几年前，美国参议院为一个政府高层职位举办了一场任命听证会。被任命者过去曾做过一些糟糕的事，但此后也做过一些好事。我很难过，这个过程中最令人失望的就是支持者与反对者之间的争论。双方潜在的信念是，坏人会一直坏，好人会一直好。人不会改变。
耶稣并不相信人是这样一成不变的。耶稣来到世上的全部意义就是为了改变人。虽然只有神才能真正改变人，但神却大大允许人被改变。这是因为神以仁慈行事，祂呼召我们也要这样行事为人。
人们常会陷入一种模式，试图通过他们的敬拜行为来取悦神，包括献祭——也就是说，为了取悦神而放弃一些东西。但如果我们的行为只是为了服事自己的目的，那就不是献祭。然而，具有讽刺意味的是，如果我们对那些挣扎着要扭转生活的人表现出仁慈，这就是讨神喜悦的献祭了。
在基督里，我们可以相信，一个人的生命是能够被改变的。无论你做了什么，如果你不确定神是否会接纳你，是的，祂绝对会接纳你。今天就把你的生命交给祂吧，并为他人代祷，鼓励自己在信仰中继续前行。
亲爱的耶稣，你翻转了我们的生命，感谢你的恩典。请帮助我们永远不要将你向我们显明的慈爱怜悯单单留给自己。阿们。
马太福音 9:9-13
9耶稣从那里往前走，看见一个人，名叫马太，坐在税关上，就对他说：“你跟从我来！”他就起来跟从了耶稣。
10耶稣在屋里坐席的时候，有好些税吏和罪人来，与耶稣和他的门徒一同坐席。
11法利赛人看见，就对耶稣的门徒说：“你们的先生为什么和税吏并罪人一同吃饭呢？”
12耶稣听见就说：“康健的人用不着医生，有病的人才用得着。
13经上说：‘我喜爱怜恤，不喜爱祭祀’，这句话的意思你们且去揣摩；我来本不是召义人，乃是召罪人。”
"Learn what this means: 'I desire mercy, not sacrifice.' For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners." - Matthew 9:13
Some years ago the United States Senate held confirmation hearings for a top government position. The appointee had done something bad in the past but had also done some good things since then. Sadly, the most disappointing part of the process was in the arguments that were made in favor and against. The underlying belief on both sides was that bad people stay bad and good people stay good. People don’t change.
Jesus didn’t believe that about people. The whole point of Jesus’ coming was to change people. And while only God can truly change people, God grants those changes abundantly. That’s because God acts with mercy, and he calls us to do the same.
Too often people get caught up in trying to please God by their acts of worship, including sacrifices—that is, giving things up in order to please God. But if our actions are just self-serving, they are not sacrificial. Yet, ironically, if we act with mercy toward someone struggling to turn their life around, that is a sacrifice that pleases God.
In Christ, we can believe that a person’s life can change. And if you are wondering if God will accept you despite what you’ve done with your life, yes, he absolutely will accept you. Give your life to him today, and pray for others to encourage you in your life of faith.
Dear Jesus, thank you for your grace in turning our lives around. Help us never to withhold the mercy you have shown to us. Amen.
诵读: 骆云秀
片头: 张妙阳
