5月26日

標　　題：最小的一個

經　　節：我實在告訴你們，凡婦人所生的，沒有一個興起來大過施洗約翰的；然而天國裡最小的比他還大。（馬太福音十一章11節）

施洗約翰的角色是在耶穌的事工興盛時，使自己的名聲衰微（約翰福音三：30）。約翰讓自己的門徒離開自己，去跟隨耶穌。在他被非法關入監獄，並且被殘暴的君王突發異想地處死之前，他的事工總共不過是六個月。然而，耶穌說在約翰之前，天國中沒有人高過約翰的。摩西曾經分開紅海；以利亞曾使死人復活及吩咐火從天降；以賽亞寫了聖經中令人崇敬的一卷書，而約翰短短六個月的事奉，居然能與天國中最偉大的人物相匹配！

更令人難以置信的是，耶穌說我們有機會成為天國中比施洗約翰更偉大的人物。施洗約翰宣告耶穌的來臨，而我們現在的基督徒，擁有基督內住我們的心中。我們一定要銘記在心，事奉神是一生中能夠得到的至大特權。即使以最卑賤的方式服事主，也遠比我們所應得的要榮耀得多！約翰只有半年不到的時光，來完成他的任務，他竭盡全力地事奉；而我們有機會讓耶穌藉著我們的生命，來運行祂的工作。我們若如此行，比施洗約翰所完成的工作還要偉大。我們的任務與施洗約翰一樣，就是高舉耶穌，否定自己。我們要以與施洗約翰相同的熱情，來事奉我們的神！

Whoever Is Least

"Assuredly, I say to you, among those born of women there has not risen one greater than John the Baptist; but he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he." (Matthew 11:11)

John the Baptist’s role was to decrease in prominence while Jesus’ ministry increased (John 3:30). John allowed his disciples to leave him in order to follow Jesus. His ministry lasted only about six months before he was wrongfully imprisoned and executed on the whim of a cruel monarch. Yet Jesus said that no one who had come before John was any greater in the kingdom of heaven. Moses had parted the Red Sea; Elijah had raised the dead and brought down fire from heaven; Isaiah had written a revered book of Scripture; yet in the brief time of service granted to John, he had matched them all for greatness in the kingdom of heaven!

Incredibly, Jesus said that we have the opportunity to be even greater in the kingdom of heaven than John the Baptist. He announced the coming of Christ, but we, as Christians, have Christ living within us. We must remember that service to God is the greatest privilege we can receive in life. To serve God in even the most menial way is an honor far greater than we deserve. John was given less than a year to complete his assignment, and he did so with all that he had. We have the opportunity to allow Jesus to carry out His work through our lives, so that greater things are done through us than were ever accomplished through John the Baptist. Our mandate is the same as John’s: to lift up Jesus while denying ourselves. Oh, that we would do so with the same fervor as John the Baptist!