7. Manna issue 60 - His Hour, His Glory 祂的時刻與榮耀
His Hour, His Glory Jesus and the miracle at Cana.
祂的時刻，祂的榮耀：耶穌與迦拿的神蹟
Albert Chen—Garden Grove, California, USA 美國加州園林教會
Do you remember the story of Jesus changing water into wine?
It is one that has repeatedly puzzled me.
你記得耶穌將水變酒的故事嗎？
這個故事一直讓我感到很困惑。
On the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee,
and the mother of Jesus was there.
Now both Jesus and His disciples were invited to the wedding.
And when they ran out of wine, the mother of Jesus said to Him,
“They have no wine.”
Jesus said to her,
“Woman, what does your concern have to do with Me?
My hour has not yet come.”
His mother said to the servants,
“Whatever He says to you, do it.”
Now there were set there six waterpots of stone,
according to the manner of purification of the Jews,
containing twenty or thirty gallons apiece.
Jesus said to them,
“Fill the waterpots with water.”
And they filled them up to the brim.
And He said to them,
“Draw some out now, and take it to the master of the feast.”
And they took it.
When the master of the feast had tasted the water that was made wine,
and did not know where it came from
(but the servants who had drawn the water knew),
the master of the feast called the bridegroom.
And he said to him,
“Every man at the beginning sets out the good wine,
and when the guests have well drunk, then the inferior.
You have kept the good wine until now!”
This beginning of signs Jesus did in Cana of Galilee,
and manifested His glory; and His disciples believed in Him.
(Jn 2:1-11)
1第三日，在加利利的迦拿有娶親的筵席，
耶穌的母親在那裡。
2耶穌和他的門徒也被請去赴席。
3酒用盡了，耶穌的母親對他說：
“他們沒有酒了。”
4耶穌說：
“母親（原文是婦人），我與你有甚麼相干？
我的時候還沒有到。”
5他母親對用人說：
“他告訴你們甚麼，你們就做甚麼。”
6照猶太人潔淨的規矩，
有六口石缸擺在那裡，
每口可以盛兩三桶水。
7耶穌對用人說：
“把缸倒滿了水。
他們就倒滿了，直到缸口。”
8耶穌又說：
“現在可以舀出來，送給管筵席的。
他們就送了去。”
9管筵席的嘗了那水變的酒，
並不知道是那裡來的，
只有舀水的用人知道。
管筵席的便叫新郎來，
10對他說：“人都是先擺上好酒，
等客喝足了，才擺上次的，
你倒把好酒留到如今！”
11這是耶穌所行的頭一件神蹟，是在加利利的迦拿行的，
顯出他的榮耀來；他的門徒就信他了。
（約 2：1-11）
Jesus responded to Mary’s statement about a lack of wine by saying,
“Woman, what does your concern have to do with Me? My hour has not yet come”
(Jn 2:4).
Why did Jesus perform a miracle He seemed to disagree with?
Why didn’t Jesus just avoid the situation or perform one of His famous “slipaways”?1
Why did Jesus even go to the wedding in the first place?
耶穌回應瑪利亞提到缺酒的說詞：
“4耶穌說：“母親（原文是婦人），我與你有甚麼相干？我的時候還沒有到。”
（約 2：4）。
為什麼耶穌會進行一個祂似乎不同意的神蹟呢？
為什麼耶穌不直接避免這種情況，或是執行他很著名的“溜走”呢？
甚至耶穌為什麼一開始會去參加婚宴呢？
TO MANIFEST HIS GLORY 展示祂的榮耀
“Woman, what does your concern have to do with Me?”
(Jn 2:4)
“4耶穌說：“母親（原文是婦人），我與你有甚麼相干？”
（約 2：4）
These were Jesus’ first words as He replied to Mary’s request.
Consequently, I initially thought
this passage was about Jesus yielding to His mother,
though He had His reservations,
in order to set an example for one to respect one’s parents.
當耶穌回應瑪利亞請求時，這是祂所說的第一句話。
因此，起初我認為，
這段經文是關於耶穌順從他的母親，
儘管他有所保留，
為了給人樹立尊敬父母的榜樣。
However, Jesus reveals that
it wasn’t about respect or parents when He called His mother “woman”
(Jn 2:4).
It was uncommon then for people to call their mothers “woman.”
If the story were about obeying one’s mother,
Jesus would have used “mother” to address Mary.
However, His use of “woman” suggests an absence of maternal authority.
然而，耶穌卻表明，
在祂稱呼自已母親為“婦人”時，這並不是與尊敬父母有關
（約 2：4）。
當時，人們稱呼自己母親為“婦人”是不尋常的。
如果這個故事是關於順從個人的母親，
耶穌應該用“母親”來稱呼瑪利亞。
然而，他使用“婦人”的稱呼，暗示了母親的權威並不存在。
In fact, Jesus’ explicit disagreement to act upon Mary’s request
was to draw a line between acting upon the command of man and acting in His time.
事實上，耶穌明確不同意按照瑪利亞的請求行事，
是為了明確劃清依人的命令與依祂的時機行事之間的界線。
The concluding verse clearly states the primary purpose of the miracle:
“This beginning of signs Jesus did in Cana of Galilee,
and manifested His glory; and His disciples believed in Him”
(Jn 2:11).
Jesus attended the wedding and fulfilled the need for wine,
but in His time and in order to show His glory,
so His disciples would put their faith in Him.
結尾的經文明白表示，這個神蹟的主要目的：
“11這是耶穌所行的頭一件神蹟，是在加利利的迦拿行的，
顯出他的榮耀來；他的門徒就信他了。”
（約 2：11）
耶穌參加了婚禮，並滿足了宴酒的需求，
但在祂的時機，以及為了要顯出祂的榮耀，
好讓祂許多的門徒會信靠祂。
TRUST IN HIS TIME 信靠祂的時刻
“My hour has not yet come.”
(Jn 2:4)
”
4耶穌說：
“我的時候還沒有到。”
（約 2：4）
With this reply to Mary, Jesus showed
there was a difference between God’s time and man’s time.
藉著回應瑪利亞，耶穌顯示出，
神的時間與人的時間之間有差別。
When referring to the activities of men in the Gospel of John,
the Greek term for “hour” was used to point to a time in the day.2
Jesus, however, used the same term to talk about the future,3
like in reference to the descent of the Holy Spirit.4
在約翰福音中，當提及人的活動時，
這個“時候”的希臘文用詞，是用來指一天的某個時間。
然而，耶穌用同樣的詞來說明未來，
就像關於聖靈的降臨。
There is a clear distinction between how men think in hours
and how Jesus thinks in hours.
Furthermore, Jesus once said to His brothers,
“[Y]our time is always ready”
(Jn 7:6).
Yet, for Jesus, He has His own time,
and there is a “right” time.5
在人如何思考“時候”與耶穌如何思考“時候”之間有明顯的區別。
此外，耶穌曾告訴祂的弟兄，
“6你們的時候常是方便的。”
（約 7：6）。
然而，對於耶穌而言，祂有祂自己的時候，
並且有一個“合適的”時間。
In the Gospel of John,
“My hour”and “His hour” usually signified Jesus’crucifixion
and subsequent glorification by God.6
“Father, the hour has come. Glorify Your Son”
(Jn 17:1).
在約翰福音中，
“我的時候”和“祂的時候”通常是指耶穌釘十架，
以及隨後得到神的榮耀。
“1父阿，時候到了，願你榮耀你的兒子”
（約 17：1）。
Similarly, Jesus’ reply to Mary
meant that the hour for Him to perform the miracle
was not at Mary’s command.
She had to wait and trust in Him,
for only at His appointed time could His glory be revealed through the miracle.
同樣的，耶穌回應瑪利亞，
意思是祂行神蹟的時候，
不是由瑪利亞來決定的。
她必須等待且信賴祂，
因為只有祂所訂定的時間，祂的榮耀才會經由神蹟顯明出來。
As for us, we often worry when we encounter critical needs.
When our car’s battery runs out of power in the middle of the road,
we ask Jesus to fix our car instantly.
When we apply for a job,
we ask Jesus to help us get that high-paying,
near-home job straight away.
至於我們，當遇到緊急需求時，我們常會感到憂慮。
當我們的車子電池在路上沒電時，
我們會請求耶穌立刻修好車子。
當我們申請工作時，
我們會請求耶穌馬上幫助我們得到那份高薪，
且離家近的工作。
However, who knows if it might be God’s will for us
to preach to the nice couple that helps jumpstart our car?
Who knows if the job with lower pay will allow us more time for holy work,
so we can edify ourselves and edify others living in that area?
然而，誰知道是否正是神給我們的旨意，
去向那幫助啟動我們車子的好心夫婦傳福音呢？
誰知道是否這份低薪的工作，會給我們有更多的時間去從事聖工，
使我們能造就自己，並造就居住在那地區的其他人呢？
When our needs persist and the clock ticks, we grow anxious.
When problems aren’t immediately resolved after we pray,
we grow impatient.
當我們的需求持續存在，而且時間緊迫時，我們就會變得焦慮。
當我們禱告後問題沒有立即解決時，我們就變得沒有耐心。
It was the same when Mary eagerly presented the wine shortage to Jesus.
After Jesus told her,
“My hour has not yet come”
(Jn 2:4),
she understood that she needed to yield to Jesus’ timing,
and she handed the issue over to Jesus.
當瑪利亞急切的向耶穌提出酒不夠的問題時，也是同樣的情況。
當耶穌告訴她：
“4我的時候還沒有到。”
（約 2：4），
她就明白自己需要等候耶穌的時間，
因此她就將這個問題交給耶穌。
Jesus will fulfill our needs,
but we must
“trust in the Lord with all [our] heart and
lean not on [our] own understanding”
(Prov 3:5).
When all hope and possibility have “run out” like the wine,
we must understand that our perspective is limited.
Instead, there is always a way through God.
耶穌會滿足我們的需要，
但我們必須
“5你要專心仰賴耶和華，
不可倚靠自己的聰明，”
（箴 3：5）。
當所有的希望和可能性像酒一樣“用盡”時，
我們必須明白自已的視野是受限的。
然而，靠神總有出路。
Jesus reassures us,
“Therefore do not worry about tomorrow,
for tomorrow will worry about its own things”
(Mt 6:34).
Jesus is tomorrow
—His hours are of the future.
He knows what we need and will need.
耶穌安慰我們說：
“34所以，不要為明天憂慮，因為明天自有明天的憂慮”
（太 6：34）。
耶穌就是明天
—祂的時機就是來自於未來。
祂知道我們現在有什麼需要，將會需要什麼。
Though the clouds seem dark,
we need only to trust in Him and wait patiently.
He will provide in His time,
so that in all that we receive His name may be glorified.
雖然烏雲密佈，
我們只需信靠祂，耐心等待。
祂在祂的時候會預備一切，
使我們所有領受祂聖名的人都能得榮耀。
ALL GLORY TO GOD 一切榮耀歸予神
“Whatever He says to you, do it.”
(Jn 2:5)
“5他告訴你們甚麼，你們就做甚麼。”
（約 2：5）
At these words, the servants submissively obeyed Jesus.
Keep in mind that
the stone waterpots Jesus used were receptacles for holding water
for ceremonial purification,7
the traditional washing of hands before and after meals.
Imagine if you were one of the servants Jesus commanded.
You were taking, to the master of the wedding,
water you had just poured from jars
that a bunch of people used to wash their hands,
telling him to drink it.
How embarrassing and shameful would it be if the water never transformed?
The servants, however, fully obeyed without questioning Jesus.
聽到這些話，許多僕人都順從的服從了耶穌。
要記住，
耶穌所使用的石缸是用來裝水的容器，
是供儀式的潔淨之用，
傳統上是吃飯前後用來洗手。
想像一下，如果你是耶穌所吩咐的僕人之一，
你正拿著剛從水缸打出的水，給婚宴的主人，
是大家通常用來洗手的，
告訴他喝下去。
如果水沒有改變，那將會是多麼尷尬和羞愧的事啊！
然而，許多僕人完全服從而沒有質疑耶穌。
Instead of us telling Jesus to do things our way,
we should be ready and willing to do whatever Jesus tells us to do.
Even though we may be like the servants
carrying hand-washing water,
not knowing Jesus’ plans,
we must still obey whatever command Jesus gives us.
Even though we cannot see the benefit our work will bring,
we must still trust that our work will give Him glory in His time.
與其告訴耶穌按我們的方式行事，
我們應當預備好並且願意去做任何耶穌吩咐我們去做的事。
即使我們可能就像那些僕人一樣，
端著洗手用的水，
不知道耶穌的計劃，
我們仍然必須遵從耶穌給我們所下的任何命令。
即使我們看不到自已的工作可以帶來什麼好處，
我們仍然要相信，到了祂的時候，我們的工作將給祂榮耀。
There once was a True Jesus Church member named Simon
(not his real name)
who owned a small restaurant.
The businesses in his area,
including his restaurant,
consistently generated the most revenue on Saturdays.
Simon used to work on Saturdays along with other church members
but then realized that keeping the Sabbath was most important.
曾有一位真耶穌教會的信徒名叫西門
（不是真名），
他擁有一家小餐館。
他所在區域的商業，包括他的餐館，
星期六都能產生最多的收入。
西門以前和其他教會信徒一樣在星期六工作，
但那時他意識到守安息日才是最重要的。
Miraculously, when Simon stopped working on Sabbaths,
there was hardly any business in that area on Saturdays.
Yet, his weekly revenue was higher than before
and began to exceed that of the neighboring businesses.
Because of the dramatic change,
even non-believers decided to follow Simon to church on Sabbaths,
eventually believing.
很奇蹟的，當西門停止安息日工作時，
該區在星期六幾乎沒有任何生意。
然而，他每週的營收比以前更高，
並開始超過附近其他商家的收入。
由於這樣的戲劇性的變化，
甚至未信者決定跟隨西門在安息日去教會，
而且最後信主了。
We often think that obeying God might be detrimental to our livelihood.
Though we might not see how obeying God can give Him glory in our time,
we must still submissively obey.
In His time, His glory will be revealed.
我們常常認為，順服神可能會不利於我們的生計。
儘管我們在當下看不到順服神為何能夠給祂榮耀祂，
我們仍然必須順服的遵從。
到了祂的時候，祂的榮耀將會展現。
Not only must we obey,
we must fade from the scene after we diligently finish our work.
It is just like the servants:
after they obediently finished their duty,
they disappeared,
and the narration returned to how Jesus manifested His glory.
我們不僅要順從，
在我們辛勤完成自已的工作後必須淡出舞台。
這就像那些僕人：
在他們順服完成自已的職責後，
他們消失了，
而故事的敘述回到了耶穌如何彰顯祂的榮耀。
After we have done our duty for the Lord,
we must recede from the scene
so that the work God has performed through us may be credited to Him.
Allglory belongs to Jesus Christ.
當我們為主完成了自已的責任後，
我們必須淡出舞台，
讓神藉著我們所執行的工作能榮耀祂。
一切榮耀都歸於耶穌基督。
After we lead a service, prayer, or Bible study,
do we linger, waiting for people to compliment us?
Or do we retreat after we finish our holy work?
After we guide the congregation in hymns, interpret, or play the piano,
do we accept their praises of how well we served?
Or do we give Jesus all the glory?
當我們帶領聚會，禱告或查經後，
我們會逗留，等待別人來讚美我們嗎？
在我們完成自已的聖工後會離開嗎？
當我們帶領會眾詩頌，講道翻譯或司琴後，
我們會接受他們給自已服事有多好的讚美嗎？
還是我們會歸一切榮耀給耶穌呢？
We must decrease so that the glory for Jesus may increase.8
We are only preparing the path and leading others to Jesus.
After we have finished our job,
we must fall down before God, take off our crown,
and lay it before Him like the elders in Revelation.9
我們必須謙卑，使耶穌的榮耀得以高舉。
我們只是在預備道路，帶領別人來到耶穌面前。
當我們完成了自已的工作之後，
就必須俯伏在神面前，摘下自已的冠冕，
像啟示錄的長老將它放在神的面前。
The crown on our head belongs to God,
so we must give it back to Him.
All glory comes from God.
All glory belongs to God.
我們頭上的冠冕是屬於神的，
所以我們必須歸還榮耀給祂。
一切榮耀都來自神，
一切榮耀都屬於神。
A MIRACLE OF GREAT MAGNITUDE 偉大的神蹟
He manifested His glory.
(Jn 2:11)
11祂顯出他的榮耀來
（約 2：11）
Plain water and stone jars destined for dirty hands.
Servants whose names were not even recorded.
清水和石缸原本來是用來清洗髒手的。
而那些僕人的名字甚至都沒有被記錄下來。
It is just as the Bible said:
God has chosen the weak things of the world
to put to shame the things which are mighty;
and the base things of the world
and the things which are despised God has chosen
…that no flesh should glory in His presence
…“He who glories, let him glory in the Lord.”
(1 Cor 1:27-31)
正如聖經所說：
27又揀選了世上軟弱的，
叫那強壯的羞愧。
28神也揀選了世上卑賤的，被人厭惡的，
…29使一切有血氣的，在神面前一個也不能自誇。
…“31誇口的，當指著主誇口。”
（林前 1：27-31）
Jesus chose the lowliest
—the water, the stone jars, and the obedient servants
—to perform a miracle of great magnitude:
tap water changed into the best wine.
耶穌選擇了最卑微的事物，
—水，石缸與順服的僕人，
—來施行一個偉大的神蹟：
自來水變成了最好的酒。
The impossible becomes possible,
and Jesus is glorified
when we submit to His timing.
His hour, His glory.
當我們順服祂的時機時，
不可能的事就變為可能，
耶穌因此得榮耀。
祂的時刻，祂的榮耀。
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