第五章

1這事以後，到了猶太人的一個節期，耶穌就上耶路撒冷去。 2 在耶路撒冷，靠近羊門有一個池子，希伯來話叫作畢士大，旁邊有五個廊子； 3 裏面躺著瞎眼的、瘸腿的、血氣枯乾的許多病人。（有古卷加：等候水動； 4 因為有天使按時下池子攪動那水，水動之後，誰先下去，無論害甚麼病就痊癒了。） 5 在那裏有一個人，病了三十八年。 6 耶穌看見他躺著，知道他病了許久，就問他說：「你要痊癒嗎？」 7 病人回答說：「先生，水動的時候，沒有人把我放在池子裏；我正去的時候，就有別人比我先下去。」 8 耶穌對他說：「起來，拿你的褥子走吧！」 9 那人立刻痊癒，就拿起褥子來走了。

默想：

1. 讀這段經文，有什麼特別吸引我的地方？是否因為我最近所受的傷害，而深切希望得到心靈的醫治？或是我質疑耶穌是否真能醫治肉身的疾病——我的或是別人的？
2. 詢問神，祂有什麼要我祈求得到醫治的地方？聆聽神，並和祂對話。（允許耶穌來醫治時，我有幾種可能的狀況：可能還沒能夠將緊握或執著的事放開；也可能希望自由和痊癒，但覺得被困，受綁，無法自拔；或是我已經可以接受醫治了。）
3. 若是今天與主有約的時間內，對我的痊癒有小小的進步，為此歡喜！若沒有，不要在意。繼續告訴耶穌我的情況，並警覺神為我作的工作。

 

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 5

¹Some time later, Jesus went up to Jerusalem for a feast of the Jews. ²Now there is in Jerusalem near the Sheep Gate a pool, which in Aramaic is called Bethesdaand which is surrounded by five covered colonnades. ³Here a great number of disabled people used to lie—the blind, the lame, the paralyzed. ⁵One who was there had been an invalid for thirty-eight years. ⁶When Jesus saw him lying there and learned that he had been in this condition for a long time, he asked him, “Do you want to get well?”  ⁷“Sir,” the invalid replied, “I have no one to help me into the pool when the water is stirred. While I am trying to get in, someone else goes down ahead of me.”  ⁸Then Jesus said to him, “Get up! Pick up your mat and walk.” ⁹At once the man was cured; he picked up his mat and walked.       The day on which this took place was a Sabbath,

 

 Meditation:

1. What stands out and draws my attention in this passage?  Do I deeply desire to experience wholeness of mind or spirit because of my wounded-ness lately?  Or do I find myself questioning whether Jesus really can heal a physical sickness – either my own or someone else’s?
2. Ask Jesus what he has specifically for me that calls for healing.  Talk to God about what I hear.  (Allowing Jesus to bring healing might require letting go of something that may hurt a lot to release, and may not think I’m ready for it right now.  Or I desire freedom and wholeness, but feel stuck, imprisoned, fragmented.  Or in this moment I find myself ready for my healing.)
3. If the time with Jesus and God’s message today moved me the tiniest bit closer to wholeness, rejoice.  If not, simply let things be.  Continue talking to Jesus about my situation, being alert to what he has for me.

 

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.