害怕死去的麦子
遭攻击，但无损
经文
马太福音十5-20
5耶稣差这十二个人去，吩咐他们说：外邦人的路，你们不要走；撒玛利亚人的城，你们不要进；
6宁可往以色列家迷失的羊那里去。
7随走随传，说天国近了！
8医治病人，叫死人复活，叫长大痲疯的洁净，把鬼赶出去。你们白白的得来，也要白白的舍去。
9腰袋里不要带金银铜钱。
10行路不要带口袋；不要带两件褂子，也不要带鞋和拐杖。因为工人得饮食是应当的。
11你们无论进那一城，那一村，要打听那里谁是好人，就住在他家，直住到走的时候。
12进他家里去，要请他的安。
13那家若配得平安，你们所求的平安就必临到那家；若不配得，你们所求的平安仍归你们。
14凡不接待你们、不听你们话的人，你们离开那家，或是那城的时候，就把脚上的尘土跺下去。
15我实在告诉你们，当审判的日子，所多玛和蛾摩拉所受的，比那城还容易受呢！
16我差你们去，如同羊进入狼群；所以你们要灵巧像蛇，驯良像鸽子。
17你们要防备人；因为他们要把你们交给公会，也要在会堂里鞭打你们，
18并且你们要为我的缘故被送到诸侯君王面前，对他们和外邦人作见证。
19你们被交的时候，不要思虑怎样说话，或说甚么话。到那时候，必赐给你们当说的话；
20因为不是你们自己说的，乃是你们父的灵在你们里头说的。
信息分享
今天的经文说：「看哪，我差你们去，如同羊进入狼群。」耶稣基督的福音是唯一敢向信徒说这些话的信仰。耶稣仿佛在说：「好比羊在狼群中，你能逃避困难和敌对的机会也是一样」。如果你是基督徒，你可以预料别人会敌对你，甚至使你受伤。请注意我是说「使你受伤」，但不是「使你受损」。有些时候神可能不会保护我们免受伤害，但是祂会保护我们免受损害。
有一位作家用以下的说话来表达相同的思想：「有时候神会让祂的儿女受到攻击，但只要他们愿意完全顺从神以及祂的计划，神就永不会让他们受伤。」他使用「攻击」(attack)这个字来指身体或言语上的伤害，使用「受伤」(injured)来指灵魂的创伤，意思是，来自外面的攻击不能伤害我们，我们只会被自己内心错误的想法和错误的选择所伤害。
我之前曾经引述过一句格言：「除非一个人能够忍受发生在他身上的各种事情，否则没有人是安全的。」有一个年青的学生写信给我说：「这么说来也就没有甚么人是『安全的』，对吧？」让我在这儿给你们指出另一节经文，与今天的经文一起思考：「因为宝座中的羔羊必牧养他们」（启七17）。基督在宝座上是我们的保证，我们无论如何都可以经过人和事的「狼群」而胜过它们。
「你可能会受伤，但不会受损」
进深研究
林后四1-12；西三3-4；启一18
1. 保罗的见证是甚么？
2. 保罗怎样看生命？
祈祷
主耶稣，您是任何境况的主宰──就是在十字架上您仍然赦免那些钉您的人。求主帮助我懂得战胜环境的挑战；帮助我看到，除非我的内在被打倒了，否则我并不会被环境所击倒。阿们。
The Corn of Wheat Afraid to Die
Attacked - but not injured
Bible reading:
Matthew 10:5-20
5 These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions: "Do not go among the Gentiles or enter any town of the Samaritans.
6 Go rather to the lost sheep of Israel.
7 As you go, proclaim this message: 'The kingdom of heaven has come near.'
8 Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy,[a] drive out demons. Freely you have received; freely give.
9 "Do not get any gold or silver or copper to take with you in your belts—
10 no bag for the journey or extra shirt or sandals or a staff, for the worker is worth his keep.
11 Whatever town or village you enter, search there for some worthy person and stay at their house until you leave.
12 As you enter the home, give it your greeting.
13 If the home is deserving, let your peace rest on it; if it is not, let your peace return to you.
14 If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, leave that home or town and shake the dust off your feet.
15 Truly I tell you, it will be more bearable for Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than for that town.
16 "I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves.
17 Be on your guard; you will be handed over to the local councils and be flogged in the synagogues. 18 On my account you will be brought before governors and kings as witnesses to them and to the Gentiles.
19 But when they arrest you, do not worry about what to say or how to say it. At that time you will be given what to say,
20 for it will not be you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.
Message
The gospel of Jesus Christ is the only faith that dares to say to its followers: "Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves" (AV). It is as if Jesus is saying: "You will have as much chance of escaping difficulties and opposition as sheep have in the midst of wolves." If you are a Christian, you can expect people to oppose you - even hurt you. Notice what I say: "hurt" you, but not "harm" you. Sometimes God may not protect us from being hurt, but He will protect us from being harmed.
One writer puts that same thought in this way: "At times God may suffer His children to be attacked, but providing they are fully abandoned to Him and His purposes, He will never suffer them to be injured." He is using the words "attack" to mean physical or verbal abuse, and "injury" to mean the scarring of the soul. In that sense, no attack from without can injure us; we can only be injured from within by wrong perspectives and wrong choices.
Some time ago I quoted a maxim that goes like this: "No man is safe unless he can stand anything that happens to him." A young student wrote to me and said: "Then there aren't many people who are 'safe' - are there?" I point you now to another verse to lay alongside our text for today: "For the Lamb in the midst of the throne will be their shepherd (Rev. 7:17, RSV). Christ's being on the throne is the pledge that we, too - somehow, some way - shall pass out of the midst of the "wolves" of people and things, to victory over both.
"You may be hurt but not harmed"
Prayer
Lord Jesus, Master of every situation - even on a cross where You dispensed forgiveness to Your crucifiers - give me this mastery over circumstances. Help me to see I am not beaten until I am beaten within. Amen.
Further study
2 Corinthians 4:1-12
Colossians 3:34
Revelation 1:18
1.What was Paul's testimony?
2. How did Paul view life?
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。