2013-05-05 Devotionals Today

知信行網上團契為各主內肢體提供的每日靈糧，歡迎訂閱，推介及奉獻支持。 《網絡天糧》查詢，請電郵：ccf@ccfellow.org 訂閱天糧 | 轉介天糧 | 修訂訂閱 | 奉獻支持 得蒙寬恕，卻不肯寬恕別人 粵語 國語 第5天 讀經：    馬太福音十八章21至35節 21那時，彼得進前來，對耶穌說："主啊，我弟兄得罪我，我當饒恕他幾次呢？到七次可以嗎？" 22耶穌說："我對你說：不是到七次，乃是到七十個七次。 23天國好像一個王要和他僕人算賬。 24才算的時候，有人帶了一個欠一千萬銀子的來。 25因為他沒有甚麼償還之物，主人吩咐把他和他妻子兒女，並一切所有的都賣了償還。 26那僕人就俯伏拜他，說：'主啊，寬容我！將來我都要還清。' 27那僕人的主人就動了慈心，把他釋放了，並且免了他的債。 28那僕人出來，遇見他的一個同伴欠他十兩銀子，便揪著他，掐住他的喉嚨，說：'你把所欠的還我！' 29他的同伴就俯伏央求他說：'寬容我吧！將來我必還清。' 30他不肯，竟去把他下在監裡，等他還了所欠的債。 31眾同伴看見他所做的事，就甚憂愁，去把這事都告訴了主人。 32於是，主人叫了他來，對他說：'你這惡奴才！你央求我，我就把你所欠的都免了。 33你不應當憐恤你的同伴，像我憐恤你嗎？' 34主人就大怒，把他交給掌刑的，等他還清了所欠的債。 35你們各人若不從心裡饒恕你的弟兄，我天父也要這樣待你們了。" 寬恕究竟有沒有限度呢？神為了基督的緣故，寬恕了我們多少次？當他人得罪我們，我們是否應同樣寬恕他人呢？ 彼得提出這個問題，是因為他與弟兄產生了不和。我們只知道他有一個弟弟名叫安得烈，是他帶領彼得認識基督。或許彼得是跟鄰舍產生不和？ 基督用了這個意味深長的故事來回答彼得的問題。這裡所講的「僕人」可以解作高級官員。這官員為何欠下巨債，我們不得而知。債項的數目相當於今天的數百萬元。 他當然不能在短期內還清債務。王體恤他的境況，非常慷慨地免除他的債務。他雖然不配得王的赦免，但王恩浩大，他現在債務全免，輕鬆做人。 然而，他後來卻因朋友欠他幾十塊錢，沒有能力立刻償還，便將朋友拉到官府，下到監中。他剛剛蒙王的赦免，免除一筆巨債，可是，他卻沒有將這種恩情銘記心中，學習並效法王那種寬宏大量的精神。 王終於知道他是一個不肯寬恕和吝嗇小器的人，一怒之下，將他投入監中，恐怕他要在監中度過餘生了。 基督講這個故事是要提出甚麼教訓呢？就是我們若要得著神的饒恕，就必須饒恕別人；反之，我們如果不肯寬恕別人，必得不到神的寬恕。一顆懷恨的心，又怎能與神親密相交，體會神對我們的白白赦免呢？ 我們所欠的罪債，我們根本無力償還；但基督已為我們償清巨債，以致我們得著神的赦免。神要我們寬恕別人，是否要求太高呢？以弗所書四章32節是一個命令：「要彼此饒恕，正如神在基督裡饒恕了你們一樣。」 有沒有人是你未曾饒恕的呢？為何不今天就求神幫助你饒恕呢？ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ FORGIVEN BUT UNFORGIVING Day 5 Bible Reading:    Matthew 18:21-35 21 Then Peter came to Him and said, "Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times?" 22 Jesus said to him, "I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven. 23 Therefore the kingdom of heaven is like a certain king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. 24 And when he had begun to settle accounts, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents. 25 But as he was not able to pay, his master commanded that he be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had, and that payment be made. 26 The servant therefore fell down before him, saying, 'Master, have patience with me, and I will pay you all.' 27 Then the master of that servant was moved with compassion, released him, and forgave him the debt. 28 "But that servant went out and found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii; and he laid hands on him and took him by the throat, saying, 'Pay me what you owe!' 29 So his fellow servant fell down at his feet and begged him, saying, 'Have patience with me, and I will pay you all.' 30 And he would not, but went and threw him into prison till he should pay the debt. 31 So when his fellow servants saw what had been done, they were very grieved, and came and told their master all that had been done. 32 Then his master, after he had called him, said to him, 'You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you begged me. 33 Should you not also have had compassion on your fellow servant, just as I had pity on you?' 34 And his master was angry, and delivered him to the torturers until he should pay all that was due to him. 35 "So My heavenly Father also will do to you if each of you, from his heart, does not forgive his brother his trespasses." Is there a limit to forgiveness? How many times has God forgiven you or me for Christ's sake? Is that the way we forgive others who act wrongly against ourselves? Peter was having trouble with his brother. We only know of Andrew, the brother who brought Peter to Christ. Or does the question include perhaps a neighbour? Christ answered Peter's question with this remarkable story. The word servant here can mean a highly placed official. But however did this officer run up such a huge debt? The equivalent today would be millions of dollars. He certainly could not pay that amount immediately. But when the king saw his position he cancelled the whole enormous debt. What a wonderfully generous act. Now he was debt free. He did not deserve that. . But what did he do in turn? He threw a man into prison who owed him only a few dollars! He had just been forgiven an incredible amount of money. But he himself couldn't pass on that kind of generosity. His meanness, his unforgiving spirit were found out by the king. The officer spent possibly the rest of his life in jail as a result. How did Christ use this story? His application was one which he often taught - a man must forgive in order to be forgiven. We cannot earn God's forgiveness but while an unforgiving spirit remains in our hearts we cannot truly know the fullness of fellowship with God. We have been forgiven a debt which we could never pay but which Christ paid for us. Is it too much for God to ask us to show forgiveness to others? Ephesians 4:32 is a command. 'Forgive each other just as in Christ God forgave you.' Is there someone you should forgive? Why not do it today? 列王紀下十一至十三章 重點： 亞他利雅篡奪猶大王國；亞他利雅死；約阿施修葺聖殿；約阿施死；約哈斯的惡行；以利沙去世。 鑰節： 無奈到了約阿施王二十三年，祭司仍未修理殿的破壞之處。（十二6） 內容：  猶大王亞哈謝死了，他的母親亞他利雅就起來剿滅王室，自立為王，設立偶像，破壞聖殿。 約阿施在大祭司耶何耶大的保護及安排下取回政權，登基作王。此後，約阿施有心重修聖殿破壞之處，便吩咐祭司出去收集百姓所奉獻之銀子，作為修理聖殿之費用。只是經過二十三年，修殿之事還未處理。約阿施王便召了大祭司耶何耶大和眾祭司來，對他們說：「你們怎麼不修理殿的破壞之處呢？」並且終止祭司收取銀子的政策。 於是祭司耶何耶大在聖殿壇旁設立奉獻箱，讓人隨心所願，樂意將金錢投入箱去。很快就有足夠金錢，修殿之工也很快達成。 為何約阿施頒佈修殿之命達二十三年仍未成就，而耶何耶大很快就達成呢？是因為約阿施用行政命令取代了事奉的原則：奉獻是甘心樂意的，不是行政命令的；祭司是事奉神的，不是收集費用的。 當約阿施終止他的方法，耶何耶大使用事奉的原則，神賜福他們，事就很快達成了。 默想： 在教會事奉是否遇困惑？怎樣事奉才是屬神的、屬靈的、蒙神賜福的？ 本文資料由福音團契書局提供，謹此致謝。 《讀經日引》每季一本，免費贈閱。請電郵biblepathway@yahoo.com.hk索取。 意見交通，請電郵：biblepathway@yahoo.com.hk 狂傲女子   以賽亞書　三章   "錫安的女子狂傲……賣弄眼目……腳下叮噹……"(16節)。 以賽亞預言神會將耶路撒冷所有富有的人都一一趕盡：勇士和戰士，審判官和先知，長老，謀士和巧匠。而這真的發生了：三次不同的戰役裡，贏家巴比倫擄走一切精良的，而遺下那些卑賤的。這樣的浩劫乃出自神的手筆，不過在這一切事情發生之前，以賽亞以及其他眾先知早已給了以色列人足夠的警告，他們大可以悔改而避過這一場厄運的。 神的審判會先從長老和首領開始，因為他們"吃盡葡萄園的果子"。祂會問："你們為何壓制我的百姓，折磨貧窮人的臉呢？"在這群唯利是圖的男人背後，有一群輕佻的女子，或只在意"香盒、符囊、戒指、鼻環、吉服……細麻花、裹頭巾、蒙身的帕子"（20-23節）。 這樣的一張清單聽起來讓人覺得驚人的熟悉──現今很多女性都崇拜時尚和明星，而不願意給患病的孩子提供一杯乾淨的水。我曾經在一間醫生診所裡等候朋友的時候翻閱了一些雜誌，覺得非常噁心，因為我所見到的並不是美麗。雖然打扮漂亮並沒有錯， 但是狂傲、目空一切、並以性為工具則是大錯特錯。這些狂傲女子在上帝鼻中所聞到的氣息，在24節裡被形象地描述為臭爛、繩子、光禿、麻衣和烙傷。 不過，有另外一些女子是讓人真正珍愛的，像德蘭修女，不管是對富者還是窮人，對黑皮膚還是白皮膚的，對神還是對人來說，她那張佈滿皺紋的臉和手不是很美麗嗎？   主耶穌，您在十架上被摧殘的那張臉是眾臉中最美的。願我，在敬畏中以敬拜來反映您的榮美，並成為您的新娘！

文章內容由個別機構或作者提供，國證網絡只負責發佈及製作，
如欲轉載或對內容有任何意見，請聯絡有關機構或聯絡國證網絡代轉作者。