【双语灵修】盘石ROCKY

约翰福音 1:35-42 8月1日 盘石

再次日，约翰同两个门徒站在那里。 他见耶稣行走，就说：“看哪，这是神的羔羊！” 两个门徒听见他的话，就跟从了耶稣。 耶稣转过身来，看见他们跟着，就

问他们说：“你们要什么？”他们说：“拉比，在哪里住？”（“拉比”翻出来就是“夫子”。） 耶稣说：“你们来看。”他们就去看他在哪里住，这一天便与他同住。那时约有申正了。 听见约翰的话跟从耶稣的那两个人，一个是西门彼得的兄弟安得烈。他先找着自己的哥哥西门，对他说：“我们遇见弥赛亚了！”（“弥赛亚”翻出来就是“基督”。）于是领他去见耶稣。耶稣看着他说：“你是约翰的儿子西门，你要称为矶法。”（“矶法”翻出来就是“彼得”。）

“耶稣看着他说：‘你……西门，你要称为矶法。’（‘矶法’翻出来就是‘彼得’。）” -约 1:42

“猛士”、“侦察兵”、“王牌”和“阳光”都是很棒的外号。有些外号幽默，有些亲昵，还有一些揭示了性格特征。耶稣给西门起了一个外号，可以翻译为“盘石”。

在《约翰福音》中，我们认识到安得烈，他是在施洗约翰称耶稣为“神的羔羊，除去世人罪孽的！”之后开始跟随耶稣（约翰福音1:29）。安得烈满怀兴奋，随后也带他的兄弟西门去见耶稣。当耶稣见到西门时，他看着西门，并给他一个新的名字：矶法。这个亚兰语单词的意思是“岩石”或“盘石”，希腊语翻译为彼得（Petros）。

这个别名意义重大，彼得成为《新约》中的重要人物。有时他充满勇气和信心，譬如他说耶稣是“永生神的儿子”（马太福音16:16）。然而，另外一些时候，彼得却显得非常软弱，譬如他否认认识耶稣（约翰福音18:15-27）。

我们应该如何看待这位在耶稣核心圈子和早期教会中，既了不起又有缺陷的人物呢？所有耶稣的追随者都与他有些相似，就是有时坚强，有时软弱。然而，对彼得来说，值得庆幸的是耶稣从未抛弃他，尽管他有缺陷，但仍呼召他来服侍。对我们来说，同样值得庆幸的是，耶稣永远不会离开我们，并且会装备我们，让我们即使有缺陷，也能服侍他。

祷告

主耶稣，感谢祢信实的爱。求祢帮助我们在一切所行的事上服侍祢。阿们。

John 1:35-42

FRIDAY, AUGUST 1

ROCKY

Jesus looked at him and said, “You are Simon. . . . You will be called Cephas” (which, when translated, is Peter). —John 1:42

“Buster,” “Scout,” “Ace,” and “Sunshine” are all great nicknames. Some nicknames are humorous, some are affectionate, and some reveal character traits. Jesus gave Simon a nickname that we could translate as “Rocky.”

In the book of John we meet Andrew, who began following Jesus after John the Baptist called him “the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29). Filled with excitement, Andrew later brought his brother Simon to meet Jesus as well. And when Jesus met Simon, he looked at him and gave him a new name: Cephas. This Aramaic word means “Rock,” or “Rocky,” and in Greek it translates to Petros (“Peter”).

This nickname carries a lot of weight, and Peter becomes a major figure in the New Testament. Sometimes he speaks with courage and faith, like when he says Jesus is the “Son of the living God” (Matthew 16:16). At other times, though, Peter shows that he can be remarkably weak, like when he denies even knowing Jesus (John 18:15-27).

What should we make of this towering yet flawed figure in Jesus’ inner circle and in the early church? All of Jesus’ followers are a bit like him—sometimes strong and other times weak. The good news for Peter, though, is that Jesus never abandoned him but called him to serve despite his flaws. The good news for us, too, is that Jesus will never leave us and that he equips us to serve despite our failures.

Lord Jesus, thank you for your faithful love. Help us to serve you in all we do. Amen.