现在还不是时候
等待是很困难的。我的儿女还年幼，很多时他们都会要求得到某些要等他们年纪稍长时才可以得到的东西。我只好告诉他们：“现在还不是时候。”
耶稣受死的前一晚，耶稣对祂的门徒说了类似的话。尽管他们跟着祂经历了很多事情，但他们却不能跟随衪到坟墓、或与祂一起在荣耀中升到天上－现在还不是时候呢。
彼得提出异议，但是他不明白耶稣需要做什么事。后来，彼得的行为让我们看到（约翰福音 18:15-18, 25-27），我们的急性子往往会导致我们离开我们的主。然而，耶稣应许赐我们力量，来支持我们等待下去；祂爱我们，又已经为我们舍命；今天，在我们等待越过死亡、与祂在神的荣耀中永远同住的那一天时，我们有耶稣的爱充溢在我们的生命中。
在复活和升天之后，耶稣的跟随者想起祂所说的话。耶稣没有告诉我们，要等待多久祂才回来，但祂却告诉我们，应如何等待。我们可以以爱心与像我们一样的罪人分享祂的恩典，我们可以援助贫困和被排斥的人、带给他们活力和喜乐，就像一首古旧的诗歌所说的：“因为爱，世人知道我们是基督徒。”
耶稣的升天告诉我们，有一天我们将会跟随基督得荣耀，不过现在还不是时候；祂的升天也提醒我们，在我们等待时，我们必须彼此相爱。
主啊，等待是很困难的，求你赐我们耐性，去忠心等待。在我们等待时，求你以你的爱加添我们的力量，好叫世人看得出我们是你的门徒。阿们。
约翰福音 13:31-38
31他既出去，耶稣就说：“如今人子得了荣耀，神在人子身上也得了荣耀。
32神要因自己荣耀人子，并且要快快地荣耀他。
33小子们，我还有不多的时候与你们同在，后来你们要找我，但我所去的地方你们不能到。这话我曾对犹太人说过，如今也照样对你们说。
34我赐给你们一条新命令，乃是叫你们彼此相爱，我怎样爱你们，你们也要怎样相爱。
35你们若有彼此相爱的心，众人因此就认出你们是我的门徒了。”
36西门彼得问耶稣说：“主往哪里去？”耶稣回答说：“我所去的地方，你现在不能跟我去，后来却要跟我去。”
37彼得说：“主啊，我为什么现在不能跟你去？我愿意为你舍命！”
38耶稣说：“你愿意为我舍命吗？我实实在在地告诉你：鸡叫以先，你要三次不认我。”
Not Yet
“Where I am going, you cannot follow now, but you will follow later.” - John 13:36
Waiting is difficult. I have young children, and it’s not uncommon for them to ask for something they can’t have until they are older. “Not yet,” I have to tell them.
The night before his death, Jesus said something like that to his disciples. They had followed him through many things, but they could not follow him to the grave or to his coming glory in the ascension—at least not yet.
Peter raised an objection, but he didn’t understand what Jesus had to do. As Peter’s actions show later (John 18:15-18, 25-27), our impatience can often lead us away from our Lord. But Jesus promises a strength that sustains us as we wait. He has loved us. He has given his life for us. The love of Jesus informs the way we live now, as we wait until the day when we will journey beyond death to live with him in the glory of God’s presence forever.
After the resurrection and ascension, Jesus’ followers remembered his words. Jesus did not tell us how long it would be till he returns, but he did tell us how to wait. With love, we can share his grace with fellow sinners. We can give to help bring life and joy to people who are poor and marginalized. As an old song puts it, “They’ll know we are Christians by our love.”
The ascension shows us that we do not yet follow Jesus to glory, though we will someday. But it also reminds us to love one another as we wait.
Waiting is hard, Lord. Give us patience to wait faithfully. Strengthen us with your love as we wait, that the world will know we are your disciples. Amen.
诵读: 骆云秀
片头: 张妙阳
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