【双语灵修】一个曾经残疾的新造之人A FORMERLY DISABLED NEW CREATION

使徒行传 3:1-10

申初祷告的时候，彼得、约翰上圣殿去。 有一个人，生来是瘸腿的，天天被人抬来，放在殿的一个门口——那门名叫美门——要求进殿的人赒济。 他看见彼得、约翰将要进殿，就求他们赒济。 彼得、约翰定睛看他，彼得说：“你看我们！” 那人就留意看他们，指望得着什么。 彼得说：“金银我都没有，只把我所有的给你：我奉拿撒勒人耶稣基督的名，叫你起来行走！” 于是拉着他的右手，扶他起来。他的脚和踝子骨立刻健壮了， 就跳起来站着，又行走，同他们进了殿，走着跳着，赞美神。 百姓都看见他行走、赞美神， 认得他是那素常坐在殿的美门口求赒济的，就因他所遇着的事满心稀奇、惊讶。

4月15日

一个曾经残疾的新造之人

“（他）就跳起来，站着，又行走，同他们进了殿，走着，跳着，赞美 神。” - 使徒行传 3:8

你有没有被允许进入过一个曾经是禁区（off-limits）的地方？试想，一位年轻的运动员，被他从小喜爱的球队录用，第一次走进球队的赛前会议室；或者一名基层员工被提拔，坐到了经理的办公桌后面；又或者一群赢得后台通行证的乐迷，得以去见他们最喜欢的乐队。

对于今天经文中的那个人来说，圣殿的院子曾是禁区，他不被允许在那里参予敬拜。宗教领袖禁止他进入圣殿，因为他们认为他的残疾(无法行走)—使他在礼仪上是不洁净的。这意味着他不能在圣殿里与神的百姓聚集。

但后来，彼得和约翰来了。他们没有金银，但他们拥有更有价值的东西：与复活了耶稣的活泼生命连结。当他们奉耶稣的名医治那人时，他的腿恢复了功能，能走也能跳了。终于，他可以在那个曾经对他来说是禁区的地方—圣殿的院子——赞美神了。

这个人的得医治是一个记号，表明我们在本月初庆祝的耶稣复活是真实发生了。这也是神持续进行的再创造（re-creation）工作的一个记号。

祷告

噢，神啊，我们奉耶稣的名渴求医治和新生命。我们渴慕耶稣！感谢你藉着耶稣的复活，以各种方式给我们的生命和这个世界带来更新。阿们。

Acts 3:1-10

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 15

A FORMERLY DISABLED NEW CREATION

He jumped to his feet and began to walk. Then he went with them into the temple courts, walking and jumping, and praising God. —Acts 3:8

Have you ever been allowed into a place that was off-limits? Think of a young sports player, hired by the team he or she has loved since childhood, walking into the team’s pregame meeting room for the first time. Or a worker on the floor who has been promoted to sit behind the manager’s desk. Or a group of music fans who win backstage passes and get to meet their favorite band.

For the man in our text today, the temple courts were off-limits. He was not allowed to join with others to worship there. The religious leaders barred him from the temple because they said that his disability—not being able to walk—made him ritually unclean. And that meant he could not gather with God’s people in the temple.

But then along came Peter and John. They did not have silver or gold, but they had something far more valuable: a living connection to the resurrected Jesus. As they healed the man in Jesus’ name, his legs started working. He was able to walk and jump. And at last he could praise God in the place that had been off-limits to him: the temple courts.

This man’s healing was a sign that the resurrection of Jesus, which we celebrated earlier this month, had really happened. It was also a sign of God’s continuing re-creation work to come.

O God, we want healing and new life in Jesus’ name. We want Jesus! Thank you for all the ways in which his resurrection can bring renewal in our lives and in your world. Amen.