【双语灵修】一位母亲A MOTHER

马太福音 20:20-28

那时，西庇太儿子的母亲同她两个儿子上前来拜耶稣，求他一件事。耶稣说：“你要什么呢？”她说：“愿你叫我这两个儿子在你国里，一个坐在你右边，一个坐在你左边。” 耶稣回答说：“你们不知道所求的是什么。我将要喝的杯，你们能喝吗？”他们说：“我们能。”耶稣说：“我所喝的杯，你们必要喝；只是坐在我的左右，不是我可以赐的，乃是我父为谁预备的，就赐给谁。”那十个门徒听见，就恼怒他们弟兄二人。耶稣叫了他们来，说：“你们知道，外邦人有君王为主治理他们，有大臣操权管束他们。只是在你们中间不可这样，你们中间谁愿为大，就必做你们的用人；谁愿为首，就必做你们的仆人。 正如人子来不是要受人的服侍，乃是要服侍人，并且要舍命做多人的赎价。”

4月10日

一位母亲

“西庇太儿子的母亲同她两个儿子上前来拜耶稣，求他一件事。” -太 20:20

我们很容易批判这段经文中来找耶稣的母亲。她的要求实在是太离谱了。我们可能会问：“她以为自己是谁？”或者“她以为她的两个儿子有多重要？”当然，他们是耶稣最亲密的两个门徒(《马太福音第4章21-22节中提到，他们是雅各和约翰），但这要求太过份了！

我们也很容易理解其他门徒的愤怒。他们和耶稣在一起已经有好几年了——学习、治病、四处传道，做各种他们可能从未想过会一起做的事。而现在，雅各和约翰的母亲来求耶稣使她的儿子们能高别人一等，我怀疑雅各和约翰是否为此一直感到难堪。

但是，在我们批评这位母亲或她的儿子们之前，重要的是要牢记这个问题促使耶稣讲授的那一课：在耶稣的国里，重要的不是居首位或做最好的，而是要做最后的和最小的。重要的是服侍他人，并为他人的利益而舍己。

这不符合常理，但这就是耶稣所传达的信息。这也是跟随耶稣的人——包括我们——所需要的信息。

祷告

谦卑的神，请帮助我们把他人放在首位。帮助我们服侍他人。帮助我们不只为自己，也为众人寻求你的国度。请帮助我们来跟随你。奉你的名祷告，阿们。

A MOTHER

"The mother of Zebedee’s sons came to Jesus with her sons and, kneeling down, asked a favor of him." - Matthew 20:20

It’s easy for us to be critical of the mother who approaches Jesus in this passage. Her request is really outlandish. We might wonder, “How important does she think she is? Or how important does she think her sons are?” Sure, they were two of Jesus’ closest disciples. (They are identified earlier as James and John in Matthew 4:21-22.) But this request is over the top!

It’s also easy for us to understand the indignation of the other disciples. They had all been together with Jesus for a few years now—learning, healing, traveling, and doing all sorts of things they probably never thought they would do together. And now James and John’s mother comes to ask for her sons to be above all the rest? I wonder if James and John ever lived this down.

But before we criticize this mother or her sons, it’s important to remember the lesson that this question prompted Jesus to teach. Jesus’ community isn’t about being first or best. It’s about being last and least. It’s about serving others and giving up everything, if necessary, for the good of everyone else.

This isn’t normal, but it’s what Jesus is all about. It’s also what Jesus’ followers—including us—need to be all about.

Humble God, help us to put others first. Help us to serve others. Help us to seek your kingdom for everyone and not just for ourselves. Help us to follow you, for your sake. Amen.