6月13日 假冒为善者的欺骗
6月13日 假冒为善者的欺骗
假冒为善者虚假的表演与虚谎的敬拜，会惹动神那满有恩慈的圣灵发怒，使祂的烈怒向他们发作。
假冒为善者擅自闯入神圣洁的敬拜之中。犹大在逾越节时，自信满满地与其他使徒一同坐席，仿佛自己是最圣洁的宾客一般，心安理得地领受款待。骄傲的法利赛人在圣殿里，与心碎悔改的税吏并肩而立。然而，当这样的人祷告时，在神听来，却如同狼嚎狗吠般刺耳。大卫的巧手所弹奏的竖琴如此宁静祥和，以至于安抚了扫罗狂暴的心；但假冒为善者虚假的表演与虚谎的敬拜，只会惹动神那满有恩慈的圣灵发怒，并使祂的烈怒向他们发作。
假冒为善的人是在戏弄神。然而神是轻慢不得的。主耶稣咒诅无花果树，就是说明这个真理。那棵树长满绿叶，好像在邀请饥饿的人来寻找果子，结果却空无所有。如果它连叶子也没有，反倒不会受到这样的咒诅。
每一个谎言都在戏弄听谎言的人，因为说谎者借着夺走真理，将对方当成了傻瓜。大利拉曾责问参孙为何对她撒谎，那语气仿佛在说：“你为什么把我当成傻子来耍弄？”神的命令是，谁也不可空手朝见祂；但假冒为善者恰恰是空手而来，这便是对神的戏弄。他的嘴里或许塞满了敬虔的言辞，但他的心却是空空如也。
然而，就宗教礼仪的外表而言，假冒为善者往往做得比诚实无伪的基督徒更加出色。在所有人中，他堪称“礼仪大师”，因为他试图仅凭言辞和外在的仪式，用他的嘴唇和屈膝来取悦神。然而，神所看重的是内心。若是上等的好酒，哪怕是用粗糙的木杯盛装，人也乐意饮用；但如果是一只镀金的高脚杯，打造得极为华丽，里面却滴酒未存，主人将其端给客人，实际上便是在戏弄他。
麦琴（麦克谦）读经计划进度
家庭敬拜：申18章，诗105章，
个人灵修：赛45章，启15章
JUNE 13, SATURDAY
DECEPTION OF THE HYPOCRITE
Hypocrites’ false playing and false worship make the sweet Spirit of God angry and cause His fury to break out.
The hypocrite intrudes upon the holy worship of God. Judas confidently sat down with the rest of the apostles at the passover and felt as welcome as if he were the holiest guest of them all. The proud Pharisee stood in the temple beside the brokenhearted publican. Yet when men like these pray, they sound to God like wolves howling or dogs barking. David’s skillful hand played the harp so peacefully that he soothed Saul’s rages. But hypocrites’ false playing and false worship make the sweet Spirit of God angry and cause His fury to break out against them.
The hypocrite mocks God. But God will not be mocked. Jesus illustrated this doctrine when He cursed the fig tree, whose green leaves invited hungry men to find fruit but sent them away without any. If this tree had lacked the leaves as well as the fruit, it would have escaped Christ’s curse.
Every lie mocks the person who hears it, because the liar makes a fool of him by cheating him of the truth. Delilah asked Samson why he had told her lies, as if she had said, “Why are you trying to make a fool of me?” God’s command is that none should appear before Him empty; but this is just what the hypocrite does, and thus mocks God. He may come with a full mouth but he has an empty heart.
As for the formality of religious service, however, the hypocrite often outdoes the sincere Christian. Of all people he may be called a “master of ceremonies” because he tries to entertain God with his tongue and knee, with only words and outward ceremony. Yet God looks on the heart. If the wine is good a man can drink it from a plain wooden cup. But if a goblet is wonderfully gilded, but has no wine in it, the hosts mocks his guest by offering it to him.