8月31日
标 题： 动 机
经 节： 耶稣说︰“要我为你做什么？”（马可福音十章51节上）
很难令人置信，主居然问我们，祂能够为我们做什么。然而，有时候这是我们非回答不可的问题。巴底买是个瞎子，他清楚知道自己需要耶稣为他做什么：恢复视力。而他得到的，比肉体视力的撤消更多！他得到救恩，因为耶稣知道巴底买的心是忠实的。巴底买立即使用他刚得到的礼物，成为救主的跟随者。
耶稣也曾经问过雅各和约翰，他们要祂为他们做什么。他们要求得到祂国度中最高的位置。这回耶稣回答说，祂不能满足他们的索求。他们的要求是自私的，并且这个要求引起门徒之间的争闹（马可福音十：41）。
只有当我们根据神的旨意祈求时，祂会乐意赐下我们所求的（约翰福音十五：16）。神不会回应我们自私的祷告（雅各书四：3）。如果神抑制我们所求的事物，我们应当要评估自己的祷告。我们的动机是否自私？我们的要求是否远远少过神要给我们的一切（列王纪下十三：19；以弗所书三：20）？我们所要求的事物是否配得上我们的神？我们是否缺乏信心，不确定神会满足我们所需（马太福音十七：20）？我们是否有尚未认的罪（以赛亚书一：15）？神喜爱回应我们的祈求（马太福音七：7），如果根据祂的旨意祈求，就像巴底买一样，我们会得到比自己料想的更多（耶利米书卅三：3）。
Motives
So
Jesus answered and said to him, “What do you want Me to do for you?”
(Mark 10:51)
It
is hard to believe that the Lord would ask us what He could do for us. However,
sometimes that is the question we must answer. Bartimaeus was blind, and he
knew exactly what he wanted Jesus to do for him: restore his sight. Yet he
received much more than physical sight! He received salvation, for Jesus knew
Bartimaeus’s heart was faithful. Bartimaeus immediately used his gift to become
a follower of the Savior.
Jesus
also asked James and John what they wanted Him to do for them. They requested
the most prominent places in His kingdom. This time, Jesus answered that He
could not give them what they asked. Their request was selfish, and it brought
dissension among their fellow disciples (Mark 10:41).
Only
when we pray according to God’s will is He pleased to grant our requests (John
15:16). We will not see our prayers answered if we ask selfishly (James 4:3).
If God refrains from giving us what we are asking, we should evaluate our
prayers. Are our motives selfish? Are we asking for far less than God wants to
give? (2 Kings 13:19; Eph. 3:20). Are our requests worthy of the God we
approach? Do we lack the faith God requires to give us our desires? (Matt.
17:20). Is there unconfessed sin? (Isa. 1:15). God delights in responding to
our requests (Matt. 7:7). If we will ask according to His will, we, like
Bartimaeus, will receive far more than we anticipated! (Jer. 33:3).
