【7.24】在公共埸所睡觉Sleeping In Public


“有人把那童子活活的领来,得的安慰不小。” – 徒 20:12

你有试过在公共场所睡着吗?例如在聆听讲员或牧师一篇冗长的讲章时,你的眼皮开始下垂,头又开始下堕。虽然你努力挣扎,但终于睡着了。虽然这样睡着是很令人尴尬的,但通常不会致命,不过,那从三层楼上窗台掉下去的犹推古却丧命了。

我们应怎样理解这奇怪的故事呢?我们应否责怪保罗没有留意他听众的需要?不过保罗只是按吩咐在各处教导有关耶稣的福音而已。我们又应否批判犹推古在“教会”内睡着?也可能不应该,因为已是半夜而保罗仍在“滔滔不绝”地继续讲。事实上,这故事的重点不是在于保罗或犹推古,而是关于在使徒行传的中心思想 – 耶稣复活的大能。犹推古这个名字在希腊文的意思是“幸运”,而犹推古果然幸运地被保罗救他从死里活过来。然而保罗有能力行此神迹,完全是靠着复活的主耶稣的能力。这个故事和所有众使徒在使徒行传中所说的和做的,都是指向复活的。

在耶稣的复活中,神决定性地击败了罪恶和死亡。在现今的世代,当我们等候耶稣的再来和我们永远的复活时,耶稣复活的大能仍然大大备受称颂。

祷告

父啊,藉着耶稣你已为我们击败了罪和死亡。在我们期待耶稣再来时,求你帮助我们去过得胜的生活。阿们。

使徒行传 20:7-12

7七日的第一日,我们聚会掰饼的时候,保罗因为要次日起行,就与他们讲论,直讲到半夜。
8我们聚会的那座楼上,有好些灯烛。
9有一个少年人名叫犹推古,坐在窗台上,困倦沉睡。保罗讲了多时,少年人睡熟了,就从三层楼上掉下去。扶起他来,已经死了。
10保罗下去,伏在他身上,抱着他说:“你们不要发慌,他的灵魂还在身上。”
11保罗又上去,掰饼吃了,谈论许久,直到天亮,这才走了。
12有人把那童子活活地领来,得的安慰不小。

Sleeping In Public

“The people took the young man home alive and were greatly comforted.” – Acts 20:12

Have you ever fallen asleep in a public place, like during a long talk by a speaker or a preacher? Maybe your eyes began drooping, and your head started to nod. Then, despite your best efforts, you dozed off. Though falling asleep like that can be embarrassing, it’s not usually fatal. But it was for Eutychus, who fell three stories from an open window to the ground.

What should we make of this strange story? Should we judge Paul for being insensitive to his audience? No, Paul was doing just as he was commanded, teaching the good news about Jesus everywhere. Should we criticize Eutychus for falling asleep in “church”? Probably not, since it was midnight and Paul had been talking “on and on.” In fact, this story isn’t mainly about Paul or Eutychus; it’s about the power at the center of the book of Acts, the resurrection of Jesus. The Greek name Eutychus means “fortunate,” and Eutychus was fortunate that Paul was able to raise him from the dead. But Paul performed this miracle only through the power of Jesus Christ, the risen Lord. This story and everything the apostles say and do in Acts points to the resurrection.

In Jesus’ resurrection, God decisively defeated sin and death. The power of the resurrection of Jesus still resounds in the world today as we wait for Jesus’ return and our eternal resurrection.

Prayer

Father, through Jesus, you have defeated sin and death for our sake. Help us to live victoriously as we look forward to Jesus’ return. Amen.

诵读: 骆云秀
片头: 张妙阳

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