Lessons from a child || 向小孩子学习的功课

This Spiritual Waimai is a part of a series entitled Mission Accomplished: the mission of Jesus Christ as told by Matthew and now lived out by you and me.

这篇属灵外卖是“完成的使命”系列文章之一，这个由马太福音所述耶稣基督的使命，现在要由你我活出来。

Who is the greatest person alive today?
谁是当今世上最伟大的人？

What does it take to become a great person in history? A great person in China? A great person in your company, school or church? Who is the greatest person in your family?

要如何才能成为一个历史上伟大的人呢？或者在中国很伟大的人？或者在公司，学校，教会里？甚至说在一个家庭里伟大的人又是怎样的呢？

Jesus’ disciples were wondering about who might be the greatest person in God’s kingdom.

耶稣的门徒也想知道在天国里谁是最伟大的。

At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who, then, is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” He called a little child to him, and placed the child among them.
Matthew 18:1-2 NIV

 

当时，门徒进前来，问耶稣说：“天国里谁是最大的？“ 耶稣便叫了一个小孩子来，使他站在他们当中。
马太福音 18：1-2

If it appears that Jesus was always only with 12 men, we now know that isn’t true. There were children around him and His disciples – and of course women too. I wonder how that little boy or girl felt to be called forward by the Master. To stand close to Him in the middle of the circle of big brother disciples. Maybe that child felt a little shy standing there, but the Master Jesus had specifically called them forward to teach those older disciples something important. As we study God’s Word, we often marvel at how Jesus was consistently lifting up women in a society that pushed women down. Now in this circle, we see the magnificent Rabbi lifting up children who were probably considered by society a little lower than women.

粗略地看起来，耶稣似乎总是只和12个人在一起，当然我们现在知道并不是这样。在他和门徒身边还有一些孩子们，当然也有妇女们。我很好奇当被主叫上前来，站在主身边，被围在这些大门徒大弟兄中间的时候，那个小男孩或小女孩的感受是怎样的。也许那个孩子站在那里会感到有点害羞，但是主耶稣竟特意地召唤这些年长的门徒过来授予他们重要的教导。当我们学习圣经的时候，我们经常惊叹于耶稣在当时压迫妇女的社会环境下竟始终如一地抬举妇女。而今在这个人群里，我们看见这位伟大的拉比竟在抬举那些甚至可能比妇女社会地位还要低的小孩子们。

With that small child standing between Him and the disciples, Jesus pointed out five things that the disciples were to learn from children or about children. When Jesus was talking about children in these verses, He included all of us who are God’s children – no matter how young or old we are.

当小孩子站在祂和门徒中间时，耶稣指出了五件门徒需要向小孩子学习或从小孩子身上学习的事情。在耶稣论述小孩子的这些章节中，祂其实指的是所有我们这些上帝的孩子— 无论是老人还是小孩。

And he said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me.”
Matthew 18:3-5 NIV

 

（耶稣）说：”我实在告诉你们，你们若不回转，变成小孩子的样式，断不得进天国。所以，凡自己谦卑像这小孩子的，他在天国里就是最大的。凡为我的名接待一个像这小孩子的，就是接待我。“
马太福音 18：3-5

Lesson from a Child #1: Be humble
向小孩子学习的功课之一：谦卑‬

In the Kingdom of Heaven, greatness does not belong to the person who has won the most souls for Christ, led the most Bible studies, served in the most ministries or led the biggest church congregation. Greatness belongs to the one who is willing to assume a low position.

在天国里，最大的不是那位为基督赢得最多灵魂，带领最多查经小组，做最多侍奉或带领最多会众的人。最大的是那些乐意屈居低位的人。

Jesus Christ did this Himself. He left His high position in heaven to become like a servant on earth. In His Kingdom, we may develop this same humble attitude as we serve Him and serve others.

耶稣基督自己就是这么做的。祂离开天国的尊贵王位来到地上成为仆人的角色。在祂的国度里，我们也要用同样谦卑的态度来服事祂和其他人。

In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death— even death on a cross!
Philippians 2:5-8 NIV

 

你们当以基督耶稣的心为心：祂本有神的形象，不以自己与神同等为强夺的；反倒虚己，取了奴仆的形象，成为人的样式；既有人的样子，就自己卑微，存心顺服，以至于死，且死在十字架上。”
腓利比书 2：5-8

Lesson from a Child #2: Welcome the lowly
向小孩子学习的功课之二：接待低微的人

As that child stood before Jesus, He stated that when we welcome a lowly child in the name of Jesus, we also welcome Jesus Himself.

当那个小孩子站在耶稣前，祂说我们凡为耶稣的名接待一个低微的孩子，就是接待了耶稣。

Lesson from a Child #3: Don’t entice others to sin and avoid sin yourself
向小孩子学习的功课之三：不要诱使人犯罪并避免自己犯罪

“If anyone causes one of these little ones—those who believe in me—to stumble, it would be better for them to have a large millstone hung around their neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea. Woe to the world because of the things that cause people to stumble! Such things must come, but woe to the person through whom they come! If your hand or your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life maimed or crippled than to have two hands or two feet and be thrown into eternal fire. And if your eye causes you to stumble, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into the fire of hell.”
Matthew 18:6-9 NIV

 

“凡使这信我的一个小子跌倒的，倒不如把大磨石拴在这人的颈项上，沉在深海里。这世界有祸了，因为将人绊倒；绊倒人的事是免不了的，但那绊倒人的有祸了！倘若你一只手，或是一只脚，叫你跌倒，就砍下来丢掉。你缺一只手，或是一只脚，进入永生，强如有两手两脚被丢在永火里。倘若你一只眼叫你跌倒，就把它剜出来丢掉。你只有一只眼进入永生，强如有两只眼被丢在地狱的火里。”
马太福音 18：6-9

These words sound familiar – earlier in the Sermon on the Mount Jesus taught that if your hand causes you to sin – cut it off. Now He brings us a step further in righteous living. We are to not only avoid sin but also never cause someone else to sin. Never entice someone to sin and never lead someone to sin through your own example.

这些话听起来很耳熟—此前在登山山上宝训中，耶稣曾教导如果你的手使你犯罪，那就砍掉它。现在祂带我们在公义生活的道路上更进一步。我们不仅要避免犯罪，还要避免导致他人犯罪。也就是说，不要唆使他人犯罪，也不要因你自身的行为诱使他人犯罪。

Lesson from a Child #4: Don’t look down on a child of God
向小孩子学习的功课之四：不要轻看神的孩子

“See that you do not despise one of these little ones. For I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father in heaven.”
Matthew 18:10 NIV

 

“你们要小心，不可轻看这小子里的一个；我告诉你们，他们的使者在天上，常见我天父的面。”
马太福音 18：10

To despise someone is to look down on them. Unfortunately, it is easy for us to look down on someone who is different than us, who has a lower education or less ability. We also have a tendency to look down on someone who we just don’t understand.

鄙视别人就是轻看他们。不幸的是，我们很容易就轻看那些不如我们的人，比如那些学历更低的或能力更弱的。我们还常常倾向于轻看那些我们不理解的人。

Lesson from a Child #5: God does not want any child to wander away and perish
向小孩子学习的功课之五：神不想任何一个孩子迷路和失丧

“What do you think? If a man owns a hundred sheep, and one of them wanders away, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go to look for the one that wandered off? And if he finds it, truly I tell you, he is happier about that one sheep than about the ninety-nine that did not wander off. In the same way your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should perish. “If your brother or sister sins, go and point out their fault, just between the two of you. If they listen to you, you have won them over. But if they will not listen, take one or two others along, so that ‘every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.’ If they still refuse to listen, tell it to the church; and if they refuse to listen even to the church, treat them as you would a pagan or a tax collector. “Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. “Again, truly I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything they ask for, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.”
Matthew 18:12-20 NIV

 

”一个人若有一百只羊，一只走迷了路，你们的意思如何？他岂不撇下这九十九只，往山里去找那只迷路的羊吗？若是找着了，我实在告诉你们，他为这一只羊的欢喜，比为那没有迷路的九十九只欢喜还大呢！你们在天上的父也是这样，不愿意这小子里失丧一个。”“倘若你的弟兄得罪你，你就去，趁着只有他和你在一处的时候，指出他的错来。他若听你，你便得了你的弟兄；他若不听，你就另外带一两个人同去，要凭两三个人的口作见证，句句都可定准。若是不听他们，就告诉教会；若是不听教会，就看他像外邦人和税吏一样。“我实在告诉你们，凡你们在地上所捆绑的，在天上也要捆绑；凡你们在地上所释放的，在天上也要释放。我又告诉你们，若是你们中间有两个人在地上同心合意地求什么事，我在天上的父必为他们成全。因为无论在哪里，有两三个人奉我的名聚会，那里就有我在他们中间。”
马太福音 18：12-20

What do we do when a child – or a child of God – wanders away from God? Maybe they just drift away giving little thought to God or they commit sin that draws them away. For the one who wanders off or becomes lost, the Good Shepherd will seek them. As members of the church, we should also call our brothers and sisters back home. Maybe you know someone like this. They were faithfully coming to fellowship but then they just started to disappear and you realize that you haven’t heard from them for a long time.

当一个孩子 — 一个神的孩子从神家走失，我们要怎么做？或许他们只是渐渐偏离神，很少思想神，也或许他们是犯了罪而远离神。对于这些迷失的羔羊，好牧人会去寻找他们。作为教会成员，我们也应该呼唤我们的弟兄姐妹回家。也许你身边就有这样的人。他们曾经经常来团契聚会，但是突然间不来了，你也很长时间没有听到他们的消息了。

Possibly you are this lost person. Do you feel you don’t have much passion to follow God and you are finding yourself farther and farther away from God’s presence? God calls you back and we call you back! You are a part of our flock! How do you come back? Spend time with the Father in prayer and Bible reading. Return to fellowshipping with others. Ask a friend to pray and read the Bible with you. Don’t stay away for too long!

也可能你就是这样迷失的人。你有没有觉得自己跟从神的热情渐渐消退，自己也离神越来越远？神在呼唤你回来，我们也在呼唤你回来！你可是我们教会家庭的成员呀！你要怎么回来呢？多花时间向天父祷告和读经、回到团契生活、邀请一位朋友同你一起祷告读经。可不要离家太久哦！

There are also hard times when a friend is in sin and they do not turn away from it. It is clear that they are lost but they seem to have no desire to be found. What can be done? Jesus said that in this situation, we are to quietly point out their sinful issue. We don’t discuss with others or bring it up publicly. We are private and loving. Our goal is to win this brother or sister back, not to shame them. If they will not listen, then two friends can go together. Finally, the larger church can be involved if the friend continues to reject all calls to repentance. This is a serious task. It is done with much prayer and in love. Our goal is to bring healing and life to our friend, not condemnation and death. When we approach a hard situation like this, we must remember our previous lessons from a child. We must come in humility and from a low position. Not from a high position of righteousness. We also must not despise a little child, our Father is calling each person home. The truth is, we are all forgiven by Jesus.

我们也会遇到一种艰难的情况，那就是当我们的朋友深陷罪中并且不愿回头的时候。很明显他们已经迷路了，但他们看上去并不想被寻回。我们该做什么呢？耶稣说在这种情况下，我们应该暗暗地指出他们的问题。我们不要和其他人讨论他的事，也不要将其公之于众。我们应当私底下去关心他。我们的目的是赢回这位弟兄或姐妹，而不是去羞辱他们。如果他不听，那么我们可以两个朋友一起去劝说。最后，如果那位朋友依旧拒绝所有悔改的劝说，那么教会就可以介入其中。这是一项重要的使命，需要用很多的祷告和爱来完成。我们的目的是给我们的朋友带来医治和生命，而不是定罪和死亡。当我们面临类似这样的艰难情况时，我们必须牢记小孩子身上的教导。我们必须是以谦卑的低姿态，而不是以义人的高姿态来劝说。我们也不能轻看这些迷失的小孩子，我们的天父正在呼唤每个孩子回家。而且我们要清楚一个事实——我们都是被耶稣赦免的人。

If you want to be great…
如果你想要成为大的…

Jesus taught these five lessons with a simple child standing before Him. When the disciples wondered how to become great, I am sure they never dreamed that they had to be like a child. If you have a desire to become great in God’s Kingdom, how can you become more like a child today?

耶稣仅仅用站在祂面前的一个小孩子就传授了这五个教导。当门徒们想知道如何成为天国里最大的时候，我相信他们从没想过他们竟然必须变得像一个小孩子。如果你渴望在天国里成为大的，那么今天你要怎样才能更像小孩子呢？