經文: 你們聽見有話說：「當愛你的鄰舍，恨你的仇敵。」— (聖經·馬太福音 5章43節b)
這是耶穌在世的日子猶大拉比說的話，因他們自認為這樣說沒有錯，又因為在利未記 19章17-18節記載：「不可心裡恨你的弟兄，總要指摘你的鄰舍，免得因他擔罪；不可報仇，也不可埋怨你本國的子民，卻要愛人如己。」他們辯解說聖經只教他們勿恨本國的子民，但卻可恨惡仇敵。然而主說：「要愛你的仇敵，只可祝福，不能咒詛。」
多少時候，我們基督徒就像猶大律法師那樣，只愛鄰舍，不愛仇敵，覺得耶穌的命令太嚴格太難做到了；他們沒有將自己降服在耶穌的旨意下，服從祂愛人如己的新命令，他們不太相信上帝的愛可以從信徒心中湧出，流向週圍的人，甚至能愛仇敵。當然，要做到這個地步，需要上帝格外的恩典，並要不辭勞苦、付上時間，及迫切禱告的代價。
我在南非開普敦牧會時，碰到一位德國長老，他每晚為十二位的卡菲爾人開一個全職先修班，準備他們投入在伍德史達克英國教會的服事。有一次他問其中一個學生：「你們族人有仇敵嗎？」他說：「喔，有啊！是芬格人。」(卡菲爾人視芬格人為狗。)
長老又問他能否去愛一個芬格人？他堅決肯定地說：「當然不能。」他無法愛芬格人，是一個不爭的事實，如此他就不能被接納去那個教會，他憂愁地回家，第二天來上課也是無精打彩的，再次被問到能否愛芬格人，他的答案還是一樣；於是他沒有像其他人一樣被那個教會接納，但他還是每個禮拜去上課，而且一直都很認真；顯然地他心中有了很大的掙扎，直到有一晚，他容光煥發地出現：「我現在能愛芬格人了。」他一直為這件事禱告，而上帝也垂聽他的禱告，讓他在禱告中尋求到上帝的愛，藉此勝過人有限自私的愛，這就是唯一愛仇敵的方法。
—《 神 的 心 意 》
(每日靈修 9月14日)
作者：慕安德烈
編輯：榮華興
(圖片版權屬「禱告時光」所有，在此僅供分享福音用途。)
『 Love your enemies 』
Scripture: “Ye have heard that it hath been said: Thou shalt love thy neighbor and hate thine enemy.” — (Matthew 5:43)
It was the Jewish Rabbis in Christ’s earthly day who said this. They deemed they had a right to say it because of what was written in Lev. xix. 17, 18: “Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thine heart; thou shalt not bear any grudge against the children of thy people; but thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.” From this they argued that it was only the children of their own people whom they might not hate; it was all right to hate their enemies. But our Lord said: “Love your enemies: bless them that curse you.”
How often the Christian follows the example of the Jewish teachers! The command of our Lord is too strict and narrow for him; he has not yielded himself to God in obedience to the new commandment to love his brethren with Christ’s love, believing that this love will flow out to all around, even to those who hate us. This will require much grace, and will cost time and trouble, and much earnest prayer.
When I was a minister in Cape Town, I met a German deaconess, who was working in connection with the English Church at Woodstock. She had a class every evening for ten or twelve Kaffirs, who were preparing for admission to the Church. One evening she spoke about loving our enemies. She asked one man if his people had enemies. “Oh, yes!” “Who were they ?” “The Fingoes.” (The Kaffirs count the Fingoes as dogs.) She asked the man if he could love a Fingo. His answer was quite decided: “Me no’ love Fingo. Me no’ love Fingo.” It was an indisputable fact; there could be no question about it. He could not love a Fingo. She told him that in that case he could not go to the Communion. He went home very thoughtful, and the next evening at class seemed very downcast. But he still had only one answer: “Me no’ love Fingo.” He was not received into the church with the others, but continued to attend the class. He was always in earnest, and there was evidently a struggle going on; until one evening he appeared with a bright face, and said: “Me now love Fingo.” He had prayed about it, and God had heard his prayer. There is only one way to love our enemies: by the love of Christ, sought and found in prayer.
— God’s Best Secrets by Andrew Murray
「 14 September 」
