2018-11-20


享受與上帝的相交Enjoying Communion with God

[每日靈修11/20/2018駱鴻銘編譯

二十世紀前,當門徒走上通往以馬忤斯的道路時,耶穌隱瞞了祂的身份,以致他們不認識他們身邊的「陌生人」。這些人並不在花園裏,也沒有覆蓋著露水的玫瑰。但他們與復活的基督邊走邊談。他們的經歷像什麼樣子呢?當他們的眼睛終於被打開,並且認出耶穌時,祂突然消失了,他們彼此說:「在路上,祂和我們說話,給我們講解聖經的時候,我們的心豈不是火熱的嗎?」(路廿四32)。

這是人類對基督直接同在的正常反應——「我們心裏火熱。」如果我能聽到祂的聲音,我的心就會被燒成炭灰。如果我能與祂同行並與祂交談,我的靈魂就會爆發出歡樂。我會環遊世界,去找到祂明顯同在的花園。

但事實是,我看不見上帝。我甚至看不到祂的踪影。祂並沒有在沙子上留下腳印,門把上沒有指紋,微風中沒有潤膚露的餘香。祂是不可見的,因為祂不是由物質構成的。

我所渴望的是一種與上帝既親密又個人的關係。親密關係的最大障礙是上帝的不可見。因為我看不見祂,所以我傾向於懷疑祂的同在。但祂在那裏並承諾我們會與祂相交和團契。祂所提供的克服障礙的工具,是禱告。

禱告為我們提供了與上帝親密團契的環節。在這裏我們可以找到聖徒所說的「神秘的甜蜜相交」。一個人不必是神秘主義者,才能享受這種甜蜜的交流。祈禱是通向上帝的道路。祂垂聽我在禱告中對祂所說的話。祂回應,即使我聽不到或看不見祂自己。當我們超越了說出我們的請求,或將我們的請求放在祂面前的境界時,我們就進入到甜蜜相交的領域。在這裏,我們穿透那不可見的,並以祂同在的榮耀而歡喜。

活在神的面光中(在神面前禱告):
今天花一些時間與上帝相交。

進一步研讀:
路廿四1316 正當那日,門徒中有兩個人往一個村子去;這村子名叫以馬忤斯,離耶路撒冷約有二十五里。 14 他們彼此談論所遇見的這一切事。 15 正談論相問的時候,耶穌親自就近他們,和他們同行; 16 只是他們的眼睛迷糊了,不認識他。
路廿四32 他們彼此說:「在路上,他和我們說話,給我們講解聖經的時候,我們的心豈不是火熱的嗎?」


Enjoying Communion with God

When the disciples walked the road to Emmaus twenty centuries ago, Jesus concealed His identity so that they didn’t recognize the “stranger” at their side. These men were not in a garden. There were no roses covered with dew. But they walked and talked with the risen Christ. What was their experience like? When their eyes were finally opened and they recognized Jesus, He suddenly vanished and they said to one another, “Were not our hearts burning within us while He was speaking to us on the road, while He was explaining the Scriptures to us?” (Luke 24:32, NASB).

That is the normal human reaction to the immediate presence of Christ—“hearts burning within us.” My heart would be scorched to a cinder if I could hear His voice. My soul would explode in joy if I could walk with Him and talk with Him. I would travel the world to find a garden where He was visibly present. 

But the truth is that I can’t see God. I can’t even see His shadow. He leaves no footprints in the sand, no fingerprints on the doorknob, no lingering aroma of aftershave in the breeze. He is invisible because He is immaterial.

What I crave is a relationship with God that is both intimate and personal. The great barrier to intimacy is God’s invisibility. Because I cannot see Him, I tend to doubt His presence. But He is there and promises communion and fellowship with Him. The tool He provides to overcome the barrier is the tool of prayer.

Prayer offers us a link to intimate fellowship with God. Here is where we find what the saints call “mystic sweet communion.” One need not be a mystic to enjoy this sweet communion. Prayer is access to God. He hears what I say to Him in prayer. He responds, though not audibly or with a vision of Himself. When we move beyond speaking our requests or placing our petitions before Him, we enter into the arena of sweet communion. Here we penetrate the invisible and delight in the glory of His presence.

Coram Deo
Spend some time today communing with God.

Passages for Further Study
Luke 24:13–16