第十一章

28 馬大說了這話，就回去暗暗地叫她妹子馬利亞，說：「夫子來了，叫你。」 29 馬利亞聽見了，就急忙起來，到耶穌那裏去。 30 那時，耶穌還沒有進村子，仍在馬大迎接他的地方。 31 那些同馬利亞在家裏安慰她的猶太人，見她急忙起來出去，就跟著她，以為她要往墳墓那裏去哭。 32 馬利亞到了耶穌那裏，看見他，就俯伏在他腳前，說：「主啊，你若早在這裏，我兄弟必不死。」 33 耶穌看見她哭，並看見與她同來的猶太人也哭，就心裏悲歎，又甚憂愁， 34 便說：「你們把他安放在哪裏？」他們回答說：「請主來看。」 35 耶穌哭了。 36 猶太人就說：「你看他愛這人是何等懇切。」

默想：

1. 讀這段經文，有什麼特別吸引我的地方？是兩位姐姐深切愛弟弟的情懷？是她們的悲痛？是主耶穌的哭？
2. 馬利亞對耶穌說：「主啊，你若早在這裏，……」，我是否也有同樣的想法？這個想法的背後，我對主有什麼埋怨？指責？是什麼事情？
3. 回想這段日子，有沒有感到孤單和獨立挑起擔子的時候，嘗試捕捉神揹我經過的足跡，為此向神感恩。並以輕唱或默念的方式，用「足印」的部分歌詞作為我的禱告。

他當天親身的應許，他必會與我伴結前行；
一生中的每段道路，都必會帶領我經過；
路漸盡回望我的一生，雖有他一起的腳蹤；
但絕望並困境之中，全是孤單足印。
每次我心中多悲傷，他怎卻遠去剩我獨行；
每次我感到是寂寞，他怎卻遠去剩我孤單；
默默地在我身邊的主，跟我低聲輕輕說出；
『在絕望路裏的一雙，原是我的足印。』
回望我過去多少的失意，但你每次每次也在旁；
是你抹我淚痕，是你揹我經過
明白到有你居於心深處，我不再是獨行；
前路有你共行，留下雙雙足印。

 

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 11

²⁸And after she had said this, she went back and called her sister Mary aside. “The Teacher is here,” she said, “and is asking for you.” ²⁹When Mary heard this, she got up quickly and went to him. ³⁰Now Jesus had not yet entered the village, but was still at the place where Martha had met him. ³¹When the Jews who had been with Mary in the house, comforting her, noticed how quickly she got up and went out, they followed her, supposing she was going to the tomb to mourn there.  ³²When Mary reached the place where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet and said, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.”  ³³When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled. ³⁴“Where have you laid him?” he asked.  “Come and see, Lord,” they replied.  ³⁵Jesus wept.  ³⁶Then the Jews said, “See how he loved him!”

Meditation:

1. What stands out and draws my attention in this passage? The deep love of the two sisters for their brother?  Their grief?  Jesus’ weeping?
2. Mary said to Jesus: “Lord, if you had been here…”. Have I also had similar thought?  What was my complaint or accusation of the Lord?
3. Have I felt lonely and burdened lately?  Try to visualize the image when God carried me through.  Thank God for this.  Read the words as my prayer: Footprints in the Sand – The Poem

One night a man had a dream. He dreamed he was walking along the beach with the LORD. Across the sky flashed scenes from his life. For each scene he noticed two sets of footprints in the sand: one belonging to him, and the other to the LORD.
When the last scene of his life flashed before him, he looked back at the footprints in the sand. He noticed that many times along the path of his life there was only one set of footprints. He also noticed that it happened at the very lowest and saddest times in his life. This really bothered him and he questioned the LORD about it:
“LORD, you said that once I decided to follow you, you’d walk with me all the way.
But I have noticed that during the most troublesome times in my life, there is only one set of footprints. I don’t understand why when I needed you most you would leave me.”
The LORD replied: “My son, my precious child, I love you and I would never leave you. During your times of trial and suffering, when you see only one set of footprints, it was then that I carried you.”

 

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.