馬可福音 9-42-50
罪的诱惑
42「凡使這信我的一個小子跌倒的，倒不如把大磨石拴在這人的頸項上，扔在海裡。 43倘若你一只手叫你跌倒，就把它砍下來； 44你缺了肢體進入永生，強如有兩只手落到地獄，入那不滅的火裡去。 45倘若你一只腳叫你跌倒，就把它砍下來； 46你瘸腿進入永生，強如有兩只腳被丟在地獄裡。 47倘若你一只眼叫你跌倒，就去掉它；你只有一只眼進入 神的國，強如有兩只眼被丟在地獄裡。 48在那裡，蟲是不死的，火是不滅的。 49因為必用火當鹽醃各人。 50鹽本是好的，若失了味，可用什麼叫它再鹹呢？你們裡頭應當有鹽，彼此和睦。」
基督徒生活準則
各位弟兄姊妹，平安。今天我們要一起來思考馬可福音九章的42至50節這段經文，談到基督徒的生活規範以及我們對這社會的影響力。
基督徒的生活不僅僅是遵守規矩，更是遵循指導性的大原則。若我們一味地將律法強加於人，不斷加重規矩，就會陷入猶太人的律法主義之中。我們應該著眼於大原則，當我們擁有了這些原則，生活和行為就能夠按照這些原則進行，只要符合原則，我們就能夠享有基督徒的自由，而不會踰矩，這才是真正的基督徒生活方式。
這裏我們提到的第一個大原則是不要使人跌倒。我們有時候的言行可能會讓別人跌倒，這是什麼意思呢？可能我們的言行造成了破壞，導致別人的失敗。保羅在羅馬書和哥林多書都有教導關於使人跌倒的事。在羅馬書14章，保羅提到不要因食物而使弟兄跌倒，因為若因食物使弟兄有所跌倒，就不是按著愛心行事了。在哥林多書八章，他也寫道：「如果食物讓我的弟兄跌倒，我就再也不吃肉。」
或許有些人信心堅固，對於某些事物並不介意，但對其他人來說，可能會因心理上的原因或家族的歷史而感到困擾。對於這些人，我們應該謹慎行事，體貼他們的軟弱。保羅提到，我們應該像肌肉強壯的人一樣，體貼信心軟弱的人，不可以因為別人的軟弱而嘲笑，反而應該幫助和陪伴他們，這樣才不會使人跌倒。因為耶穌警告過，若使人跌倒，後果是非常嚴重的，可能會導致他們遠離信仰。因此，在言行上，讓我們都要非常謹慎。
第二個大原則是說，若有某件事讓你跌倒，寧願將該事截斷，即使是手腳都可以切掉，也要保守自己不要被丟進地獄。這句話的比喻需要解釋清楚。這裡所說的是，有時候人必須做出犧牲，為了堅守真理，追求生命的目標，甚至到了可以犧牲自己身體的一部分。我們失去手腳還可以存留生命，但如果因為愛惜手腳而失去了最重要的生命，那麼我們就真的全部都失去了。
在靈性的生命中，我們必須斷絕一些事物，放棄某些習慣或物質，來追求生命的完整。這也包括鈍化我們的慾望。如果某些慾望特別強烈，使我們偏離上帝的道路，使我們遠離真理，那麼我們必須有截斷它們的決心。我們需要有砍掉手腳的心態，來對抗這些慾望，將它們從我們的生命中完全消除。這是基督徒生活的重大原則。
第三個原則提到了鹽和火。 在這裡，火有兩個含義。首先，它代表著煉淨的能力。就像煉金或煉鋼一樣，火能夠將金屬融化，並將雜質去除，使之變得純淨。基督徒的生活也需要經歷火的精煉，經過這樣的精煉後，我們的生活才能變得更純淨，更純潔。
第二，火也象徵著毀滅的能力。在基督徒的生活中，那些不符合神旨意的雜質必須被火焰燃燒，被除去。因此，我們需要在檢討自己的生活後，放棄一些事情，無論是放棄不良的社交圈子還是惡劣的習慣，都需要做出實際上的改變，把那些壞的東西燒掉。
在猶太人的傳統中，鹽被用作調味劑和防腐劑。將鹽放入燔祭中不僅是為了給上帝獻禮物，還要用鹽調和，一方面是為了調節味道，另一方面是為了防止腐敗。同樣地，基督徒的生活也像鹽一樣，如果沒有基督徒，這個社會將失去防腐的功能，並容易腐化墮落。此外，鹽還用來調味食物。如果生活中缺少鹽，食物就會失去美味，讓人難以下咽。所以，將真理應用到生活中，就像調味一樣，可以讓生活變得更加美好和有意義。
如果這個社會沒有基督徒的存在，沒有阻止腐敗的力量，那麼它將會走向更加墮落的道路。因此，這三大原則提醒我們要記住：首先，不要使人跌倒；第二，對於惡習和不良生活，要有截斷的決心；第三，我們要像煉金一樣去除生活中的雜質，成為調和味道的鹽，並成為社會的防腐劑。
而這一切的總原則都是將上帝的話語存在心中，透過上帝的話語不斷潔淨自己，並讓話語充滿自己。這才是真正被聖靈充滿的表現。當我們能夠讓上帝的話語充滿在我們心中時，我們的生活就會自然而然地開始改變，並能夠活出基督的馨香之氣，這將是改變世界的關鍵。
馬可福音第九章充滿著豐富的故事，值得我們去細讀和省思。明天我們將討論馬可福音第十章的故事，期待著更多的啟發和學習。
Causing to Stumble
“If anyone causes one of these little ones—those who believe in me—to stumble, it would be better for them if a large millstone were hung around their neck and they were thrown into the sea. If your hand causes you to stumble, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life maimed than with two hands to go into hell, where the fire never goes out. And if your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life crippled than to have two feet and be thrown into hell. And if your eye causes you to stumble, pluck it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into hell,4 where
“ ‘the worms that eat them do not die,
and the fire is not quenched.’
Everyone will be salted with fire.
“Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness, how can you make it salty again? Have salt among yourselves, and be at peace with each other.”
Brothers and sisters, peace be with you. Today, let's reflect together on the passage from Mark 9:42-50, discussing the standards of Christian living and our influence on society.
The Christian life is not just about following rules; it's about adhering to guiding principles. If we merely impose laws on others and continually burden them with regulations, we risk falling into legalism like the Jews. We should focus on overarching principles, and when we possess these principles, our lives and actions can align with them. By adhering to these principles, we can experience the freedom of being Christians without overstepping boundaries. This is the true Christian way of life.
The first major principle we mention here is to not cause others to stumble. Sometimes, our words or actions may cause others to fall, what does this mean? It might mean that our words or actions lead to destruction, resulting in others' failure. Paul addresses causing others to stumble in his letters to the Romans and Corinthians. In Romans 14, Paul mentions not causing a brother to stumble over food, as doing so would not be acting in love. In 1 Corinthians 8, he also writes, "If what I eat causes my brother or sister to fall into sin, I will never eat meat again, so that I will not cause them to fall."
Perhaps some people have strong faith and are not bothered by certain things, but for others, it may be troubling due to psychological reasons or family history. In such cases, we should act with caution and consider their weaknesses. Paul mentions that we should treat those with weak faith like those who are physically weak. We shouldn't mock them for their weaknesses but instead help and accompany them, so as not to cause them to stumble. Jesus warned that causing others to stumble has severe consequences, potentially leading them away from faith. Therefore, in our words and actions, let's be extremely careful.
The second major principle is that if something causes you to stumble, it is better to cut it off, even if it's your hand, than to be thrown into hell. This metaphor needs to be explained clearly. Here, it means that sometimes we must sacrifice everything to uphold the truth, pursue the goal of life, and even sacrifice parts of our bodies. We can survive without limbs, but if, by cherishing our limbs, we lose the most important aspect of life, then we have truly lost everything.
In our spiritual lives, we must cut off certain things, give up certain habits or material possessions, to pursue the completeness of life. This also includes dulling our desires. If certain desires are so strong that they lead us astray from God's path, distancing us from the truth, then we must have the determination to cut them off. We need to have the mindset of cutting off limbs to combat these desires and completely eliminate them from our lives. This is one of the major principles of Christian living.
The third principle mentioned is salt and fire. Here, fire has two meanings. First, it represents the purifying power. Just as in refining gold or steel, fire melts the metal and removes impurities, making it pure. The Christian life also requires undergoing the refining fire, and after such refinement, our lives can become purer and more immaculate.
Second, fire also symbolizes the power of destruction. In the Christian life, those impurities that do not align with God's will must be burned away by the flames and removed. Therefore, after examining our lives, we need to give up certain things, whether it's abandoning unhealthy social circles or detrimental habits, changes need to be made.
In Jewish tradition, salt was used as a seasoning and preservative. Putting salt in burnt offerings was not only about offering gifts to God but also about seasoning. On the one hand, it was to adjust the taste, and on the other hand, it was to prevent decay. Similarly, the Christian life is like salt; without Christians, society would lose its preservative function and would easily decay into corruption. Furthermore, salt is also used to season food. If life lacks salt, food loses its flavor, making it difficult to swallow. Therefore, applying truth to life, like seasoning, can make life more enjoyable and meaningful.
If society lacks the presence of Christians, the power to prevent corruption, it will inevitably follow a more corrupt path. Therefore, these three major principles remind us: first, do not cause others to stumble; second, have the determination to cut off bad habits and unhealthy lifestyles; third, like refining gold, remove impurities from life, become the salt that harmonizes taste, and become the preservative of society.
And the overall principle of all this is to keep the word of God in our hearts, constantly purifying ourselves through God's word, and letting the word fill us. This is the true manifestation of being filled with the Holy Spirit. When we can let the word of God fill our hearts, our lives will naturally begin to change, and we will be able to live out the fragrance of Christ, which will be the key to changing the world.
Mark 9 is full of rich stories, worthy of our careful reading and reflection. Tomorrow, we will discuss the stories of Mark 10, looking forward to more inspiration and learning.
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