第三章

¹³ 如果你們熱心行善，有誰能害你們呢？¹⁴ 就算你們要為義受苦，也是有福的。「不要怕人的恐嚇，也不要畏懼。」¹⁵ 只要心裡尊基督為聖，以他為主；常常作好準備，去回答那些問你們為甚麼懷有盼望的人，¹⁶ 但要用溫柔敬畏的心回答。當存無愧的良心，使那些誣賴你們這在基督裡有好品行的人，在毀謗你們的事上蒙羞。¹⁷ 如果神的旨意是要你們受苦，那麼為行善受苦，總比為行惡受苦好。¹⁸ 因為基督也曾一次為你們的罪死了，就是義的代替不義的，為要領你們到神面前。就肉體的方面說，他曾死去；就靈的方面說，他復活了。

 

默想：

1. 平白地受到不公的待遇，是很讓人難受的。彼得開始時並不能理解這點，當耶穌宣講彌賽亞必須受苦，最後並要無辜受死時，彼得無法接受，他甚至試圖阻止耶穌。但在這裡，彼得已經明白，不公平的受苦確實可能帶來最驚奇的結果。彼得提醒我們，耶穌也曾受到極度不公的對待；然而因著耶穌的苦難，祂將我們帶到神的面前（18節）。神就將這樁極大的不公平事件，轉化為全人類的恩典與祝福。
2. 所以，當我們受到不合理的遭遇時，我們可以確實的知道，神並沒有忘記我們，也沒有丟棄我們。並且從這樣的過犯中，神會帶出極為美好的果效。因此，彼得在這裡說「你們……是有福的。」（13節）
3. 我是否曾因為跟隨主而受到苦難或不公平待遇？禱告，求主幫助我知道，在今天，這個星期，這個月，我當怎樣效法耶穌的榜樣，跟隨耶穌的腳蹤行。

 

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。

Chapter 3

¹³Who is going to harm you if you are eager to do good? ¹⁴But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed. “Do not fear what they fear; do not be frightened.” ¹⁵But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, ¹⁶keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander. ¹⁷It is better, if it is God’s will, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil. ¹⁸For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive by the Spirit,

 

MEDITATION

1. It is always difficult to suffer unjustly.  Peter did not always understand this.  When Jesus first taught that the Messiah must suffer and die unjustly, Peter attempted to stop Jesus.  However, Peter now understands that unjust suffering could bear the most surprising fruit.   Peter reminds us that Jesus suffered innocently too.  And yet through the injustice of Christ’s suffering, He brought us to God (v18).   And God turned injustice into a means of grace and of blessing for all mankind.
2. When we suffer unjustly, we can be sure that God hasn’t forgotten or forsaken us.  And out of the evil God will bring some very real good.   Therefore, Peter says that if injustice happens, “you are blessed.”
3. Have I ever experienced unjust treatment or hardship because of following the Lord?  Pray and ask God to show me how I might imitate Jesus today, this week, this month.

 

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.