害怕死去的麦子
基督教给苦难的答案

经文
马太福音二十六36-46
36耶稣同门徒来到一个地方,名叫客西马尼,就对他们说:你们坐在这里,等我到那边去祷告。
37于是带着彼得和西庇太的两个儿子同去,就忧愁起来,极其难过,38便对他们说:我心里甚是忧伤,几乎要死;你们在这里等候,和我一同儆醒。
39他就稍往前走,俯伏在地,祷告说:我父阿,倘若可行,求你叫这杯离开我。然而,不要照我的意思,只要照你的意思。
40来到门徒那里,见他们睡着了,就对彼得说:怎么样?你们不能同我儆醒片时吗?
41总要儆醒祷告,免得入了迷惑。你们心灵固然愿意,肉体却软弱了。
42第二次又去祷告说:我父阿,这杯若不能离开我,必要我喝,就愿你的意旨成全。
43又来,见他们睡着了,因为他们的眼睛困倦。
44耶稣又离开他们去了。第三次祷告,说的话还是与先前一样。
45于是来到门徒那里,对他们说:现在你们仍然睡觉安歇吧(吧:或作吗?)!时候到了,人子被卖在罪人手里了。
46起来!我们走吧。看哪,卖我的人近了。
信息分享
昨天我们看到世界对难担的苦难所提供的答案都是枉然的。在这些答案中,没有伤痛能回应我们的伤痛,没有死亡能回应我们的死亡。
世界的那些所谓答案令我想起自己看过的一幅漫画。漫画描述两个在儿童拳击场的幼童,他们身上只穿着短裤和拳击手套,准备打斗。其中一人的注意力被两只在他头上飞舞的蝴蝶所吸引,由于他站在那里注视着蝴蝶而被对手一拳打到鼻子上去。在打斗中注视蝴蝶显然是危险的事。而任何思想体系,如果其目的只是令你的注意力从生命严酷的现实转为注视蝴蝶的话,最终都是失败的;因为在攻击来到时,这种思想只会让你感到悲观。
那么,基督教对这问题的答案是甚么?首先,我们必须接受现实,承认生命必有苦难这个事实。我们不能逃避因为否认它就是否认现实。经验告诉我,很多基督徒在面对某种形式的苦难时,首先是否认它,说:「我甚么问题都没有,因为我有耶稣同在,祂在我和我所面对的一切事情之间,成了当中伟大的绝缘体。」要知道承认问题并不代表缺乏信心。你无须老想着问题,但在你可以应付它以前必须先承认它。要记着,你必须先愿意面对现实,然后才能够期望把它克服。
「必须先接受现实然后才能够把它克服」
进深研究
林后四1-17;诗三十四19-20;提后二12
1. 我们承受苦难有甚么目的?
2. 神给我们甚么应许?
祈祷
神啊,求您给我勇气面对问题,而不是逃避它们。求您帮助我懂得开放和坦诚。天父,求您帮助我以这种态度面对日常的生活。奉主耶稣的圣名祈求,阿们。
The Corn of Wheat Afraid to Die
The Christian answer to suffering

Bible reading:
Matthew 26:36-46
36 Then Jesus went with his disciples to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to them, "Sit here while I go over there and pray."
37 He took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee along with him, and he began to be sorrowful and troubled.
38 Then he said to them, "My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me."
39 Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, "My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will."
40 Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. "Couldn't you men keep watch with me for one hour?" he asked Peter.
41 "Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak."
42 He went away a second time and prayed, "My Father, if it is not possible for this cup to be taken away unless I drink it, may your will be done."
43 When he came back, he again found them sleeping, because their eyes were heavy.
44 So he left them and went away once more and prayed the third time, saying the same thing.
45 Then he returned to the disciples and said to them, "Are you still sleeping and resting? Look, the hour has come, and the Son of Man is delivered into the hands of sinners.
46 Rise! Let us go! Here comes my betrayer!"
Message
Yesterday we looked at some of the world's ineffectual answers to the problem of unmerited suffering. In them there are no wounds to answer our wounds, no death to answer our death.
Their so-called answers remind me of a cartoon I once saw which depicted two toddlers in a children's boxing ring. Stripped for action, with nothing on but shorts and boxing gloves, they were ready for the fray. The attention of one of the youngsters was caught by two butterflies flitting just above his head and he stood gazing up at them, exposing himself to the blow which his opponent was about to land on his nose. Gazing at butterflies while in the midst of a conflict is a dangerous occupation. Any system of thought that takes your attention off the grim facts of life by calling attention to butterflies is doomed inevitably to produce pessimism as the blows begin to fall.
What, then, is the Christian answer to this problem? First, we must realistically face the fact that life involves suffering. There is no escaping that fact, to deny it is a denial of reality. I have found from experience that the first thing many Christians do when caught up in a form of suffering is to deny its reality and say something like this: "I don't have any problems, for Jesus is the Great Insulator between me and everything that happens." It is not lack of faith to acknowledge a problem. You don't have to dwell upon it, but before you can deal with it, you must acknowledge it. Remember, you must first be willing to face reality before you can expect to overcome it.
"Reality must be accepted before it can be overcome"
Prayer
O God, give me courage to face up to issues and not dodge them. Help me to be open and honest. Father, I look to You now to help me put this into daily practice. For Jesus' sake. Amen.
Further study
2 Corinthians 4:1-17
Psalm 34:19-20
2 Timothy 2:12
1. What is the purpose of our affliction?
2. What has God promised?
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