我们都喜欢收到礼物，我说得对吗？例如: 圣诞节早晨的小孩，他们急不及待地翻看圣诞树下的礼物，看看哪一份写着自己的名字。成年人或许会隐藏他们的兴奋，但他们岂不也同样喜欢收礼物吗？
当我再次思想昨天的故事时，我得承认，我真的不知道该怎样回应这位送一只活鸡给我们的尼日利亚邻居。
我应该怎样做呢？我知道我的邻居比我们更需要那只鸡，他需要付出很大的努力才能维持生计。
于是，我尽量友善地谢谢他慷慨的礼物，于是我这样对他说：“不过，朋友，你需要为你家人取回那只鸡，我不能接受你的鸡。”
我返回家中，没有接受那只鸡。当我告诉我们的管家事情的始末时，他皱起眉头、正视着我说：“你做错了！你拒绝了他的礼物。”
他的话刺痛了我，但他说得对，我做错了。我便谦卑地去找我的邻居，向他道歉，并且接受了那只鸡。
这岂不是救恩的真义吗？我们承认我们需要神所赐的恩典 － 我们也要接受它。我们接受了神所赐的新生命，这是何等大的福气啊！
神啊，我们需要你所赐的恩典。求你施恩给我们，叫我们谦卑且感恩地接受你这份奇妙的礼物。阿们。
以弗所书 2:4-10
4然而，神既有丰富的怜悯，因他爱我们的大爱，
5当我们死在过犯中的时候，便叫我们与基督一同活过来。你们得救是本乎恩。
6他又叫我们与基督耶稣一同复活，一同坐在天上，
7要将他极丰富的恩典，就是他在基督耶稣里向我们所施的恩慈，显明给后来的世代看。
8你们得救是本乎恩，也因着信。这并不是出于自己，乃是神所赐的；
9也不是出于行为，免得有人自夸。
10我们原是他的工作，在基督耶稣里造成的，为要叫我们行善，就是神所预备叫我们行的。
"It is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God. . . ." - Ephesians 2:8
We all like to receive gifts, right? For example, think of children on Christmas morning. They eagerly dig through gifts under the Christmas tree to find one with their name on it. Adults may hide their excitement, but they also like to receive gifts, don't they?
Reflecting some more on yesterday's story, I have to say I really struggled with how I should respond to our Nigerian neighbor who had come with the gift of a live chicken.
What should I do? I knew my neighbor needed that chicken far more than we did. He struggled to make ends meet.
So, as kindly as I could, I thanked him for his generosity. Then I said something like "But, friend, you need that chicken for your family. I can't accept a chicken from you."
So, without the chicken, I went back into the house. I told our steward what had happened. He furrowed his brow, looked me in the eye, and said, "You did the wrong thing! You refused his gift."
That stung. But he was right; I had done the wrong thing. Humbled, I went out to my neighbor, apologized to him, and accepted the chicken.
I needed that humbling lesson. It takes grace to receive, a willingness not to be in control.
Isn't that what salvation is all about? We recognize our need for God's gift of grace—and we receive it. And in receiving new life, how blessed we are!
We need the gift of your grace, O Lord. Give us the grace to receive your amazing gifts humbly and gratefully. Amen.
诵读: 骆云秀
片头: 张妙阳
