馬太福音23:13-39

 

23:13 「你們這假冒為善的文士和法利賽人有禍了！因為你們正當人前，把天國的門關了，自己不進去，正要進去的人，你們也不容他們進去。（有古卷加：
23:14 你們這假冒為善的文士和法利賽人有禍了！因為你們侵吞寡婦的家產，假意做很長的禱告，所以要受更重的刑罰。）
23:15 「你們這假冒為善的文士和法利賽人有禍了！因為你們走遍洋海陸地，勾引一個人入教，既入了教，卻使他作地獄之子，比你們還加倍。
23:16 「你們這瞎眼領路的有禍了！你們說：『凡指著殿起誓的，這算不得甚麼；只是凡指著殿中金子起誓的，他就該謹守。』
23:17 你們這無知瞎眼的人哪，甚麼是大的？是金子呢？還是叫金子成聖的殿呢？
23:18 你們又說：『凡指著壇起誓的，這算不得甚麼；只是凡指著壇上禮物起誓的，他就該謹守。』
23:19 你們這瞎眼的人哪，甚麼是大的？是禮物呢？還是叫禮物成聖的壇呢？
23:20 所以，人指著壇起誓，就是指著壇和壇上一切所有的起誓；
23:21 人指著殿起誓，就是指著殿和那住在殿裡的起誓；
23:22 人指著天起誓，就是指著上帝的寶座和那坐在上面的起誓。
23:23 「你們這假冒為善的文士和法利賽人有禍了！因為你們將薄荷、茴香、芹菜，獻上十分之一，那律法上更重的事，就是公義、憐憫、信實，反倒不行了。這更重的是你們當行的；那也是不可不行的。
23:24 你們這瞎眼領路的，蠓蟲你們就濾出來，駱駝你們倒吞下去。
23:25 「你們這假冒為善的文士和法利賽人有禍了！因為你們洗淨杯盤的外面，裡面卻盛滿了勒索和放蕩。
23:26 你這瞎眼的法利賽人，先洗淨杯盤的裡面，好叫外面也乾淨了。
23:27 「你們這假冒為善的文士和法利賽人有禍了！因為你們好像粉飾的墳墓，外面好看，裡面卻裝滿了死人的骨頭和一切的污穢。
23:28 你們也是如此，在人前，外面顯出公義來，裡面卻裝滿了假善和不法的事。
23:29 「你們這假冒為善的文士和法利賽人有禍了！因為你們建造先知的墳，修飾義人的墓，說：
23:30 『若是我們在我們祖宗的時候，必不和他們同流先知的血。』
23:31 這就是你們自己證明是殺害先知者的子孫了。
23:32 你們去充滿你們祖宗的惡貫吧！
23:33 你們這些蛇類、毒蛇之種啊，怎能逃脫地獄的刑罰呢？
23:34 所以我差遣先知和智慧人並文士到你們這裡來，有的你們要殺害，要釘十字架；有的你們要在會堂裡鞭打，從這城追逼到那城，
23:35 叫世上所流義人的血都歸到你們身上，從義人亞伯的血起，直到你們在殿和壇中間所殺的巴拉加的兒子撒迦利亞的血為止。
23:36 我實在告訴你們，這一切的罪都要歸到這世代了。」
23:37 「耶路撒冷啊，耶路撒冷啊，你常殺害先知，又用石頭打死那奉差遣到你這裡來的人。我多次願意聚集你的兒女，好像母雞把小雞聚集在翅膀底下，只是你們不願意。
23:38 看哪，你們的家成為荒場留給你們。
23:39 我告訴你們，從今以後，你們不得再見我，直等到你們說：『奉主名來的是應當稱頌的。』」

 

¹³ “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You shut the door of the kingdom of heaven in people’s faces. You yourselves do not enter, nor will you let those enter who are trying to. ^[14] [b]

¹⁵ “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You travel over land and sea to win a single convert, and when you have succeeded, you make them twice as much a child of hell as you are.

¹⁶ “Woe to you, blind guides! You say, ‘If anyone swears by the temple, it means nothing; but anyone who swears by the gold of the temple is bound by that oath.’ ¹⁷ You blind fools! Which is greater: the gold, or the temple that makes the gold sacred? ¹⁸ You also say, ‘If anyone swears by the altar, it means nothing; but anyone who swears by the gift on the altar is bound by that oath.’ ¹⁹ You blind men! Which is greater: the gift, or the altar that makes the gift sacred? ²⁰ Therefore, anyone who swears by the altar swears by it and by everything on it. ²¹ And anyone who swears by the temple swears by it and by the one who dwells in it. ²² And anyone who swears by heaven swears by God’s throne and by the one who sits on it.

²³ “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices—mint, dill and cumin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law—justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former. ²⁴ You blind guides! You strain out a gnat but swallow a camel.

²⁵ “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. ²⁶ Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside also will be clean.

²⁷ “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of the bones of the dead and everything unclean. ²⁸ In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness.

²⁹ “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You build tombs for the prophets and decorate the graves of the righteous. ³⁰ And you say, ‘If we had lived in the days of our ancestors, we would not have taken part with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.’ ³¹ So you testify against yourselves that you are the descendants of those who murdered the prophets. ³² Go ahead, then, and complete what your ancestors started!

³³ “You snakes! You brood of vipers! How will you escape being condemned to hell? ³⁴ Therefore I am sending you prophets and sages and teachers. Some of them you will kill and crucify; others you will flog in your synagogues and pursue from town to town. ³⁵ And so upon you will come all the righteous blood that has been shed on earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah son of Berekiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar. ³⁶ Truly I tell you, all this will come on this generation.

³⁷ “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were not willing. ³⁸ Look, your house is left to you desolate. ³⁹ For I tell you, you will not see me again until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.’^[c]”

 

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    法利賽人並不是一個黨派，也不是一個階級；他們是一群具有共同特色的人。「法利賽人」的原意是「分別出來的一群人」，指的是從一切的「不潔淨」中分別出來，包括遠離不潔淨的人 和事物。這種「從一群人當中分別出來」的概念，對猶太人來說並不陌生，因為他們本來就是上帝從萬民中分別出來，作為專屬於祂的族群 (出埃及19:4-6)。

 

    而法利賽人關於「分別」 的堅持，則起源於主前近二百年的馬加比時代。當時統治猶太人的西流古王朝極力推行「希臘化」，包括希臘的文化、宗教和皇帝崇拜在內。在這種逼迫下，產生了 一種虔誠的「哈西典人」，他們呼籲大家要拒絕「希臘化」，也就是要把自己從「希臘化」中「分別」出來。這個提倡「分別」的行動，最後導致了有名的「馬加比革命」，並且在主前164年獲得初步的勝利。這個勝利讓猶太人得以把聖殿中異教的祭壇拆毀，並且恢復聖殿裡適當的獻祭。從此以後，有一部份的「哈西典人」，認為他們已經得到企盼已久的宗教自由，就不再熱心於武力抗爭的行動，因此就把自己從政治的權力核心「分別」出來，專心以敬虔的生活、禱告和禁食，來等待上帝的悅納和拯救。這些從政治舞臺「分別」出來的人，就是法利賽人。

 

    然而這一群分別出來的人，卻是一群自視甚高的人，他們的標準服裝：披一個長長的圍巾，圍巾尾端總共有613條鬚鬚，代表著上帝命令的613條律法，他們要常常一面摸鬚鬚，一面牢牢的複習律法。他們以為這樣做就必蒙上帝喜悅而得永生，就對主耶穌的福音排斥與敵對，以致無法信靠福音。

 

    然而主耶穌知道他們無法信靠福音的原因就是「自義」，所以在這裡指出他們的七個禍：

 

第一禍：法利賽人的解經和教導誤導了真正信仰和行為，以致許多人不能完成上帝的律法/誡命而失去了進入天國的機會。有一些古卷列有第十四節。相信是因可12:40的影響而加入。

 

第二禍：把許多有心信教的人帶領或誤導至地獄去。「入教」是指一些外邦人到會堂改信猶太教者。通常要受了割禮以後才算是真正入教，也必需遵守律法。相信是這班法利賽人故意要這些入教者加倍遵守許多猶太人的傳統律法，以致在其他倫理的事上加重解釋了，比如，把不入教的妻子離棄。這樣只有害到這些人猶如變了「地獄之子」。

 

第三禍：常藉起誓來逃避責任。當時猶太人有起誓的習俗。認為指著聖殿內的物件起誓是最重要的，也必定要遵守。指著殿起誓的，這樣的起誓就不太重要。耶穌說全部的起誓都是向上帝起誓，都一樣重要。

 

第四禍：常為許多獻祭上的小節來爭執而忽略了真正的「獻祭」。獻祭原本的功用是要贖罪和討上帝的喜悅(赧免)。因此耶穌指出真正討上帝喜悅的是「公義，憐憫，信實」。這些反倒不去行出來。而只是執著的要把獻「薄荷，茴香…」等的獻祭小規矩成為大律法。就如當時的俗語說「蠔蟲你們就濾出來，駱駝你倒吞下去」。

 

第五禍：心口(內外)不一。法利賽人對所用的器皿的外表有特別的潔淨方法和作法。耶穌指責他們只注重美麗的外貌，而沒有內心的潔淨(就是對上帝律法的順服)。

 

第六禍：徒有好看的外表。在逾越節前，猶太人都照著教導而把墳墓粉刷一新，免得路過的人看見而難看。可見這是徒有外表的作法。

 

第七禍：只懂得記念死了的祖宗。尤其是一些先知和義人(舊約中的先知或受逼迫而死的人)。這些人的死多是受了當時一班文士的逼迫而死。後來的人卻立墳碑來記念他們。

 

   求主保守，讓教會不要落入同樣的「自義」的七個禍之中！

 

 

馬太福音23:1-12

 

23:1 那時，耶穌對眾人和門徒講論，
23:2 說：「文士和法利賽人坐在摩西的位上，
23:3 凡他們所吩咐你們的，你們都要謹守遵行。但不要效法他們的行為；因為他們能說，不能行。
23:4 他們把難擔的重擔捆起來，擱在人的肩上，但自己一個指頭也不肯動。
23:5 他們一切所做的事都是要叫人看見，所以將佩戴的經文做寬了，衣裳的繸子做長了，
23:6 喜愛筵席上的首座，會堂裡的高位，
23:7 又喜愛人在街市上問他安，稱呼他拉比（拉比就是夫子）。
23:8 但你們不要受拉比的稱呼，因為只有一位是你們的夫子；你們都是弟兄。
23:9 也不要稱呼地上的人為父，因為只有一位是你們的父，就是在天上的父。
23:10 也不要受師尊的稱呼，因為只有一位是你們的師尊，就是基督。
23:11 你們中間誰為大，誰就要作你們的用人。
23:12 凡自高的，必降為卑；自卑的，必升為高。

 

Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples: ² “The teachers of the law and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat. ³ So you must be careful to do everything they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach. ⁴ They tie up heavy, cumbersome loads and put them on other people’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them.

⁵ “Everything they do is done for people to see: They make their phylacteries^[a] wide and the tassels on their garments long; ⁶ they love the place of honor at banquets and the most important seats in the synagogues; ⁷ they love to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces and to be called ‘Rabbi’ by others.

⁸ “But you are not to be called ‘Rabbi,’ for you have one Teacher, and you are all brothers. ⁹ And do not call anyone on earth ‘father,’ for you have one Father, and he is in heaven. ¹⁰ Nor are you to be called instructors, for you have one Instructor, the Messiah. ¹¹ The greatest among you will be your servant. ¹² For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.

 

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    主耶穌批判法利賽人，是為了教導門徒用的，不是要人去唾棄法利賽人，而是要門徒避免法利賽人不好的行徑，以免犯法利賽人的錯。因為，在教學上範例是非常重要的，不管是好的例子，或是壞的例子，都是要讓學習者有所依循，正如在工廠的生產部門，為了讓員工知道製造出來的產品需要達到怎樣的要求或避免怎樣的錯誤，都需要一些樣品當範例。

 

    既是如此，我們就要小心自己是不是，有避免主耶穌要我們避免的作為，如此才能達到主耶穌的要求。有如此注意的門徒，才能達到主耶穌所要求的。這對裩隨主耶穌的人是非常重要的！

 

    對於教會立規矩或做教導的同工，也是需要用這樣的方式來引導弟兄姊妹，甚至自己要以身作則，讓弟兄姊妹看見成為主耶穌的門徒，必須要有什麼表現。保羅在這事上，曾經這樣宣告：「你們該效法我，像我效法基督一樣。」（哥林多前書11:1）

 

    讓我們也像保羅一般宣告：「你們該效法我，像我效法基督一樣。」如此，我們才能得人如魚！

 

 

 

 

列王紀下7章

      列王紀下7:1-20  ,

列王紀下7:1-20

 

7:1 以利沙說：「你們要聽耶和華的話，耶和華如此說：明日約到這時候，在撒馬利亞城門口，一細亞細麵要賣銀一舍客勒，二細亞大麥也要賣銀一舍客勒。」
7:2 有一個攙扶王的軍長對神人說：「即便耶和華使天開了窗戶，也不能有這事。」以利沙說：「你必親眼看見，卻不得吃。」
7:3 在城門那裡有四個長大痲瘋的人，他們彼此說：「我們為何坐在這裡等死呢？
7:4 我們若說，進城去吧！城裡有饑荒，必死在那裡；若在這裡坐著不動，也必是死。來吧，我們去投降亞蘭人的軍隊，他們若留我們的活命，就活著；若殺我們，就死了吧！」
7:5 黃昏的時候，他們起來往亞蘭人的營盤去；到了營邊，不見一人在那裡。
7:6 因為主使亞蘭人的軍隊聽見車馬的聲音，是大軍的聲音；他們就彼此說：「這必是以色列王賄買赫人的諸王和埃及人的諸王來攻擊我們。」
7:7 所以，在黃昏的時候他們起來逃跑，撇下帳棚、馬、驢，營盤照舊，只顧逃命。
7:8 那些長大痲瘋的到了營邊，進了帳棚，吃了喝了，且從其中拿出金銀和衣服來，去收藏了；回來又進了一座帳棚，從其中拿出財物來去收藏了。
7:9 那時，他們彼此說：「我們所做的不好！今日是有好信息的日子，我們竟不作聲！若等到天亮，罪必臨到我們。來吧，我們與王家報信去！」
7:10 他們就去叫守城門的，告訴他們說：「我們到了亞蘭人的營，不見一人在那裡，也無人聲，只有拴著的馬和驢，帳棚都照舊。」
7:11 守城門的叫了眾守門的人來，他們就進去與王家報信。
7:12 王夜間起來，對臣僕說：「我告訴你們亞蘭人向我們如何行。他們知道我們飢餓，所以離營，埋伏在田野，說：『以色列人出城的時候，我們就活捉他們，得以進城。』」
7:13 有一個臣僕對王說：「我們不如用城裡剩下之馬中的五匹馬（馬和城裡剩下的以色列人都是一樣，快要滅絕），打發人去窺探。」
7:14 於是取了兩輛車和馬，王差人去追尋亞蘭軍，說：「你們去窺探窺探。」
7:15 他們就追尋到約旦河，看見滿道上都是亞蘭人急跑時丟棄的衣服器具，使者就回來報告王。
7:16 眾人就出去，擄掠亞蘭人的營盤。於是一細亞細麵賣銀一舍客勒，二細亞大麥也賣銀一舍客勒，正如耶和華所說的。
7:17 王派攙扶他的那軍長在城門口彈壓，眾人在那裡將他踐踏，他就死了，正如神人在王下來見他的時候所說的。
7:18 神人曾對王說：「明日約到這時候，在撒馬利亞城門口，二細亞大麥要賣銀一舍客勒，一細亞細麵也要賣銀一舍客勒。」
7:19 那軍長對神人說：「即便耶和華使天開了窗戶，也不能有這事。」神人說：「你必親眼看見，卻不得吃。」
7:20 這話果然應驗在他身上；因為眾人在城門口將他踐踏，他就死了。

 

Elisha replied, “Hear the word of the Lord. This is what the Lord says: About this time tomorrow, a seah^[a] of the finest flour will sell for a shekel^[b] and two seahs^[c] of barley for a shekel at the gate of Samaria.”

² The officer on whose arm the king was leaning said to the man of God, “Look, even if the Lord should open the floodgates of the heavens, could this happen?”

“You will see it with your own eyes,” answered Elisha, “but you will not eat any of it!”

³ Now there were four men with leprosy^[d] at the entrance of the city gate. They said to each other, “Why stay here until we die? ⁴ If we say, ‘We’ll go into the city’—the famine is there, and we will die. And if we stay here, we will die. So let’s go over to the camp of the Arameans and surrender. If they spare us, we live; if they kill us, then we die.”

⁵ At dusk they got up and went to the camp of the Arameans. When they reached the edge of the camp, no one was there, ⁶ for the Lord had caused the Arameans to hear the sound of chariots and horses and a great army, so that they said to one another, “Look, the king of Israel has hired the Hittite and Egyptian kings to attack us!” ⁷ So they got up and fled in the dusk and abandoned their tents and their horses and donkeys. They left the camp as it was and ran for their lives.

⁸ The men who had leprosy reached the edge of the camp, entered one of the tents and ate and drank. Then they took silver, gold and clothes, and went off and hid them. They returned and entered another tent and took some things from it and hid them also.

⁹ Then they said to each other, “What we’re doing is not right. This is a day of good news and we are keeping it to ourselves. If we wait until daylight, punishment will overtake us. Let’s go at once and report this to the royal palace.”

¹⁰ So they went and called out to the city gatekeepers and told them, “We went into the Aramean camp and no one was there—not a sound of anyone—only tethered horses and donkeys, and the tents left just as they were.” ¹¹ The gatekeepers shouted the news, and it was reported within the palace.

¹² The king got up in the night and said to his officers, “I will tell you what the Arameans have done to us. They know we are starving; so they have left the camp to hide in the countryside, thinking, ‘They will surely come out, and then we will take them alive and get into the city.’”

¹³ One of his officers answered, “Have some men take five of the horses that are left in the city. Their plight will be like that of all the Israelites left here—yes, they will only be like all these Israelites who are doomed. So let us send them to find out what happened.”

¹⁴ So they selected two chariots with their horses, and the king sent them after the Aramean army. He commanded the drivers, “Go and find out what has happened.” ¹⁵ They followed them as far as the Jordan, and they found the whole road strewn with the clothing and equipment the Arameans had thrown away in their headlong flight. So the messengers returned and reported to the king. ¹⁶ Then the people went out and plundered the camp of the Arameans. So a seah of the finest flour sold for a shekel, and two seahs of barley sold for a shekel, as the Lord had said.

¹⁷ Now the king had put the officer on whose arm he leaned in charge of the gate, and the people trampled him in the gateway, and he died, just as the man of God had foretold when the king came down to his house. ¹⁸ It happened as the man of God had said to the king: “About this time tomorrow, a seah of the finest flour will sell for a shekel and two seahs of barley for a shekel at the gate of Samaria.”

¹⁹ The officer had said to the man of God, “Look, even if the Lord should open the floodgates of the heavens, could this happen?” The man of God had replied, “You will see it with your own eyes, but you will not eat any of it!” ²⁰ And that is exactly what happened to him, for the people trampled him in the gateway, and he died.

 

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    以前讀一本關於機率的書籍，其中有一句話深刻印在我的心中：「機率高不一定會發生，機率低也不一定不會發生！」

 

    而上帝拯救以色列人脫離亞蘭軍隊圍困撒馬利亞的事情，以利沙沒有直說，用特別的方式來述說：「你們要聽耶和華的話，耶和華如此說：明日約到這時候，在撒馬利亞城門口，一細亞細麵要賣銀一舍客勒，二細亞大麥也要賣銀一舍客勒。」

 

    然而攙扶王的軍長對神人說：「即便耶和華使天開了窗戶，也不能有這事。」

 

    以利沙說：「你必親眼看見，卻不得吃。」

 

    這樣的對話使我想到多年前參加「華福會」時，有許多講員透露：「將來大陸會開放台灣人進入，你們要準備好，將福音傳給大陸的人。」

 

    當時覺得好像不太可能，後來卻發生李登輝先生接續蔣經國先生擔任總統，開放大陸探親到兩岸有更多的交流，以至於台灣的弟兄姊妹可以到大陸傳福音和造就當地信徒的事情。

 

    這也就是說，在上帝凡事都能，不在人的認為機率高低的問題！上帝的時間到了，是就會成了！

 

    因此，我們不要看眼前，而是要相信上帝的應許，祂的應許絕對不會落空的！正如主耶穌的再臨，以致上帝國完全實現，是必定會發生，只是早晚而已！