0227 耶稣的贫困事工
井又深，祢从哪里得活水呢？《约翰福音 4:11》
「这井很深」——甚至比撒玛利亚妇人所知道的还要深得多！（约翰福音 4:11）。思考人性和人类生活的深处；想想你里面「井」的深度。你是否一直在限制或削弱耶稣的事工，到一种祂无法在你的生活中工作的程度？假设你的心里有一口深深的伤害和烦恼的「井」，耶稣来对你说：「你心里不要忧愁……。」（约翰福音14:1）。你的反应是否会耸耸肩说：「但是，主啊，这井太深，即使祢也无法从中汲取宁静和安慰」？事实上，那是正确的。耶稣并不从人性的源泉中带出任何东西——祂从上面把它们带下来。我们透过只记得过去我们允许祂为我们做的事情，并且透过说「当然，我不能指望神做这件事」，我们限制了以色列的圣者。接近祂能力极限的事，正是我们作为耶稣的门徒应该相信祂会做的事。我们忘记祂是全能神之时，就是我们削弱祂在我们身上的事工之时。贫穷是在我们身上，而不是在祂身上。我们会来到耶稣面前，让祂成为我们的安慰者或同情者，但我们却避免亲近身为我们全能神的祂。
我们中某些人之所以是基督徒如此糟糕的榜样，是因为我们没有认识到基督是全能的。我们有基督徒的特质和经历，但没有舍己或降服于耶稣基督。当我们陷入困境时，我们透过说「当然，祂对此无能为力」，我们使祂的事工贫瘠。我们努力挣扎到达自己的井底，试图为自己取水。小心不要袖手旁观并说：「这是不可能的。」如果你仰望耶稣，你就会知道这是可以做到的。你的不完整之井是非常的深，但要努力将目光从自己身上移开并转过去看祂。
来自章伯斯的智慧
如果你没有过信仰生活，要谨防对信仰生活做出任何裁决。《不知往何处去》
0227 The Impoverished Ministry of Jesus
Where then do You get that living water? —John 4:11
“The well is deep” — and even a great deal deeper than the Samaritan woman knew! (John 4:11). Think of the depths of human nature and human life; think of the depth of the “wells” in you. Have you been limiting, or impoverishing, the ministry of Jesus to the point that He is unable to work in your life? Suppose that you have a deep “well” of hurt and trouble inside your heart, and Jesus comes and says to you, “Let not your heart be troubled…” (John 14:1). Would your response be to shrug your shoulders and say, “But, Lord, the well is too deep, and even You can’t draw up quietness and comfort out of it.” Actually, that is correct. Jesus doesn’t bring anything up from the wells of human nature— He brings them down from above. We limit the Holy One of Israel by remembering only what we have allowed Him to do for us in the past, and also by saying, “Of course, I cannot expect God to do this particular thing.” The thing that approaches the very limits of His power is the very thing we as disciples of Jesus ought to believe He will do. We impoverish and weaken His ministry in us the moment we forget He is almighty. The impoverishment is in us, not in Him. We will come to Jesus for Him to be our comforter or our sympathizer, but we refrain from approaching Him as our Almighty God.
The reason some of us are such poor examples of Christianity is that we have failed to recognize that Christ is almighty. We have Christian attributes and experiences, but there is no abandonment or surrender to Jesus Christ. When we get into difficult circumstances, we impoverish His ministry by saying, “Of course, He can’t do anything about this.” We struggle to reach the bottom of our own well, trying to get water for ourselves. Beware of sitting back, and saying, “It can’t be done.” You will know it can be done if you will look to Jesus. The well of your incompleteness runs deep, but make the effort to look away from yourself and to look toward Him.
WISDOM FROM OSWALD CHAMBERS
Beware of pronouncing any verdict on the life of faith if you are not living it. –Not Knowing Whither, 900 R