Ministry in Word

A Lost Person – Part 3

失丧的人 – 第三篇

Lk 19:1-10
路加19:1-10

Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through. A man was there by the name of Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was wealthy. He wanted to see who Jesus was, but being a short man he could not, because of the crowd. So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree to see him, since Jesus was coming that way. When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, "Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today." So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly. All the people saw this and began to mutter, "He has gone to be the guest of a 'sinner.' " But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, "Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount." Jesus said to him, "Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost."
耶稣进了耶利哥，正经过的时候，有一个人名叫撒该，作税吏长，是个财主。他要看看耶稣是怎样的人；只因人多，他的身量又矮，所以不得看见，就跑到前头，爬上桑树，要看耶稣，因为耶稣必从那里经过。耶稣到了那里，抬头一看，对他说：撒该，快下来！今天我必住在你家里。他就急忙下来，欢欢喜喜的接待耶稣。众人看见，都私下议论说：他竟到罪人家里去住宿。撒该站着对主说：主阿，我把所有的一半给穷人；我若讹诈了谁，就还他四倍。耶稣说：今天救恩到了这家，因为他也是亚伯拉罕的子孙。人子来，为要寻找，拯救失丧的人。

Continued from Part 2
上接第二篇

2. Jesus initiated his contact with Zacchaeus
二、 耶稣主动与撒该接触

That’s why Jesus initiated His contact with Zacchaeus. He knew Zacchaeus was waiting for Him, waiting for His love, His acceptance, and His salvation.
那就是耶稣主动与撒该接触的理由。他知道撒该在等他，在等他的爱、他的接纳和他的拯救。

Zacchaeus knew that Jesus’ name meant “God saves”, so he placed his expectation on Jesus. He must have heard that Jesus called Matthew the tax collector to be His disciple, and restored the blind Bartimaeus’ sight. He must have heard that Jesus healed the sick and saved the demon possessed, so he believed that Jesus could help him with his problems.
撒该知道耶稣的名字意思是「神拯救」，所以他寄望耶稣身上。他一定曾经听说耶稣呼召税吏马太来作他的门徒，和挽回瞎子巴底买的视力。他一定曾经听说耶稣医治病人和拯救被鬼附的人，所以他相信耶稣可以帮助他解决问题。

But he must have also heard of the rich, young ruler who went to Jesus to seek the way to eternal life, but later departed sadly. He heard about Jesus’ statement that, “It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for the rich to enter the kingdom of heaven.” If Jesus would not accept someone with such excellent qualification, would he have a chance? Let’s consider these:

但他一定听过那位富有的年青官人，他去见耶稣来寻找永生之道，但後来忧愁地离去。他听过耶稣那样说，「骆驼要穿过针孔比富人要进天国容易。」如果耶稣不接受一个有如此优良资格的人，他有机会吗？让我们考虑这些：

-The only thing in common between the rich, young ruler and Zacchaeus was their wealth, and Jesus was not impressed by their wealth.
-If he pleaded with Jesus based on his need, there were many others having greater needs than he.
-富有的年青官人和撒该唯一相同的是他们的财富，而耶稣并不为他们的财富所动。
-如果他以他的需要向耶稣恳求的话，许多人有比他更大的需要。

But unlike the blind Bartimaeus who shouted to get Jesus’ attention, Zacchaeus was too embarrassed to do that. So he climbed up a tree to wait for Jesus.
不像瞎子巴底买大叫来取得耶稣的注意，撒该做不到这样的事，所以他爬上树上来等待耶稣。

However Jesus didn’t wait for Zacchaeus to seek Him. He didn’t wait for him to ask Him. He didn’t wait for him to plead with Him. He took the initiative to approach Zacchaeus.
但是耶稣并没有等待撒该来找他，他并没有等待撒该来问他，他并没有等待撒该来求他，他主动去接近撒该。

3. Jesus was not influenced by others’ opinion and misunderstanding
三、 耶稣不受别人的意见和误解所影响

Jesus was not concerned with others’ opinion and possible misunderstanding of His action, because He wanted to reach out and to save lost people like Zacchaeus.
耶稣并不担心别人的意见和对他行动可能的误解，因为他要寻找和拯救像撒该这样失丧的人。

-The Bible recorded 8 times the Jews criticized Jesus for eating with the tax collectors and sinners.
-Twice the Jews criticized Jesus for His association with tax collectors and prostitutes.
-They had given up on Zacchaeus, treating him as being lower than sinners and prostitutes.

-圣经记录了八次犹太人批评耶稣与税吏及罪人一同吃饭。-两次犹太人批评耶稣与税吏及娼妓交往。-他们已经放弃了撒该，待他比罪人及娼妓更不如。

But Jesus gently called him, “Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.”
但耶稣温和地叫他：「撒该，快下来！今天我必住在你家里。」

-How sweet it was for Zacchaeus to hear his name spoken by Jesus. -Without accusation, only acceptance and belief that he had the capacity to live up to the meaning of his name, that was “righteous and kind”. -Jesus saw a precious lost soul behind Zacchaeus’ facade, one of the many lost souls for whom Jesus died on the cross. -Jesus didn’t hesitate to call Zacchaeus. He said, “Come down immediately” because it was urgent to save a lost soul.
-撒该听到耶稣呼叫他的名字是多甜美的呢。-没有指责，只是接纳和相信他有能力活出他名字的意义，那就是「公义和慈爱」。-在撒该的外貌背後耶稣看到一个宝贵的失丧灵魂，那是耶稣为其死在十字架上的众失丧灵魂之一。-耶稣并没有犹豫来叫撒该，他说：「快下来」因为拯救失丧灵魂是紧要的事。

To be continued next week.
下周待续。

Thank you, Lord, for coming to dwell with us. May we open our heart to you and may we live up to your calling in our life.
感谢主来住在我们当中。愿我们向你打开我们的心，和愿我们在我们生命中活出你的呼召。

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