8. Manna issue 93 - Become a Star of the Lord Jesus 成為主耶穌的明星
Daniel Liew—Portsmouth, UK 英國樸茨茅斯 Daniel Liew
“You’re a star!” is a phrase
that we use in the United Kingdom to thank someone
who has been particularly helpful.
He or she has risen above others,
putting in extra effort and shining like a light in the darkness of difficult times.
As Christians, have we realized that
this phrase holds more significance to us than the common usage?
“你是個明星！” 是一句詞句，
是英國我們用來感謝某人的，
他特別幫助很大。
他或她已超越他人，
付出額外的努力，在困難時期的黑暗中，像一盞燈照耀。
作為基督徒，我們是否意識到，
這個詞句對我們來說，比普通用法更有重要性？
THE STAR OF THE LORD 主耶穌的明星
In Matthew 2:1–11,
we learn about the wise men
who came from the East to seek out the One born King of the Jews.
The Bible does not explicitly explain
how they knew of the King of the Jews or His importance,
only that they saw His star in the East
(Mt 2:2).
Then, after they departed from Herod,
the same star appeared to them again and went before them,
guiding them to the Child
(Mt 2:9).
Seeing the star, they greatly rejoiced
(Mt 2:10)
and followed it to the abode of Jesus and His family.
Then they entered the house, fell down,
and worshiped Jesus, presenting their gifts to Him
(Mt 2:11).
The star was why they could find their way to Jesus and worship Him.
馬太福音二章 1-11 節，
我們知道有智者，
他他從東方來，尋找唯一的猶太出生之王。
聖經沒有明確的解釋，
他們是如何知道猶太之王，或是祂的重要性，
只知道，他們在東方看到了祂的星
（太 2：2）。
然後，他們離開希律王之後，
同一顆星再次出現在他們面前，走在他們前面，
引導他們找到孩子
（太 2：9）。
看到星星，他們非常高興
（太 2：10）
並跟隨它到耶穌和其家人的住所。
然後他們進了屋子，跪下，
並且敬拜耶穌，將禮物獻給祂
（太 2：11）。
這顆星就是為何他們能找到耶穌，並且敬拜祂的原因。
Today, the Lord Jesus has given us the mission to preach the gospel
so that more people may come to know and worship Him.
What qualities can we learn from this star
so that we, too, can fulfill our role as a star of the Lord Jesus?
今日，主耶穌已經給我們傳福音的使命，
因此，讓更多的人可以認識祂、敬拜祂。
從這顆星的物品上，我們可以學到什麼優點呢？
好讓我們也能盡到自已的本份，成為主耶穌的星星呢？
THE STAR SHONE BRIGHTLY 明星閃耀
Matthew 2:2 records that
the wise men saw the star in the East and then came searching for Jesus.
When we look up into the night sky, what do we see?
Numerous stars dot the darkness, twinkling in the sky.
Since there are so many,
what would draw our eye to one particular star over another?
Perhaps the star was shining brighter than the others.
Likewise, how can we shine brighter today?
馬太福音二章 2 節記載，
智者看到東方的星星，然後就來尋找耶穌。
當我們仰望夜空時，我們看到了什麼呢？
群星無數點綴黑暗，在夜空中閃閃爍爍。
既然有這麼多的星星，
有什麼景象會吸引我們的注意力，去注視一顆特別的星星，而不是另外一顆星呢？
也許是這顆星星比其他星星更加閃亮。
同樣的，我們今日要怎樣表現，才能更加耀眼呢？
“Let your light so shine before men,
that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.”
(Mt 5:16)
16你們的光也當這樣照在人前，
叫他們看見你們的好行為，便將榮耀歸給你們在天上的父。
（太 5：16）
Jesus tells us that we are the light of the world,
and we shine before men through our good works.
When others see these good deeds,
they will rejoice and give glory to our Father in heaven.
The pattern is the same when the wise men saw the star in the East:
they saw it, were exceedingly glad, and then worshipped Jesus.
Our daily conduct is integral to our being a star for the Lord Jesus.
As believers, we are ambassadors for Christ,
and the Scriptures exhort us
to be exemplary in our conduct, speech, and attitude in life,
in a way observable to those around us.
But can we rely on our efforts alone to manifest this light for the Lord Jesus?
耶穌告訴我們，我們是世界的光，
我們因著善行在人前發光。
當別人看到這些好行為的時候，
他們會高興，並且將榮耀歸給我們的天父。
當智者看到東方的星星時，是一樣的模式：
他們看見了，非常的高興，然後就敬拜耶穌。
我們日常的行，很自然就表現出我們成為主耶穌的星星。
作為信徒，我們是基督的代言人，
聖經勸告我們，
要我們的行為、言語和生活態度成為模範，
成為讓我們周圍的人，可以看到的方式。
然後，我們是否能單靠自己的努力，就展現出主耶穌顯的光輝嗎？
Exodus 34:29–35 describes a time
when Moses ascended Mount Sinai to speak with God
and receive the two stone tablets.
A miraculous phenomenon occurred:
Moses’ face started to shine
(Ex 34:29–30).
Why did this happen?
Moses spoke face-to-face with God often,
receiving His words and relaying them to the Israelites.
In time, his face naturally started to shine,
reflecting the glory of God.
If we wish to shine brightly for the Lord Jesus today,
we must spend time with Him and cultivate ourselves spiritually.
First, this involves receiving God's word,
whether by reading or listening,
so we can know the difference between right and wrong in the sight of God.
Next, prayer is an integral part of our spiritual cultivation.
In prayer, we reflect upon God’s word
and ask for strength and wisdom to apply His teachings in our life.
Cultivating ourselves in this manner
will lead to observable changes in our character, speech, and conduct.
Our progress will be visible and evident to those around us
(1 Tim 4:15).
出埃及記 34 章 29-35 節，描述了一段時間，
那時摩西登上西奈山與神交談，
並且得到了兩塊石版。
那時神奇的現像出現了：
摩西的臉面開始發光
（埃 34：29-30）。
為什麼會這樣呢？
摩西常常與神面對面說話，
聽到祂的話語，並且轉達給以色列人。
時間一長，他的臉自然會開始發亮，
反應了神的榮耀。
如果今日，我們希望為主耶穌發光，
我們就必須花時間與神待在一起，並且屬靈上訓練自己。
首先，這包括了接受神的話語，
無論藉由閱讀，還是聆聽，
所以我們可能明白，神的眼中是非的不同。
其次，禱告是我們靈修中，不可或缺的一部分。
禱告中，我們反思神的話語，
祈求神加添力量和智慧，可以在生活中運用祂的教導。
用此態度靈修自己，
才會導致自已的性格、言語和行為，發生明顯的變化。
我們周圍的人，才會明顯看到我們的進步
（提前 4：15）。
People should see there is something different about us compared to others.
Our speech will not be littered with swearing and foul language.
Instead, it is seasoned with grace, without bitterness or complaining.
Our behavior will not be self-centered or selfish
but considerate of the needs of others.
We will face difficulties with a positive attitude,
knowing that the testing of our faith and character develops us and is for our good.
Underlying our speech and actions are our fear of God
and the knowledge that He is always watching us.
We know we should glorify God in all we do
and are held accountable for every word and deed.
人們會看到我們與其他人相比，有一些不同之處。
我們說話，不會充斥著咒罵和髒話。
相反的，言語會伴隨著感恩而加以修飾，而不會充滿苦澀或抱怨。
我們的行為不會以自我為中心，或是充滿自私，
而會體貼別人的需要。
我們將以積極的態度面對困難，
知道自已信仰和品格的考驗會幫助我們，對我們有好處。
我們言行的背後，存在著敬畏神，
以及知道，神一直都觀注著我們。
我們知道，自已應該在所做的一切事上，榮耀神，
並且一言一行都會負責。
With the Lord Jesus’ help, our good works will shine brightly before others,
like the light shining from a star,
and others will notice something different about us.
As we shine brightly, our work as a star of the Lord Jesus will have begun.
有主耶穌的幫助，我們的好行為會在別人面前發光，
就像星星發出的亮光，
別人會注意到，我們身上有一些不同之處。
當我們閃閃發光時，我們身為主耶穌星星的工作就開始了。
THE STAR HAD NO NAME 明星沒有名字
This star was a unique phenomenon at that time.
No one would have seen anything like this before,
nor would anyone be likely to ever again.
Despite being exceptional, this star was not named
or explained except to describe its function
—to lead the wise men to Jesus.
The celestial bodies have long fascinated humans,
becoming sources of folklore and the focus of study.
Even stargazing through telescopes is a popular pastime.
Usually, a star appearing and shining brightly
like this would be an attraction in and of itself.
However, here we see that the star is not the main attraction.
As much as it outshone the other stars in the sky,
its purpose was to bring the wise men to Jesus
because He was the focus of their worship.
那時，這顆星星是一種獨特的現象。
以前沒有人有看過這樣的景象，
也不再有任何人會這樣做了。
儘管如此很特別，但這顆星星卻沒有名字，
或沒有解釋，除了有描述其作用，
—就是帶領智者找到耶穌。
長久以來，天體一直為人所著迷，
成為民間傳說的來源，和研究的重點。
甚至用望遠鏡觀察星星，也是一種流行的娛樂方式。
通常，一顆星星出現，而且閃耀著光芒，
像這樣本身就會有一種吸引力。
然而，這裡我們看見，星星並不是主要的吸引重點。
儘管它比天空中的其他星星更加閃亮，
它的目的是引導智找到耶穌，
因為耶穌才是他們敬拜的焦點。
When it comes to preaching,
while we are shining for the Lord Jesus,
our hope is not that our friends and family will be drawn to us
and build their faith on us.
Instead, our earnest desire is
that they come to know Jesus through us
and focus their faith and worship on Him alone.
Invariably, when we preach to someone and bring them to the church,
we are expected to give them much of our time and attention.
On the one hand,
we feel responsible for them since we introduced them to Jesus,
and we hope they will continue in the church.
Other brothers and sisters may not care for them to the same level as we do.
Not wanting them to feel neglected or uncared for,
we put in extra efforts.
Maybe we message them more
or go out of our way to pick them up for church activities
or drop them home after.
Perhaps we even shower them with little gifts.
As well-intentioned and innocuous as these seem,
we may inadvertently create a dependency on ourselves
that is difficult to sustain,
especially when there are other truth-seekers
or members for whom we should care.
We may even become protective or possessive,
saying,
“These are the truth-seekers I brought to the church.
I’ll take care of them,
and no one else needs to do anything for them.”
當我們談到講福音的時候，
雖然我們為主耶穌發光，
我們的盼望，並不是我們的朋友和家人會被自已吸引，
並建立他們對我們的信心。
相反的，我們熱切的盼望是，
他們通過我們而認識耶穌，
並且集中他們的信心，和崇拜之心在耶穌身上。
不變的是，當我們傳福音給某個人，並且將他們帶到教會來，
我們希望自已有大量時間和注意力給他們。
一方面，
自從我們介紹耶穌給他們，我們感到自已負有責任，
我們希望他們能繼續來教會。
其他的弟兄姊妹，可能不會像我們一樣的關心他們。
並不想讓他們感到受忽視，或是無人關心，
我們付出了額外的努力。
也許我們發更多信息給他們
或是特意繞路去接他們來參加教會活動，
或者之後把它們送回家。
也許我們甚至會送給他們一些小禮物。
儘管這些東西，看起來是善意的和不傷大雅的，
我們可能不經意之間，會製造出他們對自己的依賴，
而這種依賴是很難以一直維持下去的，
尤其是當我們有其他的慕道者，
或是我們應該要照顧的信徒時。
我們甚至可能會變得很愛保護，或是有占有欲，
會說，
“這些是我帶到教會的慕道者。
我會照顧他們，
不需要其他人來為他們做任何事情。”
It is right to put effort into preaching and pastoral work,
and showing love is an essential part of that,
demonstrating that we are the disciples of Jesus
(Jn 13:35).
However, if our friends and family only come to church
because of us, there is a great danger.
Those who go on to believe may become dependent on us in their life of faith.
If we do not attend services for a time,
move to another area,
or stumble in our faith,
this may cause those dependent members to lose their faith and depart.
How can we counteract this?
努力傳道和牧養工作是正確的，
傳達愛心是其中基本的一部分，
展現出我們是耶穌的門徒
（約 13：35）。
然而，如果我們的朋友和家人只來教會，
只因為我們本人，就會有很大的危險。
那些繼續信的人，在他們的信仰生活中，可能會依賴我們。
如果我們有一段時間不參加聚會，
遷移去另一個地方，
或是我們的信仰跌倒了，
這可能會導致那些依賴的信徒，失去信心而離開。
我們如何應對這種情況呢？
Firstly, we must remain humble in our work for the Lord.
首先，在為主的工作中，我們必須保持謙卑。
So then neither he who plants is anything,
nor he who waters, but God who gives the increase.
(1 Cor 3:7)
7可見栽種的，算不得甚麼，
澆灌的，也算不得甚麼；只在那叫他生長的神。
（林前 3：7）
Our role in the work is to preach the gospel to others.
We are not the main character of the gospel,
and we will never be.
At best, we are the supporting actors who lead the “audience” to the main character:
Jesus Christ.
We are just unprofitable servants,
doing what our Master instructed us to do
(Lk 17:10).
Armed with this mindset,
we would not think anything more of ourselves than we ought to.
We would continue to do the work of preaching the gospel
and bringing people to Jesus faithfully, knowing we will be rewarded.
我們工作中的角色，是向別人傳福音。
我們不是福音的主角，
我們永遠亦不會是主角。
充其量，我們只是把“觀眾”引向主角的配角：
耶穌基督才是主角。
我們只是無用的僕人，
進行我們的主人指示要做的事情
（路 17：10）。
裝備著此種心態，
我們才不會認為，自己該比自已應該所認為的更多。
我們會繼續進行傳福音的工作，
並且忠心將大家帶到耶穌面前，因為知道自已會得到賞賜。
Secondly, we need to ensure
that we always direct the focus to the Lord Jesus,
helping our truth-seeking friends and family have the right mindset from the start.
Jesus is the One they need to know and worship.
His words are more important than my words.
Refer them to the Bible and what God teaches.
That way, we help them to see more of Jesus and less of ourselves.
While our opinion may be valued,
so long as we ground everything we share and explain in the Scriptures,
God’s word will become the foundation of that person’s faith.
其次，我們需要確信，
我們總會把焦點指向主耶穌，
幫助我們慕道的朋友和家人，從一開始就擁有正確的心態。
耶穌才是他們需要認識，和敬拜的對象。
祂的話語會比我的談話更重要。
請他們查考聖經，和神的教導。
這樣，我們就可幫助他們，更多看到耶穌，而更少看到我們自己。
雖然我們的意見可能很珍貴，
只要我們跟據聖經，分享和解釋一切，
神的話語將成為那個人信仰的基礎。
Thirdly, we should do our utmost
to connect other brothers and sisters from the church to our friends and family.
When the circle of friends expands,
there is less dependency on one or two people.
Instead, more relationships can be built among the brethren,
and, ultimately, they will develop a strong connection with God and His church.
第三，我們要竭盡全力，
聯繫教會其他的兄弟姐妹與我們的朋友和家人。
隨著朋友圈的擴大時，
就會減少對一兩個人的依賴。
相反的，弟兄之間可以建立更多的關係，
最終，他們將與神和教會建立牢固的聯繫。
THE STAR HAD DIRECTION 明星有方向
The star first appeared in the East to alert the wise men to Jesus’ birth
(Mt 2:2).
Then it reappeared to lead them out of Jerusalem, into the countryside,
along various roads and paths,
until it stopped above the very house
where the young Child Jesus and His family were staying
(Mt 2:9).
Only then had the star fulfilled its purpose.
The star only led them until they could come
before Jesus and worship Him.
Thus, we can see that this star had a strong sense of direction.
It moved with purpose and did not detour from its final goal.
It followed its path not only to bring itself before Jesus
but also to guide the wise men there.
The question is, do we know our direction and goal in life?
Where is the end of our journey?
這顆星星第一次出現在東方，是為了提醒智者耶穌的誕生
（太 2：2）。
然後它再次出現，帶領他們離開耶路撒冷，進入鄉間，
沿著不同的道路和小徑，
直到它停在那間房子的上方，
而那裡就是，幼小耶穌和祂的家人居住的地方
（太 2：9）。
直到那時，那顆星星才完成了它的目的。
星星只帶領他們，直到他們前來，
到耶穌面前敬拜祂。
由此可見，這顆星有很強的方向感。
它帶有目的地移動，並沒有偏離最終的目標。
它沿著自己的路徑，不只是把自己帶到耶穌面前，
還要引導那裡的智者。
問題是，我們知道自己的生命方向和目標嗎？
我們旅程的終點在哪裡呢？
Peter tells us that the end of our faith and our life in this world
is the salvation of our souls
(1 Pet 1:9).
We strive towards that ultimate goal.
Peter knew the believers were grieved by various trials
and encouraged them that this was a necessary part of the journey
—for their faith to become refined like gold
(1 Pet 1:6–8).
He was concerned that they would lose sight of the reason for their suffering,
so he pointed out the prize waiting at the end of the road.
We, too, face similar trials, tribulations,
and tests of our resolve and faith.
Life is filled with so many distractions
that we may lose our sense of direction
and forget why we strive for our faith.
We must keep this heavenly goal in sight to be driven to maintain our faith.
This will affect the way that we behave in our daily lives.
彼得告訴我們，自已信仰的終結和我們這個世界的生活，
就是我們靈魂的救贖
（彼前 1：9）。
我們努力朝向這一最終的目標。
彼得知道，信徒會因為各種試煉而憂傷，
並且鼓勵他們，這是旅程必要的部分
—讓他們的信心，變得像金子一樣得到精煉
（彼前 1：6-8）。
他很擔心，他們會忘記自已受苦的原因，
所以他指出來，路的盡頭有獎賞。
我們也面臨著自已決心和信心，
相同的試煉、苦難，和考驗。
生活充滿了太多的干擾，
我們可能會失去自已的方向感，
忘記我們為什麼要為自已的信仰而努力。
我們必須守住自已這個天國的目標，才會得到動力好好維持自已的信仰。
這將影響我們在日常生活的行為方式。
The author of Hebrews similarly states
that the hope God has given us is an anchor of the soul
(Heb 6:19).
An anchor’s purpose is to enable a ship or boat to hold its position.
It prevents the wind and the waves, though boisterous,
from moving the vessel away from where it wants to be.
Challenges may come and threaten to push us off course,
but we will maintain our position by God's grace, anchored in this hope.
Practically speaking, how can we ensure that we remain faithful to the course?
希伯來書的作者也有類似的說法，
神給我們的盼望是靈魂的錨
（來 6：19）。
錨的目的，就是使船隻能夠保持其位置。
它可以防止兇猛的風浪，t
但無法將船隻移開它想要固定的位置。
可能會有挑戰到來，並威脅我們偏離正軌，
但我們會靠著神的恩典，堅守自已的位置，定錨抓住這個盼望。
實際來說，我們如何才能確保自已始終走在這條正路上呢？
Our attitude to worshiping God, especially on the Sabbath day, is one good indicator.
God blessed the seventh day of the week and made it holy,
setting it apart as a reminder of the eternal Sabbath
that we will enjoy in our heavenly future.
If we choose to enjoy the blessings of the Sabbath every week,
we will eagerly attend Sabbath services
and allow God to strengthen our faith and trust in Him.
We know that with each Sabbath that passes,
we are one Sabbath closer to receiving the fulfillment of our hope.
Naturally, when our school friends and work colleagues
inquire about our weekend plans,
it is time to show our direction:
我們敬拜神的態度，尤其是在安息日，是一個很好的指標。
神祝福給一周的第七日，定為聖日，
分別出來，用來提醒有永恆的安息日，
我們將在天國的未來好好享受。
如果我們選擇每週享受安息日的祝福，
我們就會熱心參加安息日的聚會，
讓神加添我們的信心和信靠祂。
我們知道，每過一個安息日，
我們就離實現自已的盼望，又更靠近了一個安息日。
自然而然，當我們的學校朋友和職場同事
詢問我們的周末計劃，
就是表明我們方向的時候：
“I go to church to attend Sabbath services and other church activities.”
“Really? Every week?”
“Yes, every week.”
“我去教會參加安息日聚會和其他的教會活動。”
“真的嗎？ 每一週？”
“是的，每一週都去。”
While it may seem strange to others,
our resolve and faithfulness to observe the Sabbath
and spiritually cultivate ourselves show that we strive towards a goal.
It is a goal that we believe is precious.
If it were not so,
we would not invest our time and effort in such a manner.
Our friends and colleagues may further ask,
“Why do you do it?”
This is when we must fulfill the role of being a star of the Lord Jesus.
雖然別人看起來很奇怪，
我們遵守安息日的決心和忠實，
靈性上自已靈修，表明自已會朝著一個目標努力。
我們認為，那是一個寶貴的目標。
如果事情不是這樣，
我們不會用這種方式，投入時間和精力。
我們的朋友和同事可能會進一步詢問，
“為什麼你要這麼做呢？”
這時候，就是我們就必須盡到成為主耶穌星星的角色。
But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts,
and always be ready to give a defense to everyone
who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you,
with meekness and fear.
(1 Pet 3:15)
15只要心裡尊主基督為聖。
有人問你們心中盼望的緣由，
就要常作準備，以溫柔、敬畏的心回答各人；
（彼前 3：15）
We hope we will be able to appear before the Lord,
and we hope the same for our friends and family.
We can introduce Jesus to those around us and share our faith with them.
Then, God willing,
we will be able to guide them to follow us to the presence of the Lord Jesus.
我們希望自已能夠出現在主面前，
我們亦希望，自已的朋友和家人也能如此。
我們可以介紹耶穌給我們周圍的人，並與他們分享我們的信仰。
然後，主若願意，
我們將能夠引導他們來跟隨我們，並來到主耶穌的面前。
CONCLUSION 結論
“Those who are wise shall shine
Like the brightness of the firmament,
And those who turn many to righteousness
Like the stars forever and ever.”
(Dan 12:3)
“3智慧人必發光，
如同天上的光；
那使多人歸義的，
必發光如星，直到永永遠遠。”
（但 12：3）
We have already been made wise for salvation through the word and mercy of God
(2 Tim 3:15).
Now, we have a responsibility to fulfill.
We are to be like stars who turn many to righteousness
by leading them to the Lord Jesus.
藉著神的話語和憐憫，我們已經得到救贖的智慧
（提後 3：15）。
現在，我們有責任要實行。
我們要像星星一樣，使許多人歸向公義，
去帶領他們歸向主耶穌。
May the Lord Jesus help us become good and faithful stars for Him
so that many more can be made exceedingly glad and worship the one true God.
願主耶穌幫助我們成為祂的良善信實的星星，
使更多的人可以特別高興，並且敬拜獨一真神。
小頁 markvmax@hotmail.com
歡迎主內同靈來信加入翻譯
