第八章

27 耶穌和門徒出去，往凱撒利亞‧腓立比村莊去；在路上問門徒說：「人說我是誰？」 28 他們說：「有人說是施洗的約翰；有人說是以利亞；又有人說是先知裡的一位。」 29 又問他們說：「你們說我是誰？」彼得回答說：「你是基督。」 30 耶穌就禁戒他們，不要告訴人。 31 從此，他教訓他們說：「人子必須受許多的苦，被長老、祭司長，和文士棄絕，並且被殺，過三天復活。」 32 耶穌明明地說這話，彼得就拉著他，勸他。 33 耶穌轉過來，看著門徒，就責備彼得說：「撒但，退我後邊去吧！因為你不體貼神的意思，只體貼人的意思。」 34 於是叫眾人和門徒來，對他們說：「若有人要跟從我，就當捨己，背起他的十字架來跟從我。」35 因為，凡要救自己生命（或作：靈魂；下同）的，必喪掉生命；凡為我和福音喪掉生命的，必救了生命。 36 人就是賺得全世界，賠上自己的生命，有甚麼益處呢？ 37 人還能拿甚麼換生命呢？ 38 凡在這淫亂罪惡的世代，把我和我的道當作可恥的，人子在他父的榮耀裡，同聖天使降臨的時候，也要把那人當作可恥的。

 

默想：

1. 當彼得承認耶穌「你是基督」，開口認耶穌為主，為救主，那僅僅是踏出信仰的第一步。下一步便是一生之久的旅程，就是完完全全、真真實實地活出彼得在此時口中所表明的知識。
2. 基督徒也是如此，在我們開口認耶穌為我們的救主與主宰之後，耶穌告訴我們，祂呼召我們要活出這樣的生命：「捨己，背起他的十字架來跟從我」。
3. 在一生信仰的旅途上，我踏出了第幾步？是還在第一步徘徊？或是已經朝向成聖的境地邁進？我膽怯、害怕的是什麼？
4. 為自己走信仰路程的勇氣與信心禱告，求主牽引，讓我跟隨。

 

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 8

²⁷Jesus and his disciples went on to the villages around Caesarea Philippi. On the way he asked them, “Who do people say I am?”  ²⁸They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, one of the prophets.”  ²⁹“But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?”  Peter answered, “You are the Christ.”  ³⁰Jesus warned them not to tell anyone about him. ³¹He then began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and after three days rise again. ³²He spoke plainly about this, and Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him.  ³³But when Jesus turned and looked at his disciples, he rebuked Peter. “Get behind me, Satan!” he said. “You do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men.”  ³⁴Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. ³⁵For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me and for the gospel will save it. ³⁶What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul? ³⁷Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul? ³⁸If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes in his Father’s glory with the holy angels.”

 

Meditation

1. When Peter made this confession of faith “You are the Christ”, he has only taken the first step.  The next step is a lifelong journey to live out this confession fully and authentically.
2. That’s the same with us.  After our confession of faith, Jesus calls us to live a life to “deny himself and take up his cross and follow” Jesus.
3. In my journey of faith, which step have I taken?  Am I still lingering at the first step?  Or am I walking toward the goal of being sanctified and made holy?  What is it that has kept me from moving ahead?  What am I afraid of?
4. Pray for courage and faith to walk on this journey.  Ask for God’s guidance that I may willingly follow.

 

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.