July 30, 2012

The Teaching of Disillusionment

Jesus did not commit Himself to them . . . , for He knew what was in man —John 2:24-25

Disillusionment means having no more misconceptions, false impressions, and false judgments in life; it means being free from these deceptions. However, though no longer deceived, our experience of disillusionment may actually leave us cynical and overly critical in our judgment of others. But the disillusionment that comes from God brings us to the point where we see people as they really are, yet without any cynicism or any stinging and bitter criticism. Many of the things in life that inflict the greatest injury, grief, or pain, stem from the fact that we suffer from illusions. We are not true to one another as facts, seeing each other as we really are; we are only true to our misconceived ideas of one another. According to our thinking, everything is either delightful and good, or it is evil, malicious, and cowardly.

Refusing to be disillusioned is the cause of much of the suffering of human life. And this is how that suffering happens— if we love someone, but do not love God, we demand total perfection and righteousness from that person, and when we do not get it we become cruel and vindictive; yet we are demanding of a human being something which he or she cannot possibly give. There is only one Being who can completely satisfy to the absolute depth of the hurting human heart, and that is the Lord Jesus Christ. Our Lord is so obviously uncompromising with regard to every human relationship because He knows that every relationship that is not based on faithfulness to Himself will end in disaster. Our Lord trusted no one, and never placed His faith in people, yet He was never suspicious or bitter. Our Lord’s confidence in God, and in what God’s grace could do for anyone, was so perfect that He never despaired, never giving up hope for any person. If our trust is placed in human beings, we will end up despairing of everyone.


覺醒的操練

耶穌卻不將自己交託他們……因他知道人心裡所存的。 (約二24-25)

覺醒就是在生命中再沒有錯誤的判斷。受錯覺的矇騙,會使我們對人的批評變得苛刻,好冷嘲熱諷。但從神而來的覺醒,卻使我們認清人的本相,而又不憤世嫉俗,也沒有尖酸苦毒的說話。人生許多的痛苦,都是由於我們受錯覺的蒙蔽。對別人的觀感,我們只憑自己的想法,而非忠於事實。對我們來說,每一事物若非好便是壞。不願從錯覺中醒悟,是導致人生種種痛苦的因由。情形就是這樣:我們若愛一個人,卻不愛神,便會要求他完全正直無暇。一旦得不到,就變得殘酷,要報復;我們要求的,是一個人無法做到。只有主耶穌才能滿足人心中最深的渴求。主耶穌對每種人際關係的看法,是相當嚴厲的;因為他知道任何一種不忠於主為基礎的關係,到頭來必定悲劇收場。主雖然不把自己交託給人,但他從不多疑,也不尖刻苦毒。他對神的信賴,以及對他恩典全能的信賴,使他對任何人都不絕望。我們的信賴若在人身上,結果必是對人失望。

祈禱◆主啊,對於你道路的細節,我雖然一無所知,但我期盼你奇妙的作為儘快顯明。我是何其全然安息,得見你的道路時,又是何其釋然。

No comments:

Post a Comment