第一週 · 週四

w01d04-ch

📖晨興餧養

太九15 『耶穌對他們說，新郎和伴友同在的時候，伴友豈能哀慟？但日子將到，新郎要從他們中間被取去，那時他們就要禁食。』

二五1 『那時，諸天的國好比十個童女，拿着她們的燈，出去迎接新郎。』

醫生和新郎都是令人喜悅的人。我很欣賞主的智慧。在法利賽人的事例中，祂將自己比喻為醫生〔太九12〕。如今在約翰門徒的事例中，祂將自己比喻為婚禮中的新郎〔15〕。…和新郎同在是喜樂的時候；但新郎被取去的時候，他們就會禁食。

『伴友』這辭是指主的門徒。主在地上盡職事的過渡時期中，祂的門徒是祂的伴友，以後他們要成為祂的新婦（約三29，啟十九7）。新郎從伴友中間被取去，這發生在君尊的救主被取升天、離開門徒的時候（徒一11）。從那以後，他們就禁食（十三2~3，十四23）（馬太福音生命讀經，三七四頁）。

📖信息選讀

君尊的救主在對付舊宗教裏自義並持異議的法利賽人時，指明祂是醫生，要醫治有病的人（太九12）。祂在對付新宗教裏禁食並持異議的約翰門徒時，啟示自己是新郎，要娶新婦。施浸者約翰曾告訴他的門徒說，基督是新郎，要娶新婦（約三25~29）。現在基督，君尊的救主，將這事提醒他們中間的一些人。君尊的救主首先醫治跟從祂的人，然後使他們成為伴友，至終要使他們成為祂的新婦。他們不僅應當把祂當作醫生，好恢復他們的生命，也應當把祂當作新郎，好享受與祂同在的生活。他們乃是與祂同在喜樂的婚禮中，並不是參加沒有祂的悲哀葬禮。既是這樣，他們怎能在君尊的救主面前禁食而不宴樂？這異議的問題〔太九14〕指明，約翰的一些門徒已經落到新宗教裏，並且也棄絕了君尊的救主。

約翰的門徒所問的，似乎是道理的問題，但主不以道理，卻以一個最令人喜悅的人，新郎，來答覆。宗教的人總是注意道理，在道理上問『為甚麼』，但基督只在意祂自己。跟從主之人的生活、行動，不該由任何道理，只該由主自己和主的同在，來規範並指引。

人在婚禮中禁食是可笑的。不僅如此，在別人享受婚筵的時候禁食，也是對新郎的侮辱。在此我們看見主的智慧。祂沒有和他們爭辯，但祂確實定罪了宗教徒。主似乎說，『你們宗教徒已經失去了目標。你們豈不知我是新郎，圍繞我的門徒都是伴友麼？他們不該禁食。他們必須與我一同坐席。』沒有這兩個事例，主耶穌絕不能被啟示為醫生和新郎（馬太福音生命讀經，三七五至三七六頁）。

在…以撒婚娶的記載裏，亞伯拉罕豫表父神，僕人豫表靈神，以撒豫表子神，利百加豫表神所揀選的人，要嫁給子，成為祂的配偶。整本新約乃是記載三一神一同作工，要得着一部分人類成為子的新婦，配偶（約三29，林後十一2，弗五25~32，啟十九7~9，二一2、9~10）（聖經恢復本，創二四2註2）。

參讀：馬太福音生命讀經，第二十七篇。

WEEK 1 — DAY 4

w01d04-en

Morning Nourishment

Matt. 9:15 And Jesus said to them, The sons of the bridechamber cannot mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them, can they? But days will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast. 25:1 At that time the kingdom of the heavens will be likened to ten virgins, who took their lamps and went forth to meet the bridegroom.

Both a physician and a bridegroom are pleasant persons. I appreciate the Lord’s wisdom. In the case concerning the Pharisees, He likened Himself to a physician [Matt. 9:12]. Now in the case with the disciples of John, He likened Himself to a bridegroom at a wedding [v. 15]…It is a joyful time with the bridegroom, but when the bridegroom is taken away, they may fast.

The phrase sons of the bridechamber refers to the disciples of the Lord. In the transitional period of the Lord’s ministry on earth, His disciples were the sons of the bridechamber. Later, they will become the bride (John 3:29; Rev. 19:7). The Bridegroom was taken away from the sons of the bridechamber when the kingly Savior was taken up from the disciples into heaven (Acts 1:11). After that, they fasted (13:2-3; 14:23). (Life-study of Matthew, 2nd ed., pp. 316-317)

Today’s Reading

In dealing with the self-righteous and dissenting Pharisees, who were of the old religion, the kingly Savior indicated that He was a Physician who had come to heal the sick (Matt. 9:12). In dealing with the fasting and dissenting disciples of John, who were of the new religion, He revealed Himself as the Bridegroom who had come to take the bride. John the Baptist told his disciples that Christ was the Bridegroom who had come to take the bride (John 3:25-29). Now Christ, the kingly Savior, reminded some of them of this. The kingly Savior first healed His followers and then made them the sons of the bridechamber; eventually, He will make them His bride. They should have laid hold of Him not only as their Physician, that their life might be recovered, but also as their Bridegroom, that they might have the enjoyment of living in His presence. They were with Him at a joyful wedding, not without Him at a mournful funeral. How then could they fast and not feast before Him? This dissenting question from John’s disciples [Matt. 9:14] indicated that some of them had fallen into a new religion and had rejected the kingly Savior.

The question from John’s disciples seemed to relate to doctrine. However, the Lord did not answer with a doctrine but with a person, the most pleasant person, the Bridegroom. The religious people always care for their doctrine with their doctrinal reasonings. But Christ cares only for Himself. The living and walk of His followers should be regulated and directed only by Himself and His presence, not by any doctrine.

It would be ridiculous for someone to fast at a wedding. Moreover, to fast while others are enjoying the wedding feast would be an insult to the bridegroom. Here we see the Lord’s wisdom. He did not argue with them, but He certainly condemned the religious ones. The Lord seemed to be saying, “You religious people have missed the mark. Don’t you realize that I am the Bridegroom and that all My disciples around Me are the sons of the bridechamber? They shouldn’t be fasting. They must feast with Me.” Without these two cases the Lord Jesus could never have been revealed as the Physician and as the Bridegroom. (Life-study of Matthew, 2nd ed., pp. 317-318)

In [the] account of the marriage of Isaac, Abraham typifies God the Father, the servant typifies God the Spirit, Isaac typifies God the Son, and Rebekah typifies the chosen people of God, who will marry the Son and become His counterpart. The entire New Testament is a record of the Triune God working together to gain a part of the human race to be the bride, the counterpart, of the Son (John 3:29; 2 Cor. 11:2; Eph. 5:25-32; Rev. 19:7-9; 21:2, 9-10). (Gen. 24:2, footnote 2)

Further Reading: Life-study of Matthew, msg. 27