神的異象
接近，但仍不夠近
經文
詩篇八十六1-17
1（大衛的祈禱。）耶和華啊，求你側耳應允我，因我是困苦窮乏的。
2求你保存我的性命，因我是虔誠人。我的神啊，求你拯救這倚靠你的僕人！
3主啊，求你憐憫我，因我終日求告你。
4主啊，求你使僕人心裡歡喜，因為我的心仰望你。
5主啊，你本為良善，樂意饒恕人，有豐盛的慈愛賜給凡求告你的人。
6耶和華啊，求你留心聽我的禱告，垂聽我懇求的聲音。
7我在患難之日要求告你，因為你必應允我。
8主啊，諸神之中沒有可比你的；你的作為也無可比。
9主啊，你所造的萬民都要來敬拜你；他們也要榮耀你的名。
10因你為大，且行奇妙的事；惟獨你是神。
11耶和華啊，求你將你的道指教我；
我要照你的真理行；求你使我專心敬畏你的名！
12主我的神啊，我要一心稱讚你；我要榮耀你的名，直到永遠。
13因為，你向我發的慈愛是大的；你救了我的靈魂免入極深的陰間。
14神啊，驕傲的人起來攻擊我，又有一黨強橫的人尋索我的命；
他們沒有將你放在眼中。
15主啊，你是有憐憫有恩典的神，不輕易發怒，並有豐盛的慈愛和誠實。
16求你向我轉臉，憐恤我，將你的力量賜給僕人，救你婢女的兒子。
17求你向我顯出恩待我的憑據，叫恨我的人看見便羞愧，
因為你耶和華幫助我，安慰我。
信息分享
今天我們要繼續討論昨天所提出的一個重要問題，那就是：重要的不是別人沒有善待我們，而是我們自己一直以來對神的傷害。昨天我們看過當別人傷害我們的時候，我們所會採取的行動，現在讓我們來看看另一條該走的路吧。
與其報復，我們經常會採取不如遠離對方，並且不再給他們有傷害我們的機會。因此我們決定只與他們保持友善和社交性的來往，不要讓自己再受到對方的傷害。但是要注意，神說當我們因為別人的惡意或敵意而受害時應該如何回應：「你的仇敵若餓了，就給他吃，若渴了，就給他喝……你不可為惡所勝，反要以善勝惡」（羅十二20-21）。你明白嗎？這段經文說：要關心傷害你的人，並將那關心付諸行動，再次接近他們，再冒受到傷害的危險。
假如我們緊緊抓著曾受過的傷害，利用它們作為理由來避免與別人建立親密的關係的話，這就等於說：「神對我們的期望太高了。」這種態度是有罪的。為甚麼呢？因為它反映出我們關心自己的利益多於神的教導。這是對神說：「受到威脅的不是你的榮耀，而是我的榮耀。」我們重視維護自己的利益多於相信神和祂的話，這是多麼可惜的行為。讓我告訴你，如果我們不糾正這種不平衡，我們就永遠不能按神的本性去認識祂；我們只是以自己的角度看神的公義，而不是從神的意思來看這公義。
「再冒受到傷害的危險」
進深研究
太五38-48；出二十三4-5；箴二十五21-22； 路二十三34
1. 耶穌在登山寶訓教導甚麼？
2. 祂怎樣說明這教訓？
祈禱
神啊，我們看不見自己，因為我們睜大眼睛看別人對我們所犯的罪，卻無視我們對您所犯的罪。求您幫助我們對自己與對別人同樣誠實，甚至更誠實。奉主耶穌的名求。阿們。
The Vision of God
Close - but not close enough
Bible reading:
Psalm 86:1-17
1 Hear me, Lord, and answer me, for I am poor and needy.
2 Guard my life, for I am faithful to you; save your servant who trusts in you. You are my God;
3 have mercy on me, Lord, for I call to you all day long.
4 Bring joy to your servant, Lord, for I put my trust in you.
5 You, Lord, are forgiving and good, abounding in love to all who call to you.
6 Hear my prayer, Lord; listen to my cry for mercy.
7 When I am in distress, I call to you, because you answer me.
8 Among the gods there is none like you, Lord; no deeds can compare with yours.
9 All the nations you have made will come and worship before you, Lord; they will bring glory to your name.
10 For you are great and do marvelous deeds; you alone are God.
11 Teach me your way, Lord, that I may rely on your faithfulness; give me an undivided heart, that I may fear your name.
12 I will praise you, Lord my God, with all my heart; I will glorify your name forever.
13 For great is your love toward me; you have delivered me from the depths, from the realm of the dead.
14 Arrogant foes are attacking me, O God; ruthless people are trying to kill me— they have no regard for you.
15 But you, Lord, are a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness.
16 Turn to me and have mercy on me; show your strength in behalf of your servant; save me, because I serve you just as my mother did.
17 Give me a sign of your goodness, that my enemies may see it and be put to shame, for you, Lord, have helped me and comforted me.
Message
We continue with the important issue we raised yesterday, namely, that the significant problem is not the hurts that others have given to us, but the hurts that we have given (and continue to give) to God. We looked at one direction we might go when hurt by others, look with me now at another.
Instead of trying to get back at them, we withdraw from them and decide to never again give them an opportunity to hurt us. Hence, in future, we relate to them at a superficial level - close enough to be considered friendly or sociable, but not close enough to get hurt. Notice what God says we ought to do when we become victims of spitefulness or animosity: "If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink...Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good" (Rom. 12:20-21). What this text is saying, you see, is this: be concerned about the person who has hurt you and put that concern into action; get close to them again and risk being hurt again.
To cling to our hurts and use them as a justification for avoiding close relationships is tantamount to saying: "God expects too much of us." Such an attitude is sinful. Why sinful? Because it reflects self-interest more than God-interest. It says to God: "It is not Your glory that is at stake here - it's mine." How sad that we are more keen to preserve our own well-being than trust God and His Word. I tell you, if we don't correct this imbalance we are never going to know God as He really is. We will see His justice only in terms of what it means for us, not in terms of what it means for Him.
"Risk being hurt again"
Prayer
O God, we do not see ourselves, for we look at the sins that others commit against us with open eyes and then turn a blind eye upon the sins we commit against You. Help us to be as honest about ourselves as we are about others and more. In Jesus' Name. Amen.
Further study
Matthew 5:38-48
Exodus 23:4-5
Proverbs 25:21-22
Luke 23:34
1. What did Jesus teach in His sermon on the mount?
2. How did He demonstrate this?
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