羅馬書2:1-16

2:1 你這論斷人的，無論你是誰，也無可推諉。你在甚麼事上論斷人，就在甚麼事上定自己的罪；因你這論斷人的，自己所行卻和別人一樣。
2:2 我們知道這樣行的人，上帝必照真理審判他。
2:3 你這人哪，你論斷行這樣事的人，自己所行的卻和別人一樣，你以為能逃脫上帝的審判嗎？
2:4 還是你藐視他豐富的恩慈、寬容、忍耐，不曉得他的恩慈是領你悔改呢？
2:5 你竟任著你剛硬不悔改的心，為自己積蓄忿怒，以致上帝震怒，顯他公義審判的日子來到。
2:6 他必照各人的行為報應各人。
2:7 凡恆心行善、尋求榮耀、尊貴和不能朽壞之福的，就以永生報應他們；
2:8 惟有結黨、不順從真理、反順從不義的，就以忿怒、惱恨報應他們；
2:9 將患難、困苦加給一切作惡的人，先是猶太人，後是希臘人，
2:10 卻將榮耀、尊貴、平安加給一切行善的人，先是猶太人，後是希臘人。
2:11 因為上帝不偏待人。
2:12 凡沒有律法犯了罪的，也必不按律法滅亡；凡在律法以下犯了罪的，也必按律法受審判。
2:13 （原來在上帝面前，不是聽律法的為義，乃是行律法的稱義。
2:14 沒有律法的外邦人若順著本性行律法上的事，他們雖然沒有律法，自己就是自己的律法。
2:15 這是顯出律法的功用刻在他們心裡，他們是非之心同作見證，並且他們的思念互相較量，或以為是，或以為非。）
2:16 就在上帝藉耶穌基督審判人隱祕事的日子，照著我的福音所言。

 

You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge another, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things. ² Now we know that God’s judgment against those who do such things is based on truth. ³ So when you, a mere human being, pass judgment on them and yet do the same things, do you think you will escape God’s judgment? ⁴ Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, forbearance and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness is intended to lead you to repentance?

⁵ But because of your stubbornness and your unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of God’s wrath, when his righteous judgment will be revealed. ⁶ God “will repay each person according to what they have done.”^{[a] 7} To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor and immortality, he will give eternal life. ⁸ But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger. ⁹ There will be trouble and distress for every human being who does evil: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile; ¹⁰ but glory, honor and peace for everyone who does good: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. ¹¹ For God does not show favoritism.

¹² All who sin apart from the law will also perish apart from the law, and all who sin under the law will be judged by the law. ¹³ For it is not those who hear the law who are righteous in God’s sight, but it is those who obey the law who will be declared righteous. ¹⁴ (Indeed, when Gentiles, who do not have the law, do by nature things required by the law, they are a law for themselves, even though they do not have the law. ¹⁵ They show that the requirements of the law are written on their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness, and their thoughts sometimes accusing them and at other times even defending them.) ¹⁶ This will take place on the day when God judges people’s secrets through Jesus Christ, as my gospel declares.

 

************

 

    保羅在此向人提出一項很嚴重的事實：就是沒有一個人有資格批評別人的行為。為什麼會如此呢？難道沒有所謂德高望重的人嗎？難道沒有行為完全的人嗎？保羅沒有說有沒有，但是他用強烈的口吻表達，當人講論別人行為不好、道德低下時，自己也差不多！

 

    別人要為罪懊悔，求上帝原諒時，這樣的人更是如此！保羅警告他們說：「你這人哪，你論斷行這樣事的人，自己所行的卻和別人一樣，你以為能逃脫上帝的審判嗎？還是你藐視他豐富的恩慈、寬容、忍耐，不曉得他的恩慈是領你悔改呢？你竟任著你剛硬不悔改的心，為自己積蓄忿怒，以致上帝震怒，顯他公義審判的日子來到。」

 

    這也就是提醒我們，看到別人行為敗壞、道德低落時，我們自己也要警戒，要向上帝求赦免！別人的行徑就是一面鏡子，看到別人如何，自己也如何！我們絕對、絕對沒有比別人好！不然，我們就不須樣耶穌基督的救恩了！

 

    當然生面的改變是來自信靠主耶穌與祂聯合，讓祂的義來改變我們、更新我們，不是自以為是的修改行為或做甚麼操練！

 

 

耶利米書3:15

 

我也必將合我心的牧者賜給你們。他們必以知識和智慧牧養你們。

 

Then I will give you shepherds after my own heart, who will lead you with knowledge and understanding.

 

***********

 

    從這段經文中我們看見上帝所差派的牧者，最基礎上是要是合於上帝的心意，也就是說必須是上帝所呼召與訓練的人。這樣的人才能體會上帝的心意，以完成上帝的旨意為帝要務，不是考慮各人的需要得滿足為先，正如主耶穌所說的：「你們要先求他的國和他的義，這些東西都要加給你們了。」(馬太福音6:33)

 

    因為是上帝所揀選的器皿，上帝就會賜給他從聖靈來的啟示，因而有真知識，不是隨從世人的知識，也能因為這些知識使他能夠自我實踐與教導別人，使受教的人如同他一樣是合上帝心意的人，能貫徹上帝的心意在教會之中。使教會雖然處於困難的環境之中，仍然是以基督為「惟一根基」！

 

    不僅如此，他也有從上帝來的「洞見」和「眼光」，不會只為一時的利益或好處，而忘記教會是要時時刻刻的等候基督的再來，隨時準備好自己如同新娘等後新郎得來到！若沒有聖靈的啟示，牧者是不會有如此的眼光，只會為眼前的活動而忙碌與迷失。

 

    親愛的弟兄姊妹，你們有盼望這樣的牧者嗎﹖相信上帝會將這樣的牧者賜給敬畏上帝、等候基督在來進入榮耀上帝國的教會！

 

 

 

以斯帖記4章

       以斯帖記4:1-17   ,

以斯帖記4:1-17

 

4:1 末底改知道所做的這一切事，就撕裂衣服，穿麻衣，蒙灰塵，在城中行走，痛哭哀號。
4:2 到了朝門前停住腳步，因為穿麻衣的不可進朝門。
4:3 王的諭旨所到的各省各處，猶大人大大悲哀，禁食哭泣哀號，穿麻衣躺在灰中的甚多。
4:4 王后以斯帖的宮女和太監來把這事告訴以斯帖，她甚是憂愁，就送衣服給末底改穿，要他脫下麻衣，他卻不受。
4:5 以斯帖就把王所派伺候她的一個太監，名叫哈他革召來，吩咐他去見末底改，要知道這是甚麼事，是甚麼緣故。
4:6 於是哈他革出到朝門前的寬闊處見末底改。
4:7 末底改將自己所遇的事，並哈曼為滅絕猶大人應許捐入王庫的銀數都告訴了他；
4:8 又將所抄寫傳遍書珊城要滅絕猶大人的旨意交給哈他革，要給以斯帖看，又要給她說明，並囑咐她進去見王，為本族的人在王面前懇切祈求。
4:9 哈他革回來，將末底改的話告訴以斯帖；
4:10 以斯帖就吩咐哈他革去見末底改，說：
4:11 「王的一切臣僕和各省的人民都知道有一個定例：若不蒙召，擅入內院見王的，無論男女必被治死；除非王向他伸出金杖，不得存活。現在我沒有蒙召進去見王已經三十日了。」
4:12 人就把以斯帖這話告訴末底改。
4:13 末底改託人回覆以斯帖說：「你莫想在王宮裡強過一切猶大人，得免這禍。
4:14 此時你若閉口不言，猶大人必從別處得解脫，蒙拯救；你和你父家必致滅亡。焉知你得了王后的位分不是為現今的機會嗎？」
4:15 以斯帖就吩咐人回報末底改說：
4:16 「你當去招聚書珊城所有的猶大人，為我禁食三晝三夜，不吃不喝；我和我的宮女也要這樣禁食。然後我違例進去見王，我若死就死吧！」
4:17 於是末底改照以斯帖一切所吩咐的去行。

 

 When Mordecai learned of all that had been done, he tore his clothes, put on sackcloth and ashes, and went out into the city, wailing loudly and bitterly. ² But he went only as far as the king’s gate, because no one clothed in sackcloth was allowed to enter it. ³ In every province to which the edict and order of the king came, there was great mourning among the Jews, with fasting, weeping and wailing. Many lay in sackcloth and ashes.

⁴ When Esther’s eunuchs and female attendants came and told her about Mordecai, she was in great distress. She sent clothes for him to put on instead of his sackcloth, but he would not accept them. ⁵ Then Esther summoned Hathak, one of the king’s eunuchs assigned to attend her, and ordered him to find out what was troubling Mordecai and why.

⁶ So Hathak went out to Mordecai in the open square of the city in front of the king’s gate. ⁷ Mordecai told him everything that had happened to him, including the exact amount of money Haman had promised to pay into the royal treasury for the destruction of the Jews. ⁸ He also gave him a copy of the text of the edict for their annihilation, which had been published in Susa, to show to Esther and explain it to her, and he told him to instruct her to go into the king’s presence to beg for mercy and plead with him for her people.

⁹ Hathak went back and reported to Esther what Mordecai had said. ¹⁰ Then she instructed him to say to Mordecai, ¹¹ “All the king’s officials and the people of the royal provinces know that for any man or woman who approaches the king in the inner court without being summoned the king has but one law: that they be put to death unless the king extends the gold scepter to them and spares their lives. But thirty days have passed since I was called to go to the king.”

¹² When Esther’s words were reported to Mordecai, ¹³ he sent back this answer: “Do not think that because you are in the king’s house you alone of all the Jews will escape. ¹⁴ For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father’s family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?”

¹⁵ Then Esther sent this reply to Mordecai: ¹⁶ “Go, gather together all the Jews who are in Susa, and fast for me. Do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. I and my attendants will fast as you do. When this is done, I will go to the king, even though it is against the law. And if I perish, I perish.”

¹⁷ So Mordecai went away and carried out all of Esther’s instructions.

 

**************

 

    事件發生的那麼突然和快速，本來過得很平靜的生活，卻因為惡人的殘暴，使猶大全族的人面臨到滅族的危機，真是教人措手不及！

 

    也因為是這樣的緊急，以斯帖的地位就顯得十分重要，她就如同解決這次危機的關鍵，也因為這樣末底改會向她說：「你莫想在王宮裡強過一切猶大人，得免這禍。此時你若閉口不言，猶大人必從別處得解脫，蒙拯救；你和你父家必致滅亡。焉知你得了王后的位分不是為現今的機會嗎？」

 

    的確，我們不管處在甚麼地位，我們都要好好為主做見證！因為許多人從未見過基督，不認識救主，不知道主耶穌的救恩。然而我們是主所揀選的見證人，我們存在的目的，見識要向世人見證耶穌基督，使人透過我們知道主耶穌，好讓聖靈感動他們的心，來信靠主耶穌。因為，誰也不知道上帝所揀選、所預定的人！