神园中的志愿者
春天的时候，我们园子里会长出一些我们没播种过的植物。我们把它们叫做“志愿者”。在我们种的豆角或圆白菜旁边，我们经常会在奇怪的地方发现一棵番茄或一根南瓜藤。我总想除掉这些“志愿者”，使园子更井然有序。不过过去这一年，我已经拒绝了这种诱惑，推测说存留这些“志愿者”或许会有更大的丰收。
毫无头绪又好争竞的门徒们向耶稣汇报说，他们看见一个“志愿者”奉耶稣的名赶鬼，就一时冲动想要把他撵走。但耶稣的视野更加广阔，祂告诉犹豫不决的门徒们，让“志愿者”继续工作。
或许，当你碰到那些和你的想法、言谈、行动不一样的基督徒时，也面临同样的困境。他们礼拜的方式可能不合你的口味，但如果他们奉耶稣的名结出果子，你就需要留心耶稣的纠正：“不敌挡你们的，就是帮助你们的。”
下一步明智的做法，可能是在天国的园子里，寻求如何与这个“志愿者”一起合作的方式。
耶稣，愿祢的圣灵感动我们，去拥抱那些和我们的牧养方式不同的信徒，并和他们一起服事。求祢转化我们的意念，对所有奉祢名服事的人，都心存柔和。奉耶稣名祷告，阿们。
路加福音 9:43-50
43众人都诧异神的大能。 耶稣所做的一切事，众人正希奇的时候，耶稣对门徒说：
44“你们要把这些话存在耳中，因为人子将要被交在人手里。”
45他们不明白这话，意思乃是隐藏的，叫他们不能明白，他们也不敢问这话的意思。
46门徒中间起了议论，谁将为大。
47耶稣看出他们心中的议论，就领一个小孩子来，叫他站在自己旁边，
48对他们说：“凡为我名接待这小孩子的，就是接待我；凡接待我的，就是接待那差我来的。你们中间最小的，他便为大。”
49 约翰说：“夫子，我们看见一个人奉你的名赶鬼，我们就禁止他，因为他不与我们一同跟从你。”
50耶稣说：“不要禁止他；因为不敌挡你们的，就是帮助你们的。”
Volunteers In God's Garden
"'We tried to stop him, because he is not one of us.' 'Do not stop him,' Jesus said, 'for whoever is not against you is for you.'" — Luke 9:49-50
In our garden in the springtime, plants come up that we did not plant. We call them "volunteers." Along with the beans or cabbage we have planted, we often will find a tomato plant or a squash vine in a strange place. The temptation is to weed out the "volunteers" and make the garden more orderly. This past year, I resisted the temptation, reasoning that we would have a greater harvest by letting the "volunteers" grow.
The mostly clueless and competing disciples of Jesus reported that they saw a "volunteer" driving out demons in Jesus' name. They had followed their impulse and tried to remove him from their company. But Jesus' perspective is more expansive. He tells his faltering followers to let the "volunteer" keep working.
Perhaps you have faced a similar dilemma when observing Christ followers who may think, talk, and act differently from the way you do. The style of their service may not suit your tastes. But if they bear fruit in Jesus' name, you need to heed Jesus' words of correction: "Whoever is not against you is for you."
A good next step might be to explore ways to work together with this "volunteer" in the kingdom garden.
Jesus, may your Holy Spirit move us to embrace and serve with followers who may minister in ways that are different from us. Transform our minds and warm our hearts toward all who serve in your name. Amen.
诵读: 楚云
片头: 张妙阳
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