QT 19/02/2024 Monday Mark 14. Spiritual bloom takes time. 灵性的成长需要时间
QT 19/02/2024 Monday Mark 14
http://www.esvbible.org/mark14
There is only 1 reflection today: "This cup" (Mark 14:36) is not easy to bear.
Does your "package" of following your Master, Jesus Christ, come with having to face the following ordeals and difficulties sometime along the way?
He had to face a scheme "by stealth" to "kill him" (Mark 14:1) during one of the most HOLY days and festivals of the Jewish calendar—Passover and Feast of Unleavened Bread;
His actions of dining with an outcast—a leper (Mark 14:3) was NOT APPRECIATED;
The honouring of Jesus by the use of a whole flask of costly nard ointment (Mark 14:3) was even CONDEMNED. Hey, it's not even their money;
The ones who were supposed to be trained to CARRY His message and good news to all the nations BETRAYED Him (Mark 14:10-11, 18-21, 43-49). In fact, "they all left him and fled" (Mark 14:50);
The covenant was instituted with Jesus' blood (Mark 14:24). It was a heavy price to be paid, one that is payable with physical injury, life and death;
Still, His disciples could not accompany Him fully in this ordeal but slept (Mark 14:41). Peter even denied Him three times (Mark 14:66-72) before people who did not seem to be able to threaten him—"one of the servant girls" (Mark 14:66), "the servant girl" (Mark 14:69) and bystanders (Mark 14:70);
His disciple kissed Him (Mark 14:45). But that kiss, if understood correctly, was ACTUALLY a betrayal. Are you prepared to face and even minister to people that say they have no problems with you, but have in fact arranged other schemes behind your back like Judas (Mark 14:10-11, 44)?
So, can you accept the "full package" of following Jesus when necessary?
"For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many." (Mark 10:45)
Can His true followers reduce it to anything less?
星期一 2024年2月19日 今日读经：马可福音14章。 灵性的成长需要时间。
http://m.bbintl.org/bible/ncv/Mak/14/
今天只有一个反思：“这杯”(可14:36)不容易承受。
你跟随你的主人耶稣基督的“配套”，是否附带着有时必须得面对的考验和困难？
1.他必须面对一个“无形”的“杀害他”的诡计(可14:1)，就在犹太人日历中最圣洁的日子和节庆---逾越节和除酵节；
2.他与被隔绝的人一同吃饭的行为不被认可---那是一个患痲风的人(可14:3)；
3.拿着一瓶珍贵的纯哪哒香膏来膏耶稣的头以示尊敬(可14:3)更是遭到责备。嘿，这根本不是他们的钱；
4.那些本应该受训把祂的信息和福音带给全地的人却出卖了祂 (可14:10-11,18-21,43-49)。事实上，“门徒都离开他逃跑了”(可14:50);
5.这约是以耶稣的血立的(可14:24)。它是用重价买来的，一个用肉体的伤、生命和死亡支付的；
6.尽管如此，祂的门徒仍倒头就睡，没有一人陪祂度过这个考验(可14:41)。彼得甚至在对他毫无威胁的人前三次不认祂(可14:66-73) ---“一个婢女”(可14:66)、“那婢女(可14:69)和站在旁边的人”(可14:70)；
7.祂的门徒亲吻了祂(可14:45)。但那个吻，如果理解对的话，其实是对祂的出卖。你是否已预备好面对甚至是服事那些表面和你很好，暗地里却像犹大那样设计你的人 (可14:10-11,44)?
所以，当有需要的时候，你能够接受跟随耶稣的“整个配套”吗？
“因为人子来，不是要受人服事，而是要服事人，并且要舍命，作许多人的赎价。”(可10:45)
祂真正的跟随者还能要求少做些吗？
