新约 - 马太福音(Matthew)第25章

"At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom.
Five of them were foolish and five were wise.
The foolish ones took their lamps but did not take any oil with them.
The wise, however, took oil in jars along with their lamps.
The bridegroom was a long time in coming, and they all became drowsy and fell asleep.
"At midnight the cry rang out: 'Here's the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!'
"Then all the virgins woke up and trimmed their lamps.
The foolish ones said to the wise, 'Give us some of your oil; our lamps are going out.'
"'No,' they replied, 'there may not be enough for both us and you. Instead, go to those who sell oil and buy some for yourselves.'
"But while they were on their way to buy the oil, the bridegroom arrived. The virgins who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet. And the door was shut.
"Later the others also came. 'Sir! Sir!' they said. 'Open the door for us!'
"But he replied, 'I tell you the truth, I don't know you.'
"Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour.
"Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his property to them.
To one he gave five talents of money, to another two talents, and to another one talent, each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey.
The man who had received the five talents went at once and put his money to work and gained five more.
So also, the one with the two talents gained two more.
But the man who had received the one talent went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his master's money.
"After a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them.
The man who had received the five talents brought the other five. 'Master,' he said, 'you entrusted me with five talents. See, I have gained five more.'
"His master replied, 'Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!'
"The man with the two talents also came. 'Master,' he said, 'you entrusted me with two talents; see, I have gained two more.'
"His master replied, 'Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!'
"Then the man who had received the one talent came. 'Master,' he said, 'I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed.
So I was afraid and went out and hid your talent in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you.'
"His master replied, 'You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed?
Well then, you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers, so that when I returned I would have received it back with interest.
"'Take the talent from him and give it to the one who has the ten talents.
For everyone who has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him.
And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.'
"When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory.
All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.
He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.
"Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world.
For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in,
I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.'
"Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink?
When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you?
When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?'
"The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'
"Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.
For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink,
I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.'
"They also will answer, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?'
"He will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.'
"Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life."
马太福音第廿五章   太 25 章 > 耶稣比喻真丰富,童女、才干、山羊与绵羊,这都说明了我们所需要作的──你做了多少? 

  25 章 耶稣用比喻来说明预备祂再来的意义,和在祂再来之前应该如何生活。童女的比喻( 25:1-13 )告诉我们每一个信徒都需要为自己的属灵境况负责。才干的比喻( 25:14-30 )则显明,必须好好地运用神所交托给我们的。山羊与绵羊的比喻( 25:31-46 )强调服事有需要的人的重要性。没有一个比喻可以完全地把我们要做的准备工夫描述出来,每一个都只是画出整幅图画中的一部分。 

  太 25:1-13> 临渴掘井,真有一种侥幸的窃喜,我会等耶稣来之前再预备,我会来得及…… 

  25:1-13 按照犹太人的风俗,婚礼当天,新郎到新娘家中举行典礼,然后新郎和新娘随着一大群人列队游行,回到新郎的家中,举行筵席,通常整个婚礼会长达一个星期。这十个童女就是等待着加入这个游行队伍的,也盼望参与婚礼的筵席,但新郎还没有在预期的时间来到,其中五个童女的灯油就用尽了,赶忙去买所需的油,结果赶不上参加筵席。 

  在耶稣再来,带领祂的子民回天家前,我们必须作好准备,属灵的装备不能在最后的一秒才去买或借来,我们与神的关系是个人的事,必须亲自向祂交代。 

  太 25:15> 左手、右手满满的握着很多东西;可是日子流逝,东西还在,我做了些什么? 

  25:15 主人按着他仆人的能力把钱──才干──分给他们,没有人取得多于或少于自己所能处理的,如果他完不成主人给他的任务,不能以能力不足作为藉口,只因他懒惰或恨憎主人。金钱在这里表示我们所获得的所有资源,神按我们的能力赐给我们时间、才能、恩赐和其他资源,期望我们能够有智慧地投资,直到祂再来。我们有责任好好地运用神所赐给我们的一切,问题并不在乎拥有多少,乃在于我们怎样运用我们所拥有的。 

  太 25:21> 不作传道、传福音的,也可以为神而工作吗?如何做? 

  25:21 耶稣要回来,这是真的,那是否表示必须放下我们的职业去事奉神呢?不一定!这里所指的是信徒要充分运用自己的时间、能力和财富。无论做什么事,都可以做到服事神。对一部分人来说,这可能是要转换他们的职业;对大部分人来说,这是为着神的爱来做日常的工作。 

  太 25:24-30> 他又没有吞掉一千块,为何被骂?是他忽略了点什么吗? 

  25:24-30 最后一位仆人只想到自己,以为只要安全地处置这些金钱,便不会被严厉的主人斥责,最后,却因他的自我中心受到审判。我们不能找藉口逃避神呼召我们去做的事,如果神真是我们的主人,我们就必须甘心地顺服祂。我们的时间、才能和金钱本来就不属于自己──我们只是一个管家。我们忽视、浪费或滥用神所赐的,就是背叛神,应该受到刑罚。 

  太 25:29-30> 让我们算一算,按照目前的情况,你想主再来时,你会得到什么? 

  25:29-30 这个比喻描述人对基督再来的两种态度的不同结果:一个仆人运用自己的时间和才干,忠心地服事神,等候主人回来,他将获得赏赐;另一个仆人无心为天国工作将要受刑罚。神会赏赐忠心的人,那些没有为神的国度结果子的人别期望与那些忠心的人有一样的结果。 

  太 25:31-46> 我们都爱自己多一点,其实我也想爱他人多一点,只是…… 

  25:31-46 神会把顺服的跟随者从假冒和未信的人中分别出来。我们的行动就是我们信仰的真实凭证,然而,要对待每一个我们遇见的人如同对待耶稣那样,实在不是一件容易的事。我们做在别人身上的,正显示我们真正如何思想耶稣对我们所说的话──使饥饿的人吃饱,使无家可归的人得栖身之所,使生病的人得照顾。你的行为怎样把你从假冒者和未信的人中分别出来呢? 

  太 25:32> 绵羊山羊同是羊,有何分别? 

  25:32 耶稣以绵羊和山羊来比喻信徒和非信徒。二者同在牧场中生长,但剪羊毛时就要被分开。以西结先知也曾提到绵羊和山羊,但其含意与这里不一样(参结 34:17-24 )。 

  太 25:34-40> 我无钱、无地位,那么多有需要的人,我可以帮助多少个? 

  25:34-40 这个比喻所描述的怜悯行为是我们每天都可以实践的,不必倚靠财富、能力或是智慧,只是无偿地付出和领受。我们没有任何藉口去忽略有迫切需要的人,也不能把这个责任卸给教会或政府,耶稣要求我们个人参与照顾别人的需要(参赛 58:7 )。 

  太 25:40> 想去爱,想行出来,却又感到无力……但你有去行吗?或只是在原地怨叹? 

  25:40 这里所指的“弟兄”,引起了许多的争论,有人说是犹太人,另一些说是所有信徒,又有人说是各处受苦的人。这类争论就如昔日律法师质问耶稣“谁是我的邻舍呢?”(路 10:29 )。这个比喻的重点不在“谁”,而在“服事”──哪里有需要服事的人,就去那里服事。我们应该尽一己所能,去爱和服事每一个人,从对别人的爱中反映出我们对神的爱,使祂得着荣耀。 

  基督徒如何看末世预兆 

  太 25:46> 地狱永火折磨人,可以选择不去吗?我怕…… 

  25:46 地狱里有永远的刑罚,是拒绝悔改的人死后接受刑罚的地方。圣经里有三个词与“永刑”有关:( 1 )旧约的 “ 阴间”──指死人去的地方,通常认为在地底下(参伯 24:19 ;诗 16:10 ;赛 38:10 );( 2 )新约的“阴间”──与旧约的“阴间”一样,是死人的居所( 16:18 ;参启 1:18 ; 20:13-14 );( 3 )“地狱”──指耶路撒冷城外的欣嫩子谷,在那里孩童被焚为祭,献给外邦偶像(参王下 23:10 ;代下 28:3 ),那里有永远不灭之火( 5:22 ; 10:28 ;参可 9:43 ;路 12:5 ;雅 3:6 ;启 19:20 ),是为撒但、它的使者和不信神的人预备的( 25:46 ;参启 20:9-10 )。 

  在主再来和白色大宝座审判之后,地狱就成为永远囚禁那恶者的最后地方。耶稣告诉那些未信的人,其实祂正是要把他们从刑罚的折磨中拯救出来。 ──《灵修版圣经注释》