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Manna issue 76 - The Thief, the Hired Hand and the Good Shepherd 小偷、雇工和好牧人

Answering the Lord’s call to pastor His sheep. 回應主的呼召，好好牧養祂的羊

Adapted from lectures by Jason Hu—Phoenix, Arizona, U.S.

參考 美國亞利桑那州鳳凰城 胡真盛 傳道 講道

Before Jesus ascended to heaven, He
commissioned His apostles to take up
the ministry of salvation, to “make
disciples of all the nations, baptizing
them in the name of the Father and
of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
teaching them to observe all things
that I have commanded you” (Mt
28:19–20).

在耶穌昇天之前，他交託許夕門徒要承接這得救福音的工作，
19所以，你們要去，使萬民作我的門徒，奉父、子、聖靈的名給他們施洗（或作：給他們施洗，歸於父、子、聖靈的名）。
20凡我所吩咐你們的，都教訓他們遵守。
(太 28：19-20)

As the church of God, our mission
is to preach the gospel of salvation
to the ends of the earth. But Jesus’
commission was two-fold: once a
believer has been baptized into the
flock, our duty is to “[teach] them
to observe all things that [Jesus]
commanded.” We should continue
to care for their spiritual needs.
Therefore, pastoral ministry is as
important as preaching. This was
further elaborated in Jesus’ final
instructions to Peter: to feed His
lambs, and to tend and feed His
sheep (Jn 21:15–17).

身為神的教會，我們的任務就是要把救贖的福音傳到地極。
但是耶穌的任務是二層的：一但有信徒接受了洗禮，進入羊圈之後，
我們的責任就是教導他們來遵守耶穌所有命令的事。
我們應該要繼續照顧他們屬靈的需求。
所以，牧養的事奉也像傳福音一樣很重要。
這個部份，也在耶穌最後對彼得的指示中，有更進一步詳細的描述：
去餵養小羊，去照顧和餵養祂的羊。(約 21：15-17)

Pastoral work does not only rest
with the ministers of the church—
the preachers, deacons and elders—
but also to church council members,
religious education teachers, parents,
and others who hold a leadership
role. In fact, most of us will be a
pastor at some point.

牧養的工作不只是落到了教會事工人員的身上-傳道，執事，和長老 -
而且也落在教會職務會成員的身上，宗教教育老師，父母親，或是其他帶有領導別人角色的人。
事實上，我們大部份的人，都將在某個時間點的時候，成為一個牧人

The parable of the good shepherd
(Jn 10:1–16) teaches us how to be
a good pastor. This passage records
three types of workers, each with
a different attitude. To be a worker
pleasing to God, we should approach
our pastoral duties with the correct
mindset.

好牧人的比喻 (約 10：1-16) 教導我們如何成為一個好牧人。
這段經節記載了三種類型的工人，他們每一個人都有不同的態度。
要成為一個讓神喜悅的工人，我們一定要用正確的心態，來完成自已牧養別人的責任。

THE THIEF 小偷

“Most assuredly, I say to you, he
who does not enter the sheepfold
by the door, but climbs up some
other way, the same is a thief and
a robber...The thief does not come
except to steal, and to kill, and to
destroy.”
(Jn 10:1, 10a)

1我實實在在的告訴你們，人進羊圈，不從門進去，倒從別處爬進去，那人就是賊，就是強盜。
10盜賊來，無非要偷竊，殺害，毀壞
(約 10：1，10a)

The first type of worker is the thief.
A thief is a person who takes what
does not belong to him. But to God,
withholding what should have been
given to the rightful owner is also
theft. For instance, the Israelites were
seen to have robbed God because
they did not offer to the Master what
was rightfully His (Mal 3:8–9).

第一種類型的工人是小偷。
小偷就是一個人，會去拿那些不屬於他東西的人。
但是對神而言，把應該要還給合法擁有者之物，私藏起來的人，也是小偷。
例如，以色列人就被看到對神之物加以搶劫，因為他們不獻上那些東西給原本的主人，而那些物品原本就屬於祂。

In the pastoral context today, what
have we withheld from the Master
and wrongfully treated as our own?

今日在有關牧養的上下文，我們對主人保留了什麼東西？並且錯誤認知以為這一切都是我們自已的？

One example is our children. They
are a heritage entrusted to us by
God (Ps 127:3). God wants us to
raise them to be godly offspring (Mal
2:15). And specifically, He reminds
us to diligently teach them about His
love, and His commands, statutes
and judgments (Deut 6:1–7). Yet,
we often raise them as though they
belong to us alone. Although we
may have baptized them as infants
and taken them to church, once
there is a conflict between church
and their studies, we teach them that
God and faith can wait. We tell them
that success waits for no man, so it is
acceptable to focus on building their
careers first—“God will understand”
that they are too busy for divine
work.

我們的小孩就是一個例子。
他們就神交託給我們的遺留之物。(iya  127.. 3)
神要我們扶養他們，成為一個聖潔屬神的後裔。(瑪 2：15)
特別是，祂提醒我們，要殷勤教導他們，有關祂的愛，祂的誡命，律例，和審判。(申 6：1-7)
然而，我們常常把他們扶養長大，就好像他們是屬於我們的擁有之物。
雖然我們在他們還是嬰孩的時候就幫他們受洗，帶他們到教會，
一旦教會和他們的學習情況有了衝突的時候，我們會教導他們，神和個人的信心都可以慢慢來。
我們會告訴他們，成功是不等人的，所以集中心力，把他們自已的職業弄好，是可以被接受的-"神會體諒人的軟弱"
他們只不過是太過於忙碌，所以沒有辨法作聖工而已。

The Lord’s command is for us to
feed these lambs and train them up
in the right way (Prov 22:6). We must
be vigilant not to fall into the trap
of defining the right way in secular
terms only, and end up feeding the
bodies and minds of our children, but
not their souls. We should not forget
they belong to God.

主對我們的命令是，餵養這些小羊，用正確的方法把他們訓練長大。(箴 22：6)
我們一定要時時警醒，不要掉落陷井，只用世俗的方式來看待原本正確的事，
到最後，只把他們的肉體和心智餵養長大，而沒有好好養成我們自已小孩的靈魂。
我們應該不要忘記，他們屬於神。

Another example is our brethren
in church. If we treat them as our
own, rather than God’s, we end
up suffering from “professional
jealousy” and competing with
co-workers. This is not without
precedent. On one occasion, the
disciples of John the Baptist came to
tell him indignantly that Jesus Christ,
the One whom he had baptized,
was Himself baptizing even more
people. Instead of being upset that
his younger relative appeared to be
encroaching on his territory, John
corrected his disciples with the
analogy of the bridal party (Jn 3:27–
30). Recognizing that Jesus was the
Christ (and the awaited bridegroom),
John honestly declared that he was
only the bridegroom’s friend, who
was to do the preparatory work of
priming the hearts of the people (the
bride). When Christ appeared, he
(John) rejoiced, and prepared to fade
into the background. John clearly
understood that his commission was
to pastor and to lead others to God,
not himself.

另一個例子是我們教會的弟兄姐妹。
若是我們待他們像自已的擁有物一樣，而不只是同為神的兒女，
我們最後就會產生"專業上忌妒"而受苦，並且和這些我?們的同工來競爭。
這種情況，以前並不是沒有例子。
有一次發生這種情況，施洗約翰的門徒很生氣的跑來告訴祂，
那個基督耶穌，那個曾經接受他施洗的人，現在卻幫更多人施洗。
他並沒有因此而受到挫折，這位比他年輕的親戚，看起來正漸漸的侵入祂的領域，
約翰就用新婚的比喻，來導正祂的門徒。(約 3：27-30)
因為他認知，耶穌就是基督，(並且也是正在等候的新郎)，約翰誠實宣告說，他只不過是新郎的朋友，
他來是為了要作這預先準備的工作，為了能把人民(新娘)的心給作好準備。
當基督出現的時候，約翰他反而很高興，準備好一切，要漸漸退入幕後。
約翰很清楚的明白，他的任務就是要來牧養，要帶領別人到神前，不是到他面前。

A thief lures sheep to himself not
because he wants to care for them,
but for other ulterior motives. Jesus
once spoke a parable depicting
such religious leaders and workers
who blatantly withheld the fruits of
the vineyard from the owner (Mk
12:1–12). This man had leased his
vineyard to vinedressers. However,
come harvest, the tenants refused to
give the fruit to the owner. They even
shamelessly beat the servants who
were sent by the master to collect the
harvest; and eventually killed the son
of the owner so that they could lay
hold of the inheritance (Mk 12:7).

小偷引誘羊群到他這裡來，不是因為他想要好好照顧他們，而是為了其他不可告人的動機。
耶穌曾經說了一個比喻，描寫那些宗教領導人和工人，會公然把葡萄園的果實搶奪過來，而不還給園主。(可 12：1-12)
這個人把他的葡萄園出租給修理園子的工人。
然而，當收穫的時候到來，這些佃農拒絕把果實給園主。
他們甚至無恥的鞭打許多僕人，他們都是主人派去要來收取收穫的僕人；
最後甚至殺了園主的兒子，這麼一來，他們就能暫時拖延園子被人繼承。

The Pharisees immediately
understood that the parable was
about them, and were so angry
that they sought to arrest Jesus.
The inheritance in Jesus’ parable
referred to the people of God. These
Pharisees were the vinedressers. They
knew that Jesus was alluding to the
fact that they had not been faithful
pastors. Their focus was on ritual and
rigid adherence to the letter of the
Law (Mt 23:1–36) rather than turning
people towards God’s righteousness
(Mt 23:24). In addition, when the
Son of Man came, the priests and
Pharisees were unwilling to give up
their authority and honor, so they
plotted to murder Him.

法利賽人馬上就知道，這個比喻是在說他們，所以就很生氣，他們就尋索機會要來逮捕耶穌。
耶穌比喻裡面提到的財產，指的就是神的子民。
這些法利賽人就像修理的園丁一樣。
他們知道，耶穌是在暗示，他們不是忠心的好牧人的這個事實。
他們只注重表面儀式，並且嚴格遵守律法條文表面的意思(太 23：1-36)，而不是把人的心，導向神的公義。(太 23：24)
除此之外，當人子來到的時候，眾祭司和許多法利賽人都不願意去放棄他們的權柄和榮耀，所以他們計劃去謀害祂。

As pastors of the Lord’s sheep
today, we must ensure we do not
fall into this trap (Ezek 34:2–4)—
ostensibly serving God, but actually
working for our own benefit.

今日主羊的牧人，我們一定要確認自已不會掉入這個陷井(結 34-2-4) - 
表面上在服事神，但實際上卻在為自已的利益才工作。

“Beware of false prophets, who
come to you in sheep’s clothing, but
inwardly they are ravenous wolves.”
(Mt 7:15)

15你們要防備假先知。他們到你們這裡來，外面披著羊皮，裡面卻是殘暴的狼。(太 7：15)

In these last days, another type of
thief will appear. He is not interested
in feeding the sheep, but just wants
to feed on the sheep! In order
to steal the sheep from the True
Shepherd, these thieves infiltrate
the sheep pen, appearing to be
part of the community. When they
have successfully lulled the sheep to
complacency through their apparent
sincerity, they then show their true
nature and lead the trusting sheep
to destruction. Paul spoke of a time
when false teachers would rise from
among the believers to lead them
astray (Acts 20:29–31). As we strive
to fulfill our pastoral commission, we
must always guard our hearts and
spirituality in order not to be used
by Satan to lead our brethren to
destruction.

在這末後的日子裡，另一種類型的小偷會出現。
他對餵養主羊完全沒有興趣，但只會想要把主羊當作餵養自已的機會！
為了要把群羊從真牧人那裡，把他們偷出來，這些小偷會滲入羊圈，外表看起來就好像是整個體契的一份子。
當他們用表面上的真誠，成功把羊騙到非常自滿，然後他們才顯出他們的本性，把那些信任他們的羊群，引到毀滅之地。
保羅說到，會有一段時間，那時假教師在從眾信徒中興起，要把眾信徒引偏離真道。(徒 20：29-31)
當我們努力去達成自已牧養的任務時，我們一定要常常警慎自已的內心和屬靈的生命，
這麼一來才不會被撒旦所利用，引領弟兄姐妹走到滅亡之地。

THE HIRED HAND 雇工

“But a hireling, he who is not the
shepherd, one who does not own
the sheep, sees the wolf coming and
leaves the sheep and flees; and the
wolf catches the sheep and scatters
them. The hireling flees because he
is a hireling and does not care about
the sheep.”
(Jn 10:12–13)

12若是雇工，不是牧人，羊也不是他自己的，他看見狼來，就撇下羊逃走；狼抓住羊，趕散了羊群。
13雇工逃走，因他是雇工，並不顧念羊。
(約 10：12-13)

The second type of pastor is the
hired hand. They are the dire
opposite of the thief who wants
to wrongfully keep the sheep for
himself. The hireling feels no sense of
ownership or responsibility towards
the sheep. It is just a means of
livelihood for him. He is unlikely to
exert himself too much for the sheep,
so those under his charge will suffer
from neglect. Such a hireling may not
personally prey on the sheep, but
because he cares more for himself
than for the sheep, the sheep are not
safe from predators.

第二種類型的牧者是雇工。
相對於小偷，相要用不正當的方式為自已來奪取羊隻，雇工也是可怕的。
為金錢工作的人，對這些羊群沒有感覺到是屬於自已的，也就沒有責任感。
對他們來說，看羊不過是維持生活的一種方式。
為這些羊群，他是不太可能出太多力，所以那些給他看顧的羊，就會因疏忽而受害。
這種為金錢工作的人，或許自已不會補食羊群當作自已的食物，
但是因為他們比起羊群更關心自已，羊群若是遇到掠食者來攻擊，並不是完全安全的。

By walking in front,
the shepherd is a good
example for the sheep, and
is the first line of defense
when danger comes.
Such a shepherd takes
responsibility and is willing
to suffer.

因為走在前面，牧人是羊群的好模範，當有危險臨到之時，他在第一線防禦。
這種牧人就很負責任，願意為了羊群而受苦。

We sometimes find hired hands
among the workers. These are ones
who only serve at their convenience.
They will fulfill their duties but they
put in minimal effort. They do not
mind joining the different ministries
as long as they do not have to
sacrifice (too much) time or energy.
They believe that initiative and going
beyond the call of duty should be
someone else’s job. If this attitude
is prevalent, it will be hard to find
a good shepherd. The sheep will
suffer—there is no one to fight off
the ferocious beasts determined to
consume them; there is no one to
seek the sheep who have wandered
astray (cf. Lk 15:4).

我們有時候會在工人中發現這些雇工。
這些人，只會因為自已的方便而服事。
他們會完成自已的責任，但是不過就是花費自已最小的力氣。
他們對於參與不同的事工並不太介意，只要他們不必犧牲太多時間和精力就好。
他們確信這種想法，若是有超越呼召職責的要求，他們會認為是別人的工作。
若是這種工作態度四處盛行，要找到一個好牧人就將會很困難。
羊群會跟著受苦，因為沒有人會來幫忙趕走那些兇猛的野獸，而這些野獸很抱著極大的決心要來掠食羊群；
而且也沒有人會去尋找那些已經走失的羊群。(路 15：4)

God harshly rebukes such unfaithful
shepherds and vows punishment
(Ezek 34:7–10). This was also the
fate of the irresponsible servant who
thought he could get away with just
“safeguarding” his master’s money
(Mt 25:14–30). Therefore, pastoral
work does not only rest with the
ministers of the church. In fact, most
of us will be a pastor at some point.
We must rise above the natural
human tendency to care only for
ourselves and our immediate family.

神很嚴厲的斥責這些不忠心的牧人，並且發誓要處罰他們。(結 34：7-10)
這也是那些不負責任僕人的命運，他們認為自已可以逃離處罰，只要他們有"好好看顧"主人的金錢。(太 25：14-30)
所以牧養的工作，就不只是放在教會長執的身上而已。
事實上，我們大部份的人都會在某個時間點的時候，成為牧人。
我們一定要超越人性自然的傾向，只關心自已和自已最直接的家庭成員而已。

The apostle Paul typifies the right 
mindset:

使徒保羅就是典型這正確觀點的代表：

[B]esides the other things, what
comes upon me daily: my deep
concern for all the churches. Who is
weak, and I am not weak? Who is
made to stumble, and I do not burn
with indignation?
(2 Cor 11:28–29)

28除了這外面的事，還有為眾教會掛心的事，天天壓在我身上。
29有誰軟弱，我不軟弱呢？有誰跌倒，我不焦急呢？
(林後 11：28-29)

Though we are all busy with our
lives and work in the wider world, we
must constantly remind ourselves that
our secular activities are God’s way
of providing us the means to support
our spiritual growth; and the latter
is inextricably linked to the spiritual
wellbeing of the larger family in
Christ (1 Cor 12:12–26). In addition,
if we are lazy and unfaithful pastors,
our families too will eventually suffer.
The example of Eli the priest and the
downfall of his priestly household
is a frightening reminder. And if we
do not protect the flock well, when
the wolves come for the sheep, our
families will be among the sheep in
danger of being devoured.

雖然我們在這廣大的世界中，各自忙碌於自已的生活和工作，
我們一定要不斷的提醒自已，世上的各種活動都是神方法，為的就是用來幫助我們靈性成長的各種方式；
而後面的方式，更是與基督的整個大家庭的屬靈福份，極為密不可分。(林前 12：12-26)
此外，若我們是懶惰不忠心的牧人，自已的家庭最後也會受害。
祭司以利的例子，他祭司家庭的墮落，就是一個讓人害怕的提醒。
並且我們若是沒有好好的保護羊群，當狼群來尋找可吞吃的羊隻時，
我們自已的家庭成員也會在群羊之中，同樣也面臨危險，隨時可被吞吃。

THE GOOD SHEPHERD 好牧人

The third type of worker is the good
shepherd. How can we become a
good shepherd? John chapter 10
outlines several characteristics of
such a worker:

第三種類型的工人，就是好牧人。
我們要怎麼成為一個好牧人呢？
約翰福音第10章，強調幾個這種好牧人的特質：

Walks ahead 走在前面

“And when he brings out his own
sheep, he goes before them; and the
sheep follow him, for they know his
voice.”
(Jn 10:4)

4既放出自己的羊來，就在前頭走，羊也跟著他，因為認得他的聲音。
(約 10：4)

The Bible does not use the
goatherd as an illustration of a good
pastor, because they hit their charges
to make them walk in a straight line.
Instead, the scriptural analogy is a
good shepherd who walks ahead of
the sheep. By walking in front, the
shepherd is a good example for the
sheep, and is the first line of defense
when danger comes. Such a shepherd
takes responsibility and is willing to
suffer.

聖經並沒有使用山羊牧人，作為一個好牧人的比喻，
因為他們會鞭打自已看管的羊群，好讓他們走對路。
相反地，聖經是用好的綿羊牧人，來當作比喻，因為他們會走在羊群的前面。
因為走到前頭，好牧人就是羊群的好模範，也是當危險來臨時，要馬上作好防禦的第一線。
這種好牧人，會負起自已的責任，並且願意為羊群來犧牲。

There was a time when it was
snowing and the roof of our local
church was damaged. As no one was
willing to go up to fix it, the minister
decided to do it himself. When two
brothers saw his example, they
immediately joined him; the three of
them then climbed up together and
fixed the roof.

有一段時間，天上不斷的下雪，我們自已本地的教會屋頂就受損了。
因為沒有人願意跑上去修理它，所以有一位長執就決定自已上去作。
當有兩個弟兄看到他的模範時，他們馬上就加入他；
然後他們三個人就一起爬上去，把屋頂修理好。

If we are a church council member
or a leader, the direction in which
we take the sheep is very important.
We need to be good examples. If
we encourage members to attend
various seminars organized by the
church, but do not attend ourselves,
then the members will follow suit.

若我們是一個教會職務會的成為，或是領導者，
我們帶領羊群所走的方向，是非常重要的。
我們一定要成為好的模範。
若我們鼓勵信徒，來參加教會所舉辨的各種聖經研討會，
但我們自已卻不參加，那麼許多信徒就會有樣學樣，也不來參加。

Similarly, what are we teaching our
children if we drop them off at church,
then leave to go to work ourselves?
If parents truly believe that going
to church is good for their children,
then why do they themselves not
attend? The children will learn that
church attendance is a burden and
a superficial act, and eventually stop
going to church.

同樣地，我們教導自已小孩什麼東西，若是我們自已在教會也把這些教導拋棄，
然後自已可以離開教會，不帶著這些教訓，獨自工作？
若是父母相信，去教會是對他們的小孩很好，那麼為什麼他們自已不去參加聚會呢？
小孩就會學到，原來去教會是個重擔，是一種表面的工作而已，最後就停止參加聚會。

Our actions can influence our
children and those around us either
positively or negatively. There are
workers who truly love the Lord and
lead by example. Through them, the
church becomes more prosperous,
as many will follow their lead. But
the hypocritical leader will spawn a
superficial community.

我們的行動會影響自已的小孩，也會影響那些在我們身旁的人，不論他們是正面積極的人，或是消極被動的人。
有許多工人，他們真的很愛主，過著模範的生活。
因為有他們，教會變得特別的興旺，因為有許多人都會跟隨他們的帶領。
但是虛偽的領導者，則會帶領出表面虛假的群體。

Make sacrifices 作出犧牲

“I am the good shepherd. The
good shepherd gives His life for the
sheep…As the Father knows Me,
even so I know the Father; and I lay
down My life for the sheep.”
(Jn 10:11, 15)

11我是好牧人；好牧人為羊捨命。
15正如父認識我，我也認識父一樣；並且我為羊捨命。
(約 10：11，15)

A good shepherd is one who is
willing to sacrifice himself, to deny
his own will for that of our heavenly
Father, and for the good of the
sheep. This is the principle we must
live by and hold fast to. We must
have the mind—the values and the
direction—of the Lord Jesus. And a
key attribute of the Lord Jesus was
His consistent willingness to put the
will of the Father far above His own.
Throughout His life on earth, the
Lord was always focused on doing
the work of His Father (Lk 2:49; Jn
4:34); He was always concerned
about the wellbeing of the multitudes
and the disciples (Mt 14:14–19; Jn
21:12–13).

好牧人願意犧牲自已，願意在違背自已的意願之下，還是聽從我們天上的父親，只為了羊群的好處。
這就是我們一定要遵守而活的原則，並且加以堅持下去。
我們一定要有這種主耶穌的想法，價值觀和方向。
主耶穌最主要的特質，就是他從頭到尾，都把天父的旨意，高高的放在他個人的意願之上。
他在地上的生活，我主常常都集中在祂父親的工作(路 2：49；約 4：34)；
祂常常關心眾人和眾門徒的福祉。 (太 14：14-19；約 21：12-13)

Therefore, to be a true and faithful
shepherd, we must deny ourselves
and wholly follow the Lord (Lk 9:57–
62). This is not an easy task that can
be achieved overnight, as humans are
inclined to seek their own interests
first. But it is not impossible if we rely
on the Holy Spirit to overcome our
selfish will. The Lord Jesus does not
expect us to jump into martyrdom
immediately. There are many other
ways of giving up our lives for
others, e.g., putting aside personal
matters and praying for others before
ourselves; sacrificing that annual
holiday to help in church events; or
spending time and money to help
brethren in need. The key is to give
priority to the Father’s will and work.

所以，要成為一個真正忠心的好牧人，我們一定要捨棄自我的主見，全心跟從主。(路 9：57-62)
這不是一個簡單的任務，我們在一個晚上就能馬上完成，因為人們常常很容易只會專注自已的利益。
若我們依靠聖靈來克服自私的意向，這不是不可能作到的事。
主耶穌並沒有希望我們馬上跳入殉道的行列。
有許多的方式，可以讓我們來為別人犧牲生命，例如，把自已的事情放一邊，把別人的事情放在我們自已之前向神禱告；
犧牲年假來幫忙教會的活動；或者花費自已的時間和金錢來幫助有需要的弟兄姐妹。
最主要的是，是把優先權給神，用來完成天父的旨意和工作。

BIBLICAL EXAMPLES OF GOOD SHEPHERDS 聖經裡面好牧人的例子

Joshua—Strong and Courageous 約書亞-鋼強壯膽

Joshua succeeded Moses as leader
of the Israelites. Today, we may only
need to lead a small household of
two, three or four. Joshua had to
lead 2 million! But, apart from the
Battle of Ai, Joshua successfully led
the people to eventually conquer
Canaan. What was the secret of his
success? God taught him how to be
a shepherd (Josh 1:5–8).

約書亞繼承摩西，成為以色列的領導者。
今日，我們或許只需要去領導一個小家庭，或許2個3個或4個成為員。
約書亞要去領導二百萬人！
但是，除了艾的戰鬥之外，約書亞成功帶領以色列人到最後征服迦南地。
他能夠成功的秘密是什麼呢？
神教我們如何成為一個好牧人。(書 1：5-8)

Firstly, he should be strong and
courageous, willing to sacrifice his
own life, for God would be with
him (Josh 1:5–6). Each of us likes a
peaceful and comfortable life. But if
we know God is with us, and God has
something better in store for us, we
will not be afraid to give up physical
comfort, material possessions, and
even our lives.

首先，他一定要鋼強壯膽，願意犧牲自已的生活，因為神會與祂同在。(書 1：5-6)
我們每一個人都喜平安舒服的生活。
但是若我們知道，神和我們同在，神有為我們準備更好的東西，我們就不會害怕來放棄肉體的舒適，物質的財產，甚至是自已的生活。

Let us practice fearless self-denial, dedication to the word of God—
to understand, practice and teach it—and cultivate a loving heart to
help the sheep rebuild their faith.

讓我們無毫畏懼放棄自已，專心學習神的話 - 
好好明白，實行，並且教導別人 - 造就自已有一個愛神的心，來幫助羊群建立他們的信心。

Secondly, God commanded Joshua
to abide by the Book of the Law and
meditate on it daily (Josh 1:7–8).
Joshua did so and, before he died, he
ensured that he conveyed God’s word
to the people (Josh 24:26). As leaders
and pastors, we may sometimes have
to make very difficult decisions or
deal with intractable issues. If we
consistently meditate on the word of
God, God will inspire us and open a
way for us; He will guide us to the
right decisions in all circumstances.

第二，神命令約書亞隨身攜帶律法書，日夜思想神的話。(書 1：7-8)
約書亞這麼作，並且在他死之前，他一再確認，他有把神的話好好傳給以色列人。(書 24：26)
身為一個領導者和牧人，有時候我們需要去作很困難的決定，或是去處理棘手的事情。
若我們一直思想神的話，神會給我們啟悟，為我們開路；
祂會指引我們，讓我們在所有的環境之下，都能作正確的決定。

Some claim that their duties in
church are so pressing that they hardly
have time to read the Bible, let alone
meditate on it. But it is impossible
to go without and still be a good
shepherd. If our children or brethren
have problems, how will we counsel
them without a good foundation in
God’s principles? If we spend more
time reading self-help books or Bible
commentaries because they are easier
to understand than the Bible itself,
we may apply our own or secular
logic to come up with solutions, or
experiment with different approaches
to deal with matters. These may end
up exacerbating the original problem
or cause even more problems. Since
God’s way is the best way, we must
be familiar with the word of God in
order to lead the sheep.

有些人會說，他們在教會的責任，壓力很沉重，他們幾乎沒有時候來讀聖經，讓自已可以獨自好好思考神的話。
但是若沒有聖經的力量，而仍然可以成為一個好牧人是不可能的。
若我們的小或弟兄姐妹有問題了，若我們沒有打好自已神的教導和教訓的基礎，我們怎麼可能可以去好好勸告別人呢？
若我們花很多時間來閱讀自我增長的書藉，或是聖經評論，因為他們比起聖經本文，是較容易明白，
我們或許會使用自已或是世俗的邏輯，來想出解決問題的方法，或是用各種不同的方法，不斷實驗，想要來解決問題。
透過世上的方法，最後會導致原本問題的惡化，或者甚至產生更多的問題。
因為神的方法才是最好的方法，為了帶領他的羊群，我們一定要熟悉神的話。

Ezra—Devoted to the Law 以斯拉 - 忠心律法

For Ezra had prepared his heart to
seek the Law of the LORD, and to
do it, and to teach statutes and
ordinances in Israel.
(Ezra 7:10)

10以斯拉定志考究遵行耶和華的律法，又將律例典章教訓以色列人。
(拉 7：10)

There were three things that made
Ezra a good shepherd of God: he
devoted himself to studying the
word, practiced its teachings, and
then taught them to Israel.

從三件事情來看，可以發現以斯拉是一個神的好牧人：
他自已專心研究聖經，把裡面的教導實行出來，然後再把這些教訓傳給以色列人。

Some may feel they are too
advanced in age to learn the word
of God, but age is no obstacle if one
is willing and dedicated. To equip
oneself with the word of God is to
be armed with the sword of the Spirit
(Eph 6:17), which we need in order to
edify others and fight false prophets.
We should thus seek a deeper
understanding of the word of God,
and not be content with a superficial
one. This can only be achieved
through applying and practicing the
word. As the saying goes: “If I hear, I
will forget; if I see, I will remember; if
I do, I will understand.”

有些人會覺得自已太老了，應該再也不用來學習神的話，但是年紀不會是一種障礙，若是一個人有願意的心，並且願意專心學習。
用神的話來裝備自已，就是裝備聖靈的寶劍，(弗 6：17)，為了造就別人，也為了能夠打敗假先知，我們就一定要這樣作。
因此，我們應該要對神的話，尋求更深入的了解，而不只是滿足於表面上的了解而已。
要完成這個目標，只有透過好好使用神的話，並且把神的話實行出來。
有格言這麼說，若我聽見，我就會忘記；"若我看見，我就會記得；若我去作了，我就會了解。"

After the children of God returned
from exile in Babylon, Ezra did many
things to revive the faith of the
people. One issue at the time was
the Israelites’ intermarriage with
the Gentiles who had settled in the
land (Ezra 9:1–4). This was against
the commandments of God, and
the children from these marriages
were not being brought up in the
Lord. Ezra responded to this terrible
situation in the household of God by
tearing his clothes and pulling out his
hair. Ezra could foresee the pain and
bondage of sin to come if this practice
was allowed to continue. However,
Ezra did not speak or rebuke, he
only prayed and confessed before
the Lord, as though the sin were his
own. Those who were God-fearing
gathered to weep with him (Ezra
10:1–2). Ezra’s actions revealed his
sincere love for the people. Inspired
by his example, the people also
prayed, acknowledged their sin and
repented.

神的子民在巴比倫流放回歸之後，以斯拉做許多事情來復興人民的信心。
在那時，有一件事情，就是以色列人和居住在那地的外邦人通婚。(拉 9：1-4)
這件事情違背了神的誡命，而些婚姻所生下來的小孩，並不是在主裡被養大的。
以斯拉對於這種神家中可怕情況的回應是，悲傷的撕裂他的衣服，披頭散髮。
若是這種作法，繼續被允許下去，以斯拉幾乎可預言，罪所帶來的枷鎖和痛苦。
然而，以斯拉並沒有說什麼，或是責備任何人，他只有跪下來禱告，在神面前為百姓承認這些罪犯，就好像是他自已犯了罪一樣。
而那些也同是敬畏神的人，和他聚集在一起哀哭。(拉 10：1-2)
以斯拉的行動，表現了他為百姓真誠的愛。
而百姓因為受到他愛的鼓舞，也一同祈禱，承認他們自已的罪，並且悔改。

Later, Ezra read the Law before the
people and explained its meaning
(Neh 8:5–12). Deeply touched by the
word of God, the people repented.
Their fear towards God and desire to
hear His word were revived, so God
allowed them to understand. If we
are to bring about a similar revival of
faith amongst the flock, we need to
have the same sincere love for them
and lead by example.

後來，以斯拉在百姓面前，朗讀律法，解釋意思給百姓明白。(尼 8：5-12)
因為深深受到神的話語的感動，眾百姓一起悔改。
他們對神敬畏的心，而且想要聽明白祂教訓的心，再次被挑動起來，所以神讓他們可以聽明白。
若我們要在羊群之中，也帶來同樣信心的復興，我們也一樣為了他們要有同樣真誠的愛，並且以身作則來領導他們。

Nehemiah—a Heart with God’s People 尼希米-與神的子民同心

Nehemiah was Artaxerxes’ cupbearer,
a privileged position in the palace of
the Persian king. When he heard
about the plight of Jerusalem—that
the city was destitute and the walls
broken—he wept (Neh 1:1–4). His
heart was with God’s people; their
suffering was his suffering. So he
dedicated himself to returning and
leading the rebuilding of the wall.

尼希米是波斯王亞達薛西的掌管酒類飲料的官員，在波斯王王宮裡是一個有特權的職位。
當他聽到有關耶路撒冷的困境時-那個城市非常荒涼，城牆破損異常-他深深的哀傷。(尼 1：1-4)
他的心可以體會到神子民的痛苦；他們的受苦就好像他自已受苦一樣。
所以他決定來犧牲自已來回歸，並且帶領城牆的重建。

Nehemiah was distraught at the
thought of the broken wall because it
not only reflected the people’s lack of
physical security, but also their sorry
spiritual state. The wall represents
our faith and spiritual defense.
Today, we should be building the
wall of the church to be like that of
the New Jerusalem in Revelation 21.
This vision describes the beauty and
perfection of the latter church, which
embodies the glory, truth and holiness
of God. The wall of the city was very
high (Rev 21:12), to prevent those
who are unholy from entering, and
to act as a spiritual defense against
the trends of the world.

尼希米一看到破損的城牆就悲痛欲絕，因為這不僅僅反應了百姓缺乏物質上安全的保護，也反應了他們可憐的靈性狀態。
這面牆代表了我們的信心，和屬靈的防禦力。
今日，我們應該把教會的城牆，建得像啟示錄21章裡面記載的新耶路撒冷的城牆一樣。
這個異象描寫了末後教會的榮美和完全，具體實現了神的榮耀，真理和聖潔。
這座城的城牆是非常的高大，(啟 21：12)，能夠防止那些不聖潔的進城來，
也作為一座屬靈的防禦壁壘，防止世界潮流的入侵。

Today the walls protecting some
of our believers are badly damaged;
this has allowed the Lord’s sheep to
be taken captive by worldly things,
such as video games, fame, wealth,
sex and gambling. A good shepherd
would have the heart of Nehemiah.
Our hearts should ache at the bad
news regarding the state of the
community of faith; and our zeal
would be stirred anew, motivating
us to arise, to return and help rebuild
the damaged walls.

今日這座保護我們許多弟兄姐妹的城牆，已經嚴重受損了；
這也讓神的羊群被世上的事物所虜獲，就像是玩電視遊樂器，追求名譽，財富，情慾和賭博的刺激。
好牧人也會有尼希米的好心腸。
對於我們信仰團契狀態的壞消息，我們也應該感覺到心痛；
我們的熱心會鼓舞我們更新，激動我們來興起，並且回歸，幫助重建受損的城牆。

CONCLUSION 結論

The Lord Jesus’ commission to
shepherd the flock is a calling that we
must all answer, whether the flock in
our care consists of our young family,
the children we teach in religious
education, various fellowship groups,
or the whole church, either on a local
or a national level. If we are to be a
good shepherd, then we must deny
ourselves and lay down our lives for
the sheep, making an effort not to
steal what belongs to God. We must
walk before the sheep as a good
example, to take responsibility and
defend them, in the same way that
Christ did. Just like Joshua, Ezra and
Nehemiah, let us practice fearless
self-denial, dedication to the word
of God—to understand, practice and
teach it—and cultivate a loving heart
to help the sheep rebuild their faith.
In this way, the spiritual needs of the
flock will be well tended, and the
church of God will flourish.

主耶穌要人好好牧養羊群的使命，是一種我們大家都要回應的呼召，
無論在我們手中照顧的羊群是自已家中年輕的成員，在宗教教育課程中我們所教育的學生，
各種不同的團契小組，整個教會，或是範圍擴大到本地或全國教會的事誼。
若是我們想要成為一個好牧人，那麼我們一定要放棄自我，為了羊群放下自已的生活，
努力工作，而不從神那裡偷取屬於神的一切。
我們一定要走在羊群前面成為好模範，盡好自已的責任，好好保護他們，就好像基督從前那樣作一樣。
也像是約書亞，以斯拉和尼希米一樣，讓我們實行毫無畏懼的放棄自我，專心奉獻自已的一切給神的話語-
去好好明白聖經，努力實行，並且教導別人-培養自已有一個愛人的心，去幫助羊群好好建立他們的信心。
這樣下去，羊群在屬靈上的需求，會被好好的照顧到，神的教會就會昌盛。

小頁 markvmax@hotmail.com