Ministry in Words

A Lost Person – Part 4

失丧的人 – 第四篇

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 3
上接第三篇

4. Jesus took the initiative to build a relationship with Zacchaeus
四、 耶稣主动地与撒该建立关系

Jesus himself wanted to stay at Zacchaeus’ house, to give him mercy in spite of what the people might think.
不管人会怎样想，耶稣自己要住在撒该的家来赐他怜悯。

-Jesus gave Zacchaeus an opportunity to host him, to practice hospitality. Zacchaeus must not have too many chances to receive fellow Jews because none would want to associate with a tax collector. He might have a beautiful home, with many servants, but without guests it was not lively at all.
-Hospitality is often mentioned in the Bible as a virtue. Nowadays many Christian homes are used for gospel’s sake, and God blesses them. They also have the satisfaction of seeing many seekers getting saved.
-Once Zacchaeus received Jesus to his home, it brought about great changes.
-Jesus gave Zacchaeus the chance to receive Him, not only into his home, but also into his heart. When he wanted to receive Jesus into his home, he had to decide to receive Him in his heart. When one decides to receive Jesus into his heart, his life will be changed. For nobody can receive Jesus without being changed!
-耶稣给撒该招待他的机会，来实践款待客人。撒该一定没有太多机会来接待他的犹太同胞因为他们都不要与税吏来往。他可能有一个辉煌的家，有许多仆人，但没有客人就缺乏活泼的气氛。
-招待客旅是圣经常提及的一个美德。今日许多基督教家庭为福音的缘故开放，神就祝福他们。他们也因看到许多慕道友得救而心满意足。-一旦撒该接待耶稣到他家里，就带来重大的改变。
-耶稣给撒该接待他的机会，不单进入他的家，也进入他的心。当他要接待耶稣进入他的家的时候，他就须要决定接待耶稣进入他的心。当一个人决定要接待耶稣进入他的心的时候，他的生命就要改变，因为没有人能接待耶稣而不被改变的！

5. Jesus’ love brought about Zacchaeus’ actions that matched his repentance
五、 耶稣的爱引起撒该与他的悔改相称的行动

The Bible doesn’t indicate that Jesus called for Zacchaeus’ repentance or whether he repented or not. However, Zacchaeus did say, “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.” And Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house,because this man, too, is a son of Abraham.” Zacchaeus’ action proved his repentance,
and we also know by Jesus’ comment that he had repented.
圣经没有表示耶稣要求撒该悔改或者他有否悔改。不过撒该有说：「我把所有的一半给穷人；我若讹诈了谁，就还他四倍。」而耶稣对他说：「今天救恩到了这家，因为他也是亚伯拉罕的子孙。」撒该的行动证实了他的悔改，而我们也因耶稣所说的话知道他有悔改。

Conclusion
结论

Through Jesus’ example we have learned of His love for the lost and the following key elements of His evangelism:
从耶稣的模范我们知道他爱失丧的人和下面他传福音的一些基本要素：

1. Jesus knew about Zacchaeus before He reached out to him. We must first get to know the person with whom we want to share the gospel.
一、 在耶稣向撒该伸手之前他就认识撒该。我们也须先认识我们要与其分享福音的对象。

2. We must, like Jesus, take initiative to connect with the person.
二、 像耶稣一般我们须要采取主动与这人连系。

3. Jesus accepted Zacchaeus even when the Jews rejected him. We must accept the lost person but not his sins.
三、 什至当犹太人唾弃撒该的时候耶稣接纳他。我们一定要接纳失丧的人但不是要接纳他的罪。

4. Jesus took initiative to call Zacchaeus. We must take initiative to build a relationship with the lost person, to love him as God loves him.
四、 耶稣主动地去叫撒该。我们定要主动地与失丧的人建立关系，去爱他犹如神爱他一般。

5. Zacchaeus received Jesus and his life was changed. We must lead the lost person to receive Jesus, to live a new life.

五、 撒该接待耶稣，他的生命就被改变了。我们定要带领失丧的人来接纳耶稣，来活出一个新的生命。

The September 1985 issue of Times-Reporter reported this news story:
时代-记者1985年九月刊报告这个新闻故事：

A party was held beside a public swimming pool in the City of New Orleans to celebrate their first year without any drowning in their public pools. Among the 200 people attended the party 100 of them were certified lifeguards. When the party was about to end, 4 lifeguards on duty began to clean the pool when they found in the deep end a body dressed in a nice suit. They tried to resuscitate him, but it was too late. Jerome Moody, age 31, drowned in the company of 100 lifeguards celebrating their success for the year.
在新奥尔良市一个公众泳池旁举行一个派对来庆祝他们第一次全年没有人在公众泳池溺死，在参加的两百人中半数是审定的救生员。派对将要结束，四位当值的救生员开始清洁泳池，就在水深之处发现一具尸体，穿着毕廷西装。他们试着要救活他，可惜为时已晚。耶罗米.麽地，年31岁，在一百名救生员庆祝当年的成功中溺死。

Every Sunday we gather to celebrate Jesus, let’s not allow anyone among us to perish without knowing the Lord.
每个礼拜天我们聚集庆祝耶稣，我们不要让我们当中任何一个人不认识主而灭亡。

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