第一週 · 週一

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📖晨興餧養

太四16　 『那坐在黑暗中的百姓，看見了大光；並且向那些坐在死亡的境域和陰影中的人，有光出現，照着他們。』

約八12　 『於是耶穌又對眾人講論說，我是世界的光，跟從我的，就絕不在黑暗裏行，必要得着生命的光。』

馬太四章十六節指明，我們可以經歷並享受基督作大光，向那些坐在死亡境域和陰影中的人出現，並照在那坐在黑暗中的百姓身上。…這光實際上就是基督自己作生命的光（約八12），照在死亡的陰影中。在馬太四章十六節，主耶穌並未展示權能或權柄。相反的，祂走在海邊，是一個平凡人。但是當祂在加利利海邊接觸人時，祂照耀他們，像一道大光照在黑暗中，照在死亡的境域和陰影中。

每當基督來到，光也來到。作為大光，祂向那些坐在死亡的境域和陰影中的人出現。我們得救之前，都在那充滿死亡陰影的境域中。死亡的陰影就是黑暗，屬撒但的黑暗。對那些坐在這種黑暗中的人，基督來不僅是作光，更是作大光。我們呼求主耶穌的名，把祂接受到裏面，神聖的光就進到我們這人裏面。我們立刻感覺有個東西在裏面照亮，那個照亮就是基督作光的照亮。基督作光在我們裏面照亮，有力地證明我們已經從神而生，成為祂的兒女（新約總論第九冊，二七至二八頁）。

📖信息選讀

彼得、安得烈、雅各和約翰並不領悟，他們在加利利海邊工作謀生的時候，是在黑暗裏。他們在死亡的陰影中。這就是今天光景的一幅圖畫。很多基督徒在河邊遇見了主耶穌，並且得救了；但後來他們不在意這經歷，反而在意謀生。所以他們到加利利海邊去謀生。他們不知道去加利利海邊謀生，就進入黑暗和死亡的陰影中。那些在大城市如洛杉磯、紐約和芝加哥奮鬥謀生的人，都是在黑暗中，在死亡的境域和陰影中。讚美主，新王沒有留在耶路撒冷！祂來到加利利海邊，今天祂仍舊來到加利利海邊，四處行走要得着我們。這次祂來不是小羔羊，乃是大光。彼得和安得烈向海裏撒網時，這大光照耀在他們身上。主站在那裏照耀他們時，祂也許說，『彼得、安得烈，你們在這裏作甚麼？你們不記得我在約但河邊曾遇見你們麼？彼得，你不記得我如何改了你的名字麼？』那天在加利利海邊，大光照耀在他們身上。

我們的經歷和他們的一樣。我們在約但河邊得救了，但後來我們忘了發生在我們身上的事，到加利利海邊去謀生。我們正在那裏為生活工作時，我們從前在約但河邊所遇見神的羔羊，作為大光來照耀在我們身上。祂照耀在我們身上時，問說，『你在那裏作甚麼？』原則上，我信我們很多人有過這種經歷。在河邊，神的羔羊拯救了你；但在加利利海邊，大光的照耀呼召了你。在河邊所發生的事可能很容易忘記，但你忘不了在加利利海邊，大光照耀在你身上的那個時刻（馬太福音生命讀經，一七五至一七六頁）。

參讀：新約總論，第二百六十七篇；馬太福音生命讀經，第十二篇。

WEEK 1 — DAY 1

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Morning Nourishment

Matt. 4:16 “The people sitting in darkness have seen a great light; and to those sitting in the region and shadow of death, to them light has risen.”

John 8:12 Again therefore Jesus spoke to them, saying, I am the light of the world; he who follows Me shall by no means walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.

Matthew 4:16 indicates that we may experience and enjoy Christ as the great light rising to those sitting in the region and shadow of death and shining over the people sitting in darkness…This light is actually Christ Himself as the light of life (John 8:12) shining in the shadow of death. In

Matthew 4:16 the Lord Jesus made no display of power or authority. Rather, He walked on the seashore as a common person. But when He contacted people by the Sea of Galilee, He shined upon them like a great light shining in the darkness and in the region and shadow of death.

Wherever Christ comes, light comes also. As a great light, He springs up to those who are sitting in the region and shadow of death…Before we were saved, we all were in that region, a region full of the shadow of death. The shadow of death is darkness, the darkness of Satan. To those sitting in such a darkness, Christ comes not only as light but as the great light. When we called on the name of the Lord Jesus, receiving Him into us, the divine light came into our being. Immediately, we had the sense of something shining within. This kind of shining is the shining of Christ as light. The shining of Christ as light within us is a strong confirmation that we have been born of God to be His children. (The Conclusion of the New Testament, pp. 2774-2775)

Today’s Reading

Peter, Andrew, James, and John did not realize that they were in darkness as they were working there by the Sea of Galilee to make a living. They were in the shadow of death. This is a picture of today’s situation. Many Christians met the Lord Jesus at some riverside and were saved. But later, they did not care for that experience; rather, they cared for making a living. Therefore, they went to the Sea of Galilee to earn a living. Without knowing it,…they entered into darkness and into the shadow of death. All those striving to earn a living in the large cities like Los Angeles, New York, and Chicago are in darkness and in the region and shadow of death. Praise the Lord, the new King did not remain in Jerusalem! He came to the Sea of Galilee, and He is
still coming to the Sea of Galilee today, walking about the seashore seeking to catch us. This time He comes not as a little Lamb but as a great light. As Peter and Andrew were casting their nets into the sea, this great light shined upon them. As He stood there shining upon them, He might have said, “Peter and Andrew, what are you doing here? Don’t you remember that I met you by the riverside of the Jordan? Peter, don’t you recall how I changed your name?” That day by the Sea of Galilee a great light was shining upon them.

Our experience was the same as theirs. We were saved at the riverside of the Jordan. But we later forgot what had happened to us and went to the Sea of Galilee to make a living. As we were working there for our living, the One whom we had met as the Lamb of God by the riverside of the Jordan came as a great light to shine upon us. As He was shining upon us, He inquired, “What are you doing here?”…I believe that, in principle, a great many of us have had this kind of experience. You were saved at the riverside by the Lamb of God, but you were called by the Sea of Galilee by the shining of a great light. Although it may be easy to forget about what happened by the riverside, you cannot forget the time the great light shined upon you by the Sea of Galilee. (Life-study of Matthew, 2nd ed., pp. 144-145)

Further Reading: The Conclusion of the New Testament, msg. 267; Life- study of Matthew, msg. 12