圣经敦促我们保守自己的心，因为我们的行为是由心发出（箴言 4:23）。在今天的经文中，耶稣教导我们，心中充满什么，我们的言行就会溢出什么。他指出，如果我们的言语中有邪恶，那就证明我们内心有邪恶。
我们很容易在心里怀有负面或破坏性的情绪。圣经历史中有很多充满苦毒、嫉妒和愤怒的故事，这在家庭和神的子民中造成了严重的后果。亚当的长子该隐对亚伯的祭物得到神的青睐感到愤懑。他没有处理自己的愤怒，而是让苦毒和嫉妒愤怒控制了他的心。由于他无法熄灭心中的这团火，果实随之而来：他犯下了史上第一桩谋杀案（创世记 4章）。在另一个故事中，约瑟的兄弟们因为嫉妒约瑟而被蒙蔽了双眼，将他卖为奴隶（创世记 37章）。这只是愤怒给人们的生活带来严重后果的两个例子。
在教会历史中，我们看到的是没有正当理由的分裂；冲突和个人利益往往是这些问题的根源。作为神所收纳的儿女，我们已经与基督一同坐在天上，但我们必须每天省察自己的态度和动机，看看我们的渴望是否与我们在基督里的身份相符。
亲爱的神，请不要让我们心中怀有怨恨和愤怒。赐予我们恩典，让我们与周围的人和睦相处。阿们。
马太福音 12:33-37
33你们或以为树好果子也好，树坏果子也坏，因为看果子就可以知道树。
34毒蛇的种类！你们既是恶人，怎能说出好话来呢？因为心里所充满的，口里就说出来。
35善人从他心里所存的善就发出善来，恶人从他心里所存的恶就发出恶来。
36我又告诉你们，凡人所说的闲话，当审判的日子必要句句供出来。
37因为要凭你的话定你为义，也要凭你的话定你有罪。”
"Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice." - Ephesians 4:31
The Bible urges us to guard our hearts, for our actions flow from what is in our hearts (Proverbs 4:23). In our reading today, Jesus teaches that whatever fills the heart overflows into our words and actions. He points out that if there is wickedness in our words, that is the result of what is rooted in our hearts.
It is so easy to harbor negative or destructive feelings in our hearts. Biblical history is full of stories of bitterness, envy, and anger that caused serious problems in families and among God's people. Cain, Adam's first son, was bitter about how Abel’s offering was received with God’s favor. Rather than dealing with his anger, he let bitterness and envious anger rule his heart. Because he could not quench this fire in his heart, the fruit followed: he committed the first murder (Genesis 4). In another story, Joseph's brothers were so blinded by their jealousy of Joseph that they sold him into slavery (Genesis 37). These are just two examples about anger causing serious problems in people’s lives.
In the history of the church, we see divisions without justifiable causes; conflicts and individual interests have often been the root of these problems. As adopted children of God, we are already seated with Christ in heavenly places, but we must daily examine our attitudes and motives to see if our desires match with who we are in Christ.
Dear God, please prevent us from harboring bitterness and anger in our hearts. Give us grace to make peace with the people around us. Amen.
诵读: 骆云秀
片头: 张妙阳
