九月二日
西门的岳母正害热病躺着,就有人告诉耶稣。(可1:30)
让我们现在到作使徒的渔夫家中看一看吧!这是一件有趣的事:我们马上可以看到家庭的忧乐都不能拦阻主的工作。不,它们反能使人有机会见证主在自己的骨肉身上所成的恩工。它们是教诲人的最好方法。教皇党徒以及某种会派的人反对婚姻,但是真正的基督教与家庭生活是幷行不悖的。彼得的家或许是简陋的渔舍,但荣耀的主进入其中,住在其中,幷在其中行了一件神迹。今晨愿我们在一个卑微的茅屋中阅读本书,借此鼓励我们寻求君王耶稣的密切交往。神常在陋室中,而不常在富丽的皇宫中。耶稣现在正巡视你的屋子,要恩待你。病痛进了彼得的家,致命的热病使他的岳母卧床不起。当耶稣到那里之后,他们就把这一件悲痛的事告诉了他,他立即走到病床之前。
今晨你家有什麽患病的人吗?耶稣乃是一位最好的大医生,你应当把一切都告诉他,赶快把这事放在他面前。因爲这是关乎他民的事,所以他绝不嫌烦絮。你再细读:“热就退了。”救主马上把她治好了;没有一个医生能像他这样手到病除的。我们不知道主是否把我们所爱之人的一切病都除去,但我们知道只要爲病存著信心来祷告必然即时得到痊愈,这是世上一切别的方法所及不上的。若是不能得到痊愈,我们也必须谦卑地伏拜掌管生死的主。耶稣的慈心等待垂听我们一切的忧患,让我们把一切都倾倒在他忍耐的耳中。
September 2
“But Simon’s wife’s mother
lay sick of a fever, and anon they tell Him of her.” — Mark 1:30
Very interesting is this little peep into the house of the Apostolic
Fisherman. We see at once that household joys and cares are no hindrance to the
full exercise of ministry, nay, that since they furnish an opportunity for
personally witnessing the Lord’s gracious work upon one’s own flesh and blood,
they may even instruct the teacher better than any other earthly discipline.
Papists and other sectaries may decry marriage, but true Christianity and
household life agree well together. Peter’s house was probably a poor
fisherman’s hut, but the Lord of Glory entered it, lodged in it, and wrought a
miracle in it. Should our little book be read this morning in some very humble
cottage, let this fact encourage the inmates to seek the company of King Jesus.
God is oftener in little huts than in rich palaces. Jesus is looking round your
room now, and is waiting to be gracious to you. Into Simon’s house sickness had
entered, fever in a deadly form had prostrated his mother-in-law, and as soon
as Jesus came they told Him of the sad affliction, and He hastened to the
patient’s bed. Have you any sickness in the house this morning? You will find Jesus
by far the best physician, go to Him at once and tell Him all about the matter.
Immediately lay the case before Him. It concerns one of His people, and
therefore will not be trivial to Him. Observe, that at once the Saviour
restored the sick woman; none can heal as He does. We may not make sure that
the Lord will at once remove all disease from those we love, but we may know
that believing prayer for the sick is far more likely to be followed by
restoration than anything else in the world; and where this avails not, we must
meekly bow to His will by whom life and death are determined. The tender heart
of Jesus waits to hear our griefs, let us pour them into His patient ear.