Chambers/Utmost/9-2
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9月2日
Classic: The Sacrament Of Sacrifice
He that believeth in Me…out of him shall flow…. — John 7:38
Jesus did not say — “he that believeth in Me shall realize the blessing of the fullness of God,” but — “he that believeth in Me out of him shall escape everything he receives.” Our Lord’s teaching is always anti-self-realization. His purpose is not the development of a man; His purpose is to make a man exactly like Himself, and the characteristic of the Son of God is self-expenditure. If we believe in Jesus, it is not what we gain, but what He pours through us that counts. It is not that God makes us beautifully rounded grapes, but that He squeezes the sweetness out of us. Spiritually, we cannot measure our life by success, but only by what God pours through us, and we cannot measure that at all.
When Mary of Bethany broke the box of precious ointment and poured it on Jesus’ head, it was an act for which no one else saw any occasion; the disciples said it was a waste. But Jesus commended Mary for her extravagant act of devotion, and said that wherever His gospel was preached “this also that she hath done shall be spoken of for a memorial of her.” Our Lord is carried beyond Himself with joy when He sees any of us doing what Mary did, not being set on this or that economy, but being abandoned to Him. God spilt the life of His Son that the world might be saved; are we prepared to spill out our lives for Him?
“He that believeth in Me out of him shall flow rivers of living water” — hundreds of other lives will be continually refreshed. It is time now to break the life, to cease craving for satisfaction, and to spill the thing out. Our Lord is asking who of us will do it for Him?
Updated: A Life of Pure and Holy Sacrifice
He who believes in Me…out of his heart will flow… —John 7:38
Jesus did not say, “He who believes in Me will realize all the blessings of the fullness of God,” but, in essence, “He who believes in Me will have everything he receives escape out of him.” Our Lord’s teaching was always anti-self-realization. His purpose is not the development of a person— His purpose is to make a person exactly like Himself, and the Son of God is characterized by self-expenditure. If we believe in Jesus, it is not what we gain but what He pours through us that really counts. God’s purpose is not simply to make us beautiful, plump grapes, but to make us grapes so that He may squeeze the sweetness out of us. Our spiritual life cannot be measured by success as the world measures it, but only by what God pours through us— and we cannot measure that at all.
When Mary of Bethany “broke the flask…of very costly oil…and poured it on [Jesus’] head,” it was an act for which no one else saw any special occasion; in fact, “…there were some who…said, ‘Why was this fragrant oil wasted?’ ” (Mark 14:3-4). But Jesus commended Mary for her extravagant act of devotion, and said, “…wherever this gospel is preached…what this woman has done will also be told as a memorial to her” (Mark 14:9). Our Lord is filled with overflowing joy whenever He sees any of us doing what Mary did— not being bound by a particular set of rules, but being totally surrendered to Him. God poured out the life of His Son “that the world through Him might be saved” (John 3:17). Are we prepared to pour out our lives for Him?
“He who believes in Me…out of his heart will flow rivers of living water”— and hundreds of other lives will be continually refreshed. Now is the time for us to break “the flask” of our lives, to stop seeking our own satisfaction, and to pour out our lives before Him. Our Lord is asking who of us will do it for Him?
한글: 순수하고 거룩한 희생의 삶
요 7:38 "나를 믿는 자는...그 배에서 생수의 강이 흘러나오리라..."
예수님은 "나를 믿는 자는 충만하신 하나님의 모든 축복을 알게될 것"이라 말씀하시지 않고 본질적으로 "나를 믿는 자는 받은 모든 것이 그에게서 부터 빠져 나올것이다" 라고 말씀하셨습니다. 우리 주님의 가르침은 항상 반자아(反自我) 실현적이었습니다. 그분의 목적은 사람의 발전이 아닙니다. 그분의 목적은 사람을 그분과 똑같이 만드는 것이고, 하나님의 아들은 자신을 소모하는 것으로 특징 지워집니다. 우리가 예수님을 믿는다면 우리가 무엇을 얻느냐가 아니라 우리를 통해 그분께서 무엇을 붓고 계시냐가 중요한 것입니다. 하나님의 목적은 단지 우리를 아름답고 풍성한 포도로 만드는 것이 아니라 우리를 포도로 만들어 단맛을 짜내는 것입니다. 우리의 영적인 삶은 세상의 성공이란 기준으로 측정 될 수 없으며, 오직 하나님께서 우리를 통해 세상으로 붓는 것으로만 측정될 수 있습니다. 우리는 그것을 측정할 수 없습니다.
베다니의 마리아가 "매우 값진 향유.. 옥합을 가지고 와서.. 깨뜨려 예수의 머리에" 부었습니다. 이것은 아무도 특별한 행사라고 본 일이 아니었습니다. 심지어 "어떤 사람들이.. 말하되 어찌하여 이 향유를 허비하는가" 하였습니다 (막 14:3-4). 그러나, 예수님께서는 마리아의 지나칠 정도로 보이는 헌신에 대해 칭찬하시고 말씀하시되, "온 천하에 어디서든지 복음이 전파되는 곳에는 이 여자가 행한 일도 말하여 그를 기억하리라" (막 14:9) 라고 하셨습니다. 우리 주님께서는 마리아가 행한 것 처럼 어떤 규칙에 매이지 않고 그분에게 온전히 항복할때 기쁨이 넘치게 되십니다. 하나님은 그의 아들의 생애를 부어 "그로 말미암아 세상이 구원을 받게 하려 하심이라" (요 3:17). 우리는 주님을 위해 우리의 목숨을 부어 줄 준비가 되어 있습니까?
"나를 믿는 자는...그 배에서 생수의 강이 흘러나오리라" -- 그리고 수백명의 다른 삶이 끈임없이 새롭게 될 것입니다. 지금은 우리의 삶의 "옥합"을 깨뜨릴 차례입니다. 우리의 만족을 추구하는 것은 멈추고, 주님 앞에서 우리의 삶을 부어드릴 시간입니다. 우리 주님께서 우리 중 누가 그 분을 위해 할 것인지 묻고 계십니다.
Translated by Michael Han (2018-10-18)