5月26日
标 题：最小的一个
经 节：我实在告诉你们，凡妇人所生的，没有一个兴起来大过施洗约翰的；然而天国里最小的比他还大。（马太福音十一章11节）
施洗约翰的角色是在耶稣的事工兴盛时，使自己的名声衰微（约翰福音三：30）。约翰让自己的门徒离开自己，去跟随耶稣。在他被非法关入监狱，并且被残暴的君王突发异想地处死之前，他的事工总共不过是六个月。然而，耶稣说在约翰之前，天国中没有人高过约翰的。摩西曾经分开红海；以利亚曾使死人复活及吩咐火从天降；以赛亚写了圣经中令人崇敬的一卷书，而约翰短短六个月的事奉，居然能与天国中最伟大的人物相匹配！
更令人难以置信的是，耶稣说我们有机会成为天国中比施洗约翰更伟大的人物。施洗约翰宣告耶稣的来临，而我们现在的基督徒，拥有基督内住我们的心中。我们一定要铭记在心，事奉神是一生中能够得到的至大特权。即使以最卑贱的方式服事主，也远比我们所应得的要荣耀得多！约翰只有半年不到的时光，来完成他的任务，他竭尽全力地事奉；而我们有机会让耶稣借着我们的生命，来运行祂的工作。我们若如此行，比施洗约翰所完成的工作还要伟大。我们的任务与施洗约翰一样，就是高举耶稣，否定自己。我们要以与施洗约翰相同的热情，来事奉我们的神！
Whoever Is Least
“Assuredly, I say to you, among those born of
women there has not risen one greater than John the Baptist; but he who is
least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.” (Matthew 11:11)
John the Baptist’s role was to decrease in
prominence while Jesus’ ministry increased (John 3:30). John allowed his
disciples to leave him in order to follow Jesus. His ministry lasted only about
six months before he was wrongfully imprisoned and executed on the whim of a
cruel monarch. Yet Jesus said that no one who had come before John was any
greater in the kingdom of heaven. Moses had parted the Red Sea; Elijah had
raised the dead and brought down fire from heaven; Isaiah had written a revered
book of Scripture; yet in the brief time of service granted to John, he had
matched them all for greatness in the kingdom of heaven!
Incredibly, Jesus said that we have the opportunity
to be even greater in the kingdom of heaven than John the Baptist. He announced
the coming of Christ, but we, as Christians, have Christ living within us. We
must remember that service to God is the greatest privilege we can receive in
life. To serve God in even the most menial way is an honor far greater than we
deserve. John was given less than a year to complete his assignment, and he did
so with all that he had. We have the opportunity to allow Jesus to carry out
His work through our lives, so that greater things are done through us than
were ever accomplished through John the Baptist. Our mandate is the same as
John’s: to lift up Jesus while denying ourselves. Oh, that we would do so with
the same fervor as John the Baptist!
