八福
贫穷得可以接受
经文
马可福音十13-31
13有人带着小孩子来见耶稣，要耶稣摸他们，门徒便责备那些人。
14耶稣看见就恼怒，对门徒说：让小孩子到我这里来，不要禁止他们；因为在神国的，正是这样的人。
15我实在告诉你们，凡要承受神国的，若不像小孩子，断不能进去。
16于是抱着小孩子，给他们按手，为他们祝福。
17耶稣出来行路的时候，有一个人跑来，跪在他面前，问他说：良善的夫子，我当作什么事才可以承受永生？
18耶稣对他说：你为什么称我是良善的？除了神一位之外，再没有良善的。
19诫命你是晓得的：不可杀人；不可奸淫；不可偷盗；不可作假见证；不可亏负人；当孝敬父母。
20他对耶稣说：夫子，这一切我从小都遵守了。
21耶稣看着他，就爱他，对他说：你还缺少一件：去变卖你所有的，分给穷人，就必有财宝在天上；你还要来跟从我。
22他听见这话，脸上就变了色，忧忧愁愁的走了，因为他的产业很多。
23耶稣周围一看，对门徒说：有钱财的人进神的国是何等的难哪！
24门徒希奇他的话。耶稣又对他们说：小子，倚靠钱财的人进神的国是何等的难哪！
25骆驼穿过针的眼，比财主进神的国还容易呢。
26门徒就分外希奇，对他说：这样谁能得救呢？
27耶稣看着他们，说：在人是不能，在神却不然，因为神凡事都能。
28彼得就对他说：看哪，我们已经撇下所有的跟从你了。
29耶稣说：我实在告诉你们，人为我和福音撇下房屋，或是弟兄、姊妹、父母、儿女、田地，
30没有不在今世得百倍的，就是房屋、弟兄、姊妹、母亲、儿女、田地，并且要受逼迫，在来世必得永生。
31然而，有许多在前的，将要在后，在后的，将要在前。
信息分享
在今天学习的开始，我请你问一问自己：如果快乐不是我们可以制造的，而是我们所领受的，那么我们当如何去接受牠？请再次聆听耶稣的话：「虚心的人有福了！因为天国是他们的。」
「虚心」是什么意思？有些人告诉我们，这句话应该读成：「贫穷的人灵里有福了」，这个观念是来自路加福音六章20节，那里说：「你们贫穷的人有福了！因为神的国是你们的。」不过我们的主在这里不是指物质上的贫穷，而是灵性的贫乏，他说：「灵里贫穷的人有福了。」「贫穷」的希腊语是ptochos，是指在选择下的贫穷，表示主动倒空自己内在的所有；牠是指那些选择贫穷，以致是贫穷得可以去接受的人。有一个译本翻译为：「那些在灵里能够接受的人有福了」──那些乐意空出双手，放弃财产，让神的丰富充满的人。耶稣给快乐的第一条处方是主动舍弃自我的行动。这与一般的快乐处方相反，因为牠们强调的是「坚持」、「争取」、「发表」或「确定」。然而，耶稣说迈向精神和灵性健康的第一步是自我舍弃。这是我们必须作的决定，以能伸出手来接受基督──以倒空的手，要留意，必须以倒空的双手。很多人找不到基督，是因为他们不愿接受；基督不能将自己给予他们，因为他们没有把自己献上给他。
「我们必须以倒空的双手来接受基督」
进深研究
可九30-37；太十40；路八40；约一12
1. 门徒有什么态度？
2. 耶稣有什么回应？
祈祷
天父，请帮助我丢弃一切，让我可以找到您。我要接受这第一条处方：谦卑承认我的需要并虚心接受。奉耶稣的名求，阿们。
The Beatitudes
"Poor enough to receive"
Bible reading:
Mark 10:13-31
13 People were bringing little children to Jesus for him to place his hands on them, but the disciples rebuked them.
14 When Jesus saw this, he was indignant. He said to them, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.
15 Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it."
16 And he took the children in his arms, placed his hands on them and blessed them.
17 As Jesus started on his way, a man ran up to him and fell on his knees before him. "Good teacher," he asked, "what must I do to inherit eternal life?"
18 "Why do you call me good?" Jesus answered. "No one is good—except God alone.
19 You know the commandments: 'You shall not murder, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not steal, you shall not give false testimony, you shall not defraud, honor your father and mother.'[a]"
20 "Teacher," he declared, "all these I have kept since I was a boy."
21 Jesus looked at him and loved him. "One thing you lack," he said. "Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me."
22 At this the man's face fell. He went away sad, because he had great wealth.
23 Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, "How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God!"
24 The disciples were amazed at his words. But Jesus said again, "Children, how hard it is[b] to enter the kingdom of God!
25 It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God."
26 The disciples were even more amazed, and said to each other, "Who then can be saved?"
27 Jesus looked at them and said, "With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God."
28 Then Peter spoke up, "We have left everything to follow you!"
29 "Truly I tell you," Jesus replied, "no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me and the gospel
30 will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age: homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and fields—along with persecutions—and in the age to come eternal life.
31 But many who are first will be last, and the last first."
Message
Today we ask ourselves: If happiness is not something we can create but something we receive, how do we go about receiving it? Listen again to the words of Jesus: "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."
What does it mean to be "poor in spirit"? There are those who tell us that the words should read, "Blessed in spirit are the poor" - an idea derived from Luke 6:20, which reads: "Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God." Our Lord, however, is not thinking here of material poverty, but spiritual poverty: "Blessed are the poor in spirit." The word for "poor" in the Greek is ptochos and refers to a chosen poverty. It implies a voluntary emptying of the inner being and is used of those who by choice are so poor that they become poor enough to receive. One translation puts it: "Blessed are those who are receptive in spirit" - those who are willing to empty their hands of their own possessions and have them filled with the riches of God.
Jesus' first prescription for happiness, then, is a voluntary act of self-renunciation. This reverses the usual prescriptions for happiness, which begin with words such as "assert", "take", "release" or "affirm". The first step, therefore toward mental and spiritual health is self-renunciation. It is the decision we must take to reach out and receive Christ - with empty hands. Note that - with empty hands. The reason why so many fail to find Christ is because they are so unreceptive. Christ cannot give Himself to them because they do not give themselves to Him.
"We must receive Christ with empty hands"
Prayer
O Father, help me to fling everything else away so that I might find You. I will take this first prescription: I will be humble enough to acknowledge my need and receive. In Jesus' Name I pray. Amen.
Further study
Mark 9:30-37
Matthew 10:40
Luke 8:40
John 1:12
1. What was the attitude of the disciples?
2. What was Jesus' response?
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