This week we
will continue to study the Gospel of Luke.
Why did Jesus only pick the three disciples closest to Him to have such an unusual encounter, especially in light of 9:27?
(1) Does such a special spiritual experience need to happen in a place like a high mountain?
(2) What does “transfiguration” mean? (Refer to Rev. 1:12-16.) How would you feel if you were one of the disciples upon seeing Jesus in His transfigured form? Read Isa. 53:2. Can you define “humility” in light of Jesus’ incarnation?)
(3) Moses gave the Law and Elijah was often perceived as one of the greatest prophets (if not the greatest). What was the significance of their presence here? Why did they talk about Jesus’ departure which is the word for Exodus in the original language?
(4) As much as Peter spoke in haste and fright (Mk. 9:6), what might the suggestion to build shelters reveal about the mindset of Peter?
(5) The Father spoke words that were similar to those at Jesus’ baptism (see Matt. 3:17), but with one difference. What is that difference, and how would this reveal the purpose of this unusual spiritual experience?
(6) Mark (9:9) tells us that it was Jesus who cautioned them not to share this experience with others. Why? What if they shared this with the other nine disciples? How would they feel?
(7) What is the main message to you today and how may you apply it to your life?
請細細慢讀每天指定的經文至少兩遍，然後反複思考問題。
(1) 為何耶穌祇帶三人上山，讓他們有這特別的經歷呢？與9:27可有關連？
(2) 這樣特別的經歷一定要在高山上才有嗎？
(3) 改變形像是什麼意思？(請翻看啟1:12-16；若你也目睹這情景，你會怎樣？再翻到賽53:2，試為降卑下一定義。)
(4) 神藉著摩西賜下律法，以利亞被視為先知的代表。他們的出現有什麼意義？他們為何要談論耶穌去世的事？
(5) 彼得固然在驚慌和失措中說話(參可9:6)，但他的話卻道出什麼心態？
(6) 天父在此所說的與先前在耶穌受洗時所說的相倣，但也有不同之處。這個不同可以給我們知道這變像的最終目的是什麼？
(7) 馬可告訴我們，耶穌吩咐他們在祂復活前不要告訴別人。為甚麼？若其他九個門徒知道了又如何？
(8) 今天你得到的主要提醒是什麼？你會怎樣應用在你的生命中？
“As He was praying the appearance of His face changed, and His clothes became as bright as a flash of lightning.” (Lk. 9:29)
When we have a divine epiphany, it is always unexpected and it is indeed exacting. This is how David Brainerd, the pioneer missionary to the Indians in New Jersey described his:
'“As I was walking in a dark thick grave, 'unspeakable glory' seemed to open to the view and apprehension of my soul ... It was a new inward apprehension or view that I had of God; such as I never had before, nor anything that I had the least remembrance of it. So that I stood still and wondered and admired ... I had now no particular apprehension of any one person of the Trinity, either the Father, Son, or Holy Spirit, but it appeared to be divine glory and splendor that I then beheld. And my soul 'rejoiced with joy unspeakable' to see such a God, such a glorious divine being, and I was inwardly pleased and satisfied that he should be God over all forever and ever. My soul was so captivated and delighted with the excellency, the loveliness and the greatness and other perfections of God that I was even swallowed up in him, at least to that degree that I had no thought, as I remember at first, about my own salvation or scarce that there was such a creature as I.
"Thus the Lord, I trust, brought me to a hearty desire to exalt Him, to set Him on the throne and to 'seek first His Kingdom', i.e. principally and ultimately to aim at His honor and glory as the King and sovereign of the universe, which is the foundation of the religion of Jesus ... I felt myself in a new world." (pp. 138-140).\
It was the Lord’s Day, July 12, 1739 and he was 21 years old. Two months later he entered Yale to prepare for the ministry.
As Peter had his divine encounter on the mountain of transfiguration (Matt. 17), his immediate, hasty reaction was to build shelters for them. He wanted to “retain” this experience, forgetting that our divine encounter is given to us not to be possessed, but to prepare us for greater obedience (Matt. 17:5). And thus, David Brainerd obeyed and entered Yale where he received his training — no, I do not mean the theology that he learned, but his experience of being expelled by Yale because of his zeal for Christ.
「正禱告的時候，他的面貌就改變了，衣服潔白放光。 」 (路9:29)
我們往往在意想不到時遇到特別的屬靈經歷，是令人興奮的。印第安人宣教先驅David Brainerd就是這樣記述他的經驗：
「我走在一個黑暗的墓地時，看到不能形容的榮光，抓著我心靈……這是一個新的體驗，是從未有過，也是記憶中尋不著的。我不動的站著、希奇著、愛慕著……我沒有意識到是聖父、聖子或是聖靈，祇曉得我是看到天上的榮耀與光華。我心靈就充滿著說不出來的喜樂，因能看到神，如此榮耀的神。我內心喜悅和感到滿足，因為祂是在萬有之上的神，直到永永遠遠。祂的威嚴、可愛、偉大和其他的完美深深抓著我喜悅的心，好像吞沒了我，使我立時沒有想到自己的得救或存在。
就是這樣，我相信主賜給我一個渴望去尊崇祂，把祂放在心中的首位，並‘先求祂的國’ ，就是首要的、至終的以祂為王、為宇宙的主宰的求祂的尊貴和榮耀，這就是信耶穌的基礎……我現在好像置身於一個新的境界(pp.138-140) 。」
那天是1739年，七月十二日，Brainerd祇不過是廿一歲。兩年後，他進入耶魯大學接受神學的造就。
當彼得在山上看到主耶穌變像時(太17) ，他立刻的反應是要為耶穌等三人搭棚，意欲把這經歷留住，卻忘了這些經歷不是給我們擁有的，乃是預備我們進一步的順命(17:5) 。Brainerd聽主命進耶魯大學接受訓練。結果，那真正的訓練是在於他因極度的熱心而被耶魯大學趕出校門！
(1) In the case of this boy, describe what a demon-possessed person could look like or experience?
(2) Why did the father come to the disciples for help? (See 9:1-2)
(3) Why didn’t the father give up?
(4) The general rejection by the people in spite of the many miracles He performed, the prevalence of demon-possession and the inability of the disciples together formed the backdrop for the words said by Jesus in 9:41. Would Jesus say the same about our generation today? Why or why not?
(5) Mull over v. 42 and compare this demon to other demons which were about to be tossed out by Jesus (e.g. the one in 8:28ff). How different was this demon? Was the result any different?
(6) What does “they were all amazed at the greatness of God” signify?
(7) Up to this point, describe what the disciples had witnessed in terms of who Jesus was and His power:
a. In healing the sick
b. In driving out demons
c. In raising the dead
d. In countering the verbal challenges and plots of the religious leaders
Had He once
failed to manifest His power?
Had He once lost
to the religious leaders?
(8) Given the above facts, what questions would the disciples have when Jesus said, “The Son of Man is going to be betrayed into the hands of men”?
(9) What is the main message to you today and how may you apply it to your life?
請細細慢讀每天指定的經文至少兩遍，然後反複思考問題。
(1) 按這孩子的情況，你對被鬼附的人有什麼了解？
(2) 為何那孩子的父親向門徒求助？
(3) 為何那孩子的父親總不罷休？
(4) 那時的人雖見耶穌多行神蹟卻仍拒絕相信祂，加上污鬼似乎能在當地任意而行，更叫耶穌門徒不能將之趕出，這些促使耶穌說出9:41的話來。你認為耶穌會對今天的世代作同樣的評語嗎？為什麼？
(5) 細讀9:42。試把這將被逐出之污鬼與8:28ff之污鬼相比；這污鬼有什麼不同之處？但其結果有別嗎？
(6) 眾人都詫異「神的大能」是什麼意思？
(7) 到此為止，門徒所認識的耶穌是怎樣的呢？特別是祂顯出大能來醫病、趕鬼、使死人復活：祂曾否有失過手？在回答宗教領袖們的挑戰和質疑時，祂曾否輸過？
(8) 既是這樣，門徒會怎樣明白「人子將要被交在人手裡」這句話？
(9) 今天你得到的主要信息是什麼？你會怎樣應用在你的生命中？
“O unbelieving and perverse generation…how long shall I stay with you and put up with you?” (Lk. 9:41)
It was quite obvious that Jesus’ rebuke in Luke 9:41 above was prompted by the inability of the disciples (i.e. the twelve of them minus Peter, John and James who had accompanied Jesus to the mountain) to drive out the demon from the boy. But, while Jesus called the disciples “of little faith” (Matt. 17:20), He accused the generation as totally unbelieving and perverse (i.e. twisted).
We know that while Jesus performed many miracles (like healing the sick, driving out demons and even raising the dead) the general response of the people was still one of unbelief. While Jesus once cited the “tri-cities” of Capernaum, Korazin and Bethsaida to denounce their unrepentance (Matt. 11:20-24 and Lk. 10:12-16), we know that they were merely the microcosm of the spiritual apathy of all of Israel. How can one explain their hard-heartedness in spite of the miracles they had witnessed if not because of their perverse minds — their twistedness!?
Yes, the Lord has not chosen to manifest such miracles today or at least not as commonly as in the first centuries, however we have seen the spread of the gospel in an exponential fashion in the last two thousand years. It has been the fruit of faithful witnesses and the power of God manifested in the gospel itself.
Unfortunately, the regions where the gospel had been the most prosperous, i.e. Western Europe and North America, have seen at first a gradual, and now, an accelerated decline in faith in Jesus Christ as “the Way and the Truth and the Life” without whom “No one comes to the Father” (Jn. 14:6). What Jesus said of His generation is certainly true of our generation — an unbelieving and perverse generation.
The Pharisees of Jesus’ time were so twisted that they said, “It is by the prince of demons that He drives out demons”, referring to the miracles performed by Jesus (Matt. 9:34). It was all because Jesus rebuked them for their sins, especially the sin of hypocrisy.
These days, even though the Biblical teachings about homosexuality are absolutely clear and the consequences of their sins are undeniable (Rom. 1:26-27), the world is so twisted that they also seek to demonize all who uphold the Word of God. It is within this context that the Bible, again, refers to a generation like this as “perverse” (Rom. 1:27).
「耶穌說：噯！這又不信又悖謬的世代阿，我在你們這裡，忍耐你們要到幾時呢？將你的兒子帶到這裡來罷！」 (路9:41)
按著上文，主耶穌在9:41說了這責備的話，是因看到門徒(即彼得、雅各和約翰以外的九個門徒) 不能趕出污鬼，有感而發的。祂一方面說門徒信心小(太17:20) ；另一方面，祂責備那世代為「不信又悖謬」。
我們知道，主耶穌確實已經行了極多的神蹟奇事—醫病、趕鬼、甚至叫死人復活；但絕大部份的猶太人仍拒絕相信祂。雖然主耶穌特別的責備迦百農、哥拉汎和伯賽大這三個加利利城市的硬心與不信(路10:12-16)，它們是代表了整個以色列。目睹眾多的神蹟仍然不相，惟一的解釋，就是他們「悖謬」的心思—悖謬就是扭曲之意！
對，在使徒時代過後，神似乎沒有常用神蹟奇事來顯明自己。然而我們卻看到福音在及後的兩千年，遍傳到地極了。這是福音本是神大能的彰顯，也是忠心見證人所灑宣道的血的成果。
可惜的是，這二千年來福音最蓬勃的歐洲和後期的北美，已越來越不信和悖謬了。
以前，以色列不信主耶穌，甚至扭曲的指祂是靠鬼王趕鬼(太9:34) 。無怪主耶穌說他們是悖謬的。
今天西歐和北美的世代也是把真理扭曲了。雖然聖經對同性戀的指摘和這罪所帶來的後果是清清楚楚的(羅1:26-27) ，這世代卻同時要醜化(demonize)凡忠於聖經這教導的人。故此，主耶穌這「不信和悖謬」的指摘同樣是適用於今天的世代！
(1) Similar to Mark, Luke places this argument (9:46) about who is the greatest after (i) the transfiguration witnessed by the three chief apostles (9:28-36), and (ii) the repeated assertion by Jesus of His impending sufferings and death (9:22, 44).
a. For Peter, John and James, what was the purpose of transfiguration?
b. What impact might it have on them since they took part in the argument here?
c. Did Jesus’ repeated emphasis of His impending sufferings and death have any impact on the disciples? Why or why not?
(2) We all love children. Why then did Jesus imply that we in fact have a hard time “welcoming these little children”? What does welcome mean? Under what circumstances might we not welcome children and why?
(3) Jesus says, “For he who is least among you all — he is the greatest”. Then, if we work hard at serving others and at making sure we occupy the least important role in order to be the greatest, would it work? Why or why not?
(4) How can we cultivate the attitude or mindset of being “the least”?
(5) Why didn’t John “welcome” the man who drove out demons in Jesus’ name?
(6) We always like to say that no one can be neutral when it comes to how we treat Jesus Christ. How then should we understand v. 50?
(7) What might be the message to John when Jesus appointed 72 others in 10:1?
(8) What is the main message to you today and how can you apply it to your life?
請細細慢讀每天指定的經文至少兩遍，然後反複思考問題。
(1) 跟馬可一樣，路加把門徒爭論誰為大這事，放在三個首徒見主變貌之後，也在主耶穌多次明說祂將受難之後(9:28-36; 9:22,44) ：
a. 對彼得、雅各和約翰而言，登山變像的經歷主要的作用該是什麼？
b. 三人有份參與這裡的爭論，可給我們看到這登山變像的經歷，給他們帶來的結果卻是什麼？
c. 耶穌多次明說祂將受難，對門徒而言，起了什麼作用？
(2) 我們一般人都喜愛小孩的。但耶穌在這樣似乎指出我們是不願意接待小孩的，為什麼？「接待」是什麼意思？在那些情況下，我們會不大願意接待小孩的呢？為什麼？
(3) 主耶穌說：「你們中間最小的，他便為大」。如果我們刻意的像奴僕的服侍別人，以求為小，以至為大：這是合神心意嗎？為什麼？
(4) 那麼，我們怎樣才能建立願為「小」的生命？
(5) 為何約翰不願「接待」那位奉耶穌的名趕鬼的人？
(6) 9:50這句話是什麼意思？(特別是我們知道在對主耶穌的相信或拒絕上，是不能中立的！)
(7) 主耶穌在10:1多差遣70人，他們同樣能行神蹟。這對約翰這種的態度有什麼教訓？
(8) 今天你得到的主要提醒是什麼？你會怎樣應用在你的生命中？
“Do not stop him…for whoever is not against you is for you.” (Lk. 9:50)
We always like to say that when it comes to Christ, we cannot be neutral. We either believe in Him as our Lord and Savior, or we reject Him from our lives. Being neutral means rejection.
By the same token, you can either be inside the Kingdom of God or outside the Kingdom of God, but not in between. Therefore, when Jesus commended the teacher of the law who agreed with Him on what the greatest commandment was, saying, “God is one and there is no other, but Him...”, He said, “You are not far from the Kingdom of God” (Mk. 12:34). Jesus did not say he was inside the kingdom, but rather still on the outside, because he had yet to believe in Jesus Christ as the Son of God and accept Him as his Lord and Savior.
Therefore, when Jesus talked about the man who drove out demons in His name and said, “for whoever is not against you is for you”, He implied that the man had believed in Him. Indeed as Paul affirms in 1 Corinthians 12:3, “Therefore I tell you that no one who is speaking by the Spirit of God says, ‘Jesus be cursed’, and no one can say, ‘Jesus is Lord’, except by the Holy Spirit”.
On the other hand, in Acts 19, we read that the evil spirits jumped on the Jews who tried to invoke the name of the Lord Jesus over those who were demon-possessed (Acts 19:13-16). It was because they did not belong to Jesus.
Therefore the invoking the name of the Lord Jesus is not the test of authentic belief in Christ, i.e. of whether or not one truly believes Jesus as the Son of God and has put his trust in His redemptive work through His death and resurrection alone. In this age of ecumenicalism and ecumenical dialogue, we need to heed the (earlier) words of Berkouwer in that, “common denominator ecumenicity is a fruitless way to seek unity”.
For sure, we do have common ground with Islam, and we do have common ground with Mormonism, but what can make us truly one is the belief that “Salvation is found in no one else (i.e. except in Christ Jesus) for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12) and that “it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast.” (Eph. 2:8-9)
「耶穌說：不要禁止他；因為不敵擋你們的，就是幫助你們的。」 (路9:50)
讀到約翰欲禁止那個不是與他們一同跟從耶穌的人，不許他奉耶穌的名字趕鬼時，我們或許會立時心中也責難約翰，覺得他太重「門戶」的觀念，也有「排外」之心態。這是今天一些信徒的錯誤。
我們要知道，約翰和其他十一位門徒是真的捨棄了一切來跟從主的(可10:28) 。其他信主的門徒，卻不一定放下家庭和事業，日夜的跟隨主。何況，到此為止，主耶穌是單單差他們十二人，給他們權柄趕鬼、醫病的。故此，他們不曉得，能有權柄醫病、趕鬼全在乎「耶穌的名」 (路10:17) 。再者，不是像他們肉身二十四小時的跟隨主才是主的門徒—那在格拉森得從污鬼釋放、痊癒的人，是最清楚的例子(路8:38-39) 。
今天也是一樣，有些自視為嚴謹的宗派(雖然他們未必承認自己是宗派，卻實質上是宗派) ，竟看其他的基督徒為不屬主的。其實，主耶穌在回答約翰的問題時，已指出：「不敵擋你們的，就是幫助你們的」。祂不用「我們」，而用「你們」，是要他們明白，不與你們一夥的人，並不是說就不屬於「我」了。
是的，宗派可以不同、敬拜的方式也可以不同，但只要是像「使徒信經」所指出的，篤信基督耶穌為惟一的救主，因信而重生的人，都是屬主的人。
(1) Luke mentions that Jesus “resolutely” set out for Jerusalem. In using this word, Luke implies that it was not easy for Jesus to do so and there were things that might sway His “resoluteness’. What might those things be?
(2) Given the discrimination of the Jews against the Samaritans, why would Jesus wish to visit the village of Samaria?
(3) What was the reaction of the local people and why?
(4) They have had contact with Jesus previously, (see especially Jn. 4:41-42). Why would they still treat Jesus like this?
(5) Have you come across rejection against Christians based on similar circumstances?
(6) What was the reaction of John and James? Were they justified, given the example of Elijah (see 2 Kings 1)?
(7) Can you think of any modern-day situation that might invoke a similar reaction on your part?
(8) Some manuscripts also have these words of rebuke by Jesus, “You do not know what kind of spirit you are…” What kind of “spirit” were John and James then?
(9) In contrast, Jesus said, “The Son of Man did not come to destroy men’s lives, but to save them.’’ What kind of “spirit”, is Jesus’?
(10) V. 57: This man appeared to have decided to follow Jesus voluntarily, and he highlighted one special aspect of his resolve. What was it? From Jesus’ response, can you tell what He emphasized concerning the challenge of following Him?
(11) V. 59: This other man was invited by Jesus to follow Him but he wanted to go and bury his father “first”. Was Jesus’ reply to him too harsh?
(12) There are at least two very important points that Jesus wanted him to understand about “following” Him. What might they be?
(13) V. 61: Still another man indicated his willingness to follow, but not before returning home to say good-bye “first”. Again, was Jesus’ reply unreasonable? What did his saying good-bye amount to, as far as He is concerned?
(14) What is the main message to you today and how may you apply it to your life?
請細細慢讀每天指定的經文至少兩遍，然後反複思考問題。
(1) 路加告訴我們，主耶穌「定意」走向耶路撒冷。從這描述你可領會到什麼東西會挑戰祂的「定意」？
(2) 猶太人是歧視撒瑪利亞人的。為何耶穌卻刻意取道撒瑪利亞？
(3) 撒瑪利亞人怎樣對待耶穌？
(4) 他們並非沒有接觸過主耶穌的(見約翰第4章，特別是41節) ，為何仍會如此對待祂？
(5) 你曾否因是基督徒遇過相似的事？
(6) 約翰和雅各立時有什麼反應？既有以利亞在列王紀下第一章的先例，二人的反應豈不是正確嗎？你認為怎樣？
(7) 你可以想像今天世上有什麼情形，會引起你像他們二人向主發出相似的呼聲？
(8) 主耶穌指出，他們二人這樣的要求顯出他們的「心/spirit」。他們所懷的是怎樣的「心/spirit」呢？
(9) 主耶穌怎樣回答他們？這回答又顯出主耶穌的「心」是怎樣的不同？
9:57-62: 以下是主耶穌跟三個欲跟從祂的人的對話，值得我們慎思：
(10) 第一個人似是主動的決定跟從主。在表明這決定時，這人刻意的道出他決心的那方面？主耶穌回應的重點是什麼？
(11) 第二個人是被主呼召來跟從祂的：這人不是不願意，卻有先要作的事：那是什麼事？主耶穌是預知一切的，為何不稍遲才呼召他？
(12) 主耶穌所言似是苛刻的，但卻道出兩個跟從祂的要點：是那兩個？
(13) 第三個人也有先作的事，主耶穌的回答同樣有點不近人情似的。按主耶穌而言，這「辭別」代表了什麼？為什麼？
(14) 今日你得到的主要提醒是什麼？你會怎樣應用在你的生命中?
“Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay His head.” (Lk. 9:58)
The Gospel of Luke records three separate incidents in which Jesus sets up presumably a very high standard for those who wish to follow Him. In none of the three incidents, are we told whether these individuals ended up following Jesus. However, through Jesus' words and the special circumstance of each of the three, the Gospel of Luke clearly teaches us what it means to follow Jesus and what it takes to be His disciples. Allow me to share with you my thoughts over the next three consecutive days.
Today, let us focus on the thought that a fully committed disciple of Jesus will not regard this world as his home: “Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay His head.” (Lk. 9:58)
The Gospel of Matthew tells us that this man who took the initiative to follow Christ was a scribe, which means he was well-trained in the Scriptures and has great zeal for God. As a result, his desire to follow Jesus could not be questioned, given the fact that he ignored the hostility of his peers and he publicly announced his decision.
I would be over-joyed if I could lead someone to Christ like him.
However, it appears that there was one particular aspect of following Jesus that he might not have thought through as he boldly pledged, “I will follow you wherever you go” (Lk. 9:57).
To this, Jesus gave His reply, using foxes and birds as examples. What is common to these animals is that they both have a place to call home. As primitive and temporary as their home may be, they have a sense of security, belonging, rest and permanency!
In contrast, Jesus has no place to lay His head. It is not that He lives like the homeless, but that in essence, there isn’t a place He considers home while on earth — a place of permanency, of security, of belonging and of rest.
In essence, He is telling this scribe and all who wish to follow Him, not to consider this world as their home. This is exactly the examples of those people of faith mentioned in Hebrews 11:9-16:
“By faith, he (referring to Abraham) made his home in the promised land, (but) like a stranger in a foreign country, he lived in tents… For he was looking forward to the city whose foundation and builder is God….If they (Abraham and Isaac etc.) had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had the opportunity to return. Instead, they were longing for a better country — a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared a city for them”.
And it was not just for them, but for each one of us who follows Jesus!
「耶 穌說：狐狸有洞，天空的飛鳥有窩，只是人子沒有枕頭的地方。」 (路9:58)
路加福音記載了三個不同的事件，是主耶穌對想跟從祂的人，指出跟從祂必須有的心志。雖然我們不曉得這三人最終的決定是什麼，但藉著與這三人的對話，主耶穌同樣對我們每一個想作或已作祂門徒的人說話。容許我在這三天的「靈修反思」的小篇中，逐一與你們分享一點點的領受。今天，讓我們先思想到，要作全然委身的門徒，是不能以這地上為「家」的：“耶 穌說：狐狸有洞，天空的飛鳥有窩，只是人子沒有枕頭的地方。 ” (路9:58)
馬太告訴我們，這位主動要跟隨主耶穌的，是一個文士(8:19) 。換句話說，他是熟識摩西的律法，也是敬畏神的。不過作為文士來跟從主，就要付上相當的代價，因為一定會招惹其他文士和法利賽人的攻擊。何況，他是公然的作主門徒，不是像亞利馬太人約瑟這樣，暗暗的作門徒(約19:38) 。
我在想，如果在我引領信主的人中，每一個都像這文士那樣的決志跟從主，就最好不過了。
誰知，似乎主耶穌還嫌不足，認為這人尚未清楚跟從祂是什麼的一回事。祂特別針對這人決志時所說的「祢無論往那裡去」。耶穌立刻的指出：「狐狸有洞，天空的飛鳥有窩，只是人子沒有枕頭的地方。」
主耶穌以狐狸和飛鳥為例，指出雖然牠們的居所是簡陋和非常的不穩定，但至少是「家」—是給予牠們安全感、歸屬感和穩定意識的。
相反地，主耶穌連枕頭之處也沒有。換句話說，在這地上，沒有一處是祂真正的家—給予祂建立真正的安全感、歸屬感和安息之處。
藉著這句話，祂告訴那文士，若然他真的要作祂的門徒，就不要以這世界為家，如希伯來書第11章所記載的人一樣：
「他(指亞伯拉罕)因著信，就在所應許之地作客， 好 像 在異地居住帳棚……因為他等候那座有根基的城，就是神所經營所建造的……他們(指亞伯拉罕、以撒等)若想念所離開的家鄉，還有可以回去的機會。他們卻羨慕一個更美的家鄉，就是在天上的。所以神被稱為他們的神，並不以為恥，因為祂已經給他們預備了一座城。」(11:9-16)
是的，祂已經給他們預備了一座城，不是單為他們，也為你和我。
(1) Jesus had previously appointed the Twelve as Apostles (meaning those being sent) in Luke 9:1. Why did He also appoint and send another 72? (see 10:2)
(2) What were they to do and what were they able to do? (see10:17)
(3) What message might Jesus be sending to the original Twelve?
(4) Who is the “Lord of the Harvest”? Why would Jesus teach us to ask Him to send out workers? What would be the result of our asking? Have you ever so asked? Why or why not?
(5) The instructions given to the 72 were quite similar to those given to the Twelve in chapter 9:3-5, with the following additions:
a. They were being sent like lambs among wolves: Would lambs stand a chance before wolves? Did they survive the sending? What might be the message to us today?
b. The ministry of the gospel is certainly a ministry of faith, but Jesus adds that they “do not greet any one on the road” (10:4). How does this instruction echo what Jesus said to the three would-be disciples in 9:57-62?
(6) Jesus also told them to say, “Peace” (10:5) as they enter into a house. Jesus was obviously not talking about a superficial greeting, but one that imputes divine peace:
a. What is that peace? (See Jn. 20:19-20; 14:27)
b. It appears that not everyone who welcomes them could necessarily receive this peace, only if “a son of peace is there”. Who does this refer to?
(7) What should they do to towns that do not welcome them? What does this action signal? Why then should they still remind these towns that “The Kingdom of God is near”?
(8) What is the main message to you today and how may you apply it to your life?
請細細慢讀每天指定的經文至少兩遍，然後反複思考問題。
(1) 主耶穌已在第九章差派了十二個門徒，為何在此又多設立並差派七十人？
(2) 他們的使命是什麼？他們結果作了什麼？(特別見10:17)
(3) 對原本的十二個使徒會有什麼沖擊？
(4) 莊稼的主是誰？，為何主耶穌要我們當求莊稼的主打發工人出去收祂的莊稼？我們這樣的祈求會帶來什麼後果？你有如此求嗎？為什麼？
(5) 主耶穌對後來被差的七十人的吩咐與9:3-5的吩咐相似，不過路加另外加上：
a. 他們如同羊進入狼群一般：這是什麼意思？這七十人是否平安的回來？對我們今日的信息是什麼？
b. 福音的使命和事工固然是憑信心的，然而在此，主耶穌加上一句：「在路上也不要問人的安」。這話是什麼意思？與主耶穌在上一章末對三個欲作門徒的吩咐有什麼類同之處？
(6) 進人家中之前說「平安」，當然不是指表面的平安，也不是說說而已：
a. 這可是什麼的平安？(參約20:19-20; 14:27)
b. 誰是「當得平安的」(原文是「平安之子」，是什麼意思) ？
(7) 他們對不接待他們的城要作什麼？這舉動表示什麼？為何仍要告訴他們：「你們該知道神的國近了」？
(8) 今日你得到的主要提醒是什麼？你會怎樣應用在你的生命中？
“Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God.” (Lk. 9:60)
Unlike the scribe we considered yesterday, this one was called by Jesus and that is significant — when Jesus calls a person, it means that from His perspective, he is ready.
Therefore, if you are called by God whether to follow Him, to answer His call into full-time gospel ministry or to take certain action, that means He considers you as ready, and there is no excuse to delay your obedience. This was the case with this man.
This man was not unwilling to answer Jesus’ call to follow Him, except that he thought he had unfinished business to attend to — not just any unfinished business. He needed to bury of his father.
Commentators tell us that the Jews “buried their dead without delay, if there was time enough, on the same day, at least on the next” (Lenski, Matthew, 561). So the requested delay was not meant to be too long. Furthermore, the man probably had a grieving mother who desperately needed his presence and it was really basic filial piety to do so, irrespective of one’s culture. And yet, Jesus said, “Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God.” (Lk. 9:60)
Let’s consider Jesus’ reply more carefully: He is telling us that in life, there are basically only two types of people — those who are dead spiritually (even though they may be alive physically), and those who are spiritually alive.
How did this person know that he belonged to the second type? Well, if he sincerely called Jesus “Lord” he belonged to the second type — those who have eternal life. As such he had to live differently from the rest.
The question is how?
And Jesus’ answer is to “proclaim the Kingdom of God”.
In other words, those who are spiritually alive are alive with a mission and for a mission! No one is spiritually alive for their own sake and without a mission. We have eternal life so that we may proclaim the Kingdom of God. Without a sense of mission, we are not following Jesus; we are not His disciples!
We know how Eric Liddell of Scotland gave up the chance of competing in the Olympics because the competition fell on the Lord’s Day. You may also know that even after winning an Olympic Gold in the 400-meter race subsequently, he gave himself to be a missionary to China.
He was very close to his parents who were missionaries too, but their ill health prevented them to stay in China. Eric Liddell was fortunate enough to spend his first furlough back home to be with his parents before returning to Tientsin.
But one day, he had a most unusual experience. It was as if his father was standing right beside him, and the next morning, at breakfast, he received the news that his father had passed away suddenly.
Eric was overcome with grief. He couldn’t help but say that if only the Lord had taken his father home while he was in Scotland on leave, he could have been with him to the end. He would have been there to comfort his mother too!
In other words, he was struggling with the emotions of this second man who wanted to first go and bury his father. But Eric believed God always has a reason, and when he quieted himself to ponder things before God, he came to understand that had his father died when he was in Scotland, he might never have returned to China.
He also came to understand that as much as he loved his mum very much, his younger sister and brother were nearby to give comfort and care for his aging mother. Though he could not go back to bury his father, he later received the letter his father sent him before his death, and he came to understand that his mission was to continue where his father had finished — and that was to proclaim the Kingdom of God in China!
「耶穌說：任憑死人埋葬他們的死人，你只管去傳揚神國的道。」 (路9:60)
這人與那文士不同，是主耶穌直接當面呼召的。這個事實是重要的，因為主耶穌不早、不遲的呼召他，就是主認為是合適的時候、是他已準備好的時刻。
同樣地，當主耶穌呼召我們，或是跟從祂，或是要為祂作一個決定，或是要奉獻作全時間的傳道，祂當然是認為是合適的時間。我們是不能有推遲的藉口的。
這人並非不願意回應主的呼召，只不過，他認為自己尚有未完成的事(unfinished business) —不是等閒的事，乃是要先回去埋葬自己的父親。
解經家告訴我們，猶太的習俗是「儘快的埋葬死人的。如果可行，要即日埋葬；否則也只能多等待一天」(Lenski. Matthew, 561) 。所以這人的拖延也不會過長的。不但如此，他的家中可能尚有母親，需要他的安慰。不論是那一個文化，這是非常基本的孝道。誰知，主耶穌卻說：「任憑死人埋葬他們的死人，你只管去傳揚神國的道。」(路9:60)
讓我們仔細的思想主耶穌這句話。祂在這裡指出了世上只有兩類人：第一類是那些靈魂死了的人(雖然他們可能仍在肉身活著) ；第二類是靈魂活著的人。
這被呼召的人怎知他是屬於第二類呢？因為如果他從心裡稱耶穌為主，他就屬於第二類—是有永生了。因而，他不要活得像第一類的人，要與他們有別。但怎樣才有別呢？
主耶穌的回答就是：「你只管去傳揚神國的道。」
這是說，凡有永生的人，是帶著使命的活著的。沒有一個靈魂活著的人是為自己而活的，沒有使命的活著。我們得靈魂活著，是為要傳揚神國的道。沒有這使命感，我們就不是跟隨主，不是作耶穌的門徒了。
我們大部份人都聽過或讀過Eric Liddell的事蹟，他因守主日的原故而放棄得奧運一百公呎賽跑金牌的機會。及後，他改跑四百公呎的賽事而勇奪金牌。
不過我最敬佩他的，是他終於把這些名、利都因聽從主的呼召而放棄，投身在中國作宣教士。他是步父母的後塵的。當雙親年老體弱，回蘇格蘭退休時，Eric Liddell趁休假期間回國探望他們，然後再回天津事奉。在天津的一個早上，他突然感到父親好像站在他旁邊一樣。就在次日早餐時，他收到父親去世的消息。
Eric當時充滿了哀傷，不禁的在想：如果神是在他休假期間把父親取去就好了—他就能見父親最後一面，也能安慰自己的母親！
換句話說，他是像這段聖經中的第二個人，心中為父親的死去而掙扎。但Eric知道，在神凡事有祂的旨意。當他安靜下來，在神面前思想的時候，他就明白到，如果父親是在他休假的時候死去，他可能會決定不重回中國。
他也明白，雖然自己深愛母親，但她有他的妹妹和弟弟照顧和安慰。雖然他不能回家埋葬父親，他及後收到父親臨離世前所寫給他的一封信。他就明白到，他的使命就是要完成父親未完全的工作—就是在中國傳揚神國的道！
Capernaum, Korazin and Bethsaida were like a “tri-city” to the west of the Sea of Galilee with Capernaum being the largest of the three, as it was situated close to the major road to Damascus. According to Matthew 11:20, Jesus performed most of His miracles in this region and yet they did not believe in Him.
(1) Look up Ezekiel 26 and 28 and get a sense of the sin and judgment of Tyre and Sidon in the Old Testament. (You may want to quickly scan these two chapters).
(2) What was the purpose of comparing the two Jewish cities, Korazin and Bethsaida, to the two Gentile cities of old?
(3) It is obvious that Capernaum thought very highly of itself, perhaps in terms of its own prosperity and its major synagogue. Jesus frequented Capernaum and considered it His home town (Matt. 9:1). What was the reason for their downfall according to Jesus?
(4) What was the result of this “short-term mission” of the 72?
(5) Why did Jesus say, “However, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven”?
(6) What then is the reason for Jesus being “full of joy” (10:21)? How then can we give joy to our Lord Jesus?
(7) What lesson(s) can we learn from this in terms of our priorities and emphases on church ministries?
(8) From
the immediate context of this chapter (10:1-20), answer the following questions.
a. Who were the wise and learned (from whom God has hidden His things)?
b. Who were the little children (to whom God has revealed His hidden things)?
(9) V. 23 indicates that the revelation of the Father is totally the prerogative of the Son. What then is the basis on which the Son chooses to reveal the Father?
(10) Has Jesus revealed to you the Father? (10:22)
(11) What was Jesus referring to when He called the disciples blessed?
(12) In that case, are we less or more blessed compared to the disciples? Why? (See Jn. 20:29)
(13) What is the main message to you today and how may you apply it to your life?
請細細慢讀每天指定的經文至少兩遍，然後反複思考問題。
迦百農、哥拉汎和伯賽大是加利利海西面的「三連城/tri-city」，以迦百農為最大，位於往大馬士革大道旁；是被稱為主耶穌「自己的城」。這地區是主耶穌行了最多神蹟的地方(見馬太福音9:1; 11:20) 。
(1) 試翻到以西結書第26和28章，略略了解推羅和西頓這兩國古代外邦城的罪行和所要遭受的審判。
(2) 把哥拉汎和伯賽大與這二城相比的總意包括什麼？
(3) 按耶穌的話，迦百農人自視甚高，他們既是繁榮城市，又擁有那地區極重要的會堂。這就成為他們可自恃之處嗎？按耶穌的話，他們的收場如何？原因何在？
(4) 這七十人這次「短宣」的結果怎樣？
(5) 面對這樣大的成果，為何主卻說：「然而不要因鬼服了你們就歡喜，要因你們的名記錄在天上歡喜」？
(6) 那麼，主耶穌在10:21「歡樂/full of joy」的原因是什麼？今天，我們同樣可以怎樣使主歡樂？
(7) 我們從這裡可以怎樣看事工的優先次序？
(8) 從上文(即10:1-20) 來看：
a. 誰是聰明通達人(以至神向他們隱藏)？
b. 誰是嬰孩(以至神向他們顯明) ？
(9) 10:23指出把父顯明全在乎主耶穌的意願；主耶穌是以什麼作出顯明父的原則呢？
(10) 那麼，主耶穌有否叫你「知道父」呢？(10:22)
(11) 主耶穌為何稱門徒們為有福的呢？
(12) 既是這樣，我們沒有像這些門徒有福還是比他們更有福呢？(參約20:29)
(13) 今日你得到的主要提醒是什麼？你會怎樣應用在你的生命中？
“No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the service in the kingdom of God.” (Lk. 9:62)
In the case of the third man, we do not know whether he followed Christ on his own initiative like the first man, or if he was called like the second person. But that is really not important, because everyone is in fact responding to the inner call of the Holy Spirit to follow Jesus. While the setting and timing might be different, it is ultimately the Holy Spirit who prompts us either gently, and for some vigorously, to follow Jesus. Therefore, this third man did have a call to follow Jesus and he responded by saying, “Lord, but first let me go back and say good-bye to my family” (Lk. 9:61).
Again, it sounded perfectly proper, especially in the Oriental culture — it is expected of all children, even in today’s culture! And yet, Jesus accused him of “looking back”!
Allow me to share my failure in this respect:
When I heard the calling from God to go into full-time ministry, I had been an accountant for 21 years, and I loved my job and was proud of my performance. So, when I quit my job and went to study full-time in a seminary, I was wondering what I might do the first summer.
I was in the car business, and I knew some of the folks working in Detroit, and I thought it might not be a bad idea to contact them to see if there might be some summer job available so that I might earn a bit more money for my seminary education. It so happened that one of my college classmates who was not a Christian invited me for lunch (if I remember correctly), during which I casually mentioned my plan to look for a summer job in Detroit. To my surprise, with a stern face he said to me, “Paul, do not look back!”
I felt so ashamed. I knew it was only a summer job, but deep down, it was my pride, my love of my former career, and the gasoline in my blood — as the people in the car business would say — that were beckoning me!
Indeed, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the service in the kingdom of God.” (Lk. 9:62)
「耶穌說：手扶著犁向後看的，不配進神的國。」 (路9:62)
這裡第三個人是主動的要跟從主，或是被呼召的，我們是不大清楚的。不過，其實這並不重要。每一個作主的門徒都是先有聖靈在我們心靈裡的呼召的。各人被呼召的方式、場合和時期有別，但每一個人是要對主的呼召作出回應。這第三個人的回應是：「主，我要跟從你，但容我先去辭別我家裡的人。」(9:61)
正如第二個人的情況一樣，這人深明東方的孝道，要先去辭別家人。誰知，主耶穌責難他說，不要手扶著犁向後看！這句話卻叫我想起自己一次的失敗。
在聽到主的呼召，要我放下事業來全時間的作傳道時，我已有21年的會計工作經驗。我一直很喜歡這專業，也為自己點點的成就有自豪感。故此，在快要完成神學院第一年的時候，我在籌算有沒有可能在底特律市的公用汽車總部做暑期工呢？因為我在汽車行業已有一段時間，認識總部的高級人員。就在這時候，一個舊同學約我見面，聽到我這個念頭時，很嚴肅的說：「不要再回頭看！」而他並非是個基督徒！
這句話喚醒了我！表面上只是一份暑期工，但卻是我的驕傲，是我對以前的專業的愛，和我對汽車行業的熱衷的表現。我確是回頭的看！
主耶穌說得對：「手扶著犁向後看的，不配進神的國。」(路9:62)
(1) Why did the expert in the law test Jesus by asking, “What must I do to inherit eternal life”?
a. What kind of a test was it?
b. What answer did he expect from Jesus? (Note: In their opinion, Jesus has repeatedly broken the law, especially with the rules governing Sabbath.)
c. What was right about his question?
d. What was wrong about his question?
(2) Perhaps, to his surprise, Jesus referred him back to the Law. The lawyer rightly cited Deuteronomy 6:5 and Leviticus 19:18 which summarize the essence of “All the Law and the Prophets” (Matt. 22:40):
a. Why did Jesus say “do this and you will live”?
b. Did He endorse salvation by work?
c. Can anyone truly and fully “do this”?
(3) The lawyer obviously did not ask out of humility and belief, but to test and perhaps, even trap Jesus. However, Jesus, as He always did, took command of the dialogue which did not sit well with this lawyer:
a. Why did he bring up the issue of who his neighbor was?
b. Whom did he have in mind as his neighbor?
c. Whom did he have in mind as not his neighbor?
(4) The parable from vv.30-36 is a familiar one:
a. How did this parable answer his question as to who his neighbor was?
b. How did this parable answer his notion on who his neighbor was not?
c. The question Jesus asked at the end of the parable is interesting:
- Should Jesus not ask, “Which of these three do you think consider the man a neighbor of his?”? Why or why not?
- Why then did Jesus ask instead, “Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man?”? (v.36)
- It appears that Jesus’ focus is not on “who our neighbor is” but on “be a neighbor!”. How does this focus reveal the true meaning of “Love... your neighbor as yourself”?
d. Which of the characters in the parable can you identity with the most?
e. Which of the characters in the parable speaks to you the most? How so?
(5) What is the main message to you today and how may you apply it to your life?
請細細慢讀每天指定的經文至少兩遍，然後反複思考問題。
(1) 「我該作甚麼纔可以承受永生」這問題：
a. 怎樣是一個試探？
b. 這律法師以為耶穌會怎樣回答？(注意：在這人心目中，耶穌是不尊重摩西律法的，且連連干犯安息日的條例)
c. 他發這問題的可取之處在乎什麼？
d. 這問題本身錯在什麼地方？
(2) 相信當耶穌以律法為本來回答他時，是使他希奇的。耶穌更以申命記6:5和利未記19:18這兩處律法和先知的總綱(太22:40)作答並稱許他：
a. 為何耶穌說：「你這樣行就必得永生」？
b. 祂是否說得救恩是在乎行為呢？
c. 人是否真的能「這樣行」呢？
(3) 相信這律法師不是出於謙卑而發出這問題的。他是要試探主耶穌，甚至想藉耶穌的回答成之於罪。但主耶穌像以往一般，穩操著這些對話的主權，因此這人心不服輸：
a. 他轉而提出誰是鄰舍這問題，為什麼？
b. 在他心目中誰才算是他的鄰舍，能成為他愛的對象？
c. 誰不算是他的鄰舍，是不用愛的呢？
(4) 10:30-36的比喻是你熟悉的：
a. 這比喻怎樣回答了這人「誰是我的鄰舍」這問題？
b. 這比喻更怎樣回答他「誰不是我的鄰舍」的問題？
c. 耶穌提出一個反問來結束這比喻：
i. 耶穌豈不應問：「你想，這三個人那一個以這落在強盜手中的為他的鄰舍」？為什麼？
ii. 為何祂卻問：「你想，這三個人那一個是落在強盜手中的鄰舍呢」？
iii. 似乎主耶穌的重點不是在乎「誰是我們的鄰舍」，乃在乎我們要「作別人的鄰舍」。這重點怎樣把「愛鄰舍如同自己」的真義說明？
d. 在這比喻中，那一個人物你最能認同？
e. 在這比喻中，那一個人物最感動你？為什麼？
(5) 今天你得到的主要提醒是什麼？你會怎樣應用在你的生命中？
“Which of these do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?” (Lk. 10:36)
The story of the Good Samaritan is a familiar one. Even non-Christians have heard of the name “good Samaritan”, if not the story itself. But the moral of this parable, as popularized, is one of lending a helping hand to the needy. Of course, it is true, but the significance of the parable goes far beyond this.
The backdrop to this parable is the conversation between Jesus and an expert in the law who asked, “What must I do to inherit eternal life?” He asked it in order to test Jesus, meaning he probably wished to see how Jesus ignored or even trampled on the Law of Moses in His answer. To his surprise, Jesus upheld the Law of Moses and affirmed the Jewish notion of Deuteronomy 6:5 and Leviticus 19:18 as the essence of “all the Law and the Prophets” (Matt. 22:40).
However, Jesus is far from affirming that eternal life can be earned by works, because no one can truly and fully keep all the laws at all times , let alone the essence of the Law of Moses. James makes it clear, “For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it.” (Jas. 2:10)
So, Jesus’ command to “do this and you will live (referring to eternal life)” seeks to show the inability and futility of relying on the keeping of the law to earn eternal life.
However, in his self-righteous mindset, the expert in the law thought that by strict observance of the ritualistic laws, he had already met the requirements of Deuteronomy 6:5. He also knew that there were people that he did not like, or considered unworthy of his love, and so he either wished to challenge Jesus or seek to clarify who really would be the “neighbours” that he needed to love in order to earn eternal life!
To his great surprise, Jesus told him and the crowd this parable to show them the futility of their faith which rested in the observance of the law as a means to earn eternal life. The priest and the Levites are representatives of such a faith, and their neglect of the victim fully reveals their void of love, whether to men or God. The hated Samaritan (who also worships Yahweh but based on their Samaritan Pentateuch), on the other hand, demonstrates a faith that fully satisfies the requirement of the law. The Samaritan in the parable loves those who discriminate against or even hate him. This kind of love only comes from God or from someone who loves God in the first place.
This was exemplified in the life of Nelson Mandela. How could he forgive those who imprisoned him? According to Chuck Colson who met Mandela personally, it was because he came to know Jesus Christ as his personal Lord and Savior while in jail.
So, the moral of the parable of the Good Samaritan is not just lending a helping hand to the needy, but to know the God of love and love as God loves—even our enemies. As children of God who know and love the Father, we do not choose who might be worthy to be our neighbour (and thus worthy of our love), but we seek to be a worthy neighbour to all.
“你想，這三個人那一個是落在強盜手中的鄰舍呢？” (路10:36)
這好撒瑪利亞人的故事是我們都熟悉的，連非基督徒，就是未聽過主耶穌所說的這比喻，也一定聽過「好撒瑪利亞人」這名字。世人都以這比喻是教訓我們要憐憫、幫助有需要的人。這是對的，但卻不是這比喻最重要的教訓。
這比喻出於主耶穌對一位律法師所發的問題的回答。這律法師問耶穌說：「我該作甚麼纔可以承受永生？」聖經告訴我們，這人的問題是在乎試探主耶穌，以為祂既常破壞安息日的條例，必是輕看摩西的律法；故此或許可以從祂的回答中找到把柄來控告祂。誰知，耶穌的回答是以摩西的律法為本，更向這律法師肯定申命記6:5和利未記19:18為律法與先知的總綱的觀念(參太22:40) 。
這並不是說，主耶穌是以行為稱義，以為得永生是靠行律法的。雅各就清楚的指出：「因為凡遵守全律法的，只在一條上跌倒，他就是犯了眾條」(雅2:10) 。問題是，誰能真的守著這律法的總綱，沒有一刻是不在愛中虧缺神和人的呢？
所以當主耶穌告訴這律法師說：「你這樣行就必得永生」時，祂是要叫這人看出完全的遵守律法是沒有可能的，也是徒然的。這律法師也實在明白，特別他心知至少在愛鄰舍—這人人都可以目睹的事上，他是有困難的。他是不能愛某一類人的，或以為他們不配，或不可愛！故此他問：「誰是我的鄰舍？」這問題的背後，仍是基於守律法得永生的觀念。
主耶穌就以這「好撒瑪利亞人」的比喻來對他澄清，靠遵守律法得永生這種信仰是徒然的。祂在這比喻中特別以祭司和利未人為這種信仰的代表。藉著他們對這落在強盜手中的(猶太) 人缺乏憐憫和照顧，來顯出他們謹守律法的徒然。因為他們基本上對神(申6:5)、對人(利19:18) 都沒有盡上愛心。反而，他們所輕看，甚至敵視的撒瑪利亞人(雖然也敬拜耶和華，卻是按自篇的摩西五經的敬拜) ，卻藉著愛仇敵(猶太人) 而滿足了律法和先知的總綱。因為這樣的愛是從神來的愛，也是因先愛神而有的。
這也是剛離世的前南非總統Nelson Mandela的見證。他為何能饒恕逼迫他、囚禁他的敵人呢？雖我沒有記錯，Chuck Colson在生前有機會與Mandela交談，他告訴我們，是因Mandela在獄中信了耶穌。
故此，這「好撒瑪利亞人」的故事不單是要教訓我們，要憐憫並幫助有需要的人，更要認識神和有像神一樣的愛—甚至愛仇敵。作為認識神，以神為父的，我們是沒有權去選擇誰配作我們的鄰舍，誰配受我們的愛；我們乃是要作眾人的鄰舍！