故事中的第三位骑士,骑着一匹黑色的马,手里拿着日常买卖中经常使用的天平;可是这些天平已被人作弊改装过了,目的是要使谷物的价格上涨。第三个骑士代表经济上的不公平,导致很多人的日用饮食和其他基本需要都受到盘剥。
在这个场景中,我们意识到神留意和关切不公平的现象,因为若一天的收入只能买到一小袋谷物或面粉,会给社会民生带来很深远的影响,令大多数人无法维持生计。
耶稣知道,为每一个人提供日用的饮食,是一件重要的事。衪施行的神迹中最为人所知的一件,就是在一处旷野喂饱数千个疲倦饥饿的人;衪拒绝让这些饥饿的人空着肚子离开(马太福音 14:16)。当耶稣教导我们向天父祈求时说:“我们日用的饮食”(马太福音 6:11),衪想到的是我们在饮食、衣着、和居所方面的基本需要。
我们也可以效法耶稣的榜样,在我们的生活和工作上,使经济的天平向怜悯和慈爱一面倾斜。在黑马上的骑士不管贫穷人的死活,然而耶稣却关怀这些人!衪吩咐我们也要这样做。耶稣又对那些效法衪的人说:“〔你们〕可来承受 … 为你们所预备的国。因为我饿了,你们给我吃… 。”(马太福音 25:35-40)。
耶稣啊,感谢你教导我们要去关怀饥饿的人。主啊,我们今日所需的饮食,求你赐给我们。阿们。
启示录 6:5-6
5揭开第三印的时候,我听见第三个活物说:“你来!”我就观看,见有一匹黑马。骑在马上的手里拿着天平。
6我听见在四活物中似乎有声音说:“一钱银子买一升麦子,一钱银子买三升大麦,油和酒不可糟蹋。”
"When the Lamb opened the third seal . . . I looked, and there before me was a black horse! Its rider was holding a pair of scales in his hand." - Revelation 6:5
The third horseman in this story rides a black horse. This rider holds a pair of scales, which were used for everyday buying and selling. These scales, however, were rigged to inflate the costs of grain. The third horseman represents economic injustice, robbing many people of their daily bread and other basic needs.
In this picture we sense the care and concern of God over unjust practices, because a day’s worth of wages for a small bag of grain or flour would have a big impact on most people for their survival.
Jesus knows the importance of having daily bread available for everyone. One of his most famous miracles was his feeding of many thousands of people when they were tired and hungry in a remote place. He refused to send the people away hungry (Matthew 14:16). And when Jesus taught us to ask God our Father, "Give us today our daily bread" (Matthew 6:11), it was our basic needs for food, clothing, and shelter that he had in mind.
Following Jesus’ example, we can live and work so that the scales for economic justice tip on the side of mercy and love. The rider on the black horse shows no care for the poor. But Jesus does! And he commands us to do likewise. Jesus also says to those who follow his example: "Come . . . [into] the kingdom prepared for you. . . . For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat. . . ." (Matthew 25:35-40).
Thank you, Jesus, for teaching us to care for people who are hungry. Lord, give us today our daily bread. Amen.
诵读: 骆云秀
片头: 张妙阳