八福
溫柔的人得保障
經文
歌羅西書三1-15
1所以，你們若真與基督一同復活，就當求在上面的事；那裡有基督坐在神的右邊。
2你們要思念上面的事，不要思念地上的事。
3因為你們已經死了，你們的生命與基督一同藏在神裡面。
4基督是我們的生命，他顯現的時候，你們也要與他一同顯現在榮耀裡。
5所以，要治死你們在地上的肢體，就如淫亂、污穢、邪情、惡慾，和貪婪。貪婪就與拜偶像一樣。
6因這些事，神的忿怒必臨到那悖逆之子。
7當你們在這些事中活著的時候，也曾這樣行過。
8但現在你們要棄絕這一切的事，以及惱恨、忿怒、惡毒（或作：陰毒）、毀謗，並口中污穢的言語。
9不要彼此說謊；因你們已經脫去舊人和舊人的行為，
10穿上了新人。這新人在知識上漸漸更新，正如造他主的形像。
11在此並不分希利尼人、猶太人，受割禮的、未受割禮的，化外人，西古提人，為奴的、自主的，惟有基督是包括一切，又住在各人之內。
12所以，你們既是神的選民，聖潔蒙愛的人，就要存（原文作穿；下同）憐憫、恩慈、謙虛、溫柔、忍耐的心。
13倘若這人與那人有嫌隙，總要彼此包容，彼此饒恕；主怎樣饒恕了你們，你們也要怎樣饒恕人。
14在這一切之外，要存著愛心，愛心就是聯絡全德的。
15又要叫基督的平安在你們心裡作主；你們也為此蒙召，歸為一體；且要存感謝的心。
信息分享
現在讓我們來更具體地專注於耶穌說：「溫柔的人有福了！因為他們必承受地土」這句話的意思。溫柔，耶穌在這裡所指的是一種心靈和意志的態度，是以不帶任何強求的心靈去接受神的全部旨意。
我認為菲力浦斯（J.B Phillips）譯本的翻譯頗為接近耶穌心裡的意思：「那些甚麼也不索求的人是快樂的，因為全地都屬於他們。」我必須再次強調，這裡所提及的思想不是被動的接受，而是主動地遵從和順服神的旨意。要是我可以自行翻譯這句話，我會這樣翻譯：「恭喜那些不會過分武斷的人，因為他們必承受地土。」
溫柔的人由於十分肯定自己擁有甚麼資源以及目標，所以能夠有溫柔的表現。其他的人具侵略性是因為他們不能肯定自己以及自己的目標，因此宇宙對他們關上門。溫柔的人可以被稱為有保障的人，這是因為他們的溫柔容讓對神那豐富的資源有著信心，並能在其中安歇。當然，我明白這與世界的觀點完全相反。世界認為力量、權力、能力、自信和自我肯定是成功的關鍵。世俗的人說，你越堅持自己，越肯定自己，便會得到越多。可惜這種人不能承受地土，他們只是承受污穢。
「溫柔的人接受神的全部旨意」
進深研究
賽五十三1-7；太二十六62-63，二十七14；路二十三9
1. 耶穌怎樣表現溫柔？
2. 你怎樣表現溫柔？
祈禱
天父，我越留心您的話，便越明白您說「將這些事，向聰明通達人就藏起來，向嬰孩就顯出來」的意思。求您以創新和更激動人心的方式向我揭示您的真理。奉耶穌的名祈求，阿們。
The Beatitudes
The meek are the assured
Bible reading:
Colossians 3:1-15
1 Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.
2 Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.
3 For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God.
4 When Christ, who is your[a] life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.
5 Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry.
6 Because of these, the wrath of God is coming.[b]
7 You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived.
8 But now you must also rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips.
9 Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices
10 and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator.
11 Here there is no Gentile or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all.
12 Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.
13 Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.
14 And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.
15 Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.
Message
It is time now to focus more precisely on what Jesus meant when He said: "Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth." Meekness, as Jesus is using the word here, refers to an attitude of heart and mind that is entirely free from a spirit of demandingness and accepts the will of God in its entirety.
I think J.B. Phillips gets close to the meaning in Jesus' mind when he translates His statement thus: "Happy are those who claim nothing, for the whole earth will belong to them." I must stress once again that the thought here is not of passivity, but of active compliance and obedience to the will of God. If I might be permitted to embark upon a translation of my own, I would put it this way: "Congratulations to those who do not feel the need to be over-assertive, for they will inherit the earth."
The meek are so sure of their resources and their goals that they can afford to be meek. Others have to become aggressive simply because they are unsure of themselves and their goals - hence the universe is closed to them. The meek could be called the assured, for they are meek enough to rest confidently in the resources of God. I realise, of course, that this is directly opposite to the world's view of things. The world thinks of strength, power, ability, self-confidence and self-assurance as the keys to success. The more you assert yourself and the more you affirm yourself, says the worldly person, the more you will get. But such people do not inherit the earth: they just inherit dirt.
"The meek accept the will of God in its entirety"
Prayer
O Father, more and more as I hang upon Your words, I realise that You have "hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children." Unfold Your truth in even more new and exciting ways to my heart. In Jesus' Name. Amen.
Further study
Isaiah 53:1-7
Matthew 26:62-63; 27:14
Luke 23:9
1. How did Jesus display meekness?
2. How do you display meekness?
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