晨興聖言-...啟示包羅萬有的基督(W2-5)

第二週 • 週五

W2-d5-ch

晨興餧養

太二五1  那時,諸天的國好比十個童女,拿着她們的燈,出去迎接新郎。

約三29   娶新婦的,就是新郎;新郎的朋友站着聽祂,因着新郎的聲音就歡喜快樂;所以我這喜樂滿足了。

 

在馬太九章十四節,約翰的門徒問主耶穌說,『為甚麼我們和法利賽人常常禁食,你的門徒倒不禁食?』主在祂的回答中啟示自己是新郎〔15〕。…二十五章一節進一步…啟示,主回來時是新郎,是令人喜悅,且富有吸引的人物。

作為新郎,祂是令人喜悅的人物,給我們享受。有祂同在,無需禁食。有祂同在,不該有任何悲傷;反之,每件事都該令人喜悅(新約總論第九冊,三八頁)。

信息選讀

主在對付自義的法利賽人時,指明祂是醫生,要醫治有病的人。祂在對付禁食的約翰門徒時,啟示自己是新郎,要娶新婦。施浸者約翰曾告訴他的門徒說,基督是新郎(約三25~29),在馬太九章十五節主耶穌將這事題醒他們。主首先醫治跟從祂的人,然後使他們成為伴友,至終要使他們成為祂的新婦。他們不僅應當把祂當作醫生,好得着生命的恢復,也應當把祂當作新郎,好在祂的同在裏有活的享受。

約翰的門徒所問的,似乎是道理的問題,但主不以道理,卻以啟示祂自己是有伴友陪伴的新郎來答覆。…『伴友』這辭是指主的門徒。主在地上盡職事的過渡時期中,祂的門徒是祂的伴友,就是在婚禮中與新郎同在,注視祂並享受祂同在的那一班人。以後他們要成為祂的新婦(約三29,啟十九7)(新約總論第九冊,三八至三九頁)。

主的門徒充滿喜樂,與約翰的門徒和法利賽人禁食恰成對比。新郎(就是他們喜樂的最主要因素)與他們同在的時候,他們豈能禁食?主在馬可二章十九節…稱祂的門徒為伴友。當新郎與伴友同在的時候,伴友若禁食,那是對祂的羞辱。

假設你在婚禮中當男儐相,但是婚禮進行時,你這男儐相卻在禁食,這對新郎是侮辱。沒有新郎願意在婚禮中看見男儐相禁食,反而要他喜樂,穿着端莊得體,並歡享所擺出的食物。這是主在十九節所說之話的例證。在這裏主似乎對約翰的門徒和法利賽人說,『你們為甚麼問說,我的門徒為甚麼不禁食?我是新郎,他們都是伴友,是團體的男儐相。稅吏馬太是伴友之一。我與他們同在的時候,他們不能禁食。』

你是約翰的門徒或法利賽人的門徒,還是主耶穌的伴友,就是團體『男儐相』的一部分?我們都該剛強的見證,我們是主團體男儐相的一部分。凡是蒙主耶穌赦罪的人,都成了伴友。在馬可二章我們看見,連那些稅吏和罪人都成了伴友(馬可福音生命讀經,九六至九七頁)。

參讀:新約總論,第二百一十篇。

WEEK 2 — DAY 5

W2-d5-en

Morning Nourishment

Matt. 25:1 At that time the kingdom of the heavens will be likened to ten virgins, who took their lamps and went forth to meet the bridegroom.

John 3:29 He who has the bride is the bridegroom; but the friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices with joy because of the bridegroom’s voice. This joy of mine therefore is made full.

In Matthew 9:14 the disciples of John asked the Lord Jesus, “Why do we and the Pharisees fast much, but Your disciples do not fast?” In His answer, the Lord revealed Himself as the Bridegroom [v. 15]…Matthew 25:1 is a further word… [which] reveals that the Lord will come back as the Bridegroom, as the pleasant and attractive person.

As the Bridegroom, He is the pleasant person for our enjoyment. When He is present, there is no need of fasting. When He is present, there should not be any sadness. Instead, everything should be pleasant. (The Conclusion of the New Testament, pp. 2783-2784)

Today’s Reading

In dealing with the self-righteous Pharisees, the Lord indicated that He is the Physician to heal the sick. In dealing with the fasting disciples of John, He revealed Himself as the Bridegroom coming for the bride. John the Baptist had indicated to his disciples that Christ is the Bridegroom (John 3:25-29), and in Matthew 9:15 the Lord Jesus reminded them of this. The Lord first healed His followers, then made them sons of the bridechamber. Eventually, He will make them His bride. Thus, they should appreciate Him not only as their Physician for the recovery of life but also as their Bridegroom for a living enjoyment in His presence.

The question raised by John’s disciples seems to be one of doctrine. However, the Lord did not answer with a doctrine but with the revelation of Himself as the Bridegroom with the sons of the bridechamber. The phrase sons of the bridechamber refers to the disciples of the Lord. In the transitory period of the Lord’s ministry on earth, His disciples were sons of the bridechamber, those who are with the Bridegroom in His chamber, gazing on Him and enjoying His presence. Later they would become the bride (John 3:29; Rev. 19:7). (The Conclusion of the New Testament, p. 2784)

In contrast to the disciples of John and the Pharisees, who were fasting, the Lord’s disciples were full of joy. How could they fast when the Bridegroom, the most important factor of their joy, was with them? In Mark 2:19…the Lord referred to His disciples as sons of the bridechamber. For them to fast when the Bridegroom was with them would be a shame to Him.

Suppose you are the best man at a wedding. While the wedding is taking place, you, the bridegroom’s best man, are fasting. That would be an insult to the bridegroom. No bridegroom wants to see his best man fasting during his wedding. Instead, he wants to see him joyful, properly dressed in good clothing, and enjoying the food provided. This is an illustration of the Lord’s word in 2:19. Here the Lord seemed to be saying to the disciples of John and the Pharisees, “Why do you ask Me why My disciples are not fasting? I am the Bridegroom, and they are all the sons of the bridechamber, a corporate best man. Matthew the tax collector is one of the sons of the bridechamber. They cannot fast when I am with them.”

Are you a disciple of John or of the Pharisees, or are you one of the sons of the bridechamber, part of the corporate “best man” of the Lord Jesus? We all should testify strongly that we are part of the Lord’s corporate best man. All of those who have had their sins forgiven by the Lord Jesus have become sons of the bridechamber. In the second chapter of the Gospel of Mark, we see that even those who were tax collectors and sinners became sons of the bridechamber. (Life-study of Mark, pp. 81-82)

Further Reading: The Conclusion of the New Testament, msg. 210

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