Mandarin Sermon Translations

  • National Bishop Susan Johnson

    全国主教苏珊约翰逊

     

    Mark 8: 27-38

    马可福音 8:27-38


    Jesus went on with his disciples to the villages of Caesarea Philippi; and on the way he asked his disciples, ‘Who do people say that I am?’ And they answered him, ‘John the Baptist; and others, Elijah; and still others, one of the prophets.’ He asked them, ‘But who do you say that I am?’ Peter answered him, ‘You are the Messiah.’ And he sternly ordered them not to tell anyone about him.


    耶稣带着门徒们来到该撒利亚腓立比的村庄，在路上问他们：“人们说我是谁？”门徒们回答：“有人说是施洗约翰，还有人说是以利亚，还有人说是先知中的一位。”耶稣问他们：“你们说我是谁？”彼得回答：“你是弥赛亚。”耶稣严厉地吩咐他们不要告诉任何人关于他的事。


     

    Then he began to teach them that the Son of Man must undergo great suffering, and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again. He said all this quite openly. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. But turning and looking at his disciples, he rebuked Peter and said, ‘Get behind me, Satan! For you are setting your mind not on divine things but on human things.’


    然后，耶稣开始教导他们，人子必须经历大苦难，被长老、祭司长和文士所拒绝，并且被杀害，三天后复活。他公开地说了这些话。彼得把他拉到一边，开始责备他。但耶稣转过身来，看着门徒们，责备彼得说：“撒旦，退到我后面去吧！因为你所思虑的不是神的事，而是人的事。”


     

    He called the crowd with his disciples, and said to them, ‘If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake, and for the sake of the gospel, will save it. For what will it profit them to gain the whole world and forfeit their life? Indeed, what can they give in return for their life? Those who are ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of them the Son of Man will also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.’


    耶稣叫众人和门徒来，对他们说：“如果有人要跟从我，就当舍己，背起自己的十字架，来跟随我。因为凡要救自己生命的，必丧掉生命；凡为我和福音丧掉生命的，必救了生命。人若赚得全世界，却赔上自己的生命，有什么益处呢？人还能拿什么换生命呢？在这个淫乱罪恶的时代，那些羞耻于我和我的话的人，人子来到的时候，也要羞耻于他们，带着他父亲的荣耀和圣天使们一同降临。”

     

    ~

    Grace and peace to you in the name of Jesus. I bring you greetings from your siblings in Christ from coast to coast to coast that make up this part of God’s family we know as the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada.


    愿恩典与平安奉耶稣的名临到你们。我带来了来自从海岸到海岸组成的上帝家庭，即加拿大福音路德教会的基督弟兄姐妹们的问候。

     


    The verse from today’s gospel lesson I want to focus on is “If any want to become my followers let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.” Deny yourself and take up your cross is certainly a countercultural message to the society that surrounds us.


    今天福音经文中我想重点关注的句子是：“如果有人要跟从我，就当舍己，背起自己的十字架，来跟随我。”舍己和背起十字架，确实是与我们周围社会的主流文化相悖的信息。


     

    Today’s culture celebrates “indulging oneself,” not “denying oneself.” It has a “look after number one attitude” not a “take care of the needs of others attitude.”


    今天的文化庆祝“纵容自己”，而不是“舍己”。它有一种“以自我为中心”的态度，而不是“照顾他人需求”的态度。


     

    At the National Worship conference this year I attended a workshop by Adrian Jacobs who put it this way – “it’s a hard time to live in a good way.”


    在今年的国家礼拜会议上，我参加了由亚德里安雅各布斯主持的一个研讨会，他这样描述——“现在是一个很难以良好方式生活的时代。”


     

    Walter Brueggemann’s prayer “The voice we can scarcely hear” also speaks to this:


    沃尔特布鲁根曼的祷告《我们几乎听不见的声音》也反映了这一点：


     

    You are the voice we can scarcely hear

    because you speak to us about dying and suffering,

    and we are impacted by so many voices

    that have to do with power

    and competence

    and success.


    你是我们几乎听不见的声音， 因为你对我们谈论死亡和痛苦， 而我们被许多声音影响， 这些声音涉及权力， 能力， 和成功。

     

     

    We do know that you are the voice that gives life,

    that you are the voice that opens futures to people who are hopeless.


    我们确实知道你是赐予生命的声音， 你是给绝望的人开启未来的声音。

     

     

    We are a part of a hopeless people,

    because the other voices eat at our hearts,

    and we are immobilized

    and we become deaf.


    我们是绝望的民族的一部分， 因为其他声音侵蚀我们的内心， 使我们瘫痪， 我们变得聋哑。

     

     

    So we pray for new ears.


    因此我们祈求新耳朵。

     

     

    We pray that your voice may be more audible to us,

    that we may be able to sort out the death-giving

    from the life-giving voices among us.


    我们祈求你的声音能更清晰， 让我们能够区分死亡的声音 与赐生命的声音。

     

     

    We pray in the name of Jesus,

    through whom you have spoken

    in such inscrutable ways.


    我们以耶稣的名祈祷， 通过他，你以难以理解的方式说话。

     

     

    Amen.


    阿门。

     

     

    So why does this sentence bother us so much? “If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.”


    那么，为什么这个句子会如此困扰我们呢？“如果有人要跟从我，就当舍己，背起自己的十字架，来跟随我。”


     

    Partly that we don’t have experience with crosses these days. We understand historical references, and we understand pietistic ones that describe all of life’s burdens as crosses to bear. And although there are people still today dying for their faith, that is not going to happen to you or I.


    部分原因是我们现在对十字架没有直接的经验。我们理解历史上的参考，也理解那些将生活的重担描述为十字架的虔诚主义。虽然今天仍有人因信仰而死，但这不会发生在你我身上。


     

    Partly because this is the starkest description of what it means to follow Jesus that Jesus uses. Jesus describes what it means to follow him in many other ways. Leave your boats and nets and follow me. Feed the hungry and follow me. Heal the sick and follow me. Welcome all and follow me. Love God and neighbour and follow me. Speak truth to power and follow me.


    部分原因是这是耶稣用来描述跟随他的最严峻的方式。耶稣用许多其他方式来描述跟随他的意义。离开你的渔船和网，来跟随我。喂饱饥饿的人，来跟随我。医治病人，来跟随我。接待所有人，来跟随我。爱上帝和邻舍，来跟随我。对权力说真话，来跟随我。

     


    These are not as scary sounding as taking up your cross, but they are still costly things to do. They mean putting God’s will first ahead of our own. They take up our time, our money, and our effort.


    这些听起来不如背起十字架那样可怕，但仍然是昂贵的事情。它们意味着把上帝的旨意放在我们自己的前面。它们占据了我们的时间、金钱和精力。


     

    So how are you answering God’s call to follow? Perhaps you are being called to a new vocation? Perhaps you are already working in your congregations feeding program or donating to CLWR or a local food bank. Perhaps you are a health care worker. Perhaps you are taking racial justice training to make sure that you are truly welcoming. Perhaps you are serving neighbours through community service. Perhaps you are advocating for better health care, or an end to war, or that we would provide welcome to refugees.


    那么，你是如何回应上帝的跟随呼召的呢？也许你被召唤去从事一种新的职业？也许你已经在你们的教会食物救助计划中工作，或向CLWR或本地食品银行捐款。也许你是一名医疗工作者。也许你正在接受种族公正培训，以确保你真正欢迎每一个人。也许你通过社区服务帮助邻居。也许你正在倡导更好的医疗保健，或结束战争，或为难民提供欢迎。

     


    You may already be taking up your cross and following! Sometimes it is tempting to put those crosses down. Life might seem easier. But life would not be as life-giving, and we would end up drifting away from the one who gives us life.


    你可能已经在背起你的十字架并跟随耶稣了！有时很诱人想把这些十字架放下。生活可能看起来更轻松。但生活不会那么充实，我们也会逐渐远离那位赐给我们生命的人。


     

    Part of what helps us keep going, keep taking up our cross, keep following Jesus, is that we are called into community to support each other in our following and our serving. This week, find someone you see following Jesus and thank them for their service. You may be surprised how many followers you find once you start looking.


    帮助我们继续前行、继续背起十字架、继续跟随耶稣的一部分，是我们被召唤进入社区，相互支持在跟随和服务中。这一周，找到你看到的跟随耶稣的人，并感谢他们的服务。你可能会惊讶于一旦开始寻找，你会发现多少追随者。


     

    Blessings to each of you as you strive to follow Jesus with the gifts and talents you have been given. Blessings to each of you as you resist the temptation of selfishness that pervades our society. Amen.


    愿你们每一个人在努力用你们所拥有的恩赐和才能跟随耶稣时，蒙福。愿你们每一个人在抵抗社会中自私诱惑时，蒙福。阿门。

     

     

     






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