“神使那无罪的，替我们成为罪，好叫我们在他里面成为神的义。” - 林后 5:21

旧约圣经中的大卫王曾遭受过不少痛苦，我们可以从诗篇38篇 － 这篇被称为“大卫的纪念诗”的诗篇中清楚看到。他谈到自己受伤和满身疼痛，朋友和亲人离弃了他，仇敌憎恨和控告他，有些甚至想杀害他。他说：这是“因我的罪过。”他说得不错。

并非每一项罪过都会带来某种特别的痛苦，并非所有痛苦都是因为某些罪过引起的；然而，背叛神的法度必然会令我们身受痛苦。因此，身为罪人的大卫受苦，而当他受苦时，他便开始向神呼求。你或许也能够明白他的感受。

耶稣肯定明白这一切，我们在诗篇38篇也看到了。是的，这篇诗篇是关于罪的，耶稣从没有犯罪，然而衪仍然受痛苦。衪受痛苦，是因为世人的罪，包括我和你的罪，都压在衪身上，衪在十字架上背负了极沉重的担子。那无声的痛苦、剧烈的心跳、衰微的力量、被撇弃的呼喊 － 全都记载在诗篇 38篇中，也全部显明在十字架上。

然而，这并非事情的终结。在衪自己的痛苦中，耶稣向神呼喊，神听了衪的呼求；在第三天，神叫衪从死里复活，耶稣最终战胜了罪恶。不错，尽管我们仍然会犯罪，我们仍然也会因此受苦，但罪再没有能力使我们与神分开，耶稣向我们保证这绝不会发生。

祷告

耶稣啊，你在十字架上背负了我们的罪。藉着背负重担的痛苦，你释放我们得自由。你真是一位奇妙的救主！阿们。

诗篇 38

1耶和华啊，求你不要在怒中责备我，不要在烈怒中惩罚我！
2因为你的箭射入我身，你的手压住我。
3因你的恼怒，我的肉无一完全；因我的罪过，我的骨头也不安宁。
4我的罪孽高过我的头，如同重担叫我担当不起。
5因我的愚昧，我的伤发臭流脓。
6我疼痛，大大蜷曲，终日哀痛。
7我满腰是火，我的肉无一完全。
8我被压伤，身体疲倦；因心里不安，我就唉哼。
9主啊，我的心愿都在你面前，我的叹息不向你隐瞒。
10我心跳动，我力衰微，连我眼中的光也没有了。
11我的良朋密友因我的灾病都躲在旁边站着，我的亲戚本家也远远地站立。
12那寻索我命的设下网罗，那想要害我的口出恶言，终日思想诡计。
13但我如聋子不听，像哑巴不开口。
14我如不听见的人，口中没有回话。
15耶和华啊，我仰望你！主我的神啊，你必应允我！
16我曾说：“恐怕他们向我夸耀，我失脚的时候，他们向我夸大。”
17我几乎跌倒，我的痛苦常在我面前。
18我要承认我的罪孽，我要因我的罪忧愁。
19但我的仇敌又活泼又强壮，无理恨我的增多了。
20以恶报善的与我作对，因我是追求良善。
21耶和华啊，求你不要撇弃我！我的神啊，求你不要远离我！
22拯救我的主啊，求你快快帮助我！

Sin, Suffering, And Salvation

"God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God." - 2 Corinthians 5:21

King David in the Old Testament had his share of suffering. That's clear from Psalm 38, described as "a psalm of David." He speaks of being wounded and filled with pain. Friends and neighbors abandon him. Enemies hate him and accuse him. Some want to kill him. It's "because of my sin," he says. And he's right.

Not every sin leads to a particular suffering. And not all suffering is from particular sins. But rebellion against God's ways does unleash suffering into our human experience. So David the sinner suffers, and from his suffering he cries out to God. Maybe you know what that's like.

Jesus certainly knows. It's there in Psalm 38. Yes, this psalm is about sin. And no, Jesus himself never sinned. But he did suffer. He suffered because the sins of the world, including my sins and yours, were laid on him. He carried that immense burden to the cross. The silent anguish, the pounding heart, the failing strength, the cry of forsakenness—it's all there in Psalm 38, and it was all there on the cross.

But that was not the end. From his own suffering, Jesus cried out to God. And his cry was heard. On the third day, God raised him from the dead. Jesus had won the ultimate victory over sin. Yes, we still sin. And we still suffer. But sin no longer has the power to separate us from God. Jesus saw to that.

Prayer

Jesus, you carried our sin to the cross. And by suffering under that burden, you set us free. What a Savior! Amen.