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路加福音 第18 章 Part 2 Luke Chapter 18 Part 2

  • Writer: 馬克牧師
    馬克牧師
  • 2 days ago
  • 9 min read


路加福音 18 Part 2


Luke 18 Part 2



各位平安,今天我們要分享的是《路加福音》第18章中「富足的官尋求永生之道」的故事。

這是一段非常值得深思的經文,特別是關於金錢的價值觀財富與信仰的關係

這段故事同樣也記載在《馬太福音》第19章與《馬可福音》第10章。


在不同的福音書中,對這位人物的描述略有不同:

  • 馬太稱他為「一個人」;

  • 馬可則稱他為「一個有錢的少年人」;

  • 路加則說他是一位「官」。


因此,我們無法完全確認他的年齡或職位,但可以確定的是——他是一位有錢人,而且他非常認真地來詢問耶穌有關「永生」的問題。


從他主動尋找耶穌、謙卑地問問題的態度來看,我們可以合理推測——他不是來挑戰耶穌的,而是誠心誠意地想尋求答案


這一點從《馬可福音》也可以看出來:「耶穌看著他,就愛他。」(可 10:21)


耶穌對這個人是有愛的,這不是一段責備或爭論的開始,而是一次誠懇的對話。

接下來,我們來看這位官對耶穌說:「良善的夫子,我該做什麼事才可以承受永生?」

這句話裡的「良善的夫子」,在猶太人的文化背景下是非常特別的稱呼。


因為在猶太人的觀念裡,「良善」這個形容詞,是只屬於上帝的。沒有人會用這個詞來稱呼一位夫子(老師),因為那是對神的最高讚美。


所以耶穌立刻反問他說:

「你為什麼稱我是良善的?除了神一位之外,再沒有良善的。」

這句話的意思不是否認自己是良善的,而是要這位官認真思考——你口中所說的「良善」,你真的明白這個詞的意思嗎?如果你知道「良善」只屬於神,那你是否也承認我是神呢?

這是一個試探他心中信仰的深度的問題。


接著耶穌說:「誡命你是知道的:不可姦淫、不可殺人、不可偷盜、不可作假見證、當孝敬父母……」耶穌列舉的是摩西十誡中「倫理人際」的部分(第五到第九誡),這些是猶太人熟悉的道德標準。


而這位官的回答也非常令人敬佩:「這一切我從小就遵守了。」


這不是一句自誇,而是他真誠的見證。以猶太人的律法來看,他的確是一個道德上無可指摘、品格端正的人。從小遵守律法,代表他是一個認真生活、遵循神誡命的人。


接下來,耶穌說了一句挑戰性的話:「你還缺少一件:要變賣你一切所有的,分給窮人,就必有財寶在天上;你還要來跟從我。」


這句話其實包含兩個要求:

  1. 變賣所有的、分給窮人:這是對金錢的完全放手,不再倚靠財富。

  2. 跟從我:這是信仰的核心——不是只做好事,而是跟隨基督、把生命的主權交給祂。


當耶穌說完這句話,這位富有的官卻「憂憂愁愁地走了」,因為他有很多產業。他的反應,揭示了他的信仰,其實還是「倚靠錢財」多於倚靠神。


耶穌接著說了一句經典的話:「有錢財的人進神的國,是何等的難啊!駱駝穿過針的眼,比財主進神的國還容易呢!」(路加福音 18:24-25)


這句話很容易被誤解為:「有錢人不能進天國」,但若這樣理解,其實就斷章取義了


那到底什麼叫做「有錢人」?


賺多少錢才叫有錢?年收入一百萬?一千萬?上億?這沒有絕對標準。


更重要的是——聖經中有很多「有錢人」愛神並得救:

  • 亞伯拉罕:富可敵國,卻是「信心之父」。

  • 約瑟:作為埃及宰相,權勢與財富兼備。

  • 大衛與所羅門:以色列歷史上最富有的君王。

  • 新約中的約瑟(求耶穌遺體的人):富有又敬虔。

  • 呂底亞:賣紫色布匹的女商人,是早期教會的重要支持者。


耶穌講的重點,不是反對財富本身,而是揭露——當一個人倚靠錢財勝過倚靠神,那就無法進入神的國。


放大版聖經(Amplified Bible)對這句話的翻譯非常精準:“It is hard for a rich man — who places his faith in wealth or status — to enter the kingdom of God.”


也就是說,問題不在於你有多少錢,而在於你「把信心放在哪裡」


如果你把信心放在銀行帳戶、資產、地位、人脈,那麼你就是靠自己,不是靠神;這樣的人,無法真正進入神的國。


管家的心態:我們不是擁有者,只是管理者

耶穌的話讓我們不得不重新審視一個深層的事實:我們從來都不是真正的擁有者。


無論你的財產文件上寫的是誰的名字,無論你的銀行帳戶、保險契約、房產權狀上掛的是誰的名字,當你停止呼吸的那一刻,這一切都不再屬於你。


我們空空地來,也將空空地去。這不是可能,而是注定會發生的事實,無人能例外。


所以,當你用這個角度去看你「現在所擁有的一切」時,你就會明白:其實這些都只是暫時借給我們的,或者說,是神所託付我們管理的產業


所有權在神,管理權交給人

神才是萬物真正的擁有者,我們只是祂所委託的管家,暫時被賦予使用與管理的責任。而且我們當做好的管家,善用祂給的這一切資源,去完成祂的命令,造就祂的國度。


因此,耶穌對這位富有的人的命令:

「變賣你一切所有的,分給窮人,然後來跟從我。」


不是要他失去什麼,而是提醒他這些本來就不是他的。那是神所借給他的,而現在神要他把這些資源用在正確的地方——不是囤積,不是誇耀,而是造福他人、跟隨基督


關鍵不是財富,而是「主權屬誰」

這段故事揭示了這位富有之人的真正問題——他以為自己是主人,他以為這一切是「他的」,以至於他無法放手,無法交出生命的主權給耶穌。


他拒絕了耶穌的邀請,寧願緊抓著財富與地位,也不願意交出自己生命的方向盤,去跟從真理本身。


他錯過了永生——不是因為他有錢,而是因為他把錢當成了主,把地位當成了倚靠,而不願倚靠那位賜一切的主。


重點不是「有錢人」,而是「你對金錢與上帝的認知」

所以我們看到,耶穌在這裡真正要點出的,不是「有錢人進天國很難」這件事本身,而是——當你對錢財與上帝的關係搞錯了,你倚靠的對象錯了。想要用金錢去買天國門票的人,會發現售票處的價碼是 “十字架”。


因為天國的門,是留給那些承認自己只是管家的人;是留給那些懂得主權屬神、自己只是服事者的人;是留給那些謙卑倚靠神的人。


今天的屬靈反思:我對於錢財的認知是 “主人” 還是 “管家”?如果是管家,我是否有謹慎使用,為造就主人的事業努力?


感謝各位的聆聽,我們明天繼續分享第十九章的故事。願上帝祝福各位。

 

 

Peace to you all. Today we are going to reflect on the story of "The Rich Ruler Seeking Eternal Life" in Luke chapter 18.


This is a passage that is deeply worth pondering, especially when it comes to our values about money, and the relationship between wealth and faith.This same story is also recorded in Matthew 19 and Mark 10.The gospel accounts describe this man slightly differently:


  • Matthew simply calls him “a man”;

  • Mark refers to him as “a rich young man”;

  • Luke describes him as “a ruler.”


So we can’t fully confirm his age or position, but what we do know is—he was wealthy, and he sincerely came to ask Jesus about eternal life.From the way he approached Jesus humbly and asked his question, we can reasonably assume he wasn’t there to challenge Jesus, but genuinely wanted an answer.


We see this clearly in Mark 10:21:“Jesus looked at him and loved him.”Jesus had love for this man. This was not the start of a rebuke or an argument, but a sincere and loving conversation.


The man asked Jesus:“Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”


In the Jewish cultural context, the title “Good Teacher” was an extraordinary expression.In their tradition, the term “good” was reserved for God alone. No one would call a rabbi “good,” because such praise was deemed appropriate only for God.


So Jesus replied:“Why do you call me good? No one is good—except God alone.”

This wasn’t a denial of Jesus’ goodness, but a challenge to the ruler’s understanding:Do you truly know what you're saying when you call me "good"?If you know that only God is good—are you also confessing that I am God?


It was a question meant to test the depth of his faith.


Jesus continued:“You know the commandments: ‘Do not commit adultery, do not murder, do not steal, do not give false testimony, honor your father and mother…’”


Jesus listed the relational commandments from the Ten Commandments—ethical standards all Jewish people knew well.And the man replied:“All these I have kept since I was a boy.”

This wasn’t bragging—it was a genuine testimony.From a Jewish law perspective, he had indeed lived a commendable, moral life.He was a man who took God’s commands seriously.

Then Jesus gave him a powerful challenge:“You still lack one thing: Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”


This was a two-fold command:

  1. Let go of your possessions—don’t cling to wealth.

  2. Follow Jesus—hand over the control of your life to Him.


But when the man heard this, he became very sad—because he was very wealthy.His reaction revealed where his true faith lay: in his wealth, not in God.

Jesus then said:“How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God! Indeed, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.” (Luke 18:24–25)


This line is often misunderstood as: “Rich people can’t go to heaven.” But that’s not what Jesus meant.


So then, who counts as “rich”?Is it someone earning $100,000 a year? A million? Ten million? There’s no universal benchmark.


What’s more important is this: the Bible is full of wealthy people who loved God and were saved:

  • Abraham: immensely wealthy and called the “father of faith.”

  • Joseph: the prime minister of Egypt with enormous power and wealth.

  • David and Solomon: kings of Israel at the peak of national prosperity.

  • Joseph of Arimathea: wealthy, yet devout enough to bury Jesus.

  • Lydia: a seller of purple cloth, who supported the early church.


Clearly, being wealthy doesn’t disqualify someone from God's kingdom.Jesus’ point was not to condemn wealth, but to expose a spiritual reality:When someone places their faith in wealth more than in God, they cannot enter the Kingdom.


The Amplified Bible puts it clearly:“It is hard for a rich man—who places his faith in wealth or status—to enter the kingdom of God.”


So the real issue is not how much money you have, but where your trust lies.If your trust is in your bank account, your investments, or your social status—you are relying on yourself, not God.And that person cannot truly enter God’s kingdom.


Stewardship Mindset: We’re Not Owners, We’re Managers

Jesus’ words make us rethink a fundamental truth:We are never the real owners.

It doesn’t matter whose name is on the title deed, the bank account, or the property documents.The moment your heart stops beating, none of it belongs to you anymore.You came into this world empty-handed, and you will leave the same way.


This is not a possibility—it is a certainty.


When you view your wealth from this perspective,you’ll realize everything you “own” is just temporarily entrusted to you.It’s a stewardship—not a possession.


Ownership Belongs to God, Stewardship Belongs to Us

God is the true owner of all things.We are His stewards, given the responsibility to manage what He’s loaned to us for a short time.


Jesus’ command to this rich man:“Sell all that you have, give to the poor, and come follow me,”was not about losing everything—it was about recognizing that it was never truly his in the first place.


God had loaned it to him—and now God was asking him to use it for good:Not to hoard, not to boast, but to bless others and to follow Christ.


The Issue is Not Wealth, but “Who is Lord?”

The heart of the problem was that this man thought he was the owner.He thought his possessions were his to keep.And because of that mindset, he couldn’t let go—he couldn’t surrender lordship of his life to Jesus.


He missed eternal life—not because he was rich,but because he had made money his lord and status his savior,instead of putting his trust in the true Giver of all things.


It’s Not About Being Rich—It’s About How You Understand God and Money

This passage is not a warning against being wealthy.It’s a warning about trusting in the wrong thing.It’s about recognizing the Kingdom of God is not for sale—the entry price is the cross.


The Kingdom belongs to those who know they are just stewards,to those who surrender their lives and resources to God,to those who live with humility, dependence, and faith in Christ alone.


Today’s Spiritual Reflection:

Am I treating money as my master, or am I managing it as God’s steward?If I am truly a steward, am I using what’s been entrusted to me wisely—for His glory, and not my own?

Thank you for listening.Tomorrow, we will continue with Luke chapter 19.May the Lord bless you all with wisdom and peace.

 


  


 
 
 

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奧克蘭報佳音堂
Botany Lutheran Church
Auckland, New Zealand

021939422 Ps Mark 馬克牧師

botanylutheranchurch@gmail.com

480 Ti Rakau Drive, Botany

(St Columba Presbyterian Church Botany) 

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