Surviving accusation | 胜过控告

Have you ever been accused? Who accused you? How did you respond? Were you innocent or guilty?

你曾被人控告过吗？谁曾控告过你？你是如何回应的？你是无辜的呢还是有罪的？

In the book of Matthew, we see Jesus on a great mission. He is mentoring disciples, teaching people how to live God’s way, healing the sick and raising the dead. He is traveling from city to city and even to different regions. There are crowds waiting for Him wherever He goes. He is unstoppable. But there is a group of people who would like to stop Him. They are not typical enemies. They are not people from a different country, a different religion or ethnic group. The people who so strongly opposed Jesus were those from within His own people group – practically His own family.

在马太福音中，我们看到耶稣在开展一项伟大的使命。他指导门徒，教导人们如何活在神的道中，医治病人，使死人复活。从一个城镇到另一个城镇，他周游不同的地区。无论走到哪里，都有一群群的人在等候他。他势不可挡。但有一群人想要拦阻他。他们不是通常意义上的敌人，不是来自另一个国家、另一个宗教或民族。强烈反对耶稣的是祂的同族人–正是他的家人。

The enemies of Jesus were the leaders of the Jewish religion. Jesus Himself was a Jewish teacher who had the same faith and same holy scriptures as these Jewish leaders. These leaders who were from the same spiritual family also were the ones who opposed His work and the weapon that they used to try to stop Him was accusation.

耶稣的敌人是犹太教的领袖。耶稣本人也是犹太教的一位老师，拥有跟这些宗教领袖相同的信仰和相同的神圣经文。这些宗教领袖跟耶稣同属一个属灵家庭，但正是他们反对祂的事工。他们用以阻挡耶稣的武器是控告。

The word accusation means to charge someone with a crime in a court of law. In the New Testament, this word is almost only ever used to describe how the religious leaders treated Jesus. We can read through the four gospels and see how over and over the religious leaders accused Jesus. At the very end of the New Testament, we find out who the greatest accuser of all time is: Satan.

控告一词指在法庭上指控某人犯罪。新约中，这个词几乎只是被用来描述宗教领袖们如何对待耶稣。阅读四福音书，我们会一次次看到宗教领袖们如何控告耶稣。在新约末尾，我们会发现谁是有史以来最大的控告者：撒旦。

Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say: “Now have come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Messiah. For the accuser of our brothers and sisters, who accuses them before our God day and night, has been hurled down.
Revelation 12:10 NIV

我听见在天上有大声音说：“我神的救恩、能力、国度，并他基督的权柄，现在都来到了，因为那在我们神面前昼夜控告我们弟兄的，已经被摔下去了。
启示录12:10

Have you ever been accused? Who accused you? How did you respond? Were you innocent or guilty?

你曾被人控告过吗？谁曾控告过你？你是如何回应的？你是无辜的呢还是有罪的？

Spiritually, we are all guilty. We have all sinned and should be condemned by God. Any accusation made against us by the devil could probably stand up in a court of law. But for those of us who have been forgiven by Jesus, the accusations fall to the ground and we are no longer condemned. Jesus Christ bore the accusation and the punishment for us. He paid the price for our sin; justice was met as He died on the cross for the sins of the world.

从属灵上讲，我们每个人都是有罪的。我们都犯了罪，应该被神定罪。魔鬼对我们的任何指控在法庭上都可能是成立的。但对于被耶稣饶恕的我们，魔鬼的控告就站不住脚，因为我们不再被定罪。耶稣基督替我们背负了控告和刑罚。祂为我们的罪付上了代价。祂为全世界的罪死在十字架上时，公义得以伸张。

Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
Romans 8:1 NIV

如今那些在基督耶稣里的，就不定罪了。
罗马书8:1

Even though we are forgiven of our sins, Satan the accuser will continue to speak out accusations against God’s children. These accusations may come in the form of criticisms from others or feelings of guilt for something you already have confessed and repented of. How do we handle these accusations? Jesus was sinless and therefore had no guilt nor feelings of guilt. But He faced accusations from the devil and others and handled them in a variety of ways. Sometimes He used scriptures to silence the accusation. Sometimes He used common sense and sometimes He just walked away.

即使我们的罪已经被赦免，控告者撒旦还是继续控告神的儿女。这些控告可能表现为他人的批评，或者是对已经认罪悔改的某件事依然心存罪疚感。如何应对这些控告呢？耶稣是无罪的，所以祂没有罪也没有罪疚感。但他依然面对来自于魔鬼和人的控告，并以不同的方式应对这些控告。有时候祂使用经文来止息控告，有时候祂运用常理，另外一些时候则根本不予理睬。

Let’s take a look at how Jesus handled a series of four accusations that were thrown at Him one after another. What strategies can we learn from Jesus’ response to this relentless assault of accusation?

我们来看看耶稣如何应对处理一连串的四个对他的指控。从耶稣对祂无情控告的回应中，我们可以学习到什么策略呢？

Accusation 1: picking grain on the Sabbath
Jesus’ response: using examples from the Bible and pointing out what God really desires
控告一：在安息日掐麦穗
耶稣的回应：使用圣经中的例子，指出神真正想要的是什么

At that time Jesus went through the grainfields on the Sabbath. His disciples were hungry and began to pick some heads of grain and eat them. When the Pharisees saw this, they said to him, “Look! Your disciples are doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath.” He answered, “Haven’t you read what David did when he and his companions were hungry? He entered the house of God, and he and his companions ate the consecrated bread—which was not lawful for them to do, but only for the priests. Or haven’t you read in the Law that the priests on Sabbath duty in the temple desecrate the Sabbath and yet are innocent? I tell you that something greater than the temple is here. If you had known what these words mean, ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the innocent. For the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.”
Matthew 12:1-8

那时，耶稣在安息日从麦地经过。他的门徒饿了，就掐起麦穗来吃。法利赛人看见，就对耶稣说：“看哪，你的门徒作安息日不可作的事了。”耶稣对他们说：“经上记着大卫和跟从他的人饥饿之时所作的事，你们没有念过吗？他怎么进了神的殿，吃了陈设饼，这饼不是他和跟从他的人可以吃得，惟独祭司才可以吃。再者，律法上所记的，当安息日祭司在殿里犯了安息日，还是没有罪，你们没有念过吗？但我告诉你们：在这里有一人比殿更大。‘我喜爱怜恤，不喜爱祭祀。’你们若明白这话的意思，就不将无罪的当作有罪的了。因为人子是安息日的主。”
马太福音12:1-8

This accusation was not against Jesus directly, but against His followers who were innocently (Jesus said they were innocent) eating because they were hungry. Let’s be aware of this first point: if we are disciples of Jesus, we may get accused along the way.

这次的控告并非直接针对耶稣，而是针对祂的门徒。因为饥饿，他们无罪地（耶稣说他们无罪）吃了麦穗。让我们小心这第一点：如果我们是耶稣的门徒，在跟随耶稣的过程中，我们可能会被控告。

In response to the accusation, Jesus told two stories from the Bible that surely the religious leaders knew. He then spoke out two important truths: 1. Jesus was greater than the temple and Sabbath rules 2. Mercy was more important to God than following the religious rules of sacrifices. Jesus then makes it clear that the accusers had made the wrong judgement; they had condemned the innocent.

作为回应, 耶稣讲述了圣经里的两个故事，这两个故事这些宗教领袖一定知道。然后祂说出两个重要的真理：1. 耶稣大过圣殿和关于安息日的条例。2. 比之遵循关于献祭的宗教条例，怜恤人更为重要。然后耶稣清楚指出控告者们的论断是错误的，他们定无辜之人为有罪。

Let’s be careful not to become too religious believing that our rule-following is more important than a true heart that loves God. Have you ever accused someone of not being religious enough? Maybe in the way they talk, dress or act? Jesus said that God values mercy towards others higher than acting religiously.

我们要小心不能过于宗教化，以至于相信遵守规条比真实爱神的心还要重要。你曾控告过什么人不够宗教化吗？或许是因为他们说话、穿衣或行事的方式？耶稣说相比较于宗教化行事，神更看重对他人的怜恤。

Accusation 2: healing on the Sabbath
Jesus’ response: common sense says human life is more valuable than religious rules and sometimes it is best to just walk away
控告二：在安息日医治病人
耶稣的回应：常理道人的生命比宗教条例更宝贵，有些时候最好就径直离开。

Going on from that place, he went into their synagogue, and a man with a shriveled hand was there. Looking for a reason to bring charges against Jesus, they asked him, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?” He said to them, “If any of you has a sheep and it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will you not take hold of it and lift it out? How much more valuable is a person than a sheep! Therefore it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.” Then he said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” So he stretched it out and it was completely restored, just as sound as the other. But the Pharisees went out and plotted how they might kill Jesus.
Matthew 12:9-14 NIV

耶稣离开那地方，进了一个会堂。那里有一个人枯干了一只手。有人问耶稣说：“安息日治病，可以不可以？”意思是要控告他。耶稣说：“你们中间谁有一只羊，当安息日掉在坑里，不把它抓住拉上来呢？人比羊何等贵重呢！所以，在安息日作善事是可以的。”于是对那人说：“伸出手来！”他把手一伸，手就复了原，和那只手一样。法利赛人出去，商议怎样可以除灭耶稣。
马太福音12:9-14

Jesus boldly walked into the synagogue of His accusers. He did not cower in fear in their presence! But He went to serve their own people. Imagine it! Jesus went to heal the sheep in this shepherd’s care and was accused! Jesus was much more interested in showing mercy to a suffering human than following man’s interpretation of God’s command to keep the Sabbath day holy. To Jesus, healing a man was a holy act. The hearts of the Pharisees were clearly revealed at this moment as their knee-jerk reaction was to begin plotting to take Jesus’ life.

耶稣勇敢地走进控告者的会堂，在他们面前祂丝毫没有畏惧退缩！但祂去是要服侍自己的子民。想想看！耶稣去医治这个牧人照料的羊群，却被控告！关于神要人守圣安息日的命令，相较于遵循人对此命令的理解，耶稣更愿意向受苦的人施怜悯。对耶稣而言，医治人就是一个圣洁的举动。法利赛人立刻开始图谋杀害耶稣，他们的心在此刻表露无遗。

Jealousy and the pride of being right about something can lead us to accuse others and also want to destroy them. Have you ever been jealous at the success of another or furious that you were proven wrong? Lay down jealousy and pride. Silence the accusations in your own heart and mind towards others and seek to value other’s lives. Do not tear them down.

嫉妒和自以为是的骄傲可能会导致我们控告别人并想要摧毁他们。你曾否对别人的成功心怀嫉妒或者在证明自己是错的时候愤怒异常？放下嫉妒和骄傲。止息自己心中对他人的控告，寻求珍惜他人的生命。不要摧毁人。

After this moment, Jesus did something brilliant. He walked away from His accusers. This may be one of the greatest lessons of how to deal with the accuser. Just walk away. If someone throws you a rope of accusation challenging you to a tug-of-war, don’t pick up the rope. Jesus was not passive, He did not let His accusers walk all over Him, but sometimes He just did not engage with them.

此后，耶稣又有光辉之举。祂离开控告自己的人。这也许是对待控告者的最好的教训。径直离开。如果有人想引诱你跟他进行控告和反控告之战，拒绝这个引诱。耶稣并非消极被动，祂不曾允许控告者们任意待祂，但有些时候祂就是不跟他们纠缠。

Aware of this, Jesus withdrew from that place. A large crowd followed him, and he healed all who were ill. He warned them not to tell others about him. This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah: “Here is my servant whom I have chosen, the one I love, in whom I delight; I will put my Spirit on him, and he will proclaim justice to the nations. He will not quarrel or cry out; no one will hear his voice in the streets. A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out, till he has brought justice through to victory. In his name the nations will put their hope.”
Matthew 12:15-21 NIV

耶稣知道了，就离开那里。有许多人跟着他，他把其中有病的人都治好了，又嘱咐他们，不要给他传名。这是要应验先知以赛亚的话，说：“看哪，我的仆人，我所拣选、所亲爱、心里所喜悦的，我要将我的灵赐给他，他必将公理传给外邦。他不争竞，不喧嚷，街上也没有人听见他的声音。压伤的芦苇他不折断，将残的灯火他不吹灭。等他施行公理，叫公理得胜，外邦人都要仰望他的名。”
马太福音12:15-21

Jesus did not seek to defend Himself. He allowed the power of God in Him to defend Him. Everyone could see the marvelous things Jesus was doing. When you are accused, there may be times to walk away. Do not feel the need to defend yourself. Let your words and actions honor the Lord and those around you will see the good fruit in your life.

耶稣没有为自己辩护。祂让神在祂里面的能力为自己辩护。每个人都看得到耶稣的奇妙作为。当人控告你时，有些时候也许就是简单地离开。不要觉得需要为自己辩护。以言行举止荣耀神，身边的人就会看到你生命中的好果子。

Accusation 3: Jesus was from the devil
Jesus’ response: common sense says that a divided kingdom could not stand and then He warns them about the judgement coming against them
控告三：耶稣是从撒旦来的
耶稣的回应：常理道分裂的国站立不住，接着祂警告将要临到他们的审判

Then they brought him a demon-possessed man who was blind and mute, and Jesus healed him, so that he could both talk and see. All the people were astonished and said, “Could this be the Son of David?” But when the Pharisees heard this, they said, “It is only by Beelzebul, the prince of demons, that this fellow drives out demons.” Jesus knew their thoughts and said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and every city or household divided against itself will not stand. If Satan drives out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then can his kingdom stand? And if I drive out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your people drive them out? So then, they will be your judges. But if it is by the Spirit of God that I drive out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you. “Or again, how can anyone enter a strong man’s house and carry off his possessions unless he first ties up the strong man? Then he can plunder his house. “Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters. And so I tell you, every kind of sin and slander can be forgiven, but blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven. Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but anyone who speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come. “Make a tree good and its fruit will be good, or make a tree bad and its fruit will be bad, for a tree is recognized by its fruit. You brood of vipers, how can you who are evil say anything good? For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of. A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in him, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in him. But I tell you that everyone will have to give account on the day of judgment for every empty word they have spoken. For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned.”
Matthew 12:22-37 NIV

当下，有人将一个被鬼附着，又瞎又哑的人，带到耶稣那里，耶稣就医治他，甚至那哑巴又能说话，又能看见。众人都惊奇，说：“这不是大卫的子孙吗？”但法利赛人听见，就说：“这个人赶鬼，无非是靠着鬼王别西卜啊！”耶稣知道他们的意念，就对他们说：“凡一国自相纷争，就成为荒场；一城一家自相纷争，必站立不住；若撒但赶逐撒但，就是自相纷争，他的国怎能站得住呢？我若靠着别西卜赶鬼，你们的子弟赶鬼又靠着谁呢？这样，他们就要断定你们的是非。我若靠着神的灵赶鬼，这就是神的国临到你们了。人怎能进壮士家里，抢夺他的家具呢？除非先捆住那壮士，才可以抢夺他的家财。不与我相合的，就是敌我的；不同我收聚的，就是分散的。所以我告诉你们：人一切的罪和亵渎的话，都可得赦免；惟独亵渎圣灵，总不得赦免。凡说话干犯人子的，还可得赦免；惟独说话干犯圣灵的，今世、来世总不得赦免。”“你们或以为树好，果子也好；树坏，果子也坏。因为看果子就可以知道树。毒蛇的种类！你们既是恶人，怎能说出好话来呢？因为心里所充满的，口里就说出来。善人从他心里所存的善就发出善来；恶人从他心里所存的恶就发出恶来。我又告诉你们：凡人所说的闲话，当审判的日子，必要句句供出来。因为要凭你的话定你为义，也要凭你的话定你有罪。”
马太福音12:22-37

The religious leaders just could not fit Jesus in their religious box. He was doing good things but He was not following their rules. They had to come up with an explanation for this. So they accused Him of using the power of Satan to do miracles. Jesus knew it was the power of the Holy Spirit in Him that was bringing forth the miracles. At that moment Jesus warned them not to accuse the Holy Spirit of being from Satan. This was blasphemy. They had been accusing and speaking words against the Son of Man but now they were accusing and speaking words against the power of the Holy Spirit in Jesus Christ.

宗教领袖们就是容不得耶稣。祂在行善事但却不遵从他们的规条。他们得对此做出解释。所以控告耶稣是靠着撒旦的能力在行神迹。耶稣知道这些神迹是出于祂里面圣灵的大能。那一刻，祂警告他们不要指控圣灵是来自撒旦。这是亵渎神。他们一直在用言辞控告反对人子，但现在他们用言辞来控告在基督里面的圣灵的大能。

Jesus exposed the evil in the Pharisee’s hearts. He said that they were a tree with bad fruit for everyone to see. They had been accusing Jesus Christ and placing Him on trial, but the time would come when these religious leaders would stand before God.

耶稣曝露出法利赛人心里的恶。祂说他们是众人都可以看到的结坏果子的树。他们一直控告耶稣并审判祂，但终有一天这些宗教领袖要站在神的面前。

Sometimes people do not fit in our religious box. They might go to a different kind of church, enjoy a different style of music or use different kinds of words to pray. They may seem old fashioned or too emotional. Be careful to not judge others. We should be most concerned about what is in our own heart and what is coming out of our own mouths. For we will stand before God someday.

有些时候人们跟你的宗教信条不相容。他们或许去不同的教会，喜欢不同风格的敬拜音乐或者使用不同的祷告语言。他们或许看起来过时了或者过于情绪化。要小心，不要论断人。我们最该关心自己的心里存的是什么、口里说的是什么。因为有一天我们也要站在神面前。

Accusation 4: Show us a sign so we believe in you
Jesus’ response: Here I am!
控告四：显出一个神迹让我们信你
耶稣的回应：我是！

Then some of the Pharisees and teachers of the law said to him, “Teacher, we want to see a sign from you.” He answered, “A wicked and adulterous generation asks for a sign! But none will be given it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of a huge fish, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. The men of Nineveh will stand up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it; for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and now something greater than Jonah is here. The Queen of the South will rise at the judgment with this generation and condemn it; for she came from the ends of the earth to listen to Solomon’s wisdom, and now something greater than Solomon is here. “When an impure spirit comes out of a person, it goes through arid places seeking rest and does not find it. Then it says, ‘I will return to the house I left.’ When it arrives, it finds the house unoccupied, swept clean and put in order. Then it goes and takes with it seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there. And the final condition of that person is worse than the first. That is how it will be with this wicked generation.” While Jesus was still talking to the crowd, his mother and brothers stood outside, wanting to speak to him. Someone told him, “Your mother and brothers are standing outside, wanting to speak to you.” He replied to him, “Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?” Pointing to his disciples, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers. For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.”
Matthew 12:38-50 NIV

当时，有几个文士和法利赛人对耶稣说：“夫子，我们愿意你显个神迹给我们看。”耶稣回答说：“一个邪恶、淫乱的世代求看神迹，除了先知约拿的神迹以外，再没有神迹给他们看。约拿三日三夜在大鱼肚腹中，人子也要这样三日三夜在地里头。当审判的时候，尼尼微人要起来定这世代的罪，因为尼尼微人听了约拿所传的，就悔改了。看哪，在这里有一人比约拿更大。当审判的时候，南方的女王要起来定这世代的罪，因为她从地极而来，要听所罗门的智慧话。看哪，在这里有一人比所罗门更大。”“污鬼离了人身，就在无水之地过来过去，寻求安歇之处，却寻不着。于是说：‘我要回到我所出来的屋里去。’到了，就看见里面空闲，打扫干净，修饰好了，便去另带了七个比自己更恶的鬼来，都进去住在那里。那人末后的景况比先前更不好了。这邪恶的世代也要如此。”耶稣还对众人说话的时候，不料，他母亲和他弟兄站在外边，要与他说话。有人告诉他说：“看哪，你母亲和你弟兄站在外边，要与你说话。”他却回答那人说：“谁是我的母亲？谁是我的弟兄？”就伸手指着门徒说：“看哪，我的母亲，我的弟兄。凡遵行我天父旨意的人，就是我的弟兄、姐妹和母亲了。”
马太福音12:28-50

Jesus was the sign they were looking for. If they could not see it, they were not really looking for the truth of God. The ones who really were following God’s will were the ones closest to Jesus – His mother, brothers and sisters – the ones who really knew Him.

耶稣就是他们寻求的神迹。如果他们看不到这一点，他们是没有真正在寻求神的真理。真正遵行神旨意的人是跟祂的关系最亲近的人—祂的母亲和弟兄姐妹—他们真知道祂。

If you have found yourself being accused either by Satan who wants to remind you of sin that you have already been forgiven for or being accused by others who are speaking criticisms out of jealousy or pride, be comforted in knowing that Jesus also was accused. He did not take it personally, He pointed to the truth of scripture and the good fruit of His actions and sometimes He just walked away. He did not need to defend Himself.

如果你正被撒旦控告，它想要你记起已经被饶恕的一些过犯；或者正在被其他人控告，他们出于骄傲或嫉妒指摘你，那么要得安慰，要知道耶稣也曾被控告。祂没有往心里去，祂指向经文的真理，指出自己行为的好果子，有些时候祂就是径直离开。祂不需要为自己辩护。

Have you been accused?
你曾被控告过吗？

If you have received accusation from yourself or others, begin by honestly coming before the Lord. Is there any truth to the accusation? Ask the Holy Spirit to show you. If in His kindness, He highlights a sin in your life, then respond. Confess the sin to the Lord and repent. If your sin involves offending or hurting someone else, go to them, confess your sin and ask for forgiveness. Don’t forget to forgive yourself as well – there is no reason to dwell on what God has forgiven. Then walk in freedom knowing that the enemy can no longer condemn you. You have been forgiven!

如果你曾被自己或他人控告，先诚恳地来到主面前。控告中有真实的成分吗？祈求圣灵启示你。若祂恩慈地显出你生命中的一个罪，那么你要回应。要认罪并祈求饶恕。若你的罪冒犯或伤害了别人，那么去找到他们，认罪并请求饶恕。也不要忘了饶恕你自己，神已经饶恕你，没有理由再耿耿于怀。然后就自由生活，知道仇敌不能再控告你。你已经被赦免了！

If the Holy Spirit shows you there is no sin to confess, then reject condemnation from Satan, let go of criticism from others and even forgive them as necessary.

如果圣灵显示你不需要认罪，那么就拒绝撒旦的控告，放下别人对你的批评，必要时甚至可以饶恕他们。

Often the accusation you face is a deadly mix of criticism from others, condemnation from Satan and your own sin. Ask the Holy Spirit to help you discern the situation and how to respond. Your response may include one or all of the following actions:

你面临的控告常常是一团乱麻：有他人的批评，撒旦的控告和自己的罪。祈求圣灵帮助你辨别情况并回应。你的回应或许要包含下面一个或所有的举动：

6. Come before God, confess, repent and receive forgiveness if necessary
7. Confess sin to others as needed and ask for forgiveness from others as needed
8. Forgive yourself
9. Reject condemnation from Satan
10. Let go of criticism from others

6. 来到神面前，认罪、悔改，必要时接受饶恕。
7. 根据情况向他人认罪并请求饶恕。
8. 饶恕自己
9. 拒绝从撒旦来的控告
10. 放下他人的批评

In any case, do not allow accusation to stop you from moving forward in your God-given mission. You are forgiven by Jesus and also defended by Him.

无论如何，不要容许控告阻止你在神赋予的使命中向前行进。耶稣赦免并为你辩护。