在我和妻子的第一个房子里，我种植了一个属于我们自己的菜园。看着第一批种子破土而出，且植物每天都在长大，着实令人兴奋。这工作很充实，特别是当我期待自己的劳动果实的时候。
但是随着园子的成长，讨厌的杂草也长起来了。它们往往比我耕种的植物长得更快更稠密。更麻烦的是，它们抢夺了植物需要的土壤、阳光、营养和水分。现在，要想让我的作物生长，我就得干令人疲乏的除草的活儿了。
那些杂草也正反映了很久以前在伊甸园里发生的事。今天的经文告诉我们，与杂草和邪恶对抗，是活在这被咒诅的世界中的一部分——当初被咒诅，是因为人对神的悖逆。从那以后，这种模式就在所有的园子里持续着，真令人厌恶。
有一点很重要：咒诅，不是临到园艺这工作，而是临到我们做的时候，要辛辛苦苦对付杂草和邪恶的事。而园艺本身的祝福仍在，我们的辛劳仍会带来佳美的果子和食物。神的创造仍是好的。然而这种种的挫折警戒我们，与芸芸众生一样，我们都需要从罪和死的咒诅中被救赎和释放。我们需要一位救主！
神啊，为着这个世界感谢祢。为着祢赐我们有工作，好让我们有日用的饮食感谢祢！求祢教我们把这些工作中的挫折，转化为我们对主和救主耶稣的信靠及倚赖。奉耶稣的名求，阿们。
创世记 3:16-19
16又对女人说： 我必多多加增你怀胎的苦楚； 你生产儿女必多受苦楚。 你必恋慕你丈夫； 你丈夫必管辖你。
17又对亚当说： 你既听从妻子的话， 吃了我所吩咐你不可吃的那树上的果子， 地必为你的缘故受咒诅； 你必终身劳苦才能从地里得吃的。
18地必给你长出荆棘和蒺藜来； 你也要吃田间的菜蔬。
19你必汗流满面才得糊口， 直到你归了土， 因为你是从土而出的。 你本是尘土，仍要归于尘土。
"Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat food from it all the days of your life. It will produce thorns and thistles for you..." — Genesis 3:17
I planted my very own garden at the first home that my wife and I owned. It was exciting to see the first seeds break through the ground and the plants grow bigger every day. The work was fulfilling, especially as I anticipated the fruits of my labor.
But as the garden grew, unwelcome weeds grew as well. Often they grew faster and thicker than the plants I had cultivated. More troublesome, they competed for the ground, sun, nutrients, and water that my plants needed. I now had the wearisome work of weeding if I wanted my produce to grow.
My weeds reflect what happened to God's perfect garden long ago. Today's verses tell us that struggling with weeds and wickedness is part of living in a cursed creation—cursed because of humanity's disobedience. The pattern has sickeningly persisted in all gardens ever since.
It's important to note that the curse is not in the work of gardening but in the frustration of toiling against weeds and wickedness. And the work is not without blessing. Fruit and food still come from our toil. God's creation is still good. Yet our frustration alerts us to our need to be rescued and released, along with creation, from the curse of sin and death. We need a Savior!
Lord God, thank you for this world and the work you still bless so that we can have daily food. Channel our frustration with work to heighten our dependence on our Savior and Lord, Jesus. Amen.
诵读: 孙大中
片头: 张妙阳
