7月22日靈修禱文

Matthew 10:5-6

When dealing with the difficult part of these bible verses, such as why Jesus asked disciples "not to use big pockets, gowns, shoes and walking sticks, not to walk the way of the Gentiles, not to enter the Samaritan city but go to the lost sheep of the house of Israel", we have to understand the location of these bible verses in the history of salvation.  God's salvation began with the Jew, but it did not mean the Jew was more important.  This was just the order of God's work.  Matthew Chapter 10 recorded that before the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, it was the stage when Jesus worked with the Jew first, therefore He told his disciples there was no need to go to the Gentiles.  That was a matter of order.  As regards to why "not to use big pockets, gowns, shoes and walking sticks" etc., it is necessary to understand the cultural habits of how the Jew greet their guests in the first century A.D. Jesus told his disciples not to worry about daily life, but to preach the gospel to the Jew and to accept their reception and supply.  This is what should be done by the faith and the gospel.

Pray that our Lord will help us to seize every opportunity to preach the gospel to people, no matter how near or far, look up with confidence to God's supply.  Despite how much resources around us, we wholly rely on the empowering Holy Spirit to have full courage to introduce Jesus Christ.

Rev. Eddie Chu

馬太福音 10:5-6

處理這段經文難解的部份，例如耶穌為什麼叫門徒不要大口袋、褂子、鞋和拐杖，外邦人的路不要走，撒瑪利亞人的城不要進，寧可往以色列家迷失的羊哪裏去。我們就要明白這段經文在救恩歷史中的位置，神施行的救恩從猶太人開始，並不表示猶太人更重要，這只是神工作的先後次序。馬太福音第十章記錄在耶穌基督釘十字架之前，那是耶穌先向猶太人工作的階段，所以他吩咐門徒不用到外邦人地方去，那就是次序的問題。至於如何不用「不要大口袋、褂手、鞋和拐杖」等，就要明白主後1世紀猶太人接待客人的文化習慣，耶穌吩咐門徒不用擔心日常生活，要向猶太人傳福音，也接受他們的接待和供應，這是憑信和靠福音養生是應當的。

求主助我們把握每一個傳福音的機會，不論近處或遠處，憑信心仰望上帝的供應，不在乎身邊的資源多少，而是全然倚靠賜能力的聖靈，滿有膽量去介紹基督耶穌。

朱裕文 牧師