欢乐的道别
与人道别是很难受的。若有来自远方的家人到访，当他们离开时，我的儿女总会感到失望，孩子们想知道：“他们为什么不可以多留一点时间呢？”
同样，门徒料到耶稣快要离开，他们也因此感到苦恼。从此有谁来教导他们认识神的国呢？然而，耶稣却坚持说，祂离开对他们有益。
我们可能遇到各种不同形式的道别，例如我们经历事业失败，我们搬迁离开朋友和家人，我们所爱的人去世。
耶稣教导我们，就是面对这些道别，我们仍然可以经历平安和盼望。“世界的王”魔鬼，很想我们被我们的损失所困，然而，父比万有更大；我们若爱耶稣，我们的生命便会朝向父，而不是朝向我们的损失。
耶稣复活和升天之后，圣灵便叫门徒想起这些话，那时，耶稣先前谈到关于“我到父那里”的那番话，便言之有理了。凡顺服父的旨意的人，他们的将来是荣耀的，而断不会是死亡。
耶稣的话领我们看到祂最终的目的地－也是我们最终的目的地：有神同在的丰盛生命。面对损失时，我们可能仍然会感到悲伤，然而，当我们看到，就是死亡本身，也是领我们到我们天父那里的一道大门，我们便能欢喜快乐了。
圣灵啊，求你叫我们想起耶稣的话，又帮助我们，在面对损失时，仍能看到我们的归宿是与父一起，又因耶稣在掌权而欢喜快乐。阿们。
约翰福音 14:25-31
25“我还与你们同住的时候，已将这些话对你们说了。
26但保惠师，就是父因我的名所要差来的圣灵，他要将一切的事指教你们，并且要叫你们想起我对你们所说的一切话。
27我留下平安给你们，我将我的平安赐给你们。我所赐的不像世人所赐的，你们心里不要忧愁，也不要胆怯。
28你们听见我对你们说了，我去，还要到你们这里来。你们若爱我，因我到父那里去，就必喜乐，因为父是比我大的。
29现在事情还没有成就，我预先告诉你们，叫你们到事情成就的时候，就可以信。
30以后我不再和你们多说话，因为这世界的王将到；他在我里面是毫无所有，
31但要叫世人知道我爱父，并且父怎样吩咐我，我就怎样行。起来，我们走吧！”
A Joyful Goodbye
“If you loved me, you would be glad that I am going to the Father...” - John 14:28
Goodbyes can be difficult. When family members visit from far away, my children are always disappointed to see them leave. “Why can’t they stay longer?” the kids want to know.
Jesus’ disciples were similarly troubled by the prospect of his going away. Who would now teach them about God’s kingdom? Yet Jesus insists that his going away will be good for them.
Goodbyes come to us in various forms. We can experience the loss of a career. We can move away from friends or family. We can lose a loved one to death.
Jesus teaches that even in the face of such goodbyes, we can experience peace and hope. The “prince of this world,” the devil, wants us to be defined by our losses. But the Father is greater than all things. And when we love Jesus, our lives are directed toward the Father rather than our losses.
After Jesus’ resurrection and ascension, the Spirit would remind the disciples of these words. And then Jesus’ words about “going back to the Father” made sense. Not death, but glory, is the future of those who obey the Father’s will.
Jesus’ words point us to his destination—and to ours: full life in the presence of God. We may still experience sorrow in the face of loss. But we can rejoice as we see even death as a doorway to our heavenly Father.
Holy Spirit, remind us of Jesus’ words. Help us in the face of loss to see our destiny with the Father, and to rejoice in the ruling power of Jesus. Amen.
诵读: 骆云秀
片头: 张妙阳
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