0314-Love Your Neighbour 爱你的邻舍

Luke 10:27-29 (NKJV) So he answered and said, “ ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind,’ and ‘your neighbour as yourself.’ ”And He said to him, “You have answered rightly; do this and you will live.” But he, wanting to justify himself, said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbour?”Living in this world means we are susceptible to different forms of stress, pressure, and hard-pressed situations. All of us are familiar with the story of the good Samaritan. Unfortunately, it is hardly the practice in many societies because we are wary of the inconveniences, risks and responsibilities that come with helping someone. Therefore, many of us would rather contribute money than to help and journey with the person.

While asking Jesus how he could inherit eternal life, the lawyer gave the right answer of loving the Lord wholeheartedly and loving his neighbour. This parable came about when he asked Jesus who his neighbour was. Basically, our neighbour is anyone who needs help and whom God has placed among us—we are to love them.

Most of us would rather find out what is in it for us rather than think of what we can do for others and for the Lord, but one must not have a consumer mentality when it comes to being a believer of Jesus Christ. There was a tendency to be self-centred and care only for ourselves before we were saved because sin, being self-centred by nature, will cause us to not think of what God wants or consider others’ feelings and needs. Even though we are not saved by works, we are definitely saved to do good works.

We have been taught by the Lord regarding a new law that would fulfil all the laws. Loving God and loving men is the commandment that sums up the Ten Commandments. It is a selfless and sacrificial kind of love that is enabled by the Holy Spirit working through the new creation. Sin was active in our lives prior to our salvation, but we have been given a heart of flesh instead of a heart of stone. We love because God first loved us. Therefore, it will be the agape love that flows out of our hearts, which is unconditional and selfless because the source of this kind of love is God. People will know that we are disciples of Jesus Christ by the fruit of the Holy Spirit expressed through our daily living, and this is especially true when we love others as much as we love ourselves.

All of us need love to be expressed to us in words and action whether in good or bad times, and it really doesn’t cost us anything just to be kind with our words in order to encourage someone who is down. A word and a simple gesture can do wonders to a person’s soul. 

Sermon Series: Help! Go and Do Likewise

 爱你的邻舍 

路加福音 10:27-29 (和合本) 他回答说:“你要尽心、尽性、尽力、尽意爱主-你的 神;又要爱邻舍如同自己。” 耶稣说:“你回答的是;你这样行,就必得永生。” 那人要显明自己有理,就对耶稣说:“谁是我的邻舍呢?”

 活在这世上意味着我们会受到不同形式的压力、压迫和急难处境的影响。我们都熟知好撒玛利亚人的故事。不幸的是,在许多社会中实际上并不是这样,因帮助别人而招致的不便、风险和责任会使我们再三掂量。因此,我们中的许多人宁愿捐出金钱,也不愿出手帮助和与那些人同行。 

当问到耶稣怎样才能承受永生时,那个律法师给出了正确答案:全心全意地爱主,并爱他的邻舍。当他问耶稣谁是他的邻舍时,这比喻就产生了。基本上,邻舍就是任何需要帮助的人,是神安置在我们中间的那些人 – 我们要爱他们。 

我们中的大多数人情愿找出其对我们有什么好处,也不愿去想我们能为别人和主做些什么,但身为耶稣基督的信徒,决不能有消费者的心态。在得救之前,我们都倾向于自我中心,凡事只顾自己,因为罪的自然本性就是以自我为中心的,这会使我们不考虑神想要什么,也不顾念他人的感受和需要。即使我们不是因行为得救,但我们得救肯定是为了行善。 

神已经教导我们一条新律法,将成全所有的律法。爱神爱人是一个总括了十诫的大诫命。这是一种无私和牺牲的爱,通过圣灵在新造之人里面的动工而成为可能。在我们得救之前,罪就已经活跃在我们的生命里,但我们被赐给的是肉心,而不是石心。我们爱,因为神先爱我们。因此,从我们心中涌出的是大爱(AGAPE),是无条件、无私的,因为这种爱的源头是神。人们凭着在我们日常生活所结出的圣灵果子可以知道我们是耶稣基督的门徒,尤其当爱别人与我们爱自己同样多的时候更是如此。 

无论顺境逆境,我们都需要人用语言和行动来表达对我们的爱,其实用柔和的言语来鼓励情绪低落的人并不需要我们付出什么。一句话和一个简单的手势就可以点亮一个人的灵魂。

 讲章系列: 帮助人! 你去照样行吧