害怕死去的麦子
跟着心跳过活
经文
约翰福音五16-30
16所以犹太人逼迫耶稣，因为他在安息日作了这事。
17耶稣就对他们说：我父作事直到如今，我也作事。
18所以犹太人越发想要杀他；因他不但犯了安息日，并且称神为他的父，将自己和神当作平等。
19耶稣对他们说：我实实在在的告诉你们，子凭着自己不能作甚么，惟有看见父所作的，子才能作；父所作的事，子也照样作。
20父爱子，将自己所作的一切事指给他看，还要将比这更大的事指给他看，叫你们希奇。
21父怎样叫死人起来，使他们活着，子也照样随自己的意思使人活着。
22父不审判甚么人，乃将审判的事全交与子，
23叫人都尊敬子如同尊敬父一样。不尊敬子的，就是不尊敬差子来的父。
24我实实在在的告诉你们，那听我话、又信差我来者的，就有永生；不至于定罪，是已经出死入生了。
25我实实在在的告诉你们，时候将到，现在就是了，死人要听见神儿子的声音，听见的人就要活了。
26因为父怎样在自己有生命，就赐给他儿子也照样在自己有生命，
27并且因为他是人子，就赐给他行审判的权柄。
28你们不要把这事看作希奇。时候要到，凡在坟墓里的，都要听见他的声音，就出来；
29行善的，复活得生；作恶的，复活定罪。
30我凭着自己不能作甚么，我怎么听见就怎么审判。我的审判也是公平的；因为我不求自己的意思，只求那差我来者的意思。
信息分享
我们昨天谈到在约翰福音十二章记载耶稣接见希腊人的事件其实是有重要意义的，今天让我们继续这讨论。虽然我们不能肯定希腊人究竟是为了甚么来找耶稣，但他们的到来却明显的引起耶稣强烈的情绪，引致耶稣说出这句话来──「一粒麦子不落在地里死了，仍旧是一粒，若是死了，就结出许多子粒来」（约十二24）。
有些解经家认为虽然圣经没有清楚记载希腊人与耶稣的谈话，但他们可能透过安得烈和腓力传了口讯给耶稣，表示如果耶稣愿意把祂的信息带到他们所居住的地方去，祂就会得到丰盛长久的生命。事情真的是这样吗？我们不知道，最少在世上的日子不会知道这个真相，不过就算这是真的，耶稣的回答却是：生命是来自生命的献出，累累的硕果是出自落在地里死去的种子。
耶稣不是跟着计时器来生活，祂是跟着心跳而活。祂知道当我们孤立自己，或好像一颗「害怕死去的麦子」时，我们的生命就显得肤浅而且不结果子。如果拒绝付出最终的代价──献出自己的代价，实际上那就是在付出死亡的代价。我们再一次听到主基督的呼喊：「爱惜自己生命的，就失丧生命，在这世上恨恶自己生命的，就要保守生命到永生」（约十二25）。如果希腊人来要求耶稣爱惜、拯救自己的生命，并因此也拯救其他人的生命，那他们是在要求一种不流血的祝福。耶稣知道这是不可能的。因为没有死亡便没有生命，没有痛苦便没有收成，没有十字架便没有冠冕；我们只有透过降服，才能够得到最终的胜利。
「没有痛苦便没有收成」
进深研究
路十五11-32；可八36；太二十五27-28
1. 浪子要学习甚么？
2. 那个有恩赐的人要学习甚么教训？
祈祷
我的父，我的神，在进入另一个思想的课题以前，求您帮助我今天下定决心委身与您。奉耶稣的圣名祈求，阿们。
The Corn of Wheat Afraid to Die
Living by the heartbeat
Bible reading:
John 5:16-30
16 So, because Jesus was doing these things on the Sabbath, the Jewish leaders began to persecute him.
17 In his defense Jesus said to them, "My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I too am working."
18 For this reason they tried all the more to kill him; not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God.
19 Jesus gave them this answer: "Very truly I tell you, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does.
20 For the Father loves the Son and shows him all he does. Yes, and he will show him even greater works than these, so that you will be amazed.
21 For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, even so the Son gives life to whom he is pleased to give it.
22 Moreover, the Father judges no one, but has entrusted all judgment to the Son,
23 that all may honor the Son just as they honor the Father. Whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father, who sent him.
24 "Very truly I tell you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged but has crossed over from death to life.
25 Very truly I tell you, a time is coming and has now come when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God and those who hear will live.
26 For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself.
27 And he has given him authority to judge because he is the Son of Man.
28 "Do not be amazed at this, for a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice
29 and come out—those who have done what is good will rise to live, and those who have done what is evil will rise to be condemned.
30 By myself I can do nothing; I judge only as I hear, and my judgment is just, for I seek not to please myself but him who sent me.
Message
Although we do not know exactly why the Greeks came to Jesus, it is clear that their arrival aroused powerful emotions. He soliloquises: "Unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit" (John 12:24, RSV).
Some commentators think that although there is no record of the Greeks having actually conversed with Christ, they might have sent a message via Andrew and Philip to the effect that He could have a long and fruitful life if He brought His message to their shores. Was this so? We will never know - at least, not this side of eternity. But if it was, this was His answer: life comes through giving life, and fruitfulness through falling into the ground and dying.
Jesus did not live by the hourglass, but by the heartbeat. He knew that when we remain alone by ourselves - when we are like the "corn of wheat afraid to die" - we will find life shallow and fruitless. A refusal to pay the ultimate price - the price of giving ourselves - is to find ourselves paying the price of the deadness of life itself. Again we hear Him cry: "The man who loves his life will lose it, while the man who hates his life in this world [as I must do] will keep it for eternal life" (John 12:25). If the Greeks were coming to ask Him to love His life and save it - and thus save others - they were asking Him to bless without bleeding. Jesus knew that could not be done. There is no life without death, no gain without pain, no crown without a cross, and no victory except through surrender.
"There is no gain without pain"
Prayer
My Father and my God, soon I will leave this theme and focus on another. If I have not yet settled this issue of where my allegiance lies - with myself or with You - then help me to settle it today. For Your own dear Name's sake. Amen.
Further study
Luke 15:11-32
Mark 8:36
Matthew 25:27-28
1.What did the prodigal son have to learn?
2. What is the lesson of the man with one talent?
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