QT 25/02/2024 Sunday Luke 3
QT 25/02/2024 Sunday Luke 3
http://www.esvbible.org/luke3
After the accounts of the births of John the Baptist and Jesus in Luke 1 & 2, their messages come next.
We meet Isaiah again (Luke 3:4-6), taken from Isaiah 40:3-5, which spells out John's ministry. Reference to pedigree ("We have Abraham as our father", Luke 3:8) cuts no ice with John when fruitlessness (Luke 3:8), selfishness (Luke 3:11), greed (Luke 3:13) and abuse of powers (Luke 3:14) rule the day.
REFLECTION (1): Are you relying on "pedigree" of ... whatever in your life rather than producing "fruit in keeping with repentance" referred to in Luke 3:8?
WARNING (1): If not, this behaviour might crystallise and result in further abuse - Herod locking up John in prison due to his proper but unwelcomed rebuke (Luke 3:19-20).
Adam is the son of God (Luke 3:37) in a certain sense - perhaps made in the image of God. Jesus is also the son of Joseph (Luke 3:23, "as was supposed") in a second sense - perhaps as His custodian. Jesus is the Son of God in a third sense (Luke 3:22) - "You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased."
Did John and Jesus' messages get through to the hearers in Luke-Acts? Not ALL. Luke-Acts ended with Acts 28:25-28,
"They disagreed among themselves and began to leave after Paul had made this final statement: “The Holy Spirit spoke the truth to your ancestors when he said through Isaiah the prophet:
[26] “‘Go to this people, and say,
“You will indeed hear but never understand,
and you will indeed see but never perceive.”
[27] For this people's heart has grown dull,
and with their ears they can barely hear,
and their eyes they have closed;
lest they should see with their eyes
and hear with their ears
and understand with their heart
and turn, and I would heal them.’
[28] Therefore let it be known to you that this salvation of God has been sent to the Gentiles; they will listen.” (Acts 28:26-28)
Oh no! We thought we have had enough of Isaiah 6:9-10 in Matthew (13:14) and Mark (4:12). Here it is again in Luke-Acts, and ENDING the Luke-Acts composition at that! The message was still relevant because some of them were still stubborn, and, who knows, some might just turn to God.
REFLECTION: Are you teachable? Are we submitting to the commands of Jesus, with whom God is well pleased?
星期日 2024年2月25日 今日读经：路加福音3章
http://m.bbintl.org/bible/ncv/Luk/3/
继路加福音1章和2章诉说了施洗约翰和耶稣的出生后，紧接下来就是他们的信息。
我们又遇见以赛亚了(路3:4-6)，引自以赛亚40:3-5,这段经文很清楚地讲诉了约翰的事工。尽管有着显赫的家世(“我们有亚伯拉罕作我们的祖宗”，路3:8)，但对约翰而言，不结果子(路3:8)、自私(路3:11)、贪婪(路3:13)和滥用职权(路3:14)都是没用的。
反思(1): 你是否仰赖着你生活中有关什么什么...的“家世”而不是像路加福音3:8里所说的 ，“结出果子来，与悔改的心相称”？
警醒(1):如果不这么做，这种行为会继续恶化并导致滥用--分封王希律把约翰关进牢里因为他受到约翰的责备(路3:19-20)。
在某个程度上，亚当算是神的儿子(路3:37)---或许是因为他是按着神的形象而造的。从第二个层面来看，耶稣也是约瑟的儿子(路3:23,"人以为”)，若以祂的监护人来看。从第三个层面来看，耶稣是神的儿子(路3:22)-“你是我的爱子，我喜悦你。”
约翰和耶稣的信息是否有进入路加-使徒的听者的心里？不是全部。路加-使徒行传以徒28:25-28作为结束，
“他们之间争论不休，然后在保罗说了最后的结语后便纷纷离去:“圣灵借以赛亚先知对你们祖先所说的，一点不错。
[26]他说：‘你去告诉这人民：你们听是听见了，总是不明白；看是看见了，总是不领悟。”
[27]因为这人民的心思迟钝，用不灵的耳朵去听，又闭上了眼睛；免得自己眼睛看见，耳朵听见，心里明白，回转过来，我就医好他们。’
[28]所以你们应当知道， 神这救恩，已经传给外族人，他们也必听从。” (使徒行传28:26-28)
糟糕！我们以为在马太福音里(13:4)和马可福音里(4:12)已经听够以赛亚了。在路加-使徒行传里，路加-使徒结尾的部分，以赛亚又再次出现了！那信息还是有效的因为当中有一些人还是很顽固，但，也有可能在这些人当中有悔改转向神的。
反思:你是一个受教的人吗？我们是否顺服于神所喜悦的耶稣，听从祂的吩咐？
