在后的
我很少获奖，因为我没有足以赢得奖牌或奖杯的特别专长。几年前我曾任一个初中校队的教练，我们曾经在一些联合赛事中获胜。这真棒啊，只是我没有同时获得“年度教练”奖杯——不过我毫不介意。
不过，胜利的确是一件令人非常兴奋的事，大部分人都看重胜利——我们当中很多人都很好胜，以致我们感到非胜不可。所以，今天的经文才显得那么反文化，在前的将要在后，在后的将要在前？简直不合情理，没有人会以名列榜尾为目标的，没有人记得最后到达目的地的人的，然而，可能这段经文的目的就是要指出这个特色。
福音的效应与其他事情完全不同，美貌和多才多艺不能赚取任何东西；事实上，在跟从耶稣时，世人宝贵的东西——从财富和声望到权力和地位——都甚少有任何重要性；有时，我们拥有的东西和我们的成就，反而会妨碍我们跟从耶稣呢。
试想想以下的逻辑：当我们知道，我们通常倚靠的东西其实不能为我们赚取什么时，我们便处于预备好去倚靠耶稣的境地了。我们知道，一切美善的事和我们所有的成就，都是神所赐的，我们更乐意与人分享这些恩赐，而不是只留给自己享用。当我们以爱心慷慨待人、容得下别人、为别人着想多过为自己时，我们便开始跟从和效法耶稣了。
主啊，求祢帮助我们，知道我们万事都需要倚靠祢。惟愿我们能跟随祢的榜样，为祢而活。阿们。
马可福音 10:23-31
23 耶稣周围一看，对门徒说：“有钱财的人进神的国是何等地难哪！”
24 门徒稀奇他的话。耶稣又对他们说：“小子，倚靠钱财的人进神的国是何等地难哪！
25 骆驼穿过针的眼，比财主进神的国还容易呢！”
26 门徒就分外稀奇，对他说：“这样谁能得救呢？”
27 耶稣看着他们说：“在人是不能，在神却不然，因为神凡事都能。”
28 彼得就对他说：“看哪，我们已经撇下所有的跟从你了！”
29 耶稣说：“我实在告诉你们：人为我和福音撇下房屋或是弟兄、姐妹、父母、儿女、田地，
30 没有不在今世得百倍的，就是房屋、弟兄、姐妹、母亲、儿女、田地，并且要受逼迫；在来世必得永生。
31 然而，有许多在前的将要在后，在后的将要在前。”
Last
“Many who are first will be last, and the last first.” — Mark 10:31
I haven’t won many awards. I’m not especially gifted at anything that might earn me an award or a trophy. I coached a middle school team a few years back, and we won some tournaments. That was great, but no “coach of the year” trophy came with it—and that’s fine with me.
Winning can be a thrill, though. It’s a pretty big thing for most people—and many of us are so competitive that we feel we just have to win. That’s why today’s verse is so countercultural. The first will be last, and the last first? That doesn’t make sense. No one competes for the goal of being last. No one remembers the ones who come in last. But maybe that’s the point.
The economy of the gospel isn’t like everything else. Good looks and megatalent don’t earn anything. In fact, very little that we value in this world—from wealth and prestige to power and position—means anything when it comes to following Jesus. At times, our stuff and accomplishments can even get in the way of following Jesus.
Think of it this way: when we realize that the things we often rely on don’t actually gain us anything, we find ourselves in a place where we are ready to rely on Jesus. We realize that everything good we have and all we have accomplished is a gift from God. And we are ready to share it with others, rather than holding on to it for ourselves. With love and generosity and making room for people, putting others ahead of ourselves, we begin to follow and act like Jesus.
Lord, help us to realize we rely on you for everything. May we follow your example and live for you. Amen.
诵读: 楚云
片头: 张妙阳
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