Mandarin Sermon Translations

  • Luke 9:28-45 March 2, 2025 TLC

    Let This Sink In

    让这话深入你们的心

    路加福音 9:28-45（2025年3月2日，TLC）

     

    What was your childhood like…growing up, were you or are you encouraged to speak your mind? Were your ideas valued or were adults the only ones who could express their opinions and ideas? Turn to one another and share, try to find someone from a different generation than yourself…take two minutes to listen to your neighbor and share your story….

    你的童年是怎样的？在成长过程中，你是否被鼓励表达自己的想法？你的观点受到重视，还是只有成年人才能表达意见和想法？请与身边的人交流，尽量找一位与你不同世代的人，花两分钟倾听你的邻居，并分享你的故事……

     

    As a young student, were you encouraged to question, inquire, investigate things or were you told to sit down, be quiet and listen. Growing up, it was clear that my parents were raising me to think for myself, to stand tall next to my friends and not bend to peer pressure when they were challenging our family values of mutual respect, care for self and others.  But I would’ve preferred to be quiet.

    作为一名学生，你是否被鼓励提出问题、探究和调查事物，还是被要求安静坐下、听老师讲课？在我成长的过程中，我的父母很明确地希望我学会独立思考，能够与朋友们并肩站立，不受同辈压力影响，尤其是在挑战我们家庭所坚持的相互尊重、自我关爱和关爱他人的价值观时。然而，我其实更倾向于保持沉默。

     

    Perhaps throughout life as we encounter things that need to change, we notice injustice happening, even those of us who prefer to stay quiet become willing, in fact, eager to question things…wondering about the status quo, asking why, what and how. The process of questioning has been encouraged in the states certainly since the 1970’s in the education system in Minnesota. If I didn’t understand what the teacher was communicating, I learned how to raise my hand. At first, I was afraid to do this, shy, didn’t want to look stupid or appear foolish in front of my friends…but somewhere along the way, a teacher affirmed my courage to ask, saying it was likely that others had the same question, were confused, and were afraid to ask.

    也许，在人生的旅途中，当我们目睹需要改变的事情、看到不公正的现象时，即使是那些习惯保持沉默的人，也会愿意——甚至迫切地——提出质疑，开始思考现状，问为什么、是什么、该如何做。在美国，至少自 1970 年代以来，明尼苏达州的教育体系就一直鼓励学生提问。如果我听不懂老师的讲解，我学会了举手。一开始，我很害怕这么做，害羞，不想在同学面前显得愚蠢或无知……但某个时刻，一位老师肯定了我提问的勇气，并说其他人可能也有同样的疑问，但他们也害怕开口。

     

    In today’s scripture from Luke, we hear that the closest followers of Jesus did not understand what he was saying; it’s meaning was concealed from them, so that they couldn’t perceive it. And they were afraid to ask Jesus about this saying. What saying was this?

    在今天的《路加福音》经文中，我们看到耶稣最亲近的追随者们不明白他的话；他们的心被遮蔽，以至于他们无法领悟。他们甚至害怕向耶稣提问。这句话是什么呢？

     

    Jesus, their beloved teacher, had just said: Let these words sink into your ears: The Son of Man is going to be betrayed into human hands.

    耶稣，这位他们深深爱戴的老师，刚刚说了：
    “    你们要把这些话听在耳中：人子将要被交在人手里。”

     

    Jesus is starting to set his face for Jerusalem, which means the shadow of the cross is looming in his future…and he is beginning to pray about it, and talk about it with his closest friends. In the text we hear this morning, it’s eight days after those first sayings…what sayings? It’s referring to a dialog Jesus has begun to have with his followers…about his true identity and his upcoming suffering, rejection, and execution.

    耶稣开始定意前往耶路撒冷，这意味着十字架的阴影已经笼罩在他前方……他开始为此祷告，并与他最亲密的朋友们谈论此事。在今天的经文中，这些话已经是八天前说的了……是哪句话呢？指的是耶稣开始与门徒们谈论他的真实身份，以及他即将经历的苦难、被拒绝和被杀害。

     

    Eight days before, Jesus had been praying with his friends, the Bible calls them disciples…the ones who were drawn to his teaching and way of life. After praying, Jesus asked them, “Who do the crowds say that I am?” They say you are a prophet sent from God, someone who names God’s work in the world and challenges us to join in …but Jesus asks: “who do you say I am?” Peter blurts out: You are the Messiah, the Savior of God. Hearing this, Jesus sternly orders them to tell no one, saying “The Son of Man must undergo great suffering, and be rejected and killed, and on the third day be raised.”

    八天前，耶稣正在与门徒们一起祷告。圣经称这些门徒为“门徒”，他们是被耶稣的教导和生活方式吸引的人。祷告后，耶稣问他们：“众人说我是谁？” 门徒们回答说：“有人说你是神差来的先知，是一位揭示神在世界上作为，并挑战我们去参与神工作的使者。” 但耶稣接着问：“那你们说我是谁？” 彼得脱口而出：“你是基督，是神的救主。”

     

    Jesus then goes on to say that walking the way of God in the world involves each of us denying ourselves, taking up our cross and following…those who try to save their own life will lose it. Those who lose their life for my sake will save it.

    听到这话，耶稣严肃地嘱咐他们不要告诉任何人，并说：

    “人子必须经历许多苦难，被长老、祭司长和文士弃绝，被杀害，第三日复活。”

     

    随后，耶稣继续说，在世上行走神的道路意味着我们要舍己，背起自己的十字架跟从他……凡想救自己生命的，必丧掉生命；凡为我牺牲生命的，必得着生命。

     

    It’s these sayings about suffering, rejection, death…and taking up our cross that the disciples don’t understand. How can this be the way of God in the world? How will that defeat our enemies? How will surrender result in winning the war against evil, injustice, and oppression?

    正是这些关于苦难、拒绝、死亡，以及“背起自己的十字架”的话，门徒们无法理解。他们不明白，这怎么可能是神的方式？这怎么能打败敌人？顺服、牺牲，如何能够战胜邪恶、不公和压迫？

     

    I wonder, how is it that our ears could be open and yet we cannot hear? Could it be that the life of faith is not so much about acquiring a certain body of in-for-ma-tion but about being formed in a way of life that involves losing our life in order to save it, dying in order to live, letting go in order to receive, surrendering in order to win.

    我在想，我们的耳朵明明是敞开的，但为什么却听不见呢？难道信仰的生命，并不是在于获取某种信息，而是在于被塑造成一种生活方式——这种方式意味着，失去生命才能得着生命，死亡才能活着，放手才能领受，降服才能得胜吗？

     

    Back in 2017, we were asked by the our Renewal and Redevelopment Guiding team (of Barry, Diane, Maureen and Chris) to approach community leaders in North Delta and Surrey and listen to them as we asked: “What are some challenges our community is facing? How might a church respond to those challenges?” Barry interviewed Mayor Lois Jackson for over an hour, perhaps laying a foundation for the meeting she agreed to have with us about restoring and repurposing the land across from TLC.  When we finally met with Mayor George Harvey’s team to consider developing the land into a green space, they confirmed that the former illegal dumping zone is unstable for housing development. The green space and Heritage walk down the gully where Les Starheim grew up has not yet become reality. In listening to Zena Ray, the former principal of my daughter’s elementary school, she said one of the challenges she faced with the students was that when they feel threatened or disrespected by a fellow student…they take vengeance into their own hands and don’t seem to comprehend the value of developing a different approach to conflict. The rate at which this happens has increased significantly in recent years.  

    回到 2017 年，我们的“更新与发展指导团队”（成员包括 Barry、Diane、Maureen 和 Chris）邀请我们去接触北三角洲（North Delta）和素里的社区领导人，并询问：“我们的社区正面临哪些挑战？教会如何回应这些挑战？” Barry 采访了市长 Lois Jackson 一个多小时，这或许为后来我们与她会面奠定了基础，我们当时讨论了关于修复和重新利用 TLC 对面的土地。

    当我们最终与市长 George Harvey 的团队会面，考虑将这片土地开发为绿色空间时，他们确认，这块曾被非法倾倒垃圾的土地并不适合建造住宅。然而，沿着 Les Starheim 曾经成长的山谷打造遗产步道的愿景，至今尚未成为现实。

    在倾听我女儿小学的前任校长 Zena Ray 时，她提到，她所面临的一个挑战是：当学生们感到受到威胁或不被尊重时，他们会自行采取报复行动，而似乎无法理解使用不同方式处理冲突的价值。这种情况近年来大幅上升。

     

     

    These kids perhaps have no experience with the way of Christ, with surrendering in order to win…believe they need to fight for the right to be heard, respected. After listening to these community leaders, the guiding team sensed the Spirit leading us  to offer our first community board game night at TLC…25 people showed up and had a blast modeling teamwork and healthy competition. The pandemic curbed those game nights, but the ND Neighbour Initiative grew out of the isolation of the pandemic and has led to several innovative experiments like the community BBQ.

    Listening to parents of STEAM camp kids last summer, we found that they valued a Wednesday night community dinner. So during Lent we are inviting the community back for a couple Wednesday night soup suppers, inviting those families. Listening to our neighbours continues to be a powerful way to listen to Jesus.

    这些孩子或许从未体验过基督的道路——“降服才能得胜”。他们认为，必须为自己的声音和尊严而战。在倾听了这些社区领导人的反馈后，指导团队感到圣灵引导我们，在 TLC 举办了第一场社区桌游之夜（Community Board Game Night）。那天晚上有 25 人参加，他们在团队合作和健康竞争中度过了愉快的时光。

    疫情一度中断了这些桌游之夜，但 ND 邻舍计划（Neighbour Initiative）却在疫情隔离中成长起来，并催生了创新性的尝试，例如社区烧烤（Community BBQ）。

    去年夏天，在倾听 STEAM 夏令营家长的反馈后，我们发现他们非常珍视周三晚上的社区晚餐。因此，在四旬期，我们邀请社区家庭回来，参加两次周三晚上的汤会（Soup Supper）。倾听我们的邻舍，仍然是我们倾听耶稣的一种重要方式。

     

     

    Jesus was beginning to talk about dying in order to truly live, the way of the cross…and his closest followers couldn’t take it in. Their ears were open but they couldn’t listen. In fact, a whole string of interactions tumble upon one another as they fail to comprehend God’s way of surrendering in order to win.

    耶稣开始谈论“死亡才能真正活着”的道路——十字架的道路，而他最亲近的门徒却无法领悟。他们的耳朵明明是敞开的，但却听不见。事实上，他们接连不断地无法理解神“降服才能得胜”的方式。

     

    So Jesus takes Peter, James and John on a hike…up a mountain…maybe this would help them understand…up there, Jesus is transformed like a lightning bolt, reminiscent of Moses when he met with God...he would emerge from the tent with his face glowing it alarmed people so he’d cover it with a veil. With Jesus in this electrified state, Elijah and Moses appear, the three of them talking about this way of the cross in the world…suffering, rejection, being killed and raised…and Peter, not knowing what he is saying, suggests they build shelters for each of them and remain on the mountain. Peter doesn’t get it…so a cloud overshadows them and a voice speaks: “This is my Son, my Chosen; Listen to him!” When the voice had spoken, Jesus was the only one left. Peter, James and John didn’t say a word about it to anyone. They stayed quiet.

    于是，耶稣带着彼得、雅各和约翰去登山……或许这样能帮助他们理解。在山上，耶稣的形象改变，宛如闪电般耀眼，使人想起摩西当年与神相会的情景……摩西从会幕出来时，脸上放光，吓到了人们，因此他用面纱遮盖自己。

    就在耶稣处于这被神荣光充满的状态时，以利亚和摩西显现了，三人正在谈论十字架的道路——受苦、被拒绝、被杀害，并在第三日复活。而彼得，在不明白自己在说什么的情况下，竟然提议：“我们搭三座棚，把你们留在这里。” 彼得并没有真正明白发生了什么。

    就在这时，一朵云彩遮盖了他们，一个声音响起：
    “    这是我的儿子，我所拣选的，你们要听从他！”

    当声音消失后，只剩下耶稣一人。彼得、雅各和约翰对此保持沉默，没有告诉任何人他们所见所闻。

     

     

    The voice from the cloud calls Jesus “my Son, my Chosen”…how do we understand this phrase? In the Hebrew Bible, divine sonship language is common, however, it refers to kings as God’s chosen representative on earth….the way the Crown was understood when Queen Elizabeth was anointed in the 1930’s in Britain. In the ancient Roman Empire, the emperor was divinized after death…not usually called a god in his lifetime, but rather a “son of a god.” So in Luke, Jesus being God’s son is a claim to being legitimate. It means Jesus is designated, equipped to carry out God’s will, to make known God’s coming kingdom or rule on earth, to show God’s power. The cross, a place of vulnerability and defeat, was not the expected display of power for the God of the Universe.

    云中传来的声音称耶稣为“我的儿子，我所拣选的”……我们该如何理解这句话呢？

    在希伯来圣经中，“神的儿子”这一称谓很常见，但通常是用来指代君王，象征他们作为神在地上的拣选代表……这类似于 1930 年代英国女王伊丽莎白加冕时，人们对王权的理解。

    在古罗马帝国，皇帝在去世后通常会被神化，在世时通常不会直接被称为“神”，而是“神之子”。

    因此，在《路加福音》中，耶稣被称为“神的儿子”，意味着他是神合法拣选的、被赋予使命的那一位。他被指定并装备好去执行神的旨意，宣告神的国度降临，彰显神的权能。然而，十字架——一个充满脆弱与失败的象征，却不是人们所期待的神大能的展现。

     

     

    They hear but aren’t able to understand…so Jesus says: Let these words sink into your ears: The Son of Man is going to be betrayed into human hands.” This surrender on the cross is at work to heal the world….are we willing to be part of that healing?

    他们听见了，却无法理解……于是耶稣说：
    “    你们要把这些话听在耳中：人子将要被交在人手里。”

    这十字架的降服，正在医治世界……我们是否愿意成为其中的一部分？






Past Sermon Translations

LOADING PLAYER…