Lesson For The Week (Aug. 3)

The Parables of the Faithful or Unfaithful Servant and the Ten Girls
忠心和不忠心的僕人與十個童女的比喻

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Introduction導引
When you’re given an assignment or a job, do you usually try to finish it immediately or do you wait until the last minute?

當你被指派一件工作時，你通常是馬上將它完成或是等到最後一刻才去做？

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Vocabulary字彙 (沒按照順序)
drunkard 醉漢
nod 打盹
fate 命運；結局
trim 修整
hypocrite 假冒偽善
be on one’s guard 儆醒者
container 器皿

put in the charge of something 指派管理某事
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Selected reading 選讀經文:

Matthew 24:45-51; 25:1-13

馬太福音24:45-51; 25:1-13

(Good News 版，要NIV可以自行上網找)

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45 "Who, then, is a faithful and wise servant? It is the one that his master has placed in charge of the other servants to give them their food at the proper time. 46 How happy that servant is if his master finds him doing this when he comes home! 47 Indeed, I tell you, the master will put that servant in charge of all his property. 48 But if he is a bad servant, he will tell himself that his master will not come back for a long time, 49 and he will begin to beat his fellow servants and to eat and drink with drunkards. 50 Then that servant's master will come back one day when the servant does not expect him and at a time he does not know. 51 The master will cut him in pieces and make him share the fate of the hypocrites. There he will cry and gnash his teeth.

1 "At that time the Kingdom of heaven will be like this. Once there were ten young women who took their oil lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. 2 Five of them were foolish, and the other five were wise. 3 The foolish ones took their lamps but did not take any extra oil with them, 4 while the wise ones took containers full of oil for their lamps. 5 The bridegroom was late in coming, so they began to nod and fall asleep. 6 "It was already midnight when the cry rang out, "Here is the bridegroom! Come and meet him!' 7 The ten young women woke up and trimmed their lamps. 8 Then the foolish ones said to the wise ones, "Let us have some of your oil, because our lamps are going out.' 9 "No, indeed,' the wise ones answered, "there is not enough for you and for us. Go to the store and buy some for yourselves.' 10 So the foolish ones went off to buy some oil; and while they were gone, the bridegroom arrived. The five who were ready went in with him to the wedding feast, and the door was closed. 11 "Later the others arrived. "Sir, sir! Let us in!' they cried out. 12 "Certainly not! I don't know you,' the bridegroom answered." 13 And Jesus concluded, "Watch out, then, because you do not know the day or the hour.”
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Questions for Discussion 問題討論
1. What is the faithful and wise servant like? How will his master reward him? (Matthew 24:45-47)
忠心且有見識的僕人是什麼樣的人？他的主人會如何獎賞他？(太24:45-47)

2. How does a bad servant behave? What will the master do to him? (Matthew 24:48-51)
惡僕人的表現如何？主人將來會如何來處置他？(太24:48-51)

3. Describe the ten girls. How are they alike? Different? (Matthew 25:1-4)
請描述十個童女相似和相異點？(太25:1-4)

4. When the bridegroom was late in coming, what did the girls do? (Matthew 25:5)
當新郎延遲到達時，童女們在做什麼？(太25:5)

5. When the girls heard the announcement of the bridegroom’s arrival, what did they do? (Matthew 25:6-10a)
當童女們聽到宣布新郎的消息時，她們做了什麼事？(太25:6-10a)

6. How were the prepared girls rewarded? What was the consequence for the girls who were not prepared? (Matthew 25:10b-12)
那些準備妥當的童女們如何受到獎賞？那些未準備好的童女的結局又是如何？(太25:10b-12)

7. How are these two parables similar? What do you think is the main point of these two stories?
這兩個比喻相似處在哪裡？你認為這兩個故事的重點是什麼？

8. What does Jesus mean by saying, “Be on your guard, then, because you do not know the day or the hour.” (Matthew 25:13) ? What day and hour do you think He is talking about?
耶穌說：「所以，你們要儆醒，因為那日子，那時辰，你們不知道。」這是什麼意思？(太25:13) 你想祂所說的日子和時辰代表什麼？

A time to reflect 回應
1. Do you consider yourself a faithful and wise servant?
你認為你是個又忠心又有智慧的僕人嗎？
2. Are you prepared for the “Bridegroom’s” coming?

你是否準備好「新郎」的到來？
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Past Lessons:
http://www.ortv.com/english/ebs_c/ebs_e.htm