昨天我们看到，祭司们破坏了神的名声，今天的经文对此有较详细的记载。以色列民的祭司们只是马马虎虎地履行宗教的任务，他们只想敷衍神，而不是真的想讨神喜悦。
当我们全心全意爱一个人时，会考验到我们自已究竟愿意为对方付出多少。就如青年男子会带自己的女友到豪华餐厅吃饭，虽然他知道，就是普通的餐厅她也一样喜欢。爱驱使我们甘心乐意付上重价。
然而恐惧驱使我们朝着相反的方向走。我们若害怕某人，便会草草了事，付出少过他们配得的。这是不对的，但我们往往这样做，去伤害那些我们以为会伤害我们的人。
在玛拉基书中，神向衪的子民解释，衪是他们慈爱的父亲，祂不想他们害怕衪，祂只希望他们爱衪和尊敬衪。神要衪的子民知道，衪不是要伤害他们，但他们的表现却好像是神会伤害他们似的；他们没有考验自已能为神付出多少，只是尽量献上少过神所配得的。
神爱我们，祂也要求我们以爱回报祂，祂不愿意我们误解，也不想我们以为衪要来找我们麻烦。出于畏惧的献祭显示我们不暸解神，而出于爱的献祭则表明慈爱的神住在我们心中。
亲爱的耶稣，求祢以祢完全的爱驱除我们的恐惧。奉祢的名祈求，阿们。
玛拉基书 1:6-7
6“藐视我名的祭司啊，万军之耶和华对你们说：儿子尊敬父亲，仆人敬畏主人；我既为父亲，尊敬我的在哪里呢？我既为主人，敬畏我的在哪里呢？你们却说：‘我们在何事上藐视你的名呢？’"But you ask, 'How have we defiled you?' "By saying that the LORD's table is contemptible." — Malachi 1:7
Yesterday we noted that the priests were damaging God's reputation. Today's verses give a bit more detail. The priests of Israel were carrying out their religion half-heartedly. They were trying to appease God, not please God.
When we are truly in love with someone, we test ourselves to see how much we can do for them. A young man treats his girlfriend to a fancy restaurant even though he knows she would be satisfied with less. Love prompts us toward extravagance.
Fear pushes the opposite way. When we fear someone, we try to get away with giving less than they deserve. It's sinful, but we tend to hurt those who we fear might hurt us.
In the book of Malachi, God explains that he is the loving Father of his people. He doesn't want them to be afraid of him. He wants love and respect. God wants the people to know that he's not out to hurt them. But they have been acting as if he were. Instead of testing themselves to give as much as they can, they try to give God less than he deserves.
God loves us and wants our love in return. He's not satisfied with our misunderstanding or thinking he's out to get us. Sacrifices offered out of fear show God that we don't understand him. Sacrifices offered out of love show that the God of love lives in us.
Dear Jesus, drive out our fear with your perfect love. In your name we pray. Amen.
诵读: 楚云
片头: 张妙阳
