各位弟兄姊妹，平安。今天我們要一起來探討施洗約翰的故事。記載在馬可福音的6章17-29節。雖然這段故事簡短，但卻深刻地描繪了人性的一些重要議題。讓我們一同來探究這個故事中的三個主要角色：希律王、希羅底和施洗約翰。
首先，讓我們來了解一下希律王。他是當時羅馬帝國指派的猶太地區統治者。希律王的婚姻狀況有些複雜，事實上，希羅底是他的姪女，後來成為了他的妻子，這段關係相當混亂。婚姻中的混亂引起了施洗約翰的責備。希律王因此不僅違反了猶太律法，也面臨道德上的重大問題。這段婚姻糾紛的複雜程度需要用圖表來解釋，但在這裡我們暫且不深入討論。
首先我們來看希律這個人。他害怕約翰講道，但又喜歡聽他講道。他討厭約翰的批評，但是又非常敬重他的批評。在世界上最有趣也最奇怪的事情就是人性了。我們的心中其實混雜了相當多層面不同的複雜的思想。有的時候我們有神聖的那一面願意愛上帝，願意聽講道，就在同一個時候我們也有邪惡淫亂的思想。這個無時無刻矛盾的情況經常同時存在於我們每一個人的心中。我們有的時候是聖徒有的時候卻是壞人。我們的內心是光明與黑暗的戰場。這就是一個平常人會有的情況。
接著我們看到希律一時衝動做出一個魯莽的許諾。他沒有深思熟慮就答應了這個少女的要求，他這個時候神志不完全清楚的時候做了一個愚蠢的決定。人也是一樣，我們會在心思情緒高昂的時候，或是酒醉的時候，做出一些令人自己後悔的決定。這，又是人性的另外一個表象。
最後我們也看見他害怕社交圈的嘲笑。他做出了這個明明他自己知道是愚蠢也不應該做的決定，卻因為周圍人的看法，因為周圍人的眼光他不願意悔改，不願意改正自己的行為。 很多時候我們是不是也被我們的社交圈所綁架。明知不對的事情我們卻因為社交圈的緣故繼續的去做我們明知道不正確的事情。
接下來，讓我們來探討一下希羅底。表面上看，她似乎是一個邪惡的女人，但實際上，能做出那樣惡劣行為的人，內心一定是充滿苦痛和不安的。她內心深處清楚地知道自己所做的是錯的，但已經深陷其中，無法自拔。當有人揭示她的痛處時，她無法原諒這個挑戰她的人，只能著手解決提出問題的人，而無法解決實際問題本身。
當有人揭示我們的問題時，我們面臨著選擇：是解決問題本身，還是解決提出問題的人，以便假裝問題不存在呢？希羅底選擇了殺死約翰，暫時擺脫了揭示她問題的人，但她仍然無法逃避人間的譴責，更不用說未來面對上帝的審判。我們每個人都會面臨類似的情況。當有人指出我們的問題時，我們選擇忽略，甚至試圖排除提出問題的人，但這並不會讓問題消失。
最後，讓我們來看看施洗約翰。他一生致力於傳道，從未為自己的利益或財富努力過。然而，最終他卻遭到希律的斬首。單從這樣的結局來看，我們可能會感到這是非常不公平的。但是在約翰福音的第七章，耶穌告訴我們，約翰比所有先知都更偉大，並且說：「我差遣我的使者在你面前，為你預備道路。」耶穌確實肯定了施洗約翰以及他所做的一切。約翰完成了上帝交給他的工作，就是為耶穌預備道路。從這個角度來看，約翰的結局是合乎他的使命的。這是一個深刻的教訓，不是每個人都能擁有如此的呼召，並且願意為這樣的呼召回應上帝。約翰的生命告訴我們，有時服從上帝的呼召可能會帶來犧牲和困難，但最終是值得的。
在這三個人身上，我們看到了人性的複雜性。我們有可能成為光明的使者，也有可能被惡念所困擾。我們每天都在與上帝和魔鬼的爭戰中努力奮鬥。即使作為基督徒，我們仍然要不斷地與罪性作鬥爭。
因此，我們要牢記得救贖是上帝的作為，但成聖的道路則是我們與聖靈一同努力的結果。讓我們深思這句話：「得救是上帝獨自完成的工，而成聖的道路則是我們每天與聖靈一起同工。」我們今天是上帝的工作，在每一天裡，願我們順服上帝的旨意，努力更新我們的靈性，跟隨上帝的道路，並從內在不斷地改正自己，使我們能夠更加貼近耶穌基督的榜樣。
感謝各位的聆聽。明天我們將探索更精彩的故事──耶穌施行神跡，使5000人飽餐，五餅二魚的故事。
Dear brothers and sisters, peace be with you. Today, let's delve into the story of John the Baptist as recorded in Mark 6:17-29. Although this story is brief, it profoundly illustrates some important aspects of human nature. Let's explore the three main characters in this story together: Herod the king, Herodias, and John the Baptist.
Firstly, let's understand Herod the king. He was the ruler appointed by the Roman Empire for the Jewish region at that time. Herod's marital situation was somewhat complex; in fact, Herodias was his niece who later became his wife, creating a tangled relationship. The marital chaos led to John the Baptist's criticism. Herod not only violated Jewish law but also faced significant moral dilemmas. The complexity of this marital dispute would require a chart to explain, but let's not delve into it deeply here.
First, let's look at Herod as a person. He was both afraid of John's preaching yet enjoyed listening to him. He disliked John's criticism but also deeply respected it. One of the most interesting and bizarre aspects of humanity is our contradictory nature. Our hearts harbor a multitude of complex thoughts and feelings. Sometimes we have a sacred side, willing to love God and listen to preaching, yet at the same time, we entertain evil and impure thoughts. This constant contradiction often exists within each of us. We are saints at times and sinners at others. Our hearts are battlegrounds between light and darkness. This is a common human condition.
Next, we see Herod making a rash and foolish promise. He agreed to the request of the girl without careful consideration, making a foolish decision while not in full control of his senses. Similarly, as humans, we may make regrettable decisions when our emotions are high or when under the influence of alcohol. This, again, is another manifestation of human nature.
Lastly, we witness Herod's fear of social ridicule. He made a decision that he knew was foolish and should not have been made, yet because of the opinions of those around him, he was unwilling to repent or correct his behavior. Many times, we too are held captive by our social circles, continuing to do things we know are wrong because of peer pressure.
Now, let's discuss Herodias. On the surface, she may seem like an evil woman, but in reality, anyone capable of such vile behavior must be filled with pain and turmoil inside. Deep down, she knew her actions were wrong but was already entangled in them, unable to extricate herself. When someone pointed out her flaws, she couldn't forgive the person challenging her and instead focused on silencing the messenger rather than addressing the actual issues.
When our flaws are pointed out, we face a choice: do we address the problem itself, or do we silence the person pointing it out to pretend the problem doesn't exist? Herodias chose to kill John, temporarily silencing the one who exposed her issues, but she couldn't escape earthly condemnation, let alone future judgment from God. We all face similar situations. When someone points out our flaws, we choose to ignore them, even attempt to remove the person bringing them up, but it doesn't make the problem disappear.
Lastly, let's look at John the Baptist. He devoted his life to preaching, never striving for his own benefit or wealth. Yet, in the end, he was beheaded by Herod. From this outcome alone, we might perceive it as deeply unfair. However, in the Gospel of John, Jesus tells us that John is greater than all prophets and says, "I send my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way." Jesus indeed affirmed John and all he did. John fulfilled the work entrusted to him by God, preparing the way for Jesus.
From this perspective, John's ending aligns with his mission. It's a profound lesson, indicating that not everyone can have such a calling and be willing to respond to God's call. John's life tells us that sometimes obedience to God's call may bring sacrifice and hardship, but ultimately, it's worth it.
In these three individuals, we see the complexity of human nature. We can be messengers of light or be tormented by evil thoughts. Every day, we strive in the battle between God and the devil. Even as Christians, we must continually contend with our sinful nature.
Therefore, let's remember that redemption is God's work, but the path to sanctification is the result of our daily efforts with the Holy Spirit. Let's ponder this: "Salvation is God's work, but the path to sanctification is our daily struggle with the Holy Spirit." Today, we are God's workmanship. May we obediently follow God's will each day, strive to renew our spirituality, walk in the path of God, and continually correct ourselves internally to be more like Jesus Christ.
Thank you all for listening. Tomorrow, we will explore an even more captivating story—Jesus performing miracles, feeding 5000 people, the story of the five loaves and two fish.
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