路加福音8:1-15

 

8:1 過了不多日，耶穌周遊各城各鄉傳道，宣講上帝國的福音。和他同去的有十二個門徒，
8:2 還有被惡鬼所附、被疾病所累、已經治好的幾個婦女，內中有稱為抹大拉的馬利亞（曾有七個鬼從她身上趕出來），
8:3 又有希律的家宰苦撒的妻子約亞拿，並蘇撒拿，和好些別的婦女，都是用自己的財物供給耶穌和門徒。
8:4 當許多人聚集、又有人從各城裡出來見耶穌的時候，耶穌就用比喻說：
8:5 「有一個撒種的出去撒種。撒的時候，有落在路旁的，被人踐踏，天上的飛鳥又來吃盡了。
8:6 有落在磐石上的，一出來就枯乾了，因為得不著滋潤。
8:7 有落在荊棘裡的，荊棘一同生長，把它擠住了。
8:8 又有落在好土裡的，生長起來，結實百倍。」耶穌說了這些話，就大聲說：「有耳可聽的，就應當聽！」
8:9 門徒問耶穌說：「這比喻是甚麼意思呢？」
8:10 他說：「上帝國的奧祕只叫你們知道；至於別人，就用比喻，叫他們看也看不見，聽也聽不明。」
8:11 「這比喻乃是這樣：種子就是上帝的道。
8:12 那些在路旁的，就是人聽了道，隨後魔鬼來，從他們心裡把道奪去，恐怕他們信了得救。
8:13 那些在磐石上的，就是人聽道，歡喜領受，但心中沒有根，不過暫時相信，及至遇見試煉就退後了。
8:14 那落在荊棘裡的，就是人聽了道，走開以後，被今生的思慮、錢財、宴樂擠住了，便結不出成熟的子粒來。
8:15 那落在好土裡的，就是人聽了道，持守在誠實善良的心裡，並且忍耐著結實。」

 

 After this, Jesus traveled about from one town and village to another, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom of God. The Twelve were with him, ² and also some women who had been cured of evil spirits and diseases: Mary (called Magdalene) from whom seven demons had come out; ³ Joanna the wife of Chuza, the manager of Herod’s household; Susanna; and many others. These women were helping to support them out of their own means.

⁴ While a large crowd was gathering and people were coming to Jesus from town after town, he told this parable: ⁵ “A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path; it was trampled on, and the birds ate it up. ⁶ Some fell on rocky ground, and when it came up, the plants withered because they had no moisture. ⁷ Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up with it and choked the plants. ⁸ Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up and yielded a crop, a hundred times more than was sown.”

When he said this, he called out, “Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear.”

⁹ His disciples asked him what this parable meant. ¹⁰ He said, “The knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of God has been given to you, but to others I speak in parables, so that,

“‘though seeing, they may not see;
    though hearing, they may not understand.’^[a]

¹¹ “This is the meaning of the parable: The seed is the word of God. ¹² Those along the path are the ones who hear, and then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved. ¹³ Those on the rocky ground are the ones who receive the word with joy when they hear it, but they have no root. They believe for a while, but in the time of testing they fall away. ¹⁴ The seed that fell among thorns stands for those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by life’s worries, riches and pleasures, and they do not mature. ¹⁵ But the seed on good soil stands for those with a noble and good heart, who hear the word, retain it, and by persevering produce a crop.

 

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    撒種的比喻讓我們在一次思考到好土的重要，因為有好土，才可以「結實百倍」！

 

    然而好土需要聖靈的工作，正如使徒當中的利未本是稅吏，在未遇見主耶穌以前，看重的是金錢；在遇見主耶穌以後被聖靈光照，願意放下稅吏的工作來跟隨主耶穌。

 

    這樣的改變來自上帝的恩召，上帝呼召的同時，也正是祂賜下新生命的一刻。我們是從捆綁中蒙召得自由的。從前我們是罪的奴僕(弗 2:3)，如今基督釋放我們，以致我們可以自由地來侍奉祂。保羅將基督徒的自由和上帝的呼召一併提出來，加拉太書5:13說：「弟兄們，你們蒙召得了自由。」主說：「所以，上帝的兒子若使你們自由，你們就真的得自由了。」(約 8:36)

 

    我們生命得自由之後，也從聖靈得著能力，成為上帝的見證人，可以領人歸向主，讓他們也得著從主耶穌來的新生命，就像樹木結果累累，「結實百倍」！