疫情不忘宣教情 (姜武城牧師)
在聖經馬可福音第八章中說，有人帶一個瞎子來，求耶穌摸他。耶穌拉著瞎子的手，領他到村外，就吐唾沫在他眼睛上，按手在他身上，問他說：「你看見甚麼了？」他就抬頭一看，說：「我看見人了，他們好像樹木，並且行走。」我們每天看著新增加的新冠疫情確診及死亡人數，但這些對我們而言都只是數字而已，就如同看樹木一樣。我們知道樹木是沒有靈魂的，但聖經清楚地告訴我們，人是有靈魂的，而且靈魂的壽命是永遠的，所以將來靈魂的歸宿就非常重要。這就是為什麼我們需要趕緊靠著主的恩典來傳揚福音。
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馬可福音 5:1-20 (和合本)
- 他們來到海那邊格拉森人的地方。
- 耶穌一下船，就有一個被污鬼附著的人從墳塋裡出來迎著他。
- 那人常住在墳塋裡，沒有人能捆住他，就是用鐵鏈也不能，
- 因為人屢次用腳鐐和鐵鏈捆鎖他，鐵鏈竟被他掙斷了，腳鐐也被他弄碎了。總沒有人能制伏他。
- 他晝夜常在墳塋裡和山中喊叫，又用石頭砍自己。
- 他遠遠地看見耶穌，就跑過去拜他，
- 大聲呼叫說：“至高 神的兒子耶穌，我與你有甚麼相干？我指著神懇求你，不要叫我受苦！”
- 是因耶穌曾吩咐他說：“污鬼啊，從這人身上出來吧！”
- 耶穌問他說：“你名叫甚麼？”回答說：“我名叫‘群’，因為我們多的緣故。”
- 就再三地求耶穌，不要叫他們離開那地方。
- 在那裡山坡上，有一大群豬吃食，
- 鬼就央求耶穌說：“求你打發我們往豬群裡，附著豬去。”
- 耶穌准了他們，污鬼就出來，進入豬裡去。於是那群豬闖下山崖，投在海裡，淹死了。豬的數目約有二千。
- 放豬的就逃跑了，去告訴城裡和鄉下的人。眾人就來，要看是甚麼事。
- 他們來到耶穌那裡，看見那被鬼附著的人，就是從前被群鬼所附的，坐著，穿上衣服，心裡明白過來，他們就害怕。
- 看見這事的，便將鬼附之人所遇見的和那群豬的事，都告訴了眾人，
- 眾人就央求耶穌離開他們的境界。
- 耶穌上船的時侯，那從前被鬼附著的人懇求和耶穌同在。
- 耶穌不許，卻對他說：“你回家去，到你的親屬那裡，將主為你所做的是何等大的事，是怎樣憐憫你，都告訴他們。”
- 那人就走了，在低加坡里傳揚耶穌為他做了何等大的事，眾人就都希奇。
2 Kings 1-4 (NIV)
- They went across the lake to the region of the Gerasenes.
- When Jesus got out of the boat, a man with an impure spirit came from the tombs to meet him.
- This man lived in the tombs, and no one could bind him anymore, not even with a chain.
- For he had often been chained hand and foot, but he tore the chains apart and broke the irons on his feet. No one was strong enough to subdue him.
- Night and day among the tombs and in the hills he would cry out and cut himself with stones.
- When he saw Jesus from a distance, he ran and fell on his knees in front of him.
- He shouted at the top of his voice, “What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? In God’s name don’t torture me!”
- For Jesus had said to him, “Come out of this man, you impure spirit!”
- Then Jesus asked him, “What is your name?” “My name is Legion,” he replied, “for we are many.”
- And he begged Jesus again and again not to send them out of the area.
- A large herd of pigs was feeding on the nearby hillside.
- The demons begged Jesus, “Send us among the pigs; allow us to go into them.”
- He gave them permission, and the impure spirits came out and went into the pigs. The herd, about two thousand in number, rushed down the steep bank into the lake and were drowned.
- Those tending the pigs ran off and reported this in the town and countryside, and the people went out to see what had happened.
- When they came to Jesus, they saw the man who had been possessed by the legion of demons, sitting there, dressed and in his right mind; and they were afraid.
- Those who had seen it told the people what had happened to the demon-possessed man—and told about the pigs as well.
- Then the people began to plead with Jesus to leave their region.
- As Jesus was getting into the boat, the man who had been demon-possessed begged to go with him.
- Jesus did not let him, but said, “Go home to your own people and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you.”
- So the man went away and began to tell in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him. And all the people were amazed.