Ministry in Word

Love Is a Beautiful Thing – Part 4

爱是一件美事 – 第四篇

Mark 14:6-9
马可 14:6-9

“Leave her alone,” said Jesus. “Why are you bothering her? She has done a beautiful thing to me. The poor you will always have with you, and you can help them any time you want. But you will not always have me. She did what she could. She poured perfume on my body beforehand to prepare for my burial. I tell you the truth, wherever the gospel is preached through-out the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her.”

耶稣说：由他罢！为甚麽难为他呢？他在我身上作的是一件美事。因为常有穷人和你们同在，要向他们行善随时都可以；只是你们不常有我。他所作的，是尽他所能的；他是为我安葬的事把香膏预先浇在我身上。我实在告诉你们，普天之下，无论在甚麽地方传这福音，也要述说这女人所作的，以为记念。



Continued from Part 3

上接第三篇



Jesus said that the woman had done “a beautiful thing” to Him, and that she poured perfume on His body beforehand to prepare for His burial. Her single impulsive, extravagant act out of her love for Christ now became part of Jesus’ story of salvation for the world. Without knowing this herself, this woman was sharing Jesus’ ministry of redemption. Jesus said that “wherever the gospel is preached through-out the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her.”

耶稣说这妇人在他身上做了「一件美事」，她是为耶稣安葬的事把香膏预先浇在他身上。她出于对基督的爱的一个冲动奢侈的行动现在成为耶稣救世的故事之一部份。不自觉地这妇人参与耶稣的救赎事工。耶稣说「普天之下，无论在甚麽地方传这福音，也要述说这女人所作的，以为记念。」



APPROPRIATE FAITH IN ACTION

Helping the poor is a good thing. It was obviously something the disciples often did as a group (Jn 13:29). This the disciples did dutifully for the poor yet this woman did a beautiful thing lovingly for Jesus. What the disciples did dutifully for the poor, feeding and clothing them, is compassionate charity concerning men’s bodies. What the woman did lovingly for Jesus, preparing for His burial, is redemptive ministry concerning men’s souls. Jesus didn’t say we should not feed the hungry or clothe the naked, instead He pointed out the importance of being abandoned to Him, and the priority of love over duties to God.

救济穷人是一件好事，很明显这是门徒共同常作的事〔约13:39〕。这是门徒尽责地为穷人做而这妇人却亲切地为耶稣做了一件美事。门徒尽责地为穷人做的，给他们饭吃给他们衣服，关乎人的肉体的同情慈善工作。这妇人亲切地为耶稣做的，为耶稣安葬的事准备，是关人的魂的救赎事工。耶稣没有说我们不应该给饥饿的饭吃给赤身露体的衣服穿，而是指出他舍己重要和爱神比对神的义务的优先。



Today we are placing a lot of emphasis on teaching the truth, the right doctrines, and right relationship with God. This is important because our faith must be true, otherwise we fall into heresies. We are placing a lot of emphasis also on the right relationship with others. This is also important because we need to live in the world yet are not of the world. But like the church in Ephesus in the Book of Revelations, we could be so concerned with the right beliefs and right deeds that we have lost our first love (Rev 2:1-4). We may believe the right things and behave the right way without the passion for Christ. We may feel spiritually dry and distant from God. Jesus said, “I am the way and the truth and the life.” (Jn 14:6) Having Christ means having not only the way and the truth, but also the life. And it is an abundant life that we have. For Jesus said, “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” (Jn 10:10) Jesus did come and He did die on the cross to give us a new and abundant life. We are also commanded to love the Lord our God with all our heart and with all our soul and with all our strength (Dt 6:5). That means we should believe correctly in our heart and behave properly with all our strength, and also love emotionally with all our soul.

今天我们很重视教导真理，正确的教义和与神正确的关系。这是重要的，因为我们的信仰一定要是真的，否则我们会陷入异端。我们也很重视与别人正确的关系。这也是重要的，因为我们须要活在世界里但又不属于世界。但正如启示录中的以弗所教会，我们可能太关心正确的信仰和正确的行为以至我们失去了我们起初之爱〔启2:14〕。我们可以相信对的东西和保持对的态度，但缺乏对基督的热忱。我们可能感到灵性乾涸和离神很远。耶稣说，「我就是道路、真理、生命」〔约14:6〕。得到基督就是不单得到道路与真理，而是还得到生命。而且我们得到的是丰盛的生命，因为耶稣说，「我来了，是要叫人得生命，并且得的更丰盛。」〔约10:10〕耶稣已来了并且死在十字架上来赐给我们新的和丰盛的生命。我们也被吩咐要尽心、尽性、尽力爱耶和华我们的神。〔申6:5〕那就是我们须要尽心有正确的信念和尽力行为端正，又要尽性用感情去爱。



CONCLUSION

结论

Jesus Christ poured out His life for us on the cross. Because He loves us He did the most beautiful thing for us. Nothing is too precious for anyone to give Him in return. All He is asking is for us to give Him our best affections, our beautiful thing. Let’s learn from this woman to love Jesus Christ IMPULSIVELY with all the heart, soul and strength, to love Him EXTRAVAGANTLY with our sacrifices of commitment, services, praises, good deeds, and money, as well as to love Him APPROPRIATELY with our worship of Him as God and Savior. Our actions of love for Christ may sometimes be misunderstood as irrational, but Jesus knows our motivation. In fact He considers it appropriate that our piety to Him takes priority over our dutiful good deeds.

耶稣基督为我们在十字架上倒出他的生命。因为他爱我们他为我们行了最美的事，任何人可以回报他的东西都没有太宝贵的，他要求的只不过是要我们给他我们最大的爱慕，我们的美事。让我们向这位妇人学习冲动地尽心、尽性、尽力爱耶稣基督，奢侈地以委身、事奉、颂赞、善行和金钱的祭来爱他，并且恰当地以他为神与救主的敬拜来爱他。我们爱基督的行动有时可能会被误会是不理性的，但耶稣知道我们的动机。其实他认为我们对他的敬虔比我们负责任而做的善行优先是恰当的。



Let our love for God carry us beyond ourselves, for love is a beautiful thing!

就让我们对神的爱带我们超越我们自己，因为爱是一件美事！



Tom and Tehwan Tso
仲谋与德菀

“The outcome of your faith is the salvation of your souls.” 1Peter 1:9

“信心的果效， 就是灵魂的救恩” 彼得前书1：9__