列王紀下2:19-25

 

2:19 耶利哥城的人對以利沙說：「這城的地勢美好，我主看見了；只是水惡劣，土產不熟而落。」
2:20 以利沙說：「你們拿一個新瓶來，裝鹽給我」；他們就拿來給他。
2:21 他出到水源，將鹽倒在水中，說：「耶和華如此說：『我治好了這水，從此必不再使人死，也不再使地土不生產。』」
2:22 於是那水治好了，直到今日，正如以利沙所說的。
2:23 以利沙從那裡上伯特利去，正上去的時候，有些童子從城裡出來，戲笑他說：「禿頭的上去吧！禿頭的上去吧！」
2:24 他回頭看見，就奉耶和華的名咒詛他們。於是有兩個母熊從林中出來，撕裂他們中間四十二個童子。
2:25 以利沙從伯特利上迦密山，又從迦密山回到撒馬利亞。

 

 ¹⁹ The people of the city said to Elisha, “Look, our lord, this town is well situated, as you can see, but the water is bad and the land is unproductive.”

²⁰ “Bring me a new bowl,” he said, “and put salt in it.” So they brought it to him.

²¹ Then he went out to the spring and threw the salt into it, saying, “This is what the Lord says: ‘I have healed this water. Never again will it cause death or make the land unproductive.’” ²² And the water has remained pure to this day, according to the word Elisha had spoken.

²³ From there Elisha went up to Bethel. As he was walking along the road, some boys came out of the town and jeered at him. “Get out of here, baldy!” they said. “Get out of here, baldy!” ²⁴ He turned around, looked at them and called down a curse on them in the name of the Lord. Then two bears came out of the woods and mauled forty-two of the boys. ²⁵ And he went on to Mount Carmel and from there returned to Samaria.

 

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    以利沙在耶利哥醫治了當地的惡水，正如他奉主名宣告：「我治好了這水，從此必不再使人死，也不再使地土不生產。」

 

    然而並非每個人都尊敬他，也有無知的頑童嘲笑他：「禿頭的上去吧！禿頭的上去吧！」而他一奉耶和華的名咒詛他們，就有兩個母熊從林中出來，撕裂他們中間四十二個童子。

 

    這一切都顯明上帝是與以利沙同在的，這也是告訴我們：上帝與我們同在時，上帝的大能也必藉我們來彰顯，不要害怕人如何對我們！

 

    也因為這樣，所以主耶穌說：「只是我告訴你們，要愛你們的仇敵，為那逼迫你們的禱告。」（馬太福音5:44）

 

列王紀下2章

       列王紀下2:1-18 ,

      列王紀下2:19-25  ,

列王紀下2:1-18

 

2:1 耶和華要用旋風接以利亞升天的時候，以利亞與以利沙從吉甲前往。
2:2 以利亞對以利沙說：「耶和華差我往伯特利去，你可以在這裡等候。」以利沙說：「我指著永生的耶和華，又敢在你面前起誓，我必不離開你。」於是二人下到伯特利。
2:3 住伯特利的先知門徒出來見以利沙，對他說：「耶和華今日要接你的師傅離開你，你知道不知道？」他說：「我知道，你們不要作聲。」
2:4 以利亞對以利沙說：「耶和華差遣我往耶利哥去，你可以在這裡等候。」以利沙說：「我指著永生的耶和華，又敢在你面前起誓，我必不離開你。」於是二人到了耶利哥。
2:5 住耶利哥的先知門徒就近以利沙，對他說：「耶和華今日要接你的師傅離開你，你知道不知道？」他說：「我知道，你們不要作聲。」
2:6 以利亞對以利沙說：「耶和華差遣我往約旦河去，你可以在這裡等候。」以利沙說：「我指著永生的耶和華，又敢在你面前起誓，我必不離開你。」於是二人一同前往。
2:7 有先知門徒去了五十人，遠遠地站在他們對面；二人在約旦河邊站住。
2:8 以利亞將自己的外衣捲起來，用以打水，水就左右分開，二人走乾地而過。
2:9 過去之後，以利亞對以利沙說：「我未曾被接去離開你，你要我為你做甚麼，只管求我。」以利沙說：「願感動你的靈加倍地感動我。」
2:10 以利亞說：「你所求的難得。雖然如此，我被接去離開你的時候，你若看見我，就必得著；不然，必得不著了。」
2:11 他們正走著說話，忽有火車火馬將二人隔開，以利亞就乘旋風升天去了。
2:12 以利沙看見，就呼叫說：「我父啊！我父啊！以色列的戰車馬兵啊！」以後不再見他了。於是以利沙把自己的衣服撕為兩片。
2:13 他拾起以利亞身上掉下來的外衣，回去站在約旦河邊。
2:14 他用以利亞身上掉下來的外衣打水，說：「耶和華─以利亞的上帝在哪裡呢？」打水之後，水也左右分開，以利沙就過來了。
2:15 住耶利哥的先知門徒從對面看見他，就說：「感動以利亞的靈感動以利沙了。」他們就來迎接他，在他面前俯伏於地，
2:16 對他說：「僕人們這裡有五十個壯士，求你容他們去尋找你師傅，或者耶和華的靈將他提起來，投在某山某谷。」以利沙說：「你們不必打發人去。」
2:17 他們再三催促他，他難以推辭，就說：「你們打發人去吧！」他們便打發五十人去，尋找了三天，也沒有找著。
2:18 以利沙仍然在耶利哥等候他們回到他那裡；他對他們說：「我豈沒有告訴你們不必去嗎？」

 

 When the Lord was about to take Elijah up to heaven in a whirlwind, Elijah and Elisha were on their way from Gilgal. ² Elijah said to Elisha, “Stay here; the Lord has sent me to Bethel.”

But Elisha said, “As surely as the Lord lives and as you live, I will not leave you.” So they went down to Bethel.

³ The company of the prophets at Bethel came out to Elisha and asked, “Do you know that the Lord is going to take your master from you today?”

“Yes, I know,” Elisha replied, “so be quiet.”

⁴ Then Elijah said to him, “Stay here, Elisha; the Lord has sent me to Jericho.”

And he replied, “As surely as the Lord lives and as you live, I will not leave you.” So they went to Jericho.

⁵ The company of the prophets at Jericho went up to Elisha and asked him, “Do you know that the Lord is going to take your master from you today?”

“Yes, I know,” he replied, “so be quiet.”

⁶ Then Elijah said to him, “Stay here; the Lord has sent me to the Jordan.”

And he replied, “As surely as the Lord lives and as you live, I will not leave you.” So the two of them walked on.

⁷ Fifty men from the company of the prophets went and stood at a distance, facing the place where Elijah and Elisha had stopped at the Jordan. ⁸ Elijah took his cloak, rolled it up and struck the water with it. The water divided to the right and to the left, and the two of them crossed over on dry ground.

⁹ When they had crossed, Elijah said to Elisha, “Tell me, what can I do for you before I am taken from you?”

“Let me inherit a double portion of your spirit,” Elisha replied.

¹⁰ “You have asked a difficult thing,” Elijah said, “yet if you see me when I am taken from you, it will be yours—otherwise, it will not.”

¹¹ As they were walking along and talking together, suddenly a chariot of fire and horses of fire appeared and separated the two of them, and Elijah went up to heaven in a whirlwind. ¹² Elisha saw this and cried out, “My father! My father! The chariots and horsemen of Israel!” And Elisha saw him no more. Then he took hold of his garment and tore it in two.

¹³ Elisha then picked up Elijah’s cloak that had fallen from him and went back and stood on the bank of the Jordan. ¹⁴ He took the cloak that had fallen from Elijah and struck the water with it. “Where now is the Lord, the God of Elijah?” he asked. When he struck the water, it divided to the right and to the left, and he crossed over.

¹⁵ The company of the prophets from Jericho, who were watching, said, “The spirit of Elijah is resting on Elisha.” And they went to meet him and bowed to the ground before him. ¹⁶ “Look,” they said, “we your servants have fifty able men. Let them go and look for your master. Perhaps the Spirit of the Lord has picked him up and set him down on some mountain or in some valley.”

“No,” Elisha replied, “do not send them.”

¹⁷ But they persisted until he was too embarrassed to refuse. So he said, “Send them.” And they sent fifty men, who searched for three days but did not find him. ¹⁸ When they returned to Elisha, who was staying in Jericho, he said to them, “Didn’t I tell you not to go?”

 

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    在以利亞離世之前，以利沙緊緊跟隨著以利亞。以利亞一直要以利沙離開他，不論到伯利恆或是到耶利哥，以利沙總是對已利亞說：「我指著永生的耶和華，又敢在你面前起誓，我必不離開你。」表明了跟隨的決心！

 

    從以利沙跟隨以利亞的榜樣，我們可以學習到跟隨主耶穌也要以這種精神，不管環境如何、境遇如何，我們都不可以放棄，要進進跟隨！就像使徒約翰一職跟隨主耶穌到十字架下，甚至主耶穌把母親託付給約翰，如約翰福音19章26-27所說：「耶穌見母親和他所愛的那門徒站在旁邊，就對他母親說：『母親（原文是婦人），看，你的兒子！』又對那門徒說：『看，你的母親！』從此，那門徒就接她到自己家裡去了。」也因為這樣約翰被稱為主所愛的門徒！

 

    然而以利沙持續跟隨以利亞，直到以利亞被天使天軍的火車火馬所接走，以利沙看見，就呼叫說：「我父啊！我父啊！以色列的戰車馬兵啊！」以後不再見他了。於是以利沙把自己的衣服撕為兩片。他拾起以利亞身上掉下來的外衣，回去站在約旦河邊。他用以利亞身上掉下來的外衣打水，說：「耶和華─以利亞的上帝在哪裡呢？」打水之後，水也左右分開，以利沙就過來了。也因為此舉，讓耶利哥的人肯定他是接續已利亞做耶和華的先知。因為他求：「願感動你(以利亞)的靈加倍地感動我。」

 

    今日我們跟隨主耶穌的人的記號就是聖靈，也就是充滿基督的靈！正如保羅說：「如果上帝的靈住在你們心裡，你們就不屬肉體，乃屬聖靈了。人若沒有基督的靈，就不是屬基督的。」(羅馬書8:9)

 

    感謝上帝，「聖靈與我們的心同證我們是上帝的兒女；既是兒女，便是後嗣，就是上帝的後嗣，和基督同作後嗣。如果我們和他一同受苦，也必和他一同得榮耀。」(羅馬書8:16-17)

 

 

 

馬太福音17: 24-27

 

17:24 到了迦百農，有收丁稅的人來見彼得，說：「你們的先生不納丁稅（丁稅約有半塊錢）嗎？」
17:25 彼得說：「納。」他進了屋子，耶穌先向他說：「西門，你的意思如何？世上的君王向誰征收關稅、丁稅？是向自己的兒子呢？是向外人呢？」
17:26 彼得說：「是向外人。」耶穌說：「既然如此，兒子就可以免稅了。
17:27 但恐怕觸犯（觸犯：原文是絆倒）他們，你且往海邊去釣魚，把先釣上來的魚拿起來，開了牠的口，必得一塊錢，可以拿去給他們，作你我的稅銀。」

 

²⁴ After Jesus and his disciples arrived in Capernaum, the collectors of the two-drachma temple tax came to Peter and asked, “Doesn’t your teacher pay the temple tax?”

²⁵ “Yes, he does,” he replied.

When Peter came into the house, Jesus was the first to speak. “What do you think, Simon?” he asked. “From whom do the kings of the earth collect duty and taxes—from their own children or from others?”

²⁶ “From others,” Peter answered.

“Then the children are exempt,” Jesus said to him. ²⁷ “But so that we may not cause offense, go to the lake and throw out your line. Take the first fish you catch; open its mouth and you will find a four-drachma coin. Take it and give it to them for my tax and yours.”

 

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    「丁稅」是給聖殿的稅，不是給羅馬政府的稅，對猶太人而言是樂意繳納的！然而給聖殿的，等於是奉獻給上帝的，所以主耶穌會說：「西門，你的意思如何？世上的君王向誰征收關稅、丁稅？是向自己的兒子呢？是向外人呢？」「既然如此，兒子就可以免稅了。」

 

    雖然如此，主耶穌還是預備了「丁稅」，只是給的方式很特別，就是要彼得去釣魚從與口中取到「丁稅」，好讓收稅的人不為難！

 

    主耶穌這樣的舉動也是告訴我們：我們要遵行教會的規矩，不可以隨意而為，這樣才能使上帝的家運行正常，榮耀上帝的名！