《Lent》Day 10
打開福音之門
6 雅各井就在那裏；耶穌因旅途疲乏，坐在井旁。那時約是正午。7 有一個撒瑪利亞婦人來打水。耶穌對她說：「請給我水喝。」8 因為那時門徒進城買食物去了。9 撒瑪利亞婦人對祂說：「祢是猶太人，怎麼向我一個撒瑪利亞女人要水喝呢？」因為猶太人和撒瑪利亞人沒有來往。10 耶穌回答她說：「你若知道上帝的恩賜，和對你說『請給我水喝』的是誰，你早就會求祂，祂也早就會給了你活水。」11 婦人對耶穌說：「先生，祢沒有打水的器具，井又深，哪裏去取活水呢？12 我們的祖宗雅各把這井留給我們，他自己和兒女以及牲畜都喝這井裏的水，難道祢比他還大嗎？」13 耶穌回答，對她說：「凡喝這水的，還要再渴；14 誰喝我所賜的水，就永遠不渴。我所賜的水要在他裏面成為泉源，直湧到永生。」15 婦人對祂說：「先生，請把這水賜給我，使我不渴，也不用到這裏來打水。」16 耶穌對她說：「你去，叫你的丈夫，再到這裏來。」17 婦人回答，對耶穌說：「我沒有丈夫。」耶穌說：「你說沒有丈夫是對的。18 你已經有過五個丈夫，你現在有的並不是你的丈夫。你這話是真的。」(約翰福音四6-18．和修)
6 Jacob’s well was there, and Jesus, tired as He was from the journey, sat down by the well. It was about noon. 7 When a Samaritan woman came to draw water, Jesus said to her, “Will you give me a drink?” 8 (His disciples had gone into the town to buy food.) 9 The Samaritan woman said to Him, “You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman. How can You ask me for a drink?” (For Jews do not associate with Samaritans. ) 10 Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked Him and He would have given you living water.” 11 “Sir,” the woman said, “You have nothing to draw with and the well is deep. Where can You get this living water? 12 Are You greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did also his sons and his livestock?” 13 Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, 14 but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” 15 The woman said to Him, “Sir, give me this water so that I won’t get thirsty and have to keep coming here to draw water.” 16 He told her, “Go, call your husband and come back.” 17 “I have no husband,” she replied. Jesus said to her, “You are right when you say you have no husband. 18 The fact is, you have had five husbands, and the man you now have is not your husband. What you have just said is quite true.” (John 4:6-18. NIV)
分享：從耶穌和撒馬利亞婦人在井邊的一席話，我們可以學習如何有效地打開福音之門。首先，耶穌打破了社會的禁忌與撒馬利亞婦人談話，又請對方為祂準備水解渴。及後，耶穌有很多機會，可以指責這婦人不該一直在罪中生活，但是祂並沒有這樣做。相反，耶穌將焦點放在福音的吸引之處 (永遠不渴的活水)。
在這充滿仇恨、彼此指責的世代裏，我們應該做的是向人介紹更美麗、更吸引的事情，就是福音！當我們以福音光照別人的生命時，他們自然會察覺到自身的黑暗，然後就渴望走向光明，離開黑暗！這根本不需要我們作出任何的指責。相反，如果一個人察覺不到自己身處在黑暗裏，哪怕你指責他多少次，他也不會理會。
有一次，一位弟兄在搭火車中途，遇到一個滿身污穢的醉漢，蹣跚跌坐在他旁邊，醉漢看看手上的酒瓶，問他要不要。那弟兄並沒有嫌棄他、譴責他，反而溫和地回答：「謝謝！我是不喝酒的。不過，我能看出你很慷慨大方。」醉漢聽了後眼睛一亮，兩人便聊了起來。在交談的過程中，醉漢認識了賜人生命的耶穌。最後，他接受了耶穌作為生命的救主。大家認為，如果一開始那位弟兄就作出義正辭嚴的指責，結局又會如何呢？
請記得：福音的重點在於將人帶到耶穌面前，使他回轉悔改；而不是將人帶到責備當中，使他無地自容。
反思：在今天的社會裏，有什麼禁忌攔阻你向人傳福音？
行動：嘗試關心你身邊一個未認識耶穌的朋友，跟他分享福音吧。
Posted in CGSP Lent2024