《静夜亮光》三月二十三日

三月二十三日[mp3_embed playlst=”/downloading/audio/evening/03/0323.mp3″]

经文: 我告诉你们,若是他们闭口不说,这些石头必要呼叫起来。(路加福音十九:40)

但是石头会呼叫吗?会,倘若叫哑巴开口的那一位命令石头扬声,石头就会呼叫。倘若石头能言,必大声颂赞,见证上帝以祂大能的话创造了它们。我们也能以言语来称颂使我们成为新造的人,从石头中兴起亚伯拉罕的子孙的那一位吗?古老的磐石能述说混乱与次序,能叙述在创造的每一连续阶段中上帝亲手的作为。我们能述说上帝的命令、祂在古代的伟大工作,和祂为教会所作的一切。倘若石头真能言语,必会述说碎石者如何将它们从石矿中取出,如何凿磨它们适于建造圣殿。我们荣耀的碎路者以祂圣言之锤破碎我们的心,因此祂才能将我们建造成祂的圣殿。倘若石头会呼叫,必夸耀那位磨光它们、将它们成形在宫殿中的建造者。我们的设计师和建造者将我们置于永活真神圣殿中恰当之地方。倘若石头会呼叫,可能会藉回忆来叙述一长篇故事。过去,人为了纪念主常会立起一巨石。我们也能见证上帝为我们所成就的大事。律法的碎石呼声指控我们,但是基督自己将墓门的大石辊开,为我们代言。我们不要让石头呼叫,却要自己迸出圣歌永远荣耀祂,祂是以色列的牧者和磐石。

Evening, March 23
Scripture: “I tell you that, if these should hold their peace, the stones would immediately cry out.”(Luke 19:40)

But could the stones cry out? Assuredly they could if he who opens the mouth of the dumb should bid them lift up their voice. Certainly if they were to speak, they would have much to testify in praise of him who created them by the word of his power; they could extol the wisdom and power of their Maker who called them into being. Shall not we speak well of him who made us anew, and out of stones raised up children unto Abraham? The old rocks could tell of chaos and order, and the handiwork of God in successive stages of creation’s drama; and cannot we talk of God’s decrees, of God’s great work in ancient times, in all that he did for his church in the days of old? If the stones were to speak, they could tell of their breaker, how he took them from the quarry, and made them fit for the temple, and cannot we tell of our glorious Breaker, who broke our hearts with the hammer of his word, that he might build us into his temple? If the stones should cry out they would magnify their builder, who polished them and fashioned them after the similitude of a palace; and shall not we talk of our Architect and Builder, who has put us in our place in the temple of the living God? If the stones could cry out, they might have a long, long story to tell by way of memorial, for many a time hath a great stone been rolled as a memorial before the Lord; and we too can testify of Ebenezers, stones of help, pillars of remembrance. The broken stones of the law cry out against us, but Christ himself, who has rolled away the stone from the door of the sepulchre, speaks for us. Stones might well cry out, but we will not let them: we will hush their noise with ours; we will break forth into sacred song, and bless the majesty of the Most High, all our days glorifying him who is called by Jacob the Shepherd and Stone of Israel.