反常的款待

作者:每日箴言   来源:普世佳音

“‘你摆设筵席,倒要邀请那贫穷的、残废的、瘸腿的、瞎眼的,你就有福了。’” - 路 14:13

我有一位朋友,每逢节日,他都在教会设宴款待那些没有人陪伴一起过节的人。这些人可能是初来我们教会的、离家人很远(地域或者感情方面)的、或很少有朋友的人。

和我们今天的情形一样,在耶稣那个年代,人们喜欢被邀参加富人和名人的聚会,这是他们攀登社会阶梯的途径。坐位最靠近主人的宾客是地位最高的人,地位稍低的则坐在他们旁边,依此类推。

一个出名的法利赛人 - 他是宗教领袖 - 邀请耶稣出席类似的聚会,耶稣却对这个聚会有自己的保留意见。衪环顾四周,见到的都是已经取得高位的人,衪指出,那里显然已经找不到任何被排斥和被遗忘的人。

欣然接受那些对我们有好处的自己人是很容易做得到的,然而耶稣说,在后的必在前、在前的必在后,衪的说法要把我们的世界颠覆了。那么,哪些人是我们应该要致电、发微信、发电邮、或邀请到我们家中的呢?

耶稣说,我们若走出我们的舒适圈、与被排斥的人建立关系,例如鳏寡的、失婚的、无家可归的、同性恋的、移民、单亲妈妈、刑满释放的囚犯等等的各样的人,我们便是有福的了。耶稣邀请我们赴衪的筵席,衪赐我们席上最好的座位。我们是否也能这样做呢?

(BMB)

祷告

主耶稣,求你让我们在你里面深深扎根,好叫爱能从我们的心倾流出来,与每一个人分享 - 而不期待有任何回报。阿们。

路加福音 14:1-14

1安息日,耶稣到一个法利赛人的首领家里去吃饭,他们就窥探他。
2在他面前有一个患水臌的人。
3耶稣对律法师和法利赛人说:“安息日治病可以不可以?”
4他们却不言语。耶稣就治好那人,叫他走了。
5便对他们说:“你们中间谁有驴或有牛在安息日掉在井里,不立时拉它上来呢?”
6他们不能对答这话。
7耶稣见所请的客拣择首位,就用比喻对他们说:
8“你被人请去赴婚姻的筵席,不要坐在首位上,恐怕有比你尊贵的客被他请来,
9那请你们的人前来对你说:‘让座给这一位吧!’你就羞羞惭惭地退到末位上去了。
10你被请的时候,就去坐在末位上,好叫那请你的人来对你说:‘朋友,请上坐!’那时,你在同席的人面前就有光彩了。
11因为凡自高的,必降为卑;自卑的,必升为高。”
12耶稣又对请他的人说:“你摆设午饭或晚饭,不要请你的朋友、弟兄、亲属和富足的邻舍,恐怕他们也请你,你就得了报答。
13你摆设筵席,倒要请那贫穷的、残废的、瘸腿的、瞎眼的,你就有福了!
14因为他们没有什么可报答你。到义人复活的时候,你要得着报答。”

Upside-down Hospitality

“When you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed.” - Luke 14:13

英语音频 English Audio

I have a friend who hosts holiday meals at church for folks who have no one to spend the holiday with. They might be new to our church, far from family (physically or emotionally), or low on friends.

In Jesus’ day, just as in our day, people enjoyed being invited to gatherings of the rich and famous as a way to climb the social ladder. The guests who sat nearest to the host were the most elite, and next to them were guests of slightly lower status, and so on.

A prominent Pharisee—a religious leader—invited Jesus to a gathering like that. And Jesus was not impressed. He looked around and saw people who had already achieved high status, and he pointed out the glaring absence of people who were excluded and forgotten.

It’s easy for us to embrace our people from whom we have something to gain. But Jesus turns our world upside down and says that the last will be first and the first will be last. So who should be on our list to call, text, email, or invite to our homes?

Jesus says we are blessed when we get out of our comfort zones and build relationships with people who may be marginalized, such as those who are widowed, divorced, homeless, gay, immigrants, single moms, ex-prisoners, and more. Jesus invites us to his banquet and offers us the best seat in the house. Can we do the same?

(BMB)

Prayer

Lord Jesus, root us so deeply in you that our hearts overflow with love to share with everyone—without expecting anything in return. Amen.

诵读: 骆云秀
片头: 张妙阳


发布日期:2022-01-10