[今日經文 Today’s Reading: 列王紀下 2 Kings 4-6]
15 神人的僕人清早起來出去，看哪，車馬軍兵圍困了城。僕人對神人說：「不好了！我主啊，我們該怎麼辦呢？」 16 神人說：「不要懼怕！因與我們同在的比與他們同在的更多。」 17 以利沙禱告說：「耶和華啊，求你開他的眼目，使他能看見。」耶和華開了這年輕人的眼目，他就看見了，看哪，滿山有火馬和火焰車圍繞以利沙。
列王紀下 2 kings 6:15-17
15 When the servant of the man of God rose early in the morning and went out, behold, an army with horses and chariots was all around the city. And the servant said, “Alas, my master! What shall we do?” 16 He said, “Do not be afraid, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.” 17 Then Elisha prayed and said, “O Lord, please open his eyes that he may see.” So the Lord opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw, and behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.
當以利沙的僕人看到大批敵軍包圍他們時，他感到害怕和恐慌。但以利沙平靜地對他說：「不要害怕，與我們同在的，比與他們同在的更多。」以利沙能夠看到他的僕人所看不到的東西，因為以利沙戴著一副不同的「眼鏡」：他透過上帝的視角看待環境。
如今，基督徒「似乎」寡不敵眾，被強大的敵人包圍，因此，許多基督徒只是躲在教堂裡，認為我們正處於末世。是的，我們正處於末世，（事實上，耶穌的道成肉身就開始了末世時期），但上帝擁有比敵人更強大的軍隊為我們作戰！願上帝開啟我們的屬靈的眼睛，讓我們保持冷靜，「不要懼怕，因與我們同在的比與他們同在的更多。」
上帝可以讓開人眼目，也可以讓人眼目失明。亞蘭人軍隊的眼目被弄瞎，因此他們被帶到了撒馬利亞，但他們沒有被處死，而是受到了一場盛大的宴會。真是出乎意料的結局！
現在不是驚慌失措的時候，而是大膽、積極地與敵人交戰的時候。正如寇爾森Colson提醒和鼓勵我們的那樣：
我們必須成為敢於將基督教從城堡心態和神聖堡壘掙脫出來的人; 並且，再次將它建立成為一種偉大的生活系統和文化力量，承認造物主是一切萬有的主宰。這是個充滿契機的歷史時刻，當教會忠心於她的呼召時，總是帶來文化的改革。 當教會是真正的教會、一個在生活各個層面順從聖經教導、活出信仰的群體時，ㄧ定會更新周遭文化、並創造新文化。
禱告：親愛的上帝，請幫助我們戴上正確的「眼鏡」，讓我們用屬靈的眼睛看到與我們同在的比敵人更強大，儘管敵人看起來如此強大。願我們勇敢地將福音帶給世界並改變世界！奉耶穌的名，阿們!
2025 「聖經世界觀 II：成為變革推動者」 師資培訓 本週四開課。 讓我們「成為變革推動者」敢於將基督教從城堡心態和神聖堡壘掙脫出來的人。
⽇期：2025 年 4⽉ 24⽇⾄ 6月26⽇ (逢週四，共十週)
時間 : 美東 9 pm – 10:30 pm, 美中 8 pm – 9:30 pm,
美西 6 pm – 7:30 pm, 北京/台北週五早上 9 am – 10:30 am
When Elisha’s servant saw that a great number of enemy soldiers were surrounding them, he was fearful and in a state of panic. But Elisha calmly said to him, “Do not be afraid, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.” Elisha was able to see what his servant could not see because Elisha had a different pair of eyeglasses on: he saw the situation through God’s eyes.
Today Christians seem outnumbered and surrounded by a massive enemy, and, in response, many Christians just hide in the church and think that we are in the end times. Yes, we are in the end times and have long been in the end times (in fact, Jesus’ incarnation inaugurated the period of the end times), but God has a greater army to fight for us than the enemy has! May God open our spiritual eyes so that we remain calm, “for those who are with us are more than those who are with [our enemy].”
God can open people’s eyes and also can blind people’s eyes. The eyes of the Syrian army were blinded so that they were led to Samaria, but instead of being put to death, they were given a great feast. What an unexpected ending!
This is not the time to be in a panic but it is the time to boldly and actively engage with our enemy. As Chuck Colson reminded and encouraged us:
We must be men and women who will dare to wrest Christianity free from its fortress mentality, its sanctuary stronghold, and establish it once again as the great life system and cultural force that acknowledges the Creator as sovereign over all…. this is an historic moment of opportunity, and when the church is faithful to its calling, it always leads to a reformation of culture. When the church is truly the church, a community living in biblical obedience and contending for faith in every area of life, it will surely revive the surrounding culture or create a new one.
Prayer: Dear God, please help us to put on the right “eyeglasses” so with spiritual eyes we can see that You who are with us are greater than the enemy, despite the enemy appearing to be so strong. May we boldly bring the gospel to the world and effect change upon the world! In Jesus’ name, Amen.
