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"When he had heard therefore that he was sick, he abode two days still in the same place where he was." (John 11:6.)
IN forefront of this marvelous chapter stands the affirmation, "Jesus loved Martha, and her sister, and Lazarus," as if to teach us that at the very heart and foundation of all God's dealings with us, however dark and mysterious they may be, we must dare to believe in and assert the infinite, unmerited, and unchanging love of God. Love permits pain. The sisters never doubted that He would speed at all hazards and stay their brother from death, but, "When he had heard therefore that he was sick, he abode two days still in the same place where he was."
What a startling "therefore"! He abstained from going, not because He did not love them, but because He did love them. His love alone kept Him back from hasting at once to the dear and stricken home. Anything less than infinite love must have rushed instantly to the relief of those loved and troubled hearts, to stay their grief and to have the luxury of wiping and stanching their tears and causing sorrow and sighing to flee away. Divine love could alone hold back the impetuosity of the Savior's tender-heartedness until the Angel of Pain had done her work.
Who can estimate how much we owe to suffering and pain? But for them we should have little scope for many of the chief virtues of the Christian life. Where were faith, without trial to test it; or patience, with nothing to bear; or experience, without tribulation to develop it?
─Selected.
"Loved! then the way will not be drear;
For One we know is ever near,
Proving it to our hearts so clear
That we are loved.
"Loved when our sky is clouded o'er,
And days of sorrow press us sore;
Still we will trust Him evermore,
For we are loved.
"Time, that affects all things below,
Can never change the love He'll show;
The heart of Christ with love will flow,
And we are loved."
「我實實在在地告訴你們,一粒麥子不落在地裏死了,仍舊是一粒;若是死了,就結出許多子粒來。愛惜自己生命的,就失喪生命,在這世上恨惡自己生命的,就要保守生命到永生。」約翰福音十二章24、25節
在這比喻中說到捨棄生命,無疑是獲得另外更進入真實而高尚的生命。在這不屬世界的教訓中,每粒麥子種在地下,是導致更美麗而充實生命的途徑。
神的兒女是最合適的例子。在祂尚未升天、救贖百姓之前,受了不少苦楚和鞭傷,以致於死;這兒離釘十字架的時候很近,所以祂呼召門徒說:「若有人要服事我,就當跟從我」,「在世上恨自己生命的,就要保守生命直到永生。」
即使再能復活,因為基督本來可以不需要犧牲生命,但為了順服神在我們身上的要求,並降服「死能產生生命的果實」之不變定律,才為我們而死。
我們自然應該付出更多代價,以致治死亞當傳下的老我。惟有開放與基督並祂十字架的交通,才能確定治死老我!我們應聽從背十字架的呼召以捨棄老我,每天與基督同釘十字架。如我們樂於治死,並接受基督復活生命的大能,才能保證永生在我們裏面運行。
唉!瞭解這層真理的人何其少!讓我們相信在人不能,在神凡事都能!讓我們相信復活的主基督耶穌的靈之律,能使我們每天體驗祂的死和生命。
「那照神旨意受苦的人,要一心為善,將自己靈魂交那信實的造化之主。」彼得前書四章19節
選擇受苦是一件事,選擇神的旨意不怕受苦,是另一件事。從沒有健全的聖徒選擇受苦的;他要像耶穌一樣選擇神的旨意,無論受苦與否,在所不計。但是一個聖徒不應減免別的聖徒從痛苦中所受的訓練。
那使耶穌心滿意足的聖徒,為神的緣故會叫別的聖徒剛強成熟起來。表同情於我們的不是有益於我們的,而是阻擋我們的,因為同情能叫人柔弱無能。除了與救主最接近的聖徒,沒有人瞭解聖徒,如果我們接受聖徒的同情,那反射的感覺是──「神正在同我為難」。那就是耶穌所以說自憐是屬於撒但的(參太十六23)。要顧惜神的名譽。神的性格是易於塗污的,因為神絕不表答,也不表白自己。不要以為耶穌在人世生活裡需要同情;祂拒絕從人來的同情,因為祂深知世上沒有人瞭解祂所追求的是甚麼。祂只接受從父而來的同情,從天上天使而來的同情(比較路十五10)。
神對於聖徒不顧惜的差使,是當注意的。按照世人的眼光看,神常將祂的聖者樹立在最無用的地方。我們說:「神要我們在這裡,因為我非常有用」。神把祂的聖徒安排在足以榮耀祂的地方,就是我們所不能猜著的。
「我的佳偶,你全然美麗,毫無瑕疵!」雅歌四章7節
祝福的聖靈在得著一些奉獻給神的心之後,對我們最高的生活方式非常關心,所以祂很敏感,甚至以嫉妒的愛看顧我們。正如雅各在經上所說:「……神所賜住在我們裡面的靈,是戀愛至於嫉妒……。」(雅四5)
聖靈非常小心地保守我們不受任何污穢、瑕疵所玷污。祂盼望能按著神的旨意,使我們發揮最高的潛能。
屬天的新郎不僅要祂的教會無瑕疵,甚至要教會毫無玷污皺紋等類的病(弗五27);因為污點是罪的記號,皺紋則是虛弱、老化以及敗壞的象徵。所以,耶穌不要這些傷毀外觀的事,發生在祂所心愛的肢體身上。也因此實行神旨意,為神大使的聖靈,被神差遣來呼召神的新婦,使她分別為聖,帶領她回到新郎的洞房。無怪乎!聖靈會甚至嫉妒的關心,巴望神所有的旨意都會實踐在我們身上。
主啊!願您挪去我們肢體的每一個瑕疵,以及所有軟弱、敗壞的記號,使我們成為您毫無玷污的新婦。