八福
温柔的人得保障
经文
歌罗西书三1-15
1所以，你们若真与基督一同复活，就当求在上面的事；那里有基督坐在神的右边。
2你们要思念上面的事，不要思念地上的事。
3因为你们已经死了，你们的生命与基督一同藏在神里面。
4基督是我们的生命，他显现的时候，你们也要与他一同显现在荣耀里。
5所以，要治死你们在地上的肢体，就如淫乱、污秽、邪情、恶欲，和贪婪。贪婪就与拜偶像一样。
6因这些事，神的忿怒必临到那悖逆之子。
7当你们在这些事中活着的时候，也曾这样行过。
8但现在你们要弃绝这一切的事，以及恼恨、忿怒、恶毒（或作：阴毒）、毁谤，并口中污秽的言语。
9不要彼此说谎；因你们已经脱去旧人和旧人的行为，
10穿上了新人。这新人在知识上渐渐更新，正如造他主的形像。
11在此并不分希利尼人、犹太人，受割礼的、未受割礼的，化外人，西古提人，为奴的、自主的，惟有基督是包括一切，又住在各人之内。
12所以，你们既是神的选民，圣洁蒙爱的人，就要存（原文作穿；下同）怜悯、恩慈、谦虚、温柔、忍耐的心。
13倘若这人与那人有嫌隙，总要彼此包容，彼此饶恕；主怎样饶恕了你们，你们也要怎样饶恕人。
14在这一切之外，要存着爱心，爱心就是联络全德的。
15又要叫基督的平安在你们心里作主；你们也为此蒙召，归为一体；且要存感谢的心。
信息分享
现在让我们来更具体地专注于耶稣说：「温柔的人有福了！因为他们必承受地土」这句话的意思。温柔，耶稣在这里所指的是一种心灵和意志的态度，是以不带任何强求的心灵去接受神的全部旨意。
我认为菲力浦斯（J.B Phillips）译本的翻译颇为接近耶稣心里的意思：「那些甚么也不索求的人是快乐的，因为全地都属于他们。」我必须再次强调，这里所提及的思想不是被动的接受，而是主动地遵从和顺服神的旨意。要是我可以自行翻译这句话，我会这样翻译：「恭喜那些不会过分武断的人，因为他们必承受地土。」
温柔的人由于十分肯定自己拥有甚么资源以及目标，所以能够有温柔的表现。其他的人具侵略性是因为他们不能肯定自己以及自己的目标，因此宇宙对他们关上门。温柔的人可以被称为有保障的人，这是因为他们的温柔容让对神那丰富的资源有着信心，并能在其中安歇。当然，我明白这与世界的观点完全相反。世界认为力量、权力、能力、自信和自我肯定是成功的关键。世俗的人说，你越坚持自己，越肯定自己，便会得到越多。可惜这种人不能承受地土，他们只是承受污秽。
「温柔的人接受神的全部旨意」
进深研究
赛五十三1-7；太二十六62-63，二十七14；路二十三9
1. 耶稣怎样表现温柔？
2. 你怎样表现温柔？
祈祷
天父，我越留心您的话，便越明白您说「将这些事，向聪明通达人就藏起来，向婴孩就显出来」的意思。求您以创新和更激动人心的方式向我揭示您的真理。奉耶稣的名祈求，阿们。
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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