再思聖經中的管教原則(耶30章)

故此、耶和華說：「我的僕人雅各阿、不要懼怕．以色列阿、不要驚惶．因我要從遠方拯救你、從被擄到之地拯救你的後裔、雅各必回來得享平靖安逸、無人使他害怕。因我與你同在、要拯救你．也要將所趕散你到的那些國、滅絕淨盡、卻不將你滅絕淨盡、倒要從寬懲治你、萬不能不罰你。」〔不罰你或作以你為無罪〕這是耶和華說的。(耶 30：10-11)

耶利米書從第三十章起，如同以賽亞書的四十章起一樣，有許多像新約聖經中常出現的「安慰」信息，字裡行間充滿許多神愛憐的訊息。

耶利米書的這段經文，大概身為父母的，更能對這段經文引發共鳴、感動！身為父母的，愛孩子，就會教他，為了要讓他將來可以因走在正路上，享受成長上所預備的福樂；當然若犯了錯，甚至一爾再，再爾三地不聽話，就要管教，不該放任。因為放任孩子、不忍心苛責，就會走向死亡之路，父母也不能責無旁貸。其實父母不見得都會在孩子一犯錯時就罰，因為這樣並不合宜。即使管教，相對來說都已「從寬」懲治了，但卻萬不能不罰。慈愛的天父，也是我們公義的爸爸，當然更不能任意寬宥罪惡。如經上所記：

生身的父都是暫隨己意管教我們．惟有萬靈的父管教我們、是要我們得益處、使我們在他的聖潔上有分。凡管教的事、當時不覺得快樂、反覺得愁苦．後來卻為那經練過的人、結出平安的果子、就是義．（來 12：10-11）

這是聖經中有名的「管教聖經」，說的就是天父與我們之間會有的父子互動。管教，不必非如過去的管教觀念般地嚴厲，但是基本原則要有：一定要讓孩子在管教的當下「不覺得快樂、反覺得愁苦」，也就是要讓孩子在管教時「不好受」、「不開心」，且強度、時間持續都要夠，制約效果才會出現，才能減低再犯率。這裡的「經練過的人」，是指教育上的「制約學習」，也就是想要再作惡時，因曾經有的制約所連結的「不開心」發動，就可提供阻止的力量。沒有制約，沒有規範，就肆無忌憚。

想起主耶穌關於主的羊的應許：

我的羊聽我的聲音、我也認識他們、他們也跟着我。我又賜給他們永生．他們永不滅亡、誰也不能從我手裏把他們奪去。我父把羊賜給我、他比萬有都大．誰也不能從我父手裏把他們奪去。（約 10：27-29）

這似乎在透露一個訊息：有一種人，叫做「主的羊」，特徵就是會聽主的話、遵守主的教訓。他們「永不滅亡」，就像是神眼中的「天國保證班」裡的門徒一樣。既是保證班，神保證進天國得永生，所以他們將遭遇比別人更嚴格的管教，更不平凡的遭遇，諸如：努力不一定有成效、想要的不一定都能得著，反而與別人犯一樣的錯時，別人沒事，但是我卻必受管教。

想到這裡，那在身上時時可覺察到主管教的杖，反而安慰著我，因為證明我是主羊。如詩人所說：

我雖然行過死蔭的幽谷、也不怕遭害．因為你與我同在．你的杖、你的竿、都安慰我。（詩 23：4）

不見得人人都能經驗到主的杖、主的竿，因為不都是主的羊。主的羊，必遵行天父的旨意，不會是只知道喊主啊主啊的「信徒」：

凡稱呼我主阿、主阿的人、不能都進天國．惟獨遵行我天父旨意的人、纔能進去。（太 7：21）

有些人慶幸犯錯都沒事，其實是已經被神棄絕，直接等候末日審判，是等死的人生。人要有屬靈的敏感度，遇到懲治，當能立刻反思，要悔改，才有永恆的福樂。遇到逆境，若只是抱怨，賴皮不成長，只是無理地哭鬧，天父會喜悅嗎？

By Isaiah Kao

Reflecting Again on the Biblical Principle of Discipline (Jeremiah 30)

July 27, 2026 

"Therefore do not fear, Jacob My servant," declares the LORD,

"And do not be dismayed, Israel;

For behold, I am going to save you from afar,

And your descendants from the land of their captivity.

And Jacob will return and be quiet and at ease,

And no one will make him afraid.

For I am with you," declares the LORD, "to save you;

For I will completely destroy all the nations where I have scattered you,

Only I will not completely destroy you.

But I will discipline you justly

And will by no means leave you unpunished." (Jeremiah 30:10–11, NASB 2020)

Beginning with Jeremiah chapter 30, much like Isaiah chapter 40, the book moves to many messages of "comfort" similar to those frequently found in the New Testament. Every line is filled with God's compassion and love.

This passage in Jeremiah especially to echo with parents. Those who love their children will teach and discipline them so that they may walk on the right path and enjoy the blessings prepared for their growth. Of course, when children do wrong—especially if they repeatedly refuse to listen—they must be disciplined rather than let it go. To leave a child without discipline is to let him drift toward the path of death, and parents cannot escape their responsibility.

In reality, loving parents do not necessarily punish their children every time they make a mistake, because that would not always be appropriate. Even when discipline is necessary, it has been punished "justly". Yet punishment cannot simply be omitted. Our loving heavenly Father is also our righteous Father. He certainly cannot overlook sin at will. As Scripture says:

"Furthermore, we had earthly fathers to discipline us, and we respected them; shall we not much rather be subject to the Father of spirits, and live? For they disciplined us for a short time as seemed best to them, but He disciplines us for our good, so that we may share His holiness. All discipline for the moment seems not to be joyful, but sorrowful; yet to those who have been trained by it, afterwards it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness." (Hebrews 12:9–11, NASB 2020)

This well-known passage on "Discipline Bible", describes the relationship between our heavenly Father and His children. Discipline does not have to be as harsh as it was often noticed in the past, but one basic principle remains: during discipline, the child should "not seem to be joyful, but sorrowful." In other words, discipline should be unpleasant enough for the child to recognize the seriousness of his wrongdoing. It must also be sufficiently consistent and lasting for it to have a corrective effect and reduce the likelihood of repeating the same mistake.The phrase "those who have been trained by it" points to the educational principle of "conditioned learning". When a person is tempted to repeat the same wrongdoing, the "unpleasant" memory associated with previous discipline serves as a restraint. Without such conditioning and without clear boundaries, people become increasingly reckless.

This reminds me of the Lord Jesus' promise concerning His sheep:

"My sheep listen to My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; and I give them eternal life, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand." (John 10:27–29, NASB 2020)

These words seem to reveal an important truth: there is a group of people called the "Lord's sheep". Their special mark is that they hear His voice and obey His teaching. They "will never perish." They are like disciples in God's "guaranteed class for the kingdom of heaven." Since God guarantees them eternal life, He also disciplines them more strictly than others and allows them to experience more extraordinary circumstances. They may work hard without seeing the expected results. They may not always receive what they desire. When they commit the same mistakes as others, others may seem to escape without consequences, while they themselves are disciplined by the Lord.

When I think of this, the Lord's rod of discipline, which I often sense in my life, actually brings me comfort, because it assures me that I truly belong to His flock. As the psalmist said:

"Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me." (Psalm 23:4, NASB 2020)

Not everyone experiences the Lord's rod and His staff, because not everyone belongs to His flock. The Lord's sheep are those who obey the Father's will. They are not merely believers who cry, "Lord, Lord":

"Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter." (Matthew 7:21, NASB 2020)

Some people feel fortunate because they can make mistakes without any consequences. In reality, they may already have been abandoned to await the final judgment, they are simply waiting for death. Therefore, we must develop spiritual sensitivity. Whenever God's discipline comes upon us, we should immediately examine ourselves and repent, so that we may receive eternal blessings. When we encounter adversity, if we do nothing but complain, refuse to grow shamelessly, will our heavenly Father be pleased?

By Isaiah Kao