6月24日

標 題：當憐恤！

經節：你不應當憐恤你的同伴，像我憐恤你嗎？（馬太福音十八章33節）

憐恤是一項禮物，不是你應得的。受懲罰及承當自己行為的後果，是罪的公義代價，但憐恤人的人不應該向犯罪的人討公道。若不是神的憐憫，我們所有人早就面臨祂可怕的審判。若不是祂的憐憫，我們早在第一次犯罪後就被定罪。若不是祂的憐憫，祂會在我們每次犯罪後懲罰我們。然而，神沒有讓我們承受應受的懲罰，祂以自己作為我們罪的贖價。

你是否覺得自己很難懷有憐恤心？也許你並不理解神對你的憐恤心。耶穌命令自己的門徒，要以神憐恤自己的心來憐恤他人。當他們想到自己白白得來的憐恤，他們怎能拒絕將這無條件得來的憐恤，傳遞給其他人呢？比起神無罪之子所承受的謾駡、叫囂等不應得的待遇，任何對我們的冒犯，又算得了什麼呢？我們是多麼快地忘卻神仁慈賜予的憐憫，只在意自己由他人身上所承受的不平待遇！

如果你發現自己很難饒恕人，你可能需要默想神的恩典，以免你承受神公義的憤怒。聖經曾描述神是「樂意饒恕人，有恩典，有憐憫，不輕易發怒，有豐盛慈愛的神」（尼希米記九：17下）。

Be Merciful!

"Should you not also have had compassion on your fellow servant, just as I had pity on you?" (Matthew 18:33)

Mercy is a gift. It is undeserved. Punishment and consequences are sin's just reward, but the merciful person does not demand justice for the guilty person. If it were not for God's mercy, we all would have faced His terrible judgment long ago. If not for His mercy, He would have condemned us after our first offense. If not for His mercy, He would punish us each time we sin. But rather than letting us bear the full punishment for our sin, God demonstrated His mercy when He paid the penalty for our sin Himself.

Do you find it hard to show mercy? It may be that you do not comprehend the mercy that God has shown to you. Jesus commanded His disciples to extend the same mercy to others that they had received from God. When they considered the incredible, undeserved mercy they had been granted, how could they refuse to extend the same unconditional mercy to others?

Could anyone sin against us to the same degree that we have sinned against God? Could any offense committed against us be as undeserved as the abuse hurled against the sinless Son of God? How quickly we forget the mercy that God graciously bestowed on us, only to focus on the injustices we endure from others! If you find it difficult to forgive others, you may need to meditate on the mercy of God that prevents you from experiencing God's justifiable wrath. Scripture describes God as "Ready to pardon, / Gracious and merciful, / Slow to anger, / Abundant in lovingkindness" (Neh. 9:17b).