2:18 當下,約翰的門徒和法利賽人禁食。他們來問耶穌說:「約翰的門徒和法利賽人的門徒禁食,你的門徒倒不禁食,這是為甚麼呢?」
2:19 耶穌對他們說:「新郎和陪伴之人同在的時候,陪伴之人豈能禁食呢?新郎還同在,他們不能禁食。
2:20 但日子將到,新郎要離開他們,那日他們就要禁食。
2:21 沒有人把新布縫在舊衣服上,恐怕所補上的新布帶壞了舊衣服,破的就更大了。
2:22 也沒有人把新酒裝在舊皮袋裡,恐怕酒把皮袋裂開,酒和皮袋就都壞了;惟把新酒裝在新皮袋裡。」
18 Now John’s disciples and the Pharisees were fasting. Some people came and asked Jesus, “How is it that John’s disciples and the disciples of the Pharisees are fasting, but yours are not?”
19 Jesus answered, “How can the guests of the bridegroom fast while he is with them? They cannot, so long as they have him with them. 20 But the time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them, and on that day they will fast.
21 “No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment. Otherwise, the new piece will pull away from the old, making the tear worse. 22 And no one pours new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise, the wine will burst the skins, and both the wine and the wineskins will be ruined. No, they pour new wine into new wineskins.”
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真信仰與假信仰在此有清楚的分別:真信仰不是靠外在的行為,是在於內心的信靠;而假信仰昨靠外表的行為,好掩蓋內心的不信與不安!也因為這樣,主耶穌並沒有刻意要門徒有甚麼敬虔的外表,正如這裡所說的禁食。
主耶穌在這裡明示禁食之類的屬靈操練不是必要的,然而屬靈的操練對基督徒而言是需要的,我們可以透過屬靈的操練與主建立實質的關係,使我們的信仰日日進步,信心更加添!
當然我們不要拿屬靈操練來炫耀我們是敬虔的人,敬虔不需要別人知道,只要自己和上帝知道就好,這就是新酒新皮袋的信仰。而主耶穌再來之前,我們可以就由禁食和禱告等操練,讓我們隨時預備主耶穌的再來!這也是主耶穌所說的:「但日子將到,新郎要離開他們,那日他們就要禁食。」
所以,我們信主了以後,我們要培養靈修生活和做靈修的操練,讓我們在聖靈的引導下體會豐盛的生命!
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