探索基督的本性Exploring Christ’s Nature
[每日靈修] 12/21/2018, 駱鴻銘編譯
我記得J. B. Phillips在二十世紀中葉出版的小書中取得了令人矚目的成功，書名是《你的上帝太小了》（Your God Is Too
Small）。這本書對於想要更深入地認識上帝的本性和屬性的人來說，是一個巨大的挑戰。它顯然觸及了要害，因為許多人為了擴展他們對上帝威嚴的認識而如饑似渴地貪讀了這本書。
我希望有人可以對基督激起同樣的反應。在我為基督徒出版並製作教育材料的這些年裏，我一直對一些奇怪的東西感到困惑。我注意到關於耶穌的書籍和錄音帶在基督教書店裏都賣得不好。我不知道為什麼會這樣。或許這與一種廣泛的假設有關，那就是我們對耶穌的了解已經夠多了，或者是認為深入研究基督的位格和工作可能是對耶穌的不敬。
我們對耶穌的理解似乎有些問題。我們用十分甜蜜的字眼來形容耶穌：「溫柔的耶穌真仁愛」（gentle Jesus, meek
and mild；查理•衛斯理的詩歌），說到祂的「甜美」，但祂的本性的深度和豐富仍然令人難以捉摸。請注意，我喜歡談論基督的甜美。這種說法沒有什麼錯。但我們需要明白祂對信徒來說為何會如此甜美。
活在神的面光中（在神面前禱告）：
到你當地的基督教書房買一本關於耶穌的書。當你閱讀時，求上帝向你顯明祂兒子的本性。
進一步研讀：
賽五三2 他在耶和華面前生長如嫩芽，像根出於乾地。他無佳形美容；我們看見他的時候，也無美貌使我們羨慕他。
徒八32 他所念的那段經，說：他像羊被牽到宰殺之地，又像羊羔在剪毛的人手下無聲；他也是這樣不開口。
西二9 因為神本性一切的豐盛都有形有體的居住在基督裏面。
Exploring
Christ’s Nature
I
remember the remarkable success of the little book published in the middle of
the twentieth century by J. B. Phillips titled “Your God Is Too Small.” The
book was a ringing challenge to seek a deeper understanding of the nature and
character of God. It obviously struck a nerve, as multitudes of people devoured
the book in a quest to expand their knowledge of the majesty of God.
I
wish that someone could provoke the same response with regard to Christ. In my
years of publishing and producing educational materials for Christians, I have
been puzzled by something strange. I have noticed that books and tapes about
Jesus do not do well in Christian bookstores. I am not sure why this is so.
Perhaps it has something to do with a widespread assumption that we already
know a lot about Jesus or that there may be something irreligious about
studying the person and work of Christ too deeply.
There
seems to be something wrong with our understanding of Jesus. We speak in
saccharine terms of “gentle Jesus, meek and mild,” and of His “sweetness,” but
the depth and riches of His nature remain elusive to us. Now, I love to speak
of the sweetness of Christ. There is nothing wrong with this language. But we
need to understand what it is about Him that makes Him so sweet to believers.
Coram
Deo
Go to
your local Christian bookstore and buy a book about Jesus. As you read it, ask
God to reveal to you the true nature of His Son.
Passages
for Further Study
Isaiah
53:2
Acts
8:32
Colossians
2:9