“The Gift of Seeing 看見的恩賜 (華語)”
From March 22nd, 2020
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  • 經文 / Scripture: 約翰福音 John 9:1- 4以弗所書 Ephesians5:8-14
  • 語言 / Language: English & 華語
  • 講道人 / Preaching: Rev. Aline Russell
  • 司會 / Liturgist: 吳岳松 Jonathan Wu
  • 投影片 / Slides: 李曉寒 Emma Li
  • 翻譯 / Interpreter: 施建誠 Michael Shih, 林子凱 Kevin Lin,賴榮輝 George Lai

Church Bulletin | Children’s Bulletin 1 | Children’s Bulletin 2 | Sunday School Schedule


STLTPC Sunday worship YouTube playlist is listed below (total 6 video clips, and captions are available). 本主日崇拜YouTube播放列表列於下方 (共6個視頻片段,字幕可開啟)。


English 中文翻譯
[LIGHT IS A BLESSING OF OUR TIME] [光是我們這世代的祝福]
Light and the ability to see has been brought forcefully to my consciousness lately. 我最近強烈地感受到亮光、和看得見是一種能力。
When I began my ministry at the Taiwanese Presbyterian Church, it was late summer, and had daylight savings time. 當我開始在台灣長老教會的事工時,正是夏末,並且有夏令時間。
Since it stayed light so late, I had no problem thinking about evening meetings. 當時太陽下山的晚,所以我想說參加傍晚的會議、應該沒有問題。
As we moved into Fall, and especially after Daylight Savings Time ended, I realized that driving for 50 plus minutes after dark was not quite as easy as it used to be, especially if it was rainy or misty. 當我們進入秋天時,尤其是夏令時間結束後,我才意識到,天黑後開車50分鐘以上並不像之前容易,尤其是雨天或有大霧。
I noticed that reading was also becoming more difficult. 我也發現閱讀變得越來越困難。
A trip to my eye doctor explained this for me. 我的眼科醫生解釋了這一點。
I had cataracts, he said, and ones that are pretty advanced. 他說,我患有白內障,而且其中一眼並不輕微。
No change in glasses would help. 戴眼鏡沒有任何幫助。
The only thing that would is surgery to remove the cataracts. 唯一可以做的,就是動手術就是清除白內障。
As most of you know, I had one cataract removed a couple of weeks ago. 大家都知道,幾週前我移除了一眼的白內障。
The transformation is remarkable. 這是個相當驚人的轉變。
Before, the world generally appeared overcast. 之前,世界常像是被雲籠罩。
Rooms were always too dark, but a VERY bright sunny day could lift my spirits. 房間總是太暗,只有陽光極為燦爛的日子能讓我振奮精神。
I missed the light! 我過去懷念光亮!
Now, everything is different. 現在,一切都不一樣了。
I can still close my left eye and everything still looks the same: dark and muddy. 我仍舊可以閉上我的左眼,一切看起來依舊:黑如泥濘。
But if I close my right eye, or even when I look with both eyes, the world is much brighter all the time, the colors more vivid, and the blue of the sky is a very happy color. 但是,如果我閉上右眼,或用雙眼看時,世界變得更加明亮,色彩更加鮮豔。而天空的藍、是讓人非常快樂的。
And I see that pretty blue, as well as pretty greens and purples and yellows and reds all over the place! 我看見到處是那漂亮的藍色,以及漂亮的綠色,紫色,黃色和紅色!
[THE DARKNESS OF THE PAST WAS EVEN DARKER] [過去的黑暗甚至更加黑暗]
I’ve been reading a novel that is set in the 18th century. 我曾讀過一部十八世紀的小說。
They have candles, but not always the lovely kind we use for special occasions. 他們有蠟燭,但不像是我們在特殊場合使用的那種可愛蠟燭。
Some were made from animal fat, which contributed smells as well as light, and required the messy process of butchering animals. 一部分的蠟燭是由動物脂肪製成的,它不僅會發出光芒,還會散發祂的氣味,並且需要屠宰動物取得。
Some people were able to acquire beeswax for candles if they were wealthier or raised their own bees. 寬裕的人可以有蜂蠟的蠟燭,甚至可以自己養蜜蜂。
Beeswax candles burn more cleanly and reliably. 蜂蠟蠟燭、燒得更乾淨、可靠。
The only lamps that were available 2 hundred years ago used oil or grease with a cloth wick and produced only a little light and a lot of carbon. 兩百年前唯一的燈,是用布芯吸取燈油或油脂,產生一點點光和大量的碳。
Going to bed when the sun went down was the most sensible thing to do, but long winter nights last too long for humans to sleep through, so many people would wake about midnight, and toss and turn and worry for an hour or two before they could get back to sleep. 所以,太陽下山後、上床睡覺是最合理的選擇。但是漫長冬夜難以睡到天亮,因此許多人在午夜醒來後,輾轉反側,一兩小時後方能重新入睡。
It could be grim, lying there in the dark, especially if you were by yourself, with no escape like we have, of getting up to read or watch tv – or washing dishes or cleaning house—or calling someone on our cell phone if we get really desperate. 這會是很糟糕的。躺在黑暗中,特別是當你獨自一人,又不像我們一樣能讀書或看電視,洗碗或打掃房子,甚至如果你真的想的話、還可以打電話給別人。
And of course the same was true in New Testament times. 在新約聖經的時代也是如此。
Light after dark was rare and dim. 天黑後幾乎沒有光、而且昏暗。
Going out for fun was not really done, at least not by respectable people. 夜半尋歡並不實際,至少不是正派人士會做的事。
So darkness was a very powerful and negative thing in times past. 因此,在過去的時代,黑暗是一件非常巨大又消極的事。
We are very fortunate to be living in these times, despite the current danger from COVID 19. 儘管COVID-19帶來了當前的危險,我們依舊很幸運能生活在這個時代。
We have light. 我們有光。
And of course cars, ambulances, hospitals, intensive care, Facebook, and wealth undreamed of by most of the world. 當然,還有汽車、救護車、醫院、急重症醫療、Facebook和大部分的世人無法想像的財富。
Even my cataract surgery used light in the form of a laser! 甚至我的白內障手術也使用雷射光!
Physical light is vitally important to us as we face this pandemic. 當我們面對這種病毒大流行時,這種物理的光線對我們來說至關重要。
Television reports, the light permitting researchers and medical professionals to care for people and to try to find ways to prevent or cure, and the light we need to travel at night when we need to. 根據電視報導,物理的光線讓研究人員和醫療人員得以照顧病人,或發現預防或治療方法。並讓我們在夜間中得以前進。
The light of truth, of accurate information, is also essential. 正確的信息所帶來真理的光,也是必要的。
[THE LIGHT BROUGHT BY JESUS CHRIST] [耶穌基督帶來的光]
The kind of light brought by Jesus Christ is vitally important as well. 耶穌基督帶來的光對生命也非常重要。
The image of Jesus being the light of the world is much more significant than we can usually imagine in our time. 耶穌是世上的光、這形象比我們這世代所想像的、要重要許多。
John 9 tells about an encounter Jesus had with a blind man. 約翰福音第9章講述了耶穌與一個盲人的遭遇。
The man hadn’t come to Jesus to ask for healing or anything else, but the disciples very rudely started talking about him. 這個人並沒有主動向耶穌尋求醫治或其他事,而是門徒們非常不禮貌地開始談論他。
They asked, “Teacher, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” 他們問:「老師,這個人生來就失明,是誰的罪造成的?是他自己的罪或是他父母的罪呢?」
In those days, people assumed that if you were sick of afflicted in some way, it was your fault or your parents’ fault. 在那個年代,人們以為你如果有疾病或痛苦,那是你或是你父母的錯。
Things are not much different today. 今日,事情沒有太大的不同。
We often blame people for their suffering. 我們經常把人的痛苦歸咎於他們自己。
We blame the sick for being sick. 我們責怪病人讓自己生病。
We blame the poor for being poor, we blame victims of assault for the assault, we blame parents for children born with handicaps. 我們責怪窮人使自己貧窮,責怪受暴力侵害的人自作自受,責怪父母使孩子天生殘疾。
However, Jesus said, “Neither this man nor his parents sinned! 但是,耶穌說:「他失明跟他自己或他父母的罪都沒有關係」
[JESUS ILLUMINATES THE NATURE OF SUFFERING] [耶穌照亮了苦難的本質]
With those few words, Jesus ended centuries of unnecessary suffering imposed by our judgments on people who are living with illness or handicaps or in poverty. 耶穌用簡短的幾個字,就平息了、因著我們批判,替生病、殘障或貧窮的人們所帶來、那數百年來不必要的痛苦。
As a society, we have gotten better about that, but that idea that bad things happen to people because they did something wrong is still there, even when not said out loud. 這個社會逐步有所改善,但將苦難的原因歸咎在個人的觀念依舊;只是隱而不揚。
The light of Christ sheds light on suffering and its causes. 然而基督的光,照亮了苦難及其根源。
Sin causes some suffering, but not all of it. 罪會帶來苦難,但不全然如此。
And sometimes the sin is the sin of someone else, or even of one of our institutions. 而且有時候、罪是他人、或其他團體所帶來的罪。
And anyway, all of us sin, but not all of us suffer equally. 但不論如何,我們都有罪,而我們所承擔的苦難並不都相同。
Jesus tells us how to respond to the suffering in the world. 耶穌告訴我們如何應對世上的苦難。
“4 We[] must work the works of him who sent me[] while it is day; night is coming when no one can work. 「趁著白天,我們必須做差我來那位的工作;黑夜一到,就沒有人能工作。」
5 As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” (John 9: 1 – 5) 「我在世上的時候,我就是世上的光。」(約翰福音9:4-5)
[WHAT WE ARE CALLED TO DO ABOUT SUFFERING] [苦難帶給我們的呼召]
Our work with Jesus is to forgive sins, heal the sick, preach good news to the poor, lift up the downtrodden, free the oppressed, and, I would add, “speak truth to power,” as the popular slogan says. 我們與耶穌的工作是赦免人的罪,醫治病人,向窮人宣講好消息,高舉被踐踏的,釋放被壓迫的,同時,我想加上「對權力說真話」,正如流行的口號所說。
Jesus approached the blind man and rubbed mud and [sacred] saliva on his eyes and told him to go wash it off. 耶穌走近盲人,用泥漿和[神聖]唾液,擦了他的眼,告訴他要洗淨。
This is one of the more disturbing stories of healing, I think. 我認為、這是令人困惑的醫治故事之一。
Not only was Jesus unusually assertive in this healing, he also used substances that would be the last thing we would think of to use. 耶穌不僅在治療過程中表現出了少見的獨斷,還使用了我們難以想見的方法。
Mud and saliva? 泥漿和唾液?
[RELIGIOUS PEOPLE CAN CAUSE HARM TO THOSE WHO ARE HEALED] [宗教人士可能會傷害到受醫治的人]
The other disturbing thing is what the blind man suffered after he could see. 另一個令人不安的事情是、盲人視力恢復後遭受的苦難。
His healing didn’t solve all his problems. 他的康復並不能解決他所有的問題。
In fact, it created new problems. 實際上,它產生了新的問題。
First of all, of course, were the hurtful remarks of the disciples, who were assuming that either he or his parents caused his blindness by their sinfulness. 首先,當然是門徒們傷人的話,他們認為是他或他的父母的罪孽而導致了他的失明。
But it went further than that! 但這遠不止於此!
His neighbors and people who had known him as a beggar started questioning whether it was the same man. 他的鄰居和與認識他行乞的人、開始質疑這是否是同一個人。
Then, they pushed him to tell them how he was healed, then asked him where to find to find the man who healed him, presumably to confront him as well. 於是,他們強迫這位被醫治的盲人講出是如何被治癒的,然後問他在哪裡可以找到醫治他的人,大概也要找他麻煩。
When he said he didn’t know, they took him to the Pharisees, who served as religious judges. 當他說不知道時,他們帶他去見擔任宗教法官的法利賽人。
Instead of rejoicing with him that he was healed, they tried to get him to question the source of that healing because it had been on the Sabbath. 他們不但沒有為他被醫治而感到高興,反而試圖質疑這種醫治能力的來源,因為醫治當天是安息日。
Then they took their inquisition even further and called the man’s parents in to confirm that he was actually their son and had actually been born blind. 他們甚至跟男子的父母調查,以確認他真的是他們的兒子,而且確認他的瞎眼是天生的。
They wanted to prove he wasn’t a fraud. 他們想證明他不是詐騙。
But the man’s parents claimed ignorance about his healing and more or less abandoned him. 但是該名男子的父母聲稱對他的醫治無知,或多或少放棄了他。
They said, “we do not know how it is that now he sees, nor do we know who opened his eyes. 他們說:「至於他現在怎麼會看見,是誰開了他的眼睛,我們都不知道。」
Ask him; he is of age. 「他已經成人了,你們去問他吧」
He will speak for himself.” (vs 21) 「讓他自己回答你們!」 (vs 21)
The man’s parents were afraid, because the religious leaders had already decided that anyone who said Jesus was the Messiah would be put out of the synagogue. 他的父母很害怕,因為宗教領袖已經決定、將任何說耶穌是彌賽亞的人、趕出會堂。
Then they called the poor man in again, and tried to get him to denounce Jesus as a sinner. 然後他們再次傳喚那個可憐的人,並試圖讓他譴責耶穌是個罪人。
The man’s answer is wonderful: “I do not know whether he is a sinner. 這個人的回答很棒:「他是不是罪人,我不知道」
One thing I do know, that though I was blind, now I see.” 「不過我知道一件事:我從前失明,現在能看見了。」
Perfectly honest, perfectly humble, but perfectly courageous in speaking his truth to the powerful. 他完全誠實、全然謙卑,又非常勇敢的向權勢者講真話。
The result was that they threw him out of the synagogue! 結果是他們把他趕出了會堂!
[THE MAN BECOMES A DISCIPLE] [成為門徒]
Jesus heard about this outrage and went to find the man. 耶穌聽說這件令人憤慨的事,就去找那個人。
Jesus asked him, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?”[] 36 The man answered, “And who is he, sir? 耶穌問他:「你信人子嗎?」36他回答:「先生,請告訴我他是誰,好讓我信他!」
[] Tell me, so that I may believe in him.” 37 Jesus said to him, “You have seen him, and the one speaking with you is he.” 38 He said, “Lord,[] I believe.” And he worshiped him. 37耶穌對他說:「你已經見到他,現在跟你講話的就是他。」38 他說:「主啊,我信!」就向耶穌下拜。 39 耶穌說:「我到這世上來的目的是要審判,使失明的,能看見;能看見的,反而失明。」
(vs. 35 – 39)” (第35 – 39節)”
The light of Jesus changes everything, but not necessarily in the way we expect. 耶穌的光改變了一切,但不一定按照我們所期望的方式
Jesus is at his most challenging in this story. 耶穌在這個故事中採取相當挑戰的姿態。
He describes himself and his followers in the starkest of terms. 他用最嚴厲的詞,描述了自己和他的追隨者。
“39 Jesus said, “I came into this world for judgment so that those who do not see may see, and those who do see may become blind.” 40 Some of the Pharisees near him heard this and said to him, “Surely we are not blind, are we?” 41 Jesus said to them, “If you were blind, you would not have sin. 39 耶穌說:「我到這世上來的目的是要審判,使失明的,能看見;能看見的,反而失明。」 40 在那裏的一些法利賽人聽見這話,就問他:「難道你把我們也當作失明的嗎?」 41 耶穌回答:「如果你們是失明的,你們就沒有罪;既然你們說『我們能看見』,那麼,你們仍然是有罪的。」
But now that you say, ‘We see,’ your sin remains.” 但是現在您說,“我們明白了,您的罪惡依然存在。”
[WHAT JESUS WANTS] [耶穌的期望]
The passionate desire of Jesus is for us to see. 耶穌渴望我們能看見。
That’s why he took the initiative to approach the man born blind. 這是為什麼他主動接近、這個生來瞎眼的人。
At the same time, Jesus was only too aware of the harm that those who do NOT see but CLAIM they do cause in the world. 同時,耶穌只是太清楚,那些明明瞎眼卻自以為可見的人,在世界上造成的傷害。
What a horrible way to treat a man who suffered blindness for years, and now has received this wonderful blessing of sight! 這位多年失明的人獲得醫治、得到光明,是何等美好的祝福,但是過程卻是如此的可怕!
To punish the man for this blessing and to separate him from his community of faith in the synagogue! 這個人為所受的祝福得到逞罰,並被趕出會堂,與他的信仰社群分離!
Jesus adds an interesting twist at the end. 耶穌在結尾添加了一個有趣的轉折。
It is not being blind that is sinful. 瞎眼不是罪。
It is claiming to SEE when in fact you are blind. 而是當你瞎眼時,卻聲稱可見,才是罪。
Believing we see is an easy trap for church members to fall into. 相信我們自己可以看見,是教會成員很容易掉入的陷阱。
Especially after being involved for a number of years, we start to believe we know all about faith and what it gives us and what it requires of us. 尤其是參與在教會多年之後,我們開始認為、我們了解信仰的本質、信仰所給予我們的、和信仰所要求我們的。
What this passage shows us that, first of all, we might be wrong. 而這段經文告訴我們的是,首先,我們可能是錯的。
But second of all, Jesus may have work for us to do that we don’t yet see or imagine. 不過,耶穌可能要讓我們在尚未看見、或是無法想像的事上作工。
And this is a condition that is lifelong. 而這樣的情況將是一生之久。
We don’t necessarily “grow up” and then know it all. 我們不一定要「長大」後自然知道這一切。
Being humble about how well we see God’s world and God’s mission is a necessary condition for seeing more. 要看見更多的必要條件是、謙虛地看、我們是否了解神的世界和祂的事工。
Let us pray that we come to realize some of the things we are still blind to and open our hearts to receiving the healing of Jesus Christ. 讓我們祈禱,使我們能意識到我們仍有看不見的事,並敞開心,接受耶穌基督的醫治。
Thanks be to God. 感謝上帝。
Amen. 阿們