那些必要的延遲 (卓爾君牧師)

30 Jan

我們在面對苦難時，往往最難受的並不是苦難本身，而是時間。我們期望救贖可以很快發生，但當我們發現神遲遲沒有回應我們的禱告時，我們就會心急。基督徒的生命就像寶石一樣，但被一層又一層的生活的灰燼所覆蓋，慢慢地我們成為醜陋的石塊，恢復你的光芒需要時間、需要等候，等待神的工作慢慢成就在我們的生命當中。今天我們要從聖經中的一個故事來學習神在我們生命當中的延遲。在今天的經文中，我們看到耶穌因為愛這一家，所以祂延遲了，祂希望他們能看見神豐盛的榮耀，希望把他們放在一個更大信心的境界之中，還希望讓他們看見祂能做更大的事，而不僅僅是治癒疾病！

明明耶穌已經叫你出來了，你是否還在那個舊生活中而不願意走出來呢？或者你是否還纏裹著繃帶，工作、喜好、企圖心、家庭關係，以至於我們和那些纏裹著繃帶的世人一樣，分辨不出我們是神的兒女？

約翰福音 11:1-44 (和合本)

有一個患病的人，名叫拉撒路，住在伯大尼，就是馬利亞和他姐姐馬大的村莊。

這馬利亞就是那用香膏抹主，又用頭髮擦他腳的；患病的拉撒路是他的兄弟。

他姐妹兩個就打發人去見耶穌，說：主阿，你所愛的人病了。

耶穌聽見，就說：這病不至於死，乃是為神的榮耀，叫神的兒子因此得榮耀。

耶穌素來愛馬大和他妹子並拉撒路。

聽見拉撒路病了。就在所居之地仍住了兩天。

然後對門徒說：我們再往猶太去罷。

門徒說：拉比，猶太人近來要拿石頭打你，你還往那裡去麼？

耶穌回答說：白日不是有十二小時麼？人在白日走路，就不至跌倒，因為看見這世上的光。

若在黑夜走路，就必跌倒，因為他沒有光。

耶穌說了這話，隨後對他們說：我們的朋友拉撒路睡了，我去叫醒他。

門徒說：主阿，他若睡了，就必好了。

耶穌這話是指著他死說的，他們卻以為是說照常睡了。

耶穌就明明的告訴他們說：拉撒路死了。

我沒有在那裡就歡喜，這是為你們的緣故，好叫你們相信。如今我們可以往他那裡去罷。

多馬，又稱為低土馬，就對那同作門徒的說：我們也去和他同死罷。

耶穌到了，就知道拉撒路在墳墓裡已經四天了。

伯大尼離耶路撒冷不遠，約有六里路。

有好些猶太人來看馬大和馬利亞，要為他們的兄弟安慰他們。

馬大聽見耶穌來了，就出去迎接他；馬利亞卻仍然坐在家裡。

馬大對耶穌說：主阿，你若早在這裡，我兄弟必不死。

就是現在，我也知道，你無論向神求甚麼，神也必賜給你。

耶穌說：你兄弟必然復活。

馬大說：我知道在末日復活的時候，他必復活。

耶穌對他說：復活在我，生命也在我。信我的人雖然死了，也必復活，

凡活著信我的人必永遠不死。你信這話麼？

馬大說：主阿，是的，我信你是基督，是神的兒子，就是那要臨到世界的。

馬大說了這話，就回去暗暗的叫他妹子馬利亞，說：夫子來了，叫你。

馬利亞聽見了，就急忙起來，到耶穌那裡去。

那時，耶穌還沒有進村子，仍在馬大迎接他的地方。

那些同馬利亞在家裡安慰他的猶太人，見他急忙起來出去，就跟著他，以為他要往墳墓那裡去哭。

馬利亞到了耶穌那裡，看見他，就俯伏在他腳前，說：主阿，你若早在這裡，我兄弟必不死。

耶穌看見他哭，並看見與他同來的猶太人也哭，就心裡悲歎，又甚憂愁，

便說：你們把他安放在那裡？他們回答說：請主來看。

耶穌哭了。

猶太人就說：你看他愛這人是何等懇切。

其中有人說：他既然開了瞎子的眼睛，豈不能叫這人不死麼？

耶穌又心裡悲歎，來到墳墓前；那墳墓是個洞，有一塊石頭擋著。

耶穌說：你們把石頭挪開。那死人的姐姐馬大對他說：主阿，他現在必是臭了，因為他死了已經四天了。

耶穌說：我不是對你說過，你若信，就必看見神的榮耀麼？

他們就把石頭挪開。耶穌舉目望天，說：父阿，我感謝你，因為你已經聽我。

我也知道你常聽我，但我說這話是為周圍站著的眾人，叫他們信是你差了我來。

說了這話，就大聲呼叫說：拉撒路出來！

那死人就出來了，手腳裹著布，臉上包著手巾。耶穌對他們說，解開，叫他走！

John 11:1-44 (NIV)

Now a man named Lazarus was sick. He was from Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha.

(This Mary, whose brother Lazarus now lay sick, was the same one who poured perfume on the Lord and wiped his feet with her hair.)

So the sisters sent word to Jesus, “Lord, the one you love is sick.”

When he heard this, Jesus said, “This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God’s glory so that God’s Son may be glorified through it.”

Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus.

So when he heard that Lazarus was sick, he stayed where he was two more days,

and then he said to his disciples, “Let us go back to Judea.”

“But Rabbi,” they said, “a short while ago the Jews there tried to stone you, and yet you are going back?”

Jesus answered, “Are there not twelve hours of daylight? Anyone who walks in the daytime will not stumble, for they see by this world’s light.

It is when a person walks at night that they stumble, for they have no light.”

After he had said this, he went on to tell them, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep; but I am going there to wake him up.”

His disciples replied, “Lord, if he sleeps, he will get better.”

Jesus had been speaking of his death, but his disciples thought he meant natural sleep.

So then he told them plainly, “Lazarus is dead,

and for your sake I am glad I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him.”

Then Thomas (also known as Didymus[a]) said to the rest of the disciples, “Let us also go, that we may die with him.”

On his arrival, Jesus found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb for four days.

Now Bethany was less than two miles[b] from Jerusalem,

and many Jews had come to Martha and Mary to comfort them in the loss of their brother.

When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went out to meet him, but Mary stayed at home.

“Lord,” Martha said to Jesus, “if you had been here, my brother would not have died.

But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask.”

Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.”

Martha answered, “I know he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.”

Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die;

and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?”

“Yes, Lord,” she replied, “I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, who is to come into the world.”

After she had said this, she went back and called her sister Mary aside. “The Teacher is here,” she said, “and is asking for you.”

When Mary heard this, she got up quickly and went to him.

Now Jesus had not yet entered the village, but was still at the place where Martha had met him.

When the Jews who had been with Mary in the house, comforting her, noticed how quickly she got up and went out, they followed her, supposing she was going to the tomb to mourn there.

When Mary reached the place where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet and said, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.”

When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled.

“Where have you laid him?” he asked. “Come and see, Lord,” they replied.

Jesus wept.

Then the Jews said, “See how he loved him!”

But some of them said, “Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man have kept this man from dying?”

Jesus, once more deeply moved, came to the tomb. It was a cave with a stone laid across the entrance.

“Take away the stone,” he said. “But, Lord,” said Martha, the sister of the dead man, “by this time there is a bad odor, for he has been there four days.”

Then Jesus said, “Did I not tell you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?”

So they took away the stone. Then Jesus looked up and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me.

I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that you sent me.”

When he had said this, Jesus called in a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!”

The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face. Jesus said to them, “Take off the grave clothes and let him go.”.