【双语灵修】多受痛苦的人MAN OF SORROWS

以赛亚书 53:3-5

他被藐视，被人厌弃，多受痛苦，常经忧患。他被藐视，好像被人掩面不看的一样，我们也不尊重他。 他诚然担当我们的忧患，背负我们的痛苦，我们却以为他受责罚，被神击打苦待了。 哪知他为我们的过犯受害，为我们的罪孽压伤。因他受的刑罚我们得平安，因他受的鞭伤我们得医治。

10月10日

多受痛苦的人

“他被藐视，被人厌弃，多受痛苦，常经忧患。……他诚然担当我们的忧患，背负我们的痛苦……” - 以赛亚书 53:3-4

当我们的心破碎时，什么能带给我们盼望？

五年前，我四十七岁的嫂子因脑干肿瘤去世。在那六年她逐渐衰弱、失智、接受临终关怀、承受毁灭性痛苦的过程中，我一直帮忙照顾她和她年幼的家人。在那样艰难的时刻，我们许多人可能会想：“耶稣在哪里？祂真的顾念我们吗？我们已经无能为力。祂本可以有所作为—却好像置身事外。”

主在一个意想不到的时刻，给了我一份礼物—C.S.路易斯一本童书中的一段话。一个男孩的母亲快要死了，男孩向基督的化身阿斯兰求助。在那次相遇中，阿斯兰并没有施行医治，但他向男孩袒露了自己的心，甚至流下大颗的泪珠，表明他承受的痛苦与男孩一样深。我那时正需要这样的看见。也许你深知悲伤背后的孤独与可怕，甚至曾怀疑过神是否真的顾念。

耶稣身上，我们看见了神的眼泪和心肠。耶稣怜悯一位因儿子去世而哀恸的寡妇（《路加福音》7:13），祂在马利亚的弟兄墓前与她一同哭泣（《约翰福音》11:35）。耶稣对受苦的人满有温柔：“压伤的芦苇，他不折断；将残的灯火，他不吹灭”（《马太福音》12:20）。耶稣为了我们的缘故，承受了众人罪孽所引发的一切痛苦和忧伤。应许当祂再来时，要擦去一切的悲哀、哭号和疼痛（《启示录》21:4）。

祷告

主啊，压伤的芦苇你不折断，将残的灯火你不吹灭。感谢你应许我们的眼泪终有尽头。阿们。

Isaiah 53:3-5

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 10

MAN OF SORROWS

A man of suffering, and familiar with pain . . . he took up our pain and bore our suffering. . . . —Isaiah 53:3-4

What gives hope when our hearts break?

Five years ago, my sister-in-law, only 47 years old, died of a brain-stem tumor. I helped to care for her and her young family during six years of decline, dementia, hospice, and devastating pain. At times like that, many of us may wonder, “Where is Jesus? Does he even care? We can do nothing. He could do something—and yet it seems like he stays away.”

The Lord gave me a gift in an unexpected place—a passage in a C. S. Lewis children’s book. A boy’s mother is dying. The boy seeks help from the Christ figure, Aslan. Aslan doesn’t heal in that encounter, but he shows the boy his heart, even great tears, showing that he hurts as much as the boy himself. I needed that insight.

Perhaps you know how lonely and terrible grief is. Perhaps you have wondered if God cares.

In Jesus, we see the tears and the heart of God. Jesus’ heart went out to a grieving widow whose son had died (Luke 7:13). He wept with Mary at her brother’s tomb (John 11:35). Jesus is gentle with the hurting: “A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out” (Matthew 12:20). Jesus suffered, for our sake, all of the pain and sorrow caused by everyone’s sin. And he promises to remove all mourning and crying and pain when he comes again (Revelation 21:4).

Lord of bruised, smoldering hearts, thank you for your tears. Thank you also for the promise that our tears won’t last forever. Amen.