你有没有试过打翻橄榄油或其他油的容器呢？油是又黏又腻，难以清洗的，基于我们处理油渍的经验，我们很难理解圣经中描述用油“膏抹”有什么美丽之处。
在旧约圣经中，被油膏抹的人是要分别为圣，代表上帝的子民专门服侍上帝。当以色列民膏抹一个人时，他们用橄榄油与珍贵的香料调和（出埃及记 30:22-25），然后把这混合物揉搓、涂抹、或浇灌在被膏的人的头上。祭司和先知被膏时是用这种膏油，君王被膏立时也是如此。
然而，圣经中最重要的膏立却与油没有关系。当耶稣回到衪家乡的会堂时，衪打开圣经宣告说，祂已经被圣灵膏抹了。上帝的灵亲自膏抹衪，叫衪去传讲救恩的福音。
我们用使徒信经来宣告，上帝膏立衪的儿子、人们期盼已久的弥赛亚：“受膏者”，基督，成为我们的先知、祭司、和君王。衪以衪的话语引导我们，衪以祂的牺牲救赎我们，作为我们的君王，祂亲自引领和保护着我们。
耶稣是为我们的缘故被膏，衪更以衪的灵来膏抹我们，叫我们在这世上事奉衪。
耶稣啊，你是基督、是那位受膏者、是我们的救主。我们是被你膏立的仆人，求你帮助我们与世人分享你的慈爱。阿们。
路加福音 4:14-21
14耶稣满有圣灵的能力，回到加利利，他的名声就传遍了四方。
15他在各会堂里教训人，众人都称赞他。
16耶稣来到拿撒勒，就是他长大的地方，在安息日，照他平常的规矩进了会堂，站起来要念圣经。
17有人把先知以赛亚的书交给他，他就打开，找到一处写着说：
18“主的灵在我身上，因为他用膏膏我，叫我传福音给贫穷的人，差遣我报告被掳的得释放、瞎眼的得看见，叫那受压制的得自由，
19报告神悦纳人的禧年。”
20于是把书卷起来，交还执事，就坐下。会堂里的人都定睛看他。
21耶稣对他们说：“今天这经应验在你们耳中了。”
“The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news. . . .” - Luke 4:18
Have you ever spilled olive oil or some other kind of oil? Oil can be messy to work with and hard to clean up. Our experience with that may make it hard to grasp the biblical beauty of being “anointed” with oil.
In the Old Testament, people who were anointed with oil were set apart for special service to God for his people. When the Israelites anointed someone, they took olive oil and blended it with expensive spices (Exodus 30:22-25). Then they rubbed, smeared, or poured the concoction on the head of the person being appointed. Priests and prophets were anointed with this oil. Kings were anointed with it too.
The most important anointing in the Bible doesn’t involve oil, however. When Jesus returned to his hometown synagogue, he opened God’s Word and declared that he had been anointed with the Holy Spirit. The Spirit of God himself anointed Jesus to proclaim the good news of salvation.
As we confess with the Apostles’ Creed, God anointed his Son, the long-expected Messiah, “the Anointed One,” the Christ, to be our Prophet, Priest, and King. With his word, he guides us. With his sacrifice, he redeems us. And as our King, he guides and protects us.
Jesus was anointed for us. And he anoints us with his Spirit to serve him in this world.
Jesus, you are the Christ, the Anointed One, our Savior. Help us, your anointed servants, to share your love with the world. Amen.
诵读: 骆云秀
片头: 张妙阳
