Matthew 马太福音 15:21-28 — Great Faith 巨大信心

  1. The Setting for Great Faith 巨大信心的背景 (15:21)

Jesus’ priority was to minister to God’s people in Israel and offer them the kingdom. However, they rejected Him so He extended the offer to the Gentile. It is here Jesus encounters the Canaanite woman whose faith Jesus described as great Faith.

耶稣首要的任务是服事神在以色列中的子民,并邀请他们进入天国。然而,他们却拒绝耶稣,所以耶稣将这福分拓展至外邦人。就在这里,耶稣遇到一名祂形容拥有“大信心”的迦南妇人。

 

  1. The Qualities of Great Faith 巨大信心的特质 (15:22-27)

The Canaanite woman had been raised in a pagan culture and had no heritage of God’s Word, yet she has such strong faith with so little revelation, that’s why Jesus called her faith great.

这名迦南妇人是在异教文化中成长的,没有受到神话语的教导,但在如此之少的启示下,她却有这么坚固的信心,这就是为什么耶稣称她的信心为大。

 

From her story we can see the qualities that mark all great faith. She is humble and repentant. She is God focused. And she is persistent, reverence and not demanding. In order to test her faith, Jesus set up a barrier of silence and then a double barrier of seeming rejection but the woman persisted with her pleading, worshipped Him at His feet, and even humbled herself and conceded that she was less deserving than the Jews. These are demonstration of unassuming great faith in the Lord.

从她的故事中,我们可以看到所有巨大信心的特质。她谦卑,愿悔改。她专注于神。她坚持不懈,敬畏主,又不强求人。为要试验她的心,耶稣设下两道障碍——沉默及拒绝。然而,女子却坚持恳求,到主的脚前敬拜他,甚至谦卑自己并承认她确实不如犹太人。这是在主里谦卑的大信心。

 

  1. The Response to Great Faith 巨大信心的回应

This woman’s faith was great not because it was stronger or more sincere than that of the Jewish believers – it was great because it was based on so little light. Without having heard the Sermon on the Mount, she came with the humble, meek, mourning and seeking heart that God required for kingdom of heaven (cf. 5:3-6). She kept asking till she received, seeking till she found, knocking till it was opened to her (cf. 7:7). Because of Her faith, Jesus healed her daughter instantly.

这位妇女的信心之所以大,并不是因为它比犹太信徒的信心更坚定或更真诚,而是它原所得的光照很少。她没有听过登山宝训的教导,来时却带着谦卑、哀恸、温柔和渴慕的心到主前;这些都是神所要求的(参:5:3-6)。她不停地求直到获得,不停地寻找直到寻见,不停地叩门直到门打开(参:7:7)。因着她的信心,耶稣立即医治了她的女儿。

 
 
 
 

Praying the Scripture 经文祷告

 

  1. What is faith? Please read Hebrews 11:1 and pray to God.

何为信心?请仔细阅读《希伯来书》第11章1节,并向神祷告。

 

  1. According to this passage, what are the qualities of Great Faith? Do you have great faith?

根据这段经文,巨大信心的特质是什么?你是否有巨大的信心呢?

 

  1. Compare the qualities of great faith with the teaching of the Sermon of the Mount in Matthew 5:1-11. Can you find any similarity? Do you have these qualities? Please examine yourselves before responding to God in prayer.

试比较巨大信心的特质与《马太福音》第5章1至11节登山宝训的教导。它们有什么相似之处呢?你是否具备这些特质?请事先审查自己,再向神祷告。