五旬节十八

丧掉生命的必得着生命

——马太福音十六章廿五节

一粒麦子若要保全自己，那它始终是一粒，若是落在地里死了，就结出许多子粒来。五饼二鱼若要保全自己，那它始终是五饼二鱼，但交在主手里擘开之后，就能让几千人吃饱，还有多余。

衡量神儿女的生命丰盛与否，不是看他得了许多，而是看他舍去几何。属灵的“得”乃在于“失”，属灵的“生”乃在于“死”。

十字架的道路并非一条利己之路，而是一条舍己之路。主耶稣之所以成为我们生命之水、生命之粮，是因他在十字架上为万人舍了自己。没有一个为万人舍己的心志，就不配做主的门徒。主在召唤：“若有人要跟从我，就当舍己，背起他的十字架来跟从我。因为凡要救自己生命的，必丧掉生命；凡为我丧掉生命的，必得着生命。”求主使我们明白十字架的真谛，在一条舍己的路上跟随你。

Pentecost 18

Matthew 16:25

 For whoever would save his life will lose it,

and whoever loses his life

for my sake will find it.

  If a grain of wheat wants to preserve itself, when it will always be a grain of wheat. But if it falls to the ground and dies, then it will put forth many shoots. If the five loaves and two fishes wanted to save themselves, they would have remained five loaves and two fishes forever. But given into Jesus’ hands and broken, they were able to feed five thousand, with some left over.

  To test whether one of God’s children has life in all its fullness, we do not look at how much he or she has been given, but at how much he or she has given up. Spiritual “gain” is “loss.” The “life” of the spirit is “death.”

  The way of the cross is not one of self-benefit, but of losing the self. Jesus has become our water of life, because he gave himself up on the cross for all of us. Jesus calls: “If anyone would follow me, let him give up what he has, take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.” Oh Lord, make us understand the truth of the cross and follow you along the path of self-sacrifice.