2022-11-5 “Surely Not, Lord! We Have Never 主啊，千萬不可！我從來不… “（Acts 使徒行傳 10:9-16）
… he fell into a trance. He saw heaven opened and something like a large sheet being let down to earth by its four corners. It contained all kinds of four-footed animals, as well as reptiles and birds. Then a voice told him, ‘Get up, Peter. Kill and eat.’ ‘Surely not, Lord!’ Peter replied. ‘I have never eaten anything impure or unclean.’ The voice spoke to him a second time, ‘Do not call anything impure that God has made clean.’ This happened three times, and immediately the sheet was taken back to heaven.
… 他魂遊像外，看見天開了，有一件東西，好像一塊大布，綁著四角，降在地上。裡面有地上的各樣四足牲畜，還有昆蟲和天空的飛鳥。有聲音對他說：“彼得，起來，宰了吃！”彼得說：“主啊，千萬不可！我從來不吃俗物和不潔的東西。”第二次又有聲音對他說：“神所潔淨的，你不可當作俗物。”這樣一連三次，那件東西就立刻收回天上去了。
God used hunger, which Peter no doubt regarded it as a distraction to his prayer, to speak to him through a vision regarding kosher and non-kosher food together with an unexpected command to ‘get up, kill and eat’ as he fell into a trance. This obviously went against Peter’s commitment as a Jew. His response with ‘no’ to God was both absurd and yet typical of us. Compare Peter’s response to God (Surely not, Lord!) with Cornelius’ response to God (What is it, Lord?). On that day, it seemed that Cornelius was more responsive to God than Peter was. For deep emphasis, God repeated this vision three times for Peter to regard this as important, believing at this point that God spoke only about food but really getting at another point shortly afterwards.
當彼得魂遊像外時，神就利用他毫無疑問地認為使他禱告分心的飢餓，透過一個有關潔淨和不潔淨食物的異象，並一個意料之外、要「起來，宰了吃」的命令與他說話，這顯然違背了他作為猶太人的委身。彼得對神「說不」的反應既是荒謬，又是我們的典型。比較彼得對神的回應（主啊，千萬不可！）與哥尼流對神的回應（主啊，什麼事呢﹖）；那一天，似乎哥尼流比彼得對神更響應的。為了深刻的強調，神要彼得認為這是重要的，就將這個異像一連重複了三次，而他那時以為神講的只是食物，很快之後，卻真正知道神講的是另外一回事。
Prayer:
God of Trinity, you more often speak to our inner man with your word or vision. As a vision could be ‘seen’ by the ‘mind’s eye,’ even so we could ‘hear’ your voice with the ‘mind’s ear.’ Thank you for reminding us that we often fall into the trap of thinking that we must be perfected until you can really use us. However, you love to use us simply because we are in the right direction and we are available. Help us to respond to your invitation with the only legitimate answer ‘yes.’ Amen.
禱告: 三一真神啊，你較常以你的話語或異象，對我們的內心說話。由於「心靈的眼睛」可以「看到」異象，同樣的，我們也可以用「心靈的耳朵」去「聆聽」你的聲音。感謝你提醒我們，我們往往落入一個陷阱，以為自己必須是完美的，直至你能真正使用我們。然而，你樂意使用我們，只不過是因為我們是在正確的方向上，而且是有空可被使用的。求你幫助我們，以唯一合理、「是」的答覆，回應你的邀請。阿們。
