牧者心聲
不失落的愛心
莊屹牧師
2024 年 10 月 26 日 / 27日
Click here for English
最近與弟兄姊妹一起查考路加福音十章25-37節，耶穌藉著好撒馬利亞人的比喻，向我們展現了甚麼是真正的愛心。耶穌教導我們不僅要認識愛，更要在生活中實踐這份愛。正如啟示錄中以弗所教會所面對的挑戰，我們需要警惕自己的愛心是否在忙碌和困難中逐漸冷卻。
在路加福音十章的故事中，律法師問耶穌：「我該做甚麼才可以承受永生？」耶穌反問他律法上寫了甚麼，他答道：要愛主你的神，並要愛鄰如己。這是猶太人熟悉的教導。既然律法師知道這教導，祭司和利未人也必然熟悉，既然如此，他們為甚麼會見死不救呢？其中一種可能性是他們擔心重傷者在救助的過程中死去，致使他們因觸摸了屍體而成為「不潔淨」（民十九11-13）。「不潔淨」不單會影響他們的生活，更會影響他們在宗教禮儀中的服事。這種擔心叫他們做出了違背「愛鄰如己」教導的選擇。
今天的信徒同樣清楚知道愛人如己是上主給我們的誡命，也願意付出愛心與人相處，我們也大概不會見死不救。但現代社會的狀況非常複雜，人與人之間的關係也不簡單，有時我們付出愛心，未必能得到我們期望的結果。加上日常生活忙碌，我們掛心的，更多會是自己急需面對的工作、家庭、教會服事等，旁人的需要，就可能不太容易留意到了。久而久之，我們就會像以弗所教會那樣，失去最初的愛心。失去愛心意味著信徒的信仰生活變得形式化，缺乏真正的熱情和關懷。耶穌勸告信徒「要悔改，行起初所行的事」（啟二5），這是對每一位信徒的提醒！
很感恩，我們很多弟兄姊妹都努力燃點那份對神對人的愛。有位弟兄認識一位與他同鄉的伯伯，他滿口鄉音，不大會講廣東話。弟兄知道伯伯怕去醫院複診，因為他與醫生溝通很困難。弟兄有心陪他去複診，但這意味著他必須請假，必須付出時間給一位不太熟的伯伯。弟兄幾經掙扎，還是決定請假陪伯伯同去。就這樣，弟兄陪診了一年多的時間。雖然弟兄覺得幾個月陪診一次，算不得甚麼，但對伯伯來說，卻是莫大的幫助。
不失落的愛心是基督徒信仰生活的基石。在這個快節奏、高壓力的社會中，我們更應該重視愛的價值。讓我們不僅在言語上，也在行動中彰顯基督的愛。願我們每一個都不失落那份最初的愛心，在信仰的道路上，持續成長，影響周圍的人。
Recently, some brothers and sisters and I studied Luke 10:25-37 together. Through the parable of the Good Samaritan, Jesus showed us what real love is. Jesus taught us that we should not only understand what love is, but we should also live out love in our everyday life. Just like the challenge that faced the church at Ephesus in Revelation, we must watch out against our love gradually cooling off amid busyness and difficulties.
In the story in Luke 10, an expert in the law asked Jesus, "Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?" Jesus replied by asking him what was written in the Law. The expert replied: love the Lord your God and love your neighbor as yourself. This teaching was familiar to the Jews. The experts in the law knew it. The priests and the Levites certainly knew it, too. Then, how come they did nothing to help the dying? One possibility is that they were worried that the victim, who was seriously injured, would die in the rescue process, making them "unclean" by touching a human corpse (Numbers 19:11-13). Such "uncleanliness" would not only affect their daily life, but also their service in religious rituals. Such worries caused them to choose to act against the teaching of "loving your neighbor as yourself."
Likewise, believers today know very well that loving our neighbor as ourselves is the LORD's command for us. We are willing to relate to others with love, and we probably will not stay away when someone is dying. But the modern-day environment is complicated, and inter-personal relationships are not simple. Sometimes when we love, we may not get the result we anticipate. And everyday life is so busy. Our concerns are more tied up with the pressing problems in front of us – work, family, church ministry, etc. We do not readily notice what our neighbors need. As time goes by, just like the church in Ephesus, we will lose the love that we had at first. Losing love means that our spiritual life becomes a routine and is depleted of real enthusiasm and care. Jesus exhorted believers to "repent and do the things you did at first" (Revelation 2:5). This is a reminder for every believer!
I am grateful to see that many brothers and sisters are keen to ignite their love of God and of man. There is a brother who knows an elderly man from his own hometown. The senior can only speak his home dialect and not much Cantonese. The brother knows that the senior is afraid of going to the hospital for checkups as it is very difficult for him to communicate with the doctor. The brother wishes to accompany the senior but that would mean he has to take leave and spend time for a senior he was not entirely familiar with. After some struggles, the brother decided to take leave to accompany the senior. That began his assistance in hospital visits for more than a year. The brother might not have deemed it much to help with checkups once in a few months, but it certainly means tremendous help to the senior.
A love unlost is a cornerstone of our spiritual life. In this fast-paced, high-pressure society, we need to extol the value of love all the more. Let us exemplify the love of Christ not only in words but also by action. May we all retain the love that we first had. May we continue to grow on the path of faith and in doing so, be able to make an impact on those around us.
| 返回頁首 Back to Top |