第四週■週五

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晨興餧養

太十一28 ～ 30『凡勞苦擔重擔的，可以到我這裏來，我必使你們得安息。我心裏柔和謙卑，因此你們要負我的軛，且要跟我學，你們魂裏就必得安息；因爲我的軛是容易的，我的擔子是輕省的。』

〔馬太十一章二十八節的勞苦〕不僅是指爲了遵守律法誡命和宗教規條而努力的勞苦，也是指爲了工作成功而奮鬭的勞苦。凡這樣勞苦的，總是擔重擔的。主頌揚父，承認父的道路，並宣告神聖的經綸之後，便呼召這樣的人到祂這裏來得安息。…安息不僅是指從律法與宗教，或工作與責任的勞苦並重擔中得着釋放，也是指完全的平安和完滿的滿足。（聖經恢復本，太十一28 註1，註2。）

負主的軛就是接受父的旨意。這不是受律法或宗教義務的規律或支配，也不是受任何工作的奴役，乃是受父旨意的約束。主過這樣的生活，並不在意別的，只在意祂父的旨意。（約四34，五30，六38。）祂將自己完全降服於父的旨意。（太二六39，42。）因此，祂要我們跟祂學。（太十一29 註3。）

信息選讀

柔和，或，溫柔。意卽不抵抗任何反對。謙卑，意卽不重看自己。在一切的敵對中，主是柔和的；在一切的棄絕裏，祂心裏是謙卑的。祂將自己完全降服於父的旨意，不爲自己作甚麼，也不盼望爲自己得甚麼。因此，無論環境如何，祂心裏都有安息；祂完全以父的旨意爲滿足。…負主的軛、跟主學，就叫我們的魂得安息。這是裏面的安息，不是任何僅僅在本質上是外面的事物。（聖經恢復本，太十一29 註1，註4。）

主的軛是父的旨意，祂的擔子是將父旨意實行出來的工作。這樣的軛是容易的，不是痛苦的；這樣的擔子是輕省的，不是沉重的。…〔容易〕原文表明合用；因此是美好、親切、柔和、溫良、容易、愉快，與艱難、嚴酷、尖銳、痛苦相對。（太十一30 註1，註2。）

在我們的經歷中，有時候我們就是不知道要思考甚麼。…這指明我們的心思需要主耶穌作牧人。…祂牧養的結果，就使我們的心思受指引，擺在正路上。…我們的情感是複雜的，容易受攪擾。…所以，我們需要主耶穌在我們的情感裏牧養我們。祂的牧養安慰我們的情感。…我們的意志也需要主的牧養。我們人常常發覺很難作正確的決定，有時候最難爲的事就是作決定。不信的人沒有人帶領並引導他們作決定，但我們有牧人帶領並引導我們。主的帶領和引導主要與我們的意志有關。主是活的牧人，不斷指引我們的意志。…主實在是我們魂的牧人。祂指引我們的心思，安慰我們的情感，帶領並引導我們的意志。

照着我的經歷，帶領與引導之間有所不同。帶領與目的地有關。假定你從家裏開車到一個城市，公路地圖可以帶領你到目的地。但一旦你到達那城市，你會需要一個嚮導，指引你到你要去的準確地點。…〔例如，〕一面，主帶領祂的子民到聖地。但祂帶領他們到了那裏之後，就要引導他們到錫安山。

主是我們的牧人，首先帶領我們，然後引導我們。祂帶領我們到正確的地方，並且引導我們到準確的地點。這就是基督，我們的牧人。（彼得前書生命讀經，二二九至二三○頁。）

參讀：新約總論，第五十八篇。

WEEK 4 — DAY 5

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Morning Nourishment

Matt. 11:28-30 Come to Me all who toil and are burdened, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am meek and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.

[Matthew 11:28] refers not only to the toil of striving to keep the commandments of the law and religious regulations but also to the toil of struggling to be successful in any work. Whoever toils thus is always heavily burdened. After the Lord extolled the Father, acknowledging the Father’s way and declaring the divine economy, He called this kind of people to come to Him for rest. (Matt. 11:28, footnote 1) Rest refers not only to being set free from the toil and burden under the law or religion or under any work or responsibility, but also to perfect peace and full satisfaction. (Matt. 11:28, footnote 2)

To take the Lord’s yoke is to take the will of the Father. It is not to be regulated or controlled by any obligation of the law or religion or to be enslaved by any work, but to be constrained by the will of the Father. The Lord lived such a life, caring for nothing but the will of His Father (John 4:34; 5:30; 6:38). He submitted Himself fully to the Father’s will (Matt. 26:39, 42). Hence, He asks us to learn from Him. (Matt. 11:29, footnote 2)

Today’s Reading

To be meek, or gentle, means not to resist opposition, and to be lowly means not to have self-esteem. Throughout all the opposition the Lord was meek, and throughout all the rejection He was lowly in heart. He submitted Himself fully to the will of His Father, not wanting to do anything for Himself or expecting to gain something for Himself. Hence, regardless of the situation He had rest in His heart; He was fully satisfied with His Father’s will. (Matt. 11:29, footnote 3) The rest that we find by taking the Lord’s yoke and learning from Him is for our souls. It is an inward rest; it is not anything merely outward in nature. (Matt. 11:29, footnote 4)

The Lord’s yoke is the Father’s will, and His burden is the work of carrying out the Father’s will. Such a yoke is easy, not bitter, and such a burden is light, not heavy. (Matt. 11:30, footnote 1) The Greek word [translated “easy”] means “fit for use”; hence, good, kind, mild, gentle, easy, pleasant—in contrast to hard, harsh, sharp, bitter. (Matt. 11:30, footnote 2)

In our experience sometimes we just do not know…where to direct our thoughts. This is an indication that our mind needs the Lord Jesus as the Shepherd…As a result of His shepherding, our mind is directed and set in the right way. Our emotion, being complicated, is easily upset…Therefore, we need the Lord Jesus to shepherd us in our emotion. His shepherding comforts our emotion. Our will also needs the Lord’s shepherding. As human beings, we often find it difficult to make the right decision. Sometimes the hardest thing to do is to make a decision. Unbelievers have no one to lead them and guide them in making decisions. But we have a Shepherd to lead us and guide us. The Lord’s leading and guiding are primarily related to our will. As the living Shepherd, the Lord continually directs our will…The Lord is truly the Shepherd
of our soul. He directs our mind, comforts our emotion, and leads and guides our will.

According to my experience, there is a difference between leading and guiding. Leading is related to a destination. Suppose you are driving from your home to a certain city. A road map may lead you to your destination. But once you arrive at that city, you will need a guide, someone to direct you to the exact place where you want to go…For instance, on the one hand, the Lord will lead His people to the Holy Land. But once He has led them there, He will guide them to Mount Zion.

As our Shepherd, the Lord leads us first and then guides us. He leads us to the right place, and He guides us to the exact spot. This is Christ, our Shepherd. (Life-study of 1 Peter, p. 192)

Further Reading: The Conclusion of the New Testament, msg. 58