3:1–6 Again, Jesus demonstrates His authority over the Sabbath, this time by restoring a man’s hand. He knows all our burdens and desires to grant us rest. Call on Him in earnest prayer. When the Lord is for us, none can oppose us! • Lord, lead us to take Your Word to heart. By Your Holy Spirit, work in us a faith that knows You as the way, the truth, and the life. Amen.
3:1-6 耶稣再次显示了祂在安息日上的权柄，这一次祂使一个人的手复原了。祂知道我们所有的重担，并渴望赐给我们安息。在恳切的祷告中呼求祂吧。当主帮助我们的时候，没有人能够反对我们！- 主啊，引领我们将你的话语铭记于心。求你的圣灵在我们里面做工，使我们有信心知道你是道路、真理和生命。阿们。
3:7–12 In contrast to the Pharisees’ and Herodians’ hostility, the crowds enthusiastically press around Jesus to listen and be healed. The mixed reaction to Jesus has not changed over the years. Many still reject Him, while others desperately seek His help. He nonetheless attends to people’s physical and spiritual needs. He continues to bless those who seek Him today. • Lord, draw us to You, that we might learn from You and be healed by You. Count us among the eager crowds who leave everything else to be near You. Amen.
3:7-12 与法利赛人和希律党人的敌意形成鲜明对比的是，众人热情地围着耶稣聆听并接受祂的医治。多年来，人们对耶稣的反应从未改变。许多人仍然拒绝祂，而另一些人则拼命寻求祂的帮助。尽管如此，祂还是照顾人们肉体和精神上的需要。今天，祂继续祝福那些寻求他的人。- 祷告：主啊，求你吸引我们到你这里来，使我们可以从你这里学习，得到你的医治。求你将我们算作渴求你的人群中的一员， 他们撇下一切来跟随你。阿们。
3:13–21 Even as Jesus seeks to expand His ministry by appointing and sending 12 apostles, His family comes and tries to make Him stop what He is doing. How ironic that those who think they know Jesus best are trying to stop Him from fulfilling His mission! Unfortunately, similar examples are still seen, as when lifelong Christians undermine sound mission strategies. But the Lord and His mission are not overcome by even this opposition. Jesus willingly faced death and conquered it for us. In Him is our hope of eternal life. • Lord, overcome our fear when we do not understand Your plans. Focus us instead on Your call to follow and Your gracious promise to lead. Amen.
3:13-21 就在耶稣通过任命和派遣十二个使徒来扩展祂的事工的时候，祂的家人来了，试图让他停止祂正在做的事。那些自认为最了解耶稣的人却试图阻止耶稣完成祂的使命，这是多么具有讽刺意味啊！不幸的是，类似的例子仍时有发生，比如终身基督徒会破坏合理的宣教策略。但主和祂的使命并没有被这些反对所战胜。耶稣甘愿面对死亡，并为我们战胜了死亡。在祂里面有我们永生的盼望。- 主啊，当我们不理解你的计划时，求你帮助我们战胜我们的恐惧。求你使我们的注意力集中在你的呼召上， 照你恩慈的应许引领我们。阿们。
3:22–30 Those who refuse to recognize Jesus as God’s Son and acknowledge His works as manifestations of the Holy Spirit remain under the dominion of Satan. But Jesus has overcome Satan. Those baptized into Christ have received not only Him but also His promised Holy Spirit. • Lord, preserve us from the power of Satan. Remove any lingering doubts we might harbor, that we might be confident in the fact that You have bound him and rescued us from his dominion. Amen.
3:22-30 那些拒绝承认耶稣是上帝的儿子，拒绝承认祂的作为是圣灵的彰显的人，仍然在撒旦的统治之下。但耶稣已经战胜了撒旦。受洗归入基督的人不仅接受了祂，也接受了祂所应许的圣灵。- 主啊，求你保护我们脱离撒旦的权势。求你除去我们心中的疑虑，使我们确信你已经捆绑了撒旦，并救我们脱离他的辖制。阿们。
3:31–35 Loyalty to God takes precedence over loyalty to blood relations. This is still hard to hear today, as the temptation to put relationships with family and friends above God can be overwhelming. But the Lord wants us to have both relationships, and have them as healthy as they can be. He stands first in our lives because He placed Himself last, to humbly bear our sins and make us children of God. • Lord, thank You for the privilege of being included in Your eternal family. Keep us in this faith and life forever. Amen.
3:31-35 对神的忠诚高于对血缘关系的忠诚。这句话今天仍然很难接受，因为把与家人和朋友的关系置于上帝之上的诱惑可能是压倒性的。但主希望我们同时拥有这两种关系，并使它们尽可能健康。祂在我们的生命中居首位，因为祂把自己放在最后，谦卑地担当了我们的罪，使我们成为神的儿女。- 主啊，感谢你赐给我们永生家庭的特权。求你保守我们的信仰和生命直到永远。阿们。
4:1–9 The parable of the sower helps explain why not everyone who hears the Gospel believes it and bears the fruit of faith. Such failures are seemingly more common today than ever, even among traditionally Christian peoples. At the same time, the Word of the Lord accomplishes His good purpose. It works miracles in lives where the Spirit has His way. • Lord, continue to plant Your Word richly in us. Remove the stones and weeds that impede Your Word, and thereby bring forth a harvest of mature fruit in all who believe. Amen.
4:1-9 撒种的比喻有助于解释为什么不是每个听到福音的人都相信福音并结出信心的果实。今天，这种失败似乎比以往任何时候都更加普遍，甚至在传统的基督教民族当中也是如此。与此同时，主的道依然成就祂的美意。这道在圣灵自由运行的人身上创造奇迹。- 主啊，求你继续将你的道丰丰富富地种在我们心里。除去阻碍这道的石头和杂草，从而在所有相信的人身上结出成熟的果子。阿们。
4:10–20 Jesus interprets the parable of the sower for His disciples. The failures of the various soils to produce for the Lord are still common: people even now refuse to hear, fall away when hardship comes, and allow worldly concerns to overwhelm their faith. Yet, by God’s grace, many receive the Word in good faith and produce richly. Not even the gates of hell can prevail against His Church. • Lord, help us to see and perceive, to hear and understand. Remove every impediment to our faith. Let Your Word bring forth lasting fruit in our lives. Amen.
4:10-20 耶稣为祂的门徒解释撒种的比喻。各种土壤不能为主结果子的情况仍然很普遍：即使现在，人们任然拒绝听道，在困难来临时离弃主，让世俗的忧虑压倒他们的信心。然而，靠着上帝的恩典，许多人凭着信心接受了主的道，并结出了丰硕的果实。即使地狱的门也不能胜过祂的教会。- 主啊，求你帮助我们看见和领悟，听见和理解。消除我们信仰的一切障碍。让你的道在我们的生命中结出持久的果子。阿们。
4:21–25 Jesus continues the theme of producing for the Kingdom by comparing His people to lamps set on a stand and by promising that faithfulness will be rewarded. It is a great pity, therefore, that so many Christians thwart God’s desire to bless faithfulness by failing to put their faith into practice wholeheartedly. The Lord forgives those who repent, and He calls us to focus on His mission. Though we are generous, He is more generous still and blesses more and more. • Lord, thank You for graciously rewarding our small kindnesses with outpourings of even more precious blessings. Amen.
4:21-25 耶稣继续为天国结果子的主题，把祂的子民比作灯台上的灯，并应许说忠心必得奖赏。因此，非常遗憾的是，有如此多的基督徒没有全心全意地将信仰付诸实践，以致于阻挠了上帝祝福忠心者的愿望。主赦免那些悔改的人，祂呼召我们专注于祂的使命。虽然我们慷慨，但祂更慷慨，祂会给予更多的祝福。- 主啊，感谢你将更宝贵的祝福倾倒给我们，藉此奖赏我们微小的善行。阿们。
4:26–29 God’s kingdom grows mysteriously of itself, at its own pace, and through the power of the Word. This reality often causes frustration among those who eagerly long for a rapid expansion of the Kingdom, and all the more as we only have a short-term view of things. But God’s kingdom grows according to His plan and timetable. And it is a great blessing that things ultimately depend on Him and not us, for only He is able to bring home a great harvest for life eternal. • Lord, as You have begun a good work by planting Your kingdom in our world, bring it to a full harvest in Your own good time. Amen.
4:26-29 神的国度以自己的节奏，通过圣道的能力神秘地成长。这一现实常常使那些渴望神的国度迅速扩展的人感到沮丧，尤其是当我们只看到事物的短期前景时更是如此。但上帝的国度是按照祂的计划和时间表成长的。事情最终取决于祂而不是我们，这是极大的祝福，因为只有祂能够为永恒的生命带来丰盛的收获。- 主啊，你已经开启了美好的工作，在我们的世界上种下了你的国度，求你按自己的时间，成就国度的大丰收。阿们。
4:30–34 Jesus’ parables reassure believers that over time the kingdom of God will grow incredibly large, far beyond its unassuming beginnings. Precisely because the Kingdom grows so slowly and its Lord is so patient, believers tend to become discouraged and its enemies are emboldened. But in the end, the Kingdom alone will stand, and everything else will be overthrown. Thank God, He shelters His people of every nation in its eternal shade. • Lord, let us see both in fact and by faith that Your kingdom will someday be all in all. Keep us ever sheltered safely within its branches. Amen.
4:30-34 耶稣的比喻向信徒们保证，随着时间的推移，神的国度会发展得非常大，远远超过它开始时的渺小。正因为天国的成长如此缓慢，而天国的主又如此有耐心，所以信徒们往往会变得灰心丧气，天国的仇敌也会变得更加胆大妄为。但最终，唯有天国才能屹立不倒，其他一切都将被推翻。感谢上帝，祂在永恒的绿荫中庇护着万国中属于祂的子民。- 主啊，让我们在事实和信心中看到，你的国度终有一天会充满万有。让我们永远安全地庇护在你的天国的荫下。阿们。
4:35–41 When Jesus rebukes the wind and waves, the lifeless storm shows a greater recognition of His divine power than the disciples. Similar examples still abound, as the brute forces of nature invariably obey the Lord’s commands better than people, including God’s own children, obey them. But the Lord nonetheless continues to love and care for us, despite our dullness and doubts. He not only calms all of the storms in our lives but actually does so in ways that mature our faith and lead us to trust Him more deeply. • Lord, forgive our doubts, for we sometimes take Your silence as nothing more than sleepy indifference. Remind us that You never sleep nor slumber, but always keep us under Your watchful eye. Amen.
4:35-41 当耶稣斥责风浪时，无生命的风暴比门徒更能认识到祂的神圣权能。类似的例子比比皆是，因为大自然的蛮力总是比人，包括上帝自己的儿女，更能服从主的命令。尽管我们愚钝和怀疑，但主仍然爱我们，关心我们。祂不仅平息了我们生命中所有的风暴，而且还使我们的信心更加成熟，使我们更深地信靠祂。- 主啊，求你赦免我们怀疑的罪，因为我们有时认为你的沉默不过是昏昏欲睡的漠不关心。求你提醒我们，你从不打盹，也不睡觉，时刻保守我们在你警醒的瞳仁中。阿们。