在玛拉基书2:17，百姓问神：“公义的神在哪里呢？”在今天的经文中，神这样回答他们：耶和华必临近他们。可是，当衪来临时，很多发问的人自己并没有行在公义中。对他们来说，神的公义来到，恐怕是一个他们承受不了的意外。
说来，我不像别人那么有福，在富裕、受欢迎，或具影响力的环境中长大。有时我会觉得很不公平。然而，当我长大成人后，我发觉我生命中的一点点不公平，比起有些人天天要面对的极度不公平，实在微不足道。
任何人都会遇到困难的。在我认识的人中，有患严重抑郁症的财主，有具影响力但却患了癌症的人，有性格开怀、却要在别人垃圾桶里找食物的人，有因遭遇天灾失去一切、却仍然有盼望的人，有爱好和平、但要舍弃一切逃避战争或逼迫的人，有本性充满爱、却心灵破碎的人。有些人的困难比其他人的严重得多，在这段经文中，玛拉基警戒我们，不要以为我们的困难是最棘手的。
在某程度上，我们都是不公平的受害者，然而我们本身也以不公平待人——有时是直接对人不公平，更有时是，参与了一些歧视或忽视某些人或群体的社会制度。玛拉基提醒我们，在埋怨我们受到不公平对待之前，我们应该先想想我们拥有的好处和福份。
父啊，我们每一个人都从祢那里得了生命的灵——还有其他数不尽的福份。我们若在任何事上导致别人受到不公平的待遇，求祢赦免我们。奉耶稣名求，阿们。
玛拉基书 3:5
5万军之耶和华说：“我必临近你们，施行审判。我必速速作见证，警戒行邪术的、犯奸淫的、起假誓的、亏负人之工价的、欺压寡妇孤儿的、屈枉寄居的，和不敬畏我的。”"I will come to put you on trial. I will be quick to testify. . . ." — Malachi 3:5
In Malachi 2:17 the people asked, "Where is the God of justice?" In today's verse God answers that question: the Lord is coming, but many who are asking will be on the wrong side of justice when he arrives. For them, God's justice will be an unwelcome surprise.
I did not grow up as wealthy, popular, or influential as some others in my culture. That didn't always seem fair to me. But as an adult I've learned that the small bits of unfairness in my life are not nearly as devastating as the injustices occurring daily against others.
Things are rough everywhere. I've met wealthy people with severe depression; influential people with cancer; joyful people who have to find their food in other people's trash cans; hopeful people who have lost everything to a natural disaster; peaceful people who have left everything to escape war or persecution; loving people suffering from broken hearts. Some issues seem much worse than others. But this section in Malachi warns us not to assume that we have it so bad.
We are all victims of injustice at some level, but we also perpetrate injustice toward others—sometimes directly but often by participating in social systems that undervalue certain people or groups. Malachi reminds us to consider the advantages and blessings we've received before complaining about the injustices done to us.
Father, each of us has received the breath of life from you—and so much more. Forgive us for any way in which we've contributed to injustice against others. Amen.
诵读: 楚云
片头: 张妙阳
