有污点的领袖
想像一下你生活在第一世纪或第二世纪,听说了基督教。你通过约翰福音知道了耶稣和祂的门徒们,以及早期教会的事(使徒行传)。你甚至也听说了彼得否认主的事(参约 19:15-27)。接着你便意识到,彼得后来成了使徒们的领袖,开始建立许多教会。
你会怎么想?当你知道这场运动是由一个公开有污点的人所领导的,他在艰难时离弃了耶稣,你还会对他充满信心吗?
对有些人来说,这可能是一个障碍。 他们可能没信心加入由这个过去有污点的人领导的运动。人们倾向于把领袖理想化,期待他们完美。但约翰福音让我们不能这样看待彼得。
这就是问题的关键。约翰选择了这个故事,即使这让早期教会的一个关键人物看起来很糟糕。事实上,约翰正是以这个彼得回转的故事作为本书卷的结尾,强调了耶稣对罪人的仁慈态度。
作为读者,我们应该在彼得身上看到我们自己。彼得的故事就是我们的故事。在这里,我们最后再次被提醒,我们的信仰不是关乎我们,以及我们为神所做的。相反,它完全是关乎耶稣为我们所做的一切,正显明神是谁。
父啊,帮助我活出这恩典的福音,将你显给我的这份不配得的爱,传递给他人。奉耶稣的名,阿们。
约翰福音 13:36-38; 21:15-25
36西门彼得问耶稣说:“主往哪里去?”耶稣回答说:“我所去的地方,你现在不能跟我去,后来却要跟我去。”
37彼得说:“主啊,我为什么现在不能跟你去?我愿意为你舍命!”
38耶稣说:“你愿意为我舍命吗?我实实在在地告诉你:鸡叫以先,你要三次不认我。”
15他们吃完了早饭,耶稣对西门彼得说:“约翰的儿子西门,你爱我比这些更深吗?”彼得说:“主啊,是的,你知道我爱你。”耶稣对他说:“你喂养我的小羊。”
16耶稣第二次又对他说:“约翰的儿子西门,你爱我吗?”彼得说:“主啊,是的,你知道我爱你。”耶稣说:“你牧养我的羊。”
17第三次对他说:“约翰的儿子西门,你爱我吗?”彼得因为耶稣第三次对他说“你爱我吗”,就忧愁,对耶稣说:“主啊,你是无所不知的,你知道我爱你。”耶稣说:“你喂养我的羊。
18我实实在在地告诉你:你年少的时候,自己束上带子,随意往来;但年老的时候,你要伸出手来,别人要把你束上,带你到不愿意的地方。”
19耶稣说这话,是指着彼得要怎样死荣耀神。说了这话,就对他说:“你跟从我吧!”
20彼得转过来,看见耶稣所爱的那门徒跟着,就是在晚饭的时候靠着耶稣胸膛,说“主啊,卖你的是谁”的那门徒。
21彼得看见他,就问耶稣说:“主啊,这人将来如何?”
22耶稣对他说:“我若要他等到我来的时候,与你何干?你跟从我吧!”
23于是这话传在弟兄中间,说那门徒不死。其实耶稣不是说他不死,乃是说:“我若要他等到我来的时候,与你何干?”
24为这些事作见证,并且记载这些事的,就是这门徒。我们也知道他的见证是真的。
25耶稣所行的事还有许多,若是一一地都写出来,我想,所写的书就是世界也容不下了。
A Flawed Leader
"Peter . . . said, 'Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you.' Jesus said, 'Feed my sheep.'" - John 21:17
Imagine living in the first or second century and hearing about Christianity. You learn about Jesus in the book of John, and about his followers and the early church (book of Acts). You even learn about Peter's betrayal of Jesus (see John 19:15-27). And then you realize that Peter became a leader of the apostles and helped to start many churches.
How would that strike you? Would it fill you with confidence, knowing that this movement was led by an openly flawed guy who had turned his back on Jesus when things got difficult?
For some people, that might have been a deal-breaker. They might not have felt confident to be part of a movement led by this person with a past. People have a tendency to want to idealize leaders and expect them to be perfect. But John's gospel makes it impossible to see Peter that way.
That's exactly the point. John chose to include this story even though it makes a key figure in the early church look bad. In fact, John actually closes the book with this restoration story to highlight Jesus' gracious attitude toward sinners.
As readers, we are meant to see ourselves in Peter. His story is our story. And here we are left with a final reminder that our faith is not about us and what we do for God. Instead, it's all about what Jesus has done for us, to show us who God is.
Father, help me, going forward, to live out the gospel of grace, showing the same undeserved love to others that you have shown to me. In Jesus, Amen.
诵读: 骆云秀
片头: 张妙阳
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