第七章

17 耶穌離開眾人，進了屋子，門徒就問他這比喻的意思。 18 耶穌對他們說：「你們也是這樣不明白嗎？豈不曉得凡從外面進入的，不能污穢人， 19 因為不是入他的心，乃是入他的肚腹，又落到茅廁裡。（這是說，各樣的食物都是潔淨的）」； 20 又說：「從人裡面出來的，那才能污穢人； 21 因為從裡面，就是從人心裡，發出惡念、苟合、 22 偷盜、凶殺、姦淫、貪婪、邪惡、詭詐、淫蕩、嫉妒、謗讟、驕傲、狂妄。 23 這一切的惡都是從裡面出來，且能污穢人。」

 

默想：

1. 信主的人成為聖潔，不是因為我們的行為表現良好，而是因為基督更新了我們的心思，並塑造我們成為祂的樣式。任何邪惡的行為都是從一念之差開始的，若我們容讓自己的思想浸淫在慾望、妒忌、憎惡和仇恨裡，至終我們便會犯罪。
2. 操練昨天的「獨處、安靜」，用些時間來歇息安靜，求聖靈光照，檢視自己內心的思念，有什麼需要潔淨的思想、念頭嗎？向神禱告，求祂洗滌我內心的污穢。

 

禱告與筆錄：

繼續安靜在神面前，與神對話，並聆聽祂對我說的話。將心中的思想（心得），或是與神的禱告，記錄在「靈程筆記簿」上面。

 

Mark 7

¹⁷After he had left the crowd and entered the house, his disciples asked him about this parable. ¹⁸“Are you so dull?” he asked. “Don’t you see that nothing that enters a man from the outside can make him ‘unclean’? ¹⁹For it doesn’t go into his heart but into his stomach, and then out of his body.” (In saying this, Jesus declared all foods “clean.”)

²⁰He went on: “What comes out of a man is what makes him ‘unclean.’ ²¹For from within, out of men’s hearts, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, ²²greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly. ²³All these evils come from inside and make a man ‘unclean.’ ”

 

Meditation

1. We are sanctified and become holy not because of our outward behavior, but because Christ has renewed our minds, reformed us in his image.  Any evil behavior begins with an idea.  If we allow our thought life immersed in desires, jealousy, hatred and bitterness, eventually we will sin.
2. Continue the practice of solitude and silence from yesterday.  Take time to rest and to be silent.  Ask the Holy Spirit to examine my inner thoughts.  Is there a need for cleansing?  Pray to God and ask Him to cleanse my inner wickedness.

 

Prayer & Journaling:

Stay with God for a little longer.  Continue to converse with God and listen to what he wants to tell me.  Then write down any thought and/or prayer in the 2012 “Spiritual Journal” book.