类似客西马利园的地方。我们再次听到跪在地上的救主不住对神发出呼喊。
留意第7节所用的措辞,充份表达出救主那时刻是何等迫切的祷告。祈祷的人,仿佛置身在可怕的暴风之中,在岌岌可危的时刻,拼命呼求神的保护。我们的救主,在面对危难的时候,也要逼切向父神祈求,我们就更不用说了。
美亚博士(F. B. Meyer)指出,我们必须留意,救主在客西利园的祷告,乃是隐密的祷告。他甚至没有要求最亲密的三位门徒,跟他一起祷告。同样地,我们有些重担,也可能不便公开,只能独自向救主祷告。
同时,客西马利园的祷告也是谦卑的祷告。福音书的作者告诉我们,救主虽痛苦,但祂却表示愿意顺服父神的旨意。基督的祷告,是建基于祂与父神的关系,所以,祂呼喊「父啊!」同样地,我们也是奉基督的名向父神祷告。
救主的祷告也是逼切的祷告。我们经常重复为到某件事情不断祈求,可是,不断重复的祈祷,不一定是迫切的祈祷。救主总是在祷告中对神说:「不要成就我的意思,只要成就你的意思。」
救主的祷告带来甚么结果?
祂的祷告蒙了应允(7节)。神虽然没有将苦杯拿开,可是,祂却差派天使来服侍祂,加添他的力量。神可能也会以这个方式来应允我们的祈祷。
其次,经文告诉我们,祂学会了顺服(8节)。我们也许不能完全明白它的意思,但我们却要记着:基督透过亲身的经历,深切明白顺服所要付出的代价。
最后,祂借着这一切过程而变得完全。「完全」这个词,在这里解作「合乎所用」。换句话说,主耶稣所经历的一切,使祂更适合作我们的大祭司。我们是否为此而深感惊叹呢?
OUR WONDERFUL HIGH PRIEST
Hebrews 5:1-10
1 For every high priest taken from among men is appointed for men in things pertaining to God, that he may offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins.
2 He can have compassion on those who are ignorant and going astray, since he himself is also subject to weakness.
3 Because of this he is required as for the people, so also for himself, to offer sacrifices for sins.
4 And no man takes this honor to himself, but he who is called by God, just as Aaron was.
5 So also Christ did not glorify Himself to become High Priest, but it was He who said to Him:
“You are My Son,
Today I have begotten You.”
6 As He also says in another place:
“You are a priest forever
According to the order of Melchizedek”;
7 who, in the days of His flesh, when He had offered up prayers and supplications, with vehement cries and tears to Him who was able to save Him from death, and was heard because of His godly fear,
8 though He was a Son, yet He learned obedience by the things which He suffered.
9 And having been perfected, He became the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him,
10 called by God as High Priest “according to the order of Melchizedek,”
Message
The last few verses of this reading are almost like holy ground. We find them a little hard to understand because they take us into places like the Garden of Gethsemane. We hear again the cry of the Saviour as he lies on the ground in prayer.
Notice what verse 7 says. Every word here is strong. His prayer was intense. It was the begging cry of someone needing protection in a terrible hour of storm. In his great hour of need our Saviour turned to his Father in prayer. We can do this today.
F. B. Meyer says that we should notice that the Gethsemane prayer was secret prayer. He did not share it even with the three disciples closest to him. There are burdens too that we can only share with the Lord himself.
It was humble prayer. The gospel writers all tell us of his submission to the Father's will. It was prayer based on relationship-'Oh my Father' he cried. So our prayers are to our Father in the name of Christ.
It was earnest prayer. Repetition is not always earnestness, but sometimes there will come to us the same prayer over and over again. And the Lord always said 'Not my will but thine be done'.
What was the result?
He was heard (v. 7). The cup was not taken away but the angel came and ministered to him and strengthened him. Again it can very easily be the same kind of answer for us.
Secondly we are told he learned obedience (v. 8). We may not understand all that this means but again remember: he is the one we are dealing with now and he knows the cost of obedience.
Finally he was made perfect through it all. The word 'perfect' here means fitted for the task. In other words all that the Lord Jesus went through made him more fitted for the work of being our great High Priest. Isn't that wonderful?

