【双语灵修】新郎BRIDEGROOM

以弗所书 5:25-32

你们做丈夫的，要爱你们的妻子，正如基督爱教会，为教会舍己，要用水藉着道把教会洗净，成为圣洁，可以献给自己，做个荣耀的教会，毫无玷污、皱纹等类的病，乃是圣洁没有瑕疵的。丈夫也当照样爱妻子，如同爱自己的身子，爱妻子便是爱自己了。从来没有人恨恶自己的身子，总是保养顾惜，正像基督待教会一样，因我们是他身上的肢体。为这个缘故，人要离开父母，与妻子联合，二人成为一体。这是极大的奥秘，但我是指着基督和教会说的。

10月21日

新郎

“娶新妇的就是新郎。” - 约翰福音 3:29

有一个古老的阿尔冈昆族民间传说（有点像灰姑娘的故事），大致是这样：从前有三姐妹。两个姐姐美丽、骄傲、刻薄。最小的妹妹却身体虚弱，常常生病。她两个姐姐很残忍，用热炭烫伤了她的脸，她因此被称为“面疤女孩”。

有一位被称为“隐形者”，是强大且不可见的生灵，他要娶那个能真正看见他的女孩。于是姐姐们披上华丽的羽毛，戴上珠饰，前往“隐形者”在大水边的营地，但他没有向她们显现自己。

面疤女孩也想去拜访隐形者。她没有珠饰可穿—只有一条桦树皮裙和旧鹿皮鞋。她的姐姐们和村里人都嘲笑面疤女孩，但她还是去见隐形者。结果，面疤女孩能看见隐形者—或者说，是隐形者看见了她，爱上她，她就改变了。面疤女孩在“大水”中沐浴，粗糙的伤疤消失了，她的外表变得如同她所领受的爱一样美丽。

在某些方面，这个故事让我想起耶稣对祂新妇——教会的爱。《以弗所书》第 5 章表明，耶稣的爱更新、洁净并医治了我们。祂的爱足以改变“面疤”的教会，是祂的爱使她变得美丽。让我们不要放弃这“面疤”的教会，我们完美的新郎-耶稣，绝不会放弃。

祷告

主耶稣，我们对你充满敬畏。感谢你对教会那洗涤、更新且信实的爱。阿们。

Ephesians 5:25-32

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 21

BRIDEGROOM

“The bride belongs to the bridegroom.” —John 3:29

An old Algonquin folktale (a sort of Cinderella story) goes something like this:

Once there were three sisters. The two oldest were beautiful, proud, and mean. Their youngest sister was weak and often ill. Her sisters were cruel and scarred her face with hot coals. She became known as the “rough-faced girl.”

A powerful and unseen being, known as the Invisible One, said he would marry the girl who could truly see him. So the older sisters put on fine feathers and beads and went to his camp by the Big Water. But he didn’t reveal himself.

The rough-faced girl wanted to visit the Invisible One too. She had no beads to wear—only a birch-bark dress and old moccasins. Her sisters and the villagers laughed at her. But she went to meet the Invisible One, and she could see him— or, rather, he saw her. He loved her, and she was changed. She washed in the Big Water, her rough scars disappeared, and she became as beautiful on the outside as the love she had received.

In some ways this story reminds me of Jesus’ love for his bride, the church. Ephesians 5 shows that Jesus’ love changes us, cleansing and healing us. His love is all that is needed to transform the “rough-faced” church. His love is what makes her beautiful.

Let’s not give up on the “rough-faced” church. Jesus, our perfect Bridegroom, won’t.

Lord Jesus, we are in awe of you. Thank you for your washing, beautifying, faithful love for your church. Amen.