骄傲在败坏之先
骄傲有很多不同的形式，可悲的是，我们往往在那些尝试事奉神的人身上看到，虽然他们开始事奉时是谦卑的。例如，禁食的道路是由好的意图铺成的，可是路上却布满了支离破碎的誓言。有些人不堪回首，在悲叹声中承诺下一次会有改进。而那些履行了誓言的，也很容易禁不住因他们的成就而生发骄傲。
禁食和祷告，帮助我们专注思想我们需要神的慈悲和怜悯，而不是抬高自我的工具；人若因做到舍己而自傲，便是弄巧成拙。虚假的谦卑能令我们傲慢自大、甚至自吹自擂。在耶稣的比喻中，法利赛人夸口说他不像别人“勒索、不义、奸淫，也不像这个税吏”，他认为自己比这些人都胜一筹，所以他肯定神一定会奖赏他的。
保罗说，如果我们要找可夸口的，便应该“在耶稣基督里”夸口，因为“神又使他成为我们的智慧、公义、圣洁、救赎”（哥林多前书1:30）。保罗最清楚什么是灵性的骄傲。曾有一段很长的时间，保罗深信他比跟随基督的人优胜，所以他试图去灭绝他们（使徒行传8:3；9:1）。灵性的骄傲令我们的灵魂萎缩，以致容不下神的爱，也容不下邻舍。
亲爱的主，求祢释放我们不再受自私自傲所辖制。我们知道自己在罪中迷失了，若没有祢，我们实在没能力做任何善行。愿我们只为着祢和祢对我的慈爱恩典而骄傲，奉耶稣的名祷告，阿们。
箴言 16:18; 路加福音 18:9-12
18 骄傲在败坏以先，狂心在跌倒之前。
9 耶稣向那些仗着自己是义人藐视别人的，设一个比喻，
10 说：“有两个人上殿里去祷告，一个是法利赛人，一个是税吏。
11 法利赛人站着，自言自语地祷告说：‘神啊，我感谢你，我不像别人勒索、不义、奸淫，也不像这个税吏。
12 我一个礼拜禁食两次，凡我所得的都捐上十分之一。’
What Comes Before A Fall?
The Pharisee ...prayed: “God, I thank you that I am not like other people... I fast twice a week.” — Luke 18:11-12
Pride takes many forms — often, sadly, among people who try to serve God, and even if they begin humbly. The road of fasting, for example, is paved with good intentions and littered with broken vows. With a sigh, some promise themselves to try to do better next time. Others, if they have kept their vows, can easily be tempted to feel proud of their success.
Fasting and prayer are resources that help us focus on our need for God’s love and mercy; they are not instruments for self-enhancement. Pride in self-denial is self-defeating. In false humility we can become puffed up with pride and even boastful. The Pharisee in Jesus’ parable boasted that he was not like “robbers, evildoers, adulterers — or even like [the] tax collector” nearby. He judged himself as much better than all of these others, and he was sure that God would reward him.
If we want to boast about anything, says Paul, we should boast in “Jesus Christ, who has become for us wisdom from God — that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption” (1 Corinthians 1:30). Paul knew about spiritual pride. For a long time he was convinced that he was better than Christ’s followers, and he sought to exterminate them (Acts 8:3; 9:1). Spiritual pride so shrinks the soul that it has no room for God’s love — or for neighbors.
Dear Lord, free us from our selfish pride, knowing we are lost in sin and powerless to do any good without you. May we boast only in you and in your love and grace for us. Amen.
诵读: 楚云
片头: 张妙阳
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