尋找失喪的人Seeking the Lost
[每日靈修] 10/22/2018, 駱鴻銘編譯
馬丁路德作為宗教改革的先驅，大聲疾呼說，教會必須成為「世俗」（profane）。它必須離開聖殿進入世界。路德看到了「世俗」這個詞的拉丁詞根，這個詞來自pro-fanus（「在聖殿外」）。如果在教會之外，基督和人沒有關係，那麼祂在教會裏面也是無足輕重的。如果我們的信心只被關在基督徒社群的小房間裏面，那麼，它往好處說是一種不順服的信心，往壞處說，根本就不是信心。
發展出「藉由分離來得救」之教義的，是法利賽人。他們是種族隔離主義的實踐者，他們相信只要避免與不潔的罪人接觸，就可以達到聖潔。難怪他們被耶穌的行為所震驚，他與撒瑪利亞人交往，與稅吏共進晚餐，將祂的手放在痳瘋病人身上，並服事妓女。我們的主被指責為酒鬼和貪食者，不是因為祂超重或者不知節制，而是因為在這些事情屬於司空見慣的地方，經常可以看見祂的身影。
如果「因有關連就被認為有罪」（guilt by association）是一種合法的罪行，那麼，耶穌在祂傳道的早期就已經犯了罪。但祂來是要尋找、拯救失喪的人。祂發現他們聚集在祂天父的世界裏。
活在神的面光中（在神面前禱告）：
耶穌來尋找、拯救失喪的人。祂吩咐我們也這樣做。為了回應這個命令，你正在做什麼呢？
進一步研讀：
路十九10 人子來，為要尋找，拯救失喪的人。
來七25 凡靠著祂進到神面前的人，他都能拯救到底；因為祂是長遠活著，替他們祈求。
雅一21 所以你們要脫去一切的污穢和盈餘的邪惡，存溫柔的心領受那所栽種的道，就是能救你們靈魂的道。
Seeking
the Lost
Martin
Luther, as a herald of the Reformation, exclaimed that the church must be
profane. It must move out of the temple and into the world. Luther looked to
the Latin roots of the word profane, which comes from pro-fanus (“outside the
temple”). If Christ is not relevant outside the church, He is insignificant
inside the church. If our faith is bound to the inner chambers of the Christian
community, it is at best a disobedient faith and at worst, no faith at all.
It
was the Pharisees who developed the doctrine of salvation by separation. They
were practicing segregationists, believing that holiness was achieved by
avoiding contact with unclean sinners. No wonder they were scandalized by the
behavior of Jesus, who dealt with Samaritans, ate dinner with tax collectors,
placed His hand upon lepers, and ministered to harlots. Our Lord was accused of
being a drunkard and a glutton, not because He was overweight or given to
intemperance, but because He frequented places where these things were
commonplace.
If
guilt by association were a legitimate offense, Jesus would have lost His
sinlessness early in His ministry. But He came to seek and to save the lost. He
found them gathered in His Father’s world.
Coram
Deo
Jesus
came to seek and save the lost. He commanded us to do likewise. What are you
doing in response to that command?
Passages
for Further Study
Luke
19:10
Hebrews
7:25
James
1:21
