各位弟兄姊妹，平安。今天要讀的故事其實非常精彩，我覺得應該分成兩天來聽。從馬可福音第五章21節到最後的43節的故事，我們將其分成兩個部分，分別講述死掉的女孩復活，以及患血漏的女人得到醫治的故事。
今天我們先講講死掉的女孩復活的故事。
這個女孩剛滿12歲，卻患了重病。在古代，由於人的平均壽命並不長，所以在12歲時就已經要進行成人禮。她已經被當成一個女人，而不只是一個女孩子。然而，就在這個女孩12歲的時候，她即將要死去，對於整個家庭來說，這是非常令人難過和痛苦的事情。
首先，讓我們來看一下這個女孩子的爸爸是誰。根據記載，他是一個會堂的管事，也就是說，他是猶太會堂的管理者。在之前的故事中，特別提到猶太人和耶穌之間的關係已經惡化，甚至可以說已經達到了敵對的程度。因此，這個爸爸應該對耶穌並不友好，並不歡迎他。但是，我們看到這個人為了他的女兒，放下了身段，跪在耶穌面前，懇求耶穌來醫治他的女兒。
這個爸爸值得我們深思。首先，他克服了自己的偏見。儘管他原本可能視耶穌為敵人，但在這個時刻，他放下了自己的偏見，來求耶穌的幫助。這個故事提醒我們，有時阻礙我們認識真理的並不是外在的因素，而是我們內在的偏見。我們可能曾經堅信的事情，我們認為確定無疑的事情，實際上可能都是錯誤的。因此，讓我們學會放下自己的偏見，去思考和接受真理，以便更好地認識上帝。
此外，他也放下了自己的驕傲。在當時，會堂的人地位顯赫，就像是現代的領袖或領導人一樣，引人注目的焦點。當眾人矚目之際，他竟然直接向他們原本敵對的耶穌求助。然而，他的行為顯示了他放下驕傲，誠心向上帝求救。這告訴我們，內心的驕傲常常是阻礙我們前進的障礙。我們的自傲讓我們不願意追求真理，不願意認識重要的事物。或許我們會認為，自己的年紀比對方大，知識比對方豐富，經驗比對方豐富，所以為什麼要我們向對方學習呢？有句話說，我吃過的鹽比你吃過的飯多，我走過的橋比你走過的路多，這句倚老賣老的話。然而，當我們能夠放下自己的驕傲，真正謙卑地學習時，反而會打開一扇門，讓我們不斷進步，永遠保持年輕的心態。就像史蒂夫·喬布斯所說的，“求知若飢，虛心若愚”。永遠保持謙卑的人，能夠在學習中不斷成長，進步。
最後，他還放下了他的社交圈。當時，會堂的人在猶太社會中是受尊敬的，也是社交圈中的重要人物。但是在這個時刻，他為了他的家庭，為了他的女兒，放下了追求社會地位的心態。當他放下對社會地位的追求時，他就真正成為了猶太人討論的對象，他成了耶穌那幫人中的一員。作為第一代基督徒，我們經常會面臨來自親友和社交圈的壓力。特別對於第一代基督徒來說，這種壓力可能更加明顯，因為你正在成為一個完全不同的人，你的價值觀和生活習慣都會改變。這是許多人在接受基督信仰上所面臨的挑戰之一。然而，我要告訴你，當耶穌在你身邊時，他並不要求你拋棄家人，而是要你把福音帶進家中，改變你的家庭，讓他們過得更好。因此，當你堅持信仰，上帝必定不會拋棄你，他必與你同行。
在這個會堂管事身上，我們學到了非常重要的事情。當他為了家人、為了女兒做出了偉大的抉擇時，他也因此成為了真理的跟隨者。
接著，讓我們來看看耶穌在面對這一切時的反應和選擇。當全家都已經認為女兒已經死了，開始準備舉行喪禮時，耶穌卻站出來說，她並沒有死，只是在睡著。他叫他們把眾人趕出去。這時，人們的反應是嘲笑、諷刺，他們覺得耶穌是在發瘋。因為這女孩顯然已經死了，他們認為耶穌能做些什麼呢？從人的角度來看，死亡是絕望的，無論你擁有多少權力和財富，都無法改變死亡的事實，這就是人類的極限。
然而，當我們知道上帝站在其中，當上帝開口時，生命就會來臨。因此，當耶穌說「大利大，古米」，「女兒啊，我吩咐你起來！」時，在希臘文記載的馬可福音中，這句亞蘭文的話語是猶太人所熟悉的句子。當彼得重複這句話時，他沒有改變原文，應該是當彼得親耳聽到這句話的時候，耶穌的口氣溫柔無比，但其中蘊含的力量卻足以征服死亡。耶穌所說的真理是永遠不變的，他的話語永遠是有力的，有著足以改變人最絕望境地的無比力量。
我們看見了人與上帝之間絕對的差異。當人在死亡面前無能為力，只能接受這個結局無法改變時，耶穌卻平靜安穩，一如往常。他的一句話翻轉了一切，在眾人面前，將生命重新賦予了這個女孩子。因此，當我們看到人的能力的終點時，這就是上帝作為的起點。當上帝在你面前時，沒有什麼是無法改變的，上帝的愛連死亡都克服了。這就是主耶穌基督所成就的最大奇蹟。
接下來，我們將會讀到血漏的婦人得到醫治的故事。這一段故事在馬可福音的第五章中間，非常精彩。請繼續聆聽。
Dear brothers and sisters, peace be with you. The story we are about to read today is truly remarkable, and I believe it should be divided into two days to fully appreciate it. From Mark 5:21 to the end of verse 43, we will split the story into two parts, one about the resurrection of the dead girl, and the other about the healing of the woman with the issue of blood.
Today, let's first talk about the story of the dead girl being brought back to life.
This girl, who had just turned 12, fell seriously ill. In ancient times, due to the relatively short average lifespan, reaching the age of 12 meant entering adulthood. She was already considered a woman, not just a girl. However, at the age of 12, she was on the verge of death, which was extremely distressing and painful for the whole family.
First, let's take a look at who the girl's father was. According to records, he was an official of the synagogue, meaning he was a synagogue leader. In previous stories, it was mentioned that the relationship between the Jews and Jesus had deteriorated to the point of hostility. Therefore, this father was probably not friendly towards Jesus and did not welcome him. However, we see that for the sake of his daughter, he set aside his prejudices and knelt before Jesus, begging him to heal his daughter.
There are several important lessons we can learn from this father. Firstly, he overcame his own prejudices. Although he may have initially viewed Jesus as an enemy, at this moment, he set aside his prejudices to seek help from Jesus. This story reminds us that what often hinders us from recognizing the truth is not external factors, but our internal biases. Things we once firmly believed in, things we thought were certain, may actually be wrong. Therefore, let us learn to set aside our prejudices and be open to accepting the truth in order to better understand God.
Furthermore, he also let go of his pride. In those days, synagogue officials were highly respected figures in Jewish society, akin to modern-day leaders or influencers. Despite being the center of attention, he humbly sought help from Jesus, whom they had been opposed to. His actions showed humility and a sincere appeal to God for help. This tells us that our inner pride often obstructs our progress. Our arrogance prevents us from seeking truth and recognizing important matters. We may think that because of our age, knowledge, or experience, we have no need to learn from others. However, when we can let go of our pride and humbly learn, it opens a door for us to continually progress and maintain a youthful mindset. As Steve Jobs famously said, "Stay hungry, stay foolish." A humble person is always open to learning and continually grows throughout life.
Lastly, he also abandoned his social circle. At that time, synagogue officials were respected in Jewish society and held important positions in the social circle. However, in this moment, he put aside his pursuit of social status for the sake of his family and daughter. When he let go of the pursuit of social status, he truly became the subject of discussion among the Jews, becoming one of Jesus' followers. As first-generation Christians, we often face pressure from relatives, friends, and social circles. This pressure may be more pronounced for first-generation Christians because they are becoming completely different people, with their values and habits changing. This is one of the challenges many people face when accepting the Christian faith. However, I want to tell you that when Jesus is with you, he does not require you to abandon your family; rather, he wants you to bring the gospel into your home, to change your family for the better. Therefore, when you hold onto your faith, God will never abandon you; he will walk with you.
In the story of this synagogue official, we learn some very important lessons. When he made the great decision for the sake of his family and daughter, he also became a follower of the truth.
Next, let's take a look at Jesus' response and choices in the face of all this. When everyone thought the daughter was already dead and began preparing for the funeral, Jesus came forward and said she was not dead, but only sleeping. He then ordered everyone to leave. At this point, people's reactions were mockery and ridicule. They thought Jesus was crazy. After all, the girl was clearly dead. What could Jesus do? From a human perspective, death is despairing. No matter how much power and wealth you have, you cannot change the fact of death; this is the limit of humanity.
However, when we know that God is present, when God speaks, life will come. Therefore, when Jesus said, "Talitha cumi," "Little girl, I say to you, arise," in the Greek text of Mark's Gospel, this Aramaic phrase was familiar to the Jews. When Peter repeated this phrase, he did not change the original text. It should be that when Peter heard this phrase with his own ears, Jesus' tone was extremely gentle, yet the power contained within it was enough to conquer death. The truth that Jesus spoke is unchanging, and his words are always powerful enough to change the most desperate situations.
We see the absolute difference between humans and God. When humans are powerless in the face of death and can only accept the inevitable, Jesus is calm and peaceful, as always. With just one word, he turned everything around, restoring life to the girl in front of everyone. Therefore, when we see the limits of human abilities, this is the beginning of God's intervention. When God is with you, nothing is impossible to change; God's love overcomes even death. This is the greatest miracle accomplished in Jesus Christ.
Next, we will read the story of the healing of the woman with the issue of blood. This story is very exciting and is found in the middle of Mark's Gospel, chapter 5. Please continue to listen.
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