植物和灌木都有很多种奇妙的繁殖方式。小红莓灌木能从根部生发出大量的芽，所以我的小红莓丛总是不断扩大，这样我就可以轻松剪下一些根苗送给亲戚朋友，去种植他们自己的灌木丛。在冬天以前种下八瓣大蒜，就能长出八棵蒜苗，到了第二年夏天，每棵蒜苗都会长出七到八瓣的大蒜——这是个不错的倍增。
耶稣总是很机敏地观察着神园中的生命，所以祂选择了麦子作为奇妙倍增的例子。如祂所说，一粒麦子能“结出许多子粒来”。如今我们知道，种在地里的一粒麦子能结出20到25个新子粒。进一步地，耶稣又提出更深远的一点。正如一粒麦子“落在地里死了”，又“结出许多子粒”。同样，祂自己的死和复活也将孕育出许多跟随祂的新生命。
我有一杆小麦，是从12年前我父亲棺木上摆设的花束里抽出来的。我保留了这杆小麦，为的是提醒自己，要记得耶稣大能的应许。当我们向自己死，又以在祂里面丰盛的新生命去服事他人来跟随祂时，我们可以信靠祂确实的应许，必然倍增和进入永生。
父啊，感谢祢赐下祢的独生爱子为我受死并复活，因此孕育出许多新的生命。求祢激励并坚固我，使我也愿意放下自己，服事他人。奉耶稣的名祷告，阿们。
约翰福音 12:20-26
20那时，上来过节礼拜的人中，有几个希腊人。
21他们来见加利利、伯赛大的腓力，求他说：“先生，我们愿意见耶稣。”
22腓力去告诉安得烈，安得烈同腓力去告诉耶稣。
23耶稣说：“人子得荣耀的时候到了。
24我实实在在地告诉你们，一粒麦子不落在地里死了，仍旧是一粒，若是死了，就结出许多子粒来。
25爱惜自己生命的，就失丧生命；在这世上恨恶自己生命的，就要保守生命到永生。
26若有人服事我，就当跟从我；我在哪里，服事我的人也要在那里；若有人服事我，我父必尊重他。”
"Very truly I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds." — John 12:24
Plants and bushes multiply in a variety of amazing ways. Raspberry bushes send out runners from their roots and start new shoots. So my raspberry patch is ever expanding, and I am able to cut away plants easily for friends and family to start their own patches. Planting eight cloves of garlic before winter produces eight new garlic plants, and each plant produces seven or eight cloves of garlic the next summer—a good increase.
Jesus, an astute observer of life in God's garden, chooses wheat as an example of amazing multiplication. As he said, one kernel "produces many seeds." Today we know that one seed of wheat planted in the ground yields 20-25 kernels of new wheat. Further, Jesus was making a more profound point. Just as a wheat seed "falls to the ground and dies" and then "produces many seeds," his own death and resurrection produce new life in a multitude of followers.
I have a stalk of wheat from the bouquet displayed on my father's casket 12 years ago. I keep that stalk of wheat to remind myself of Jesus' powerful promise. We can trust in his sure promise of multiplication and eternal life as we follow him in dying to ourselves and serving others out of the abundance of our new life in him.
Father, thank you for sending your one and only Son to die, rise, and multiply his life in all who follow him. Inspire and strengthen me to lay down my life and serve others. Amen.
诵读: 楚云
片头: 张妙阳
