新约 - 马太福音(Matthew)第8章

When he was come down from the mountain, great multitudes followed him.
And, behold, there came a leper and worshipped him, saying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean.
And Jesus put forth his hand, and touched him, saying, I will; be thou clean. And immediately his leprosy was cleansed.
And Jesus saith unto him, See thou tell no man; but go thy way, shew thyself to the priest, and offer the gift that Moses commanded, for a testimony unto them.
And when Jesus was entered into Capernaum, there came unto him a centurion, beseeching him,
And saying, Lord, my servant lieth at home sick of the palsy, grievously tormented.
And Jesus saith unto him, I will come and heal him.
The centurion answered and said, Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof: but speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed.
For I am a man under authority, having soldiers under me: and I say to this man, Go, and he goeth; and to another, Come, and he cometh; and to my servant, Do this, and he doeth it.
When Jesus heard it, he marvelled, and said to them that followed, Verily I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel.
And I say unto you, That many shall come from the east and west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven.
But the children of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
And Jesus said unto the centurion, Go thy way; and as thou hast believed, so be it done unto thee. And his servant was healed in the selfsame hour.
And when Jesus was come into Peter's house, he saw his wife's mother laid, and sick of a fever.
And he touched her hand, and the fever left her: and she arose, and ministered unto them.
When the even was come, they brought unto him many that were possessed with devils: and he cast out the spirits with his word, and healed all that were sick:
That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying, Himself took our infirmities, and bare our sicknesses.
Now when Jesus saw great multitudes about him, he gave commandment to depart unto the other side.
And a certain scribe came, and said unto him, Master, I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest.
And Jesus saith unto him, The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head.
And another of his disciples said unto him, Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father.
But Jesus said unto him, Follow me; and let the dead bury their dead.
And when he was entered into a ship, his disciples followed him.
And, behold, there arose a great tempest in the sea, insomuch that the ship was covered with the waves: but he was asleep.
And his disciples came to him, and awoke him, saying, Lord, save us: we perish.
And he saith unto them, Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith? Then he arose, and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a great calm.
But the men marvelled, saying, What manner of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey him!
And when he was come to the other side into the country of the Gergesenes, there met him two possessed with devils, coming out of the tombs, exceeding fierce, so that no man might pass by that way.
And, behold, they cried out, saying, What have we to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of God? art thou come hither to torment us before the time?
And there was a good way off from them an herd of many swine feeding.
So the devils besought him, saying, If thou cast us out, suffer us to go away into the herd of swine.
And he said unto them, Go. And when they were come out, they went into the herd of swine: and, behold, the whole herd of swine ran violently down a steep place into the sea, and perished in the waters.
And they that kept them fled, and went their ways into the city, and told every thing, and what was befallen to the possessed of the devils.
And, behold, the whole city came out to meet Jesus: and when they saw him, they besought him that he would depart out of their coasts.
马太福音第八章   太 8:2-3> 人说这是一个充满创伤的年代,谁可以医治这些伤口? 

  8:2-3 麻疯是一种可怕的皮肤传染病,当时没有治愈之法。人染上这种病,祭司就会正式宣告此人是麻疯病人并把他迁出家园和城市,让他与其他麻疯病人一起生活,直到他痊愈或死去。当这个麻疯病人哀求耶稣医治他时,耶稣不怕他皮肤上那令人惧怕的病菌,伸手摸他。正如麻疯病一样,罪也是不治之症,而我们全都患上此病。惟有基督的抚摸和医治才能奇妙地除去我们的罪,使我们复原。不过我们首先要像这个麻疯病人一样,先承认自己无能力医治自己,并祈求基督的拯救和帮助。 

  太 8:4> 耶稣可不是治愈他就算…… 

  8:4 律法规定已治愈的麻疯病人要让祭司检查(参利 14 章),耶稣希望这个人能尽早去找祭司,证明他已经痊愈,可以重返家园和社会中。 

  太 8:5-6> 如果有人问你,你和你的神之间有没有拦阻?你有勇气回答说没有吗? 

  8:5-6 本来在这个百夫长和耶稣之间有很多隔膜,例如他的骄傲、怀疑、钱财、言语、距离、时间、自给自足、能力、种族等等,但他没有让这些成为他来见耶稣的阻碍。 

  太 8:8-12> 百夫长的信心何其大,看看你自己,会自感不如吗? 

  8:8-12 “百夫长”是罗马军队的军事职衔,负责统领一百个士兵。罗马士兵的暴行、欺压和专横,引起犹太人憎恨,但这个百夫长的信心却令耶稣惊讶!这外族人的真诚信心,使许多只有虚假敬虔的犹太宗教领袖无地自容。 

  太 8:10-12> 犹太人固步自封以致失去了上好的福分;你可会像他们一样? 

  8:10-12 耶稣告诉群众有许多披着宗教外衣的犹太人将被驱逐出天国,因为他们缺乏信心,顽固地守住自己的宗教传统,不接受基督和祂的新信息。我们一定要谨慎,免得自己执着个人的宗教习惯,只期望神单按照某些特定方法去工作。不要因你既有的观念和小信,限制了神的工作。 

  太 8:11-12> 犹太人要独领风骚?不可能的,救恩不单单给你,也不是只给我,而是…… 

  8:11-12 马太强调耶稣的信息是给予世上每一个人的,祂的恩福也临到外邦人,旧约的先知已经知道这个道理(参赛 56:3 , 6-8 ; 66:12 , 19 ;玛 1:11 ),所有神虔诚的子民将与弥赛亚一同坐席(参赛 6 , 55 章),但很多新约时代的犹太领袖却对此置之不理。没有人靠着遗传和人际关系可以进入天国、得着永生,所有人都必须作出个人的选择──接受或拒绝福音。只有相信并跟从基督的人才能成为天国的一分子,不要以为你来自基督教家庭就会自动得到永生,只有真正悔改和接受基督的人方能得着。 

  太 8:14-15> 在最困难的时候,是祂抱着我们走过──你曾经历过吗?过后你有何回应? 

  8:14-15 彼得的岳母给我们作了好榜样,当耶稣医好了她,她便立刻起来服事祂。神是否曾在困境中帮助过你呢?如果有,你应当问:“我可以怎样感激祂呢?”神已应许把天国里所有的赏赐赐给我们,现在我们应当把握机会服事祂。 

  太 8:16-17> 手一摸,口一开,人得医治鬼荒逃,耶稣可真棒…… 

  8:16-17 马太继续显示耶稣的王者风范。祂伸手一摸,病就得医治( 8:3 , 15 );祂一开口说话,鬼就在祂面前窜逃( 8:16 )。耶稣有权柄和能力战胜所有邪恶势力、疾病和一切罪恶。疾病与邪恶是人活在堕落世界的结果,将来,神会除去一切罪恶,也就再没有疾病和死亡。故耶稣医治的神迹,是使人预尝到天国的经历。 

  太 8:19-20> 又想跟随耶稣,又舍不得我所爱的,好难选啊…… 

  8:19-20 跟随耶稣并不容易,通常要付上很大的代价和牺牲,并不一定会得到地上的回报和保障。耶稣自己连枕首的地方也没有,你可能发觉跟随基督令你失去名誉、友谊或嗜好。跟随基督的代价高,但作基督门徒的价值更高,这是一项存到永远的投资,报酬是难以想像的。 

  太 8:21-22> 那天我轻松地说我愿一生跟从主,今天我…… 

  8:21-22 这个门徒并不是请求耶稣让他先回去埋葬已死的父亲,而是在拖延,要等父亲死去后才跟随耶稣。也许他是长子,希望得到父亲的遗产;也许他害怕离家,跟随一个周游的传道人,令父亲忿怒。无论他所关心的是什么,都是不想立刻向基督委身。耶稣没有接受他的藉口。祂总是直截了当地回应那希望跟从祂的人,为要确定他们已经衡量过代价,放下一切条件来跟从祂。作为神的儿子,耶稣要求人毫不犹疑地完全效忠祂,即使对家庭的忠诚也不能超过顺服神的优先次序。祂直接要求我们省察自己,跟随祂在我们的心中是排在什么位置上。不管有何等重要的事,也不应拖延跟随基督的决定,没有任何事情比完全委身基督更重要。 

  太 8:23> 忽然,一个浪头打过来,叫人招架不住,这时你会…… 

  8:23 耶稣的门徒很多是渔夫,所以这船应当是渔船,用桨和帆做动力,船仓很大,足可容下耶稣和十二门徒。第一世纪的历史学家约瑟夫告诉我们:当时有三百多艘渔船在加利利海作业,当有风暴时人们就把帆拉下,以免帆破裂并使船更易控制。 

  太 8:24> 小小的一个湖,翻起浪来可不得了…… 

  8:24 加利利海十分特别,它不大,只有二十一公里长、十一公里宽,却有四十五公尺深,比海平面低二百多公尺。风暴会突如其来从周围的山上扑下,之前没有任何迹象,海水翻起巨浪来,可高达六公尺。此时,门徒就在这样的险境中。 

  太 8:25> 心知道祂会保守,可面对困难时却……门徒是如此,我也…… 

  8:25 门徒虽然亲眼看过许多神迹,他们却恐惧这场风暴。作为有经验的水手,他们知道这场风暴的危险性,只是不知道基督有控制大自然的能力。在我们的生活里,也常常以为有某些领域是神不能或不会工作的。当我们真正认识祂,就会明白耶稣的能力可以平静风暴,也同样可以平静我们生命中的狂风巨浪,只要我们寻求祂,祂必愿意帮助我们,即使在可怕的试炼中,我们也不应看轻祂的能力。 

  耶稣彰显奇妙大能 

  太 8:28> 加大拉,可不是加拉太,你听过它吗? 

  8:28 加大拉位于加利利海的东南面,是低加坡里的一员,即十城联盟之一,是一个极重要的城市(参可 5:20 注释)。这十个城市分别有独立的政府,大部分为外邦人居住。犹太人看猪是不洁的,不可食用,所以犹太人不养猪,外邦人才养猪,这就解释了为什么在三十节出现了一群猪。 

  太 8:28> 鬼,一个熟悉的名词,你知道它是指什么吗? 

  8:28 鬼是堕落了的天使,联同撒但抵挡神,是受撒但控制的邪灵。它们帮助撒但引诱人去犯罪,具有很大的破坏力量;但每当面对耶稣,便会失去一切能力。这些鬼认得耶稣是神的儿子( 8:29 ),却没有想到要顺服祂。信心不单是相信,而是接受耶稣为你所做的事,接受祂是惟一可以把你从罪中拯救出来的救主。藉着顺服祂的命令活出你的信心吧。(有关信心和鬼魔的讨论,请参雅 2:19 。) 

  太 8:28> 可爱的人总是受人爱戴,那不可爱的人呢? 

  8:28 按照犹太人的礼仪规条,耶稣所遇到的那两个人是不洁净的:他们不是犹太人,被鬼附着,住在坟场里。无论他们如何不洁净,耶稣都帮助他们。我们不应该对那些“不洁净”、“令人厌恶”、违背我们的道德标准和宗教信仰的人置之不理,反而要知道每一个人都是神独特的创造,都需要神的爱。 

  太 8:29> 多行不义终至毙,想那些鬼也知道吧…… 

  8:29 圣经告诉我们在世界终结时,魔鬼和它的天使会被扔到硫磺火湖里去(参启 20:10 )。鬼问耶稣是否那指定的时间还未到,祂就要来折磨它们,看来它们也知道自己的最终命运。 

  太 8:32> 有猪可附也要破坏,鬼的居心真是…… 

  8:32 当鬼进入猪群,就驱使群猪冲入海中。鬼的行动表明了它们具破坏性的动机,它们不能伤害这两个人,也要毁灭那群猪。反之,耶稣的行动显示祂重视每一个生命。 

  太 8:34> 那地的人爱财富过于耶稣;你手所抓住的又是什么?名气?自尊?人的赞美,或是…… 

  8:34 为什么这些人会请求耶稣离开?因为他们害怕耶稣的超自然能力,他们也为失去了一群猪而感到不安。你是否关心财产过于人呢?人是按神的形像造的,有永恒的价值,然而人很容易把财富、甚至动物的价值看得比人的生命还重要,这真是何等的愚昧!你是否宁愿耶稣离开你,也不希望祂在你身上完成祂的工作呢? ──《灵修版圣经注释》