[今日經文 Today’s Reading: 約翰福音 John 12-13]
41 以賽亞因為看見他的榮耀，就指著他說這話。 42 雖然如此，官長中卻有好些信他的，只因法利賽人的緣故，就不承認，恐怕被趕出會堂。 43 這是因他們愛人的榮耀過於愛神的榮耀。
約翰 John 12:41-43
41 Isaiah said these things because he saw his glory and spoke of him. 42 Nevertheless, many even of the authorities believed in him, but for fear of the Pharisees they did not confess it, so that they would not be put out of the synagogue; 43 for they loved the glory that comes from man more than the glory that comes from God.
約翰記載了為什麼官長中相信耶穌卻不敢承認他：他們害怕失去他們在會堂裡的地位。他指出，這背後是“他們愛人的榮耀過於愛神的榮耀”。
今天，我們面臨著同樣的誘惑。特別是對於那些在上位的，我們是否因為“愛人的榮耀過於愛神的榮耀”而在某些問題上保持沉默？我們害怕失去我們的“生命”嗎？但耶穌說：“愛惜自己性命的，就喪失性命；那恨惡自己在這世上的性命的，要保全性命到永生。” （約翰福音12:25）基督徒，尤其是那些在上位的，早就該“亮我們的牌”，即表明我們更愛誰的榮耀，是人的還是神的。不“亮牌”本身就是ㄧ種“牌”。
今天，我們比以往任何時候都更需要聽到迪特里希·潘霍華的話：
廉價的恩典是我們教會的死敵。我們今天正在為代價高昂的恩典而戰。 …它是昂貴的，因為它使一個人付出了生命，它是恩典，因為它給了一個人唯一真正的生命。
禱告：親愛的上帝，願你賜給我們每個人，尤其是那些身居高位的人，勇氣去愛祢的榮耀勝過愛人的榮耀。願我們在生活的所有層面都敢於承認耶穌為主！奉耶穌的名，阿們！
[希臘文] δόξα doxa (n) = 榮耀; glory John records why those in authority believed in Jesus yet did not confess Him: they were afraid of losing their status in the synagogue. He points out that behind this is that “they loved the glory that comes from man more than the glory that comes from God.”
Today we are facing the same temptation. Particularly for those in authority, are we silent on certain issues because we “loved the glory that comes from man more than the glory that comes from God”? Are we afraid to lose our “life”? But Jesus said “whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.” (John 12:25) It is long overdue for Christians, especially for those who are in authority, to “show their cards”, that is, to make it clear whose glory we love more, man’s or God’s. Not to “show our cards” is actually itself a “show”.
Today more than ever before do we need to hear the words of Dietrich Bonhoeffer:
Cheap grace is the deadly enemy of our Church. We are fighting today for costly grace. … It is costly because it costs a man his life, and it is grace because it gives a man the only true life.
Prayer: Dear God, may You give each of us, and especially those in positions of authority, courage to love Your glory more than man’s glory. May we dare to confess Jesus as Lord in all the areas of our lives! In Jesus’ name, Amen!
[Greek] δόξα doxa (n) = glory 
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