福傳系列之一：福傳為救有自知之明的人
（瑪9:18-26）
世上祇有兩種人：「無知」的人和「有自知之明」的人。無知的人可能很快樂，因為他們滿足於現狀，或者無奈地認命。有如井底之蛙，他們不知道自己落後，不知道自己病倒了，不知道自己錯過了獲得康復/解放的機會…
慈悲的天主是絕對不會讓他們的眼淚白流，讓他們的努力白費。所以，「傳佈福音者的腳步是多麼美麗啊！」（依52:7，羅10:15）患血漏病的婦人，掙扎了十二年，她的苦況，不單是肉體上的，還有社會強加給她的標籤。背負著雙重枷鎖，她的痛苦可想而知。所以，耶穌基督治好她，是無可比擬的解放和喜樂！
婦人知道自己有病，加上她對耶穌基督的信德，兩者合力救了她（瑪9:22）。周圍的人呢？他們沒有信德嗎？一定有，否則不會跟著耶穌。難道他們沒有病嗎？還是他們不知道自己有病呢？ 恐怕是後者了。所以傳福音成敗與否，其中一個決定性因素是聽福音的人是否有自知之明。耶穌基督不久前說的話真好：「不是健康的人需要醫生，而是有病的人。」（9:12）
天父啊！求祢賜下聖神，掃除我們的無知，讓我們得享祢的救恩。亞孟。
生命恩泉
圖片鳴謝：sohu.com
Evangelization (I): To Save Those Who Know Themselves
(Matthew 9:18-26)
There are only two types of people: the ignorant and those who know themselves. The ignorant might be happy because they are satisfied with the status quo or they have surrendered. Like a frog at the bottom of a well, they don’t know that they are backward, that they have fallen ill and that they have missed the opportunity to get well …
Those who know themselves might not be happy because they discover that they’re living in difficulties. They would try to improve themselves, to break new grounds and even to change the environment for the better. Feeling hungry and they look for food. Not knowing things and they learn or ask someone. Being sick and they consult physicians … They don’t want to become sitting ducks. In doing so, they put in efforts and take risks. It must be tough! If there’s no food around, nobody to seek advice, no doctor to consult or no liberator to deliver … How painful and miserable when they struggle in despair!
The merciful God will absolutely not allow their tears or efforts to go in vain. Thus, “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring the good news” (Isaiah 52:7, Romans 10:15). The bleeding woman had struggled for 12 years. Her sufferings were more than physical. There were labels imposed by the society on her. Under the burden of double sufferings, her pains were imaginable. Thus how liberating and joyful she was when Jesus Christ healed her!
The woman knew she was sick. This knowledge and her faith in Jesus Christ worked together to cure her (Matthew 9:22). What about the crowd? Didn’t they have faith? Of course they had. Otherwise they wouldn’t have followed Jesus. Were they not sick? Or they didn’t know that they were sick? I’m afraid it was the latter case. Therefore, one of the decisive factors for the success of evangelization is whether the audience know themselves. Jesus Christ spoke well earlier on, “Those who are well do not need a physician, but the sick do.” (9:12)
Heavenly Father! Grant us the Holy Spirit to wipe away our ignorance. Let us partake Your salvation. Amen.
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