1.金句反芻: 因為你們蒙恩,不但得以信服基督,而且要為他受苦。你們的爭戰,就與你們曾在我身上見過、現在所聽到的是一樣的。 For you have been given not only the privilege of trusting in Christ but also the privilege of suffering for him. We are in this struggle together. You have seen my struggle in the past, and you know that I am still in the midst of it. (腓立比書 Phillipians 1:29-30)
1.金句反芻: 撒母耳就用角裏的膏油,在他的兄長中膏了他。從這日起,耶和華的靈就大大感動大衛。撒母耳起身回拉瑪去了。 So as David stood there among his brothers, Samuel took the flask of olive oil he had brought and anointed David with the oil. And the Spirit of the Lord came powerfully upon David from that day on. Then Samuel returned to Ramah. (撒母耳記上 1 Samuel 16:13)
1.金句反芻: 論到死人復活,上帝向你們所說的話,你們沒有念過嗎?他說:『我是亞伯拉罕的上帝,以撒的上帝,雅各的上帝。』上帝不是死人的上帝,而是活人的上帝。眾人聽見這話,對他的教導非常驚訝。 “But now, as to whether there will be a resurrection of the dead—haven’t you ever read about this in the Scriptures? Long after Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob had died, God said, ‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.’ So he is the God of the living, not the dead.” When the crowds heard him, they were astounded at his teaching. (馬太福音 Matthew 22:31-33)
1.金句反芻: 以利沙叫基哈西說:「你叫這書念婦人來。」於是他叫了她來。婦人來到以利沙那裏,以利沙說:「把你兒子抱起來。」婦人就進來,在以利沙腳前俯伏於地,向他下拜,然後抱起她兒子出去了。 Then Elisha summoned Gehazi. “Call the child’s mother!” he said. And when she came in, Elisha said, “Here, take your son!” She fell at his feet and bowed before him, overwhelmed with gratitude. Then she took her son in her arms and carried him downstairs. (列王紀下 2 Kings 4:36-37)
1.金句反芻: 保羅下去,伏在他身上,抱着他,說:「你們不要慌亂,他還有氣呢!」保羅又上樓去,擘餅,吃了,再講了許久,直到天亮才離開。他們把那活過來的孩子帶走,大家得到很大的安慰。 Paul went down, bent over him, and took him into his arms. “Don’t worry,” he said, “he’s alive!” Then they all went back upstairs, shared in the Lord’s Supper, and ate together. Paul continued talking to them until dawn, and then he left. Meanwhile, the young man was taken home alive and well, and everyone was greatly relieved. (使徒行傳 Acts 20:10-12)
以西結(Ezekiel)這個名字的意思是「上帝加添力量」。然而,以西結的一生卻是在極其艱難的環境中度過的。他蒙召時,以色列人正被擄到巴比倫。他的一生大部分時間都在流亡,看著聖殿被毀、家園淪喪。 在今天的經文之前,以色列百姓正處於一種極度的絕望中。他們說:「我們的骨頭枯乾了,我們的指望失去了,我們滅絕淨盡了。」(以西結書 37:11)。 「我們的指望失去了All hope is gone」——這是多麼沉重的哀鳴。這也代表對未來不再有任何想像,只剩下眼前的黑暗。 「骨頭枯乾」:代表生命力完全喪失,連一點水分、一點轉機都沒有了。 弟兄姊妹,你是否也曾有過這種感覺?或許是長期的病痛讓你看不見康復的期盼;或許是破碎的關係讓你覺得再也無法修補。當我們說「沒救了」的時候,我們就站在以西結所見到的那個骸骨平原上。
█ 第二部分:一個關鍵的提問——「這些骸骨能復活嗎?」 在這段經文中,上帝帶領以西結走過平原,指著遍地的骸骨問了一個非常有意思的問題:「人子啊,這些骸骨能復活嗎?」 看著那滿地風化、死透了的白骨,從理智上看,答案顯然是「不可能」。以西結可能在那一瞬間傻住了,但他給出了一個極具屬靈智慧的回答:「主耶和華啊,你是知道的(O Sovereign Lord, you alone know the answer)。」 這句話不是推託,也不是在耍嘴皮子,而是一種深層的信心宣告。牧師在此想與大家分享,以西結當時的反應其實包含了: 1.承認自己的有限:主啊,我看不到出路。 2.承認上帝的主權:主啊,雖然我沒有答案,但祢擁有答案。 這種信心可能很微弱,不是慷慨激昂的,卻是緊緊抓住神的。我雖然沒有答案,但是主,祢一定有。
這種「使人活過來」的能力,在耶穌基督身上得到了最完美的體現。 保羅在腓立比書 2:6-7 提到耶穌的謙卑:祂本有上帝的形像,不以自己與上帝同等為強奪的,反而「虛己」,取了奴僕的形像。耶穌走下寶座,走進我們這群如同枯骨的人群中,甚至為我們死在十字架上。 為什麼祂要這樣做?約翰福音 10:10-11 說:「我來了,是要叫羊得生命,並且得的更豐盛。我是好牧人;好牧人為羊捨命。」 這就是我們今等下所要唱的聖詩 146 首《救主出聲叫我》所表達的:「倚靠主恩典,罪過得赦免,我一切福分歡欣,皆靠救主聖名。」在原來的英文歌詞說:"Jesus paid it all, All to Him I owe; Sin had left a crimson stain, He washed it white as snow." 我們的罪雖像硃紅(以賽亞書 1:18),主卻能使其白如雪。當罪惡與死亡帶來的枯乾被洗淨,新的生命就此展開。
1.金句反芻: 說了這些話,他大聲呼叫說:「拉撒路,出來!」那死了的人就出來了,手腳都裹着布,臉上包着頭巾。耶穌對他們說:「解開他,讓他走!」於是來看馬利亞的猶太人中,有很多人見了耶穌所做的事,就信了他。 Then Jesus shouted, “Lazarus, come out!” And the dead man came out, his hands and feet bound in graveclothes, his face wrapped in a headcloth. Jesus told them, “Unwrap him and let him go!” Many of the people who were with Mary believed in Jesus when they saw this happen. (約翰福音 John 11:43-45)
3.默想與回應(張勝為牧師撰寫): (1)多馬向來是有話直說。或許他這句「我們也去和他同死吧(Let’s go, too—and die with Jesus)!」也代表大部分門徒沮喪而懷疑的心情,因為他們尚未見識到主耶穌復活的大能。 (2)神蹟向來不是變魔術,而是要使人心轉向主。耶穌把拉撒路從死亡中「叫出來」,顯示祂是生命的主、是復活的主,連死亡的深淵都不能阻擋祂愛的大能。 (3)求主也攪動我們這潭猶如死水的生命,把生命與光明再次帶入,使我們能恢復生機盎然。
1.金句反芻: 我要使以色列全家在你們那裏人數增多,城鎮有人居住,廢墟重新建造。我要使人丁和牲畜在你們那裏加增,他們必生養眾多。我要使你們那裏像以前一樣有人居住,並要賜福,比先前更多;你們就知道我是耶和華。 I will greatly increase the population of Israel, and the ruined cities will be rebuilt and filled with people. I will increase not only the people, but also your animals. O mountains of Israel, I will bring people to live on you once again. I will make you even more prosperous than you were before. Then you will know that I am the Lord. (以西結書 Ezekiel 36:10-11)