（孙志纯弟兄著）

辱骂伤了我的心，我忧愁难过；我希望有人同情，却一个也没有；我希望有人安慰，还是找不到一个。
（诗篇 69:20）

开门见山的说，我有过很长一段时间的抑郁症状。人在抑郁的时候，身上就像有层厚重的乌云压着，完全无法思考和行动。不管怎样努力，都提不起任何的动力和热情，只想躺在沙发上机械般的刷着手机。我知道，如果能强迫自己离开沙发，哪怕就是站起来伸展一下四肢，抑郁都能有所缓解。如果能走出家门，到公园的树林里走一走，那些消极思绪纵使无法完全消失，也会大幅减少。所以有一次，我还是勉强自己出了门。我走进街角那片小小的公园，阳光透过树叶洒下来，像是从主照进来的信号。风吹动枝叶，沙沙作响，有几只麻雀叽叽喳喳地跳过树枝，好像它们根本不知道这个世界有什么好烦的。我坐在长椅上发呆，突然看见一只蜗牛慢慢地、倔强地朝某个方向走。没人催它，没人笑它慢，它只是在做它该做的事。

那一刻，我突然有种被理解的感觉。我开始试着每天出门一小会儿，不为锻炼，不为完成什么目标，只是去“在场”。对我而言，大自然是有神奇魅力的。在大自然里，我会不那么功利的评判自己，我能看见“我的看见”一片精致的树叶、一朵不起眼的小花、一个走的慢吞吞的蜗牛、一块奇形怪状的石头……在这个越来越快的世界，大自然从不随波逐流，它永远走在自己的节奏里，各按其时，不慌不忙。

心理学者07年，马德里大学和挪威生命科学大学一项联合研究发现，仅仅是观看自然景观，就可以加速缓解焦虑和精神疲劳，降低抑郁、焦虑和紧张低落的情绪。难怪和花草树木在一起，和泥土飞鸟在一起，哪怕只有五分钟，我都会感觉放松一点。原来造物主早就把止痛药藏进了树根的年轮里。我知道，很多人都在被抑郁、焦虑的情绪困扰，日常的烦忧持续不断，沉闷的情绪又挥之不去。或许我们也可以花点时间，将自己重新嵌入大自然。相信只要你愿意走进它，风就会帮你把烦心事吹成蒲公英，呼啦一下全散开的。

要知道春天会来的，黑夜会变短的，我们也都会从抑郁中解脱的。世界越快，我们越需要慢下来。

代祷事项：

• 为我的身体和要面对各项压力祷告
• 为我神学学习和个人本科的学习祷告
• 为我服侍的堂点祷告帮助他们灵性生命可以成长
• 为服侍的禾场祷告，面对洪水把2个教堂淹了
• 为我们在前方的同工虎弟兄身体祷告，刚做完手术一段时间，在恢复中，求主医治！

σπλαγχνίζω (splanchnizō)

同情、怜悯。可1:41  
（也见于太14:14；可6:34；路7:13 等其他11处新约经文。）

ὀργίζω (orgizō)

生气；对某人/某事生气。可1:41；  
（也见于太18:34、22:7；路14:21、15:28；弗4:26 等其他8处新约经文。）

马可福音第一章结尾处，记载了耶稣医治一个痲风病人的事迹。这是另一个我们熟知的神迹，也是又一起显露出耶稣慈怜心怀的奇事。只不过，如果我们恰好也翻阅查考了新国际版英文圣经（NIV，新国际）或是最新版的新英语译本（NET，新英语）的话，我们就会看到稍微不一样的描述，也许还会生出些许的疑问。（见上表）

按新国际或新英语这2个译本的处理，在大多数主要中英译本都把耶稣对那痲风病人的回应译为“动了怜悯的心”这里，它们却译为“（耶稣）感到愤慨/生气/愤怒”，叫整个原本温馨让人动容的场面另外增添了一股说不出来的不自在。向来被视为柔和的耶稣竟然生气？竟然感到愤慨？他又为什么生气？为什么愤慨？是因为那个痲风病人怀疑他医治的意愿（因为他对耶稣说：“如果你肯”）？还是另有原因？当然，另一个不得不问的就是：同是一本福音书的记载，为什么竟有如此不同的描述？这是神的话语不是？若真是神不变且无误的话语，那为什么有不同的说法？
第二个问题，涉及了还原圣经原稿(Autograph)的圣经文本鉴别学(Biblical Textual Criticism)，不是在这里三言两语就说得清楚的。然而可以肯定的是，这2种不同的描述，都有很可靠的抄本(manuscripts)作为根据，因此，都是可以放心接受的内容。既然是可靠的内容，那么，我们就可以在这个前提下，来反思这2种不同的记载所呈现的耶稣面貌。

用以描述耶稣“动了怜悯的心”的希腊字 σπλαγχνίζω，源于另一个描述人体五脏六腑的希腊词 σπλάγχνον (splanchnon)，并因而引申为人内心的情感，诸如：温柔 (tenderness)、爱意 (affection)、怜悯(compassion) 等，表明发自人内里诚挚深沉的感情，跟中文的“肺腑之言”一类的表达很相似。换言之，耶稣的“动了怜悯的心”并不是一种流于表面的感情用事，或是一时有感而发的情绪反应。耶稣的“动了怜悯的心”乃是发自他内心深处，一股温柔而强烈的爱意；这爱意并不是静止的，而是有所动作的——痲风病人因此得了医治！

根据另一些抄本的记载，耶稣在面对痲风病人时，表现的，是一种的 ὀργίζω，一般译作愤慨，也可以译为“义愤填膺”。这个希腊词本身指的就是生气，或是针对某人或某事而生气。但是，耶稣为什么会生气，会愤慨，会义愤填膺呢？这段记载并没有明明指出，然而，综观耶稣的教导与事工，我们或多或少就可以对他的愤慨有一些的理解。他生气，并不是因为痲风病人本人或他的那番诉求，而是痲风病人所带出来的一个让他深恶痛绝的事实：罪在这个世上所带来的极度破坏！创造之初，一切都是好的，而按着神的形象所造的人，神更称其为“很好”的。曾几何时，罪的来到却叫这一切的美与善都变了质换了样，一切的美好创造都在罪的腐蚀下，逐渐逐渐地败坏溃烂；人也不例外，从此心灵扭曲不安、身体为岁月与疾病所折腾。原本应该的真、善、美，此刻在耶稣面前却只剩下假、恶、丑……他如何能不深深伤痛？如何能不极其愤慨？

从这2个方面来看这起事件，我们对耶稣的作为其实就有了更为立体的认识；面对承受罪的恶果的痲风病人，耶稣发自内心的怜惜他，以致伸手医治了他，让他得以浅尝神国度的美好；与此同时，面对罪的丑陋恶果，耶稣也是发自内心的恨恶，以致他面向耶路撒冷的决心始终不曾动摇，客西马尼园里的激烈挣扎也无法让他选择顺从自己的意愿，并且在面对与父神隔绝的无以言喻的孤单中，他仍然坚持走上了十字架。

这样想着，这2种的描述，也许是神在祂难以测度的智慧与旨意里，为我们留下的。好叫我们在教会年踏入寻常日子 (The Ordinary Time) 的这段长长的教会季节里，能以学像耶稣，怜他所怜，感他所感。

This is the tenth in this puzzling passages series, and therefore, I supposed this would be a good time to pause and consider why it is a good idea to get to the bottom of passages that confound us whenever we come across one.

When we look at a puzzling passage, our brain sets off alarm bells warning us that something is off about the interpretation we currently hold of this passage because we perceive contradictory info from what we are reading. We are experiencing cognitive dissonance. The reason we are experiencing cognitive dissonance is precisely because we understand the word of God to be free from contradictions and errors. Surely God’s word must pass the “internal contradiction” test. We also feel disturbed as Christians because we know that the stakes are high, simply because wrong thinking (that arises from wrong interpretation) leads to wrong living.

In order to resolve this cognitive dissonance, we need to think out of the box for alternative interpretations, and then weigh “for” and “against” arguments to see which interpretation fits better with the big picture of the Bible (whole counsel of God).

We need to bear in mind that accepting a lone passage or instruction in the Bible at face value without checking it against the whole counsel of God (big picture) can be dangerous and detrimental to our spiritual health. If we do so, we will experience cognitive dissonance. The mental toil (alarm bells) ought to move us towards a remedy.

At the same time, we also need to be careful of the other side of the coin: refusal to accept a legitimate instruction in the Bible and choose to “remedy” it unnecessarily. In doing so, we are simply justifying our bid to disobey God’s word. Therefore, it is as important to check our own motives as we engage in Bible interpretation.

In general, a good interpretation will:

1. Resonate with the overall teaching in Scripture. It ought to be in line with the big picture.
2. Resonate with logic. It cannot be self-contradictory. For example, to say that my red table is not red defies logic. Remember that God chose to communicate with us logically. Yes, there are many mysteries in the Bible that we will never be able to comprehend, but note that something being a mystery is different from something being illogical.
3. Usually resonate with tradition. Usually, how respectable theologians have interpreted it over the decades would generally be rather trustworthy. However, the keyword is “usually.” Traditional interpretations are still subject to error. For example, many years ago, theologians were using passages in the Bible to justify slavery or defend the flat-earth theory.

道成了肉身           吴赛贤

约1：1-51太初有道，道與神同在，道就是神。2這道太初與神同在。3萬物都是藉著他造的，沒有一樣不是藉著他造的。凡被造的，4在他裏面有生命，這生命就是人的光。5光照在黑暗裏，黑暗卻沒有勝過光。「黑暗卻沒有勝過光」有譯「黑暗卻不接受光」。

所以直接引用从「太初」开始，「太初」与「起初」（创一1）原文同字，但「起初」是指神创造的开始，即时间的起头，而「太初」是指在未有时间以前，在过去的永远里就已经存在。

约翰福音的主题是启示主耶稣就是神（20：30-31）。约 20:30-31  30 耶稣在门徒面前另外行了许多神迹，没有记在这书上。 31 但记这些事要叫你们信耶稣是基督，是神的儿子，并且叫你们信了他，就可以因他的名得生命。【约1：1】「太初有道，道与神同在，道就是神。」。。。约翰1：14记载：道成了肉身，住在我们中间，充充满满地有恩典有真理。我们也见过他的荣光，正是父独生子的荣光。就是说：耶稣在太初时以神的位格，圣父、圣子、圣灵同工创造了宇宙万物。。万物都是藉著他造的，沒有一样不是藉著他造的。凡被造的在他里面有生命，是属神的生命。“神所道成的肉身的含义就是在肉身中作工、在肉身中生活的神，神的实质成了肉身，成了人。祂是完全的神也是完全的人。

创：1：26 神说：“我们要照着我们的形象，按着我们的样式造人。

创：2：7 耶和华神用地上的尘土造人，将生气吹在他鼻孔里，他就成了有灵的活人，名叫亚当。属神的生命从亚当开始，这生命本与创造主联系，因为这生命从神而来。。

属神的生命：约壹5:12 人有了神的儿子就有生命，没有神的儿子就没有生命。人有了神的儿子就有生命，因此，道成了肉身，主把他的爱和他的全部人性充分表达出来，这样，可以使他自己的生命和他自己的话语成为人类新时代的真理的扩大表达的一部分。（与门徒的关系）。

属灵的意义有着“生命之道”，圣经中“生命之道”与世俗的“处世之道”是有分别呢，简单说：生命之道是叫人“活”的；处世之道是教人“做”的。前者是神道—神的救赎恩典；后者是人道—人生哲学的一部分。我们学习在神的家中事奉神，需要有爱心、谦卑、忍耐、诚实等；但这一切都必须是真的，不是伪装的。所谓真的，就是出于生命的；所谓假的，就是出于做作的。所谓出于生命的，就是那些爱心、谦卑、忍耐、诚实等等。

1 Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. 2 And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. (Ephesians 5:1-2)

In these verses, Paul teaches us to imitate God, and then tells us how – by loving sacrificially like Jesus did.

In 5:1, the directive to imitate God comes on the basis that we are His beloved children. As we know, children naturally imitate their parents. This happens from the time they are born. Spiritually, the same should happen for us who are children of God. It is both natural and necessary that we imitate God. It should also serve as an indicator of who are the true children of God, as only His children would know how to imitate him.

Earlier in 4:1-3, Paul calls us to “walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.” Later in 4:17, he says that we “must no longer walk as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their minds.” The verse 5:2 then tells us to walk in love. In these verses, Paul wants us to live (walk) in a way that imitates God. Walking in love is imitating God.

Jesus showed us what is love. For “Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God” (5:2). Just as Christ loved us sacrificially by giving himself up for us, we also ought to love others sacrificially. The is the kind of love that we must have as children of God – sacrificial love.

One of the most important ways of loving others sacrificially is by bringing them to Christ. Just before Christ ascended into heaven after His resurrection, He commissioned the disciples to be his witnesses “in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth” (Acts 1:8). This command is still with us today. Carrying out this command require us to give up something of ourselves. Perhaps it is your time, your finances, or your effort. As long as it is done out of love, it will be your fragrant offering and sacrifice to God, just like Jesus did.

这些事以后，耶稣在提比里亚海边再次向门徒们显现。他显现的经过是这样的：当时西门·彼得、称为“双生子”的多马、加利利的迦南人拿但业、西庇太的两个儿子，和另外两个门徒都聚在一起。西门·彼得对他们说：“我要打鱼去。”他们说：“我们也跟你一起去。”于是他们出去，上了船，可是那一夜他们并没有打到什么。清早的时候，耶稣站在岸边；门徒却不知道他就是耶稣。耶稣对他们说：“孩子们，打到鱼没有？”他们回答：“没有。”耶稣说：“把网撒在船的右边，就可以得着。”他们就把网撒下去，可是拉不上来，因为鱼太多。耶稣所爱的那门徒对彼得说：“是主！”西门·彼得一听见是主，就立刻束上外衣（因为他当时赤着身子），纵身跳进海里。其他的门徒，因为离岸不远（约有一百公尺），就坐在小船上，把那网鱼拖过来。他们上了岸，就看见那里有一堆炭火，上面有鱼有饼。耶稣对他们说：“把你们刚才打的鱼拿几条来。”西门·彼得就上船，把网拉到岸上；那网满了大鱼，共有一百五十三条。鱼虽然这么多，网却没有破。耶稣对他们说：“你们来，吃早饭吧。”门徒中没有一个人敢问他：“你是谁？”因为知道他是主。耶稣走过来，拿饼递给他们，又照样拿鱼递给他们。这是耶稣从死人中复活之后，第三次向门徒显现。（约21:1-14，新译本）

耶稣复活以后的事迹，四卷福音书都有记载，但要以路加福音和约翰福音的记载较为详尽，也有更多更为个人更为亲密的记述。约21章这里，正是一例。
复活的耶稣再次去到门徒那里——这次在他们徒劳了一整个晚上之后。然后他就指示他们在哪里下网，然后就是出乎他们意料之外的丰收。这是多么熟悉的场景！难怪耶稣所爱的门徒马上认出来者就是耶稣！

这段经文中，有一个有趣的细节常常让我们津津乐道，那就是耶稣为他们预备了早餐并且与他们一起进食——看来，尽管复活的身体能够穿墙而过，但同时也是能够品尝美食的！（根据路加，耶稣更是直接就问他们有吃的没有！见路24:36-43）
然而，这个细节除了让我们对复活的身体有丁点的认识之外，这个相遇的平凡处境也是这个细节让人动容的地方。如果之前两次耶稣在房门上了锁的情况下进入屋内与他们问安是奇妙的展现的话，那么这次就是在最平常的生活场景中遇见了复活的主——就在那烤烟袅袅上升，烤鱼烤饼的香味渐渐弥漫空气，一句再自然不过的“把刚才打的鱼拿几条来”里头，门徒们再次见到了他们所爱的老师。虽然大家都不敢出声询问肯定，只不过，在他们心里，大概已经对这位给他们预备早饭的人的身份，确认无疑了。

做早饭。就是这么普通平常的生活场景，复活的主就选择在这里出现。在战胜了死亡的权柄之后，他并没有只是忙着颁布大使命或叮嘱门徒要成为他的见证人。在走出那无法拘禁他的死亡的墓穴后，复活的主去到了门徒们的日常生活中，跟他们做着最日常的事——走路谈论也好，撒网捕鱼也好，准备早餐也好，在最平常的事物中，注入了他复活的能力——心，火热起来；打着了满船满网的鱼（而渔网竟然没有破裂！）；……在他们心里再次浇入了盼望和期待！

耶稣的复活，为神国度的降临拉开了最后的帷幕，吹响了最终末的乐章。然而，这拉开的帷幕所展现的，是依然平常的生活；这响起的乐章所萦绕的，还是那日常熟悉的场所。只不过，平常的生活是不是有点不平常了？那熟悉的日常是不是有哪里不一样了？……
神国度还没有最终的成全以前，未必是人人可见荣耀至极的模样。但是，就在那最平常的处境里，就在再熟悉不过的场景中，复活的主就是要我们学习专心的看、仔细的听，然后，就会发现他自己复活的大能，原来已经逐渐逐渐地将腐朽死亡转化为欣欣生命了。而作为已经与他同死同复活的他的跟随者他的教会，他更愿意我们的生命和生活也满载他复活的能力，在每一天的日常中，带着对他再来的期待，活出盼望。

在这个复活节期里，愿这是神的教会的祷告。

John 20:23
If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you withhold forgiveness from any, it is withheld.”

Why it is Puzzling:
John 20:23 is where Jesus spoke to His disciples. Based on a plain reading of the text, it seems like Christians (being disciples of Jesus) now have the power to grant or withhold forgiveness just like Jesus did when He walked the earth. Bear in mind that the kind of forgiveness that Jesus speaks of in v23 differs from normal forgiveness. In John 9, after the Jews cast out a blind man healed by Jesus, Jesus went looking for him. Verse 35-41 reads:

35 Jesus heard that they had cast him out, and having found him he said, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?” 36 He answered, “And who is he, sir, that I may believe in him?” 37 Jesus said to him, “You have seen him, and it is he who is speaking to you.” 38 He said, “Lord, I believe,” and he worshiped him. 39 Jesus said, “For judgment I came into this world, that those who do not see may see, and those who see may become blind.” 40 Some of the Pharisees near him heard these things, and said to him, “Are we also blind?” 41 Jesus said to them, “If you were blind, you would have no guilt; but now that you say, ‘We see,’ your guilt remains.

We assume that Jesus has the authority to forgive the Pharisees, but instead, He “withholds forgiveness” and declares their guilt to be retained instead. This is the kind of authority and power presumably spoken of by Jesus in v23. Therefore, this is different from normal forgiveness, where a person offers pardon to the one who offended them. Anyone, even a non-Christian, can do that. This is in contrast with the v23 kind of forgiveness. Offering pardon to the “sins of any” – even to people who have not offended you is definitely not in the realm of normal forgiveness. Since all sins are sins toward God (After David sinned against Uriah the Hittite, he says in Psalm 51:4a – “Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight“), this kind of forgiveness spoken of in v23 is about bringing divine pardon to the guilty, thereby clearing one of sin and guilt towards God. Therefore, we can read into v23 that the ultimate forgiver or withholder of forgiveness is God. Therefore, we can read v23 this way too:

“If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them [by God]; if you withhold forgiveness from any, it is withheld [by God].”

It is God who effectively forgives or retains the sin, although Jesus’ disciples are the agents who bring about the effect. So the puzzling part about all this is that the authority to render v23 kind of forgiveness or to withhold such forgiveness would seem too heavy a responsibility for ordinary Christians. This is because, unlike Jesus (or the apostles), ordinary Christians are not able to read into the hearts of people and therefore are not able to perfectly discern the heart condition of a sinner. What if a sinner is not truly repentant, and we offered v23 forgiveness? What if we withhold v23 forgiveness by mistake? The authority spelt out in v23 seems more aligned with a judge with perfect knowledge of a person’s heart condition. Ordinary Christians like you and I would feel overwhelmed playing the role of such a judge if indeed such authority applies to us when Jesus gave such authority to His disciples. 

Alternative Interpretation #1: 
The authority/ responsibility of v23 is only meant for apostles, and the office of an apostle has ceased after the apostle Paul (him being the final apostle). Therefore, v23 does not apply to ordinary Christians like us. Having such power as authority to forgive and withhold forgiveness, such power goes hand in hand with the ability to discern the heart of a person. We do see such abilities in the acts of the apostles. Below are two examples.

Acts 5:1-10
Now a man named Ananias, together with his wife Sapphira, also sold a piece of property. 2 With his wife’s full knowledge he kept back part of the money for himself, but brought the rest and put it at the apostles’ feet. 3 Then Peter said, “Ananias, how is it that Satan has so filled your heart that you have lied to the Holy Spirit and have kept for yourself some of the money you received for the land? 4 Didn’t it belong to you before it was sold? And after it was sold, wasn’t the money at your disposal? What made you think of doing such a thing? You have not lied just to human beings but to God.” 5 When Ananias heard this, he fell down and died. And great fear seized all who heard what had happened. 6 Then some young men came forward, wrapped up his body, and carried him out and buried him. 7 About three hours later his wife came in, not knowing what had happened. 8 Peter asked her, “Tell me, is this the price you and Ananias got for the land?” “Yes,” she said, “that is the price.” 9 Peter said to her, “How could you conspire to test the Spirit of the Lord? Listen! The feet of the men who buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out also.” 10 At that moment she fell down at his feet and died. Then the young men came in and, finding her dead, carried her out and buried her beside her husband.

The apostle Peter could discern the hearts of Annanias and Sapphira, and it would appear that he made the decision to judge them and withheld forgiveness from them (especially in v9).

Acts 8:18-24
When Simon saw that the Spirit was given at the laying on of the apostles’ hands, he offered them money 19 and said, “Give me also this ability so that everyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit.” 20 Peter answered: “May your money perish with you, because you thought you could buy the gift of God with money! 21 You have no part or share in this ministry, because your heart is not right before God. 22 Repent of this wickedness and pray to the Lord in the hope that he may forgive you for having such a thought in your heart. 23 For I see that you are full of bitterness and captive to sin.” 24 Then Simon answered, “Pray to the Lord for me so that nothing you have said may happen to me.”

Here we see the apostle Peter being able to discern wickedness in the heart of Simon the Sorcerer. Even then, he himself did not make the decision to forgive or withhold forgiveness, but instead, asked Simon to pray to God for forgiveness. 

Alternative Interpretation #2: 
The context of v23 is: being sent out to preach the gospel as the Spirit empowers (v21-22). Therefore, Christians involved in gospel sharing are the continuation of Jesus’ ministry of extending and withholding forgiveness. Ordinary Christians having the authority in declaring v23 kind of forgiveness is simply the result of gauging sinners’ responses to the gospel, and so, apart from the gospel, Christians have no such authority. Therefore, in line with the rest of Scriptures, we can be assured that no Christian possesses such authority to extend divine forgiveness to sins except in declaring complete forgiveness upon one who has indicated acceptance of the gospel (and thus has directly asked God for forgiveness himself or herself). Such a declaration is in the context of affirming one’s submission to the gospel (affirming God has forgiven rather than we have forgiven). 

Why it Matters:
Imagine a Christian going to another Christian, saying: “Forgive me, ________ , for I have sinned. It has been 6 months since my last confession.”
If a Christian’s understanding of v23 is that of having such divine powers, such a Christian may hear the sinner’s confession and offer the v23 kind of forgiveness when he ought to be directing the sinner’s confession and prayers to God. That is why it is important to clarify how one’s interpretation of biblical texts plays out practically. 

吴赛贤   

诗篇33：8-19

8愿 全 地 都 敬 畏 耶 和 华 ！ 愿 世 上 的 居 民 都 惧 怕 他 ！9因 为 他 说 有 ， 就 有 ， 命 立 ， 就 立 。10耶 和 华 使 列 国 的 筹 算 归 於 无 有 ， 使 众 民 的 思 念 无 有 功 效 。11耶 和 华 的 筹 算 永 远 立 定 ； 他 心 中 的 思 念 万 代 常 存 。12以 耶 和 华 为 　 神 的 ， 那 国 是 有 福 的 ！ 他 所 拣 选 为 自 己 产 业 的 ， 那 民 是 有 福 的 ！13耶 和 华 从 天 上 观 看 ； 他 看 见 一 切 的 世 人 。14从 他 的 居 所 往 外 察 看 地 上 一 切 的 居 民 。15他 是 那 造 成 他 们 众 人 心 的 ， 留 意 他 们 一 切 作 为 的 。16君 王 不 能 因 兵 多 得 胜 ； 勇 士 不 能 因 力 大 得 救 。17靠 马 得 救 是 枉 然 的 ； 马 也 不 能 因 力 大 救 人 。18耶 和 华 的 眼 目 看 顾 敬 畏 他 的 人 和 仰 望 他 慈 爱 的 人 ，19要 救 他 们 的 命 脱 离 死 亡 ， 并 使 他 们 在 饥 荒 中 存 活 。

以 耶 和 华 为 神 的 ， 那 国 是 有 福 的 ！​

大选已在昨日尘埃落定，民众已作决定按心意投选自己喜爱的政党，为接下来五年为人民服务，此次选举将选出来自33个选区，这是新加坡自1948年以来第19次举行大选, 也是自1965年独立后的第14次。​值得一提的是，这将是自2001年以来，第一次不是由李显龙总理领导行动党参选，因为黄循财部长已在2024年5月15日接任总理，并在同年12月4日出任党的秘书长。​这次大选被视为新一代“接棒人” 选举，就是选出国家未来的领导人或领导班子，为人民服务、也为人民请命！从古以来，就有埋头苦干的人，有拼命硬干的人，有为民请命的人，有舍身求法的人，……古时官员们为皇上陛下效劳，鞠躬尽瘁。。也为百性请命，达至为人民作主,出面反映百姓疾苦，故西汉·司马迁《史记·淮阴侯列传》：“因民之欲，西乡为百姓请命，则天下风走而响应矣，孰敢不听！，”现今这时代也是如此，国家未来的领导人或领导班子，一样的为国家为百姓效力。

从圣经角度来看；诗人说：以 耶 和 华 为 神 的 ， 那 国 是 有 福 的 ！​我们要为国家领导者祷告！求赐予智慧以最妥善的方法来处理各样的问题：无论是：国家经济、种族和谐、国民就业、提升优质医疗服务等等。故此我们要为他们代祷求恩！神的心意不仅是要我们昼夜不息地祷告，且是要我们扩大祷告的帐幕，为万民、为全地来祷告代求。保罗在提摩太前书2:1-5勉励众教会、众门徒：“我劝你第一要为万人恳求、祷告、代求、祝谢；为君王和一切在位的，也该如此，使我们可以敬虔、端正，平安无事地度日。​

καταλλάσσω (katalassō)

1. 指神的作为。和好、复和。林后5:18-19
2. 指神—人之间的关系。复和、林后5:20
3. (指人—人之间的关系。复合。林前7:11)

（节译自 BDAG 《新约及早期基督教文献希腊文大词典》（英文版））

复活主日的到来，终止了肃穆静思的大斋节期，迎来了喜乐跃动的复活节期(Easter season)。在这2个节期交替的中心点，正是记念耶稣钉上十字架的受难日。耶稣在十字架上所成就的救赎之工也因此是新约圣徒常常默想反思神在历史中的作为的焦点，一如旧约的作者常常从出埃及的角度来诠释和理解神与以色列的救赎关系一般。
这也是上周牧者心语中，洁颖姐妹给予我们的提醒与劝勉——提醒我们，这个十字架上的救赎，正是神所应许和预备，且在祂的信实中成就了的，并劝勉我们要坚信这极大的好消息，参与其中，向他人宣讲分享这个好消息。

当此节期交替之际，这着实是很及时的提醒和鼓励。

与此同时，有一件事却很可能是我们没有太过留意的。
每每思想起十字架的救赎，我们的目光，常是落在其所成就的神人之间的和好这个事实上，是本来有罪的人终于可以坦然无惧地站在圣洁的神面前，原本的破裂如今已全然修复。保罗在林后5:18-20这一小段铿锵的论述，就有力而殷切地带出了这和好的福分与职分——

这一切都是出于神，祂藉着基督使我们与祂自己和好，并且把这和好的职分赐给我们，就是神在基督里使世人与祂自己和好，不再追究他们的过犯，并且把和好的道理托付了我们。因此，我们就是基督的使者，神藉着我们劝告世人，我们代替基督请求你们：跟神和好吧！

然而，和好(reconcile/reconciliation)一词，在希腊原文中，除了关系的修复之外，还有另一个元素——交换：拿善意与敌意交换 (the exchange of hostility for a friendly relationship)。换言之，神与人和好，神主动地修复与人的关系所必须先做的，就是交换，也就是保罗在哥林多后书接下来所说的：“神使那无罪的替/为我们成为有罪的，使我们在他里面成为神的义。”（新译本/环球译本）
那无罪的替我们成为有罪的——这就是破裂关系得以修复的代价；神所应许并预备的救赎，并不是祂无关痛痒地挥一挥神仙棒就成就的神迹，而是祂忍痛割舍了祂所深爱的儿子来换取我们这样不堪的罪人。

当此复活节期，在我们庆贺与神和好时，在我们颂赞十字架的救赎时，一定不要忘记也不当忽略这个交换。那么，我们对神所应许与预备的救赎的坚信就不会沦为廉价的买卖（祢既然履行承诺了，那我就相信祢吧），我们向人讲述这个极大的好消息时，也才不会只是有口无心地交差了事。