The Gospel in Unexpected Places 福音出现在意想不到的地方
Dexu Xia
Many tax collectors and sinners were eating with him. Mark 2:15
Recently, I found myself someplace I’d seen in movies and on TV more times than I could count: Hollywood, California. There, in the foothills of Los Angeles, those enormous white letters marched proudly across that famous hillside as I viewed them from my hotel window.
Then I noticed something else: down to the left was a prominent cross. I’d never seen that in a movie. And the moment I left my hotel room, some students from a local church began to share Jesus with me.
We might sometimes think of Hollywood as only the epicenter of worldliness, in utter contrast with God’s kingdom. Yet clearly Christ was at work there, catching me by surprise with His presence.
The Pharisees were consistently surprised by where Jesus turned up. He didn’t hang out with the people they expected. Instead, Mark 2:13–17 tells us He spent time with “tax collectors and sinners” (v. 15), people whose lives practically screamed, “Unclean!” Yet there Jesus was, among those who needed Him most (vv. 16–17).
More than two thousand years later, Jesus continues to plant His message of hope and salvation in unexpected places, among the most unexpected of people. And He’s called and equipped us to be a part of that mission.
By: Adam Holz
When have you noticed God at work in a place that surprised you? What adjustments might you make to be open to the Spirit leading you into unexpected places?
Heavenly Father, thank You for showing up even in places where I’m tempted to believe You’re absent. Thank You for calling me to be a part of Your mission.
有好些税吏和罪人与耶稣⋯⋯一同坐席。—马可福音2章15节
最近，我看到了一个经常出现在电影和电视荧光幕上的地方，那就是美国加州的好莱坞。我从旅馆的窗户望出去，在洛杉矶的山脚有几个白色英文巨型字母（Hollywood），傲然矗立在那著名的山坡上。
当时我还注意到另一件事物，那就是山坡的左下方有一个显眼的十字架，但我却从未在电影里见过它。在我要离开旅馆房间时，我遇到了当地教会的几个学生跟我分享福音。
有时，我们或许会认为好莱坞只是世俗物欲的中心，与上帝的国度大相径庭。但基督显然在那里动工，祂的出现真是令我意想不到。
当耶稣在世上时，祂所到之处经常让法利赛人意想不到，而祂关怀的对象也在他们意料之外。正如马可福音2章13-17节告诉我们，耶稣花时间与“税吏和罪人”在一起（15节），这些人的生活被贴上“不洁”的标签。但耶稣却出现在那里，在那些最需要祂的人当中（16-17节）。
两千多年后，耶稣仍继续在令人意想不到的地方，在最令人意想不到的人群中，传扬祂那满有盼望与拯救的信息。祂也呼召和装备我们共同参与这项使命。
作者： 何安德
上帝何时曾在你意想不到的地方动工？
你要如何顺从圣灵的引领，到你意想不到之处传福音？
天父，感谢祢出现在我误以为祢不在的地方，感谢祢呼召我参与这项使命