3月3日 放不下的使命

你餵養我的羊。（約二十一17）

這是愛的模造。神的愛不是被造的，乃是他的本性。我們一接受了聖靈，他就使我們與神聯合，神的愛就藉我們彰顯出來。人的心靈藉著聖靈的內住與神聯合，並不就完事；我們是要與父合一，正如耶穌與父合一一樣。耶穌與父的合一是怎樣的呢？就是父差他到世間來，為我們竭盡所有。然後說：“父怎樣差遣了我，我也照樣差遣他們。”

彼得這時被主刺心的問話啟示，體會自己真的愛主；接著就是將自己耗盡。主對他說：“你不必見證你怎樣愛我，也不必宣告你所得的超奇啟示，只要餵養我的羊。”耶穌有許多奇特古怪的羊，有肮髒的羊，有粗魯好鬥的羊，還有迷路的羊！神的愛從不會枯乾，人的愛若從同一源泉發出，也就同樣的不會枯乾。神的愛是不理會那個性中的差異。我若愛主，就不該受天然性情所左右；我必須餵養他的羊。這使命是不容間斷的。但當心不可依照人天然的同情心去假冒神的愛，否則就是褻瀆神的愛。

祈禱◆噢，主啊，但願我所有的思想、情感和話語，都蘊含著愛——對你的完全之愛，並透過它來與人接觸。

March 3 The Unrelieved Quest

“Feed My sheep.” John 21:17

This is love in the making. The love of God is un-made, it is God's nature. When we receive the Holy Spirit He unites us with God so that His love is manifested in us. When the soul is united to God by the indwelling Holy Spirit, that is not the end; the end is that we may be one with the Father as Jesus was. What kind of oneness had Jesus Christ with the Father? Such a oneness that the Father sent Him down here to be spent for us, and He says – “As the Father hath sent Me, even so send I you.”

Peter realizes now with the revelation of the Lord's hurting question that he does love Him; then comes the point – “Spend it out.” Don't testify how much you love Me, don't profess about the marvellous revelation you have had, but – “Feed My sheep.” And Jesus has some extraordinarily funny sheep, some bedraggled, dirty sheep, some awkward, butting sheep, some sheep that have gone astray! It is impossible to weary God's love, and it is impossible to weary that love in me if it springs from the one centre. The love of God pays no attention to the distinctions made by natural individuality. If I love my Lord I have no business to be guided by natural temperament; I have to feed His sheep. There is no relief and no release from this commission. Beware of counterfeiting the love of God by working along the line of natural human sympathy, because that will end in blaspheming the love of God.