第一週 · 週五

w01d05-ch

📖晨興餧養

太九16 『再者，沒有人用未漂過的布作補帄，補在舊衣服上，因為所補上的，會扯破那衣服，裂縫就更大了。』

路五36 『耶穌又對他們講一個比喻：沒有人把新衣服撕下一塊作補帄，補在舊衣服上；不然，就把新的撕破了，並且那從新的撕下來的補帄，和舊的也不相稱。』

在馬太九章十六節，主繼續說到更細緻、更甜美、更親切的事。…未漂過的，…原文…意即未梳理的、未蒸洗的、未作完的、未漂過的、未處理的。未漂過的布，象徵從成為肉體到釘十字架之前的基督，如同一塊未處理、未作成的新布；路加五章三十六節的新衣服，乃象徵基督，經過了釘十字架的處理，如同一件新衣服（路五36的新，原文與太九17新皮袋的新同）。基督先是未漂過的布，為要作成一件新衣服；然後，祂藉着死而復活，就作成了一件新衣服，在神面前作我們的義，遮蓋我們，使我們能得神稱義，蒙祂悅納（路十五22，加三27，林前一30）。把未漂過的布補在舊衣服上，…意即效法基督在地上為人生活時所作的。這是今天摩登派的人所嘗試的。他們只效法耶穌的為人，以改良他們的行為；他們不相信釘十字架的耶穌是他們的救贖主；也不相信復活的基督是他們的新衣服，在神面前作他們的義遮蓋他們（馬太福音生命讀經，三七七至三七八頁）。

📖信息選讀

馬太九章十六節的舊衣服，表徵人靠着天然的舊生命而有的好舉止、好行為和宗教的作法。主耶穌非常有智慧。在十六節祂沒有說，『你們約翰的門徒必須領悟，你們的衣服破舊且滿了破洞。你們禁食，實際上就是剪一塊未漂過的布，用來補你們衣服的破洞。』主耶穌沒有直接這樣說，祂乃是向約翰的門徒指明，他們沒有一件完美的衣服，並且指明他們的衣服有破洞，他們想要藉着禁食來補這些破洞。沒有人能說出像主耶穌在十六節所說的話。祂智慧的話裏滿了意義、責備、啟示和教訓。主對約翰的門徒說，『你們為甚麼問我禁食的事？你們的禁食是一種補破衣的作法。你們的禁食表明，你們知道自己的衣服有破洞，需要修補。…你們利用我來補你們的破洞。…你們從我這未漂過的布剪一塊來補你們衣服的破洞。但我這佈滿了縮水的能力，不要把它補在你們破舊的衣服上。你們若這樣作，破洞會更大。』

路加五章三十六節的記述和馬太九章十六節的記述有些不同。…請注意，馬太福音是說『布』，路加福音是說『衣服』。主耶穌把自己比喻為一塊未漂過的布。這指出祂在成為肉體和釘十字架之間的所是。在這段期間，祂是未漂過的布，是從未蒸洗或處理的新布。藉着祂的死而復活，這新布經過了處理，並且作成了一件新衣服。主的心意不是要把祂自己當作一塊未漂過的布賜給我們，乃是要把祂自己當作一件完整、作成的衣服賜給我們，使我們穿上，作我們的義，好叫我們在神面前得稱義。祂死而復活之後，成了作好的衣服，給我們穿上，使我們可以參加祂的婚禮。因此，祂不僅是新郎，也是我們的禮服，使我們有資格參加祂的婚筵。…我們這些罪人和『稅吏』需要穿上新衣服，使我們能配得上新郎的同在（馬太福音生命讀經，三七八至三八○頁）。

參讀：馬太福音生命讀經，第二十八篇。

WEEK 1 — DAY 5

Morning Nourishment

Matt. 9:16 No one puts a patch of unfulled cloth on an old garment, for that which fills it up pulls away from the garment, and a worse tear is made.

Luke 5:36 And He also spoke a parable to them: No one tears a patch from a new garment and puts it on an old garment; otherwise, he will tear the new garment, and also the patch from the new will not match the old.

In Matthew 9:16 the Lord continued with something even finer, sweeter, and more intimate…The Greek word translated “unfulled”…means “uncarded,” “unfulled,” “unfinished,” “unshrunk,” “untreated.” The unfulled cloth signifies Christ from His incarnation to His crucifixion, as a piece of new cloth, untreated, unfinished; whereas the new garment in Luke 5:36 signifies Christ as a new robe, after He was “treated” in His crucifixion. (The Greek word for new in Luke 5:36 is kainos, the same as the word for fresh in Matthew 9:17.) Christ first was the unfulled cloth for making a new garment,  and then through His death and resurrection He was made a new garment to cover us as our righteousness before God that we might be justified by God and acceptable to Him (Luke 15:22; Gal. 3:27; 1 Cor. 1:30)…To sew a patch of unfulled cloth on an old garment means to imitate what Christ did in His human life on earth. This is what today’s modernists are attempting to do. They only imitate Jesus’ human deeds to improve their behavior; they do not believe in the crucified Jesus as their Redeemer or in the resurrected Christ as their new garment to cover them as their righteousness before God. (Life- study of Matthew, 2nd ed., pp. 319-320)

Today’s Reading

The old garment in Matthew 9:16 signifies man’s good behavior, good deeds, and religious practices produced by man’s old, natural life. The Lord Jesus was very wise. In verse 16 He did not say, “You disciples of John must realize that your garments are torn and full of holes. By fasting you are actually cutting a piece of unfulled cloth and using it to patch the holes in your garments.” Instead of saying this directly, the Lord Jesus indicated to the disciples of John that they did not have a perfect garment. He indicated that their garments had holes and that by fasting they were trying to patch the holes. No human being could utter such a word as that spoken by the Lord Jesus in verse 16. His wise word was full of meaning, rebuke, revelation, and instruction. The Lord was saying…, “Why do you ask Me about fasting? Your fasting is a way of patching your torn garment. By your fasting you show that you realize that you have holes in your garments that need to be mended… You are utilizing Me to patch your holes…You are cutting a piece from My unfulled cloth to mend the holes in your garments. But My cloth is full of shrinking power. Don’t put any part of it on your old torn garments. If you do, the hole will become larger.”

The account in Luke 5:36 is somewhat different from that in Matthew 9:16…Notice that Matthew says “cloth” and that Luke says “garment.” The Lord Jesus likened Himself to a piece of unfulled cloth. This points to what He was between His incarnation and His crucifixion. During this period of time He was unfulled cloth, new cloth that had never been fulled or dealt with. Through His death and resurrection this “new cloth” was dealt with and was made a “new garment.” The Lord’s intention was to give Himself to us not as a piece of unfulled cloth but as a complete, finished garment that we might put on as our righteousness to be justified before God. After His death and resurrection He was made the finished garment for us to put on so that we may attend His wedding. Thus, He is not only the Bridegroom but also our wedding garment that qualifies us to attend His wedding feast. We as sinners and tax collectors need to be clothed in a new garment so that we may be worthy of the Bridegroom’s presence. (Life-study of Matthew, 2nd ed., pp. 320-322)

Further Reading: Life-study of Matthew, msg. 28