圖片發(fā)自簡書App
“19我靠主耶穌指望快打發(fā) 提摩太 去見你們，叫我知道你們的事，心里就得著安慰。 20因為我沒有別人與我同心，實在掛念你們的事。 21別人都求自己的事，并不求耶穌基督的事。 22但你們知道 提摩太 的明證；他興旺福音，與我同勞，待我像兒子待父親一樣。 23所以，我一看出我的事要怎樣了結(jié)，就盼望立刻打發(fā)他去； 24但我靠著主自信我也必快去。”腓立比書 2:19-24
“別人都求自己的事，并不求耶穌基督的事。”
什么是求耶穌基督的事？
這段經(jīng)文描述了兩種類型的信徒，他們有著截然不同的追求。第一種是“別人”，他們追求自己的效用，保羅描述他們只“求自己的事（21節(jié)）”。雖然我們不能知道他們具體都在做些什么（可能是忙著累積財富，建造房屋，努力工作，照顧家人——不一定是不好的事），但至少他們不像提摩太那樣，真誠關(guān)心其他（腓立比教會）弟兄姊妹的靈命成長；他們不太愿意與保羅同工同勞，一起興旺福音。第二種則是提摩太，他真誠關(guān)心腓立比教會，愿意為他們付上代價，愿意長途跋涉去探望他們，是“求耶穌基督的事”的基督徒。
在這里，保羅給我們一些線索，讓我們看見“求耶穌基督的事”是什么意思：在當(dāng)時的處境中，這包括與屬靈長輩一同為興旺福音而勞苦，并對那些為福音而受逼迫的長輩如同兒子對待父親（22節(jié)）。我們或可以此來檢驗自己是“別人”還是“提摩太”：只有提摩太們愿意放棄自己的舒適和手頭的事情，來幫助造就信心幼小的基督徒，并在順服中支持屬靈長輩投身的事工。在某些領(lǐng)域，“別人”即便同工，也可能會抱怨或不情愿，而提摩太的心卻如同兒子待父親，尊敬順服且同心同意地興旺福音。
我們都可以成為提摩太，但是這是下苦工的成果。無論在教會的服事還是職場中，不再尋求從人而來的贊賞，停止喂養(yǎng)個人成就感和內(nèi)心的驕傲，轉(zhuǎn)而開始關(guān)心神放在我們生命中的人；不再利用人來滿足我們的好處、實現(xiàn)我們的目標(biāo)、完成我們的任務(wù)，轉(zhuǎn)而開始學(xué)習(xí)我們能夠如何服侍他們，從而使耶穌對他們顯為真實，盼望有一天他們也可以稱耶穌為主。當(dāng)我們這樣做的時候，我們真是在“求耶穌基督的事”了。
Philippians 2:19-24
What is seeking the things of God?
This passage introduces two types of believers with two different pursuits. The first is that of the others who seek their own pleasure. Paul describes them here as ‘seeking their own things’ (verse 21). Though we are unsure what these things are, but we know for sure that unlike Timothy, these ‘others’ do not truly care for their Christian brothers and sisters in Philippi, and they are not willing to co-suffer with Paul to further the gospel. The second type is that of Timothy, who is described as truly caring for the Philippi church (verse 20) and hence was ‘seeking the things of Jesus Christ’ (verse 21).
Paul gives us a hint what it means to seek the things of Jesus - to co-suffer with our spiritual oversight as children serves a father, in the furtherance of the gospel (verse 22). This is the acid test to see which type we belong to: Only the Timothy-s are willing to give up pleasure for building the faith of weaker Christians, and are willing to support the work of our spiritual leaders in obedience. Where ‘others' might complain, Timothy serves as a son towards a father for the work of the gospel.
We can all be like Timothy but it requires hardwork. Instead of seeking peoples' praise, or personal satisfaction and pride in our actions, whether in the church or in the workplace, we are to start caring about the people whom God has placed in our community. Instead of using people for our pleasure and focusing on what they can do for us, we need to start learning about how we can serve them in order that Jesus becomes real for them and that one day they may call Jesus as Lord. Indeed, then we will be seeking what Jesus truly cares about.
