“Plain, Simple and Mysterious 普通，簡單和奧秘”
From February 9th, 2020
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  • 講道題目 / Ser­mon Title: Plain, Simple and Mysterious 普通，簡單和奧秘
  • 經文 / Scripture: 馬太福音 Matthew 5:13-20, 哥林多前書 I Corinthians 2：1-16
  • 語言 / Language: English
  • 講道人 / Preaching: Rev. Aline Russel
  • 翻譯 / Interpreter: 王璽權 Andrew Wang、鄭瓊君 Joanna Puliusz
English 中文翻譯
[Communication of the Gospel] [福音的傳播]
Have you ever gone to new school or gone to meet a new group of people and felt awkward? 您是否曾經對進入新學校，或與新認識的一群人見面，感到尷尬？
Like you don’t know what to do? 就像你不知道該怎麼辦一樣？
I sure have! 我絕對有！
But it’s not really your fault! 但這真的不是你們的錯！
When we go to meet new people, we really don’t know what to expect. 當我們與新朋友見面時，我們真的不知道會發生什麼。
We don’t know what they like, or what they don’t like. 我們不知道他們喜歡什麼，或者他們不喜歡什麼。
What they like to do or what they like to eat. 他們喜歡做什麼或喜歡吃什麼。
We don’t know who the leader is in the group or who is the person nobody trusts. 我們不知道誰是帶頭的人，或者誰是沒人信任的人。
We don’t even know what their words mean! 我們甚至不知道他們的話是什麼意思！
Everything they say is filtered through all our experiences. 他們所說的一切都是根據我們過往的經歷來詮釋。
And not just when they are speaking a whole different language. 不僅是當他們說完全不同的語言時。
Even when we speak the same language, we sometimes use words differently, and specialized groups have specialized language. 即使我們說相同的語言，有時我們的用詞不一樣，而特殊的團體也有特殊的語言。
There is sports jargon, medical jargon, theological jargon, age-related jargon, music jargon….. 有體育用語，醫學用語，神學用語，與年齡有關的用語，音樂用語…..
Sometimes I wonder how anyone can understand ANYONE! 有時我懷疑，如何有人可以理解任何人！
[The Apostle Paul] [使徒保羅]
The Apostle Paul went from city to city to tell people about Jesus. 使徒保羅從一個城市到另一個城市地向人們講述耶穌。
He spoke Greek, which was used by a lot of people in the ancient world. 他說希臘話，是古代世界很多人使用的語言。
But he didn’t Know the people he talked to, and they didn’t know him. 但是他不認識他要傳講的對象，他們也不認識他。
It was very tough, because apparently he was also not physically someone who naturally attracted attention or respect. 這很困難，因為顯然他的身型，並不足以自然地引起他人的注意或尊重。
In II Corinthians 10:10 we read that “his bodily presence is weak, and his speech contemptible.” Those of us who have read the letters of Paul might be surprised by this, because as he says of himself in the same verse, “His letters are weighty and strong”! 在哥林多後書10:10中，我們讀到 “他本人卻顯得外表平凡，言語粗俗！”那些讀過保羅書信的人可能對此感到驚訝，因為正如他在同一節經文中描述自己那樣，“保羅寫信時，既嚴厲又強硬”!
Apparently, however, when he spoke in person, he was not that impressive or convincing. 然而，顯然，當他跟人講話時，他並沒有那麼令人印象深刻或令人信服。
Paul is not too concerned about that, but does defend his authority by reminding his readers that he was the first to come to the Corinthians with the simple proclamation about Jesus. 保羅不太擔心這一點，但為他的權柄辯護，提醒他的讀者說，他是第一個向哥林多人，單單宣揚耶穌的人。
Paul was the one who told them who Jesus was, and what Jesus did. 保羅是一個告訴他們耶穌是誰，以及耶穌做了什麼的人。
Then, somehow, from this humble beginning, the good news of the gospel spread like a forest fire, and grew in power and significance. 然後，不知怎麼的，單單這樣開始後，福音的好消息，就像森林大火一樣傳開，並在能力和意義上不斷增長。
The success of Paul’s gospel was all the more remarkable because he had a lot of competition in Corinth. 保羅傳福音的成功，之所以顯著，是因為他在哥林多有很多的競爭。
Corinth was an important city about halfway between Athens and Sparta. 哥林多 (Corinth) 是個重要的城市，位於雅典和斯巴達之間。
The Romans had demolished Corinth in 146 BC, and had built a brand new city in its place in 44 BC.They made Corinth the provincial capital of Greece. 羅馬人在公元前146年將哥林多夷為平地 {Corinth)，並在公元前44年建造了一座嶄新的城市，使哥林多 (Corinth) 成為希臘的省會。
It had a large mixed population of Romans, Greeks, and Jews. 它有大量的羅馬人、希臘人和猶太人。
The city was also an important locus for activities of the imperial cult, worship of the Roman emperors, so you know there were a lot of dynamic speakers proclaiming the deity of the Roman emperor! 這座城市還是朝拜羅馬皇帝的重要場所，所以你可以想見，當時有許多活躍的演說家稱讚羅馬皇帝的神性！
It was also an important center of trade. 它也是重要的貿易中心。
Because of these factors, there was an abundance of brilliant speakers. 由於這些因素，當時這個城市有很多傑出的演講者。
Many of the Greek philosophers were part deep thinker and part popular entertainer whose eloquence and wisdom dazzled their audiences. 許多希臘哲學家既是深奧哲理的思想家，又是受歡迎的綜藝咖；他們的口才與機智能使聽眾讚嘆不已。
Paul was not that kind of speaker, but his writings have inspired millions. 保羅不是那種演講者，但是他的著作啟發了數百萬人。
In spite of the competition for the minds and hearts of the Corinthians, Paul and his simple message of Jesus and his crucifixion led to the establishment of a small church there in Corinth, a church which considered Paul its leader. 儘管當時的哥林多人，在心靈與喜好上有許多競爭，保羅和他單純傳講耶穌的信息，以及祂的十字架，使得在當地成立了一個小教堂；並稱保羅為他們的領袖。
Paul himself attributed this to the work of the Holy Spirit. 保羅本人將此歸因於聖靈的作工。
[The Simple Message and the Mystery] [單純的信息和奧秘]
In our passage for today, Paul draws a contrast between the simple message of the gospel and the things that a mature Christian could learn through the Holy Spirit. 在今天的經文裡，保羅為單純的福音信息，與一個成熟的基督徒可以從聖靈所學習到的，做了一個對比。
He contrasted what they might hear from the popular speakers of wisdom in the city to his own approach. 他將他們可能從著名演講者聽到的訊息與自己的講道進行了對比。
Paul says, “I did not come proclaiming the mystery[] of God to you in lofty words or wisdom. 保羅說：“我並沒有用甚麼華麗的詞藻或高深的學問對你們宣講上帝的奧祕。
2 For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and him crucified. 2 因為我拿定了主意，當我跟你們在一起的時候，除了耶穌基督和他死在十字架上的事以外，甚麼都不提。
3 And I came to you in weakness and in fear and in much trembling. 3 因此，我到你們那裏去的時候十分軟弱，又害怕又戰戰兢兢。
4 My speech and my proclamation were not with plausible words of wisdom,[] but with a demonstration of the Spirit and of power, 5 so that your faith might rest not on human wisdom but on the power of God. 4 我所講的道，所傳的福音，都不是用委婉動聽的智言，而是倚靠聖靈的大能來證實的， 5 使你們的信仰不根據人的智慧，而是以上帝的大能為基礎。
But this didn’t mean that Christians should renounce reason or the insights of their minds. 但這並不意味著基督徒應該放棄理性或思想。
No, it meant that the simple truth of the gospel does not conform to the world’s wisdom. 不，這意味著福音平實的真理並不符合世界的智慧。
How could a man, Jesus, executed as a traitor on a cross be the Son of God? 在十字架上被視為叛徒，而被處決的耶穌，怎麼會是上帝的兒子？
And how could that man, Jesus, live again, as proclaimed by Paul from his own experience on the road to Damascus. 而耶穌是又如何重生，如同保羅經歷過，他在通往大馬士革路上的事情後，所宣稱的？
There is a mystery to this, one that can only be understood and believed with the help of the Holy Spirit. 這是一個奧秘，只有在聖靈的幫助下才能理解和相信。
Furthermore, there are depths of understanding beyond that initial acceptance that come with experience in the faith, again provided by the Holy Spirit. 此外在起初接受信仰後，還有從不同經歷中，所帶來深層的理解；而這也是由聖靈所帶來的果效。
I heard a man on the radio talk about losing both his legs to a land mine. 我在廣播中聽到一個人談論因誤採地雷而失去雙腿的事情。
Now, he works to eliminate land mines worldwide to prevent others from losing limbs or eyesight or even their lives. 現在，他致力於消除全球潛在的地雷，以防止其他人同他一般的失去肢體、視力、甚至生命。
There was no self pity in his voice. 他的聲音絲毫不自憐。
He said, “Any day that I wake up and I’m not six feet under is a beautiful day.” He has turned a terrible tragedy into a blessing for others. 他說：“每天醒來，只要我不少於6呎高，我就覺得都是美好的一天。”他把悲劇變成了對他人的祝福。
How that happened is a mystery. 這怎麼發生的，是一個奧秘。
[Sayings of Jesus That Are Mysterious] [耶穌的話很玄妙]
Sayings of Jesus like “You are the salt of the earth” open up our minds to depths of our relationship with Christ beyond just the sinner’s prayer and being baptized for the forgiveness of our sins. 耶穌的話，像”你們是人類的鹽”，開啟我們的心與基督更深的關係，遠超過罪人的禱告，與赦罪的洗禮。
Jesus gives us the baptism of the Holy Spirit to continue his work in us to make us new people. 耶穌賜給我們聖靈的洗禮，好繼續在我們裡面作工，使我們成為新造的人。
Think about salt. 聯想一下鹽。
One of my favorite things is swimming in the ocean. 我最喜歡的事情之一是在海裡游泳。
Something I noticed when I was a child was that cuts and scratches would sting in the salt water. 我小時候注意到的一點是，任何傷口或是刮傷，在海水裡是會刺痛的。
But then, when I got out, I noticed that they would heal a lot faster than usual. 但是，當我離開後，我注意到它們的癒合速度比平時快得多。
We hear the expression “rubbing salt in the wound” as a bad thing, but in ancient days before the invention of antibiotic cream, salt was something that was used for healing. 我們常聽到“在傷口上擦鹽”其實是不好的；但是在抗生素發明之前，鹽有時候會被用來治療。
Unborn babies develop in a fluid that is mostly salt. 未出生的嬰兒在鹽分極高的液體中發育。
Salt, plentiful now, was more rare in ancient times. 鹽，即便現在已量產很多，在古代卻常是稀有。
In Roman times salt was used to pay workers, at least in part. 在羅馬時代，鹽在某些時候是可用於支付工人工資。
It was used to preserve food in a time of no ice or refrigerators. 它被用在沒有冰塊或冰箱的環境下，保存食物。
There is salt in our blood, in our tears, and in the functioning of our muscles, including our hearts. 我們的血液、眼淚、以及包括心臟在內的肌肉運作中，都有鹽。
Salt was also used in making covenants. 鹽也被用來做約定。
Salt is a basic element required for life. 鹽是生命所必需的基本元素。
So for Jesus to say that we are the salt of the earth is to say that we are essential to the full healthy functioning of human beings and many animals as well. 因此，當耶穌說我們是人類的鹽時，祂是指我們對全人類和許多動物，健全的運作是不可缺少的。
Of course, many of us overdo the salt these days, but the urge to have salt is a basic one for us. 當然，現在我們很多人都食鹽過量，但是鹽，還是我們的基本需求。
Jesus also said, you are the light of the world. 耶穌還說，你們是世界之光。
Light, of course, is also essential to life. 光對於生命，當然也至關重要。
Without light, there would be no life on earth. 沒有光，地球上就不會有生命。
One of the terrifying consequences of nuclear war is “nuclear winter,” where the atmosphere would be full of smoke and dust, blocking the light of the sun for a long period of time and eventually destroying all food and all or most life on earth. 核戰的可怕後果之一是“核冬天”，在那時大氣中將充滿煙霧和塵土，陽光被長時間阻擋的結果下，最終破壞地球上全部的食物和大多數的生命。
Light is something that affects our mood as well as plant growth. 光線會影響我們的情緒，如同它影響植物的生長一般。
Many people suffer from “seasonal depression” where they suffer each year as the days get shorter. 許多人患有“季節性抑鬱症”，每年當日照時數越來越短時發作。
This is a real thing, and can be treated by “light boxes”, full spectrum light that the person shines in their face for a period each day. 這是真的，我們是可用“燈箱”（每天花一段時間，用全光譜燈照臉上）進行治療。
In our time, we have managed to create so many ways to USE light. 在我們這個時代，我們已經開發出許多使用光的方法。
We can use it for surgery for manufacturing, for communication, for work of all kinds at all hours of the day or night and all year. 我們可以在任何時間，將光用於手術、生產、通訊、或其他工作。
And for many other purposes. 並用於許多其他目的。
Light also helps to protect us. 光也被用來保護我們。
Criminals prefer to work in the dark so no one will see them. 罪犯喜歡在黑暗中工作，因此沒人會看到他們。
Having something like street lights and porch lights help to keep us safe. 裝設路燈和門廊燈等則有助於確保我們的安全。
Also headlights on cars and trucks and busses of course. 當然還有汽車、卡車、和公共汽車的頭燈。
Sometimes TOO much light can be a nuisance, keeping us awake at night or confusing the biorhythms of animals. 有時，過多的光線則可能帶來干擾；比如說使我們在夜裡醒著，或使動物的生理時鐘被打亂。
It can affect newly hatched sea turtles, birds, bats, frogs, and others. 它會影響剛孵出的海龜、鳥類、蝙蝠、青蛙等。
But the spiritual light of God’s people has no such negative side effects. 但是上帝子民的屬靈之光沒有這種負面影響。
The light of Christ shining through the disciples of Christ lifts the spirits of those around them in ways big and small, wherever they go, as long as we remain in close connection with our Lord. 基督的光透過基督的門徒，提升了他們週遭的人的靈性，不論大小，不管何處，只要我們常保與主的緊密聯繫。
Back when street lights had to be physically lighted each night, a man watching the lamplighter said, “Now that is what I mean by being a Christian. 回到以前，每晚需要手動點燃路燈的時候，一個人看著點燈的人會說：“這就是我所謂，作為基督徒的意思。
You ought to be able to see where one has been by the lights they leave behind them.” 你應該可以藉由，身後留下的燈光，看到那個人的行跡。”
[Hiding Your Light Under A Bushel] [點燈放在斗底下]
Then there was the man who believed in the truth of the gospel during the years of the Reformation, but was afraid to make a public profession of it. 在宗教改革的期間，有一個人相信福音的真理，卻不敢公開。
So he wrote his statement of faith and his profession of love for Christ on a piece of parchment and then hid it behind a stone in the wall of his bedroom. 因此，他在一張羊皮紙上寫下了自己的信仰宣言和對基督的熱愛，然後將其藏在臥室牆壁上的一塊石頭後面。
It was found 100 years later. 100年後它被發現了。
That light and salt wasn’t of much benefit to anybody. 這樣的光和鹽沒有給任何人帶來好處。
The saying about being the salt of the earth and the light of the world, like the verses we read last week, the Beatitudes, can be wonderfully comforting to us if we believe the word of Jesus that we ARE these things. 如果我們相信耶穌的話，相信我們是人類的鹽和世界的光，我們將得到極大的安慰，如同我們上週閱讀的經文《八福》一般。
It is not aspirational. 這不是渴望達到的目標。
We ARE salt and light, we ARE essential to the world. 我們已經是鹽和光，而我們是世界上不可缺少的。
The healing and hope and love of Christ are spread simply by our presence, and of course even more so when we engage in specific acts to increase the justice and peace in the world, or feed the hungry, clothe the naked, visit the sick or imprisoned. 只要我們在，基督的醫治、希望、與愛，就會擴散；當然，當我們採取行動，以增進世界的正義與和平，減少飢餓，幫助貧困，或探望病人及被監禁的人的時候，會更益顯著。
[Looking Deeper] [深入探討]
Jesus spoke in terms of ordinary, familiar things of life like salt and light. 耶穌的話語，卻常是引用普通而熟悉的生活例子，例如鹽和光。
All his listeners knew immediately how important those things are. 他所有的聽眾都將立即知道這些事物的重要性。
But mystery comes in when we try to see how WE are salt and light. 但是，當我們嘗試瞭解如何是鹽和光時，這就相當的奧秘。
Understanding that can take prayer and meditation, and sometimes to be salt or light for someone. 想理解這一點，需要禱告和默想，有時候也要成為別人的鹽或光。
At other times, we might receive an instantaneous insight into how God is working through you on behalf of others or through others on behalf of you. 或在其他時候，我們可能瞬間接收到上帝來的亮光，看見上帝是如何透過別人在你裡面作工，或透過你在別人身上作工。
How blessed we are to have a part in this adventure! 我們能參與在這趟探險中，是多麼有福的！
Amen. 阿們