仆人
今天经文里的故事，时常令我觉得可笑——主要是因为它也令我大为感叹。我想知道，是雅各和约翰要求他们的母亲这样做，还是这是她的主意。曾经有父母为他们的子女向我求取一些相当有趣的权利，但那些都远远不及这里的要求。当耶稣问雅各和约翰，他们能否应付祂要面对的挑战时，他们表示会全力以赴。可是，他们完全不明白自己在说什么；其他门徒的反应，也令人大开眼界：他们“就恼怒他们弟兄二人。”
耶稣是不会错过这个教导人的机会的，祂用这件事来教导门徒要作仆人。纵使这个世界以金钱和财物、领导和权力为宝贵，耶稣做事的方式却把这些都完全翻转过来。在前的将要在后，在后的将要在前——我们蒙召是要去服侍人，而不是受人的服侍。服侍人，是在耶稣的国度中作祂门徒的关键。
耶稣亳不犹豫地用祂自己来做最合适的例子。论到谁人有权柄，则非耶稣莫属了：祂是神的儿子，祂医好各种奇难杂症，祂掌管生与死，祂制服污鬼，还有很多其他的。耶稣告诉祂的门徒，祂来，不是要受人服侍，乃是要服侍人。
耶稣来，是要做一个仆人，那么，我们这些跟从祂的人，岂不也一样蒙召去作仆人吗？
父啊，求祢帮助我们，看到我们在祢的国度里的身份，就是作众人的仆人，又求祢帮助我们，学效耶稣的榜样去服待人。奉祢的名祈求，阿们。
马太福音 20:20-28
20 那时，西庇太儿子的母亲同她两个儿子上前来拜耶稣，求他一件事。
21 耶稣说：“你要什么呢？”她说：“愿你叫我这两个儿子在你国里，一个坐在你右边，一个坐在你左边。”
22 耶稣回答说：“你们不知道所求的是什么。我将要喝的杯，你们能喝吗？”他们说：“我们能。”
23 耶稣说：“我所喝的杯，你们必要喝；只是坐在我的左右，不是我可以赐的，乃是我父为谁预备的，就赐给谁。”
24 那十个门徒听见，就恼怒他们弟兄二人。
25 耶稣叫了他们来，说：“你们知道，外邦人有君王为主治理他们，有大臣操权管束他们。
26 只是在你们中间不可这样，你们中间谁愿为大，就必做你们的用人；
27 谁愿为首，就必做你们的仆人。
28 正如人子来不是要受人的服侍，乃是要服侍人，并且要舍命做多人的赎价。”
Servant
“The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve. . . .” — Matthew 20:28
The story in our reading today often makes me laugh—mostly because of how uncomfortable it makes me feel. I wonder if James and John put their mom up to this task, or if it was her idea. I’ve had parents ask for some pretty interesting favors for their kids, but nothing compares to this. And when Jesus asks James and John if they could handle the challenges he would face, they are all for it. But they really have no idea what they’re talking about. The other disciples’ response is eye-opening too: they were “indignant with the two brothers.”
Jesus doesn’t let this moment go to waste. He uses it to teach about being a servant. Though the world prizes money and possessions, leadership and authority, Jesus’ way of doing things flips that upside down. The first will be last, and the last first—so we are called to serve rather than to lord it over others. Serving people is key to what it means to be a disciple in Jesus’ kingdom.
Jesus doesn’t hesitate to use himself as the prime example. If anyone ever qualified as having authority, it is Jesus: Son of God, healer of all sorts of illnesses, with power over life and death, authority over demons, and much more. Jesus tells his disciples that he has not come to be served, but to serve.
If Jesus came to be a servant, then we, his followers, are called to be servants too.
Father, help us to see our place in your kingdom as servants of all. Help us to follow Jesus’ example and serve others. In your name we pray. Amen.
诵读: 楚云
片头: 张妙阳
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