我們會用兩天時間來看客西馬尼園發生的事。直到今天,那園仍是耶路撒冷唯一一個安靜的地方。它的周圍築有高高的圍牆,只有一個狹窄的入口;那裡的橄欖樹老而多節。園外人潮擁擠,出售各式紀念品的小販高聲叫賣,但這一切都不能打破園子的幽靜。然而,對信徒來說,這是基督面對祂一個重大危機的地方,也是聖經中最為感人的一幕。 危機可能在瞬間出現,你曾親身遭遇過嗎?無論是國家或國際層面,都是如此。我們也在人生中感知過。危機令人情緒不安、身體疲累和靈性受到衝擊。基督也是一樣。基督在週日以王的身份進城;隨後的每一天都充斥各樣的活動並遭遇反對。週四晚吃了最後晚餐,接著,是基督對門徒的臨別訓言,詳見約翰福音十四至十六章。然後,基督便與門徒一起走向客西馬尼園,或許途中還一路分享和禱告。 按今天的考據,他們吃最後晚餐的樓房位於耶路撒冷的南面,客西馬尼園則在東邊,由樓房步行至園子大約需要25分鐘;但基督可能在途中停下來禱告。 馬可告訴我們,當基督來到園子,「心裡便甚是憂愁」,當中的一個詞可解作「思鄉病」。保羅在腓立比書二章26節,說到以巴弗提思念教會眾人,甚至患上重病的時候,用的是同一個字。 基督吩咐八個門徒留在園子入口附近,然後帶著彼得、雅各和約翰走到樹下。祂渴望有人在祂身邊,並與祂一同禱告。我們每個人都有過這種經歷與需要,因此,我們豈不應更敏感那些在危機中的人對與我們相交的需要嗎?豈不能求主使我們在那樣的環境裡更敏感嗎?這便是真正的基督徒相交生活。 |
We will spend two days in the Garden of Gethsemane. Today the Garden is still the only quiet place in the Jerusalem area. It is surrounded by a high wall with one narrow entrance gate. The olive trees are old and gnarled. Outside, Jerusalem teems with people and noisy souvenir sellers of all kinds but none of that touches the Garden. For believers, however, it is a place where Christ faced one of His major crises. It is one of the most moving stories in God's Word. Have you ever experienced how quickly a crisis can develop? We have seen it on national and international levels. We have known it in our own lives. A crisis is emotionally draining, physically weakening, and spiritually challenging. It was so with Christ. Sunday was the King's procession. Each day that followed was filled with activities and opposition. Thursday night brought the Last Supper. Afterwards, those wonderful quiet talks with His disciples - John 14, 15, and 16. Then the walk to the Garden, perhaps sharing and praying along the way. The house of the Last Supper is shown today as being on the southern side of Jerusalem. The Garden is around on the eastern side. The time it takes to walk from one to the other would be possibly 25 minutes but Christ may have stopped to pray on the way. Mark tells us that upon entering the Garden, Christ began to be "deeply distressed and troubled". One of the words used could be paraphrased "homesick". The same word was used by Paul for Epaphroditus in Phi1ippians 2:26 when the latter was sick in Rome and very concerned about the church members back in Philippi. Christ left eight of the disciples somewhere near the gate and took Peter, James, and John with Him to a spot under the trees. He longed for someone to be with Him and to pray with Him. We all know that experience, that kind of need. In turn, should we not be more alert to others' needs for our fellowship in their time of crisis? Can we ask the Lord to make us more sensitive in that kind of situation? This is true Christian fellowship. |
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