《牧徒手記》Day15

《主聆聽掙扎》

14 耶穌到了門徒那裏,看見有許多人圍着他們,又有文士和他們辯論。15 眾人一見耶穌,都甚希奇,就跑上去問祂的安。16 耶穌問他們說:「你們和他們辯論的是甚麼?」17 眾人中間有一個人回答說:「夫子,我帶了我的兒子到祢這裏來,他被啞巴鬼附着。18 無論在哪裏,鬼捉弄他,把他摔倒,他就口中流沫,咬牙切齒,身體枯乾。我請過祢的門徒把鬼趕出去,他們卻是不能。」19 耶穌說:「噯!不信的世代啊,我在你們這裏要到幾時呢?我忍耐你們要到幾時呢?把他帶到我這裏來吧。」20 他們就帶了他來。他一見耶穌,鬼便叫他重重地抽瘋,倒在地上,翻來覆去,口中流沫。21 耶穌問他父親說:「他得這病有多少日子呢?」回答說:「從小的時候。22 鬼屢次把他扔在火裏、水裏,要滅他。祢若能做甚麼,求祢憐憫我們,幫助我們。」23 耶穌對他說:「你若能信,在信的人,凡事都能。」24 孩子的父親立時喊着說:「我信!但我信不足,求主幫助。」25 耶穌看見眾人都跑上來, 就斥責那污鬼,說:「你這聾啞的鬼,我吩咐你從他裏頭出來,再不要進去!」26 那鬼喊叫,使孩子大大地抽了一陣瘋,就出來了。孩子好像死了一般,以致眾人多半說:「他是死了。」27 但耶穌拉着他的手,扶他起來,他就站起來了。28 耶穌進了屋子,門徒就暗暗地問祂說:「我們為甚麼不能趕出他去呢?」 29 耶穌說:「非用禱告,這一類的鬼總不能出來。」 (馬可福音九14-29)

14 When they came to the other disciples, they saw a large crowd around them and the teachers of the law arguing with them. 15 As soon as all the people saw Jesus, they were overwhelmed with wonder and ran to greet Him. 16 “What are you arguing with them about?” He asked. 17 A man in the crowd answered, “Teacher, I brought You my son, who is possessed by a spirit that has robbed him of speech. 18 Whenever it seizes him, it throws him to the ground. He foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth and becomes rigid. I asked Your disciples to drive out the spirit, but they could not.” 19 “You unbelieving generation,” Jesus replied, “how long shall I stay with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring the boy to me.” 20 So they brought him. When the spirit saw Jesus, it immediately threw the boy into a convulsion. He fell to the ground and rolled around, foaming at the mouth. 21 Jesus asked the boy’s father, “How long has he been like this?” “From childhood,” he answered. 22 “It has often thrown him into fire or water to kill him. But if You can do anything, take pity on us and help us.” 23 “ ‘If you can’?” said Jesus. “Everything is possible for one who believes.” 24 Immediately the boy’s father exclaimed, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!” 25 When Jesus saw that a crowd was running to the scene, He rebuked the impure spirit. “You deaf and mute spirit,” He said, “I command you, come out of him and never enter him again.” 26 The spirit shrieked, convulsed him violently and came out. The boy looked so much like a corpse that many said, “He’s dead.” 27 But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him to his feet, and he stood up. 28 After Jesus had gone indoors, His disciples asked Him privately, “Why couldn’t we drive it out?” 29 He replied, “This kind can come out only by prayer.” (Mark 9:14-29)

【耶穌的見證 ── 容得下掙扎】:

這位父親已經不知道失望了多少次。兒子從小就被污鬼折磨,甚至多次被扔進火裏、水裏。好不容易聽見耶穌的消息,把孩子帶來,耶穌卻不在;於是他求門徒幫忙,結果「他們卻是不能」(v.18)。難怪當耶穌來到,他說:「祢若能做甚麼,求祢憐憫我們,幫助我們。」(v.22)「祢若能」三個字,已經聽得出他的掙扎。他想相信,但一次又一次的失望,令他的信心已經變得很脆弱。

耶穌對他說:「在信的人,凡事都能。」(v.23) 那位父親立刻喊出一句非常真實的禱告:「我信!但我信不足,求主幫助。」(v.24) 這句說話很矛盾,卻可能正是最誠實的信仰:「主啊,我相信祢,但我裏面仍然有不相信;我想信得更多,但我做不到,所以連我的信心,也需要祢幫助。」

耶穌沒有說:「等你信心夠大再來。」祂接納這個帶着掙扎來到祂面前的父親,並且醫治他的孩子。原來來到耶穌面前,我們不需要假裝自己沒有疑惑。真正的信心,不一定是完全沒有掙扎,而是在掙扎中仍然知道向誰呼求:「求主幫助。」

【效法主的提醒】

當別人向我們表達信仰掙扎,我們很容易太快「下判斷」。

有人說:「我祈禱咗咁耐,神都冇回應,我真係有啲唔明。」我們立即說:「你要有信心!」有人經歷痛苦,說:「我知道神愛我,但我而家真係感受唔到。」我們可能回答:「唔好靠感覺,要憑信心。」這些說話本身未必錯,但說得太快,可能令一個正在掙扎的人覺得:原來連我的疑惑都不應該說出來。

德蘭修女就是一個令人意外的例子。她一生服事印度加爾各答的貧窮者,但她去世後出版的私人書信顯示,在很長一段時間裏,她曾經歷深刻的屬靈黑夜,感受不到神的同在。外面,她仍然忠心服事;裏面,她卻曾帶着很深的乾渴和疑惑。這並不是說疑惑本身值得追求,而是提醒我們:一個真心跟隨神的人,也可能有說不出口的掙扎。*

所以今天,可以做一個 「掙扎空間」的操練。下一次有人跟你說:「我唔明點解神會容許呢件事」、「我最近真係唔知自己仲信唔信得落去」,先不要急着糾正他,也不要急着替神解釋。可以先說:「多謝你願意同我講。」、「呢段時間一定好難過。」、「你願唔願意講多一點?」然後聽。

如果合適,可以陪他一起禱告。不是替他演繹一個很有信心的禱告,而是容許他把最真實的說話帶到神面前:「主啊,我信!但我信不足,求祢幫助。」有時候,牧養一個正在掙扎的人,不是最快把他的問題解決,而是讓他知道:即使你仍然有疑惑,我也願意陪你繼續尋求神。


今天,效法耶穌 ── 不急着糾正一個人的掙扎,先給他空間,把最真實的心帶到神面前。

禱告:主耶穌,感謝祢容許我們帶着不完全的信心來到祢面前。求祢讓我也有祢的耐性和恩慈,當別人經歷疑惑、軟弱和掙扎時,不急着批評或給答案,而是願意聆聽、陪伴,與他一起尋求祢。主啊,我信!但我信不足,求祢幫助,也使用我陪伴那些正在掙扎的人。阿們。

* 德蘭修女多年來曾在私人書信中向神師及屬靈導師坦白自己內在的屬靈黑暗、孤單與對神同在的渴求。這些書信在她去世後由 Brian Kolodiejchuk 神父整理,收錄於 Mother Teresa: Come Be My Light: The Private Writings of the Saint of Calcutta (2007) 。這些文字顯示,她即使長期感受不到神的同在,仍然持續禱告、服事,忠於自己的召命。
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