我们再往犹太去吧。门徒说……你还往那里去吗?(约十一7-8)
我可能不明白主耶稣的话,但若如此说他的话有错,就很危险了。若以为顺服神的一句话会羞辱耶稣,这是绝对错误的想法,唯一羞辱主的是不顺服他。用维护祂荣耀的看法来代替听从他明确的命令,必然是错的;即使动机的确是想避免叫主受辱。从神来的意思,可从那安静而持续的感动认出来。但当我不得不反复思考、权衡得失时,接着进来的是疑虑争辩,我就是把不属于神的东西带了进来。于是便知道,这意思是不对的。我们多半忠于自己对耶稣的概念,但我们中间有多少人是忠于他的?忠于耶稣就是听命开步,不凭眼见(太十四29),忠于我自己对耶稣的概念,就是在我的理智上先搞清楚。信心不是理智上的理解,信心是在未见之先,立志委身于他。
你是否反复自辩,要靠耶稣走信心之路呢?还是你自己应付?用欢喜快乐的心,无所顾忌地顺服他吧。当他对你说了些什么,而你却开始反复思量,这是因为你对他的荣誉有所顾虑,而其实你所认为的荣誉,并非主的荣誉。你到底是忠于耶稣?还是忠于你对祂的概念?你是忠于他所说的话?还是拿那不出于他的观点来折衷妥协?“他告诉你们什么,你们就作什么。”
祈祷◆噢,主啊,我何等需要靠近你。当你进入我的生命,我何需颤抖?
March 28: Isn’t There Some Misunderstanding?
“Let us go into Judea. His disciples say unto Him . . . Goest Thou thither again?” John 11:7-8
I may not understand what Jesus Christ says, but it is dangerous to say that therefore He was mistaken in what He said. It is never right to think that my obedience to a word of God will bring dishonour to Jesus. The only thing that will bring dishonour is not obeying Him. To put my view of His honour in place of what He is plainly impelling me to do is never right, although it may arise from a real desire to prevent Him being put to open shame. I know when the proposition comes from God because of its quiet persistence: When I have to weigh the pros and cons, and doubt and debate come in, I am bringing in an element that is not of God, and I come to the conclusion that the suggestion was not a right one. Many of us are loyal to our notions of Jesus Christ, but how many of us are loyal to Him? Loyalty to Jesus means I have to step out where I do not see anything (cf. Matt. 14:29); loyalty to my notions means that I clear the ground first by my intelligence. Faith is not intelligent understanding, faith is deliberate commitment to a Person where I see no way.
Are you debating whether to take a step in faith in Jesus or to wait until you can see how to do the thing yourself? Obey Him with glad reckless joy. When He says something and you begin to debate, it is because you have a conception of His honour which is not His honour. Are you loyal to Jesus or loyal to your notion of Him? Are you loyal to what He says, or are you trying to compromise with conceptions which never came from Him? “Whatsoever He saith unto you, do it.”