约翰福音第十三章
When you go to another to wash his feet, or when
another comes to wash your feet, be concerned as to the temperature of the
water!
Some come with boiling hot water. They are so
angry, so upset, so distracted by something that has happened in the past—and
so mad about it—that they come to the other person and say, ”Here, stick your
feet in here!” Nobody wants to have his feet washed with boiling water.
Some go to the other extreme and come with ice
water. They are so righteous, so holier-than-thou, so above it all. They come
with this frigid, freezing water and want to wash your feet. Nobody wants to
have his feet washed with ice water.
Some find a third extreme and come without any
water! They try to dry-clean your feet with “a piece of their mind,” just
scrubbing away harshly. What they say may be true, but there is no water of
love, nothing to wash the dirt gently away, but only a rigid insistence on
scraping away every imperfection and the skin along with it!
There is another way—that is to come and wash one
another’s feet in love, in the spirit of servant-hood.
【约十三7】「我所作的，你如今不知道，后来必明白。」
我们现在所看见神的作为，只是局部的─一个半完成、半发展的计划；到永生的殿完成的时候，全部工程就要清清楚楚的显露出来。
让我们上利巴嫩山顶去看看。在那里有高大的香柏树，它是同辈的光荣，狂风的对手！夏喜欢对着它微笑；夜喜欢用露珠镶饰它的叶子；飞鸟喜欢巢居在它的枝干上；疲倦的旅客、流浪的牧童，都喜欢在它荫下憩息，躲避日中的炎热、狂暴的风雨。虽然这样，有一天，它却被砍倒了；多年在林中享有权利的香柏树，竟死在匠人手下！
当斧子砍下的时候，树枝都从树身上脱下来了，那株高大的香柏树，哗啦一声倒在地上了。那时候，我们禁不住像先知那样喊叫说：「松树啊，应当哀号，因为香柏树倾倒...」(亚十一2)。
但是等一等，让我们跟着希兰的工人将那株大树运下山来，从那里沿着蓝色的地中海漂去。看啊，这株香柏树最后竟成了神殿中的栋梁─一根荣耀光泽的栋梁。当你看见了它的结局─被安置在至圣所里，万王之王的宫殿里─你会不会再可惜利巴嫩的香柏树被砍倒了呢？
「这殿后来的荣耀，必大过先前的荣耀」(该二9)。
多少时候，我们正像那香柏树！神的斧子将我们剥夺得一无所有。我们看不出有甚么理由叫我们遇见这样神秘的对付，但是神自有祂的目的在：神豫备永远用我们来作天上的栋梁，叫我们「在耶和华的手中要作为华冠，在你神的掌上必作冕旒」(赛六十二3)。─ 马克特夫
【约十三7】「我所作的，你如今不知道，后来必明白。」
神为祂的儿女特地设立一个学校，而这个学校最好的老师叫做「失望」。他给我们最难学的功课，常常用杖来管教我们，也常常领我们走上荆棘路，有时他会剥夺我们的奢华宴乐，其实，这能使我们的天路之旅走得更自在且更迅速；有时他会领我们走入死荫的幽谷，但是，就在其中我们能用信心的眼睛看主的应许。─《荒漠甘泉》库勒
The sign that you followed Abraham
was circumcision.
The sign that you followed Moses
was keeping the Sabbath.
The sign that you followed John
the Baptist was that you were baptized.
The sign that you follow Jesus
Christ is that you love one another.