於2021-04-27發佈


溫柔的武器 

耶穌說:「我心裡柔和謙卑,你們當負我的軛,學我的樣式」(馬太福音11:29)。 很特別的是,耶穌說我們需要向祂學習的第一件事是溫柔。這將溫柔提升到高度優先,我們必須尋求認識祂對溫柔的定義。 

我們通常想到溫柔是溫文儒雅,或是可以握著一隻幼鳥而不會傷到它的那種小心。當耶穌醫治病人,當祂教導並引領那些如同沒有牧人的羊,當祂吸引小孩來到祂跟前時,我們可以在耶穌身上看見這樣的溫柔。但是,當祂將兌換銀子的趕出聖殿,或是當祂面質法利賽人的假冒為善時,祂也是溫和的嗎? 

我們必須斷定甚至在這些情況下祂都是溫和的,但這怎麼可能?羅馬書十一章22節說:「可見神的恩慈和嚴厲」。神同時是恩慈和嚴厲的,祂不是一天恩慈,另一天嚴厲,而是一直都是恩慈和嚴厲。神的恩慈並沒有否定祂的嚴厲,祂的嚴厲也沒有否定祂的恩慈。祂的嚴厲是祂恩慈的一部份,祂的恩慈也是嚴厲的。

不管我們是否可以接受這樣的說法,我們都不時嘗試讓神成為我們的形象,或許人類自以為是的極致就是以為神想的和我們一樣。然而,祂的道路比我們的道路高得多。舉例來說,當我們讀到祂是嫉妒的神,我們通常會當成人類出於自私和害怕的嫉妒。神的嫉妒卻不是這樣,祂的嫉妒是為著我們的緣故,為著祂的榮耀和聖潔的緣故。這不單是捍衛祂的這些本性,更是真理和生命的根基。聖經甚至說,耶穌是「按聖善的靈」從死裡復活,以大能顯明是神的兒子(羅馬書1:4)。

主對待兌換銀錢之人和對法利賽人的責備,怎麼會是祂溫柔的彰顯呢?想一想以利亞呼喊火降在侮辱他的士兵身上,這侮辱對神的殿和神兒子本身都遠比發生在以利亞身上更為嚴重。鑑於神先前的一些舉動,我們不得不考慮耶穌對兌換銀子之人和法利賽人的回應算是非常溫和與溫柔的。

我們人類傾向二元思維,傾向在極端中領受。所以,我們只能思考一種型態的行為,不是恩慈就是嚴厲,只有在考慮到背景和時機時才能正確分辨。像以利亞這樣偉大的先知,他不是神的兒子都呼喊火降下滅人,相比之下,耶穌對那些攻擊和侮辱祂的人算是非常仁慈的。

還有一個溫柔的面向,通常成為高貴品格的偉大彰顯─彬彬有禮。那即是何以彬彬有禮的人稱為「紳士」或「淑女」,彬彬有禮基本上是我們對人尊榮和尊敬的方式,在現代越來越罕見,以致於當人們看到時就會更加顯眼,如同那些有著不一樣心志的人。因為主說當我們做在最小的弟兄身上,祂都會將其視為我們對待祂的方式,所以我們應當以最高敬意和彬彬有禮對待每一個人。

似乎在過去有禮貌被視為不可少的行為,那時的世界是更加溫和友善的地方。美國禮貌的每況愈下,與我們允許神從我們文化中移除的方式成正比,只能被對他人越來越不敬重、不寬容所取代,最後演變為狂怒與暴力。

要成為真正溫柔的人,不表示我們會成為膽小、說話拐彎抹角、易受影響的人。耶穌不是這樣的人,祂勇敢面對祂的控告者,稱他們為假冒為善的人,直到走上十架。然後,祂在他們面前沉默不語。因為祂勸誡我們向祂學習,所以我們必須謹記在心,和平有時、戰爭也有時(傳道書3章),回應控告和反對者有時,保持沉默也有時。就算是挑戰我們反對者的時候,我們必須謹記在心的是,我們是萬王之王的兒女,我們必須行事為人活出祂家族成員般的尊貴。

(摘自喬納word for the week, Week 16, 2021)

 

The Weapon of Gentleness

Jesus said “Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentleand humble in heart…” (Matthew 11:29). It is extraordinary that the first thing Jesus says that we need to learn from Him is gentleness. This elevates gentleness to a high priority, and we must seek to know His definition of gentleness.

     We often think of gentleness as being mild-mannered, or the kind of carefulness that could hold a baby bird and not injure it. We can see this gentleness in Jesus as He healed the sick, as He taught and led those who were like sheep without a shepherd, as He drew the little children to Himself. But was He also being gentle when driving the money changers out of the temple? Or when He was confronting the Pharisees for their hypocrisy? 

     We must conclude that He was gentle even in these situations, but how can that be? In Romans 11:22 we are told to “Behold then the kindness and severity of God.” God is both kind and severe. He is not one of these one day and the other the next, but He is both kind and severe all of the time. His kindness does not negate His severity, and neither does His severity negate His kindness. His severity is a part of His kindness, and His kindness is severe.

     Whether we can accept this about ourselves or not, we all try to make God into our image at times. Perhaps the height of human presumption is to think that God thinks just like we do. However, His ways are much higher than our ways. When we read that He is a jealous God for example, we often relate this to human jealousy that is selfish and fearful. God’s jealousy is not, but His jealousy is for our sake, and for the sake of His glory and holiness. This is not to just defend these aspects of His nature, but these are the foundations of truth and life. We are even told that Jesus was declared the Son of God by power and the resurrection by “the Spirit of holiness” (see Romans 1:4).

     How could the Lord’s treatment of the money changers and His rebukes for the Pharisees have been a manifestation of His gentleness? Consider that Elijah called down fire on soldiers just for insulting him, and this insult to the temple of God, and to the Son of God Himself was far more grievous than what was done to Elijah. In light of a number of previous acts of God we would have to consider Jesus’ response to both the money changers and the Pharisees to be very mild and gentle. 

      Our human tendency is toward dualistic thinking that tends to perceive in extremes. So we can consider one type of behavior to always be kindness or severity that can only be rightly discerned when we consider the setting and the timing. As great a prophet as Elijah was, he was not the Son of God, and Jesus was incredibly gracious to those who attacked and insulted Him in comparison. 

     There is another aspect to gentleness that is often a magnificent demonstration of noble character—good manners. This is why those who have good manners are called “gentlemen” or “gentle ladies.” Good manners are basically a way that we honor and show respect for others. They have become so rare in these times that when they are seen they can stand out even more as those who are of a different spirit. Since the Lord said that as we treat even the least of His people He will regard it as the way that we treat Him; we should be treating everyone with the highest respect and good manners.

     It seems like the world was a far gentler and friendlier place when good manners were considered essential behavior. The degrading of manners in America has been in parallel to the way we have allowed God to be removed from our culture, only to be replaced by increasing disrespect and intolerance for others, and has increased into rage and violence.    

     To be truly gentle does not mean that we become timid mealy-mouthed pushovers. Jesus was not, but boldly stood up to His accusers, calling them hypocrites, until it was time to go to the cross. Then He stood mute before them. Since His exhortation was to learn from Him we, too, must keep in mind that there is a time for peace and a time for war (see Ecclesiastes 3), there is a time to respond to accusations and opposers, and a time not to. Even when it is time to challenge our opposers we must keep in mind that we are sons and daughters of the King, and must conduct ourselves with the dignity of those of His household.