合家事主的典范

在这段经文中我们看到三个典型的人物：马大、马利亚和拉撒路。他们所做的一切事充分体现了一个家庭侍奉主的经历，也表现了各自对主耶稣的爱心，成为合家侍奉主的典范。以下分三方面与弟兄姐妹分享。

一、因主忙碌

约12:2记载主耶稣光临，马大非常高兴，她在主身旁伺侯，静静等候差遣。马大的伺候是何等恳切！一个爱主的基督徒必然有殷勤的服侍。现今世界里，多少人不是为主忙碌而是为世界忙碌。主说：“因为你的财宝在哪里，你的心也在那里。”（参太6:21）多少时候我们的心被今世的虚荣缠住，向往属地的财富，整日为“世界”忙碌。为了“世界”不来侍奉我们的主，甚至还有人去拜偶像、拜假神。他们不但失去美好的见证，也失去了真正的生命，走向死亡。他们为“世界”侍奉，最终成为“肉体的情欲，眼目的情欲，并今生的骄傲”的奴仆。（参约壹2:16）

我们每个人都知道父母因爱儿女，对儿女的照顾是无条件的、无微不至的。因为爱和服侍是成正比的，我们爱谁就会乐意去服侍谁。爱得越多，服侍就越多。爱和服侍不单是口说而已，都要有实际行动来表现出来。马大不是没有自己的事情，然而她却愿意静静地在主身边，听主的吩咐伺侯主。马大的做法在人看来也许会失去什么，但是她却在主里面得到了记念和祝福。

使徒保罗在林前15:58中说“我亲爱的弟兄们，你们务要坚固，不可动摇，常常竭力多做主工，因为知道你们的劳苦，在主里面不是徒然的。”感谢主，马大的伺候是爱主的表现，她一心一意信靠主，为主忙碌，所以她所做的一切都不落空，都蒙主的记念。马大也因此成为合家事主的典范之一。

二、为主牺牲

约12:3记载：马利亚拿着一斤极贵的真哪哒香膏抹耶稣的脚，又用自己头发去擦，屋里就满了膏的香气，她为主舍去自己珍藏的香膏。据考证，当时以色列的风俗中，香膏是少女为自己预备嫁妆用的。 马利亚经过辛勤积累，自己都舍不得用，但是为主全然奉献了，因她是为主安葬之日存留的。马利亚的表现说明了她的心中只有主，没有自己。路21:2-4记载的穷寡妇奉献两个小钱，却被主记念。因为那是她养生的全部，她却愿意为主全部奉献。约6:9-13节记述了一个小孩奉献出五饼二鱼,最后五千人吃饱,还剩下十二篮。圣经里的税吏马太、撒该，打渔的彼得，高智商的保罗，有地位的尼哥底母，他们都奉献给了主，为主牺牲。弟兄姐妹们，我们当效法他们，不要爱自己太多，爱主太少。

马利亚舍己所爱，用珍贵的香膏膏主，使众人受到激励，并得到主的记念。“我实在告诉你们：普天之下，无论在什么地方传这福音，也要述说这女人所作的以为记念。”（参可14:9）。

弟兄姐妹们，我们爱主的心要效法马利亚，莫学犹大。两者的对比，让我们看到：前者，有属灵的生命，为主奉献为主牺牲；后者，是用假虔诚的面具来侍奉主。马利亚爱主，为主牺牲，得主的称赞和祝福，成为合家事主的典范之二。

三、与主相亲

约翰福音11章记载：拉撒路死后四天复活。这个神迹广为流传。因此，主耶稣一行来到伯大尼就有人为他预备筵席，献上感恩的心，这表明对主的爱。复活的拉撒路也在，他与耶稣一同坐席，与主相亲。正因为他生命有了改变，有了更新，才有这样的福分。约15:4上记载：“你们要常在我里面，我也常在你们里面。”拉撒路有复活的生命，成为新造的人，许多人因他的复活归向主的名下。

一个有属灵生命的基督徒必然常与主相亲。1、他必不会停止聚会，会不住祷告、查经；2、他必有属灵的生命，为主作光作盐作见证；3、他必有复活的生命，见证主的大能，使人信靠主、仰望主。在圣经里我们看到拉撒路虽然在大众场合默默无声，但因他有复活的生命，好些犹太人都来信靠主耶稣。

感谢主！拉撒路常在主里面，与主相亲。他默默侍奉，安静地领受主的道，遵行主的道，成为合家事主的典范之三。

从以上三个方面的内容弟兄姐妹可以看到：马大的侍侯是---静静地等待；马利亚的奉献是---舍己给主；拉撒路默默无声地与主相亲，见证主的大能。一家姐弟因主忙碌、为主牺牲、与主相亲成为合家事主的典范，这是我们每一位基督徒应当效法的榜样。

The Model Of The Whole Family Serving The Lord

By Rev. Lin Xinning

Bible Verse Reading: John 12: 1-11

We see three people in these verses: Martha, Mary and Lazarus. What they have done not only shows us how the whole family serves the Lord but also tells us how much each of them loves the Lord Jesus. I will share with you the model of the whole family serving the Lord from three aspects.

1. Busy for the Lord.

John 12: 2 records that when Jesus came, Martha was very happy. She served the Lord and awaited him quietly. Lord-loving Christians serve the Lord earnestly. But in modern times, many people are busy for the world rather than for the Lord. The Lord says, "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." (Matthew 6:21) How many times our heart is tied up by worldly vanity and longing for the earthly wealth? We are busy all day for "the world" and for "the world" we do not come to serve the Lord, some even worship idols or false gods. They not only lose good testimony but also the real life. They serve "the world" and finally they will become the servants of "the desire of the flesh, the desire of the eyes, the pride in riches." (Ref. 1 John 2: 16)

We know that parents' love for children is unconditional and their care for children is very deep as love is in proportion with service. Whoever we love, we are pleased to serve. The more we love, the more we serve. Both love and service needs to have action. It is not that Martha did not have her own work, but that she was willing to sit by the Lord quietly and ready to do whatever asked by the Lord. Martha is remembered and blessed by the Lord though one may think she loses something.

Apostle Paul says in 1 Corinthians 15:58, "My beloved, be steadfast, immovable, always excelling in the work of the Lord, because you know that in the Lord your labor is not in vain." Praise the Lord for Martha's love for the Lord and her whole-hearted dependence on the Lord.

2. Sacrifice for the Lord.

John 12: 3 records that Mary took a pound of costly perfume made of pure nard, anointed Jesus' feet, and wiped them with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. According to Israel custom, nard is prepared by a lass as her dowry. She gave up the precious nard for the Lord. She might keep it for the day of the Lord's burial. What she did shows that she has the Lord in her heart only. Luke 21: 2- 4 records that a poor widow dedicated two small copper coins and she was remembered by the Lord. Because that was all she had to live on and she loved to dedicate all to the Lord. John 6: 9-13 records that a boy dedicated five barley loaves and two fish, and finally five thousand were satisfied and the left filled twelve baskets. According to the Bible, Zacchaeus, the tax collector Matthew, the fisher Peter, highly intelligent Paul, and Nicodemus of position all dedicated themselves to the Lord and sacrificed for the Lord. My beloved, let's learn from them. Don't love the Lord too little while love ourselves too much.

Mary gave what she loved to the Lord, which encourages the Christians and is remembered by the Lord. "Truly I tell you, wherever the good news is proclaimed in the whole world, what she has done will be told in remembrance of her." (Mark 14: 9)

My beloved, we should follow Mary and deny Judas. Mary is filled with spiritual life and sacrificed for the Lord, but Judas served the Lord with his mask.

3. Close to God.

According to John 11, Lazarus raised from the dead four days after he died. The sign was widely spread. Therefore, when the Lord and his disciples reached Bethany, they were given a dinner by the grateful people. Lazarus was among them and he was sitting beside Jesus. John 15: 4 says, "Abide in me as I abide in you." Lazarus is filled with life of resurrection and he becomes anew in Jesus. Many converted to the Lord because of his resurrection.

Christians who have spiritual life try to be close to the Lord. First, they join in get-together worship, pray and read the Bible earnestly; second, they must be filled with spiritual life and be the light and salt for the Lord to testify for the Lord; finally, they must have life of resurrection and can testify the greatest power of the Lord, which leads others to the Lord. We see in the Bible that Lazarus, though he was silent, many Jews believed in the Lord Jesus because of him.

To sum up, Martha serves the Lord and awaits for His call quietly; Mary dedicates what she loves to the Lord; Lazarus is close to the Lord in silence, testifying His great power. The sisters and the brother in this family are involved in the Lord's work and sacrificed for the Lord. They set very good example for us. 　

（根据录音整理）