Dare to Walk with God – Pastor Jade Yi

Amos 7:7-15

Psalm 85:8-13

Mark 6:14-29

Our Story

Betrayal! Treachery! No one enjoys it; but everyone does it once in a while anyway in various relationships and contexts. The deeper the relationship we have with someone who betrays us, whether it’s a friend, partner or colleague, the longer the emotional scars last. The more betrayals we encounter, the less receptive we are to building new relationships and trusting others. 

背叛！背信棄義！沒有人喜歡這樣的事發生在自己的身上；但每個人偶爾都會做這件事，在各種不同的環境下或是在人與人之間的關係。我們與背叛我們的人的關係越深，情感創傷持續的時間就越長，無論是朋友、伴侶還是同事，而且我們遇到越多的背叛，在建立新的人際關係和信任他人的接受度，通常就會降低。

If you have never betrayed anyone or been betrayed, How about self-betrayal? Self-betrayal is when we act against our own best interests even though we know better, such as sticking to unhealthy habits, unhealthy diets or unhealthy relationships. 

如果您從未背叛過任何人或是被背叛過，那麼您曾自我背叛過嗎？自我背叛是指，即使我們很了解自己，仍然做出違背對自己有最佳利益的行為，例如明明知道持續不健康的習慣是不對的、明明知道持續不健康的飲食是不對的、或是明明知道持續不健康的人際關係是不對的。這就是自我背叛。

God’s Story

As the people of God, the implication of self betrayal has much greater impact beyond individuals because of our relationships with God through our savior, Jesus Christ.  And because of our relationship with Christ, our self-betrayal certainly has an impact on the rest of believers. Doesn’t St. Paul say that we are the body of Christ and each of us is a part of it in 1 Corinthians 12:27?  And at the end of each worship, we are reminded of how we are related to each other and God with these words, “You are the body of Christ.” 

作為上帝的子民，自我背叛的影響，超出於對個人的影響，因為透過救主耶穌基督，我們與上帝所建立的關係也被影響到了。 由於我們與基督的關係，我們的自我背叛，肯定會對其他信徒們產生影響。聖保羅在哥林多前書 12:27 ，教導著，我們是基督的身體，我們每個人都是其中的一部分。 每次敬拜結束時，我們也都會被這句話，提醒我們與主和每個人的關係:「你們是基督的身體」。

When we act against our own best interests, we also act against the best interests of God.  So, what are God’s best interests?  In Jeremiah 29:11, the Lord says, “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.”  Wow! Based on the prophecy of Jeremiah, God has our best interests at heart.

當我們做出違背對自己有最佳利益的行為時，我們也等於做出了違背對上帝有最佳利益的行為。 那麼，神的最佳利益是什麼呢？ 在耶利米書 29:11 中，主說：「因為我知道我向你們所懷的意念，是賜平安的意念，而不是降災禍的意念，為要給你們一個未來和指望。」 哇！根據耶利米先知的預言，神把對我們有最大的利益放在心上。

God’s intentions are for not just one person’s well-being, or for a particular community’s well-being, or limited for just one nation, but for all who confess their belief in Jesus Christ. In the early Christian community, believers faced the same challenges just like us. St. Paul reminds the church in Philippi not only to look to the interests of their own but also of others. And Jesus demonstrated to us what it is like to look to the interests of others by emptying himself, taking the form of a servant, humbling himself and obeying to the point of death, even the most unjust death on a cross.  

上帝的意圖，不僅是為了一個人的福祉，或是為了某一特定群體的福祉，或僅限於一個國家，而是為了那些承認且相信耶穌就是基督的所有人的福祉。在早期的基督教群體中，信徒們和我們一樣面臨著同樣的挑戰。聖保祿提醒腓立比的會眾信徒們，不是只顧及自己的利益，也要顧及他人的利益。耶穌向我們展示了這樣的心: 掏空了自己神的形象而成為人的樣式、取了奴僕的身分、卑微自己、順服至死、甚至以最不公義的方式，死在十字架上，將人類的最大利益放在心上。

From the story in Mark 6:14-29, we can identify many kinds of betrayals in these short 16 verses, and the most obvious one is the self-betrayal, a hopeless cycle of a self-betrayal habit running in this royal family of Herod. 

從馬可福音第6章14至29節的故事中，我們可以在這短短的16節經文中，辨識出多種的背叛，其中最明顯的就是自我背叛，這種自我背叛的習慣，在希律王室中，成了一個惡性循環。

Let us unpack the story briefly. Herod Antipas coveted the wife of his half-brother, Phillip, and got scolded by John the Baptist. Well! The wife, Herodias, was furious at John’s intervention and convinced Herod to imprison John. While in jail, John must have told Herod about God’s salvation and the need of his repentance.

讓我們簡單地回顧這個故事。希律·安提帕斯搶走了同父異母的哥哥腓力的妻子，並受到施洗約翰的斥責。妻子希羅底對約翰的干涉，感到非常的憤怒。她說服希律王監禁約翰。在監禁期間，約翰必定告訴希律王，一些有關神的救恩和他需要悔改的教導。

At Herod’s birthday party, his step-daughter Salome, Herodias’ daughter, pleased Herod and his guest greatly with her dance, and was promised to receive a gift, whatever that might be, from Herod. So, after consulting with her mom, her accomplice, she had Herod kill John, and asked for his head on a platter.

在希律王的生日派對上，他的繼女莎樂美（希羅底的女兒）的舞蹈使希律王和同席的人歡喜，並被許諾會收到希律王送的任何礼物。因此，在與她的同夥母親商量之後，她要求希律王斬首約翰，並要求將他頭顱放在盤子上。

What went on in Herod’s mind at the moment? In verse 10, it says that Herod feared John and wanted to protect him because, in his eyes, John was a righteous and holy man. The daughter probably wanted to avoid disapproval from her mother.  And Herodias probably wanted to cover up her guilt or shame of her second marriage with Herod. The guests at the birthday party probably wanted to please Herod, who was their main stakeholder.

希律此時在想什麼呢？第10節說，希律懼怕約翰，想要保護他，因為在他眼中，約翰是個公義而聖潔的人。女兒可能是想避免母親希羅底的反對或是想討好母親。 希羅底可能想掩飾她因這個第二次的婚姻所造成的內疚或恥辱。生日派對上的同席貴賓可能是想取悅希律王，因為他與他們之間的利害關係。

There is a thin line between fearlessness and recklessness. Herod’s action is reckless, not fearless. There is a thin line between compliance and cowardness. Herods’ action reflects cowardness, not compliance. Because of his recklessness and cowardness, he missed his opportunity to walk alongside God’s graciousness. If Herod had dared choose to walk alongside God, John wouldn’t have died unjustly. And there is also a fine line between betrayal and innocence. In this story, no one was innocent.

無所畏懼和魯莽之間只有一線之隔。希律王的行為是魯莽而不是無所畏懼。順從和懦弱之間只有一線之隔。希律的行為是懦弱的表現。由於他的魯莽和懦弱，他錯過了與神的恩典同行的機會。如果希律王敢於選擇與上帝同行，約翰就不會冤死。背叛和無辜之間也只有一線之隔。在這個故事中，沒有人是無辜的。

Our Challenges

What’s our challenge?  Do we dare to walk alongside God’s graciousness? Do we dare to look to God’s best interests at heart? Do we dare carry our own cross and do justice?

我們面臨的挑戰是什麼？ 我們膽敢與神的恩典同行嗎？我們膽敢把對神的最大利益放在心上嗎？我們膽敢背起自己的十字架，行正義嗎？

When we dare to face God and be with God and put God’s commandments into practice, we begin to grasp God’s best interests for us at heart, then we see how much we need God’s saving grace as vulnerable sinners.

當我們膽敢面對神、與神同在，當我們膽敢實踐神的誡命時，我們就會開始明白，神是如何把對我們有最大的利益放在心上。然後我們就會看清，作為軟弱罪人的我們，是多麼需要，神拯救的恩典。

The most common responses I’ve gotten from nonbelievers are, “I’m not that bad. At least,  I’m trying to be a good person. I don’t steal. I don’t hurt others. I don’t take the lives of others. How can I be a bad person, a sinner?”  The law from God has three functions or uses from the perspectives of Lutherans: 1.) to curb sin, 2.) to mirror sin, and 3.) to rule or norm the believer. What nonbelievers miss mainly is the second or the third use of the law. 

我從非信徒那裡得到的最常見的回答是：「我沒那麼壞。至少，我努力做個好人。我不偷竊，不傷害別人。我不奪走別人的生命。我怎麼能是一個壞人，一個罪人呢？」 從路德宗的角度來看，神定的律法有三種功能或用途，來看一個人是否有犯罪：1.) 抑制罪惡的功能或用途、2.) 反映罪惡的功能或用途、3.) 管理或規範信徒的功能或用途。非信徒主要是不了解第二個或第三個律法的功能或用途。

Most people are familiar with the first use of the Law. As long as I don’t break the laws, I’m good. That’s the first use of the Law as a curb against chaos in the social world. For example, when our reckless actions create chaos in the lives of ourselves and others, we know we break the law. The family of Herod broke this one.

大多數人都熟悉第一種律法使用的功能和用途。只要我不觸犯律法，我就很好。律法可以用來遏制社會世界的混亂。例如，當我們魯莽的行為對自己和他人的生活造成混亂時，我們知道我們違反了律法。希律王的家族就犯了這一點。

The second use of the Law is as a mirror to reveal sin and the need for salvation: This is pretty self-explanatory. The family of Herod wouldn’t dare to stand before the Ten Commandments to have an honest conversation with God, that I am convinced. 

第二種律法使用的功能和用途，是作為一面鏡子，面對鏡子裡的自己，來揭示自己的罪惡和為什摩需要被救贖。這是不言自明的。我想，希律家族不敢站在十誡面前與神進行誠實的對話。

The third use of the Law is as a guide for sanctified living of Christians in their vocations: At the birthday party of Herod, we know that at least Herod himself had heard about God’s saving grace; he could have used what he learned from John as a guide to show those around him how to live, but he chose not to. 

第三種律法使用的功能和用途，是為了給予基督徒在聖召中提供聖潔生活的指引。在希律的生日派對上，我們知道至少希律本人聽過神的救贖恩典；他本可以用從約翰那裡學到的生活的指引，來教導他周圍的那些人，但他選擇不這樣做。

Good News

What’s the Good News for today? God has our best interests at heart; otherwise, why bother the cross?

今日的好消息，是什麼？神把對我們有最大的利益放在心上。不然，何必要有十字架呢？

God wants to bring out the best in us but Satan wants to bring out the worst in us. May we live beyond professing our faith in Jesus, but dare to walk with God each day as long as we live. If asked, “Dare to walk with God?”  Our answer is: Of courage! Thanks be to God for the saving grace. Amen.

神要我們活出最好的一面，但撒但卻要我們活出最壞的一面。願我們不但能承認自己對耶穌的信仰，也能在有生之年，每日與神同行。如果問：敢與神同行嗎？ 我們的答案是：當然喽！感謝主的救恩! 阿們。