地上太平？
你有没有听过耶稣降生和天使到来庆祝的故事呢？路加福音 2:13-14说："忽然，有一大队天兵… 赞美神说：‘在至高之处荣耀归与神！在地上平安归与他所喜悦的人。’"
然而，在今天的经文中，我们却听到耶稣问道："你们以为我来，是叫地上太平吗？"衪跟着回答说："我告诉你们：不是，乃是叫人纷争。"
在这里，耶稣正在鼓励衪的跟随者去深思，衪要他们细心思量，委身于衪究竟是什么意思。
在思想衪说的话时，我们看到耶稣似乎真的带来了纷争，因为世人必会抗拒救恩和神的国在掌权的好消息。可悲的是，必定会有人不愿意相信神和不想改变他的心的。耶稣在这里警告，家庭中会有纷争，我们当中很多人都知道，相信耶稣会怎样在家庭中引起纷争。
耶稣警告将会有什么事情发生，但衪极不希望会有这种事情发生的。我们既在基督里经历了神的爱，又知道没有任何事能叫我们与这爱隔绝（罗马书 8:38-39），所以，所有其他的关系都变成次要的了。我们知道我们是在耶稣里与神相和的（罗马书 5:1-8），藉着基督，神的恩惠临到我们。你认识耶稣吗？你若认识衪，你便可以得到那平安了。
主啊，求祢帮助我们，今天在祢的平安中得安息，好叫我们能够帮助别人，在这动荡的世代中，也在祢里面找到平安。奉祢的名祈求，阿们。
路加福音 12:49-53
49"我来要把火丢在地上，倘若已经着起来，不也是我所愿意的吗？
50我有当受的洗还没有成就，我是何等地迫切呢！
51你们以为我来是叫地上太平吗？我告诉你们：不是，乃是叫人纷争。
52从今以后，一家五个人将要纷争：三个人和两个人相争，两个人和三个人相争；
53父亲和儿子相争，儿子和父亲相争；母亲和女儿相争，女儿和母亲相争；婆婆和媳妇相争，媳妇和婆婆相争。"
Peace On Earth?
"Do you think I came to bring peace on earth?" - Luke 12:51
Have you heard the story about Jesus’ birth and how the angels came to celebrate it? In Luke 2:13-14 we read, "Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared...praising God and saying, ‘Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.’"
But in our reading today we find Jesus himself asking, "Do you think I came to bring peace on earth?" And he answers, "No, I tell you, but division."
Here Jesus is prodding his followers to think; he wants them to consider carefully what it means to commit their lives to him.
As we think about this, Jesus does seem to bring division. That’s because the good news of salvation and the rule of God’s kingdom will bring resistance in this world. Sadly, there will be some people who do not want to believe in God and do not want their hearts changed. Here Jesus warns of family divisions, and many of us know how those can happen because of belief in Jesus.
Jesus warns what will happen, not what he wills to happen. As we experience the love of God in Christ, from which nothing and no one can separate us (Romans 8:38-39), all other relationships take second place. In Jesus we find that we have peace with God (Romans 5:1-8); through Christ, God’s favor rests on us. Do you know Jesus? Then you know that peace.
Lord, help us to rest in your peace today so that we might help others find peace with you too in this troubled world. In your name we pray. Amen.
诵读: 骆云秀
片头: 张妙阳
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