“凡不因我跌倒的就有福了。” – 太 11:6
施洗约翰来是为弥赛亚耶稣预备道路。约翰是非常肯定的！因为和其他先知一样，他是清楚听到神的吩咐的。
但在今天的经文马太福音第11章中，约翰似乎有点怀疑。坐牢是会使人有这样的改变、令人怀疑一切他从前觉得很确定的事。约翰听到的耶稣，似乎不符合他的期望。神的子民仍得不到自由，而约翰更没有。所以约翰给耶稣一个信息：“我是否看错了你？”
耶稣给约翰的回覆没有什么新意，但祂鼓励约翰不要灰心：“凡不因我跌倒的，便有福了。”
约翰对耶稣有他自己的期望，我们每一个人都会有。但耶稣不会按任何人的期望做事，祂只会按天父的计划去行事，而耶稣鼓励约翰和我们每一个人去相信这个计划。神的国会按神的方式和神的时间来到的。
一首古旧圣诗说得好：“非藉刀剑的交锋，非藉战鼓声隆，乃藉遵行主大爱，天国才能到来。”当然最伟大的爱就是耶稣在十架上的自我牺牲，这行动确定了神的国必定会来。
祷告
慷慨的主耶稣，我们为了你是谁和你所做的献上感谢。求你帮助我们为你对我们的慷慨感恩，又帮助我们像你那样慷慨待人。阿们。
马太福音 11:2-6
2约翰在监里听见基督所做的事，就打发两个门徒去，
3问他说：“那将要来的是你吗？还是我们等候别人呢？”
4耶稣回答说：“你们去，把所听见、所看见的事告诉约翰，
5就是：瞎子看见，瘸子行走，长大痲疯的洁净，聋子听见，死人复活，穷人有福音传给他们。
6凡不因我跌倒的，就有福了！”
A Sure Thing
“Blessed is anyone who does not stumble on account of me.” – Matthew 11:6
John the Baptist had come to prepare the way for Jesus, the Messiah. And John was so confident! He had a clear and sure word from God, just as you would expect from a prophet.
But in our reading today from Matthew 11, John has his doubts. Prison will do that to a person, making him question everything he’s sure of. What John has heard doesn’t measure up to the big hopes he has had for Jesus. God’s people are no closer to being free. Nor is John himself. So John sends a message to Jesus: “Have I been wrong about you?”
Jesus has nothing new to tell John. But he does encourage him not to lose hope: “Blessed is anyone who does not stumble on account of me.”
John had his expectations of Jesus. We all do. But Jesus doesn’t act according to anyone’s expectations. He acts according to the Father’s plan. Jesus encourages John—and all of us—to trust that plan. The kingdom will come in God’s way and in God’s time.
There’s an old hymn that gets it just right: “For not with swords’ loud clashing or roll of stirring drums—with deeds of love and mercy the heavenly kingdom comes.” Of course the greatest deed of love and mercy is Jesus’ self-surrender on the cross. That one deed makes the kingdom a sure thing.
Prayer
Generous Lord Jesus, thank you for who you are and for what you do. Help us to be grateful for your generosity to us and to show the same generosity to others. Amen.
诵读: 骆云秀
片头: 张妙阳
