The Poor are Blessed
W4 2011-05-19 (出22)
經文: 出埃及記 22:22-24 不可苦待寡婦和孤兒;若是苦待他們一點,他們向我一哀求,我總要聽他們的哀聲,並要發烈怒,用刀殺你們,使你們的妻子為寡婦,兒女為孤兒。
默想: 耶和華在此特別提醒以色列人,不可以苦待欺負喪夫失怙的寡婦孤兒。耶和華會傾聽他們的哀聲,並且發烈怒,將立刻殺死苦待寡婦孤兒的人,讓他的妻子兒女也成為寡婦孤兒。在表面上看起來,這正是摩西律法中,以眼還眼、以牙還牙的所謂報復性公義 (retributive justice) 原則的例子。可是如果更深入一層來思考,犯罪的是苦待寡婦孤兒子的男人,可是他被耶和華殺死之後,成為寡婦孤兒而受苦的卻是那些沒有犯罪的妻子兒女。親愛的主啊!我無法明白,在你為了保護寡婦孤兒,特別設立的這條報復性公義的處罰之下,卻產生更多無辜受苦的寡婦孤兒。感謝上帝,主耶穌降生時,將摩西律法中的報復性公義給予修正,成為不要和惡人作對,要愛你們的仇敵,為那逼迫你們的禱告。
題目: 22:21-27 對於孤兒寡婦、貧窮寄居者要如何款待?對於保障人權有何提醒?
3 意見:
To the widows and orphans, we shall not afflict them; to the poor, treat them as generously as we can. For example, if we lend money to any of those in need, we shall not be to them as a creditor.
God will be pleased with the extension of our love to His people. If we do the other way round, His wrath will burn, and He will kill us with the sword.
“Do not mistreat or oppress a foreigner; remember that you were foreigners in Egypt.”
“Do not mistreat any window or orphan.”
“If you lend money to any of my people who are poor, do not act like a moneylender and require him to pay interest.”
We must respect their human rights and do our best to help them, because they are also the LORD’s people.
Mei-Chuan
蒙恩的信徒,必須凡事不可虧欠人,跳脫自己的利益,心中便有空間能容納更多不同的人,尤其是生活在周圍卻被忽視的人。
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