2020-1-20

登山宝训——作主门徒ABC

马太福音第七章

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    在前两章的教导中，主耶稣论述了门徒的个人特点、社会影响、属天公义、敬虔生活等等。在第七章，他强调门徒的七个关系：1）与弟兄；2）与“猪狗”；3）与天父；4）与公众；5）与路人；6）与假先知；7）与教导真理并要求我们恪守与遵行的主耶稣基督。

与弟兄的关系（1-5）—— 福音书中，最有能耐论断人的，恐怕非（文士和）法利赛人莫属，他们连耶稣基督也论断。大概因为这些属灵贵族乐此不疲地动辄论断人，社会上，彼此论断也蔚然成风，蒙呼召初成为门徒的各位，自也不能免俗。因此主耶稣“你这假冒为善的人，先去掉自己眼中的樑木，然后才能看得清楚，去掉你弟兄眼中的刺”的教导，使用的是第二人称“你们”，“不可效法他们”爱论断的德行。间接地，法利赛人再次被用作反面教材。

与猪狗的关系（6）—— “不要把圣物给狗，也不要把你们的珍珠丢在猪前，恐怕它践踏了珍珠，转过来咬你们。” 这教导只有一节经文，各版本甚至没有为这节经文加上小题。又猪又狗的，乍看令人摸不着头脑。查犹太文化中，猪和狗既是不洁、下贱之类，对这节经文流行的解读是：传福音，不要与顶撞回来的榆木脑瓜们争辩，如果他们选择不信，你就是争赢了，他们还是有一万条理由不信，是为猪狗——下贱不洁。但果真如此，我们下次碰到这些“猪狗”们，还传福音不？我们当中许多热心传福音的，不是拒绝、顶撞了多少次才信么……？等等问题，让我们不得安息。于是我们祈求。赞美主，果如应许，他给我们、让我们寻见、开门让我们看见真理的霞光万丈。这一节经文中的猪狗，直指假冒为善的法利赛人和与法利赛人狼狈为奸的祭司阶级。

与天父的关系（7-11）—— 主耶稣告诉门徒们不要再追随假先知假冒为善的宗教贵族。他们该跟随谁呢？如果我们把小题放在一边，运用上下文的解经原则，主的心意立即光明剔透：你们追随真理。七到十一节是第六节的反向对比。相对假冒为善，主的应许是，到我这里来就光，寻求真理。“你们祈求，就给你们。寻找，就寻见。叩门，就给你们开门。为什么？ “因为凡祈求的，就得着。寻找的，就寻见。叩门的，就给他开门。” 这是喷薄于千百年阴霾遮掩中的灿烂光华。主呼应“饥渴慕义的人有福了，因为他们必承受地土”（5:6）的应许，因为现在主明明说，“他将他的道指示雅各，将他的律例典章指示以色列。”（诗147:19）

与公众的关系（7:12）也是一节经文，西方社会通称为“金科玉律”（The Golden Rule），可见即便是芸芸众生，对登山宝训的教导也是赞赏有加。我们必须留意，这节经文本身不是独立的。它以协调连词“所以”（ou=n）开始，指这节经文与上面的教导直接相关。世人把这节经文与“己所不欲勿施于人”比较，但仔细看，却发现主耶稣说的却是“己所欲施于人”。 “所以无论何事，你们愿意人怎样待你们，你们也要怎样待人。因为这就是律法和先知的道理。” 运用以经解经的方法，解经之钥，在最后一句“律法和先知的道理”，那么，律法和先知的道理，敢问又是何物？最权威的回答是太22:37-40， “耶稣对他说，你要尽心，尽性，尽意，爱主你的神。这是诫命中的第一，且是最大的。其次也相仿，就是要爱人如己。这两条诫命，是律法和先知一切道理的总纲。” 据此我们可以说，7:12教导门徒一个全方位的关系。

与路的关系（13-14）—— 脱离假先知的捆锁，门徒们奔走天路。那时节，太平罗马Pax Romana，交通网路，四通八达，平直宽敞，可谓一时两无，主耶稣却要求门徒走天国的窄路。主带领我们走的是小路，进的是天国的窄门，这条路和门，“找着的人也少”。找，要求我们付上代价和努力。救恩是神白白的恩典，他是我们信心的创始者和成终者（来12:2）。但不是说，成圣的过程，不需我们付出，不必我们下功夫。“天国是努力进入的，努力的人就得着了。“（太11:12）

与假先知的关系（15-23）—— 除了5:20主直接提到假先知法利赛人外，主一直间接地用他们作为门徒生命的主要反面教材。现在，主直接提醒门徒，“你们要防备假先知。他们到你们这里来，外面披着羊皮，里面却是残暴的狼。”他们的负能量极大，因为假先知、假使徒“行事诡诈，装作基督使徒的模样。”（林后11:13）虽然，羊皮让他们看来似是，但果子轻而易举地让他们露出狐狸尾巴来。这些果子是：加1:7要把基督的福音更改；彼后2:1引进陷害人的异端、连买他们的主他们也不承认(c.f.约壹4:3, 犹1:4等）; 犹1:11走了该隐的道路，又为利往巴兰的错谬里直奔；腓3:19专以地上的事为念，等等。

与基督自己的关系（24-27）—— 这是登山宝训的总结。作主门徒，应当与主亲密无间。门徒与主亲密无间，表达在他们不但百折不回地不但听主的道，而且行主的道。主称这种人门徒为“聪明人”。他们的信心和好行为，建立在坚固的磐石上，这样，他们的生命就可以不断地发光，不断地让人们看见，不断地把荣耀归给天上的父。就像但以理书12:3说， “智慧人必发光如同天上的光。那使多人归义的，必发光如星，直到永永远远。” 我们跟随主，让生命在永恒中发光荣耀他。         —- David Yip

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Sermon on the Mount — Discipleship ABC

Matthew Chapter 7

    In the previous two chapters, the Lord’s teaching included such aspects of disciple’s life as Christian’s character, influence, righteousness, piety and ambition. Continued in chapter 7, his emphasis is now on seven relationships: 1) to our brothers; 2) to “dogs” and “pigs”; 3) to our heavenly Father to whom we come in prayer; 4) to the general public; 5) to the paths and gates; 6) to false prophets; and 7) to Lord Jesus himself.

To our brothers (1-5) — in the Gospels, the ones who are found to be very good at being judgmental are the Pharisees, they are so courageous that they judge Jesus. From what these spiritual elites have been doing the perhaps forms a social environment. People love to be judgmental. Those who have been called to be disciples are not immune. Therefore, the Lord warns: “You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.” Take note that the Lord announces in second person plural, demanding them “do not be like them” of their judgmental mindset. Indirectly, we see that the Pharisees are once again used as a negative example. 

To “dogs” and “pigs” (6) — “Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and then turn and tear you to pieces.”  This single verse is not long. The translations do not even bother to add a subtitle for it. Indeed the “dogs” and “pigs” are not easy for us to take it in. In the Jewish culture, dogs and pigs are considered unclean cheap. A popular interpretation to this verse is about sharing the good news: if the listener chooses to reject, do not argue with him, just walk away. For even if your superbly strong reasoning can overcome his mind, still he has ten thousand excuses to reject and fight. This theory implies that people like this are the dogs and pigs. It triggers us to wonder, however, that if we should persist to share the gospel with him if we come across him again. In fact, many of us who are zealous in preaching the gospel were once the stubborn-minded listeners and we had the same experience resisting the gospel. My opinion, according to Scripture, is that the dogs and pigs in this verse point to the hypocritic Pharisees and the howling priests.

To our heavenly Father (7-11) — Lord Jesus to his apostles not to continue in their following to the hypocritic religious elites. Now what new direction should they go for? If we put aside the subtitle, a fluent trace appears immediately. Jesus says: follow me. Verses 7 to 11 counter revolves verse 6. The Lord announces: come to me. “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.“ Why? “For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.” This is a morning radiance breaking out of the darkness of long. 

To the General Public (7:12) — This is widely known, including the pagan general public, as The Golden Rule. However, by the coordinate conjunction “so” (or “therefore” ask in NKJV), we have to connect this verse to its preceding vv. 10-11. “So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.”  Employing the hermeneutics principle, the key to understanding v. 12 is found to be the last clause. What, then, is the Law and the Prophets? The most authoritative answer comes from Matt 22:37-40. “Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”” With what is reveled, we conclude that 7:12 teaches about a full dimensional relationship of the disciple. 

To the Pedestrians (13-14) — Liberated from the boundary of the false teachers, the disciples are heaven bound. At that time, the Pax Romana is boastful of her infrastructures, wide and flat, Jesus however directs the disciples to enter through the small gate and narrow road. This depicts two pedestrian streams on two completely opposite directions. The narrow way and small gate, on the other hand, leads to eternity. “and only a few find it.” The word “find” tells us that we pay effort and price for it. “The kingdom of heaven is forcefully advancing. The forceful men lay hold of it.” Thus says the Lord in Matt 11:12. In the original language the participles “enter” in v. 13 and “find” in v. 14 are both in present continuous tense and middle voice. The former tells us that to enter and to find are out of our continuous efforts. 

To False Prophets (13-14) — The Lord mentioned Pharisees the false prophet only once prior to this point, and he used them as negative examples indirectly. Now, in a straight forward manner, he warns the disciples: “Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves.” They possess tremendous negative energy, because false prophets are “deceitful workmen, masquerading as apostles of Christ.” (II Cor 11:13) They are certainly deceitful by sheep’s clothing, but their fruit discloses their identity as anti-Christ. The fruits are: they are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ; (Gal 1:7) they secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them–bringing swift destruction on themselves; (II Pet 2:1) They have taken the way of Cain; they have rushed for profit into Balaam’s error; they have been destroyed in Korah’s rebellion; (Jud 1:11) Their mind is on earthly things. (Phil 3:19) etc.

To Christ himself (24-27) — This is arranged in the ending section of the Sermon. Christ expects us to be in an intimate relationship with him. The expression of this intimacy is our obedience to his word. The Lord calls this kind of disciple “wise man”, because his faith and good deeds are build upon the rock of ages and his life shows forth the heavenly light, just as what Dan 12:3 says: “Those who are wise will shine like the brightness of the heavens, and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars for ever and ever.”             —- David Yip

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