【双语灵修】神是丰盛生命的赐与者God, the GIVER of Full Life

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「耶稣见他们的信心，就对瘫子说：『你的罪赦了。』」 ― 路 5:20

我有时觉得很难开口请人帮忙。这不确定是否是因为我能够独立而感到自豪，抑或是我恐怕自己成为妨碍别人的担子。然而，我知道在生命中，曾有些时刻，如果我请人给我一些帮助，是应该可以减轻我所背负的重担的。

今天我们在路加福音5章读到，是关于一个人请别人帮忙的精彩故事。一个瘫子和他的几个朋友，听闻耶稣正在邻近的家教导人。这人和他的朋友都知道耶稣有医病的能力，这些朋友想出一个特别的方法，把这瘫子带到耶稣那里，希望他得到医治。

在这个故事中，耶稣的响应往往令我触目。祂没有提到这些朋友把这瘫子带来求他医治，所需要付出的努力和勇气，祂却首先称赞这些人的信心，然后赦免了瘫子的罪。

在这里，我看到这个瘫子的朋友非常爱他，他们希望他能够经历到丰盛的生命，能够走路、跑步、跳跃等等。而耶稣也希望这人和他的朋友能经历到更丰盛的生命，就是在祂的国里永远活着。这个故事是关于一个人请求在今生得到帮助，然而他所得到的，却超过他的请求，乃是将来的奇妙丰盛生命。

祷告

主啊，我们站在祢面前，极需要祢的帮助，因为若没有祢，我们是无助的。求祢赦免我们，又愿祢的灵塑造我们，叫我们一天比一天更像祢的模样。阿们。

路加福音 5:17-26
17 有一天，耶稣教训人，有法利赛人和教法师在旁边坐着，他们是从加利利各乡村和犹太并耶路撒冷来的。主的能力与耶稣同在，使他能医治病人。18 有人用褥子抬着一个瘫子，要抬进去放在耶稣面前， 19却因人多，寻不出法子抬进去，就上了房顶，从瓦间把他连褥子缒到当中，正在耶稣面前。 20 耶稣见他们的信心，就对瘫子说：「你的罪赦了！」 21 文士和法利赛人就议论说：「这说僭妄话的是谁？除了神以外，谁能赦罪呢？」 22 耶稣知道他们所议论的，就说：「你们心里议论的是什么呢？ 23 或说『你的罪赦了』，或说『你起来行走』，哪一样容易呢？ 24 但要叫你们知道，人子在地上有赦罪的权柄。」就对瘫子说：「我吩咐你，起来，拿你的褥子回家去吧！」 25那人当众人面前立刻起来，拿着他所躺卧的褥子回家去，归荣耀于神。 26众人都惊奇，也归荣耀于神，并且满心惧怕，说：「我们今日看见非常的事了！」

God, the GIVER of Full Life

“When Jesus saw their faith, he said, “Friend, your sins are forgiven.” - Luke 19:20

Sometimes I find it hard to ask someone for help. I’m not sure if it’s my pride to be independent or my fear of being a burden that gets in the way, but I know there have been times in my life when asking someone for something would have eased the burden I was carrying.

Our reading in Luke 5 today is a wonderful story about someone asking for help. A paralyzed man, with some of his friends, heard that Jesus was teaching at a neighbor’s house. The man and his friends knew of Jesus’ ability to heal, so the friends found an unusual way to carry the man to meet Jesus, in the hope that he could be healed.

Something that has often struck me about this story is Jesus’ response. He doesn’t mention their hard work and bravery to bring the man to him for healing. Instead he first commends the man for his faith and forgives his sin.

What I’ve learned here is that the friends of the paralyzed man deeply loved him and wanted him to experience the fullness of life—walking, running, jumping, and more. And Jesus wanted the man, along with his friends, to experience the fullness of life even more—by having life in his kingdom forever. This is a story about someone who asks for help in this life and receives even more—the amazing fullness of the life to come.

Prayer
Lord, we stand before you in need of your help, for without you we are helpless. Forgive us, we pray, and may your Spirit mold and shape us more into your image each day. Amen.

诵读: 楚云
片头: 张妙阳