9. Manna issue 62 - Praying for Healing 祈求醫治
Vincent Yeung—Cambridge, UK 英國劍橋
People often use the expression “We need a miracle.”
To them, a miracle is something that has a minimal chance of occurring.
When someone survives a car crash or when there are no fatalities in a disaster,
people would say that it was a miracle.
人們常說，“我們需要奇蹟”。
對他們來說，奇蹟就是發生機率極小的事件。
當有人車禍中倖存下來，或是災難中沒有死亡事故時，
大家都會說，這是一個奇蹟。
The word is now devoid of its religious meaning,
having nothing to do with God anymore.
To most people, life is just a random process and miracles part of that description.
Even for Christians, miracles are things of the distant past
—plentiful in Jesus’ time and in the apostolic church
but almost non-existent today, especially in the western world.
這個詞彙現在已經失去了宗教的意義，
與神的不再有任何關係。
對大多數人來說，生命只是一個隨機發生的過程，奇蹟也是這個描述方式的一部分。
即使對基督徒來說，神蹟亦是遙遠過去的事情
—在耶穌時代和使徒教會中大量發生，
但是現今幾乎已不存在，尤其是在西方世界。
Miracles are not normally in the forefront of our minds.
They appear only when something is getting out of hand
and we have no choice but to turn to God for help.
It’s no wonder that we see fewer and fewer miracles today.
Is God less powerful today then in the past?
Is God more accessible in Africa,
where miracles seem to be commonplace?
神蹟通常不會出現在我們的腦海的重要位置上。
它們僅在事情失控時才出現，
因為我們別無選擇，只能向神求助。
難怪我們今天看到的神蹟越來越少。
神今天的力量是否不如過去呢？
在非洲更容易接近神嗎？
哪裡的神蹟似乎司空見慣？
Many members who need our intercession are suffering from cancer
or other chronic or fatal illnesses.
When we pray for them, do we do so out of habit?
Are we expecting a miracle?
許多信徒需要我們代禱，都罹患了癌症，
或是其他類型的慢性或重大疾病。
當我們為他們禱告時，我們這樣做是出於慣例嗎？
我們會期待出現奇蹟嗎？
We need to reconnect with God
and rediscover the meaning of miracles and our relationship with and trust in Him.
我們需要重新與神聯繫，
並且重新發現，神蹟的意義，我們與祂的關係，及對祂的信靠。
PRAYER AND COMPASSION COMES FIRST 祈禱憐憫為先
When we are in good health,
it is difficult to fathom the suffering of those who are severely hindered by their illnesses.
The unburdened and well off thank God for their many blessings,
taking good health for granted,
assuming that those who are suffering from serious illnesses
are also able to have the same healthy, spiritual stamina.
當我們身體健康的時候，
會很難去理解，探測那些因疾病而嚴重受阻之人所承受的痛苦。
沒有負擔和富裕的人，感謝神賜給他們許多祝福，
把身體健康視為理所當然，
認為那些患有嚴重疾病的人，
也能夠具有同樣健康和屬靈的耐力。
But being struck with an illness
or afflicted with a long-term chronic condition
does create a hindrance and may prevent people
from having the right mindset to pray to God.
Anger and frustration with their situation creep in,
pain makes it difficult to concentrate,
and fatigue makes long prayers impossible.
但若招受疾病擊倒，
或是患有長期的慢性病，
就確實會造成阻擋，並可能阻止人們，
能擁有正確的心態，而向神祈禱。
對他們的情境，憤怒和沮喪潛伏而入，
痛苦會使人難以集中注意力，
疲勞會使長時間的禱告，難以維持。
It is helpful to shower the sick with sympathy and physical support,
but, more importantly, we need to help bring them to God.
向病人提供同情和物質的支持是有幫助的，
但更重要的是，我們需要幫助他們來到神面前。
There are a number of examples in the Bible where the sick were brought to Jesus,
such as the blind man at Bethsaida
(Mk 8:22)
and the deaf man at the border of the Decapolis
(Mk 7:32).
聖經中有很多例子，病人被帶到耶穌的面前，
例如，伯賽大的盲人
（可 8：22）
和低加波利境內的聾子
（可 7：32）。
The ultimate example of support that won the heart of Jesus
was the case of a paralytic, recorded in Mark chapter 2.
Not only did people carry him to Jesus,
they had to lower the paralytic, on his bed, from the roof.
贏得耶穌歡心支持的最棒例子，
馬可福音第 2 章，記載了一個癱子的案例。
人們不只把他帶來到耶穌那裡，
他們還將癱瘓病人放到床上，從屋頂垂下來。
This troublesome and arduous effort would have been too much for unconcerned people to perform.
However, the formidable faith of these men in bringing the paralytic to Jesus
did not go unnoticed
(Mk 2:5).
Seeing their faith, Jesus was moved to heal the paralytic
(Mk 2:11, 12).
這種麻煩又費力的工作，對於那些不關心的人，是很難完成的。
然而，這些人對將癱子帶到耶穌面前的堅定信心
並沒有受到忽視
（可 2：5）。
看見他們的信心，耶穌很感動的醫治了癱子
（可 2：11，12）。
We should not underestimate the power of intercession,
even if we are not the person in suffering
or part of their close circle of family and friends.
Our love and empathy towards the sick and our unmovable trust in Jesus
manifested as selfless sacrifices will touch His heart.
我們不應該低估代禱的力量，
即使我們不是受苦的人，
或是他們親密的家人朋友圈的一部分。
我們對病人的愛心和同情，以及自已堅信耶穌，
就會展現為無私的犧牲，則會感動祂的心。
Compassion and faithful action are particularly important
when the sick are incapable of praying for themselves,
whether they are children, in a coma, depressed, or debilitated by their illnesses.
However, the intercession of others is not enough.
The faith of those who are sick and their family
are also important in bringing about a miracle.
憐憫和信心的行動尤其重要，
由其是病人無法為自己祈禱的時候，
無論他們是兒童、昏迷、內心憂鬱，或因病而產生虛弱。
然而，僅靠別人代禱是不夠的。
病人及其家人的信心，
對於創造奇蹟也很重要。
A HEALTHY STATE OF MIND 心智健全的狀態
Faith Is Needed for a Miracle to Happen 信心需要有神蹟發生
As the saying goes, you can lead a horse to water but you can’t make him drink.
We can bring someone to church and pray with and for him,
but ultimately he needs to believe and have trust in Jesus.
俗話說，你可以把馬牽到水邊，但你不能強迫他喝水。
我們可以帶某人去教會，與他一起祈禱，並為他祈禱，
但最終，他需要信主，而且信靠耶穌。
When the church intercedes for someone who is sick and he does not improve,
it appears as if Jesus failed to listen to our prayers.
In such cases, we should ask ourselves:
Is it God’s will that this person should not recover?
Are we praying hard enough?
Have we sinned against God, thereby making our prayer ineffective?
當教會為病人代禱，而他卻沒有好轉時，
看起來耶穌似乎沒有垂聽我們的禱告。
在這種情況下，我們應該詢問自己：
難道這是神的旨意，不讓這個人康復嗎？
我們很努力禱告嗎？
我們有沒有得罪了神，因而使我們的禱告無效呢？
If these questions are not the problem,
we have to consider the faith of the one we are praying for.
Even Jesus could not help when people refused to believe in Him.
When He went back to His hometown,
people despised Him because they knew His family and His upbringing.
They had heard of His mighty power and acknowledged His wisdom,
yet they refused to accept and believe
(Mk 6:1-6).
如果這些問題都不是問題的時候，
我們必須思想，大家代禱者的信心。
當別人拒絕信耶穌的時候，即使是耶穌也無能為力。
當祂回到家鄉時，
大家鄙視祂，因為他們認識祂的家庭和祂的成長經歷。
他們已聽過祂的大能，承認祂的智慧，
但他們拒絕接受和相信
（可 6：1-6）。
The Gospel according to Mark highlights an important fact
—because of their unbelief,
Jesus “could do no mighty work there,
except that He laid His hands on a few sick people and healed them”
(Mk 6:5).
根據馬可福音，強調了一個重要的事實，
—因為他們的不信，
“5耶穌就在那裡不得行甚麼異能，
不過按手在幾個病人身上，治好他們。”
（可 6：5）。
God’s power is limitless,
but His work is constrained and curtailed by man’s faithlessness.
Therefore, Jesus exhorted,
“If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes”
(Mk 9:23).
It is up to us, not God, to make miracles happen.
神的力量是無限的，
但他的工作卻因人的不信而受到限制和限制。
因此，耶穌勸告說：
“23你若能信，在信的人，凡事都能。”
（可 9：23）。
創造奇蹟的責任在於我們，而不是上帝。
Faith and Unbelief Coexist 信心與不信共存
The disciples were often noted to be of “little faith”
(Mt 6:30, 8:26, 14:31, 16:8; Lk 12:28).
It is ironic that Jesus’ followers were so close to Him,
praying with Him and learning from Him,
yet so far away from Him in faith.
門徒常被認為是“小信心”，
（太 6：30，8：26，14：31，16：8；路 12：28）。
諷刺的是，耶穌的追隨者與祂如此親近，
與祂一起祈禱，並向祂學習，
然而在信心上卻離祂很遙遠。
Our faith and trust in Jesus are no different;
they peak and ebb with the events in our life.
When we are close to God, such as
when we attend spiritual convocation and theological training,
we feel energized and empowered by God.
When we are knocked off our course by unforeseen events,
when we or our loved one are afflicted with illness,
doubt creeps in and our faith falters.
我們對耶穌的信心和依靠，並沒有什麼不同；
它們隨著我們生活發生的事件，而達到頂峰和低潮。
當我們親近神的時候，例如，
當我們參加靈恩會和神學訓練班時，
我們感受到神給我們能量和力量。
當我們因為不可見的事件而偏離道路時，
當我們或我們所愛之人生病時，
懷疑的心潛行而入，我們的信心就動搖了。
Knowing our limitations as mere mortals,
it is not shameful to tell others that we are weak and need help.
A father once asked Jesus for help
because his son had a mute spirit in him
(Mk 9:17).
Jesus exhorted the father to believe in God,
yet the father cried out,
“Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!”
(Mk 9:24).
了解自已作為凡人的局限性，
告訴別人自已很軟弱，且需要幫助，這並不可恥。
有一位父親曾經向耶穌尋求幫助，
因為他的兒子體內有一個沉默的靈
（可 9：17）。
耶穌勸告父親要信神，
然而父親卻大聲喊叫：
“24我信！但我信不足，求主幫助。”
（可 9：24）。
The antithesis between belief and unbelief is astounding.
The two co-exist and intertwine within our hearts.
The struggle between faith and reason, trust and distrust, patience and frustration,
plays out within our heart.
We constantly wonder, God is able but is He willing?
信與不信之間的對立令人震驚。
兩者在我們心中共存、交纏。
信仰與理性、信與不信、耐心與挫折之間的博鬥，
在我們心裡上演。
我們常常思想，神有能力，但祂願意嗎？
We should not fall into the trap of thinking that a good Christian is a perfect Christian.
There is no doubt that
“whatever is not from faith is sin”
(Rom 14:23).
However, we are deluding ourselves
if we say that we have absolute faith and have no sin
(1 Jn 1:8).
我們不應該掉入這樣的陷阱，認為一個好的基督徒就是完美的基督徒。
這一點毋庸置疑，
“23凡不出於信心的都是罪。”
（羅 14：23）。
然而我們卻在欺騙自己，
如果我們說，自已有絕對的信心，並且沒有罪
（約壹 1：8）。
Weaknesses and sin are a part of life.
While we are on earth, we will still be prone to falling short of God’s glory.
But that does not mean we cannot come before God to ask for forgiveness and help.
弱點和罪惡是生活的一部分。
當我們在地上時，我們仍然易於虧缺神的榮耀。
但這並不代表，我們不能來到神的面前，請求寬恕和幫助。
Jesus did not reject the father or rebuke him
because of his unbelief.
Instead,
He showed mercy by casting out the spirit from the boy.
耶穌並沒有拒絕父親，或是責備他，
因為他的不信。
反而，
他生出憐憫，趕出了男孩的惡靈。
Jesus can feel and understand our infirmities and hopelessness,
and we are able to obtain mercy and find grace in our time of need
(Heb 4:15, 16).
All we need to do is to pick up whatever little and feeble faith we have
and plead to Him for help:
“Lord, help my unbelief!”
耶穌能感受且明白我們的軟弱和絕望，
在需要的時候，我們能夠獲得憐憫和恩典
（來 4：15，16）。
我們只需要做的就是，拾起自已所擁有的微弱的信心，
並向祂請求幫助：
“我信不足，求主幫助。！”
Trust in God During Healing 醫療期間信靠神
We often ask ourselves whether we should we take medicine
or go to the doctor when we are not well.
Often, the prevailing mentality is,
“Surely the faithful seek God’s help rather than solve their problem using their own means.”
我們常問自己，是否應該去吃藥，
或是當我們身體不舒服的時候，去看醫生。
通常，普遍的心態是，
“信心充足的人當然會尋求神的幫助，而不是用自己的方式解決問題。”
The tension between seeking God’s healing alone
and using medicine to relieve suffering was already being voiced 180 years before Jesus’ time:
Ben Sirach, a Jewish scholar and scribe,
suggested that doctors’ skills and remedies came from God.
單是要不要尋求神醫治之間的緊張關係，
早在耶穌時代 180 年前，人們就已經提出使用藥物來減輕病痛：
本．西拉赫（Ben Sirach），是一位猶太學者和文士，
認為醫生的技能和治療方法都是來自神。
It is true that God has granted humans wisdom,
which has resulted in innovation and advancement.
Seeking medical help is not a sign of faithlessness,
but we should be aware of its limitations.
Medicine and doctors can do a lot of good,
but the power of healing ultimately lies with God.
In fact, praying for God’s help and receiving medical treatment go hand in hand.
確實，神賜給了人類智慧，
這帶來了創新和進步。
尋求醫療的協助並不代表沒有信心，
但我們應該了解到它有其限制。
醫藥和醫生可以做很多好事，
但最終醫治的力量在於神。
事實上，祈求神的幫助，和得到治療是相輔相成的。
Many miracles in the Bible happened instantaneously.
Jesus uttered a word and immediately the paralytic arose
(Mk 2:12),
the leprosy left the leper
(Mk 1:42),
and the deaf-mute’s ears opened and his tongue loosed
(Mk 7:35).
However, sometimes healing was a process rather than an event.
聖經中許多的神蹟都是瞬間發生的。
耶穌說了一句話，癱子就立刻站起來
（可 2：12），
痲瘋病離開了痲瘋病人
（可 1：42），
聾啞人士的耳朵張開，而他的舌頭鬆開
（可 7：35）。
然而，有時候治療是一個過程，而不是一個事件。
There was an exceptional example in Mark where healing took place gradually.
Jesus spat on a blind man’s eyes and put His hands on him.
The blind man could see again but not clearly.
Jesus put His hands on his eyes again and made him look up,
and his sight was restored
(Mk 8:23-25).
馬可福音有一個特殊的例子，在那裡痊癒是逐漸發生的。
耶穌吐唾沫在一個瞎子的眼睛上，並按手在他身上。
盲人又能重見光明，卻看不很清楚。
耶穌又把手放在他的眼睛上，讓他抬頭向上看，
而他的視力就恢復了
（可 8：23-25）。
We may wonder at the purpose of this gradual healing,
as Jesus could have healed the man instantly without touching him.
The process of gradual improvement to complete recovery can be a tumultuous path for the sick;
any setback in their treatment is a blow to their morale and chips away their trust in God.
我們可能想知道，這種逐漸醫治的目的，
因為耶穌可以在不碰到他的情況下，立即醫治他。
對病人來說，從逐漸好轉到完全康復的過程，可能是一條坎坷的路；
他們治療的任何挫折，都會打擊他們的士氣，削弱他們對神的信任。
Yet, God wants us to have total trust in Him.
The suffering we experience serves as a reminder of our frailty and dependence on God.
Job described his suffering as a refinement process
—his faith would be like pure gold
after the dross and impurities have been removed by the fire of tribulation.
然而，神希望我們完全信任祂。
我們體驗的苦難，提醒我們自已的軟弱，以及需要依賴神。
約伯將自已的苦難描述為一個精煉的過程，
—他的信心將會像純金一樣，
經過苦難的火焰將那些渣滓和雜質除去之後。
We should not underestimate God’s power in our healing,
even if we are receiving medical treatment and praying for God’s healing simultaneously.
We should not neglect God’s guiding hand
and how He navigates our path to recovery.
Though this path may be long and filled with small victories instead of instant health,
we cannot waver in our faith and trust in His power.
我們不應該低估神醫治我們的能力，
即使我們一邊接受治療，一邊祈求神的醫治。
我們不應該忽視神引導之手，
以及祂如何引導我們走向康復。
雖然這條路可能很漫長，充滿了小小的勝利，而不是立即的康復，
我們不能動搖自已的信心，並且相信祂的力量。
It is ultimately God who decides whether or not we will respond to treatment.
We should be thankful for His providential care,
understanding that God’s healing is not necessarily always a dramatic event.
Every little grace and care along our path to recovery should be seen as God’s healing hand.
最終是由神決定，是否我們對治療有所反應。
我們應該感謝祂的眷顧，
了解到神的醫治，不一定總是戲劇性的事件。
在我們康復之路的每一個小小的恩典和關懷，都應被視為是神醫治的手。
FAITH AND MIRACLES 信心與神蹟
From a secular perspective, a miracle is an event that does not follow the laws of nature.
From a biblical perspective, a miracle (σημειον),
which is also translated as “sign,” is associated with healing
(Act 4:22),
wonders, and power
(2 Cor 12:12).
從世俗的角度來看，神蹟是不遵循自然法則的事件。
從聖經的角度來看，神蹟（σημειον），
也被翻譯為“異象”，是與醫治有關
（徒 4：22），
奇蹟和力量
（林後 12：12）。
In Jesus’ ministry, preaching the kingdom of God and healing all kinds of sickness
are indissolubly linked
(Mt 4:23, 9:35).
Sin and death reigned in the world because of Adam
(Rom 5:12; cf. Gen 3:22),
but through faith many were delivered spiritually and physically
(Mk 2:5; Mt 9:22).
Through the power of Jesus’ name, many were healed
(Acts 4:10),
demonstrating God working among His chosen people
(Acts 15:12).
在耶穌的服事中，宣傳神的國度，並且醫治各種疾病
有著不可分解的聯繫
（太 4：23，9：35）。
因為亞當的原故，罪和死亡統治了世界
（羅 5：12；參考，創 3：22），
但是透過信仰，許多人在屬靈和肉體上都得到了拯救
（可 2：5；太 9：22）。
藉著耶穌聖名的力量，許多人得了醫治
（徒 4：10），
展示了神在祂選民中的工作
（徒 15：12）。
Miracles still happen in our church today:
a sister in Africa was pronounced dead
but was brought back to life by prayer;
a demon-possessed woman was restored after intercession and denouncing idol worship;
a brother who was afflicted with a terminal brain tumor returned home to die after baptism,
but God empowered him to live and bear witness to his family and local villagers.
This brother’s unmovable faith and inner peace enabled him to bring many to believe.
今天，神蹟仍在我們的教會發生：
非洲有一位姊妹被宣告死亡，
但藉著禱告又復活了；
有一名被鬼附的婦女，在代禱並譴責偶像崇拜後，而得到了康復；
有一位患有晚期腦腫瘤的弟兄，洗禮後才回家後去世，
而神賜給他生存的力量，並為他的家人和當地村民作見證。
這位弟兄堅定不移的信心和內心的平安，使他帶許多人來信。
There are clouds of witnesses to God’s guiding hand during illnesses and rehabilitations,
which are too numerous to recount here.
在疾病和復原的過程中，有無數的見證者見睹了神的引導之手，
數量實在太多，無法在此一一列舉。
God works in mysterious ways in our life,
so we do not know the timing of His healing or the path that it will take.
Yet, we should bear in mind that
God can only work in us and in those we pray for
according to the depth and breath of our trust in Him.
神以神秘的方式，在我們的生命中作工，
所以我們不知道祂醫治的時機，也不知道祂醫治的方式。
然而，我們應該記住，
神只能在我們裡面，以及在那些我們代禱人的身上做工，
依照我們對祂信任的深度和我們信靠祂的一瞬間。
Death and illness are inevitable (Heb 9:27),
but, as long as Jesus reigns in our heart,
we are empowered to overcome the anxiety and sorrow death causes in us.
On one level, miracles restore health, but, on a higher level,
they denote the comfort, peace, and tranquility
that belief and trust in God bring.
死亡和疾病是不可避免的（來 9：27），
但是，只要耶穌在我們心中掌權，
我們會得到力量，克服死亡在我們身上造成的焦慮和悲傷。
在一方面，神蹟可以康復，但是，在更高的層面上，
它們代表著舒適、平安和平靜，
是信主及信靠神所帶來的。
Miracles come only
with an unmovable trust in God, support from friends and family, and two well-worn knees.
只有堅定不移的信靠神、有朋友和家人的支持、及兩片跪下磨損嚴重的膝蓋，
才會發生神蹟。
小頁 markvmax@hotmail.com
歡迎主內同靈來信加入翻譯
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