【双语灵修】冒险 Risky Business
“〔耶和华的使者〕要用手托着你,免得你的脚碰在石头上。” - 诗 91:12
有些人喜欢冒险,他们攀山,他们救火,他们生儿育女,他们跟从耶稣。人们冒险,有可能是为了追求一种兴奋快乐的感受,也有可能是为了要持守原则、责任、承诺。
在今天的经文中,魔鬼催逼耶稣去冒险。耶稣站在殿顶时,魔鬼在衪耳边细语:“快快跳下去吧!”魔鬼引用一节出自诗篇 91篇的经文,这篇诗篇是关于神保护那些信靠衪之人的作为。这是一个对耶稣的试验:“你相信神会保护你吗?那你就证明给我看吧!”
耶稣当然相信神啦,然而,事情不是那么简单。你若说:“我现在要做一件愚蠢的事,单是为了要试验一下神会不会真的保护我。”这样做肯定是错的。那样的话,耶稣就会告诉魔鬼自己会跳下去 - 其实衪并没有真的这样回应。耶稣却引用了另一段经文:“不可试探主你的神,”来回应狡猾的魔鬼。
耶稣已经落在一个更大的风险中,衪要与魔鬼对抗,这是一件危险的事,人类对抗魔鬼的成绩向来都非常糟糕。然而,现在是圣灵引领衪去争战,所以耶稣便冒险去迎头对抗魔鬼;衪满有信心去面对,因为衪相信神必保护衪,有诗篇 91篇来鼓励衪,耶稣是不会跌倒或失败的。
祷告
耶稣啊,求你帮助我,叫我对你的信心,足以驱使我冒险跟从你。这样做尽管有时看来愚蠢,然而这实质却是最明智的做法。阿们。
马太福音 4: 1-7
1当时,耶稣被圣灵引到旷野,受魔鬼的试探。
2他禁食四十昼夜,后来就饿了。
3那试探人的进前来,对他说:“你若是神的儿子,可以吩咐这些石头变成食物!”
4耶稣却回答说:“经上记着说:‘人活着不是单靠食物,乃是靠神口里所出的一切话。’”
5魔鬼就带他进了圣城,叫他站在殿顶上,
6对他说:“你若是神的儿子,可以跳下去!因为经上记着说:‘主要为你吩咐他的使者用手托着你,免得你的脚碰在石头上。’”
7耶稣对他说:“经上又记着说:‘不可试探主你的神。’”
Risky Business
"[The Lord's angels] will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone." - Psalm 91:12
Some people are risk-takers. They climb mountains. They fight fires. They have children. They follow Jesus. People may take a risk for the adrenaline rush. Or because something compels them: a principle, a duty, a commitment.
In today's Scripture, the devil pushes Jesus to take a risk. While Jesus stands at the highest point of the temple, the devil whispers in his ear, "Go ahead. Jump off!" Then the devil recites a verse from Psalm 91. That psalm is all about God protecting the people who trust in him. So it's a test for Jesus: "Do you trust God to protect you? Then prove it!"
Well, of course Jesus trusts God. But there is more to it than that. You see, it's never right to say, "I'm going to do something foolish just to test God's protection." So Jesus tells the devil to take a leap—well, not exactly. He responds to the devil's craftiness by quoting another text: "Do not put the Lord your God to the test."
Jesus is already in the middle of a bigger risk. He is facing off against the devil. And that is dangerous. Human beings have a lousy track record in those confrontations. But the Spirit has sent him into battle. So Jesus takes the risk and confronts the devil head-on. He does it with confidence, because he trusts God to protect him. With Psalm 91 to encourage him, Jesus doesn't fall or fail.
Prayer
Jesus, help me to trust you enough to take the risk of following you. Even when that looks foolish, it's still the wisest thing to do. Amen.