0315 驚懼的訓練
…..耶穌在前頭走，門徒就希奇，跟從的人也害怕。《馬可福音 10:32》
在我們與耶穌基督的生命之初，我們確信我們知道關於跟隨祂所需要知道的一切。捨棄一切，以無所畏懼愛的聲明將自己投入祂面前，是一件樂事。但現在我們不太確定；耶穌遠遠走在我們前面，開始顯得不同和陌生——「耶穌在前頭走，門徒就希奇。」（馬可福音10:32）
耶穌在某方面甚至可以使門徒的心冰冷到底，並使他整個靈命都喘不過氣來。這位不尋常的人，祂的臉面「好像堅石」（以賽亞書50:7），正堅定地走在我前面，祂讓我全人感到懼怕。祂似乎不再是我的策士和朋友，祂有我一無所知的點；我所能做的就是站着，驚訝地凝視着祂。起初我確信我了解祂，但現在我不那麼確定了。我開始意識到耶穌和我之間有段距離，我再也無法與祂親密了。我不知道祂要去哪裡，而目標變得異常遙遠。
耶穌基督必須完全了解人類可能經歷的每種罪惡和悲傷，這就使祂看來好像陌生。當我們看到祂這一面時，我們意識到我們真的不認識祂；我們甚至不認識祂生命的任何一個特質，也不知道如何開始跟隨祂。祂遠遠地領先我們前面，是一位看上去完全陌生的領袖，而我們與祂沒有任何友誼。
驚懼的訓練是門徒必須學習的必要課程。危險在於，我們傾向於回顧我們順服的時刻和過去對神的犧牲，要努力持守我們對神的熱情（見以賽亞書50:10-11）。但當沮喪的黑暗臨到時，要忍耐，直到它過去，因為從中會產生真正跟隨耶穌的能力，那帶來難以言喻分奇妙喜樂。
來自章伯斯的智慧
基督徒生活中的許多痛苦並不是因為魔鬼與我們交鋒，而是因為我們從未理解我們本性的簡單法則。我們必須把身體視為基督耶穌的僕人：當身體說「坐下」，而祂說「去」，那就去！當身體說「吃」，而祂說「禁食」，那就禁食！當身體說「打哈欠」，而祂說「禱告」，那就禱告！《聖經倫理學》
0315 The Discipline of Dismay
As they followed they were afraid. —Mark 10:32
At the beginning of our life with Jesus Christ, we were sure we knew all there was to know about following Him. It was a delight to forsake everything else and to throw ourselves before Him in a fearless statement of love. But now we are not quite so sure. Jesus is far ahead of us and is beginning to seem different and unfamiliar— “Jesus was going before them; and they were amazed” (Mark 10:32).
There is an aspect of Jesus that chills even a disciple’s heart to its depth and makes his entire spiritual life gasp for air. This unusual Person with His face set “like a flint” (Isaiah 50:7) is walking with great determination ahead of me, and He strikes terror right through me. He no longer seems to be my Counselor and Friend and has a point of view about which I know nothing. All I can do is stand and stare at Him in amazement. At first I was confident that I understood Him, but now I am not so sure. I begin to realize that there is a distance between Jesus and me and I can no longer be intimate with Him. I have no idea where He is going, and the goal has become strangely distant.
Jesus Christ had to understand fully every sin and sorrow that human beings could experience, and that is what makes Him seem unfamiliar. When we see this aspect of Him, we realize we really don’t know Him. We don’t recognize even one characteristic of His life, and we don’t know how to begin to follow Him. He is far ahead of us, a Leader who seems totally unfamiliar, and we have no friendship with Him.
The discipline of dismay is an essential lesson which a disciple must learn. The danger is that we tend to look back on our times of obedience and on our past sacrifices to God in an effort to keep our enthusiasm for Him strong (see Isaiah 50:10-11). But when the darkness of dismay comes, endure until it is over, because out of it will come the ability to follow Jesus truly, which brings inexpressibly wonderful joy.
WISDOM FROM OSWALD CHAMBERS
Much of the misery in our Christian life comes not because the devil tackles us, but because we have never understood the simple laws of our make-up. We have to treat the body as the servant of Jesus Christ: when the body says “Sit,” and He says “Go,” go! When the body says “Eat,” and He says “Fast,” fast! When the body says “Yawn,” and He says “Pray,” pray! –Biblical Ethics, 107 R