Missing the Divine忽略了神性
Dexu Xia
Like one from whom people hide their faces he was despised, and we held him in low esteem. Isaiah 53:3
Today's Scripture Isaiah 53:1-6
Today's Insights When Christ taught in the temple during the Jewish Festival of Tabernacles, some asked, “How did this man get such learning without having been taught?” He answered, “My teaching is not my own. It comes from the one who sent me” (John 7:15-16). He warned them to “stop judging by mere appearances” (v. 24). A similar episode happened in His hometown of Nazareth. The people asked, “What’s this wisdom that has been given him? . . . Isn’t this the carpenter? Isn’t this Mary’s son and the brother of James, Joseph, Judas and Simon?” (Mark 6:2-3). They missed the fact that Jesus stood among them and later willingly died for humanity’s sin (Isaiah 53:2-4). He offered His life for us and will help us to love others made in God’s image (Genesis 1:27).
Today's Devotional Most people avoided George Chase. He lived in a twelve-foot square shack in the woods where New England’s Pawcatuck River meets Little Narragansett Bay. To the locals, it was obvious George didn’t have a bathtub. They could smell the evidence.
One day a hurricane brought the Atlantic Ocean rushing over the seacoast, washing away the beachfront with its attractive homes. Survivors pulled themselves from the bay and began searching for refuge. Eleven of them, soaked and shivering, found it in George’s cabin. He gave them everything he had: water, milk, ginger tea, and shelter. After the hurricane of 1938, the townsfolk had a far different opinion of George Chase.
It’s sad when we make superficial judgments about others, yet it’s our nature to do so. We do that with Jesus too. We might picture Him as He’s portrayed in old paintings, serenely handsome. But the prophet Isaiah said of the Messiah, “He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him . . . . like one from whom people hide their faces he was despised, and we held him in low esteem” (Isaiah 53:2-3). Yet this man gave us everything He had. “He took up our pain and bore our suffering” (v. 4). He offered His life for ours.
It’s tragic when we miss the humanity of our fellow human beings. How much more tragic to miss the divinity of the One we despised!
Reflect & Pray How might you look past outward appearances to see the humanity of others? When you think of Jesus, how do you picture Him? Dear Jesus, please help me to see others as beautiful beings created in Your image. By Tim Gustafson
他被藐视，好像被人掩面不看的一样。我们也不尊重他。（以赛亚书 53:3）
今日经文：以赛亚书 53章1-6节
今日洞见：当基督在犹太人的住棚节期间在圣殿里教导众人时，有人问：“这个人没有受过教导，怎么会有这样的学问呢？”他回答说：“我的教导不是我自己的，乃是那差我来的。”（约翰福音7:15-16）他警告他们“不要凭外貌判断人”（24节）。在基督的家乡拿撒勒，也发生了类似的事情。人们问：“他所领受的智慧是什么呢？……这不是木匠吗？这不是马利亚的儿子，雅各、约瑟、犹大和西门的兄弟吗？”（马可福音 6:2-3）他们忽略了耶稣曾与他们同在，后来又甘愿为人类的罪而死（以赛亚书 53:2-4）。他为我们舍命，也必帮助我们去爱那些按着神的形象所造的人（创世记 1:27）。
今日灵修：乔治·蔡斯住在新英格兰帕卡塔克河与小纳拉甘西特湾交汇处树林里一间十二英尺见方的小屋里。大多数人都对乔治避而远之。当地人一眼就能看出乔治家没有浴缸，他们甚至能闻到他身上那股味道。一天，一场飓风席卷而来，大西洋的海水猛烈地冲过海岸，将海滩上那些漂亮的房屋冲走了。幸存者们从海湾中挣扎出来，开始寻找避难所。最终，有十一个浑身湿透瑟瑟发抖的人，在乔治的小屋里找到了栖身之所。他把自己所有的一切都给了他们：水、牛奶、姜茶，还有遮风避雨的住所。1938年的飓风过后，镇上的人们对乔治·蔡斯的看法截然不同了。
当我们对他人妄下断论时，这令人悲哀，然而这却是我们的本性。我们对耶稣也是如此。我们或许会像古代画作中描绘的那样，想象祂容貌俊美，神态安详。但先知以赛亚论到弥赛亚时说：“祂无佳形美容，我们看见祂时，也无美貌使我们羡慕祂。祂被藐视，好像被人掩面不看的一样；我们也不尊重祂。”（以赛亚书 53:2-3）然而，祂却将祂的一切都给了我们。“祂担当了我们的忧患，背负了我们的痛苦。”（4节）祂为我们舍命。 当我们忽略了同胞的人性时，这已是莫大的悲剧。而当我们忽略了那位曾被我们藐视的基督神的性情时，这岂不是更加悲剧吗？
反思与祷告：你如何才能超越外表，看到他人的人性？当你想到耶稣时，你脑海中浮现的画面是怎样的？亲爱的耶稣，请帮助我把别人看作是按着您的形象所创造的美丽生命。——蒂姆·古斯塔夫森