十一月二十一日 [mp3_embed playlst=”/downloading/audio/evening/11/1121.mp3″]
经文: 拉撒路也在那同耶稣坐席的人中。(约翰福音十二:2)
他真令人羡慕!能作马大来服事主真好,能作拉撒路来与祂相交更是美好。不同时间有不同的目的,园中任何季节所结的果子都是美丽的,但是没有一棵树能结出比与主交通更为甜美的葡萄串。坐在耶稣身旁、聆听祂的教训、观察祂的动作、接纳祂的微笑是极大的祝福,相信拉撒路当时一如天使般快乐。当我们有幸得与爱我们的主在宴客大厅中一同坐席时,一定不会为世上国度所有的发出半声赞叹。拉撒路是值得仿效的。在耶稣坐席之处若拉撒路不在,那将是一件奇怪的事,因为耶稣已经使他从死里复活了。我们也像拉撒路一样曾经死过,在罪的坟墓中发出臭味。耶稣使我们复活,藉祂的生命我们可以存活。远离祂我们能满足吗?当祂与众弟兄同坐席时,我们是否忘了在祂的圣桌前纪念祂?我们必须悔改并且遵守祂的命令,祂最小的愿望都是我们所该遵行的。犹太人说:“你看,祂爱这人是何等恳切。”(约十一:36)对拉撒路而言,若不能与恳切爱他的这一位主有亲密不断的相交是件羞愧之事。耶稣以祂永远的爱爱我门,我们若不与祂相交,可原谅吗?祂向着拉撒路那已无生命的身体哭泣,他若对祂冷淡,是多么忘恩的表现!我们的表现呢?救主不仅为我们流泪,更为我们流血。弟兄们,来吧,让我们回转,到我们属天的新郎面前,并求祂使我们能与祂更亲近。
Evening, November 21
Scripture: “Lazarus was one of them that sat at the table with him.”(John 12:2)
He is to be envied. It was well to be Martha and serve, but better to be Lazarus and commune. There are times for each purpose, and each is comely in its season, but none of the trees of the garden yield such clusters as the vine of fellowship. To sit with Jesus, to hear his words, to mark his acts, and receive his smiles, was such a favour as must have made Lazarus as happy as the angels. When it has been our happy lot to feast with our Beloved in his banqueting-hall, we would not have given half a sigh for all the kingdoms of the world, if so much breath could have bought them.
He is to be imitated. It would have been a strange thing if Lazarus had not been at the table where Jesus was, for he had been dead, and Jesus had raised him. For the risen one to be absent when the Lord who gave him life was at his house, would have been ungrateful indeed. We too were once dead, yea, and like Lazarus stinking in the grave of sin; Jesus raised us, and by his life we live-can we be content to live at a distance from him? Do we omit to remember him at his table, where he deigns to feast with his brethren? Oh, this is cruel! It behoves us to repent, and do as he has bidden us, for his least wish should be law to us. To have lived without constant intercourse with one of whom the Jews said, “Behold how he loved him,” would have been disgraceful to Lazarus, is it excusable in us whom Jesus has loved with an everlasting love? To have been cold to him who wept over his lifeless corpse, would have argued great brutishness in Lazarus. What does it argue in us over whom the Saviour has not only wept, but bled? Come, brethren, who read this portion, let us return unto our heavenly Bridegroom, and ask for his Spirit that we may be on terms of closer intimacy with him, and henceforth sit at the table with him.