福音書裡面記載了這樣一個故事，當主耶穌在耶利哥城的時候，討飯的瞎子巴底買坐在路旁，他聽見許多人經過，就問是什麼事。當有人告訴他，是拿撒勒人耶穌經過，他就大聲呼喊。雖然許多人責備他，但他仍然不顧一切，越發大聲喊：「大衛的子孫哪，可憐我吧！」 出於相信主耶穌可以醫治他，使他可以看見，他不顧一切的呼喚主耶穌去憐憫他。
There was this story recorded in the Gospel: When Jesus was at Jericho, there was a beggar called Bartimaeus sitting by the roadside. Hearing a lot of people passing by, he asked them what was happening. When someone told him that Jesus of Nazareth was coming by, he called out. He didn’t care when many people rebuked him and cried out even louder, 「Son of David, have mercy on me!」 He cried out to Jesus to have mercy on him because he believed the Lord Jesus could heal him and make him see. No one could stop him.
大家還記得什麼時候你曾經不顧一切呼喚天父去憐憫你嗎？1997 年的時候，我太太是第三次懷孕。當檢查發現這個胎兒是有極大的危機是出現弱智的情況，我在疼苦無助當中，我跪下來，不顧一切的呼喚天父去憐憫我，憐憫我的家庭，憐憫我的親人。因為我相信，天父是無所所不能的，要是他願意去憐憫我，事情是可以改變。感謝天父，他真的願意去憐憫我。
Do you remember the time when you just cried out to our Heavenly Father to have mercy on you in spite of everything? My wife became pregnant a third time in 1997. When check-ups revealed that the baby was at high risk of suffering from intellectual disability, I fell into pain and helplessness and knelt down before God, crying out to our Heavenly Father to have mercy on me, to have mercy on my family and to my closest ones. I did this because I believed our Heavenly Father was all-powerful and if He was willing to have mercy on me, the situation would change. Thanks be to God, He was willing to have mercy on me.
正如在巴底買的事件，主耶穌也願意去憐憫他，給他的雙眼可以看見。但巴底買的信心，不是停留在相信主耶穌可以醫治他，他的信心更是在看見後，去跟從主耶穌。巴底買能看見後， 他似乎沒有為自己想太多，沒有想著怎樣找機會去發財，彌補過去因著失明錯過了許多的黃金機會。他想著就是要回應天父給他的恩典，他現在可以看見，他要為天父作見證。於是，他馬上跟從耶穌，一路歸榮耀與天父。
In the case of Bartimaeus, the Lord Jesus was also willing to have mercy on him and allowed his eyes to see. But the faith of Bartmeaus didn’t stop at believing the Lord Jesus could heal him. His faith went further to following the Lord Jesus after being able to see again. Bartimeaus didn’t seem too concerned about himself after being healed. He wasn’t thinking about how to get rich after missing out on so many opportunities when he was blind. He was thinking about how to respond to the grace God gave him. He can now see. He must witness for our Heavenly Father. So Bartimeaus followed Jesus immediately, giving glory to our Heavenly Father all the way.
在福音書裡面，跟從耶穌是表達了一種生命的改變，是效法主耶穌的生命，以天父的工作為念，不再以地上的事情為念。我們在過去各方面都經歷過天父的恩典，經歷著天父的保護，經歷著天父的供應。我們的信心又怎樣呢？
Following Jesus expresses life transformation in the Gospel. It means imitating the Lord Jesus』 life, keeping to heart our Heavenly Father’s work, and no longer setting our mind on earthly things. We have experienced our Heavenly Father’s grace in various areas in the past. We have experienced His protection and His provision. So what is the state of our faith?
對於我們每一位的基督徒，當我們經過洗禮，委身給天父，天父是已經打開了我們的眼睛，打開了我們的耳朵，我們是可以看清楚世界上的事情，肉體的情慾，眼目的情慾和今生的驕傲都是會過去的。唯有遵行天父的旨意是永遠長存。但問題是，當我們是這樣看得見，聽得見，我們有沒有信心去跟隨主耶穌的腳蹤去生活呢？
For us Christians, our Heavenly Father has opened our eyes and our ears when we committed our lives to Him at baptism. We can see clearly that the things of the world, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of this life, will all come to pass. It is only those who follow the will of our Heavenly Father that will last into eternity. But the issue is: Being able to see and hear, do we have the faith to follow the footsteps of Christ and live as he did?
如果我們沒有，或者沒有全心全意去跟隨主耶穌，這應該是有一些生活中的事情我們不願意去放下，不願意去交託給天父。而當中，錢財和享受應該是一個很關鍵的考慮。比如說，現在的生活過得挺富裕，不想降低生活水平；現在住的是新的房子，不想住破舊的房子；現在是開高檔的轎車，不想開普通的二手車；現在是去高級的飯館，不想去低級的飯館；現在是穿名牌衣服，不想穿山寨版的衣服。
If we don’t have this faith, or if we aren’t following the Lord Jesus totally, there should be some things in life that we are unwilling to let go and commit to our Heavenly Father. Among these things are the crucial considerations on wealth and comfort. For example, life may have been pretty comfortable for me and I don’t want to lower my living standard. I’m living in a new house and I don’t want to swap to an old one. I’m driving a nice fancy car and I don’t want an average second-hand. I like going to classy restaurants and don’t want to go to those of lower standards. And I wear brand clothing and don’t prefer cheaper ones.
又或者是另一個考慮，現在生活都是那麼的底水平，別人有的生活享受自己都沒有嘗過。開了那麼多年都是二手車，新車都沒有開過。給我二十年時間拼一拼，經歷有錢是怎樣的滋味，才全心去跟隨主吧。
Or we might be considering from another perspective. Like my current lifestyle is very average and I』ve not yet had the chance to enjoy the lifestyle others now possess. I』ve been driving second-hand cars and have never touched a new one. So give me twenty years to strive in the world and get a taste of what money can bring me before I go follow my Lord wholeheartedly.
基督徒在成長的過程中，怎樣對待財富是一個經常會出現的考驗。福音書裡面也記載了主耶穌所講的一個撒種的比喻，當中說到有人聽了道，後來被錢財迷惑了，就不能結出好果子。錢財卻是可以買到很多的方便，很多的生活享受，就是生病了，也可以馬上住進私家醫院，不用排公立醫院。
How we deal with wealth is a test which often appears in our Christian life. The Gospel also contains a parable Jesus told, the Parable of the Sower, in which he said that there were people who listened to the Word but were later deceived by riches and could not bear fruit. But riches seem to be able to buy us a lot of convenience, bring us a lot of life enjoyment. With money, you can even immediately enter private hospitals when you’re sick and not have to line up at public hospitals.
記得我小兒子出生後一直都有溼疹的問題，約從三歲開始，他也出現了哮喘的問題。之後，每年的冬天，也是我和太太最掛心他的時候，因為他哮喘一來，呼吸就出現困難，也曾經因此進過急診。奇妙的是，2004年我和太太開始參加培訓，要成為傳道人的時候，我的小兒子當時是6歲。當年的冬天，培訓的課程很忙碌。有一天，我在留意孩子的時候，我才意識到他有些不一樣，怎麼整個冬天，他沒有出現哮喘呢？而之後的冬天，他再也沒有出現哮喘了。如果你問我是什麼原因，我的答案是「天父知道我的需要，他顧念我」。
I remember how my youngest son always suffered from eczema after birth. He also started to have the problem of asthma around the age of three. From that time onwards, my wife and I would be most worried about him each winter, when his asthma would appear and breathing got difficult for him. There were times when he ended up at the emergency department because of this. An amazing thing happened when my wife and I started attending a training to become missionaries in 2004. My son was six at the time. The training course was very busy that winter. I was looking at my kids one day and I realized something was different about him: He hadn’t had one asthma attack the whole winter! And he didn’t suffer from asthma again from that winter onwards. If you ask me the reason for this, my answer would be 「Our Heavenly Father knows my needs. He looks after me.」
天父的奇妙作為是遠勝過金錢所能買到的甘甜。在人生當中能夠與這位創造宇宙萬物的天父相遇，經歷他的慈愛和憐憫，是何等大的祝福。
Our Heavenly Father’s amazing work is way sweeter than what money can buy. There is no greater blessing than for a man to be able to meet with the Creator of Heavenly and Earth during his lifetime and to experience His loving compassion and mercy.
眼睛就是身上的燈。你的眼睛若瞭亮，全身就光明；你的眼睛若昏花，全身就黑暗。你裡頭的光若黑暗了，那黑暗是何等大呢！一個人不能事奉兩個主；不是惡這個，愛那個，就是重這個，輕那個。你們不能又事奉神，又事奉瑪門（瑪門：財利的意思）。
(馬太福音6章22-24節，和合本)
The lamp of the body is the eye; if therefore your eye is clear, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great is the darkness! No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will hold to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.
(Matthew 6:22-24, NASB)
「瞭亮」的希臘語原文是「專一」的意思。
The meaning of the word 「clear」 in the original Greek text is 「single」.
這是主耶穌給我們的一個很重要的教導。也是我自己常常要警醒的地方。我要持守甘心成為貧窮，為要專一去愛雅偉天父，信靠他，忠心去跟隨主耶穌的腳蹤。互勉!
This is an important teaching that our Lord Jesus gave us. This is also something I always have to be alert about. I have to continue being willing to be poor, in order to single-mindedly love Yahweh God, to trust Him, and faithfully follow the footsteps of our Lord Jesus. May we encourage each other in this direction!