(Chp 26) 试探-信徒生活的"必经","必赢","必同"之路

Sermon based on Chapter 26 of Scot McKnight's Jesus Creed

Have you heard the folk story of the bandit Jose’ Rivera, who became notorious in several little towns in Texas for robbing their banks and businesses? Finally the townsfolk hired a ranger to track down Jose’ Rivera and retrieve the money. The ranger at last arrived at a desolate, ramshackle cantina. At the counter he saw a young man enjoying his brew. At one of the tables, snored another patron. The ranger approached the young man at the bar and announced that he was on a mission to bring back Jose’ Rivera, dead or alive. The young man pointed to the other patron, and said, “That is Jose’ Rivera.” The ranger ambled over to the sleeping bandit, “Are you Jose’ Rivera? he asked. The man mumbled, “No speak English.” The ranger beckoned to the young man to help him communicate his mission. The ensuing conversation was tedious. First the ranger spoke in English and the young man translated it into Spanish. Jose’ Rivera responded in Spanish, and young man repeated the answer in English for the ranger. Finally, the ranger warned Jose’ Rivera that he had two choices; the first was to let him know where all the loot he had stolen was hidden, in which case he could walk away a free man. The second choice was that if he would not reveal where the money was stashed, he would be shot dead instantly. The young man translated the ultimatum.

Jose’ Rivera pulled himself together and said to the young man, “Tell him to go out of the bar, turn to the right, go about a mile, and he will see a tall tree. Beside the trunk of that tree is a large wooden board. Under the board is a pit in the ground. He will find all the jewelry and most of the money I have taken.” The young man turned to the ranger, opened his mouth...swallowed...paused—and then said, “Jose’ Rivera says...Jose’ Rivera says...’Go ahead and shoot!’”

第一点：面对试探是信徒生活"必经"之路
看 来，这个年轻人为了得到所有的财富，竟然说谎害了当事人。故事虽然诙谐有趣，可是类似的事情其实是很平常的。由此可见，试探是我们每个人生活中的一部分。 主耶稣做为完完全全的人也同样必须经历试探。而且，他所经历的试探必须是真实的。也就是说，耶稣不可以因为他的神性而敷衍敷衍的受试探。不可以的。耶稣必 须充分体验人的软弱，才能真正带出人能够靠神得到最后的胜利。所以耶稣真正会饥饿，耶稣禁食了四十天，经上明确的说他饿了。耶稣也真正需要保护，他没有否 认从殿顶跌下来真正会死。耶稣最后在十字架上也真正会受伤，而且死了。耶稣也真正同每个人一样有虚荣心。魔鬼以不用劳碌的权柄来吸引耶稣，不用受难而可以 得到全世界。这是真实的引诱，耶稣在客西马尼园的确挣扎是否要喝那个苦杯才能得荣耀。所以不管是食物，保护，不劳而获的世界，对耶稣来说都是真实的试探。 耶稣受到试探，有什么意义吗？有的。这就是今天信息的第一点：面对试探是信徒生活的必经之路。耶稣清楚表明了没有人，甚至是耶稣，可以避开试探。
不但是不能避开试探。试探甚至是神的旨意。（申8:2）你也要记念耶和华你的神这四十年在旷野引导你的一切路程，为要使你受苦，要试炼你，要知道你心里怎样，看看你肯守他的诫命不肯。

以 色列子民要进入应许地，首先必须经过旷野受试探。对于我们信徒也是一样。从被救赎到进入应许地的那一天，我们是避不开经过旷野的地带。好日子谁不会过？我 们都会。只有在受苦的时候，我们才真正受到考验。那时候才真正浮现我们内心深处的想法，才真正测试我们是否遵行神的诫命。所以，我们看到就算是耶稣也同样 免不了。经上说是“耶稣被圣灵带到旷野，受魔鬼的试探。”因此，圣灵的带领也是有旷野的时候，试探的时刻。

第二点：认识试探是信徒生活"必赢"之路
Several years ago, a new preacher moved to Houston, Texas. Some weeks after he arrived, he had occasion to ride the bus from his home to the downtown area. When he sat down, he discovered that the driver had accidentally given him a quarter too much change. As he considered what to do, he thought to himself, You'd better give the quarter back. It would be wrong to keep it." Then he thought, "Oh, forget, it's only a quarter. Who would worry about this little amount? Anyway, the bus company gets too much fare; they will never miss it. Accept it as a 'gift from God' and keep quiet. "When his stop came, he paused momentarily at the door, and then he handed the quarter to the driver and said, "Here, you gave me too much change. "The driver with a smile replied, "Aren't you the new preacher in town? I have been thinking lately about going to worship somewhere. I just wanted to see what you would do if I gave you too much change. I'll see you at church on Sunday"
When the preacher stepped off of the bus, he literally grabbed the nearest light pole, held on, and said, "Oh God, I almost sold your Son for a quarter." Our lives are the only Bible some people will ever read. This is a scary example of how much people watch us as Christians and will put us to the test!

我已经提到面对试探是信徒生活的必经之路。但是，我们要更进一步，那就是第二 点：认识试探是信徒生活必赢之路。知己知彼百战百胜。认识什么是试探是很关键的一门功课。刚才的故事就是公车司机在试探新来的牧师的本质。这就是试探的用 意了。试探基本上就是在测验我们到底是谁。我们可以宣称我们是基督徒，神的孩子，我们是牧师，丈夫，父亲，等。可是，试探就是在质疑这点。如果我们认清试 探，认清自己，那我们就能踏上必赢之路。耶稣的试探给了我们很好的启示。

魔鬼两次问耶稣， “你若是神的儿子”，就应该怎样怎样。在这段经文之前，叙述了耶稣的洗礼，天父才在3：17承认耶稣就是他的儿子，他所爱的。难道耶稣会质疑自己的身份 吗？其实，这两段经文是息息相关的。耶稣的身份和耶稣是否能够体现出他身份的实质是需要试探来考验出来的。耶稣是神的儿子，但耶稣能够活得出神的儿子该有 的生命吗？我们看到耶稣认识试探是什么，所以他活出他的身份该有的生命。知己知彼，就迈向必赢之路。

第三点：胜过试探是信徒生活"必同"之路
除 了面对试探，认识试探，信徒生活最重的目的是胜过试探。今天的第三点是：胜过试探是信徒生活必同之路。如果你要打倒魔鬼对于你的身份的疑惑，你就必须与神 又同心又同行。这就是我所指的必同之路。耶稣怎么胜过魔鬼的试探？那是因为耶稣与神又同心又同行。第二点已经提到，魔鬼是在试探耶稣身份的本质，而我们看 到，耶稣三次的回应都是反映了他对上帝充分的了解。而耶稣对上帝的认识和他跟上帝的关系是分不开得。我们反观自己跟上帝的关系。我们是否以神的话为最终的 依靠，还是是物质？我们是否常常质疑上帝的同在和保护，以致我们是在试探厌烦我们的神？我们是否追求的是事奉上帝的旨意，还是我们是以虚无缥缈的荣华富贵 为心里所求。

魔鬼很懂得人性的软弱，他也懂得如何扭曲神的话来使我们自欺欺人。所以，我们不 但要认识自己，认识什么是试探，我们更要认识神。而要建立这样的关系没有捷径，唯有每天与上帝又同心又同行。有一位作者这么说：为什么耶稣可以三次都用可 以恰到好处的申命记经文来反驳魔鬼呢？他猜想也许耶稣当天早上的灵修材料就是申命记。虽然这只是个推理，可是却很生动地解释了每日与主又同心又同行对于胜 过试探的帮助。

总结
主 祷文里面我们很熟悉的一句“不叫我们遇见试探”，让我们对试探近而远之。可是，下一句“救我们脱离凶恶”却清楚的表明了试探是免不了的，神的救赎还是需要 的。只要我们接受了某种身份，象当我们成为基督徒的时刻，我们就开始了这身份所带来的试探。既然是必经之路，我们来勇敢地面对它。就像耶稣被圣灵带领到旷 野一样。试探就在艰难的时刻考验我们身份的本质。我们要学习耶稣一样认识试探，很明确的知道什么是这身份应该体现出来的生命。知道自己，知道魔鬼的手段， 就是百战百胜的必赢之路。如果我们认清楚自己象耶稣一样是神的爱子，就该知道与主同心同行的重要。这必同之路就是让我们战胜试探的关键。旧约的以色列子民 在旷野的试探跌倒了，可是耶稣这位新以色列君王却胜过了试探，神的孩子活出了真本色。让我们也一样，哪里跌倒，那里站起来。靠这跟神的关系，胜过试探，把 我们基督徒得真本色展现出来。