7月12日靈修禱文

July 12th, 2020

Now the tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to hear him. 2 And the Pharisees and the scribes grumbled, saying, “This man receives sinners and eats with them.”

Luke 15:1-2

Thought

"This man welcomes sinners and eats with them." (verse 2) To eat with sinners, we sometimes feel uneasy. We often feel incompatible. When we try to understand them, we find they often feel incompatible too. What they talk about is how to make money, or how to gain the most with the least effort. And what we talk about is how to pray for the sick, or how to live out Christ. As we are incompatible, why are we forced to enter others' lives? The simple answer is that it is the Lord's command. Jesus entered their lives, eating and talking with them, even talking and laughing. No Bible verses mention what Jesus said to them. But there were many incidents in which Jesus protected them from criticism made by religious groups who were self-righteous. Jesus' acts let me introspect. I need simply try to know the non-believers and understand their needs without criticism when coming into contact and eating with them.

Prayer

May the Lord help us to have His tender mercies. Let us welcome non-believers into our lives, simply understanding and caring about them. We pray that we don't have a self-righteous mind, and that we understand the needs of others and pray for them. Amen!

Rev. Alan Lam

眾稅吏和罪人都挨近耶穌，要聽他講道。法利賽人和文士私下議論說：「這個人接待罪人，又同他們吃飯。」

路加福音 15:1-2

思想

這個人接待罪人，又同他們吃飯。(2節) 跟罪人食飯，我們有時覺得難撼，而心中常有一種感覺跟他們隔隔不入。以至到當我們嘗試了解他們，會常讓對方覺得隔隔不入，或是我們跟他們隔隔不入。他們講的話題是點樣搵錢，點樣去用最小的力得到最大益處。而我們是點樣去為有病的代禱，或是怎樣去活出基督樣式等。大家都隔隔不入，為什麼我們要被逼進入大家的生活呢? 最簡單是因為這是主的命令。主耶穌進入他們的生活中去跟他們吃飯，交談，甚至去有講有笑。沒有經文說耶穌跟他們說了什麼，但更多是耶穌保護他們免受宗教唯我獨專的批評去保護他們。耶穌的行動讓我自己反思就是跟未信主的接觸，跟他們吃飯，沒有任何批評只單單去認識他們和他們的需要。