Blessed are the poor in spirit . . . —Matthew 5:3
The New Testament notices things that do not seem worthy of notice by our standards. “Blessed are the poor in spirit . . . .” This literally means, “Blessed are the paupers.” Paupers are remarkably commonplace! The preaching of today tends to point out a person’s strength of will or the beauty of his character— things that are easily noticed. The statement we so often hear, “Make a decision for Jesus Christ,” places the emphasis on something our Lord never trusted. He never asks us to decide for Him, but to yield to Him— something very different. At the foundation of Jesus Christ’s kingdom is the genuine loveliness of those who are commonplace. I am truly blessed in my poverty. If I have no strength of will and a nature without worth or excellence, then Jesus says to me, “Blessed are you, because it is through your poverty that you can enter My kingdom.” I cannot enter His kingdom by virtue of my goodness— I can only enter it as an absolute pauper.
The true character of the loveliness that speaks for God is always unnoticed by the one possessing that quality. Conscious influence is prideful and unchristian. If I wonder if I am being of any use to God, I instantly lose the beauty and the freshness of the touch of the Lord. “He who believes in Me . . . out of his heart will flow rivers of living water” (John 7:38). And if I examine the outflow, I lose the touch of the Lord.
Who are the people who have influenced us most? Certainly not the ones who thought they did, but those who did not have even the slightest idea that they were influencing us. In the Christian life, godly influence is never conscious of itself. If we are conscious of our influence, it ceases to have the genuine loveliness which is characteristic of the touch of Jesus. We always know when Jesus is at work because He produces in the commonplace something that is inspiring.
不受注意的事奉
虛心的人有福了。 （太五3）
依我們的標準來看，新約所注意的事物，似乎都是微不足道的。 [虛心的人有福了]，按原意解釋是貧窮的人有福了。貧窮的人，何等平凡！今日的講台很容易側重意志的力量、品性的美善－－一些易於惹人注目的東西。今日常聽的口號－－為主決志，其實是強調了一件我們的主從不信任的事。他從沒有叫我們為他決志，他只要我們降服，這是截然不同的兩件事。耶穌基督國度的基礎，是在於未經修飾的平凡事物。叫我蒙福的，是我的貧窮。我若自知沒有意志力、沒有高貴的品質，耶穌就會說：[你有福了。 ]因為我是透過貧窮無有，得以進入他的國。我不能以好人的身分進入，只能以一無所有的叫化子身分進去。
一切表彰神可愛事物的真正品質，必然是不自覺的。自覺有影響力，是自負及非信徒的表現。若我說：[我懷疑自己到底是否有用。 ]立時就與主的生命失了連絡。 [信我的，要從他腹中流出活水的江河來。 ]我若檢查那流出來的水，就失去了主的能力。哪些人影響我們最深？不是那自以為影響了我們的人，而是那些完全不知道影響我們的人。在基督徒的生命中，內涵的東西總不是自治自覺的；一旦意識到，就會失掉那未經修飾的美，這正是主耶穌親手撫摸的特質。我們往往可以知道耶穌何時在作工，因為他能在平凡中製造超卓。
祈禱◆主啊，我要讚美你，你在每個人的生命中，也透過每個人的生命，來實行你完美的旨意。
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