【双语灵修】身体之首HEAD OF THE BODY

歌罗西书 1:15-20

爱子是那不能看见之神的像，是首生的，在一切被造的以先。因为万有都是靠他造的，无论是天上的、地上的，能看见的、不能看见的，或是有位的、主治的、执政的、掌权的，一概都是藉着他造的，又是为他造的。他在万有之先，万有也靠他而立。他也是教会全体之首。他是元始，是从死里首先复生的，使他可以在凡事上居首位，因为父喜欢叫一切的丰盛在他里面居住。既然藉着他在十字架上所流的血成就了和平，便藉着他叫万有，无论是地上的、天上的，都与自己和好了。

10月15日

身体之首

“他也是教会全体之首……” - 歌罗西书 1:18

我的女儿在爱荷华州德梅因青年交响乐团担任敲击乐手。当我们坐下来准备听音乐会时，热身的声音听起来既刺耳又嘈杂，每位乐手都在调音热身，各行其是。

接着…哒-哒-哒。指挥示意大家注意，一切都随之改变了！杂乱变成了音乐，混乱变得和谐。每件乐器都在统一乐谱的指挥下各得其所。美由此而生。

教会也有许多肢体，许多“乐器”。如果任由我们各行其是，我们自然各吹各的调。我们也可能变得好胜、混乱，常常像“鸣的锣、响的钹”一般，没有爱（《哥林多前书》13:1）。但因为有耶稣作我们的元首、我们的主和救主，我们就能“同心合意”（《罗马书》12:16）。祂用祂的乐章引导我们。

不过，把耶稣比作指挥还不够贴切。一支交响乐团没有指挥还能维持，但身体没有头，一刻也无法存活。头发送信号，使身体的每一个部位、每一项功能都活跃起来，协调运作。

同样，耶稣作我们的元首，把祂的生命赐给了祂的教会。藉着祂的灵，祂将饶恕、公义、无私和爱传递给祂的身体。祂所赐的不只是指引，更是祂自己。

祷告

主耶稣，我们的元首，愿你使我们作为你的身体，为你谱写一曲优美的交响乐。愿我们调准自己的生命，始终与你保持和谐。阿们。

Colossians 1:15-20

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 15

HEAD OF THE BODY

He is the head of the body, the church. . . . —Colossians 1:18

My daughter plays percussion for the Des Moines (Iowa) Youth Symphony. As we take our seats for a concert, the warmup sounds like cacophony and chaos. Every musician is doing their own thing as they tune up and warm up.

Then . . . tap-tap-tap. The conductor calls everyone to attention, and everything changes! The mess becomes music. The chaos turns coherent. Every instrument finds its place in the unity of the written score. And beauty results.

The church too has many parts, many “instruments.” Left to ourselves, we naturally do our own thing. We can also be competitive and chaotic, often resembling “a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal,” without love (1 Corinthians 13:1).

But because we have Jesus as our Head, our Lord and Savior, we can “live in harmony with one another” (Romans 12:16). He directs us with his song.

The picture of Jesus as a conductor doesn’t go far enough, though. A symphony can survive without a conductor. But a body can’t survive, even for a moment, without a head. The head sends the signals that animate and orchestrate every part and every function of the body.

In the same way Jesus, our Head, gives his life to his church. By his Spirit, he transmits to his body forgiveness, righteousness, selflessness, and love. What he gives is more than direction; he gives himself.

Lord Jesus, our Head, make us, as your body, a beautiful symphony for you. May we tune our lives to be in harmony with you always. Amen.