《聖經中的父親》Day 01

人類之父的影響

耶和華上帝所造的,惟有蛇比田野一切的活物更狡猾。蛇對女人說:「上帝豈是真說不許你們吃園中所有樹上的果子嗎?」女人對蛇說:「園中樹上的果子,我們可以吃,惟有園當中那棵樹上的果子,上帝曾說:『你們不可吃,也不可摸,免得你們死。』」蛇對女人說:「你們不一定死;5 因為上帝知道,你們吃的日子眼睛就明亮了,你們便如上帝能知道善惡。」於是女人見那棵樹的果子好作食物,也悅人的眼目,且是可喜愛的,能使人有智慧,就摘下果子來吃了,又給她丈夫,她丈夫也吃了。7 他們二人的眼睛就明亮了,才知道自己是赤身露體,便拿無花果樹的葉子為自己編做裙子。 天起了涼風,耶和華上帝在園中行走。那人和他妻子聽見上帝的聲音,就藏在園裏的樹木中,躲避耶和華上帝的面。9 耶和華上帝呼喚那人,對他說:「你在哪裏?」10 他說:「我在園中聽見祢的聲音,我就害怕;因為我赤身露體,我便藏了。」11 耶和華說:「誰告訴你赤身露體呢?莫非你吃了我吩咐你不可吃的那樹上的果子嗎?」12 那人說:「祢所賜給我、與我同居的女人,她把那樹上的果子給我,我就吃了。」13 耶和華上帝對女人說:「你做的是甚麼事呢?」女人說:「那蛇引誘我,我就吃了。」(創世記三1-13)

1 Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?”2 The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, 3but God did say, ‘You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.’ ” 4“You will not certainly die,” the serpent said to the woman. 5“For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” 6 When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. 7 Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves. 8 Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the Lord God among the trees of the garden. 9 But the Lord God called to the man, “Where are you?” 10 He answered, “I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid.” 11 And He said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree that I commanded you not to eat from?” 12 The man said, “The woman You put here with me—she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it.” 13 Then the Lord God said to the woman, “What is this you have done?” The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.” (Genesis 3:1-13)

分享:提到聖經中的父親,第一位當然要提到人類之父亞當。相信大家對《創世記三》的記述不太陌生:因為夏娃吃了禁果,也給了亞當吃,於是罪就進入了世界,他們也被趕出伊甸園。當上帝問亞當是否吃了禁果時,他竟然將責任推卸給女人:「祢所賜給我、與我同居的女人,她把那樹上的果子給我,我就吃了。」(參創世記三12) 從亞當的回答,他不但把責任推卸給女人,其實也推卸給上帝 (因為他強調:女人是上帝所賜的)。亞當希望藉此將責任推得一乾二淨,千錯萬錯都不是他錯。

到了《創世記四》,亞當的兒子該隱也犯上同一錯誤,他質疑上帝為什麼看不中他的供物。上帝這樣回應:「你為甚麼發怒呢?你為甚麼變了臉色呢?你若行得好,豈不蒙悅納?你若行得不好,罪就伏在門前。它必戀慕你,你卻要制伏它。」(參創世記四6-7) 上帝清楚指出,問題是出於該隱自己!該隱並沒有清楚理解這話, 於是泥足深陷,親手成就世界上第一宗凶殺案。筆者很好奇:在整件事裏面,究竟亞當扮演着什麼角色?聖經並沒有明言,因此我們並不能夠確定,
亞當對該隱的影響如何。但可以肯定的是,兩者都犯上同一個錯誤:「推卸責任」,這就是罪的特性。

各位,請小心面對並處理我們的罪。我們怎樣去處理自己的罪,對兒女有著莫大的影響。如果我們能夠認真面對自己的罪,並向上帝悔改,這就是最好的見證。相反,如果我們只懂推卸責任、不認罪,我們又期望兒女怎樣呢?在台灣,曾有一小孩弄破了公園裡的一個擺設,該小孩的父母二話不說抱著小孩就走 (過程被拍下來,卻再找不到他們)。試問,這舉動對小孩會有什麼影響?小孩將來會如何面對犯錯?但願我們都能向所愛的人活出勇於認罪悔改的見證。

今天,值得我們反思:
1. 當我們面對己罪,曾否「推卸責任」?
2. 當所愛的人犯錯時,我們又能怎樣作出身教言教?

禱告:親愛的天父,感謝祢透過亞當的軟弱來提醒我們,必須要認真面對並處理己罪。勇於認罪悔改的生命,可以讓人了解認罪的必要,又讓人明白只要願意悔改,我們可以因著祢活得更豐盛!讓我們可以見證、承傳這勇於認罪悔改的生命!以上禱告,奉主耶穌得勝的名求,阿們。