接受我們的幫助者Accepting Our Helper
[每日靈修] 12/30/2018, 駱鴻銘編譯
1965年，凌晨三點，阿姆斯特丹。我無法入睡。我像籠中的獅子一般，在公寓的地板上來回踱步。我的身體早已準備好要睡覺，但我的思緒停不下來。
當天我花了很多時間研究基督升天的教義，這是祂離開這個世界的高潮時分。耶穌的一句話像老虎鉗那樣，抓住了我的思緒。這句話是耶穌在樓房對門徒告別講論的一部分。祂說道：「然而，我將真情告訴你們，我去是與你們有益的；我若不去，保惠師就不到你們這裏來。我若去，就差祂來。」（約十六7）。
我來回踱步，思忖著這個令人驚訝的聲明。一個不在現場的主，對教會來說，怎麼可能是更好的體驗呢？與親人分離並不是一種「甜蜜的悲傷」。人們會認為，與道成肉身的耶穌分離，會是一種完全痛苦的悲傷，靈魂的徹底分解。
然而耶穌談到了祂離開的某種「權宜之計」。在約翰福音第十六章中，翻譯為「有益」或「權宜之計」的這個詞是sumpherei [συμφέρει]，那是該亞法在他具有諷刺意味的預言中所使用的同一個詞（約十八14）。
耶穌離世的好處，部分在於回答彼得先前的問題：「主啊，你往哪裏去？」（Quo vadis？約十三36，參《新譯本》）。我們可以說約翰福音十四章的整個告別講論是在回答這個問題的時候給出的。但同樣重要的是，耶穌回答彼得，不僅說到祂要去哪裏，也說到祂為什麼要去。
當耶穌離開這個世界時，祂就到了天父那裏。祂是為了特殊原因，高升到某個地方。升天並不僅僅意味著「上升」。祂被提升到父的右邊。祂離開後所佔據的座位是宇宙權威的寶座。那是萬王之王和萬主之主的職分。
活在神的面光中（在神面前禱告）：
為這個事實而歡喜快樂：聖靈，耶穌所應許的幫助者，隨時準備好要協助你。
進一步研讀：
約十三36 西門彼得問耶穌說：「主往那裏去？」耶穌回答說：「我所去的地方，你現在不能跟我去，後來卻要跟我去。」
約十八14 這該亞法就是從前向猶太人發議論說「一個人替百姓死是有益的」那位。
約十六7～8 然而，我將真情告訴你們，我去是與你們有益的；我若不去，保惠師就不到你們這裏來；我若去，就差祂來。 祂既來了，就要叫世人為罪、為義、為審判，自己責備自己。
Accepting Our Helper
It
was 3 a.m., Amsterdam, 1965. I couldn’t sleep. I was pacing the floor of our
apartment like a caged lion. My body was more than ready for sleep, but my mind
refused to shut down.
I had
spent that day studying the doctrine of the ascension of Christ, the climactic
moment of His departure from this world. One statement of Jesus gripped my mind
in a vise. The statement was part of Jesus’ farewell discourse to His disciples
in the upper room. He said: “Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your
advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to
you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you” (John 16:7).
I
paced the floor mulling over this astonishing statement. How could it possibly
be better for the church to experience an absentee Lord? Parting with loved
ones is not a “sweet sorrow.” One would think that to part with the incarnate
Jesus would be an utterly bitter sorrow, a total dissolution to the soul.
Yet
Jesus spoke of a certain “expediency” of His departure. The word translated
“advantage” or “expedient” in John 16 is the word sumpherei, the same word
employed by Caiaphas in his ironic prophecy (John 18:14).
The
advantage of Jesus’ departure from earth is found partially in answer to
Peter’s earlier question: “Lord, where are you going?” (Quo vadis?). We might
say that the entire farewell discourse of John 14 was given in answer to that
question. But equally important is that Jesus answered Peter by telling him not
only where He was going but why He was going.
When
Jesus left this world, He went to the Father. His ascension was to a certain
place for a particular reason. To ascend did not mean merely “to go up.” He was
being elevated to the right hand of the Father. The seat He occupies since His
departure is the royal throne of cosmic authority. It is the office of the King
of kings and the Lord of lords.
Coram
Deo
Rejoice
in this fact: The Holy Spirit, the Helper promised by Jesus, stands ready to
assist you today.
Passages
for Further Study
John
18:14
John
16:7–8