“May We Keep Saying the Harvest-Interest Prayer and Ourselves Be the Answer to It 願我們持續發出收莊稼興趣的禱告,並自己成為它的回應“(Luke 路加福音10:1-3)
After this the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them two by two ahead of him to every town and place where he was about to go. He told them, ‘The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field. Go! I am sending you out like lambs among wolves.
這些事以後,主又另外指派了七十二個人,差遣他們兩個兩個地,在他前面,到他自己將要到的各城各地去。耶穌對他們說:“莊稼多,工人少,所以你們應當求莊稼的主,派工人出去收他的莊稼。你們去吧!我差你們去,如同羊羔進入狼群。
Lord Jesus has already entrusted each of His followers/disciples His Great Commission preparing the way for His second coming. It remains true that the harvest is still plentiful. He warned us that opportunities to meet human need and bring people into His kingdom may be wasted because of a shortage of workers. He commanded us to pray for God sending out workers (a prayer that builds a harvest-interest within us). If we believe that it is but a short time until Jesus Christ comes back, we should make the principles of His commission to the seventy-two our own. Going like lambs (trusting God and not seeking to abuse and manipulate others) among wolves was exactly how Lord Jesus was sent, and how God’s power worked through Him mightily.
主耶穌已經託付了祂的大使命,給祂每位跟從者/門徒,為祂第二次的降臨預備道路。莊稼還多仍是真確的,祂警告我們,因著工人的缺乏,要滿足人的需要並把人領進神國的機會可能會被浪費掉。祂吩咐我們要禱告,祈求神派工人(一個在我們裡面產生收莊稼興趣的禱告)。如果我們相信直至耶穌基督再來時,還有的時間卻是短的,我們就理應把祂差派七十二門徒的原則作為自己的原則。要去如同羊羔(信靠神和不尋求辱罵或控制別人)進入狼群,正是主耶穌是怎樣受差遣的,並神的能力也是怎樣透過祂大能地作工的。
Prayer: Oh Lord, it is not only that there must be more workers for the harvest but also that those engaged in the work must have appropriate focus on their work. We need to admit that going like lambs among wolves does not sound very attractive. Moreover, apart from the potential threat of a wolf in sheep’s clothing, there could also be those seeking to abuse and manipulate others. Thank you for encouraging us that it is better (perhaps safer too for no presence of Judas, the traitor) to be one of the unnamed seventy-two, who did their work and were very happy in it, and whose names are only known to you. Amen.
禱告: 主啊,這不僅是必定要有更多的工人去收莊稼,而且那些從事這項工作的人必定要在自己的工作上有適當的焦點。我們要承認,如同羊羔進入狼群聽起來不太吸引人。此外,除了披著羊皮之狼的潛在威脋之外,還可以有那些尋求辱罵或控制別人的。感謝你鼓勵我們,最好(或許因著沒有叛徒猶大的同在也更安全)是成為那無名七十二人中的一員,他們作自己的工,並享受其中的快樂,而且他們的名字只有你知道。阿們。