The Man on the Other Side of the Street
站在對街的人
June 18, 6-8 pm (Evergreen Int'l Fellowship, Taipei)
My Unanswered Question
我追根究底的往事
我成長於美國紐約州中部的一個小鎮，鎮上只有25,000人。讀大學的時候我專攻數學與物理，因為我是個喜歡追根究底的人。雖然從小到大我都去浸信會聚會，我卻在24歲才真正成為了基督徒。在我參與美國軍隊的那段時間裡，我真正的認識了神。在軍隊那段期間，我參加了一個每週二晚上舉辦的查經小組。我還記得，第一個星期，擔任老師的泰德弟兄拿了一張圖給我們看。那是一個橋的比喻。在破碎的兩個懸崖上，一邊是我們，一邊是上帝。而耶穌則是中間的橋樑。直到第三個星期，當我再回去查經小組的時候，泰德弟兄突然問我，有沒有寫下最後一個問題的答案：你有永生嗎？那一題，我答不出來。因為既然全世界的數學證明與物理方程式都無法解釋這個「永生」，我又怎麼能寫下答案呢？這個時候，泰德弟兄拿出另外一張比喻圖，那是”寶座”的比喻。於是，那天晚上，我告訴上帝，我願意讓祂掌管我心中的寶座，成為我生命的主宰。而在我重生得救之後我就對聖經有極大的渴慕。接下來的幾年中，我常常讀聖經認識神的話語。這本聖經或許沒有成為我對世界上所有疑難雜症的解答，但它清楚的告訴我，神如何在我身上作工。
I was born and grew up in the central part of New York State, in a city of 25,000 people. At university I studied math and physics, because I enjoyed discovering how things work. Although I regularly attended a Baptist church, I did not become a Christian until I was 24 years old. I met the Lord when I was working in the U.S. Air Force. I had started attending a Bible study on Tuesday evenings. The first week Ted taught me the Bridge illustration of the Gospel. The third week, Ted started out the discussion of the homework by asking me how I had answered the last question: “Do you have eternal life?” But math and physics had not given me an answer to that question, so my answer sheet was blank. At this point Ted pulled out a booklet and showed me the Throne illustration. That night I told God I wanted Him to be in charge of my life. Immediately after my new birth I was hungry and thirsty for God’s Word. Although the Bible didn’t tell me how things worked, it did tell me how God worked in me.
The Good Samaritan: read Luke 10:25-37
好撒馬利亞人的故事
今天的經句是好撒馬利亞人的比喻，讓我們一起讀路加福音第10章25-37節。對於文士與法利賽人來說，他們認定的「鄰舍」，只限於那些遵守律法又敬虔的猶大人們。就像一個解經學家寫下的註記：(那時的)「法利賽人已經將這種將這種極端厭惡罪人的情緒視為一種美德」，但當時他們的行為，其實已經違反了神給我們的第二條戒命 (你要盡心盡性盡意盡力愛主你的神，並要愛鄰舍如己)。
For the scribes and Pharisees, “neighbor” was interpreted to mean only righteous people, that is religious, law-abiding people. As one commentor remarks, “The Pharisees had elevated hostility toward the wicked to the status of a virtue, in effect nullifying the second Great Commandment.” So, “the lawyer assumed it was up to others to prove themselves neighbor to him.” [John MacArthur:p1298]
What Jesus is Doing
耶穌的作為
過去幾年在世界各地的基督教書房很流行上面刻著WWJD (耶穌會怎麼作)的首飾或者紀念品，以此隨時提醒基督徒們隨時思想並已耶穌的眼光來行動。當然，身為神的孩子，我們時常需要操練這種無懼的大信心，信靠全能神一定會提供所有我們所求所需的一切。在這個耶穌的比喻中，好撒馬利亞人以行動來證明他的信心…不只照顧了對街受傷的人一整晚，這位撒馬利亞人甚至要求旅館主人繼續照顧這個病患，並且答應負擔一切的費用！同樣的，在羅馬書8張32節裡，保羅又提及神給我們的應許：「神既不愛惜自己的兒子，為我們眾人捨了，豈不也把萬物和他一同白白的賜給我們麼？」而耶穌在交托大使命的同時，也親自重申了這樣的應許：「耶穌進前來，對他們說：天上地下所有的權柄都賜給我了。所以，你們要去，使萬民作我的門徒，奉父、子、聖靈的名給他們施洗（或作：給他們施洗，歸於父、子、聖靈的名）。凡我所吩咐你們的，都教訓他們遵守，我就常與你們同在，直到世界的末了。耶穌吩咐門徒的大使命，其實不外乎就是比喻中那個好撒馬利亞人對旅館主人的請求：「我想照顧那個受傷的人，並付上照顧他的代價。但在我遠行這段期間，請你代為照顧這個受傷的人，無論他虧欠你什麼，我必償還。」
For the past few years, Christian bookstores have sold various items with four letters written on them: WWJD (“What would Jesus do”), as a reminder to think and act from God’s perspective. As a child of God, I need to practice the security which He guarantees for me and live boldly. In Jesus’ parable, the Samaritan man demonstrates “what Jesus would do”. Also, in the book of Romans Paul paraphrases Luke 10:35: “He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?” And Jesus himself sums up the same assurance: “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go…” (Matthew 28:18-19) The essence of the Great Commission is the same as the Samaritan’s request to the innkeeper: “I want to take care of the hurting and I can afford to. So while I’m away, you act on my behalf and I’ll make it up to you.” (Ed’s Dynamic Version)
My Recognition of Need is My Call
我對宣教需求的呼召
當神差派我進入宣教工場時，我選擇了聖經翻譯的事工，曾經身為一個初信的基督徒，我記得聖經對我有多麼重要，所以對於那些未信之民，神的話語更是珍貴。當時我就已經知道，印尼有很多尚無母語聖經的少數方言族群，但在那時候，我沒預料的卻是印尼有高達500多個族群還需要聖經譯本 – 這裡的方言譯本需求量，比全世界任何一個其他國家都更多。
When God sent me to the mission field, I chose the ministry of Bible translation because I knew that if I myself as a new believer needed the scriptures, they were also important for the unreached. I knew that Indonesia had some Bibleless people groups, but at that time I didn’t know that Indonesia still needed another 500 translation—more needs than any other country in the world.
Being Attentive
儆醒
而在今天的世界，即便已經2000多年後，上帝仍然主動尋找那些破碎受傷的人們。常常依我們看來，就像撒馬利亞人的比喻一樣，神只是「偶然」的插手。但就是在這些特別的情況中，神要使用我們，向對街受傷無助的傷患伸出援手。前些時間，我與妻子在印尼西巴布亞省的梭隆市舉辦一連串的訓練課程，協助當地地方教會與已經在附近發展近25年的國際差會建立合作關係。有一位參與者是一個年輕人，他負責當地地方教會的音樂事工。我記得，每天早晨敬拜的時候我都特別喜歡看著他臉上的微笑。這個年輕人是個「非典型」的敬拜同工，因為他其實成為基督徒只有短短三年的時間而已。這個年輕人出生在傳統回教的家庭，從來不曾接觸基督徒信仰的敬拜或音樂。但在三年前，他作了一個夢，夢中有一個穿著白衣服的人帶著他走過一條狹長黑暗的隧道並對他說了一句：「跟從我。」之後就消失了。年輕人直覺似的知道這是耶穌 (回教語言中的Isa Al Masih -- 就是”耶穌救主”的意思)，所以他找來了一本聖經，認識這位他不是很了解的耶穌，並且開始信靠祂。這位年輕人身上的奇蹟還沒結束。就在訓練課程的前一個星期，年輕人又在夢中看見耶穌，在夢中他被指示要換到另一個教會去。年輕人順從了，而正好趕上註冊我們的訓練課程。而這次神的旨意似乎不單單為了造就那位年輕人，因為這位年輕人的背景正好是當地傳統回教徒，所以在這次的訓練事工中，他帶給我們極大的幫助，協助我們去深入了解當地的民情與文化，以向那些回教徒伸出福音的手。
What is God doing in our day? He’s still picking up broken and hurting people. Often it seems that, like the Samaritan, God happens to intervene “by chance”. And in those special times, I’m the “man on the other side of the street” and God wants to use me. If God can get our attention, God gives us glimpses of what He has been doing and gives us a part in it. Recently my wife and I were in Sorong, West Papua. We were there to help train 25 church leaders about how to develop a partnership to minister to the many cousins who have been moving to that area over the past 25 years.
One of the participants was a young man who is now part of the praise leadership team at his church. I enjoyed watching Andy smile as we started out each morning with a couple songs. He is not your “regular” song leader, because he has only been a believer for three years. He grew up in a Muslim family, without any singing in their style of worship. Then three years ago he had a dream: a man wearing a white robe came up to him, led him through a dark passageway, told him, “Follow me,” then disappeared. Andy recognized that this man must be Isa [Isa Al Masih-Jesus the Messiah], although he didn’t know much about him. So Andy found a Bible and started reading to discover more about Isa, whom he now follows.
One week before the partnership workshop, Andy had another dream where he was told to go to a church in his city—and there he registered to take the partnership training. Andy will be a valuable part of the ministry partnership which is forming, because, thanks to his own personal experience, he understands where the unreached are walking.
Don’t Fail to Recognize Your Neighbor
別忽略了你的鄰舍
最近神也讓我回想起多年前我未能向鄰舍伸出援手的往事。當然，當我第一次遇見這個人的時候，他沒有像個鄰舍一樣和善。那時候我住在印尼西邊的安邦市。有天下午，我正搭著輪船返家，那天船上沒有很多乘客，有一位年輕大學學生在我的身邊坐了下來。他滿臉忿忿不平，因為那前一天，當時的美國總統雷根下令轟炸了利比亞的皇宮，並且炸死了一名皇族兒子。年輕人不停的跟我抱怨美國總統是多麼殘忍，而當時的我也只能無奈的企圖安慰他，說我們總統應該有做出謹慎的決定，終於，那個年輕人放棄了他的抱怨並且移到別的座位去。但是幾天後當我在我家附近散步時，我又遇見了同一個年輕人。他看見我就走上前對我說：先生，我必須為了前幾天我在輪船上不禮貌的行為向你道歉，我不應該對你說這些話。我接受了年輕人的道歉，但即使我後來知道這個年輕人住的地方離我家很近，我從此之後卻再也沒看過那位年輕人了。而在多年之後，當我想起這段往事，神用路加福音十章5-7節提醒我：「無論進那一家，先要說：願這一家平安。
那裡若有當得平安的人（當得平安的人：原文是平安之子），你們所求的平安就必臨到那家；不然，就歸與你們了。」很奇妙的是，回教徒們也是用同樣的話語彼此問安 (Assalam walaikum / Walaikum salam 平安歸於你們)。當然在多年前，那個忿忿不平的年輕人看起來一點也不像和平之子，而且多年之後當我回想當時在船上的情況，我發現了當初忽略的兩個細節，第一，他應該已經在旁邊觀察了我一陣子，才上前坐在我身邊對我抱怨，而第二，他其實沒有惡意，只是想要在他身邊這混亂的世界裡，找到一些確信的答案。現在當我再回想時，我想如果當時這個孩子能聽到關於天父將他愛子賜下給世人的和平福音，應該會很欣然接受吧。每當我想起這段往事，我就祈求神教導我如何更加儆醒的察覺我身邊需要幫助的鄰舍，並求神帶領我教導我如何服事這些需要的人。
Recently the Lord reminded me of a neighbor that I didn’t want to help years ago. When I met him, he was not very neighborly. At that time I lived in Ambon in the eastern part of Indonesia. One afternoon I was on the ferry returning from a shopping trip in the city. There weren’t many passengers at that time. A young college student came and sat next to me. He was very upset—the previous day a US plane had bombed the palace of Muamar Khadafi in Libya, killing one of his children. So this Ambonese student told me what a wicked president I had. I only responded by saying that the president probably knew more about the matter than I did. Finally the fellow cooled down and moved away from me. A few days later I was walking near my house and the same student came up to me. “Sir, I apologize for the way I spoke to you on the ferry. I shouldn’t have talked to you like that.” I accepted his apology, but I never saw him again, even though he lived just 100 meters from my house. It wasn’t until later that I learned about one of the strategies missionaries now use—look for a man of peace: Luke 10:5-7 “When you enter a house, first say, ‘Peace to this house.’ If a man of peace is there, your peace will rest on him; if not, it will return to you. Stay in that house.” It’s significant that this is the same pattern of greeting which Muslims use with each other: “Assalam walaikum / Walaikum salam”. Years ago, that student didn’t seem very peaceful, but now as I look back, I realize that, when he came back to apologize, I should have realized two things: first, that he had been watching me for a while, and second, that he was looking for answers, trying to make sense of his own mixed up world. He would have been glad to hear of the God of peace who sacrificed His own Son. I now pray that the Lord will let me recognize such neighbors when I meet them, and then follow His lead as He shows me how to minister to them.
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