无私的慷慨
你知道什么是回报的心态吗？它的意思是“我要为你做一些事，与你为我做的事的价值相等。”然而耶稣谈到好客的时候，祂脑海里却有一个截然不同的画面。
当我们想办个聚会时，我们倾向于邀请我们喜欢的人，以及那些和我们相像的人。而耶稣却敦促我们去触及社区的边缘人群。这种爱和关怀，正是早期教会把自己和周围环境区分开来的标志。
基督徒品格中至关重要的两点是慷慨和谦卑。在生活中培养这两种品格，有助于防止一种破坏性和盲目的心态，即无视周围人的需要和境遇。像分享一顿饭这样普通的事也能表达尊重和平等。这不仅包括分享我们的资源，也包括分享我们自己，它有力地道出了我们的价值和委身。
我们都接受了神的恩典和供应。我们都是祂席上的客人，而神，我们的主人极其慷慨。我们要寻找机会，对那些最不期待、最不可能给予回报的人显出不寻常的慷慨。谦卑的一个标志是，即使你得不到任何回报，也愿意去帮助别人。
今天，你如何走出自己的固有模式，去祝福别人呢？
耶稣，我们接受了祢慷慨的美善恩赐，求祢帮助我们寻求机会，带着对祢的感恩对他人慷慨解囊。阿们。
路加福音 14:1-14
1 安息日，耶稣到一个法利赛人的首领家里去吃饭，他们就窥探他。
2 在他面前有一个患水臌的人。
3 耶稣对律法师和法利赛人说：“安息日治病可以不可以？”
4 他们却不言语。耶稣就治好那人，叫他走了。
5 便对他们说：“你们中间谁有驴或有牛在安息日掉在井里，不立时拉它上来呢？”
6 他们不能对答这话。
7 耶稣见所请的客拣择首位，就用比喻对他们说：
8 “你被人请去赴婚姻的筵席，不要坐在首位上，恐怕有比你尊贵的客被他请来，
9 那请你们的人前来对你说：‘让座给这一位吧！’你就羞羞惭惭地退到末位上去了。
10 你被请的时候，就去坐在末位上，好叫那请你的人来对你说：‘朋友，请上坐！’那时，你在同席的人面前就有光彩了。
11 因为凡自高的，必降为卑；自卑的，必升为高。”
12 耶稣又对请他的人说：“你摆设午饭或晚饭，不要请你的朋友、弟兄、亲属和富足的邻舍，恐怕他们也请你，你就得了报答。
13 你摆设筵席，倒要请那贫穷的、残废的、瘸腿的、瞎眼的，你就有福了！
14 因为他们没有什么可报答你。到义人复活的时候，你要得着报答。”
Selfless Generosity
“When you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed.” — Luke 14:13-14
Do you know what a quid pro quo mindset is? It means “I will do something for you that equals the value of what you do for me.” Jesus has a dramatically different picture in mind when he talks about hospitality.
When we think of throwing a party, we tend to include people we like and who are like us. But Jesus presses us to reach out toward the fringes of community life. This kind of outreaching love and care is what distinguished the early church from its surrounding environment.
Two attitudes that are vital to Christian character are generosity and humility. Nurturing both in your life helps guard against a destructive and blinding mindset that ignores the needs and circumstances of others around us. Something as ordinary as sharing a meal is an expression of respect and equality. It includes sharing not just our resources but also ourselves, and it speaks loudly to our values and commitments.
We are all recipients of God’s grace and provision. We are all guests at his table, and God, our Host, is abundantly generous. Look for opportunities to be outrageously generous to people who least expect it and who are least able to reciprocate. A sign of humility involves wanting to help others when you would gain nothing from it.
How can you go out of your way to bless someone today?
Jesus, as we have generously received your good gifts, help us to pursue opportunities to be generous to others in our gratitude to you. Amen.
诵读: 楚云
片头: 张妙阳
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