十月十六日

耶穌說：“你們來吃早飯。”（約21：12）

這話乃是叫信徒親近聖潔的耶穌。“來吃飯”的意思是說，一張桌子，一樣的食物；有時也表示幷坐得意思，我們的頭便得以靠在救主的懷裏。他就把我們帶到筵宴所，以救贖的愛旗飄揚在我們以上。“來吃飯”，叫我們想到與基督聯合，因爲我們能與耶穌同吃的食物乃是他自己。這是一種什麽聯合呢！我們吃耶穌，乃是理智所不能測度的。“吃我肉喝我血的人常在我裏面，我也常在他裏面。”也是叫我們得以與衆聖徒一同相交。

基督徒雖然有一些地方彼此不一樣，但他們屬靈的食欲却是一樣的；我們的感覺雖然不同，但我們所吃的從天上降下來的生命糧却是一樣的；在于耶穌相交的桌上我們乃是一餅一杯。當愛杯輪流傳到我們各人的時候，我們從心裏彼此祝福。我們越親近耶穌，在靈裏也越能與那和我們一樣的、同吃天上嗎哪得人聯結起來；我們越親近耶穌，也就越能彼此親近；我們從這句話裏也可以看出每一位基督徒的力量的來源。仰望基督就得存活，但若要得著服侍他的力量就必須“來吃”。我們常在非必要的軟弱辛苦下工作，都因我們忽略了耶穌的教訓。我們都勿須吃粗劣的食物；相反地，我們當多吸收福音的精髓與肥甘作爲我們的力量，好完全用以服侍主。因此，若我們要親近耶穌，與耶穌聯合，愛屬他的人，幷且從耶穌得到力量，就當存信“來吃”。

October 16

"Jesus saith unto them, Come and dine."--John 21:12

In these words the believer is invited to a holy nearness to Jesus. "Come and dine," implies the same table, the same meat; aye, and sometimes it means to sit side by side, and lean our head upon the Saviour's bosom. It is being brought into the banqueting-house, where waves the banner of redeeming love. "Come and dine," gives us a vision of union with Jesus, because the only food that we can feast upon when we dine with Jesus is himself. Oh, what union is this! It is a depth which reason cannot fathom, that we thus feed upon Jesus. "He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him." It is also an invitation to enjoy fellowship with the saints. Christians may differ on a variety of points, but they have all one spiritual appetite; and if we cannot all feel alike, we can all feed alike on the bread of life sent down from heaven. At the table of fellowship with Jesus we are one bread and one cup. As the loving cup goes round we pledge one another heartily therein. Get nearer to Jesus, and you will find yourself linked more and more in spirit to all who are like yourself, supported by the same heavenly manna. If we were more near to Jesus we should be more near to one another. We likewise see in these words the source of strength for every Christian. To look at Christ is to live, but for strength to serve him you must "come and dine." We labour under much unnecessary weakness on account of neglecting this precept of the Master. We none of us need to put ourselves on low diet; on the contrary, we should fatten on the marrow and fatness of the gospel that we may accumulate strength therein, and urge every power to its full tension in the Master's service. Thus, then, if you would realize nearness to Jesus, union with Jesus, love to his people and strength from Jesus, "come and dine" with him by faith.