August 10

"When he had heard therefore that he was sick, he abode¹ two days still in the same place where he was" (John 11:6).

In the forefront of this marvelous chapter stands the affirmation, "Jesus loved Martha, and her sister, and Lazarus," (John11:5) as if to teach us that at the very heart and foundation of all God's dealings with us, however dark and mysterious they may be, we must dare to believe in and assert the infinite, unmerited, and unchanging love of God. Love permits pain. The sisters never doubted that He would speed at all hazards and stay their brother from death, but, "When he had heard therefore that he was sick, he abode two days still in the same place where he was."

What a startling "therefore"! He abstained² from going, not because He did not love them, but because He did love them. His love alone kept Him back from hasting at once to the dear and stricken home. Anything less than infinite love must have rushed instantly to the relief of those loved and troubled hearts, to stay their grief and to have the luxury of wiping and stanching³ their tears and causing sorrow and sighing to flee away. Divine love could alone hold back the impetuosity of the Savior's tender-heartedness until the Angel of Pain had done her work.

Who can estimate how much we owe to suffering and pain? But for them we should have little scope for many of the chief virtues⁴ of the Christian⁵ life. Where were faith, without trial to test it; or patience, with nothing to bear; or experience, without tribulation⁶ to develop it?--Selected

“Loved! then the way will not be drear;

For One we know is ever near,

Proving it to our hearts so clear

That we are loved.”

“Loved when our sky is clouded o'er,

And days of sorrow press us sore;

Still we will trust Him evermore,

For we are loved.”

“Time, that affects all things below,

Can never change the love He'll show;

The heart of Christ with love will flow,

And we are loved.”

八月十日

「听见拉撒路病了，就在所居之地，仍住了两天。」（约十一6）

在前一节圣经里，我们明明看见：「耶稣素来爱马大和她的妹子，并拉撒路」（约十一5）。怎么祂所爱的人病了，还不立即前去呢？这就是告诉我们：神对付我们的方法，无论怎样严厉、怎样神秘，我们仍可相信并断言神的爱是无限的、丰裕的、不变的，按照马大和马利亚姊妹两人的心理想来，耶稣一听到拉撒路生病的消息，一定会立即不顾一切地赶去医治她们的兄弟，但是，耶稣怎样呢？「听见拉撒路病了，就在所居之地，仍住了两天。」

祂不立即前去，并不是因为不爱她们，乃是因为爱她们。惟有祂的爱能保持祂不立即赶往祂所亲爱的那个忧伤的家庭去。主若没有无限的爱，就会立即跑去安慰那些所爱的、困恼的心，止住他们的忧愁、揩干她们的眼泪、消解她们的悲哀和叹息。只有神的爱，能不急躁━能任天使做完祂要做的工。

在许多事情，我们不能不归功于患难和痛苦。基督人生活上有许多美德，都是由患难和痛苦来的；因为没有试炼，就没有信心；没有需要容忍的事情，就没有忍耐；没有艰难就没有经历。──选

1 abode   

n.住处，住所

参考例句：

• It was ten months before my father discovered his abode.父亲花了十个月的功夫，才好不容易打听到他的住处。
• Welcome to our humble abode!欢迎光临寒舍！

2 abstained   

v.戒（尤指酒），戒除( abstain的过去式和过去分词 )；弃权（不投票）

参考例句：

• Ten people voted in favour, five against and two abstained. 十人投票赞成，五人反对，两人弃权。
• They collectively abstained (from voting) in the elections for local councilors. 他们在地方议会议员选举中集体弃权。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 stanching   

v.使（伤口）止血( stanch的现在分词 )；止（血）；使不漏；使不流失

参考例句：

4 virtues   

美德( virtue的名词复数 )； 德行； 优点； 长处

参考例句：

• Doctors often extol the virtues of eating less fat. 医生常常宣扬少吃脂肪的好处。
• She delivered a homily on the virtues of family life. 她进行了一场家庭生活美德方面的说教。

5 Christian   

adj.基督教徒的；n.基督教徒

参考例句：

• They always addressed each other by their Christian name.他们总是以教名互相称呼。
• His mother is a sincere Christian.他母亲是个虔诚的基督教徒。

6 tribulation   

n.苦难，灾难

参考例句：

• Even in our awful tribulation we were quite optimistic.即使在极端痛苦时，我们仍十分乐观。
• I hate the tribulation,I commiserate the sorrow brought by tribulation.我厌恶别人深重的苦难，怜悯苦难带来的悲哀。