我们想像不到
一首古旧的圣诗提醒我们，“上主作为何等奥秘。”实在太奥妙了，神的子民有时也不能理解。使徒行传11章记载，当有外邦人归信耶稣时，耶路撒冷崭新的教会不懂得怎样应对；他们感到希奇和不明白神在做什么。
在马可福音4章的一个比喻中，耶稣说神的国就像撒在泥土的种子。种子发芽渐长，各有自己的生命，最终便是时候收成了。今天我们可以解释从种子到收成经过的每一个过程，但在2,000年前，这些过程仍是一个奥秘，是一些无法解释但却奇妙的事情。
同样，神的国也是既奇妙但又往往难以理解的。像撒下的种子那样，神的国也有自己的生命。神的国不受我们的控制，它乃是随着神的旨意生长和结果，我们不得干预。这并不是说，神不使用我们参与这国度的发展过程。然而神的国充满令人惊讶的事情 － 就像外邦人与犹太人同属一个教会那样令人惊讶。
你曾否见过神难以理解的作为呢？神有没有赋与你或你的教会意想不到的机会去款待人、实践慷慨的行动、或甚至拆毁拒人于门外的隔阂呢？这些都是多么美妙的事情啊！
主耶稣，你是神的国中最伟大的奥秘。你成为一个人，好叫我们变得比以前更具人性，我们真是想像不到！阿们。
马可福音 4:26-29
26又说：“神的国如同人把种撒在地上，
27黑夜睡觉，白日起来，这种就发芽渐长，那人却不晓得如何这样。
28地生五谷是出于自然的，先发苗，后长穗，再后穗上结成饱满的子粒。
29谷既熟了，就用镰刀去割，因为收成的时候到了。”
Beyond Us
"So then, even to Gentiles God has granted repentance that leads to life." - Acts 11:18
An old hymn reminds us that "God moves in a mysterious way." Sometimes that's more than God's people can handle. Acts 11 shows how the brand-new church in Jerusalem was unsure what to do when Gentiles came to faith in Jesus. They were surprised and wondered what God was up to.
In a parable in Mark 4, Jesus says the kingdom of God is like seed scattered on soil. The seed sprouts and grows, taking on a life of its own. Eventually there is a harvest. Nowadays we can explain all the processes that produce a harvest. But 2,000 years ago those processes were a mystery, something beyond explanation and yet wonderful.
Similarly, the kingdom of God is wonderful and often beyond explaining. Like planted seed, the kingdom has a life of its own. The kingdom is outside our control. It grows and bears fruit however God pleases, without our intervention. It's not that God doesn't use us in the processes of the kingdom. But the kingdom is full of surprises—as surprising as Gentiles joining with Jews into one church.
Have you seen God move in mysterious ways? Has God given you or your church unexpected opportunities to offer hospitality, to practice generosity, even to tear down boundaries that would keep people out? How wonderful is that?!
Lord Jesus, you are the greatest kingdom mystery of all. You became human so that we can become more human than we have ever been. That's beyond us! Amen.
诵读: 骆云秀
片头: 张妙阳
编辑进度:
发布时间:
繁體版:
Line:
栏目:
机构:
作者: