The world needs Jesus.

   The world needs the healing hands of Jesus that mends the brokenness and hatred so many of are experiencing. The brokenness which has been magnified by close to two years of living under the pressure of the pandemic and its effects.

The result? The build-up of pressure is “exploding” in many areas of society:

A fast food worker got hot coffee thrown at her for no apparent reason (“Vancouver police seek woman seen throwing hot coffee at Tim Hortons employee in video”, GlobalNews, Oct 22, 2021)

A nurse got yelled at in a grocery store by vaccine protesters (“Health-care workers face ‘moral injury’ from work stress, protests…” CTV News, Sept 10, 2021)

Only a year ago they were hailed as heroes, and the whole society was cheering them with a nightly ritual of banging pots and pans from their balconies.

We may be appalled by the world’s inconsistency, but Jesus is no stranger to people’s flip flop and hostility. One week after He was welcomed as a king in Jerusalem, He was betrayed by His own and was hung on the cross in the same city.  But listen to the last plea of Jesus,

Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do." And they cast lots to divide his garments. (Luke 23:34)

This is the world that is hostile to Jesus, but desperately needs Jesus’ healing. And this is the same world that Jesus died to save. That healing is first demonstrated by Jesus’ church, as we learn to follow our master’s path of forgiveness, when we live in same world of hostility, hatred and brokenness.

Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you. (Ephesians 4:32)

As we demonstrate that Christ is truly working within us, we shall draw society to receive the full healing that is only available through receiving Jesus’ forgiveness, and entering into a personal and living relationship with Him. 

Yes, the world needs the sacrificial love of Jesus.

這世界需要耶穌。

 這世界需要耶穌的醫治之手，以修復許多人正在經歷中的破碎和仇恨。在新冠大流行及其影響的壓力下生活了近兩年，這等破碎更顯為大。結果？累積的壓力在社會的許多層面中「爆發」起來：

一名快餐店員無故被扔擲熱咖啡（“Vancouver police seek woman seen throwing hot coffee at Tim Hortons employee in video”, Global News, Oct 22, 2021）

一名護士在雜貨店內被疫苗示威者咆哮叫罵（“Health-care workers face ‘moral injury’ from work stress, protests…” CTV News, Sept 10, 2021）

僅僅一年前，他們還被譽為英雄，整個社會都在為他們歡呼，每天晚上還在陽台上敲打碗碟鍋盤。我們可能對世事的反覆無常感到震驚，但主耶穌對人的變臉和敵意卻並不陌生。在耶路撒冷被熱烈歡迎擁戴為王一周後，主耶穌就被自己的人所出賣，被掛在同一個城內的十字架上。

但請聽耶穌最後的懇求:

當下耶穌說：「父啊，赦免他們！因為他們所做的他們不曉得。」兵丁就拈鬮分祂的衣服。(路加福音23:34)

這是一個對主耶穌充滿敵意的世界，但又迫切需要主的醫治。這就是主耶穌為救贖而死的同一個世界。當我們生活在同一個充滿敵意、仇恨和破碎的世界時，我們就當學效我們的主，跟隨祂行在寬恕之路，讓世界看到教會的見證。

並要以恩慈相待，存憐憫的心，彼此饒恕， 正如神在基督裡饒恕了你們一樣。(以弗所書4:32)

我們要吸引世人，讓他們看見在我們裏面的耶穌；因為唯有得着主耶穌的赦免，與祂在生命上聯繫，建立個人的關係，人才能得着完全的醫治。

是的，這世界需要耶穌犧牲的愛。