A Glimpse of Spirituality 靈修一瞥121 (Matt 17:10-13)                                         

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The Jews had a tradition, and retain it to this day, that before the coming of the Messiah, Elijah should come in accordance with Malachi 4:4, 5. Jesus not only acknowledged the necessity of Elijah’s coming before the Messiah; he also assured his disciples that he had already come. Further, Jesus described the treatment that he had received from the false religious leaders as to make them understand what John the Baptist had encountered in his life.

 

Though John’s ministry was excellently calculated to produce all the effects ascribed to it by the prophets, the disciples should not be surprised to find that being a prophet was not for the worldly glory but the heavenly. That is to say, from the aspect of the world, John failed, and so did Jesus while their merciful love was misinterpreted. As a result, they met with opposition and persecution.

 

Jesus said, “I tell you that Elijah has already come, and they did not know him, but did to him whatever they pleased. So also the Son of man will suffer at their hands.”

 

The verb “suffer” (paschein) denotes a bad sense in respect to undergoing evils or being afflicted. Concerning Jesus’ suffering, it must be regarded from the perspective of the experience of his transfiguration (Matt 17:1-9). In short, Christians have to interpret Jesus’ suffering and death with the hope of resurrection. John already had gone the way of Jesus through suffering, in particular his case of being beheaded by Herod. However, at the end of the way of cross, Jesus’ glory will triumph.

 

Christians’ religious experience of committing their lives to Jesus is like a spark of fire, lightening the dark tunnel of life while they almost give up God and follow the evil way of life because of suffering or persecution. Endurance with faith, hope, and charity will light up the spark of life.

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猶太人有一傳統，一直保留到今天，根據拉4:4，5，厄里亞在默西亞來臨之前先到。耶穌不只承認厄里亞必在默西亞之前出現，他也向門徒保證他已經來到。此外，耶穌描述他從虛假宗教領導那裡遭遇的對待，以便讓門徒了解洗者若翰在他生活中所遇到的事情。

儘管若翰的牧職偉大博愛，可是，不但沒有達到預期效果，最終招致含冤砍頭，他的生命說明一個事實，成為先知不是為了世界的光榮，反之，是天上的；也就是說，從世界的角度來看，若翰完全失敗，耶穌也失敗了，因為他們的慈悲大愛都被世界誤解誤讀誤會；結果，他們遭到世界反對和迫害。

耶穌說：“厄里亞已經來了，人們卻不認識他，反而任意待了他；照樣，人子也要受他們的磨難。”

動詞“磨難”（paschein）表示對受邪惡折磨的不好感覺。關於耶穌所受苦難，必須從祂顯聖容的經驗來看（瑪17:1-9）。簡言之，基督徒要以復活的希望來解讀耶穌的苦難死亡。若翰已經走上耶穌的道路並且經歷苦難，特別是被黑落德斬首；然而，在十字架的盡頭，耶穌的光榮將會凱旋。

基督徒參與耶穌生命的宗教經驗，像火花，照亮他們因苦難或迫害而幾乎放棄天主並走上邪惡生活的生命黑暗隧道；可是，帶著信望愛的堅忍，將燃燒生命的火花。

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