2018-10-23


走出聖殿Moving Out of the Temple

[每日靈修] 10/21/2018,  駱鴻銘編譯

在「變像山」上,門徒們因基督耀眼的榮耀所透出的光芒而感到震驚。以前被祂的人性所遮掩、隱藏在肉眼視線之外的,突然間以半透明的光輝穿過面紗透照出來。只不過看了一眼,門徒們就無法動彈了。他們只有一個強烈的慾望——想要住在那裏,永遠沐浴在祂的臉光中。耶穌不願和這種慾望扯上關係。作為教會的主,祂命令門徒把搭帳棚的念頭拋諸腦後,並差遣他們下山,進到世界裏。

基督過世的那一天,同一批門徒卻躲了起來。他們撤退到樓上房間的避難所,他們在那裏提心吊膽地擠作一團。當耶穌打破死亡的捆綁時,祂上到了樓房。從某種意義上說,祂破門而入——與其說是為了進到屋裏,不如說是為了使祂的門徒離開那屋子。祂給他們的命令是等候聖靈,然後去——離開聖殿、進入世界。

新約聖經中,「市集」(marketplace)的希臘文是agoraagora不僅是購物區,更是市民生活的中心,被公共建築、商店和行道樹所環繞著。在這裏有孩子們在玩耍,無所事事的人在這裏閒逛,有人在這裏聽訴,並舉辦一些公共活動。它是公眾的,而不是私人的;對外開放的,而非秘密的;危險的,不安全的。

教會的搖籃就是市集。從耶穌的傳道和公開事奉,到使徒的日常活動,其中心場景都是市集。

活在神的面光中(在神面前禱告):
你是否積極地走出教會的圍牆,把你的信仰帶到這個世上?

進一步研讀:
徒十七1617 保羅在雅典等候他們的時候,看見滿城都是偶像,就心裏著急; 於是在會堂裡與猶太人和虔敬的人,並每日在市上所遇見的人,辯論。
(新譯本:於是在會堂裡,同猶太人和虔誠的人辯論;並且天天在市中心和所遇見的人辯論。)
徒八5 腓利下撒瑪利亞城去,宣講基督。


Moving Out of the Temple

On the mountain of transfiguration, the disciples were stunned by the breakthrough of the dazzling glory of Christ. What previously was veiled by His humanity, hidden from the sight of mortals, suddenly burst through the veil in translucent radiance. With but one glimpse, the disciples were paralyzed. They had but one consuming desire—to abide in that place, basking forever in the light of His countenance. Jesus would have none of it. As Lord of the church, He commanded His disciples to forget about pitching tents and sent them down the mountain and into the world.

The day Christ died, those same disciples went into hiding. They retreated to the shelter of the upper room, where they huddled together in fear. When Jesus broke the bonds of death, He went to the upper room. In a sense, He broke down the door—not so much to get in, but to get His disciples out. His mandate to them was to await the Spirit and then to go—to move out of the temple and into the world.

The New Testament word for “marketplace” is agora. The agora was not only the shopping district, but was also the center of civic life. The agora was surrounded by public buildings, shops, and colonnades. Here the children played, the idle loafed, lawsuits were heard, and public events were produced. It was public, not private; open, not secret; dangerous, not safe.

The cradle of the church was the marketplace. From the preaching and public ministry of Jesus to the daily acts of the apostles, the central scene was the marketplace.

Coram Deo
Are you actively moving outside the walls of the church and taking your faith to the world?

Passages for Further Study
Acts 17:16–17
Acts 8:5