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约翰福音生命读经 · 第15篇

饥饿人的需要－生命的𫗪养（一）

The Need of the Hungry— Life’s Feeding (1
1约翰福音是一本图画的书。牠说到神圣的生命，以及这神圣生命的功能。神圣的生命及其功能都是属灵的事物。因为这些事物很难用人的语言描述，使徒约翰就从主得著智慧来写他的福音书，不单用明言，也用图像。因为明言不彀，所以约翰也用图像和图画。就一面说，每个事例都是一幅图画。在五章我们看见一幅生动的图画，说到那软弱的人被点活。在六章有另一幅图画，给我们看见饥饿人的需要以及生命的𫗪养。
1The Gospel of John is a book of pictures. It speaks of the divine life and of the functions of this divine life. Both the divine life and its functions are spiritual things. Since it is very difficult to describe them in human language, the Apostle John received the wisdom from the Lord to write his gospel, not only with plain words, but also with figures. Because plain words are inadequate, John also used figures and pictures. In a sense, every case is a picture. In chapter five we saw a vivid picture of the enlivening of the impotent man. In chapter six we have another picture showing us the need of the hungry and life’s feeding
壹 饥饿的世界
I. THE HUNGRY WORLD AND THE FEEDING CHRIST
与𫗪养的基督
2约翰六章一至十五节向我们启示饥饿的世界与𫗪养的基督。
2Verses 1 through 15 of John 6 reveal to us the hungry world and the feeding Christ
一 与五章里前一事例成对比
A. A Contrast to the Foregoing Case in Chapter Five
3六章的事例描绘出一个景象，启示我们的情形在那里。五章的背景与六章的背景是个对比。五章的背景是圣城，六章的背景是旷野；前一事例的背景是池子，后一事例是海。在前者，人与池子相连，在后者，人与海相关。池子与宗教的医治有关，而海与人的生活有关。第四个事例中的人极其软弱，需要医治和点活；而第五个事例中的人是饥饿的，需要食物与满足。池子是圣的，属于犹太宗教；海是俗的，属于人类社会。在池旁的人是软弱的，需要生命的点活，并且在等待医治。这事例中的人是饥饿的，需要生命的𫗪养，并且在寻求得𫗪养。
3The case in chapter six portrays a scene which reveals where we are in our condition. There is a contrast between the scene of chapter five with the one in chapter six. The scene in chapter five is in the holy city, but the scene in chapter six is in the wilderness. A pool is in the scene of the previous case, and a sea is in this case. The people in the former case are associated with the pool, and the people in the latter case are involved with the sea. The pool is related to religion’she al ing, while the sea is related to the people’s living. The person in the fourth case was very weak, needing healing and enlivening, but the people in the fifth case are hungry, needing food and satisfaction. The pool is sacred, being of the Jewish religion; the sea is secular, being of the human society. The person by the pool was impotent, needed life’s enlivening, and was waiting for healing. The people in this case are hungry, need life’s feeding, and are seeking for nourishment
二 海象征撒但所败坏的世界
B. The Sea Signifying the Satan-corrupted World
4在豫表上，地象征神所创造、使人在其上生活的大地；海象征撒但所败坏、堕落的人在其中生活的世界。海代表撒但那组织并系统化的世界，在这世界里人类被霸占并被封住。靠近这世界，人类饥饿没有满足。在这世界里，人类受困扰没有平安。这章的背景描绘出所有活在这被撒但败坏之世界里的人。他们不是活在神所创造的地上。在这撒但所败坏的世界里，没有真正的满足，总是有饥饿。也没有平安，因为风和浪一直在海上为人制造困扰。三山象征超越的地位在豫表上，山象征超越的地位。摩西被带到山上领受神的启示。（出二四12。）主耶稣去到山顶上，在那里变了形像。（太十七1～2。）使徒约翰也被带到山上，在超越的地位上看见关于新耶路撒冷那永远的异象。（启二一10。）因此，在这幅图画里，海是在低的水平上，山是在超越的地位上。海象征那被撒但所败坏的世界，山象征基督所在高超的地位，以及我们必须与祂同在的地方。主并未在海边𫗪养人，祂将群众领到山顶。你若想要得基督𫗪养，因基督满足，你就必须与祂同上高处。我们因基督满足，在于被带到山上，在山上从基督得𫗪养。山高过撒但所败坏的世界，以及神所造的地。无论海或地都不是我们从基督得𫗪养的适当地方。我们若要从基督得𫗪养，就必须超越撒但所败坏的世界，也超越神所创造的地。我们若要享受祂的𫗪养，就必须与祂同在山上。
4In typology, the land signifies the earth created by God for man to live upon, and these a signifies the world corrupted by Satan in which fallen mankind lives. The sea represents Satan’s organized and systematized world where humanity is occupied and enveloped. In this world mankind is hungry and has no satisfaction. In this world mankind is troubled and has no peace. The scene in this chapter portrays all of humanity living in the world corrupted by Satan. They are not living on the land created by God. In the world corrupted by Satan there is no real satisfaction; there is always hunger. Neither is there any peace, for the wind and the waves are always on the sea making trouble for man. C. The Mountain Signifying the Transcendent Position In typology, a mountain signifies a transcendent position. Moses was brought to a mountain in order to receive God’s revelation (Exo. 24:12). The Lord Jesus went to the top of a mountain when He was transfigured (Matt. 17:1-2). The Apostle John was also brought to the transcendent position of a mountain when he saw the eternal vision concerning the New Jerusalem (Rev. 21:10). So, in this picture the sea is on a low level, and the mountain is in a transcendent position. The sea signifies the world corrupted by Satan, and the mountain signifies the high, transcendent position where Christ is and where we must be with Him. The Lord did not feed the people by the sea. He led the multitude to the top of a mountain. If you wish to be fed by Christ and to be satisfied with Christ, you must go with Him to a high place. Satisfaction with Christ depends upon our being led to and fed with Christ on the mountain. The mountain is above both the Satan-corrupted world and the God-created earth. Neither the sea nor the earth is a suitable place for us to feed on Christ. If we are going to feed on Him, we must be transcendent above the Satan-corrupted world and above the God - created earth. If we are to enjoy His feeding, we must be on the mountain with Him.
四 逾越节豫表基督作神赎罪的羔羊
D. The Passover Signifying Christ as the Redeeming Lamb of God
5四节的逾越节，豫表基督作神赎罪的羔羊；祂为救赎我们流了祂的血，并且将祂的肉赐给我们吃。（林前五7。）人在逾越节宰杀赎罪的羊羔，洒羊羔的血，吃羊羔的肉。（出十二3～11。）这豫表基督是我们的逾越节，（林前五7，）作神赎罪的羔羊，（约一29，36，）为我们被宰杀，使我们能吃祂的肉，喝祂的血，接受祂作生命的供应，凭祂活著。在创世记二章九节，基督由生命树所豫表。生命树属于植物生命，适于生产，能萌芽，但没有为著救赎的血。在创世记二章的时候，人还未牵连在罪里，因此无需救赎。可是在创世记三章人堕落了。紧接著人的堕落，神就进来对付那个堕落，乃是藉著宰杀作牺牲的羊羔，救赎亚当和夏娃，并用羊皮作衣服遮盖他们的赤身。（创三21。）这样，植物生命本身就不足以应付堕落的人了，这时就需要动物生命了。我们需要生命不只是为著𫗪养，也是为著救赎。因此在约翰六章先有大麦饼那属植物生命的，好𫗪养人。我们将要看见，由于人已经堕落了，需要𫗪养也需要救赎，主耶稣就将饼转为肉。（约六51下。）饼，是用大麦作的；肉，包含了血。大麦饼出自植物生命，但肉和血出自动物生命。最终，约翰六章给我们看见，基督不单是饼所表征的生命树，也是肉与血所表征的神的羔羊。在神的羔羊里有两个元素：为著救赎的血，和为著𫗪养的肉。人在逾越节洒血并吃肉。今天我们也是一样。我们接受基督，不单为著得救赎，也为著得𫗪养。祂是植物的生命，又是动物的生命；是𫗪养的生命，也是救赎的生命。
5The Passover in verse 4 signifies Christ as the redeeming Lamb of God who shed His blood for our redemption and gave His flesh for our feeding (1 Cor. 5:7). At the Passover, people slay the redeeming lamb, strike its blood, and eat its flesh (Exo. 12:3-11). This typifies Christ as the redeeming Lamb of God who was slain that we might eat His flesh and drink His blood, thus taking Him in as the life supply for us to live by. In Genesis 2:9, Christ was typified by the tree of life. The tree of life, belonging to the vegetable life, is good for producing and generating, but has no blood for redeeming. At the time of Genesis 2, man was not yet involved with sin and thus had no need for redemption. However, in Genesis 3 man fell. Immediately after man’s fall, God came in to deal with that fall by slaying sacrificial lambs to redeem Adam and Eve and to make coats of skins to cover their nakedness (Gen. 3:21). Thus, the vegetable life itself is no longer adequate for fallen man; there is the need of the animal life. We need life not only for feeding, but also for redeeming. So, in chapter six of John we firstly have the barley loaf, which belongs to the vegetable life and is good for feeding. As we shall see, since man has fallen and needs redeeming as well as feeding, the Lord Jesus turned the bread into flesh (6:51b). The bread is made from barley, while the flesh contains blood. Barley bread is of the vegetable life, but the flesh with the blood is of the animal life. Eventually, in John 6 Christ is shown not only as the tree of life signified by the bread, but also as the Lamb of God signified by the flesh and blood. In the Lamb of God there are two elements: the blood for redeeming and the meat, the flesh, for feeding. At the Passover, the people struck the blood and ate the meat. It is the same with us today. We accept Christ in the way of redeeming as well as in the way of feeding. He is both the vegetable life and the animal life, the feeding life and the redeeming life.
五五 个大麦饼象征基督的生命生产的一面
E. Five Barley Loaves Signifying the Generating Aspect of Christ’s Life
6饼属于植物生命，象征基督的生命生产的一面。作为生产的生命，基督长在陆地，神所创造的地上。为重生我们，祂长在神所造的地上为著繁殖。
6The loaves are of the vegetable life, signifying the generating aspect of Christ’s life. As the generating life, Christ grows in the land, the God-created earth. In order to regenerate us, He grew on the God-created earth for reproducing
1 大麦象征复活的基督
1. Barley Signifying Christ Resurrected
7大麦象征复活的基督。按照圣经，大麦代表复活的初熟果子。在利未记23二十三章，主告诉祂的百姓说，每年要献上他们庄稼的初熟果子。在巴勒斯坦地，大麦成熟最早，是庄稼中最先收成的，因此象征复活的基督。（利二三10。）所以，大麦象征复活的基督作我们生命的供应。祂是初熟的果子，能成为我们生命的粮。因此大麦饼代表基督在复活里作我们的食物。𫗪养的基督乃是复活的基督。也许有人要问，在约翰六章基督还未钉十字架，怎么可能已经复活。早在祂钉十字架以前，基督就是复活了。在约翰十一章二十五节祂说，『我是复活，我是生命』祂不是说，『我将是复活，』因为祂已经是复活了。当主告诉马大说，她的兄弟要复活；她的解经太差了，将复活延后了两千年，延后到来世了。当她这样说了以后，主似乎说，『我现在就是复活，对我这永远者而言，没有时间的因素。过去、现在、将来对我都是一样。』永远的意思就是没有时间的因素。在祂被钉以前和以后，祂都是复活的基督。乃是复活的基督才能成为我们的生命，也才能成为供我们吃的饼。我们乃是从复活的基督得𫗪养。
7Barley signifies Christ resurrected. According to the Scriptures, barley represents the firstfruit of resurrection. The Lord told His people in Leviticus to offer the firstfruits of their harvest each year. In the land of Palestine, barley ripens earlier than any other crop and is the first of the harvest. Hence, it typifies the resurrected Christ (Lev. 23:10). Therefore, barley signifies the resurrected Christ, who is our life supply. As the firstfruit, He can become our bread of life. So, barley loaves represent Christ in resurrection as food to us. The feeding Christ is the resurrected Christ. Perhaps someone will ask how Christ could have been resurrected in John 6 when He had not yet been crucified. Even before His crucifixion, Christ was the resurrection. In John 11:25 He said, “I am the resurrection and the life.” He did not say, “I shall be the resurrection,” for He was the resurrection already. When the Lord told Martha that her brother would rise again, she, through her poor expounding of the Scriptures, postponed the resurrection for two thousand years to the coming age. When she did that, the Lord seemed to say, “I am the resurrection now. With Me, the eternal One, there is no time element. The past, present, and future are all the same to Me.” Eternal means to have no time element. Both before and after His crucifixion, He is the resurrected Christ. It is the resurrected Christ who can be life to us and can be bread to feed us. We are feeding on the resurrected Christ.
2 五象征负责任
2. Five Signifying Responsibility
8五象征负责任。基督负责𫗪养我们。五是由四加一组成的。四代表受造之物，（启四6，）一代表造物主。（林前八6。）造物主与受造之物加起来就负起责任了。五这数字不是由三加二组成，乃是由四加一组成的。看看你的手，有四个手指加上一个大拇指。如果你的手有三个手指，两个拇指，那就太难看了！四个手指加上一个拇指，叫手能作好些事。五个大麦饼象征主这位造物主（一），加上了受造之物（四），负责来𫗪养我们。复活的基督在祂的人性里负这个责任。
8The number five signifies responsibility, the responsibility of Christ in feeding us. The number five is composed of four plus one. The number four represents the creatures (Rev. 4:6), and the number one represents the Creator (1 Cor. 8:6). The Creator and the creatures added together take responsibility. The number five is not composed of three plus two, but of four plus one. Look at your hand. It is composed of four fingers and a thumb. It would be very awkward if your hand had three fingers and two thumbs. Four fingers with one thumb enable the hand to do many things. The five barley loaves signify that the Lord as the Creator (one) added to the creatures (four) bears the responsibility to feed us. In His humanity, the resurrected Christ bears this responsibility
六 两条鱼象征基督的生命救赎的一面
F. Two Fishes Signifying the Redeeming Aspect of Christ’s Life
9两条鱼属于动物生命，象征基督的生命救赎的一面。作为救赎的生命，祂活在海中，就是撒但所败坏的世界里。大麦是从地长出来的，地代表神所造的大地；鱼出自大海，这海象征被撒但所败坏的世界。主耶稣不只来到神所造的地上，也来到被撒但所败坏的世界。祂若只来到神所造的地上，那祂就只能为大麦饼所代表，但是由于祂也进到撒但所败坏的世界，所以祂也为两条鱼所代表。祂与被败坏的世界毫不相干。就像鱼活在盐水中却不是咸的，照样，主活在撒但所败坏的世界里，却不受撒但的败坏。主正像那能生活在海水咸的环境中，而不变咸的鱼一样。为著救赎我们，祂活在属撒但、罪恶的世界里，可是祂却无罪，不受罪恶的世界所影响。作为生产的生命，基督是正确的人活在神所造的地上。作为救赎的生命，基督活在这撒但所败坏的世界里，却不受其败坏的影响。
9The two fishes are of the animal life, signifying the redeeming aspect of Christ’s life. As the redeeming life, He lives in the sea, the Satan-corrupted world. The barley comes out of the land, representing the earth created by God, while the fishes come out of the sea, signifying the world corrupted by Satan. The Lord Jesus came not only to the earth created by God, but also to the world corrupted by Satan. If He had come only to the earth created by God, He would only have been represented by the barley loaves. But since He also came into the world corrupted by Satan, He is also represented by the two fishes. He had nothing to do with the corrupted world. Just as fish are not salty though they live in salt water, so the Lord was not corrupted by Satan though He lived in the Satan-corrupted world. The Lord is like the fish that can live in the salty environment of the sea without being salted by it. In order to redeem us, He lived in the satanic and sinful world. But yet He was sinless, unaffected by the sinful world. As the generating life, Christ lived as a proper man in the God-created earth. As the redeeming life, Christ lived in the Satan-corrupted world without being affected by its corruption.
10『二』这数字的意思是见证。（启十一3。）两条鱼乃是见证基督足以负责𫗪养我们。我们曾看过，大麦属于植物生命，代表生产的生命；鱼属于动物生命，代表救赎的生命。现在我们必须问说，人类若从未堕落过，我们是否仍需要基督作我们重生的生命？答案是肯定的。在亚当堕落以前。神将他放在生命树跟前。生命树与罪无关。因此，人必须藉著吃生命树，接受神作他的生命。甚至约翰十二章二十四节也说，主是那一粒麦子落在地里死了，以后又复活成了许多子粒。这也与罪无关。因为按照圣经，植物生命是要产生或生发许多子粒。一粒麦子结出许多子粒，因此代表生产的生命。我们曾看过，在人堕落以前，人只吃植物生命；（创一29；）但是在人堕落以后，人也吃动物生命（创九3。）在堕落以前无须流血，但人堕落之后，就需要动物生命，因为救赎需要流血。在人犯罪以前，植物生命已经足彀；但在人犯罪之后，动物生命就成为必需的。
10The number two means testimony (Rev. 11:3). The two fishes are a testimony that Christ is sufficient to bear responsibility in feeding us. We have seen that barley, which is of the vegetable life, represents the generating life and that the fish, which are of the animal life, represent the redeeming life. Now we must ask, if the human race had never fallen, would Christ as our regenerating life still have been necessary? Yes. Before the fall of Adam, God put him in front of the tree of life. The tree of life has nothing to do with sin. Therefore, man must take God as his life by eating the tree of life. Even John 12:24 states that the Lord was the one grain of wheat that fell into the ground and died, after which He was raised up to become many grains. This too had nothing to do with sin, for, according to the Scriptures, the vegetable life is to produce or to generate much fruit. The one grain of wheat bears many other grains. Hence, it represents the generating life. As we have seen, before man fell, he ate only of the vegetable life (Gen. 1:29), but after he fell, he also ate of the animal life (Gen. 9:3). Before the fall there was no need for the shedding of blood. But after man fell he needed the animal life because redemption requires the shedding of blood. The vegetable life was sufficient before man sinned, but after he sinned the animal life became necessary
11在旧约的供物中总是有植物生命，也有动物生命。比方逾越节，有被杀的羊羔代表动物生命，还有无酵饼代表植物生命。这两种不同的生命都是必需的，好应付我们一切的需要。并且在利未记里，素祭乃是同著肉类供物献上的。素祭由细面、植物油和乳香组成，这些都是植物生命。在利未记里，素祭若没有肉类的供物，绝不能蒙悦纳。这正是该隐所作的。该隐只献上菜蔬，结果为神所拒绝；而他的兄弟亚伯却献上流血之动物的牺牲，因而蒙神悦纳。
11The offerings in the Old Testament always had both the vegetable life and the animal life. For example, the Passover had the slain lamb, which represented the animal life, and the unleavened bread, which represented the vegetable life. These two different lives are necessary in order to meet all of our need. Also, the meat offerings of Leviticus were accompanied with the meal offering. The meal offerings were made of fine flour, vegetable oil, and frankincense—items of the vegetable life. In Leviticus, the meal offerings could never be accepted without the meat offerings. That was exactly what Cain did. He only offered vegetables to God and was rejected, while his brother Abel offered the sacrifice of an animal whose blood had been shed and was accepted (Gen. 4:3-5
12我们需要主耶稣作我们生产的生命，也作我们救赎的生命。藉著祂在十字架上的死，有两样东西从祂出来了－救赎我们的血和重生我们的水。（约十九34。）祂所流的血带给我们救赎，从祂受创肋旁所流出来的水，分赐生命给我们。五个大麦饼是同两条鱼摆在一起的。大麦不可能流血，所以绝不能救赎我们。两条鱼代表为著救赎的动物生命。主同时由大麦饼和鱼所代表，因为祂是重生我们的植物生命，也是救赎我们的动物生
12We need the Lord Jesus to be both our generating life and our redeeming life. By His death on the cross two things came out of Him—the blood to redeem us and the water to generate us (John 19:34). His shed blood brought redemption to us, and the water from His wounded side imparted His life to us. The five barley loaves were accompanied by the two fishes. It is impossible for barley to shed blood; therefore, it could never redeem us. The two fishes represent the animal life for redemption. The Lord is represented by both the barley loaves and the fishes, for He is our vegetable life to generate us and our animal life to redeem us
七 饼和鱼都表征基督的微小，好作我们生命的供应
G. Both Loaves and Fishes Signifying the Smallness of Christ Being the Life Supply to Us
13五个大麦饼和两条鱼来自一个小孩，而非大人，这是很有趣的。这极有意义，因为主要向我们指明，祂作我们的生命，不像大人物，乃是微小的人。大麦饼和鱼都是小东西，表征基督是微小的，好作我们生命的供应。那些求神迹的人，认为基督是神所应许的申言者，（约六14，申十八15，18，）要强逼祂作他们的王，（约六15，）但祂不愿自居为宗教伟人，宁愿成为小饼小鱼，好给人吃。这一切启示出基督的微小。祂小得可以让我们来吃。我们所吃的东西一定比我们小很多。我们比所吃的饼和鱼大多了。我们不能吃比我们大的东西，若比我们大，就能把我们吃了。我们所吃的任何东西甚至比我们的嘴还要小。若是比我们的嘴大，就必须先切成小块。一个小男孩带来了五个小饼和两条小鱼，这是说主耶稣的微小对我们极其宝贝。大多数的基督徒，连我们在内，总以为我们的主是伟人；但在约翰六章，主耶稣不要伟大，祂要保持微小足以给人来吃。有一首诗歌说，『你何伟大！』但我们有一首更甜美的诗歌，赞美主的微小。主若只是伟大的，我们便永远摸不著祂了。赞美祂，祂成为这样微小的！也许你作基督徒已经多年了，但你仍不知主是何等微小。以为主是大申言者，不过是宗教的思想。主若只成为大申言者，又登上宝座作了大君王，祂绝不能成为一小块饼。祂绝不能成为我们食物的供应。在祂能成为我们的食物之前，祂必须先成为微小的。所以二个小孩带来的五个小的大麦饼和两条小鱼就象征了祂。我们需要对主的伟大和祂的微小，同样有深刻印象。祂甚至生在小马槽里，长在小城中，并且在卑微的家庭中被抚育。祂不是来作宗教伟人。祂是小小的拿撒勒人，毫无伟大之处。哦，祂是何等微小！
13It is interesting to note that the five barley loaves and two fishes came from a small boy, not a big man. This is very meaningful, because the Lord wants to indicate to us that He is our life, not as someone big, but as someone small. Both barley loaves and fishes are small items, signifying the smallness of Christ as the life supply to us. The miracle-seeking people considered Him as the promised prophet (6:14; Deut. 18:15, 18) and would have forced Him to be their king (6:15), but He would not assume the position of a giant in religion. Rather, He preferred to be small loaves and little fishes that He might be small enough for people to eat. All of this reveals the smallness of Christ. He is small enough for us to eat. Whatever we eat must be considerably smaller than we are. We are much bigger than the bread and fish that we eat. We cannot eat something that is larger than we are. If it were larger than we are, it could eat us. Everything we eat is even smaller than our mouth. If it is larger than our mouth, it must first be cut into pieces. A small boy brought five small loaves and two small fishes. This means that the smallness of the Lord Jesus is most precious to us. Most Christians, including ourselves, always think of our Lord as someone great. But in John 6 the Lord Jesus does not want to be great. He wants to remain small enough to eat. There is a song that says, “How Great Thou Art,” but we have a sweeter song which praises the Lord for His smallness. If the Lord were only great, we could never touch Him. Praise Him that He has become so small! Perhaps you have been a Christian for many years and yet have failed to realize how small the Lord is. To think of the Lord as a great prophet is merely a religious thought. If the Lord only became a great prophet and was enthroned as a great king, He never could have been a little piece of bread. He never could have been our food supply. Before He could become our food, He first had to become small. Thus, He was symbolized by five small barley loaves and two small fishes brought by one small boy. We need to be impressed with the smallness as well as with the greatness of the Lord. He was even born in a small manger, brought up in a small town, and raised in a lowly family. He did not come to be a religious giant. He was a little Nazarene, having nothing to do with greatness or bigness. Oh, He is so small!
14你比一块饼大还是小?当然，你必须承认饼比较小。主既是生命的饼，来到你这里，你就必须对祂说，『主，我赞美你，你比我小。现在你能成为我的食物。你若比我大，你绝不能作我的食物。』就著我们主的伟大说，当然没有人比祂伟大。但我们也必须牢记，就著我们主的微小说，没有人比祂更微小。祂是小得足以给我们吃的饼。在马太十五章，我们看见主不仅成了饼，也成为碎渣，就是饼的碎块。我们很多人没有资格吃祂这饼。然而，我们的确有资格吃祂这碎渣。迦南妇人求主帮助，而主说，『不好拿儿女的饼丢给小狗。』你记得那时她对主说甚么?她说，『主阿，是的，就是小狗也吃主人桌子上掉下来的碎渣。』（太十五27。）那迦南妇人没有被主严厉的话以及将她比作狗的事激怒。她似乎告诉主说，『主，是的，我是外邦狗，但外邦狗也有牠的分。儿女的分是在桌子上，狗的分是在桌子底下。主，你必须知道你现在不是在桌子上，而是在桌子下，因为顽皮的儿女将你扔掉了。你既是在桌子下，你就可以成为我的分。』主赞赏她的信心。我们都需要这样低微的享受主。不要等到了天上才享受祂，祂现今在桌子下，就在这里得著祂罢！赞美主，祂如今在地上是微小且便利的！无论何时，按照我们的胃口，祂随时都是便利的。我们能享用祂多少，祂对我们就是多少。剩下的零碎总是超过我们所能吃的。
14Are you bigger or smaller than a piece of bread? You must admit, of course, that a piece of bread is smaller. Since the Lord comes to you as a piece of the bread of life, you must say to Him, “Lord, I praise You that You are smaller than I am. Now You can become my food. If You were greater than I, You could never be my food.” As far as the greatness of our Lord is concerned, of course, no one is as great as He is, but we must also be impressed that as far as the smallness of our Lord is concerned, no one is as small as He is. He is bread that is small enough for us to eat. In Matthew 15 we see that the Lord not only became the loaves, but also the crumbs, which are small fragments of a loaf. Many of us were not qualified to take Him as loaves. However, surely we are qualified to take Him as crumbs. Do you remember what the woman of Canaan said to the Lord when she asked Him to help her and He said that it was “not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs”? She said, “Yes, Lord; for even the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters’ table” (Matt. 15:27). The Canaanite woman was not offended by the Lord’shard words and by the fact that He referred to her as a dog. She seemed to be telling the Lord, “Yes, Lord, I am a Gentile dog, but the Gentile dog has his portion. The children’sport i on i son the table, and the dog’sport i on is under the table. Lord, You must realize that now You are not on the table but under the table, because the naughty children have cast You away. Now that You are under the table, You can be my portion.” The Lord admired her faith. We all need to enjoy the Lord in such a lowly way. Do not wait to go to heaven to enjoy Him. Get Him from under the table where He is right now. Praise the Lord that on the earth He is so small and available now! He is available at any time according to our appetite. However much we can take of Him, He will be that much to us. And the leftovers always surpass what we can eat.
八十二 篮表征基督生命供应之丰富的满溢
H. Twelve Baskets Signifying the Overflow of the Riches of Christ’s Life Supply
15这一章不仅表明主的微小，也表明主的丰富。仅仅五个饼就足以使五千人吃饱。剩下的十二篮，表征基督生命供应之丰富的满溢，给一千倍以上的人吃饱。五个饼给五千人吃饱，意思就是给一千倍的人吃饱。按照圣经，一千这数字表征完整的单位。例如，在主的院宇住一日，胜似在别处住千日。（诗八四10。）一千是完满的单位。所以五个饼能𫗪饱五千人，这启示出主是何其丰富，何其无限。群众要吃多少，就能吃多少，因为供应是无限的。甚至两条小鱼也彀众人吃。有十二篮的零碎剩下来。为甚么不是剩下五篮，八篮，或十一篮?因为十二这数字表征永远的完整和永远的完全。这就是说，甚至零碎也是永远完满和永远完整的。甚至微小、零碎的基督也满了取用不竭的丰富。祂虽是这样微小，却是这样无限。你曾将祂的微小和无限相比么?祂是小小的拿撒勒人，但祂一直𫗪养历世历代的人。祂从未减少。在给五千人吃饱以前，有五饼二鱼；在给五千人吃饱以后，剩下的有十二篮。所以，在给五千人吃饱以后，剩下的比原有的还多。这描绘出基督的丰富，因为群众吃饱之后，总有余剩。
15This chapter not only brings out the smallness of the Lord, but also the richness of the Lord. Just five loaves are rich enough to feed five thousand people. The twelve baskets left over signify the overflow of the riches of Christ’s life supply, which fed people over one thousand times. That five loaves fed five thousand people means that it fed them one thousand times. According to the Scriptures, the number one thousand signifies a complete unit. For example, one day in the court of the Lord is better than a thousand (Psa. 84:10). One thousand is a full unit. Hence, five loaves can fill five thousand people. This reveals how rich and how unlimited the Lord is. The multitude could eat as much as they wanted, for the supply was unlimited. Even two little fishes were sufficient for all. Twelve baskets of fragments were left over. Why were there not five, eight, or eleven baskets left over? Because the number twelve signifies eternal completeness and eternal perfectness. This means that even the fragments are eternally full and eternally complete. Even a small, fragmented Christ is full of a richness which can never be exhausted. He is so small and yet so unlimited. Have you ever compared His smallness with His unlimitedness? He is the little Nazarene, yet He has been feeding all of the generations. He has never been reduced. Before the feeding of the five thousand, there were five loaves and two fishes; after the feeding of the five thousand, there were twelve baskets left over. Therefore, after the feeding of the five thousand, more surplus remained than what was there originally. This portrays the richness of Christ, for there is always something left over after the multitude has been fed
16二十个世纪以来，基督给千千万万的人吃饱。今天，祂仍是丰富的，因为还有满满的十二篮。我们需要启示，看见基督的微小，是何等丰富。就外形说，祂是五饼二鱼，但二十个世纪以来，有干千万万的人吃祂。祂还在这里，祂绝不会减少或穷尽。哦，为著祂外形的微小和祂无限的丰富，我们当如何赞美祂！
16For twenty centuries, Christ has been feeding thousands upon thousands of people. Today, He is still rich, for there are still twelve baskets full. We need the revelation of the richness of the smallness of Christ. In form, He is the five loaves and the two fishes, yet thousands and thousands of people have been eating Him for twenty centuries. And He is still here. He can never be reduced or exhausted. Oh, how we must praise Him for His smallness in form and for His richness without limit