West Point Grey 联合教会
WPG联合教会
Feb 03, 2025

神的恩典

路加福音 4:21-30

路加福音 4:21-30

21 他就对他们说:这段经文今天应验在你们中间了。” 22 众人称赞他,希奇他口中所出的恩言,并且说:这不是约瑟的儿子吗?” 23 他说:你们必向我说这俗语:医生,治好你自己吧!也必说:我们听见你在迦百农所行的一切事,也该在你本乡这里行啊!’” 24 他又说:我实在告诉你们,没有先知在他本乡是受欢迎的。 25 我对你们说实话,当以利亚的时候,三年六个月不下雨遍地大起饥荒,那时以色列中有许多寡妇, 26 以利亚没有奉差遣往他们中间任何一个那里去,只到西顿撒勒法的一个寡妇那里。 27 以利沙先知的时候,以色列中有许多患痲风的人,其中除了叙利亚的乃缦,没有一个得洁净的。” 28 会堂里的众人听见这话,都怒气填胸, 29 起来赶他出城,他们拉他到山崖,要把他推下去。 30 耶稣却从他们中间走过,就离去了。

Reflection反思:

A long time ago, when I was part of a church congregation, I remember the minister pleading with us: “Please, don’t embarrass young adults by sharing childhood stories about them. Avoid going on and on about how you knew them as babies in diapers or how mischievous they were as children.” To some of you it may sound unusual, but in my culture, it is quite common for people to do this as a way of showing they have a deep connection with the person and their family.  However, the minister pointed out that such remarkes often made young people feel uncomfortable, as if they would never be seen as anything more than a child. 

很久以前,当我参加一个教堂集会时,我记得牧师恳求我们:请不要因为分享年轻人的童年故事而让他们感到尴尬。不要没完没了地说你在他们还穿着尿布的时候就认识他们,或者他们小时候有多淘气。对你们中的一些人来说,这可能听起来不寻常,但在我的文化中,人们这样做是很常见的,这是一种表明他们与这个人和他们的家庭有很深联系的方式。然而,这位牧师指出,这样往往会让年轻人感到不舒服,好像他们永远只会被视为孩子。

When young adults graduate from high school, many tend to leave the church, often returning years later when they are married and settled. They may have been noisy children once, but now, they’ve grown into their own identities and taken on significant responsibilities. Some have entered serious professions, working as accountants, engineers, or teachers. 

当年轻人从高中毕业时,许多人倾向于离开教堂,通常在结婚定居多年后再回来。他们可能曾经是吵闹的孩子,但现在,他们已经长大了,有了自己的身份,承担了重要的责任。有些人进入了严肃的职业,如会计、工程师或教师。

It’s no surprise that they dislike being constantly reminded of their old “diaper stories” upon their return to church. And what is the result?  They are less likely to come back.

他们不喜欢在回到教堂时就不断地提醒他们过去的尿布故事,这并不奇怪。结果是什么?他们不太可能回来。

We often assume that we know young adults well, but we may not fully respect them or recognize them as the individuals they have become. This is especially true for tose we have known closely for many years.  

我们经常认为我们很了解年轻人,但我们可能没有充分尊重他们,也没有认识到他们已经成为了什么样的人。对于那些我们熟悉多年的人来说尤其如此。

I imagine Jesus found himself in a similar situation when he returned to the synagogue in Nazareth, his hometown.

我想当耶稣回到他的家乡拿撒勒的犹太教堂时,他也遇到了类似的情况。

By the time Jesus left Nazareth at the age of thirty, he had been baptised in the river Jordan and had travelled to many places, performing miraculous deeds: Changing water to wine in Cana and healing the sick in other towns. The people of Nazareth had heard about these wonders and knew of his great works.

耶稣三十岁离开拿撒勒的时候,已经在约旦河里受了洗,并且周游了许多地方,行过奇事:在迦拿把水变酒,在别城治好病人。拿撒勒人听见这些奇事,也知道他所行的大事。

In today’s passages, Jesus delivers his first sermon in a synagogue as a visiting rabbi. He reads from Isaiah, proclaiming the message of Jubilee. The congregation is initially impressed by his confident reading of scripture and amazed by the message of divine grace. 

在今天的经文中,耶稣以访问拉比的身份在犹太教堂发表了他的第一次布道。他读以赛亚书,宣告禧年的信息。会众最初对他对圣经的自信阅读印象深刻,并对神圣恩典的信息感到惊讶。

Yet, their admiration quickly fades when Jesus applies the prophetic words to their present reality. Some begin to question: “Isn’t this Joseph’s son, the one we’ve known since he was just a kid?” (The Message)

然而,当耶稣将先知的话应用到他们现在的现实中时,他们的钦佩很快就消失了。有些人开始质疑:这不是约瑟的儿子吗?他不是我们从小就认识的那个人吗?(信息本圣经)

The Gospel of Matthew provides more details: “Where did this man get this wisdom and these mighty works? Is not this the carpenter’s son? Is not his mother called Mary? And are not his brothers James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas?  And are not all his sisters with us? Where then did this man get all this?” And they took offence at him.” 

马太福音提供了更多的细节:这个人从哪里得到这样的智慧和这些大能的作为?这不是木匠的儿子吗?他母亲不是叫马利亚吗?他的弟兄雅各,约瑟,西门,犹大,岂不是这样吗。他的姐妹们不都在我们这里吗?这人从那里得这一切的呢?他们就对他生气。

We can clearly hear the people’s mixed feelings of amazement and doubt. They are astonished by this once-local young man who speaks of freedom and liberation. Yet, at the same time, they remain skeptical. They cannot imagine Joseph’s child could possess such wisdom and insight. Referring to Jesus as Joseph’s son may also hint at the lingering skepticism of neighbours who still recall certain rumours around his birth.

我们可以清楚地听到人们既惊讶又怀疑的复杂情绪。他们对这个曾经的本地年轻人谈论自由和解放感到惊讶。然而,与此同时,他们仍然持怀疑态度。他们无法想象约瑟的孩子会有这样的智慧和洞察力。提到耶稣是约瑟的儿子可能也暗示了邻居们挥之不去的怀疑,他们仍然记得有关他出生的某些谣言。

Distrust and disbelief often grow from familiarity. I imagine Jesus must have felt deeply discouraged, and why wouldn’t he?  These were his neighbours, the very people who had known him as a child and young adult. Yet, now, they seemed like strangers, unable recognize the person he had become. Perhaps it is true that when people know someone too well, they struggle to see them as someone of true significance.

不信任和怀疑往往来自熟悉。我想耶稣一定感到非常沮丧,他为什么不呢?这些都是他的邻居,正是在他孩提时代和青年时代就认识他的人。然而,现在,他们就像陌生人一样,认不出他已经变成了什么样的人。也许这是真的,当人们太了解一个人时,他们很难把他们视为真正重要的人。

Jesus knows that people are only looking for signs and wonders. “Show us signs and wonders!  Prove that you are special! Demonstrate that you are a prophet, the Messiah!” they demanded. They seek signs and wonders but reject the person of Jesus.  For Jesus, however, signs are not meant for skeptics, but for believers. It is the one who believes who is able to see. 

耶稣知道人们只是在寻找神迹奇事。求你显神迹奇事给我们看。证明你是特别的!证明你是先知,弥赛亚!他们质问道。他们寻求神迹奇事,却拒绝耶稣这个人。然而,对耶稣来说,神迹不是给怀疑论者看的,而是给信徒看的。信的人才能看见。

In today’s passage, Jesus speaks about two prophets in Israel, Elijah and Elisha. During a severe famine, God sent the prophet Elijah to a Gentile widow, bypassing many widows in Israel. Similarly, God sent the prophet Elisha to a Gentile leper named Naaman, though there were many lepers in Israel. None of the Jews received Elijah’s help, and none of them were healed by Elisha. The repetition of the phrase, “none of them,” makes Jesus’ point clear: the prophets did not rescue their own people but instead went to Gentiles, who were considered outsiders and could not claim to be God’s people. God’s mercy and grace extended beyond Israel, flowing to the poor and marginalized. As Jesus recounts these stories, the crowd understand his message – and they are filled with anger, driving him out of town. 

在今天的经文中,耶稣谈到以色列的两位先知,以利亚和以利沙。在一场严重的饥荒中,神差遣先知以利亚到一个外邦的寡妇那里,而不是以色列的许多寡妇。同样地,神差遣先知以利沙去见一个外邦人,名叫乃缦的麻疯病人,虽然在以色列有许多麻疯病人。没有一个犹太人得到以利亚的帮助,也没有一个人得到以利沙的医治。一个也没有这句话的重复,使耶稣的意思更清楚了:先知没有拯救自己的子民,而是去了外邦人那里,他们被认为是外人,不能自称是上帝的子民。神的怜悯和恩典延伸到以色列之外,流向穷人和边缘人。当耶稣讲述这些故事时,人们明白了他的意思——他们充满了愤怒,把他赶出了城。

Amy-Jill Levine, a Jewish New Testament scholar, explains that the crowd’s rage and rejection of Jesus were not due to God’s blessings being extended to the Gentiles, non-Jews, but rather because Jesus withheld his powers from them. This leads us to wonder: why doesn’t Jesus bless his own hometown, Nazareth?

犹太新约学者Amy-Jill Levine解释说,人群对耶稣的愤怒和拒绝不是因为上帝的祝福延伸到外邦人,非犹太人,而是因为耶稣对他们隐瞒了他的能力。这让我们想知道:为什么耶稣不祝福他自己的家乡拿撒勒?

Some scholars suggest there may have been tension between Nazareth, a small farming village, and Capernaum, a more populous fishing centre. Matthew records: “Jesus left Nazareth and made his home in Capernaum.” This shift might not have been well received by the people of Nazareth. Also, Capernaum may have been home to a Roman garrison, a group of Roman soldiers, and a number of Gentiles. Perhaps some wondered: “Why would ‘our’ Jesus live among enemies and outcasts?” Feeling shunned by his hometown, Jesus responds, “Truly I tell you, no prophet is accepted in the prophet’s hometown.”

一些学者认为,拿撒勒(一个小村庄)和迦百农(一个人口较多的渔业中心)之间可能存在紧张关系。马太记载:耶稣离开拿撒勒,住在迦百农。这种转变可能不会被拿撒勒人所接受。此外,迦百农可能是罗马驻军、一群罗马士兵和一些外邦人的家园。也许有人会想:为什么我们的耶稣会生活在敌人和被抛弃的人中间?耶稣觉得自己被家乡所弃绝,就回答说,“我实在告诉你们,没有先知在自己的家乡被悦纳的。”

By including the stories of Elijah and Elisha, Luke demonstrates that the people of God are discovering true faith beyond society’s narrow definitions, boundaries, and theologies. Jesus interpretated his ministry in this light. Both stories reveal that God is at work beyond our imagination and expectations, showing us that God’s grace is for everyone, everywhere. God’s grace flows like water, covering all things. A Christian writer Scot McKnight once said, God’s loving arms extend around the globe, encompassing adults, trees, mountains, children, rivers, birds, moms, dads, lions, elephants, the poor, diverse cultures and ethnicities, governments, art shows and building projects. They stretch over golf courses and sweatshops, country clubs and inner-city slums, high-rise penthouses and ghettos. In other words, God’s grace is all about inclusion.

路加通过以利亚和以利沙的故事,表明神的百姓正在超越社会狭隘的定义、界限和神学,发现真正的信心。耶稣从这个角度来解释他的事工。这两个故事都揭示了上帝在我们想象和期望之外的工作,向我们展示了上帝的恩典是给每个人的,无处不在。神的恩典如流水,覆盖万物。基督教作家Scott McKnight曾经说过,上帝慈爱的臂膀遍布全球,包括成年人、树木、山脉、儿童、河流、鸟类、妈妈、爸爸、狮子、大象、穷人、不同的文化和种族、政府、艺术展览和建筑项目。它们遍布高尔夫球场和血汗工厂,乡村俱乐部和内城贫民窟,高层顶层公寓和贫民窟。换句话说,神的恩典就是包容。

We are categorized in many ways: by ethnicity, nation, religion, ideology, job, sex, gender, and social status. But these differences do not mean I am right and you are wrong. We are simply different. God calls us to open our hearts and embrace those who lie outside our boundaries. God’s grace is not a potluck supper shared only among ourselves; rather it is the marriage supper of the Lamb, to which everyone is invited. Jesus boldly proclaimed God’s love for all people, even in front of his own community, breaking through boundaries and tradition. 

我们在很多方面被分类:按种族、民族、宗教、意识形态、工作、性别、社会性别和社会地位。但这些差异并不意味着我是对的,你是错的。我们就是不同。神呼召我们敞开心扉,拥抱那些在我们界限之外的人。神的恩典不是只在我们中间分享的家常便饭;而是羔羊的婚筵,邀请所有的人来参加。耶稣大胆地宣告上帝对所有人的爱,甚至在他自己的团体面前,突破了界限和传统。

Thanks be to Jesus, who calls us to be courageous, as he was, in breaking down the walls that divide us in every area of society. Amen.

感谢耶稣,召叫我们勇敢,就像他一样,在社会的各个领域拆毁分隔我们的墙。阿们。