【双语灵修】治愈的光芒UNBLINDING LIGHT

「我耶和华凭公义召你……开瞎子的眼，领被囚的出牢狱，领坐黑暗的出监牢。」-赛 42:6-7
有时，我们用「刺眼的光芒」（blinding light）来形容一束光非常明亮，如果直视它，就会损伤视力。在这里，圣经提到了相反的效果—治愈。我们读到，神的仆人会让瞎眼的人重见光明。

从这里我们开始看到，神的光会透过祂所拣选的仆人，照亮那些被认为没有希望和得不着帮助的人，使他们得医治、自由和释放。神甚至宣告说，祂的光要照亮外邦人—以色列人认为外邦人不在神的保守看顾范围之内。透过这句预言性的话，神想要「开启」祂的子民的社会和属灵想象力。

神忠心的仆人将祂救赎之工的好处，扩展到以色列人想象的边界之外，从而打破了以色列人舒适的、以自我为中心的平安。神邀请他们看到，祂的心意是欢迎所有人进入祂的平安。

随着圣诞节的临近，我们也被邀请进入神所拣选的仆人耶稣那「治愈的光芒」（unblinding light）中。我们是否认为神的救赎之工只是为了我们和像我们一样的人？还是我们认识到，神在耶稣基督里的爱是要给我们从未想象过的人们，他们也会被纳入上帝的大家庭，为他们带来光明和平安？

祷告

主啊，求祢除去我们的盲目，让我们乐于看到祢在耶稣基督里的爱是何等宽广仁慈。阿们。

以赛亚书 42:1-9
1「看哪，我的仆人，我所扶持、所拣选，心里所喜悦的，我已将我的灵赐给他，他必将公理传给外邦。 2 他不喧嚷，不扬声，也不使街上听见他的声音。3 压伤的芦苇他不折断，将残的灯火他不吹灭，他凭真实将公理传开。 4他不灰心，也不丧胆，直到他在地上设立公理，海岛都等候他的训诲。」5创造诸天，铺张穹苍，将地和地所出的一并铺开，赐气息给地上的众人，又赐灵性给行在其上之人的神耶和华，他如此说： 6「我耶和华凭公义召你，必搀扶你的手，保守你，使你做众民的中保，做外邦人的光， 7 开瞎子的眼，领被囚的出牢狱，领坐黑暗的出监牢。 8 我是耶和华，这是我的名。我必不将我的荣耀归给假神，也不将我的称赞归给雕刻的偶像。 9看哪，先前的事已经成就，现在我将新事说明，这事未发以先，我就说给你们听。」

UNBLINDING LIGHT

“‘I, the Lord, have called you . . . to open eyes that are blind, to free captives from prison and to release from the dungeon those who sit in darkness.’” - Isaiah 42:6-7

Sometimes we use the term “blinding light” to say that a light is so bright that if you look directly at it, you could damage your eyesight. Here the Bible talks about the opposite effect—when light heals. We read that God’s servant will give sight to people who are blind.

We begin to see here that God’s light—shining through his chosen servant—heals, frees, and releases people who were thought to be beyond help and hope. God even declares that his light is for the Gentiles—people whom Israel thought were outside of God’s care and concern. Through this prophetic word, God seeks to “unblind” the social and spiritual imagination of his people.

By extending the benefits of God’s redemptive work far beyond the borders of Israel’s imagination, God’s faithful servant disrupts Israel’s comfortable, self-focused peace. Instead, God invites them to see that his mission is intended to welcome all people into his peace.

As we move closer to Christmas, we too are invited into this “unblinding light” of God’s chosen servant, Jesus. Do we see God’s redemptive work as being just for us and for people like us? Or will we come to recognize that God’s love in Jesus Christ is intended to give light and peace to people we never imagined would be included in God’s family?

Prayer
Remove our blindness, Lord, that we may delight in seeing how wide and merciful your love is in Jesus Christ. Amen.
诵读: 楚云
片头: 张妙阳