“太监对腓利说:‘请问先知说这话,是指着谁,是指着自己呢?是指着别人呢?’” – 徒 8:34
在阿巴拉契亚山道的科弗山,我躲了一整夜的雨。第二天早上,我又重新上路了。不需要有人告诉我该往哪走。在为期三周的长途跋涉中,每隔一天我都会向北走。
然而,在今天的故事中被圣灵呼召的腓利,却得了指示该往哪里走。主的一个使者吩咐腓利向南走,往那从耶路撒冷下迦萨的路上去。腓利在那里遇见埃塞俄比亚的一个官员,他刚从耶路撒冷敬拜回来。然后圣灵引导腓利贴近那人,帮助他理解他所读的以赛亚书中的一段话。腓利解释说,这段经文是关于耶稣的,祂是神的儿子,祂来是要为我们的罪而死。然后,腓利照着那人的请求,为那个埃塞俄比亚人施洗。
主藉着祂的圣灵和话语,每天仍然在向我们传达祂的命令。神呼召我们以祂的方式行事,尽心、尽意、尽性、尽力地爱主,又要爱邻舍如同自己。
神是否以其他方式对我们说话,正如他对腓利说话一样?神当然可以用戏剧性的方式对我们说话,但更多时候,神的灵会藉着圣经和其他信徒的帮助(比如腓利),以安静、微妙的方式对我们说话。我们应该始终遵行神的话,聆听祂的声音,特别是聆听祂要我们与人分享耶稣的爱的催促声。
祷告
主耶稣,求你帮助我们聆听你的声音,并将你的爱分享给我们每天遇到的人。阿们。
使徒行传 8:26-38
26有主的一个使者对腓利说:“起来,向南走,往那从耶路撒冷下加沙的路上去!”那路是旷野。
27腓利就起身去了。不料,有一个埃塞俄比亚人,是个有大权的太监,在埃塞俄比亚女王干大基的手下总管银库。他上耶路撒冷礼拜去了,
28现在回来,在车上坐着,念先知以赛亚的书。
29圣灵对腓利说:“你去,贴近那车走!”
30腓利就跑到太监那里,听见他念先知以赛亚的书,便问他说:“你所念的你明白吗?”
31他说:“没有人指教我,怎能明白呢?”于是请腓利上车与他同坐。
32他所念的那段经说:“他像羊被牵到宰杀之地,又像羊羔在剪毛的人手下无声,他也是这样不开口。
33他卑微的时候,人不按公义审判他。谁能述说他的世代?因为他的生命从地上夺去。’
34太监对腓利说:“请问,先知说这话是指着谁?是指着自己呢,是指着别人呢?”
35腓利就开口从这经上起,对他传讲耶稣。
36二人正往前走,到了有水的地方,太监说:“看哪,这里有水!我受洗有什么妨碍呢?”
38于是吩咐车站住,腓利和太监二人同下水里去,腓利就给他施洗。
“Tell Me, Please”
“The eunuch asked Philip, ‘Tell me, please, who is the prophet talking about . . . ?’” – Acts 8:34
At Cove Mountain on the Appalachian Trail I had shelter from an all-night rain. The next morning I was back on the trail. No one needed to tell me where to go. I headed north, as I did every other day of my three-week trek.
Philip, however, whom the Spirit called in our story today, had instructions on where to go. An angel of the Lord told Philip to go south to the desert road leading from Jerusalem to Gaza. There Philip met an Ethiopian official who was returning home from Jerusalem. The Spirit then led Philip to stay near the man and to help him understand a passage he was reading from Isaiah. Philip explained that the passage was about Jesus, the Son of God, who came to die for our sin, and then Philip baptized the Ethiopian, just as the man asked him to do.
Through his Spirit and the Word, the Lord still commands us everyday. God calls us to walk in his ways, loving the Lord with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength, and loving our neighbors as ourselves.
Does God speak to us in other ways, such as the way he spoke to Philip? God certainly can speak to us in dramatic ways, but more often the Spirit of God speaks to us in quiet, subtle ways through his Word and with the help of other believers (like Philip). We should always be following God’s Word and listening for his voice, especially as he nudges us to share the love of Jesus.
Prayer
Lord Jesus, help us to listen for your voice and to share your love with the people we meet every day. Amen.