或許你會注意到，那些真正有上帝所賜行神蹟奇事恩賜的人通常對自己的「本領」都相當謙沖。他們不斷澄清：「不是出於我自己，是上帝做的……」或「這是上帝的工作，我不過是祂手中的器皿……」。你可能認為有這種恩賜很好。請再想一想。

        有行神蹟的恩賜是一種負擔。為什麼﹖因為一個真正認識主，曉得自己「異能」來源的人會以那些尋求神蹟者的讚譽為一大侮辱。沒錯，侮辱。因為行神蹟者不是要尋找求神蹟的人，而是要尋找尋求上帝的人，他們一點也不想使自己被奉為神明。

        保羅和巴拿巴在路司得就遇上一群崇拜者。群眾對保羅的醫治能力讚佩極了，他們喊說：「有神藉著人形降臨在我們中間了！」（14：11）。他們稱巴拿巴為宙斯，稱保羅為希耳米（或許他們給巴拿巴較高的地位是因為他比較沉默），又「牽著牛，拿著花圈，要向使徒獻祭」。保羅和巴拿巴慌得連忙撕裂衣服抗議說：「你們為什麼做這事呢﹖我們也是人，性情和你們一樣」。接著他們便解釋此行的使命。

        「我們傳福音給你們，是叫你們離棄這些虛妄，歸向那創造天、地、海，和其中萬物的永生上帝。」（15節）「我們不是神，我們只是福音的使者，是僕人。」別把重點放在使者身上，乃要放在信息上：耶穌來賜給我們生命的好消息。

        噢，偉大、獨行奇事的上帝，我們需要您在我們家庭中、環境裡、生活中、和這個問題重重的世界裡行神蹟。天父，謝謝您所行最大的神蹟，就是您的兒子耶穌取了肉身，來救贖我們脫離罪的權勢。主啊，現在我們是屬您的人。我們愛您的美德，也感謝您所行的神蹟。奉主耶穌聖名，阿們！

English

        Perhaps you’re noticed that people whom God has gifted with a genuine ministry of “signs and wonders” are generally pretty self-effacing about it. They keep saying things like, “I didn’t do this, God did…” or, “this id God’s doing, I’m just an instrument in His hand…” You might think it’s wonderful to have such gifts. Think again.

        It’s a burden to be gifted in this way. Why? Because someone who genuinely knows the Lord and recognizes the source of his or her “power” is someone who finds the adulation and “groupie-ism” of miracle-seekers to be a great liability and offense. Offense? Yes, looking for God-seekers, and have no whish to be cast as deities themselves.

        Paul and Barnabas had an encounter with adoring fans in Lystra. The crowd was so impressed with Paul’s healing of the man born crippled that they cried, “The gods have come down to us in human form!” (14:11). They said Barnabas was Zeus and Paul, Hermes (maybe they gave Barnabas the greater stature because he was the quieter of the two). And they “brought bulls and wreaths to the city gates because… the crowd wanted to offer sacrifices to them” (v.13). Paul and Barnabas were distraught, so much so that they tore their clothes in grief and protest. “Why are you doing this?” they cried. “We too are only men, human like you.” Then they went on to explain their mission.

        “We are bringing you good news,” they said, “telling you to turn from these worthless things to the living God, who made heaven and earth and sea and everything in them” (v.15 NIV). “We’re not gods, we’re messengers. Servants. That’s all we are!” Don’t focus on the messenger but on the message: the “good news” that Jesus has come to give us life.

        O great miracle-working God, we need Your fresh intervention in our families, our circumstances, our own lives, and in this troubled world. Thank You, Father, for the greatest miracle of all, Your Son Jesus, coming in the flesh to redeem us from sin’s power. We’re Yours now, Lord. We love You for Yourself and we’re thankful for Your miracles. Amen.