列王紀下5:1-27

 

5:1 亞蘭王的元帥乃縵在他主人面前為尊為大，因耶和華曾藉他使亞蘭人得勝；他又是大能的勇士，只是長了大痲瘋。
5:2 先前亞蘭人成群地出去，從以色列國擄了一個小女子，這女子就服事乃縵的妻。
5:3 她對主母說：「巴不得我主人去見撒馬利亞的先知，必能治好他的大痲瘋。」
5:4 乃縵進去，告訴他主人說，以色列國的女子如此如此說。
5:5 亞蘭王說：「你可以去，我也達信於以色列王。」於是乃縵帶銀子十他連得，金子六千舍客勒，衣裳十套，就去了；
5:6 且帶信給以色列王，信上說：「我打發臣僕乃縵去見你，你接到這信，就要治好他的大痲瘋。」
5:7 以色列王看了信就撕裂衣服，說：「我豈是上帝，能使人死使人活呢？這人竟打發人來，叫我治好他的大痲瘋。你們看一看，這人何以尋隙攻擊我呢？」
5:8 神人以利沙聽見以色列王撕裂衣服，就打發人去見王，說：「你為甚麼撕了衣服呢？可使那人到我這裡來，他就知道以色列中有先知了。」
5:9 於是，乃縵帶著車馬到了以利沙的家，站在門前。
5:10 以利沙打發一個使者，對乃縵說：「你去在約旦河中沐浴七回，你的肉就必復原，而得潔淨。」
5:11 乃縵卻發怒走了，說：「我想他必定出來見我，站著求告耶和華─他上帝的名，在患處以上搖手，治好這大痲瘋。
5:12 大馬士革的河亞罷拿和法珥法豈不比以色列的一切水更好嗎？我在那裡沐浴不得潔淨嗎？」於是氣忿忿地轉身去了。
5:13 他的僕人進前來，對他說：「我父啊，先知若吩咐你做一件大事，你豈不做嗎？何況說你去沐浴而得潔淨呢？」
5:14 於是乃縵下去，照著神人的話，在約旦河裡沐浴七回；他的肉復原，好像小孩子的肉，他就潔淨了。
5:15 乃縵帶著一切跟隨他的人，回到神人那裡，站在他面前，說：「如今我知道，除了以色列之外，普天下沒有上帝。現在求你收點僕人的禮物。」
5:16 以利沙說：「我指著所事奉永生的耶和華起誓，我必不受。」乃縵再三地求他，他卻不受。
5:17 乃縵說：「你若不肯受，請將兩騾子馱的土賜給僕人。從今以後，僕人必不再將燔祭或平安祭獻與別神，只獻給耶和華。
5:18 惟有一件事，願耶和華饒恕你僕人：我主人進臨門廟叩拜的時候，我用手攙他在臨門廟，我也屈身。我在臨門廟屈身的這事，願耶和華饒恕我。」
5:19 以利沙對他說：「你可以平平安安地回去！」乃縵就離開他去了；走了不遠，
5:20 神人以利沙的僕人基哈西心裡說：「我主人不願從這亞蘭人乃縵手裡受他帶來的禮物，我指著永生的耶和華起誓，我必跑去追上他，向他要些。」
5:21 於是基哈西追趕乃縵。乃縵看見有人追趕，就急忙下車迎著他，說：「都平安嗎？」
5:22 說：「都平安。我主人打發我來說：『剛才有兩個少年人，是先知門徒，從以法蓮山地來見我，請你賜他們一他連得銀子，兩套衣裳。』」
5:23 乃縵說：「請受二他連得」；再三地請受，便將二他連得銀子裝在兩個口袋裡，又將兩套衣裳交給兩個僕人；他們就在基哈西前頭抬著走。
5:24 到了山岡，基哈西從他們手中接過來，放在屋裡，打發他們回去。
5:25 基哈西進去，站在他主人面前。以利沙問他說：「基哈西你從哪裡來？」回答說：「僕人沒有往哪裡去。」
5:26 以利沙對他說：「那人下車轉回迎你的時候，我的心豈沒有去呢？這豈是受銀子、衣裳、買橄欖園、葡萄園、牛羊、僕婢的時候呢？
5:27 因此，乃縵的大痲瘋必沾染你和你的後裔，直到永遠。」基哈西從以利沙面前退出去，就長了大痲瘋，像雪那樣白。

 

Now Naaman was commander of the army of the king of Aram. He was a great man in the sight of his master and highly regarded, because through him the Lord had given victory to Aram. He was a valiant soldier, but he had leprosy.^[a]

² Now bands of raiders from Aram had gone out and had taken captive a young girl from Israel, and she served Naaman’s wife. ³ She said to her mistress, “If only my master would see the prophet who is in Samaria! He would cure him of his leprosy.”

⁴ Naaman went to his master and told him what the girl from Israel had said. ⁵ “By all means, go,” the king of Aram replied. “I will send a letter to the king of Israel.” So Naaman left, taking with him ten talents^[b] of silver, six thousand shekels^[c] of gold and ten sets of clothing. ⁶ The letter that he took to the king of Israel read: “With this letter I am sending my servant Naaman to you so that you may cure him of his leprosy.”

⁷ As soon as the king of Israel read the letter, he tore his robes and said, “Am I God? Can I kill and bring back to life? Why does this fellow send someone to me to be cured of his leprosy? See how he is trying to pick a quarrel with me!”

⁸ When Elisha the man of God heard that the king of Israel had torn his robes, he sent him this message: “Why have you torn your robes? Have the man come to me and he will know that there is a prophet in Israel.” ⁹ So Naaman went with his horses and chariots and stopped at the door of Elisha’s house. ¹⁰ Elisha sent a messenger to say to him, “Go, wash yourself seven times in the Jordan, and your flesh will be restored and you will be cleansed.”

¹¹ But Naaman went away angry and said, “I thought that he would surely come out to me and stand and call on the name of the Lord his God, wave his hand over the spot and cure me of my leprosy. ¹² Are not Abana and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? Couldn’t I wash in them and be cleansed?” So he turned and went off in a rage.

¹³ Naaman’s servants went to him and said, “My father, if the prophet had told you to do some great thing, would you not have done it? How much more, then, when he tells you, ‘Wash and be cleansed’!” ¹⁴ So he went down and dipped himself in the Jordan seven times, as the man of God had told him, and his flesh was restored and became clean like that of a young boy.

¹⁵ Then Naaman and all his attendants went back to the man of God. He stood before him and said, “Now I know that there is no God in all the world except in Israel. So please accept a gift from your servant.”

¹⁶ The prophet answered, “As surely as the Lord lives, whom I serve, I will not accept a thing.” And even though Naaman urged him, he refused.

¹⁷ “If you will not,” said Naaman, “please let me, your servant, be given as much earth as a pair of mules can carry, for your servant will never again make burnt offerings and sacrifices to any other god but the Lord. ¹⁸ But may the Lord forgive your servant for this one thing: When my master enters the temple of Rimmon to bow down and he is leaning on my arm and I have to bow there also—when I bow down in the temple of Rimmon, may the Lord forgive your servant for this.”

¹⁹ “Go in peace,” Elisha said.

After Naaman had traveled some distance, ²⁰ Gehazi, the servant of Elisha the man of God, said to himself, “My master was too easy on Naaman, this Aramean, by not accepting from him what he brought. As surely as the Lord lives, I will run after him and get something from him.”

²¹ So Gehazi hurried after Naaman. When Naaman saw him running toward him, he got down from the chariot to meet him. “Is everything all right?” he asked.

²² “Everything is all right,” Gehazi answered. “My master sent me to say, ‘Two young men from the company of the prophets have just come to me from the hill country of Ephraim. Please give them a talent^[d] of silver and two sets of clothing.’”

²³ “By all means, take two talents,” said Naaman. He urged Gehazi to accept them, and then tied up the two talents of silver in two bags, with two sets of clothing. He gave them to two of his servants, and they carried them ahead of Gehazi. ²⁴ When Gehazi came to the hill, he took the things from the servants and put them away in the house. He sent the men away and they left.

²⁵ When he went in and stood before his master, Elisha asked him, “Where have you been, Gehazi?”

“Your servant didn’t go anywhere,” Gehazi answered.

²⁶ But Elisha said to him, “Was not my spirit with you when the man got down from his chariot to meet you? Is this the time to take money or to accept clothes—or olive groves and vineyards, or flocks and herds, or male and female slaves? ²⁷ Naaman’s leprosy will cling to you and to your descendants forever.” Then Gehazi went from Elisha’s presence and his skin was leprous—it had become as white as snow.

 

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    先知以利沙面對亞蘭來的大將軍乃縵，並沒有阿諛奉承，把他當成一般人對待，這是教會牧者和弟兄姊妹都要學習的榜樣。我們不可以因為來者在世上是有地位、有財富的人，就對他低聲下氣。

 

    正如雅各書2章1-4節說：「我的弟兄們，你們信奉我們榮耀的主耶穌基督，便不可按著外貌待人。若有一個人帶著金戒指，穿著華美衣服，進你們的會堂去；又有一個窮人穿著骯髒衣服也進去；你們就重看那穿華美衣服的人，說：『請坐在這好位上』；又對那窮人說：『你站在那裡』，或『坐在我腳凳下邊。』這豈不是你們偏心待人，用惡意斷定人嗎？」

 

    雅各書接著說到輕視窮人就是得罪上帝：「我親愛的弟兄們，請聽，上帝豈不是揀選了世上的貧窮人，叫他們在信上富足，並承受他所應許給那些愛他之人的國嗎？你們反倒羞辱貧窮人。那富足人豈不是欺壓你們、拉你們到公堂去嗎？他們不是褻瀆你們所敬奉（所敬奉：或譯被稱）的尊名嗎？」（雅各書2章5-7節）

 

    然而乃縵因為經過這樣的對待之後，使他高傲的心被挪去，也因為這樣他能聽從先知的吩咐，乖乖的去約旦河洗七次，也因為這樣他的大麻瘋才能得以醫治，使他經歷到上帝的作為。

 

    這也告訴我們在世人面前，要有不卑不亢的態度，不要忘記我們是上帝的僕人！這也讓我們想起馬丁路德在《基督徒的自由》一書說到：「基督徒是全然自由的眾人之主，不受任何人管轄。基督徒是全然順服的眾人之僕，受任何人管轄。」

 

    求主幫助我們，該成為「眾人之主」就勇敢站立，使人看見上帝的威嚴；該成為「眾人之僕」就全然順服，使人感受基督捨己的愛！

 

 

 

 

馬太福音20:20-28

 

20:20 那時，西庇太兒子的母親同她兩個兒子上前來拜耶穌，求他一件事。
20:21 耶穌說：「你要甚麼呢？」她說：「願你叫我這兩個兒子在你國裡，一個坐在你右邊，一個坐在你左邊。」
20:22 耶穌回答說：「你們不知道所求的是甚麼；我將要喝的杯，你們能喝嗎？」他們說：「我們能。」
20:23 耶穌說：「我所喝的杯，你們必要喝；只是坐在我的左右，不是我可以賜的，乃是我父為誰預備的，就賜給誰。」
20:24 那十個門徒聽見，就惱怒他們弟兄二人。
20:25 耶穌叫了他們來，說：「你們知道外邦人有君王為主治理他們，有大臣操權管束他們。
20:26 只是在你們中間，不可這樣；你們中間誰願為大，就必作你們的用人；
20:27 誰願為首，就必作你們的僕人。
20:28 正如人子來，不是要受人的服事，乃是要服事人，並且要捨命，作多人的贖價。」

 

²⁰ Then the mother of Zebedee’s sons came to Jesus with her sons and, kneeling down, asked a favor of him.

²¹ “What is it you want?” he asked.

She said, “Grant that one of these two sons of mine may sit at your right and the other at your left in your kingdom.”

²² “You don’t know what you are asking,” Jesus said to them. “Can you drink the cup I am going to drink?”

“We can,” they answered.

²³ Jesus said to them, “You will indeed drink from my cup, but to sit at my right or left is not for me to grant. These places belong to those for whom they have been prepared by my Father.”

²⁴ When the ten heard about this, they were indignant with the two brothers. ²⁵ Jesus called them together and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. ²⁶ Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, ²⁷ and whoever wants to be first must be your slave— ²⁸ just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

 

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    「母親的要求」，這是一個很有意思的標題，用於NIV聖經的標題：「A Mother’s Request」！

 

    對於天國或上帝國的事蹟，人常常有不同的臆測與想法，包括西庇太兒子的母親，同她兩個兒子上前來拜耶穌，求祂一件事：「願你叫我這兩個兒子在你國裡，一個坐在你右邊，一個坐在你左邊。」

  

    顯然這位母親把主耶穌的天國事工和一般世上的國度等同了，以為主耶穌掌權之後，會賜下各樣的榮華富貴，所以會到主耶穌的面前來求職位，好讓兩個兒子是有地位的，因為他們的家境似乎比一般門徒更好，他們有自己的船、雇工，可以說是資本家階級，所以很看重職位。

 

    然而主耶穌也沒反對這位母親的要求，對他們說：「你們不知道所求的是甚麼；我將要喝的杯，你們能喝嗎？」而這兩個人說：「我們能。」

 

   可見這兩個人心中是有企圖的，而主耶穌為了導正他們，向他們說：「我所喝的杯，你們必要喝；只是坐在我的左右，不是我可以賜的，乃是我父為誰預備的，就賜給誰。」

 

    當然後續還有其他門徒的抗議，耶穌叫了他們來，說：「你們知道外邦人有君王為主治理他們，有大臣操權管束他們。只是在你們中間，不可這樣；你們中間誰願為大，就必作你們的用人；誰願為首，就必作你們的僕人。正如人子來，不是要受人的服事，乃是要服事人，並且要捨命，作多人的贖價。」

 

    主耶穌這段言論也發展出一套管理學的觀點，就是所謂的「僕人式領導」，也是現今領導學很重要的理論。而這樣的理論是讓人以「服務」為出發點，而不是「掌控」成員，使領導者知道：不是成就自己，而是成全別人，提升團體的成長。

 

    教會中更是要以「僕人式領導」來建立，不是只想擴大團體或財產為目標，因為教會的終極目標是上帝國的完全實現，不是在地上經營財產或只有組織的壯大。

 

馬太福音20:1-16

 

20:1 「因為天國好像家主清早去雇人進他的葡萄園做工，

20:2 和工人講定一天一錢銀子，就打發他們進葡萄園去。

20:3 約在巳初出去，看見市上還有閒站的人，

20:4 就對他們說：『你們也進葡萄園去，所當給的，我必給你們。』他們也進去了。

20:5 約在午正和申初又出去，也是這樣行。

20:6 約在酉初出去，看見還有人站在那裡，就問他們說：『你們為甚麼整天在這裡閒站呢？』

20:7 他們說：『因為沒有人雇我們。』他說：『你們也進葡萄園去。』

20:8 到了晚上，園主對管事的說：『叫工人都來，給他們工錢，從後來的起，到先來的為止。』

20:9 約在酉初雇的人來了，各人得了一錢銀子。

20:10 及至那先雇的來了，他們以為必要多得；誰知也是各得一錢。

20:11 他們得了，就埋怨家主說：

20:12 『我們整天勞苦受熱，那後來的只做了一小時，你竟叫他們和我們一樣嗎？』

20:13 家主回答其中的一人說：『朋友，我不虧負你，你與我講定的不是一錢銀子嗎？

20:14 拿你的走吧！我給那後來的和給你一樣，這是我願意的。

20:15 我的東西難道不可隨我的意思用嗎？因為我作好人，你就紅了眼嗎？』

20:16 這樣，那在後的，將要在前；在前的，將要在後了。（有古卷加：因為被召的人多，選上的人少。）」

 

“For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire workers for his vineyard. ² He agreed to pay them a denarius^[a] for the day and sent them into his vineyard.

³ “About nine in the morning he went out and saw others standing in the marketplace doing nothing. ⁴ He told them, ‘You also go and work in my vineyard, and I will pay you whatever is right.’ ⁵ So they went.

“He went out again about noon and about three in the afternoon and did the same thing. ⁶ About five in the afternoon he went out and found still others standing around. He asked them, ‘Why have you been standing here all day long doing nothing?’

⁷ “‘Because no one has hired us,’ they answered.

“He said to them, ‘You also go and work in my vineyard.’

⁸ “When evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, ‘Call the workers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last ones hired and going on to the first.’

⁹ “The workers who were hired about five in the afternoon came and each received a denarius. ¹⁰ So when those came who were hired first, they expected to receive more. But each one of them also received a denarius. ¹¹ When they received it, they began to grumble against the landowner. ¹² ‘These who were hired last worked only one hour,’ they said, ‘and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the work and the heat of the day.’

¹³ “But he answered one of them, ‘I am not being unfair to you, friend. Didn’t you agree to work for a denarius? ¹⁴ Take your pay and go. I want to give the one who was hired last the same as I gave you. ¹⁵ Don’t I have the right to do what I want with my own money? Or are you envious because I am generous?’

¹⁶ “So the last will be first, and the first will be last.”

 

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    葡萄園的比喻讓人覺得園主不夠「公平」，因為一般人的感受是：多勞多得，少勞少的。所以一早去的人會向園主抗議：「我們整天勞苦受熱，那後來的只做了一小時，你竟叫他們和我們一樣嗎？」

 

    但是園主回答得更有意思：「朋友，我不虧負你，你與我講定的不是一錢銀子嗎？拿你的走吧！我給那後來的和給你一樣，這是我願意的。我的東西難道不可隨我的意思用嗎？因為我作好人，你就紅了眼嗎？」

 

    在這裡可以做很多的解釋和應用，但是我們若從領受新生命獲得上帝永恆的獎賞來看，是沒有時間先後的問題，重要的是我們有沒有應答上帝的呼召呢？有回應加入上帝國(或天國)的行列的，才可以領受到福分！

 

    而在這段比喻有一個警語：「這樣，那在後的，將要在前；在前的，將要在後了。」

 

    也因此，在救恩上不要比較與妒忌，要為弟兄姊妹的成長來歸榮耀給上帝，因為上帝是成全人的上帝，不是限制人的上帝，更何況我們的生命狀況是聖靈工作的結果，不完全是自己的努力！

 

 

 

列王紀下4:42-44

4:42 有一個人從巴力‧沙利沙來，帶著初熟大麥做的餅二十個，並新穗子，裝在口袋裡送給神人。神人說：「把這些給眾人吃。」
4:43 僕人說：「這一點豈可擺給一百人吃呢？」以利沙說：「你只管給眾人吃吧！因為耶和華如此說，眾人必吃了，還剩下。」
4:44 僕人就擺在眾人面前，他們吃了，果然還剩下，正如耶和華所說的。

 

⁴² A man came from Baal Shalishah, bringing the man of God twenty loaves of barley bread baked from the first ripe grain, along with some heads of new grain. “Give it to the people to eat,” Elisha said.

⁴³ “How can I set this before a hundred men?” his servant asked.

But Elisha answered, “Give it to the people to eat. For this is what the Lord says: ‘They will eat and have some left over.’” ⁴⁴ Then he set it before them, and they ate and had some left over, according to the word of the Lord.

 

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    以利沙行這樣的神蹟，和「五餅二魚」類似！