“君王”的新定义
在早期的教导和医病事工中，耶稣曾经以一个男孩子些少的食物喂饱五千人，当时人们的反应是要强逼耶稣作王，然而耶稣却拒绝接受这个作王的机会，跟着衪便退到山上去了（约翰福音 6:1-15）。
在今天约翰福音18章这段经文中，耶稣站在彼拉多面前，彼拉多是世上拥有最高权力的凯撒的地方代表。彼拉多问耶稣一个看起来相当简单的问题：“你是王吗？”马太、马可、路加、和约翰四卷福音书，都有记载彼拉多问这个重要的问题。
然而，这个问题的答案却毫不简单。耶稣自己也有问题要问彼拉多，在这里，耶稣似乎要揭露彼拉多问这个问题背后的动机。耶稣多次宣称祂有祂的国，所以答案的其中一部份是“是的”。但祂也表明祂的国“不属这个世界”。尽管彼拉多大权在握，不过，耶稣却显明祂才是真正的君王。
在这个月，我们一直都在思想圣经传讲耶稣是君王这个信息。然而，如果我们仍然坚持我们自己对“君王”和“国度”的定义，我们便会错失了耶稣的王权和国度了。
耶稣不但满足了世人对真正的君王的渴望，祂更为作王的意思下了一个新的定义，因为耶稣带来的国度是绝对与其他的国度不同的－它乃是来自神自己的心。
君王耶稣，愿祢的国降临，愿祢的旨意行在地上，如同行在天上。求祢治理我们，好叫我们凡事都顺从祢的计划。阿们。
约翰福音 18:28 –36
28众人将耶稣从该亚法那里往衙门内解去，那时天还早。他们自己却不进衙门，恐怕染了污秽，不能吃逾越节的筵席。
29彼拉多就出来，到他们那里，说：“你们告这人是为什么事呢？”
30他们回答说：“这人若不是作恶的，我们就不把他交给你。”
31彼拉多说：“你们自己带他去，按着你们的律法审问他吧！”犹太人说：“我们没有杀人的权柄。”
32这要应验耶稣所说自己将要怎样死的话了。
33彼拉多又进了衙门，叫耶稣来，对他说：“你是犹太人的王吗？”
34耶稣回答说：“这话是你自己说的，还是别人论我对你说的呢？”
35彼拉多说：“我岂是犹太人呢？你本国的人和祭司长把你交给我。你做了什么事呢？”
36耶稣回答说：“我的国不属这世界。我的国若属这世界，我的臣仆必要争战，使我不至于被交给犹太人。只是我的国不属这世界。”
Redefining "King"
"Are you the king of the Jews?" - John 18:33
Earlier in his ministry of teaching and healing, Jesus had fed 5,000 people with a boy's small lunch. The response of the people was to try to make Jesus king by force, but Jesus slipped through their fingers and withdrew (John 6:1-15).
In today's reading from John 18, Jesus stands in front of Pilate, the local representative of Caesar, the most powerful man on earth. Pilate asks what should be a simple question: "Are you a king?" The books of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John all speak of Pilate asking this central question.
But the answer is not so simple. Jesus has questions of his own for Pilate. Here Jesus seems to be getting at the motive for Pilate's question. Jesus repeatedly claims to have a kingdom, so that's a partial "yes." But he states that his kingdom "is not of this world." Pilate has his hands on the levers of power here, but Jesus shows that he's the true King.
This month, we have been pondering the Bible's message that Jesus is King. But if we insist on giving our own definitions to the ideas of "king" and "kingdom," Jesus' kingship and kingdom will slip through our fingers.
Jesus fulfills the world's longing for a true king, but he also redefines what it means to be King. That is because the kingdom Jesus brings is wholly other—it comes from the very heart of God.
King Jesus, may your kingdom come and your will be done on earth as in heaven. Rule us in such a way that we submit our agendas to yours. Amen.
诵读: 骆云秀
片头: 张妙阳
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