09-18-2011: 恩典的碎渣兒
- 信息題目
- 恩典的碎渣兒
- 講員
- 蔡佳君牧師
- 引用經文
- 馬可福音 7:24–30
信息總結
一、多種族社會的難題
今天的經文十分難解。耶穌與一位腓尼基婦人的對話可以引起許多爭論。耶穌似乎選擇在一個不恰當的時機、地點，提起一個不恰當的議題，也就是種族議題。經文告訴我們，耶穌來到推羅、西頓這兩個以經商貿易聞名的海港城市，而以這個地區為基地，向地中海四圍各地航行，經商致富的，正是腓尼基族人。耶穌來到腓尼基人的重鎮，遇到腓尼基族的婦女跪求在祂腳前。耶穌接下來所講的一段話，暗指腓尼基人是狗，如果這位腓尼基婦人沒有好好回應耶穌所講的話，恐怕在說話的現場就要引起暴動了。
耶穌基督並非不了解種族的問題。但耶穌面臨一個實況，就是，祂雖然是道成肉身的上帝，卻要在有限的處境之下傳達無限的真理。基督徒所相信的是絕對的善，然而，當這絕對的善要在相對善惡的環境呈現出來的時候，受到時空背景與處境的影響。在這段經文的情境之下，耶穌所要教導的對象，並不是腓尼基婦女，而是跟隨耶穌的猶太人，以及在當地是多數的，有著傲人傳統的腓尼基人。
一個腓尼基族的婦人跪求在一個年輕的猶太拉比面前，是一個非常地突兀的畫面。耶穌一語道破這樣的種族矛盾，祂說，在猶太人的眼中，無論再尊貴的外邦人都是狗，而腓尼基婦人向耶穌所求的，是一種猶太人認為不屬於外邦人的恩典。耶穌的表達沒有失去猶太人的身分，端看腓尼基婦人如何接招，而且，無論如何接招，耶穌都準備給在場的群眾上一課。
二、非要不可的恩典
在這個故事當中，這位腓尼基婦人是被逼急了。耶穌手上有腓尼基婦人無論如何都要得到的，就是生命。經文對這位婦人身分有清楚的描寫，但她來見耶穌，沒有使用她是希臘人的身分，也沒有提及她是高貴的腓尼基人;她只是一個焦急的母親。她什麼方法都試過了，可是救不了她的女兒，所以她不顧顏面大聲呼叫耶穌的名。
有時我們生命的處境就是這樣急迫，這位母親顧不得恩典是屬於誰的，因為這是她女兒得救的唯一希望。
耶穌聽見這婦人的喊叫，祂明白這位婦人的困境，祂更知道這位婦人採取的做法，已經可能引起兩個族群的緊張衝突。於是，耶穌有目的地將眾人的焦點轉移到自己身上。然而，腓尼基的婦人給在場的眾人一個比標準答案更好的回答。耶穌連教導都可以不用了，連引起種族衝突的罪名都消除了，因為無論是猶太人或腓尼基人一定都覺得這女人瘋了，竟然承認自己是狗！群眾的情緒從緊張變成同情。腓尼基婦人的智慧使人不得不佩服，而我們也可以這樣說，她連自己的尊嚴都放棄了，只想得到耶穌手上的拯救。
三、碎餅渣的威力
餅乾碎屑的價值與餅的價值是一樣的，它的滋味與營養都是一樣的，只要吃得夠，就能得到飽足。能夠吃餅的兒女們知不知道還有人需要這些餅乾碎屑，還是連自己有餅都不知道珍惜？
四、跨越族群的信心
腓尼基婦人在生命走到谷底的時候，緊緊地抓住讓她的生命得救的恩典，哪怕是一點點碎渣兒。我們這些領受恩典大餅的兒女們呢？我們是否會緊緊抓住耶穌基督為我們贏得的生命？我們是否願意分享這個恩典的大餅呢？如果我們像腓尼基婦人一樣，深知救恩的價值，我們就能跨越種族，自尊，身份地位，貧富差距，而得到拯救。
五、踏上漫長的歸途
父神的心情，如同這位婦人一樣的焦急，迫切，於是耶穌基督來到這世界上，祂不顧尊嚴，離開天上的寶座，為了兒女的需要贏得生命，確保每個人都能藉由相信祂，而回到天父上帝的身邊，不受種族、身份地位、貧富差距、職業貴賤、累積功德的多寡而影響。這樣的愛是何等的長、闊、高、深！連仇敵都在拯救名單當中。因為每個人都回到恩典的家才是天父上帝的心意。
Sermon Summary
- Topic
- The Crumbs of Grace
- Scripture
- Mark 7:24–30
- Speaker
- Rev. Annie Tsai
1. Dilemma in a Multi-Racial Society
The passage for today can easily cause misinterpretations. It seemed that Jesus picked an inappropriate time and place and raised an inappropriate subject; the subject of races. Scripture says that Jesus came into Tyre and Sidon: the two sea port cities famous for trade, while the race based on these cities and excelled in sea voyages happened to be the Phoenicians. Coming to the stronghold of Phoenicians, Jesus faced a Phoenician woman kneeling before him. In the following dialogue, Jesus seemed to indicate that Phoenicians were dogs. A riot was brewing if the Phoenician woman did not respond to Jesus’ comment with wisdom.
It is not that Jesus did not realize racial tensions. A fact He faced, however, was that, as the incarnated God, He needed to express the infinite truth in a finite context of time and space. Similarly for Christians, the good that we believe is the absolute good. But this absolute good is limited when manifested in a relative circumstance. In this passage, the subject of Jesus’ teaching is not the Phoenician woman, but the Jews who followed Him and the indigenous Phoenicians who carried with them a noble tradition.
The image of a Phoenician woman knelling before a young Jewish Rabbi is a disturbing scene. Jesus wasted no time in pointing out the conflict between races. He said that in the eyes of the Jewish nation, a Gentile race is considered “dogs” regardless of its “nobility” and the grace that this Phoenician woman was asking belonged to Jews only. Jesus lost no ground (of being a Jew) by giving His response, but it now would depend on how the woman would respond. And, no matter how she would respond, Jesus was prepared to teach everyone at the scene a lesson.
2. The Must-Have Grace
In this story, this Phoenician woman was pushed to the brink. Jesus has one thing, the grace of life, which she has to have. Scripture describes this woman in detail, but when she approached Jesus she did not rely on her status of being a Greek or her background of being a noble member of the Phoenician society; she was simply a mother with a great need. She tried everything to save her daughter, and to no avail. Therefore, disregarding her reputation, she called out to Jesus loudly.
And sometimes this is the situation in our life. This mother could not care less about whom this grace belonged to, because this is her daughter’s only hope.
Jesus heard her cry, He understood her difficult situation, but He also realized that her behavior might cause tension between races. Therefore Jesus purposely shifted the focus of the crowd to Himself. But this Phoenicia woman responded better than the “standard answer”, to the point that Jesus did not have to teach and the accusation of causing racial tension was erased, because everyone there, Jews and Phoenicians, were thinking that this woman must have gone mad – she admitted that she is a “dog”! The emotion of the crowd turned from tension to pity. The wisdom of the Phoenician woman is indeed commendable. But it is also appropriate to note that she was willing to give up her dignity in order to obtain the saving grace from Jesus.
3. The Power of the Crumbs
The value of the crumbs is identical with that of the bread - the taste and nutrition are the same and as long as there are sufficient crumbs, one can be well fed. For the children that have the privilege of enjoying the bread, do they realize that there are people needing these crumbs? Or, do they even cherish the bread which belongs to them?
4. The Faith that Crosses Racial Boundaries
When the Phoenician woman was at the deep of the valley of her life, she held onto the grace that saves, even if it is only a few crumbs. For the children that inherit the bread of grace, do we know to hold onto the life that Jesus had won for us? And are we willing to share this grace with others? Like this Phoenician woman, if we truly know the value of the saving grace, then we will be able to cross the hurdles of race, dignity, status, and money and obtain salvation.
5. Stepping onto the Long Journey Home
The heart of the Heavenly Father is like this woman – worried, concerned. And He sent His son to this world, leaving His dignity and His heavenly throne behind, to win the life for His children and to ensure that by having faith in Him, we will all be brought back to His side, regardless of race, dignity, status, money, job, and merit. How long and wide and high and deep is this love! Even enemies are among those who are saved. Because it is the will of the Father that we all return to the House of Grace.
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