我们昨天读到的经文描述了耶稣在客西马尼园怎样面对将要在十字架受死的苦难。祂首先面对自己的感受，然后面对事实──「起来，我们走吧！」。处理苦难的第二点，是要明白并非所有苦难都是来自个人的罪孽。当然，有些苦难是罪的结果，但不是所有苦难都是出于这个原因。违反神的道德法则的人，如果遇到惩罚不要感到惊讶，不过我们可以从约翰福音九章的记述看到并非所有苦难都是因为个人的罪所延伸出来，在那里耶稣指出个人的罪或父母的罪并不一定是某些残疾如天生瞎眼等的背后原因。

今天的经文对这一点有更清晰的表示，耶稣指出灾难可以源自人类的不人道（如彼拉多屠杀加利利的犹太人）或自然意外或灾害（如西罗亚城楼倒塌），受苦的人并非特别有罪。这个解释清楚说明那些没有遭受灾难的人自以为义的态度是错的。自义的人总认为别人的困难是神对他们犯罪的一种直接惩罚。

「耶稣先面对自己的感受，然后面对事实」

进深研究
伯一1-5，四1，五27，八1-22

1. 圣经怎样形容约伯？
2. 他的朋友说了些甚么？

祈祷
天父，当我明白受苦并非总是个人罪孽的结果，我感到非常释然。我愿意为我面对的困难负起自己当负的责任，求您帮助我不要遭受虚假的罪疚感所困扰，让我心灵能够保持平静。阿们。

The Corn of Wheat Afraid to Die

Day 268

Is suffering the result of sin?

"Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans because they suffered this way?" (v.2)

Bible reading:
Luke 13:1-9

1 Now there were some present at that time who told Jesus about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices.

2 Jesus answered, "Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans because they suffered this way?

3 I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish.

4 Or those eighteen who died when the tower in Siloam fell on them—do you think they were more guilty than all the others living in Jerusalem?

5 I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish."

6 Then he told this parable: "A man had a fig tree growing in his vineyard, and he went to look for fruit on it but did not find any.

7 So he said to the man who took care of the vineyard, 'For three years now I've been coming to look for fruit on this fig tree and haven't found any. Cut it down! Why should it use up the soil?'

8 "'Sir,' the man replied, 'leave it alone for one more year, and I'll dig around it and fertilize it.

9 If it bears fruit next year, fine! If not, then cut it down.'"

Message

Yesterday we ended by making the point that it is only when we realistically acknowledge a problem that we can take the steps to deal with it. The teaching that says you should not admit to having a problem as the negative thought that comes from such an admission will interfere with your ability to deal with it is psychologically and spiritually unsound.

The passage we read yesterday showed how Jesus, in the Garden of Gethsemane, dealt with the problem of His impending death on the cross: He first faced it in His feelings, and then went out to face the fact. "Rise, let us go!" The second thing we must do to deal with suffering is to recognise that not all suffering is due to personal sin. Some suffering is, of course, but not all. The person who violates God's moral laws must not be surprised when these laws kick back. The fact that not all suffering is due to personal sin can be seen from the account in John 9, where Jesus pointed out that personal or parental sin is not always at the back of physical calamities such as congenital blindness.

The point is made even more clearly in the passage before us today, where Jesus points out that calamities can stem from man's inhumanity to man (Pilate's butchering of Galilean Jews) or natural accidents or disasters (the collapse of the tower in Siloam), and therefore the people who suffer from them are not especially sinful. This takes away the self-righteous attitude of those who, being free from calamities themselves, view the problems of others as being the direct punishment of God upon their sin.

"Jesus faced His feelings then faced the fact"

Prayer
Father, I'm relieved to know that suffering is not always the result of personal sin. I'm willing to take my share of the blame for the problems I face, but help me not to become plagued with false guilt. Keep me balanced. Amen.

Further study
Job 1:1-5; 4:1-5-27; 8:1-22

1. What does Scripture say about Job?
2. What did his friends say?

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背景音乐版权属赞美之泉音乐事工所有，承蒙允准使用。