Tuesday, 28th June 2022
Rev Daniel Xi An Poon
The Upper Room is not just a dream, or a belief but the reality we can live in. God is preparing us in the Upper Room so we can carry the plan of the Kingdom of God. In the Upper Room we learn how to deal with our lives, so we can influence the lives of others. Just like how the eleven disciples change and influence the lives of many others, leading to the revival of the kingdom of Israel. What are our lives now? How can we change for the better? What did the life of Jesus bring us today?
Section One V1-20 Witness the Opposition of Good and Evil
In the previous chapter, the disciples witnessed Jesus rebuke the winds and waves. Before that they only saw Jesus as their teacher, who could fulfil the physical needs of people. But in front of the wind and waves, Jesus revealed His power and the disciples started to meditate on the identity of Jesus. Jesus brought the opposition of good and evil.
When Jesus went to different places, people would be crowded around Him because they wanted to see the signs and wonders. But when Jesus came to Gadarenea there was only one person being possessed by demon, hurting himself. When he saw Jesus, he didn’t want to be healed but begged Jesus not to hurt him. He lives in a dark world therefore when he saw the light Jesus brought, he thought he’d be hurt. Jesus is the light, the opposition of darkness, He comes into the world with light and darkness will flee.
There were demons everywhere and they were casted out by Jesus, had nowhere to go but to the place Jesus told them to go. Jesus didn’t come to bring judgement but to call people to repent, to receive life, and to preach the Gospel. Jesus’ judgement is in His second coming, when He will judge the world together with us. The devil knew it was not the time for Jesus to judge the world yet so they were making a deal with Jesus, asking Him to send them to the pigs.
The people in Gadarenes knew the demon possessed man, but they were not afraid of him, because they treated the demon as their guardians, but when Jesus brought light, they were afraid. We are also like this, we don’t like it when Jesus brings light into our lives. We are afraid of changes and coming out of our comfort zone. We are so used to darkness that we cannot stand the light. Do not be indulged in the worldly desires, but to come out to the light and follow Jesus!
Section Two V21-34 Witness the Power of Faith
Section Three V35-43 Witness the Authority of the Son
We follow God is by the Power of the Word or God, not by our own strength. God will take care of our needs. The power ministry of the Kingdom of God is more than healing and deliverance, but it’s to reveal the everlasting Word of God. God will take care of our every day living. We don’t need to seek God and ask Him for what we want and desire. He wants our lives to impact lives, He will take care of everything else for us.
When people see our lives change, they will be touched. It’s never about how much knowledge we teach them but how much of Jesus we can live out in our lives. What is the power ministry for us on this world? It’s by the power of God. We can experience the One True God, and we must believe in it!
马可福音 5 – 耶稣带来的是什么
2022年6月28日 星期二
潘锡安牧师
马可楼不是一个梦想、信念、或口号,而是我们真实活着的光景。神在马可楼这里预备我们,让我们的生命可以承载神国的计划。在马可楼我们学习对付自己的生命,使我们将来可以影响生命,正如那十一个门徒生命在马可楼被改变。我们如今的光景如何,对神又有怎样的认识?耶稣在地上的时候,门徒看耶稣是希望他能带领以色列国复兴;然而耶稣死里复活之后,门徒接受使命,期待自己能够承载神的话和心意,并将神的话传扬出去。当门徒以为耶稣会带来犹大国复国和各人的自由时,他们就跌倒了。耶稣给我们带来的究竟是什么?
一、v.1-20 见证正邪的对立
V1-5 在前一章,门徒见证到耶稣是能斥责风和海的耶稣。之前他们看耶稣只是夫子,或者能够满足人在身体、物质上的需求。然而,在人类无法克服的风浪面前,耶稣施展大能,门徒们就开始思考耶稣的身份。耶稣带来的不只是宗教的知识或身体的医治,他还带来正邪的对立。耶稣去到其它的地方,人们常常都来拥挤他,因为人们期待看到他行神迹奇事,而在格拉森这个地方,只有一个被污鬼附着的人来迎接他,没有其他渴慕被耶稣触摸的人。那个被污鬼附的人将坟墓当成自己的家,在坟墓里做伤害自己的事。
V6-8 那人看到耶稣后并不是想触摸耶稣,而是质问耶稣,求耶稣不要让他“受苦”。那人觉得耶稣会让他受苦,因为他活在一个黑暗的世界,知道正邪是对立的,有光的地方,黑暗就会消失。在这鬼还没有靠近耶稣的时候,耶稣已经吩咐鬼出去了。因为正邪对立,耶稣要来医治病人。
V9 耶稣见鬼不听话,就问他的名字。从鬼的回答可以得知,这其实是有一群鬼住在那格拉森人身上。
V10 鬼的数目众多,周围都是鬼,他们已无处可去,只能去耶稣叫他们去的地方。
V11-14 耶稣此时与鬼的互动并不是审判 – 我们遇到问题时会疑问神在哪里,但耶稣来是要我们悔改、得生命,然后传好消息给有需要的人。耶稣的审判是他再来的时候,他要与我们一起审判世界。魔鬼知道这时还不是耶稣审判世界的时候,所以跟耶稣谈判。那里的山坡有猪、也有放猪的人,说明是不信神的外邦人住在那里,因为犹大人是看猪为不洁净的。耶稣同意那群鬼进入猪群后,猪反而死了,数目约有二千。从这里也看到,那里有很多外邦人从小就生活在这样的环境中。
V15-17 格拉森众人明知道那人原本被一群鬼附着,整天用石头砍自己,却不曾害怕,因为他们知道这群鬼是帮助看守他们的,结果鬼离开了,人们反而害怕,没有感恩耶稣将他们从黑暗中带出来。我们是否也是如此?当神将光明带入我们的生命时,我们不喜欢,当神让我们不要跟从世界的时候,我们害怕,担心自己没有活的下去的资源,好像格拉森众人一样。邪恶的人在黑暗里呆惯了,不要光,甚至还要光离开。整个格拉森充满属世界的黑暗,我们也是被自己的情欲充满,不要为跟随耶稣而受苦。
V18 我们的福音不是廉价的福音,于是耶稣离开那被黑暗充满的地方。
V19 耶稣不许那曾被鬼附着的人跟着他,反让他回到原本的地方将自己怎样被神怜悯的事告诉当地的人,将怜悯带下,生命影响生命。低加坡里是超越格拉森的,因为格拉森只是低加坡里其中一个城市,那人的见证使低加坡里的人受感动。我们今天能够在马可楼经历神,都是因着神的怜悯,我们是否有将神的这份怜悯带下,影响我们周围的人?
二、v.21-34 见证信心的能力
V21-23 “睚鲁”意思是“上帝启发的人”,当他看见耶稣的时候就受到启发,于是求耶稣救自己的女儿。睚鲁没有像其他人那样挑战耶稣,而是知道耶稣的权能。
V25 这个妇人并非一出生就患有血漏的病。犹太人认为,人是因为自己做了不圣洁、得罪神的事才患上这个病的。
V27 血漏的妇人不认识耶稣,但她觉得要摸耶稣的衣裳就好了。她不知道耶稣若手按病人,病人就得痊愈,她只知道耶稣有权能。妇人从耶稣的穿着猜测他的身份,虽然没有真正认识耶稣,但她相信耶稣的能力。
V29 血漏这件事在妇人的身上是钱和人都帮不了她的灾难。
V30 耶稣感觉到圣灵的出去。我们是否认识耶稣,是否知道耶稣披戴的是什么?
V34 当时的耶稣只不过三十左右,但他称呼那妇人“女儿”,说明耶稣没有彰显自己。耶稣可以体会到那妇人因着过去十二年患血漏的感受,他不仅彰显圣灵的能力,还有天父的爱,让人看到,耶和华所怀的意念是赐平安的意念。
三、v.35-43 见证人子的权能
V35-36 大家对耶稣的认识都停留在他只是一个夫子、教师。但耶稣带下的是在地如在天的能力。
V37 耶稣不许那些只是看热闹或没信心的人跟随,只允许他所栽培的三个门徒彼得、雅各和约翰同去,让他们见证耶稣所彰显的权能。这三个门徒就是耶稣复活后影响耶路撒冷教会的使徒。在马可楼,我们有信心的人聚在一起,用祷告挑旺我们对神的信心。
V42 “他们”指的是跟着耶稣的三个门徒和女孩的父母。
V43 耶稣不要他们只看这些表面的神迹奇事,他不要我们只是渴望这些外显的权能,我们跟随神,要单单倚靠神的话。被神恢复的人,耶稣会亲自照顾。人子在地上的权能不仅是赶鬼、起死回生、斥责风浪,而是见证神的话永不改变,神会照顾我们日用的饮食,因此我们不需要整天为了自己的生活去求神做事。
我们不用求别人认同我们,但当人看到我们生命不一样时,他们也会被改变。当耶稣披戴圣灵的外袍,神迹奇事、医治就会自然而然的发生。我们在地上,靠的是神的话语彰显神的权能,你愿意相信吗?