八福
我的邻居不与我交谈
经文
马太福音十1-20
1耶稣叫了十二个门徒来，给他们权柄，能赶逐污鬼，并医治各样的病症。
2这十二使徒的名：头一个叫西门、又称彼得，还有他兄弟安得烈，西庇太的儿子雅各和雅各的兄弟约翰，
3腓力和巴多罗买，多马和税吏马太，亚勒腓的儿子雅各，和达太，
4奋锐党的西门，还有卖耶稣的加略人犹大。
5耶稣差这十二个人去，吩咐他们说：外邦人的路，你们不要走；撒玛利亚人的城，你们不要进；
6宁可往以色列家迷失的羊那里去。7随走随传，说天国近了！
8医治病人，叫死人复活，叫长大痲疯的洁净，把鬼赶出去。你们白白的得来，也要白白的舍去。
9腰袋里不要带金银铜钱。
10行路不要带口袋；不要带两件褂子，也不要带鞋和拐杖。因为工人得饮食是应当的。
11你们无论进那一城，那一村，要打听那里谁是好人，就住在他家，直住到走的时候。
12进他家里去，要请他的安。
13那家若配得平安，你们所求的平安就必临到那家；若不配得，你们所求的平安仍归你们。
14凡不接待你们、不听你们话的人，你们离开那家，或是那城的时候，就把脚上的尘土跺下去。
15我实在告诉你们，当审判的日子，所多玛和蛾摩拉所受的，比那城还容易受呢！
16我差你们去，如同羊进入狼群；所以你们要灵巧像蛇，驯良像鸽子。
17你们要防备人；因为他们要把你们交给公会，也要在会堂里鞭打你们，
18并且你们要为我的缘故被送到诸侯君王面前，对他们和外邦人作见证。
19你们被交的时候，不要思虑怎样说话，或说甚么话。到那时候，必赐给你们当说的话；
20因为不是你们自己说的，乃是你们父的灵在你们里头说的。
信息分享
我们说很多基督徒的见证不收效，那是因为要避免遭逼迫所以他们的见证总是轻描淡写，结果那些见证当然是无效了。我们必须明白，拒绝基督和基督的教导的人也会拒绝我们，当我们明白了这个道理，就会得着自由，可以完全站在基督那一边，完全与祂认同。
不过，在理解这个原则的同时，我们必须明白，不再害怕被拒绝，并不表示我们因此变得面目可憎。我认识一些基督徒，并不被非基督徒朋友们接纳，不是因为这些基督徒像基督，而是因为他们的行事为人缺乏技巧和智慧。有一个人曾经告诉我他有令人信服的证据，证明自己是基督的真门徒。我听了后好奇的问他：「你为甚么能够这么肯定？」他说：「因为我的邻居不跟我说话。他们一看见我就会走到马路的另一边去。他们这种拒绝的行为明显的证明我是天国的真正公民。」
过了一段时间，我有机会和这人的邻居交谈。原来他们避开他的原因是，他不断问他们一些问题如：「你知道你会到地狱去吗？」，或者是「如果你在这一刻死去的话，你的永生在哪里？」等等。所以邻居认为最好是避开他，没有必要去面对他不断的挑衅。令人感到惋惜的是，这个人并非为基督受苦，他是为自己受苦。
「轻描淡写的见证起不了作用」
进深研究
提后三1-13；林前十三3；启二10
1.过敬虔的生活有什么结果？
2.神对人的忠心给了什么样的应许？
祈祷
神我的父啊，我常常因为缺乏技巧和智慧，令自己受苦和受逼迫。求您帮助我懂得如何去反对但不致惹人讨厌；不同意却不致令人不快。奉耶稣的名祈求，阿们。
The Beatitudes
"My neighbours won't talk to me"
Bible reading:
Matthew 10:1-20
1 Jesus called his twelve disciples to him and gave them authority to drive out impure spirits and to heal every disease and sickness.
2 These are the names of the twelve apostles: first, Simon (who is called Peter) and his brother Andrew; James son of Zebedee, and his brother John;
3 Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus;
4 Simon the Zealot and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him.
5 These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions: "Do not go among the Gentiles or enter any town of the Samaritans.
6 Go rather to the lost sheep of Israel.
7 As you go, proclaim this message: 'The kingdom of heaven has come near.'
8 Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy,[a] drive out demons. Freely you have received; freely give.
9 "Do not get any gold or silver or copper to take with you in your belts—
10 no bag for the journey or extra shirt or sandals or a staff, for the worker is worth his keep.
11 Whatever town or village you enter, search there for some worthy person and stay at their house until you leave.
12 As you enter the home, give it your greeting.
13 If the home is deserving, let your peace rest on it; if it is not, let your peace return to you.
14 If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, leave that home or town and shake the dust off your feet.
15 Truly I tell you, it will be more bearable for Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than for that town.
16 "I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves.
17 Be on your guard; you will be handed over to the local councils and be flogged in the synagogues.
18 On my account you will be brought before governors and kings as witnesses to them and to the Gentiles.
19 But when they arrest you, do not worry about what to say or how to say it. At that time you will be given what to say,
20 for it will not be you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.
Message
We are saying that many Christians are ineffective witnesses because they attempt to water down their testimony to avoid persecution - and end up achieving nothing Once we accept that those who reject Christ and His teaching will also reject us, we will then be free to throw our whole weight on the side of Christ and become fully identified with Him.
In following this principle, however, we must be careful that our freedom from fear of rejection does not lead us to become objectionable. I know some Christians who have a hard time from their non-Christian acquaintances, not because of their likeness to Christ, but because of their tactlessness and lack of wisdom. I once met a man who told me he had convincing evidence that he was a true disciple of Christ. I was intrigued to know his reason for thinking this way, and in answer to my question "Why are you so sure?" he replied: "My neighbours won't talk to me and cross to the other side of the road when they see me coming. I take this persecution as proof that I am a true citizen of the kingdom."
Some time later, I had occasion to talk to some of this man's neighbours, who told me that the reason they avoided him was because he continually accosted them with questions like "Do you know you are going to hell?" or "What if you were to drop dead at this moment - where would you spend eternity?" The neighbours thought it good policy to avoid him rather than to be faced continually with his belligerence. The man was suffering, not for Christ's sake, but for his own sake.
"A watered-down testimony achieves nothing"
Prayer
O God my Father, I see how easy it is to bring suffering and persecution upon myself by my own tactlessness and folly. Help me to object without being objectionable and to disagree without being disagreeable. In Jesus' Name. Amen.
Further study
2 Timothy 3:1-13
1 Corinthians 13:3
Revelation 2:10
1. What is the result of living a godly life?
2. What is promised for faithfulness?
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