《Lent》Day 18
不用懼怕死亡
1 有一個患病的人，名叫拉撒路，住在伯大尼，就是馬利亞和她姐姐馬大的村莊。2 這馬利亞就是那用香膏抹主，又用頭髮擦祂腳的；患病的拉撒路是她的弟弟。3 姊妹兩個就打發人去見耶穌，說：「主啊，祢所愛的人病了。」4 耶穌聽見後卻說：「這病不至於死，而是為了上帝的榮耀，為要使上帝的兒子藉此得榮耀。」5 耶穌素來愛馬大和她妹妹，以及拉撒路。6 祂聽見拉撒路病了，仍在原地住了兩天，7 然後對門徒說：「我們再到猶太去吧！」8 門徒對他說：「拉比，猶太人近來要拿石頭打祢，祢還再到那裏去嗎？」9 耶穌回答：「白天不是有十二小時嗎？人若在白天行走，就不致跌倒，因為他看見這世上的光。10 人若在黑夜行走，就會跌倒，因為他沒有光。」11 耶穌說了這些話，隨後對他們說：「我們的朋友拉撒路睡了，我去叫醒他。」12 門徒就說：「主啊，他若睡了，就會好的。」13 耶穌說這話是指拉撒路死了，他們卻以為他是指通常的睡眠。14 於是耶穌就明白地告訴他們：「拉撒路死了。15 為了你們的緣故，我不在那裏反而歡喜，為要使你們信。現在我們到他那裏去吧。」16 於是那稱為低土馬的多馬對其他的門徒說：「我們也去和祂同死吧！」(約翰福音十一1-16．和修)
21 馬大對耶穌說：「主啊，祢若早在這裏，我弟弟就不會死了。22 我也知道，即使現在，祢無論向上帝求甚麼，上帝也必賜給祢。」23 耶穌對她說：「你弟弟會復活的。」24 馬大對祂說：「我知道在末日復活的時候，他會復活。」25 耶穌對她說：「復活在我，生命也在我。信我的人雖然死了，也必復活。26 凡活著信我的人必永遠不死。你信這話嗎？」27 馬大對祂說：「主啊，是的。我信祢是基督，是上帝的兒子，就是那要臨到世界的。」(約翰福音十一21-27．和修)
1 Now a man named Lazarus was sick. He was from Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. 2 (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.) 3 So the sisters sent word to Jesus, “Lord, the one you love is sick.” 4 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.” 5 Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. 6 So when He heard that Lazarus was sick, He stayed where He was two more days, 7 and then He said to His disciples, “Let us go back to Judea.” 8 “But Rabbi,” they said, “a short while ago the Jews there tried to stone You, and yet You are going back?” 9 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. 10 It is when a person walks at night that they stumble, for they have no light.” 11 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.” 12 His disciples replied, “Lord, if he sleeps, he will get better.” 13 Jesus had been speaking of his death, but His disciples thought he meant natural sleep. 14 So then He told them plainly, “Lazarus is dead, 15 and for your sake I am glad I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him.” 16 Then Thomas (also known as Didymus ) said to the rest of the disciples, “Let us also go, that we may die with Him.” (John 11:1-16)
21 “Lord,” Martha said to Jesus, “if You had been here, my brother would not have died. 22 But I know that even now God will give You whatever You ask.”
23 Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” 24 Martha answered, “I know he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.” 25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; 26 and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?” 27 “Yes, Lord,” she replied, “I believe that You are the Messiah, the Son of God, who is to come into the world.”(John 11:21-27)
21 “Lord,” Martha said to Jesus, “if You had been here, my brother would not have died. 22 But I know that even now God will give You whatever You ask.”
23 Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” 24 Martha answered, “I know he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.” 25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; 26 and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?” 27 “Yes, Lord,” she replied, “I believe that You are the Messiah, the Son of God, who is to come into the world.”(John 11:21-27)
分享：自古以來，許多皇帝都在找尋一種藥，就是「長生不老藥」，又稱「永生藥」，傳說秦始皇就曾派徐福去海外尋找長生不老藥。在歷史裡(甚至是現今的科學研究)，很多人都想得到「長生不老」。這除了是因為希望永遠在世享受之外，也是人類對死亡的一種恐懼。
《約翰福音十一》的經文，是關於耶穌讓拉撒路從死裡復活的事。從耶穌去拉撒路墳墓的路上對門徒說的一段話中，我們學到兩個真理。第一，當耶穌說拉撒路只是睡著了，祂要去叫醒他(參v.11-14)，耶穌的門徒回答說：「主啊，他若睡了，就必好了。」耶穌回答說：「拉撒路死了。」耶穌宣稱祂要喚醒拉撒路，我相信這是耶穌用溫和的方式在教導祂的門徒，不要再懼怕死亡，因為這只不過像是睡著了。因著耶穌的大能，讓墳墓中的人復活，如同喚醒一個正在睡覺的人一樣，沒有什麼值得懼怕。
然後，在耶穌對馬大的說話中，祂帶出了第二個真理。耶穌說：「信我的人，雖然死了，也必復活。凡活著信我的人必永遠不死」(參v.25-26)。當然這並非指基督徒擁有不死之軀， 耶穌應許的是他們的永生。因為耶穌是復活和生命的主，所以有一天，祂會使他們的身體復活，祂的大能已在拉撒路復活時彰顯出來(參v.43-44節)。當我們所愛的人離世與主同在，這些應許能給我們安慰和確據。同時這也提醒我們，要努力將福音傳給我們所愛的人！
反思：從耶穌而來的永生，對你來說有什麼意義？給你什麼提醒？
行動：如有，請關心一位病患的朋友，並為對方的心情禱告。
Posted in CGSP Lent2024