|
經文：「聽見拉撒路病了，就在所居之地，仍住了兩天。」（約11:6） 在前一節經文中，我們明明看見：「耶穌素來愛馬大和她的妹子，並拉撒路」（約11:5）。怎麼主所愛的人病了，祂並不立即前往呢？這其實在告訴我們：神對待我們的方式，無論看起來如何嚴厲或是奧秘，我們仍然可以相信，並且肯定祂的愛是無限、豐富、不變的。 按照馬大和馬利亞兩姊妹的心態會想，耶穌應該一聽說拉撒路生病的消息，就會立刻不顧一切地趕去醫治她們的兄弟，結果，耶穌怎麼做呢？「聽見拉撒路病了，就在所居之地，仍住了兩天。」 祂沒有立即前往，不是因為不愛她們，反而是因為愛她們。正是祂的愛，使祂暫時不立即趕往那個祂所重視的憂傷家庭。 主若沒有長闊高深的愛，就會立即跑去安慰她們的困惱、止住她們的憂傷、擦乾她們的眼淚、化解她們的悲哀和嘆息。但是唯有神的愛，能不急躁，能等候天使做完祂要做的工。 對於許多事情的成就，我們不能不歸功於患難和痛苦。基督徒的生活中有許多美德，都是經患難痛苦而來；因為沒有試煉，就沒有信心；沒有容忍的需要，就沒有忍耐；沒有艱難的遭遇，就沒有經歷。--選 新譯｜荒漠甘泉讀書會
|
|
◇◇◇
Scripture: "When he had heard therefore that he was sick, he abode two days still in the same place where he was" (John 11:6). In the forefront of this marvelous chapter stands the affirmation, "Jesus loved Martha, and her sister, and Lazarus," as if to teach us that at the very heart and foundation of all God's dealings with us, however dark and mysterious they may be, we must dare to believe in and assert the infinite, unmerited, and unchanging love of God. Love permits pain. The sisters never doubted that He would speed at all hazards and stay their brother from death, but, "When he had heard therefore that he was sick, he abode two days still in the same place where he was." What a startling "therefore"! He abstained from going, not because He did not love them, but because He did love them. His love alone kept Him back from hasting at once to the dear and stricken home. Anything less than infinite love must have rushed instantly to the relief of those loved and troubled hearts, to stay their grief and to have the luxury of wiping and stanching their tears and causing sorrow and sighing to flee away. Divine love could alone hold back the impetuosity of the Savior's tender-heartedness until the Angel of Pain had done her work. Who can estimate how much we owe to suffering and pain? But for them we should have little scope for many of the chief virtues of the Christian life. Where were faith, without trial to test it; or patience, with nothing to bear; or experience, without tribulation to develop it?--Selected ｜ Mrs. Charles Cowman
|