The Miracle Book - Page21
《以毒為食的帝王斑蝶》
18 約翰曾對希律說：「你娶你兄弟的妻子是不合理的。」19 於是希羅底懷恨他，想要殺他，只是不能；20 因為希律知道約翰是義人，是聖人，所以敬畏他，保護他，聽他講論，就多照著行，並且樂意聽他。21 有一天，恰巧是希律的生日，希律擺設筵席，請了大臣和千夫長，並加利利作首領的。22 希羅底的女兒進來跳舞，使希律和同席的人都歡喜。王就對女子說：「你隨意向我求甚麼，我必給你。」23 又對她起誓說：「隨你向我求甚麼，就是我國的一半，我也必給你。」24 她就出去對她母親說：「我可以求甚麼呢？」她母親說：「施洗約翰的頭。」25 她就急忙進去見王，求他說：「我願王立時把施洗約翰的頭放在盤子裏給我。」26 王就甚憂愁；但因他所起的誓，又因同席的人，就不肯推辭，27 隨即差一個護衛兵，吩咐拿約翰的頭來。護衛兵就去，在監裏斬了約翰，28 把頭放在盤子裏，拿來給女子，女子就給她母親。 (馬可福音六18-28)
14 你們要追求與眾人和睦，並要追求聖潔；非聖潔沒有人能見主。15 又要謹慎，恐怕有人失了神的恩；恐怕有毒根生出來擾亂你們，因此叫眾人沾染污穢⋯⋯ (希伯來書十二14-15)
18 For John had been saying to Herod, “It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife.” 19 So Herodias nursed a grudge against John and wanted to kill him. But she was not able to, 20 because Herod feared John and protected him, knowing him to be a righteous and holy man. When Herod heard John, he was greatly puzzled; yet he liked to listen to him. 21 Finally the opportune time came. On his birthday Herod gave a banquet for his high officials and military commanders and the leading men of Galilee. 22 When the daughter of Herodias came in and danced, she pleased Herod and his dinner guests. The king said to the girl, “Ask me for anything you want, and I’ll give it to you.” 23 And he promised her with an oath, “Whatever you ask I will give you, up to half my kingdom.” 24 She went out and said to her mother, “What shall I ask for?” “The head of John the Baptist,” she answered. 25 At once the girl hurried in to the king with the request: “I want you to give me right now the head of John the Baptist on a platter.” 26 The king was greatly distressed, but because of his oaths and his dinner guests, he did not want to refuse her. 27 So he immediately sent an executioner with orders to bring John’s head. The man went, beheaded John in the prison, 28 and brought back his head on a platter. He presented it to the girl, and she gave it to her mother. (Mark 6:18-28)
14 Make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord. 15 See to it that no one falls short of the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many. (Hebrews 12:14-15)
14 Make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord. 15 See to it that no one falls short of the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many. (Hebrews 12:14-15)
分享：豔麗的帝王斑蝶 (Monarch butterfly) 帶著一種名為卡烯內酯 (Cardenolide) 的毒素。當毒素達到一定的劑量，便能讓心臟停止跳動或破壞神經系統，對人類也能發揮作用，非洲獵人也會在箭尖塗上這種毒素作狩獵！
事實上，帶毒是雌蝶的有意為之。牠們會特意產卵在含有卡烯內酯毒性的乳草 (Milkweed，馬利筋屬，屬於夾竹桃科植物) ，那孵化出來的毛毛蟲便能自小啃食乳草葉子，將毒儲存於體內，至破蛹成蝶，那便能自身帶毒以防禦鳥類獵捕。
對帝王斑蝶來說，這是防禦手段；但對人來說，苦毒的累積卻只有負面的後果，甚至能沾染一個群體。聖經上說：「恐怕有毒根生出來擾亂你們，因此叫眾人沾染污穢。」(希伯來書十二15) 就如帝王斑蝶的毒一樣，苦毒不單只累積在己身，更是一種對周圍的事物和關係的拒絕和敵意，甚至能互相傳染，使眾人沾染污穢，破壞整個群體。
更甚的是，苦毒甚至會綜向傳至下一代。聖經中將苦毒傳給自己兒女的經典例子，便是希羅底將自己對施洗約翰的懷恨延續至女兒，讓年幼天真的孩子向希律要求人頭作賞賜。故事的驚慄一幕：女兒手持盤子，將施洗約翰的人頭拿來給母親——這是何等可怕、惡毒的延續。 (參馬可福音六18-28) 若不除去自己的苦毒，無異於帝王斑蝶將幼蟲置於有毒的環境中，讓下一代日夜以苦毒為食。
不要以為希羅底的例子極端，我們作為罪人本來便無時無刻與罪抗爭。保羅早已告誡了我們既然領受了基督的印記，「一切苦毒、惱恨、忿怒、嚷鬧、毀謗，並一切的惡毒，都當從你們中間除掉。」想到神在基督裡對我們的饒恕，苦毒便應該停止，以恩慈對待身邊的人。 (參以弗所書四31-32)
反思：我們還有甚麼苦毒、惱恨、忿怒、嚷鬧、毀謗或種種不平未能放下呢？默想主耶穌怎樣饒恕了我們，我們又是否願意放下這些纏累自己的苦毒呢？
禱告：親愛的天父，感謝祢的拯救，讓我們雖然以罪人之身來到這個世界，但只要我們願意敬畏祢、順服祢，便能將苦毒去除。求祢讓我們更多的想到祢的恩典，以恩慈待人，為基督活出見證。奉主名求，阿們。
# 分享中部分內容參考自 How Great Is Our God: 100 Indescribable Devotions about God and Science by Louie Giglio。
Posted in 2025-TMBp21-30