A New You & A New Me 新的你新的我 – Pastor Jade Yi

Psalm 81:1-10

2 Corinthians 4:5-12

Mark 2:23-3:6

Have you ever woken up in the morning and felt like you only slept for 10 minutes? Okay, I’m exaggerating, but you get my point. Feeling restless is what I’m talking about, a kind of exhaustion that involves our body, our mind, our heart – basically our whole being.

您是否曾經早上醒來，感覺自己只睡了 10 分鐘？好吧，我有點誇張，但你明白我的意思。我要說的是焦躁不安帶來的一種疲憊感，牽涉到我們的身體、我們的心思意念、我們的心靈，基本上就是我們的整個人。

We’ve all heard the phrase “Monday Blues.” It describes the dread of going back to work and starting the work week. The weekend is too short, and there isn’t any excitement about work or the workplace.

我們都聽過「藍色星期一」這個詞。它描述了對重返工作崗位並開始工作週的恐懼和憂鬱。覺得週末太短，在面臨新的一周的工作和職場，無法感到興奮。

We know about Monday Blues, but how about “Covid-19 Blues?” It has been used by healthcare practitioners since 2020. The symptoms of Covid-19 Blues are very similar to the symptoms of depression.

我們知道「藍色星期一」，但聽過「藍色Covid-19 」嗎？自 2020 年以來，這個詞就開始被醫療人員所使用。「藍色Covid-19 」的症狀，其實與憂鬱症的症狀，非常的相似。

When we start questioning self-worthiness, feeling fatigue and experiencing aches all over the body for no reason, or lacking the will to do anything, it is a red flag telling us that we need help from a professional. And most importantly, we need to seek God for help because having a day off or a vacation isn’t going to make us feel better. What we really need is to have regular sabbaths that Jesus talks about in Mark 2.

當我們開始質疑自我價值的時候、無緣無故感到疲勞和全身疼痛，或缺乏做任何事情的意願時，這是一個危險信號，這危險信號告訴我們，是需要找專業人士幫助的時候了。 最重要的是，我們需要尋求上帝的幫助，因為一般的休息或休假日並不會讓我們的狀況好轉。我們真正需要的是遵守耶穌在馬可福音第 2 章中談到的遵循定期安息日。

How is the Sabbath Jesus talks about different from our regular day off or vacation? Let’s unpack some of the familiar biblical passages to help us understand better the meaning and the purpose of the Sabbath.

耶穌所說的安息日與我們平常的休假日或假期有何不同呢？讓我們用一些熟悉的聖經故事，以幫助我們更好地理解安息日的含義和目的。

After God created the universe and everything in it, God took delight in what had been created. God saw that it was good. Then the last thing God did was take the Sabbath. This is the Sabbath Jesus was talking about. He said, “The sabbath was made for humankind, and not humankind for the sabbath.”

當神創造了宇宙和其中的萬物之後，神喜悅所創造的一切。神看是好的。然後神做的最後一件事就是好好度過安息日。這就是耶穌所說的安息日。他說：“安息日是為人類設立的，而不是人類為安息日來設立的。”

Can you imagine if humans were made for the sabbath? It must be terrible. What does that say about our God? And what does that say about us, the creatures? For example: We just celebrated Memorial Day. The government designated Memorial Day to honor those who lost their lives defending their country. It is not the other way around. The government doesn’t send soldiers into war for the sake of making Memorial Day more meaningful.

你能想像如果人類是為安息日而造的嗎？這一定很悲哀。這對我們的神意味了什麼？這對我們這些被造物又意味著什麼？例如：我們剛剛慶祝了將士紀念日。政府指定將士紀念日，來紀念那些為保衛國家而獻出生命的軍人。而不是本末倒置。也就是說，政府派遣士兵參戰，並不是為了讓將士紀念日更有意義。

Another example: Let’s say one day we decide to have kids just because we own a house and because we think kids make the house meaningful and purposeful. It’s terrible, isn’t it? Not because we want children, not because we want to love them and not because we want to make sure that they are well protected under a roof. The house was bought for the children. In the same way, the sabbath was made for humankind.

另一個例子：假設有一天我們決定要孩子，只是因為我們擁有一棟房子，並且因為我們認為孩子能讓房子，變得有意義和有目的。這太悲哀了，不是嗎？不是因為我們想要孩子，不是因為我們想愛他們，也不是因為我們想確保他們在屋簷下受到良好的保護。房子是為了孩子而買的。一樣的道理，安息日是為人類而設立的。

The word “Sabbath” (שַׁבָּת) appears 172 times in the Bible, which means “cease,” “complete rest,” or “desist.” Since the sabbath is blessed by God who commanded us to keep it holy, we address Sunday as “Holy Sabbath.”

「安息日」（שַׁבּת）這個字在聖經中出現了172次，意思是「停止」、「完全休息」或「斷念」。由於安息日受到上帝的祝福，並命令我們將之守為聖日，因此我們將星期日稱為“神聖安息日”。

The meaning of ‘holy’ is ‘setting it apart.’ Therefore, it is a day that is set apart so that we can be with God fully. We desist or cease everything from our minds, our thoughts, our hearts including our worries and our own agenda. Holy Sabbath is a day of letting God fully enter our own being.

「神聖」的意思是「分別出來」。我們使我們的頭腦、來斷念且停止我們自己的心思意念、我們內心想的一切，包括我們的憂慮和我們自己的議程。“神聖安息日” 是讓神完全進入我們自己的一天。

We all know that God has the ability to create life, redeem life, and sanctify life. Has God stopped from creating, redeeming, and sanctifying the people of God? How often have we missed opportunities to be recreated, re-redeemed, re-sanctified, and to be made new whenever we encounter our God?

我們都知道神有能力創造生命、救贖生命、聖化生命。神是否已經停止創造、救贖和聖化神的子民了呢？每當我們與神相遇時，我們曾有多少次，錯過了，被神再次創造、再次救贖、再次成聖、和再次更新的機會呢？

The result of allowing God to enter our being fully is that we can be made new each time. Sabbath is a gift from God from the very beginning of creation. When the gift of sabbath is taken away from His people, God will not tolerate it. Remember the famous line that God asked Moses to say to Pharaoh in Exodus 9:1? God says, “Let my people go so that they can serve me and worship me.”

讓神完全進入我們的生命的結果，就是我們每次都能再次成為新人。安息日是上帝從創世之初就所賜給我們的禮物。當安息日的恩賜從祂的子民手中被奪走時，上帝不會容忍的。還記得出埃及記 9 章 1 節中，上帝要求摩西對法老說的那句著名的話嗎？神說：“讓我的百姓去，好讓他們事奉我、敬拜我。”

Jesus must have been super frustrated whenever he was accused by the religious leaders who thought that they had all the answers about Sabbath. That’s why they had nothing to say when Jesus confronted them saying, “Is it lawful to do good or to do harm on the sabbath, to save life or to kill?”

每當耶穌被宗教領袖指責時，他一定感到非常無奈沮喪，因為他們自認為，對有關安息日的意義和目的，都已經瞭若指掌。這就是為什麼當耶穌質問他們「在安息日該行善或作惡，該救人或殺人，那樣才是對的呢？」的時後，他們無話可說。

In Psalm 81, God heard people’s cry and responded to them by rescuing them. In return, God asked why they didn’t hear God’s calling. Jesus was clear that His sheep should recognize His voice and promised them that the Holy Spirit would guide them and lead them back to God each day, each moment, each season of our lives in both good times and bad times.

在詩篇第81篇中，上帝聽見了祂的子民的呼求，並拯救了他們。作為回報，神問他們為什麼沒有聽到神對他們的呼喚。耶穌清楚地表明，祂的羊應該認得出祂的聲音，並應許祂的門徒，在生命的每一天、每時每刻，無論順境或逆境，聖靈都會引導他們，帶領他們回到上帝的身邊。

What happens when we’re with God fully, worshiping and serving God on the day of Holy Sabbath? The calling voice of Jesus brings us comfort. The power of the Holy Spirit moves our whole being into the presence of God fully. And the Word of God strengthens us and renews us. By partaking the broken body of Christ at the Lord’s Table, we are reunited into one and experiencing the power of being the body of Christ.

當我們在神聖安息日，完全與神同在、敬拜神和事奉神的同時，我們的生命是起了什麼變化呢？耶穌呼喚的聲音帶給我們安慰。聖靈的力量將我們整個人完全帶入到神的面前。神的話語堅固我們並更新我們。透過在主的聖餐中，分享取用基督為我們而破碎的身體，因著合而為一，我們體驗到成為基督的身體的力量。

Sabbath is a gift from God. Week after week, we are being made new over and over again. St. Paul said in 2 Corinthians 4 that we are to proclaim Jesus Christ who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God. That’s exactly what happens to us. When we immerse ourselves in God’s presence fully on the Sabbath, the light of the knowledge of the glory of God shines in our hearts. And we carry the light within us whenever we go for the rest of the week.

安息日是上帝賜給我們的恩賜。一周又一周，我們一次又一次地被煥然一新。聖保羅在《哥林多後書》第 4 章中說，我們要宣揚耶穌基督，祂已經照耀在我們心裡，賜下認識上帝榮耀的光。當我們在安息日完全沉浸在與神的同在時，認識上帝榮耀的光，就會照耀在我們每一個人的心中。在接下來的一週裡，不論我們到哪，那道光也隨著我們到哪。

On the holy sabbath, our relationship with God is reaffirmed; our relationship with each other is re-strengthened. Our relationship with ourselves is re-restored. Once again, we see the image of God in ourselves and in each other.

在神聖的安息日裡，我們與神的關係得到再次的肯定；我們彼此之間的關係得到再次的加強。我們與自己的關係得到了再次的修復。在自己和彼此的身上，我們也再次看到了神的形象。

On the holy sabbath, the door of the church is open, the Word of God is read and proclaimed, the invitation of the Holy Table is given, and the Holy Spirit accompanies us back into the world. Be a new you; be a new me, for another new week. Thanks be to God for the Holy Sabbath. Amen.

在神聖的安息日裡，教堂的大門敞開著，神的話語也被宣讀和宣講，聖餐的邀請也發出去了，聖靈陪伴我們再次回到世界裡。做一個全新的你；做一個全新的我，迎接新的一週。我們為神聖的安息日，感謝上帝。阿們。