不来自这世界
耶路撒冷的犹太领袖们不想耶稣做他们的君王，他们把衪带到罗马巡抚彼拉多那里，彼拉多不管事情是否重要，便煞有介事地处理这件事。尽管找不到定耶稣罪的理由，彼拉多却听从了群众的意见，结果还是判了衪死刑。他又把一个写着：“犹太人的王 － 拿撒勒人耶稣”的牌子放在十字架上，作为对耶稣最后的讥讽。
彼拉多也就这件事与耶稣辩驳：“你是犹太人的王，对吗？”耶稣拒绝堕入这圈套，衪说：“你以为君王会有荷枪的士兵听他差使吧。但我的国却不是这样的。”
不过，你是不会从教会中看到的。很久以前，教会已经被这个世界的国度同化了。教会甚至以这个世界的国的名义差派它的儿女上战场。然而耶稣说；衪的国“不是来自这个世界的。”（这个翻译，比“不属这世界”的翻译较为贴切。）祂的国的模式不是抄袭罗马帝国或其他帝国得来的。
耶稣的国的模式是怜悯，而不是残暴；是喜乐，而不是苦难；是和解，而不是敌对。祂的国的模式不是藉毁灭村庄来拯救它。相反地，君王自己忍受痛苦和死亡，来拯救这个世界。
神的国和世上的国不同。神的国不是来自这个世界，它乃是从将要来的世界出来的。
主耶稣，求你赦免你的教会。我们很容易和在很多方面摒弃了你的国的模式，求你怜悯我们。阿们。
约翰福音 18:28-40
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。”
37彼拉多就对他说：“这样，你是王吗？”耶稣回答说：“你说我是王。我为此而生，也为此来到世间，特为给真理作见证。凡属真理的人就听我的话。”
38彼拉多说：“真理是什么呢？”说了这话，又出来到犹太人那里，对他们说：“我查不出他有什么罪来。
39但你们有个规矩，在逾越节要我给你们释放一个人，你们要我给你们释放犹太人的王吗？”
40他们又喊着说：“不要这人！要巴拉巴！”这巴拉巴是个强盗。
Not From This World
"Whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant." - Mark 10:43
The Jewish leaders in Jerusalem didn't want Jesus as their king. They brought him to the Roman governor, Pilate, and he played that up for what it was worth. Though he could not find a reason to charge Jesus, Pilate went along with the people and sentenced him to death anyway. As a final taunt, Pilate placed a sign on the cross: jesus of nazareth: the king of the jews.
Pilate sparred with Jesus about it too: "You're the king of the Jews, right?" Jesus refused the bait: "You think a king has sword-wielding soldiers at his command. But my kingdom isn't like that."
You wouldn't know it from looking at the church, though. The church long ago made peace with the kingdoms of this world. The church even sent its children to war in the name of the kingdoms of this world. But Jesus said his kingdom is "not from this world." (That's a better translation than "not of this world.") The way of his kingdom is not borrowed from Rome or any other kingdom.
The way of Jesus' kingdom is mercy, not brutality; joy, not misery; reconciliation, not enmity. The way of his kingdom doesn't destroy a village in order to save it. Instead the King himself endures destruction in order to save the world.
The kingdom of God is not like the kingdoms of this world. God's kingdom is not from this world but from the world to come.
Forgive your church, Lord Jesus. We forsake the way of your kingdom too easily and in too many ways. Have mercy on us, we pray. Amen.
诵读: 骆云秀
片头: 张妙阳
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