八福
怜恤的真义

经文
诗篇八十五1-13
1(可拉后裔的诗,交与伶长。)耶和华啊,你已经向你的地施恩,救回被掳的雅各。
2你赦免了你百姓的罪孽,遮盖了他们一切的过犯。(细拉)
3你收转了所发的忿怒和你猛烈的怒气。
4拯救我们的神啊,求你使我们回转,叫你的恼恨向我们止息。
5你要向我们发怒到永远吗?你要将你的怒气延留到万代吗?
6你不再将我们救活,使你的百姓靠你欢喜吗?
7耶和华啊,求你使我们得见你的慈爱,又将你的救恩赐给我们。
8我要听神─耶和华所说的话;因为他必应许将平安赐给他的百姓─他的圣民;他们却不可再转去妄行。
9他的救恩诚然与敬畏他的人相近,叫荣耀住在我们的地上。
10慈爱和诚实彼此相遇;公义和平安彼此相亲。
11诚实从地而生;公义从天而现。
12耶和华必将好处赐给我们;我们的地也要多出土产。
13公义要行在他面前,叫他的脚踪成为可走的路。
信息分享
我们要继续研究八福──有关耶稣教导我们怎样才能成为「喜乐的人」。今天我们读到著名的第五福:「怜恤人的人有福了!因为他们必蒙怜恤」(太五7)。
主耶稣用「怜恤」这个词儿是什么意思?牠背后的思想是怜悯和关心别人的困苦。原来,在第五福所使用的希腊词语,亦是希伯来书二章17节用来形容基督的大祭司事奉所用的词语。权威学者瓦因(W.E.Vine)说,「怜恤的人不单拥有同情心,也积极地怜悯别人」。
然而,我们必须再次强调──主耶稣所说的怜恤这性情,不是源自我们自然的个性,而是当我们住在基督里时主所给我们的赏赐。正如钟马田博士(Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones)说:「福音并不是为某些特定气质的人而设,当我们与神面对面时,没有人会比别人特别有优势。」再者,怜恤并不是无视道德的沦亡,而采取一种假装看不见的态度。当我们发现「怜恤」这个形容词,也特别和特定地用在神自己身上的时候,就可以说明,无论这词语怎样运用在神身上,亦同样可运用在人身上。神是怜恤的,但他也是真理,这便是「慈爱和诚实彼此相遇」的意思。如果我们需要以牺牲真理和律法来达成怜恤,那就不是真正的怜恤,那只是一种讽刺。
「怜恤的人有一颗积极怜悯的心」
进深研究
多三1-7;诗一零三17,一零八4;哀三22
1.神的怜恤有什么特质?
2.你有多怜恤别人?
祈祷
神啊,求您帮助我内里同时重视怜恤和真理,并且在当中取得平衡,不会在培养一种特质时却牺牲了另外一种。奉耶稣的名祈求,阿们。
The Beatitudes
The meaning of mercy

Bible reading:
Psalm 85:1-13
1 You, Lord, showed favor to your land; you restored the fortunes of Jacob.
2 You forgave the iniquity of your people and covered all their sins.[b]
3 You set aside all your wrath and turned from your fierce anger.
4 Restore us again, God our Savior, and put away your displeasure toward us.
5 Will you be angry with us forever? Will you prolong your anger through all generations?
6 Will you not revive us again, that your people may rejoice in you?
7 Show us your unfailing love, Lord, and grant us your salvation.
8 I will listen to what God the Lord says; he promises peace to his people, his faithful servants—but let them not turn to folly.
9 Surely his salvation is near those who fear him, that his glory may dwell in our land.
10 Love and faithfulness meet together; righteousness and peace kiss each other.
11 Faithfulness springs forth from the earth, and righteousness looks down from heaven.
12 The Lord will indeed give what is good, and our land will yield its harvest.
13 Righteousness goes before him and prepares the way for his steps.
Message
We continue our study of - the study of Jesus' declarations of how to become "the happy ones". Today we come to the fifth of Christ's famous sayings: "Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy" (Matt. 5:7).
What does our Lord mean when He uses the word "merciful"? The thought underlying the word is that of compassion and concern for the plight of others. The Greek word used in this fifth Beatitude is also used to describe the high priestly ministry of Christ in Hebrews 2:17. One authority, WE. Vine, says that a "merciful" person is "not simply possessed of pity but actively compassionate".
It is important to stress once again that the characteristic of being merciful of which our Lord spoke here is not something that arises from our natural temperament, but something that is endowed on us when we abide in Christ. As Dr Martyn Lloyd-Jones said: "This is not a gospel for certain temperaments - nobody has an advantage over anybody else when they are face to face with God." Again, mercy is not turning a blind eye to moral violations - the attitude that pretends not to see things. This can be seen most forcefully when we consider that the term "merciful" is an adjective which is applied especially and specifically to God Himself. This means that however the word applies to God, it applies equally to man. God is merciful, but He is also truth: "Mercy and truth are met together." If we think of mercy at the expense of truth and law, then it is not true mercy, it is merely a caricature.
"A merciful person is actively compassionate"
Prayer
O God, help me, I pray, to have within me the right blend of mercy and truth. Save me from becoming a lopsided Christian - someone who manifests one characteristic at the expense of another. In Jesus' Name I pray. Amen.
Further study
Titus 3:1-7
Psalm 103:17; 108:4
Lamentations 3:22
1. What is the quality of God's mercy?
2. How merciful are you?
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