2_4人類犯罪後上帝反應的第04句話:你必終身勞苦,in sorrow shalt thou of thy life因地受咒詛
in sorrow shalt thou of thy life終身勞苦
上帝對人說:「苦海無邊,回頭是岸」。
經文:創世紀第3章
3:17 And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life;
又對亞當說:你既聽從妻子的話,吃了我所吩咐你不可吃的那樹上的果子,地必為你的緣故受咒詛;你必終身勞才能從地裏得吃的。
「終身勞苦」是指「人一生都會在痛苦環境中渡過,而因地受咒詛,地要長出荊棘和蒺藜,人工作不會像以前在伊甸園中順利,人在工作中遇到挫折變成是自然的事,而特別只有女人要受懷胎的苦楚,只要是人,都要汗流滿面,才能吃飽」來說。
當人與上帝的關係出現問題時,工作就會出現問題,沒有汗流滿面的努力,人是無法得到飽足,這是因為人犯罪的結果。「犯罪是因,生活勞苦不順遂是果」,上帝雖然是慈愛的,但也是公義的,斷不以有罪的為無罪,犯罪是一定會受到懲罰,然而只要人認罪轉向上帝,上帝就會憐憫我們,解決我們的生活問題,而我們若再犯罪,我們再向上帝認罪,上帝仍然會再一次赦免我們的罪,聽我們的禱告。但是不斷重覆犯罪與認罪的結果,不會使一個人變得更好,反而會使人越來越軟弱,讓自己落在更悲慘的景況中,容易自我放棄,覺得自己是不配的人,到最後連上帝要赦免他的罪,他都拒絕接受。終身勞苦是每一個人都會有的「命定」,但是我們可以禱告,求上帝給我們恩典,為我開一條出路祝福我們。
上帝這樣說話對我們來說,上帝希望我們知道,每個人不要「心存僥倖」,犯罪的一定會受苦,然而叫人受苦,不是上帝的心願,上帝希望人在受苦的同時,能悔改轉向上帝,恢復與上帝的好關係,讓上帝祝福我們,這才是真正上帝的期待。
默想的問題:
1.如果汗流滿面、終身勞苦是人一生的宿命,你覺得人生遇到什麼的景況事情是人生最大的痛苦?請舉例說明。
2.你認為要如何才能勇敢面對終身勞苦?苦中作樂的秘訣是什麼?請分享。
3.你願意在汗流滿面、終身勞苦的人生中,悔改轉向上帝,恢復與上帝的美好關係嗎?
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August 29
"And he went out carrying his own cross." (John 19:17.)
THERE is a poem called "The Changed Cross." It represents a weary one who thought that her cross was surely heavier than those of others whom she saw about her, and she wished that she might choose another instead of her own. She slept, and in her dream she was led to a place where many crosses lay, crosses of different shapes and sizes. There was a little one most beauteous to behold, set in jewels and gold. "Ah, this I can wear with comfort," she said. So she took it up, but her weak form shook beneath it. The jewels and the gold were beautiful, but they were far too heavy for her.
Next she saw a lovely cross with fair flowers entwinel around its sculptured form. Surely that was the one for her. She lifted it, but beneath the flowers were piercing thorns which tore her flesh.
At last, as she went on, she came to a plain cross, without jewels, without carvings, with only a few words of love inscribed upon it. This she took up and it proved the best of all, the easiest to be borne. And as she looked upon it, bathed in the radiance that fell from Heaven, she recognized her own old cross. She had found it again, and it was the best of all and lightest for her.
God knows best what cross we need to bear. We do not know, how heavy other people's cross are. We envy someone who is rich; his is a golden cross set with jewels, but we do not know how heavy it is. Here is another whose life seems very lovely. She bears a cross twined with flowers. If we could try all athe other crosses that we think lighter than our own, we would at last find that not one of them suited us so well as our own.─Glimpses through Life's Windows.
If thou, impatient, dost let slip thy cross,
Thou wilt not find it in this world again,
Nor in another; here and here alone,
Is given thee to suffer for God's sake.
In other worlds we may more perfectly,
Love Him and serve Him, praise Him,
Grow nearer and nearer to Him with delight.
But then we shall not any more
Be called to suffer, which is our appointment here.
Canst thou not suffer, then, one hour or two?
If He should call thee from thy cross today,
Saying: "It is finished─that hard cross of thine
From which thou prayest for deliverance,"
Thinkest thou not some passion of regret
Would overcome thee? Thou would'st say,
"So soon? Let me go back and suffer yet awhile
More patiently, I have not yet praised God."
Whensoe'er it comes, that summons that we look for,
It will seem soon, too soon. Let us take heed in time,
That God may now be glorified in us.
─Ugo Bassi's Sermon in a Hospital.
「主為我們捨命,我們從此就知道何為愛,我們也當為弟兄捨命。」約翰壹書三章16節
「人為朋友捨命,人的愛心沒有比這個更大的。」從主為我們而死,就向我們啟示那不可思議的愛。現在這愛的影響和能力住在我們裏面,使我們有份於實踐今天的經文:「我們也當為弟兄捨命」,而像基督的生活和愛心都應該在弟兄身上找到。
基督的十字架是藉我們對基督愛的認識來衡量的,也是根據我們對周圍肢體的愛來測知。唯有衷心對十字架上基督的愛,才能每日使我們的生命有生氣,對肢體的愛也有相同的作用;我們與基督十字架的交通而有捨己的愛,不僅彰顯於基督身上,也在週遭肢體身上。
在此,約翰對內裏生命的呼籲是完全地超然並屬靈,只有以信心接受基督親自內住在我們心中,並確實在其中運行,才能使我們接受此一命令:「若有人要跟從我就當捨己,背起他的十字架來跟從我。」除非治死天然的本性,將「老我」與「肉體」切實地與基督同釘死在十字架上,我們就能不犯罪——除非這樣,否則我們無法說:「我們喜愛祂的誡命,其誡命並非難以遵守。」
然而若非每天持續住在基督耶穌裏,與基督的死交通並傚法之,才能照祂的應許奏效,藉聖靈在我們裏面對基督的啟示和榮耀,我們能深信祂的生命要住在我們裏面;祂要證明加略山上的愛,只有祂能親自使我們說祂的生命傾注在我們裏面,我也當為周圍弟兄而活的真理。只有藉著基督內住,才能使教會做到以基督的愛對待弟兄;而別人也因此看出我們是基督的門徒;世人也才會相信神已經恩待我,像祂愛基督一樣。
「我不是對你說過,你若信,就必看見神的榮耀麼?」約翰福音十一章40節
你在信仰方面敢作敢為的事,在理性方面你必感覺得衝突。理性不是信仰,信仰不是理性;它們的關係,就如自然和聖靈的關係。在你理性所不能信的時候,你能信靠基督麼?當你的理性認為不真,你能英勇的照耶穌基督的話去做嗎?在山上是容易說──「啊,是的,我信神能作這個」,但是你到被鬼附著的山谷裡,遇見事實,你會諷笑你變形山上的信仰的全部。無論甚麼時候,我心裡的信仰的程序是清楚明白的,我所經過的事情總有與它相牴觸的事。惟願我能說我相信神供給我一切的需要,但是,到遇見困難而無出路的時候,我是緊緊握著信心呢?還是退後呢?
信仰是必得試驗的,因為信仰,必要經過衝突,才能為私人所有。此刻你的信仰有否難的問題?這種試驗不是保證你的信仰正確,便是消滅你的信仰。「凡不因我跌倒的,就有福了」。最後一著,就是信任耶穌。絕然信靠祂,「凡你所遇見的,都足以發展你的信仰。」在信仰的生活裡,有不斷的試驗,最末後的大試驗就是死。但願神保守我們,使我們能應付前面的戰爭!信仰是以不能用言語形容的信心信靠神,絕不想到祂不在我們旁邊援助我們!
「……聽命勝於獻祭……」撒母耳記上十五章22節
當我們順服神時,祂常以醫治我們為報酬。若是我們要討祂的喜悅,得到討祂喜悅的人的獎賞,最令祂接受的事奉,則是我們對祂的讚美。
讓我們帶著歡喜及感恩的心接待神,那麼祂就會使我們的臉上反映出祂的榮光。再說,活潑的生命、健康的體魄,都是一個快樂的心所帶來的產品。
事實上,感恩的態度是建立信心的前奏,讚美的心則能使信心同時成長。懂得感恩的人總是樂觀,而且只看神輝煌的一面;也只有用這樣的心態,我們才能永遠地倚靠祂。不信的人則老是看著自己的問題,但問題往往越看越大,甚至變成了高山峻嶺,結果叫人信心全失。有感恩之心的人無論在何種情況下,都能找到令他快樂的原因。反之,悲觀的人即使在晴空萬里時,也能找到一片烏雲,或是在最甜的香膏中發現一隻蒼蠅。願我們能培養出一個喜樂的靈,並且在神和我們的生命中,不斷地發現那些能激勵我們的事,使我們沒有時間懷疑或是懼怕。