“‘要爱你们的仇敌，为那逼迫你们的祷告。这样，就可以作你们天父的儿子。因为他 … 降雨给义人，也给不义的人。’” - 太 5:44-45

关照我们的自己人是我们最有力的内在驱动力之一。我们总会爱那些与我们最接近的人、包括我们自己。任何事或任何人若伤害我们或我们所爱的人，都会成为我们的敌人。

耶稣留意到，衪周围的人都这样说：“当爱你的邻舍，恨你的仇敌。”人们认为爱陌生人是枉费了爱，而爱那些伤害或威吓我们的人，更是加倍枉费了爱。

然而，耶稣降临向我们显明了神的性情，神是爱我们和看顾我们所有人的创造主，衪降雨给义人，也给不义的人。衪是厚赐百物给我们享受的慈父（提摩太前书 6:17）。在新约圣经的希腊原文中，agape这个字专门被用来形容这种不求自己益处的爱。在整本圣经中，我们看到神所赐给我们的爱就是这种爱。

当我们与神为敌时，衪差遣衪所爱的独生子为我们死（罗马书 5:10），而耶稣 — 神赐给衪仇敌的礼物 — 吩咐我们要彰显这样的爱。单靠自己，我们没法彰显这样的爱，它乃是我们从神那里获得的 — 并且是无条件获得的，就像日光白白照在我们身上一样。衪也吩咐我们要无条件地与我们周围的人分享这爱。

祷告

慈爱和仁慈的神，你是我们的创造主和守护神，我们敬拜你。我们为你在耶稣里向我们彰显的爱来感谢你。求你帮助我们像你爱我们那样去爱人。阿们。

马太福音 5:43-48

43“你们听见有话说：‘当爱你的邻舍，恨你的仇敌。’
44只是我告诉你们，要爱你们的仇敌，为那逼迫你们的祷告，
45这样就可以做你们天父的儿子，因为他叫日头照好人也照歹人，降雨给义人也给不义的人。
46你们若单爱那爱你们的人，有什么赏赐呢？就是税吏不也是这样行吗？
47你们若单请你弟兄的安，比人有什么长处呢？就是外邦人不也是这样行吗？
48所以你们要完全，像你们的天父完全一样。

The Love Of God

"Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He . . . sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous." - Matthew 5:44-45

Caring for our own is one of our most powerful motivations. We tend to love those who are closest to us, including ourselves. And anything or anyone who hurts us or our loved ones becomes our enemy.

Jesus observed that the people around him had a saying: “Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.” People felt that love was wasted on strangers, and love for people who hurt or threatened them was doubly wasted.

But Jesus came to reveal the character of God, our Creator who loves and cares for us all. He sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. God is our good Father who richly provides all things for our enjoyment (1 Timothy 6:17). In the original Greek language of the New Testament, there is a specific word describing love that does not seek personal gain:agape. Throughout the Bible we find that this is the kind of love God shows us.

God sent his beloved, one and only Son to die for us when we were his enemies (Romans 5:10). And Jesus—God’s gift to his enemies—calls us to show this same kind of love. We cannot produce this kind of love by ourselves, but we receive it from God—as freely as the sun shines on us. And we are called to share it freely with everyone around us.

Prayer

Loving and gracious God, we worship you as our Creator and sustainer. Thank you for the love you have shown to us in Jesus. Help us to love others as you have loved us. Amen.