八福
今天就来
经文
路加福音十九1-10
1耶稣进了耶利哥，正经过的时候，
2有一个人名叫撒该，作税吏长，是个财主。
3他要看看耶稣是怎样的人；只因人多，他的身量又矮，所以不得看见，
4就跑到前头，爬上桑树，要看耶稣，因为耶稣必从那里经过。
5耶稣到了那里，擡头一看，对他说：撒该，快下来！今天我必住在你家里。
6他就急忙下来，欢欢喜喜的接待耶稣。
7众人看见，都私下议论说：他竟到罪人家里去住宿。
8撒该站着对主说：主阿，我把所有的一半给穷人；我若讹诈了谁，就还他四倍。
9耶稣说：今天救恩到了这家，因为他也是亚伯拉罕的子孙。
10人子来，为要寻找，拯救失丧的人。
信息分享
我们再多花一天的时间来思考八福的第一福：「虚心的人有福了，因为天国是他们的。」我以前提过的牧者兼心理学家克拉默（Raymond Cramer）博士说，在「耶稣心理学」中，是那些有困难的人得到主人的关注。
当我们的主在地上生活时，每个人都需要他，但只有那些知道自己需要的人才得到他的关注。大家往往说神走向有需要的人。这个说法不对。更正确的说法是，神向那些明白和承认自己有需要的人走去。那些明白自己有需要的人，是应该得到祝贺的，他们值得羡慕，因为他们可以进入天国。
我们可以用以下的句子，来翻译八福的第一句话，而不会破坏耶稣这句话的原意：「恭喜那些谦卑，愿意承认自己有需要的人，因为他们会得到神的帮助。」相信我，天国没有人不是「灵里贫穷」的。如果你的手不是已倒空的，你便不能被充满。救恩不是赚回来而是白白的领受。我们借着恩典、透过信心才能得救。不是出于我们自己，而是神的恩赐（弗二8）。有一首古老的诗歌，歌词是这样有力的说：
我手中什么也没有带，
只是依附在你的十架……
污秽，我飞奔到水泉；
洗净我，救主啊，免得我死亡。
「有困难的人得到主人的关注」
进深研究
腓三1-9；可十28；路五27-28，十八29-30
1. 保罗的态度是怎样的？
2. 耶稣要求最初的门徒做什么？
祈祷
天父，感谢您帮助我明白，「灵里贫穷」是承认我自己全然无助、不能自救。我没有什么可以付出，但我可以接受一切。我现在谦卑地跪下接受您。阿们。
The Beatitudes
Come...today
Bible reading:
Luke 19:1-10
1 Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through.
2 A man was there by the name of Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was wealthy.
3 He wanted to see who Jesus was, but because he was short he could not see over the crowd.
4 So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree to see him, since Jesus was coming that way.
5 When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, "Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today."
6 So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly.
7 All the people saw this and began to mutter, "He has gone to be the guest of a sinner."
8 But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, "Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount."
9 Jesus said to him, "Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham.
10 For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost."
Message
We spend one more day meditating on the first of : "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." Dr Raymond Cramer, the minister and psychologist whom I mentioned earlier, says that in the psychology of Jesus, it is the one who has a problem that gets the Master's attention.
When our Lord was here on earth, everyone needed Him, but only those who realised their need got His attention. It is often said that God rushes to the side of a person in need. That is not quite true. It would be more correct to say that God rushes to the side of the person who recognises and acknowledges their need. Those who recognise their need are to be congratulated, they are to be envied - they are candidates for the kingdom of heaven.
We could translate this first Beatitude in the following manner without doing any injustice to the original statement of Jesus: "Congratulations to those who are humble and willing enough to recognise their need - for they are candidates for the help of God." Take it from me, there is no one in the kingdom of God who is not "poor in spirit". You cannot be filled until you are first empty. Salvation is not something earned, but something received. It is by grace we are saved, through faith, and that not of ourselves, it is the gift of God (Eph. 2:8). The old hymn puts it in a way that is powerful and effective:
Nothing in my hand I bring,
Simply to Thy cross I cling...
Foul, I to the fountain fly;
Wash me, Saviour, or I die.
"The one with a problem gets the Master's attention"
Prayer
Father, thank You for helping me understand that to be "poor in spirit" is to recognise my utter helplessness in trying to save myself. I have nothing to give, but everything to receive. Humbly I bow and receive You now. Amen.
Further study
Philippians 3:1-9
Mark 10:28
Luke 5:27-28; 18:29-30
1. What was Paul's attitude?
2. What did Jesus require of the first disciples?
本文英文版权属 CWR 所有，承蒙允准刊载。
背景音乐版权属 赞美之泉音乐事工 所有，承蒙允准使用。