暴風中的耶穌 (張仕儒牧師)
你是否有因為壓力而導致身體無法正常進食與休息的經驗呢？甚至嚴重到必須去看醫生呢？或是因為感覺孤單、情緒低落而無法去面對未來呢？基督徒及神的僕人一樣會面對疾病、教養兒女及種種生活的壓力，你可能知道有人正受到這些事情所困擾，又或許你自己現在正在經歷這樣的難處。我們知道神要我們越來越好，成為一個更成熟更完美的人，但是我們常常不願意接受聖靈在我們心裡所做的改變，繼續使用我們自己的方法，以至於我們仍然無法得到釋放。今天就讓我們透過兩處經文來提醒自己，學習如何來超越這些難處。
或許你今天正處在一個暴風雨當中，但是暴風雨正是神對我們信心的考驗，你是否願意和暴風中的耶穌一樣相信神呢？相信神是愛我們的，相信這是一個考驗、也相信這個考驗會幫助我們成為更好的人呢？
馬可福音4:35–41 (和合本)
- 當那天晚上，耶穌對門徒說：「我們渡到那邊去吧。」
- 門徒離開眾人，耶穌仍在船上，他們就把他一同帶去，也有別的船和他同行。
- 忽然起了暴風，波浪打入船內，甚至船要滿了水。
- 耶穌在船尾上，枕著枕頭睡覺。門徒叫醒了他，說：「夫子！我們喪命，你不顧嗎？」
- 耶穌醒了，斥責風，向海說：「住了吧！靜了吧！」風就止住，大大地平靜了。
- 耶穌對他們說：「為甚麼膽怯，你們還沒有信心嗎？」
- 他們就大大的懼怕，彼此說：「這到底是誰，連風和海也聽從他了。」
雅各書 1:2–5 (和合本)
- 我的弟兄們，你們落在百般試煉中，都要以為大喜樂；
- 因為知道你們的信心經過試驗，就生忍耐。
- 但忍耐也當成功，使你們成全完備，毫無缺欠。
- 你們中間若有缺少智慧的，應當求那厚賜與眾人、也不斥責人的 神，主就必賜給他。
Mark 4:35-41 (NIV)
- That day when evening came, he said to his disciples, “Let us go over to the other side.”
- Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat. There were also other boats with him.
- A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped.
- Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?”
- He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm.
- He said to his disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?”
- They were terrified and asked each other, “Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!”
James 1:2-5 (NIV)
- Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds,
- because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. 4
- Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.
- If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.