1873年，33岁的达米盎神父来到夏威夷的一个小岛上。据说，这个小岛成了安置当地政府送来的痳疯病人的地方。就像拉撒路一样，他们被迫住在“门口”。达米安神父效仿耶稣，去和痳疯病人同住，亲身感受他们的苦况。十六年后，他自己因染上痳疯病而死。
我们大多数人可能都不会用达米盎神父的方式去服事痳疯病人。但是，要想找到像拉撒路一样的人，并不一定要去痳疯病隔离区，或去贫困国家宣教。
我们在新闻里看到难民逃亡，在无家可归者的收容所里也会遇见需要帮助的人。还有其他需要帮助的人是因为他们生不逢时或被认为对社会没有贡献，而受到歧视。
我们这些生活温饱的人，理应帮助那些躺在我们门口的人。我们可以为他们祷告，在金钱上支持有关的慈善事工，如果可能，还可以去当义工。
从今天起，就祈求主，求祂指教你如何向需要帮助的人伸出援助之手吧。
神啊，求祢开启我们的眼睛，好使我们能看见躺在我们门口的人，并催促我们去帮助他们。奉耶稣的名求，阿们。
路加福音 16:19-24
19“有一个财主穿着紫色袍和细麻布衣服，天天奢华宴乐。
20又有一个讨饭的，名叫拉撒路，浑身生疮，被人放在财主门口，
21要得财主桌子上掉下来的零碎充饥，并且狗来舔他的疮。
22后来那讨饭的死了，被天使带去放在亚伯拉罕的怀里。财主也死了，并且埋葬了。
23他在阴间受痛苦，举目远远地望见亚伯拉罕，又望见拉撒路在他怀里，
24就喊着说：‘我祖亚伯拉罕哪，可怜我吧！打发拉撒路来，用指头尖蘸点水，凉凉我的舌头；因为我在这火焰里，极其痛苦。’
"At his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores and longing to eat what fell from the rich man's table." — Luke 16:20-21
In 1873, at the age of 33, a Roman Catholic priest named Damien came to a small Hawaiian island. Accord-ing to the story, the island had become a place where the local government sent its lepers. Like Lazarus, they were forced to live "outside the gate." In imitation of the Lord Jesus, Father Damien went to live with the lepers and identified with them. Sixteen years later he himself died of leprosy.
Most of us will probably never be asked to minister to lepers in the way Father Damien did. But it does not take a visit to a leper colony or a mission trip to an impoverished country to find people like Lazarus.
In the news we see refugees fleeing for their lives. We meet people in need when we visit a homeless shelter. We meet others in need when we en-counter people who are looked down on because they don't fit in or because they are not considered to be productive members of our society.
It's up to us who have been blessed with plenty to reach out to people who are lying at our gate. We are to pray for them, support the different agencies that minister to them, and volunteer if we are able.
Ask the Lord today and every day to show you ways to reach out to people who need help.
Lord God, open our eyes so that we can see the people who are lying at our gate, and move us to help. For Jesus' sake, Amen.
诵读: 楚云
片头: 张妙阳
