Matthew 马太福音 7:7-12 — Start Loving 开始去爱

“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you” (Mat 7:7). Many interpret this prayer devoid of its context. Why does Jesus talk about prayer here? The word “so” or “therefore” in Matt 7:12 gives us the clue. Jesus is instructing us to do to others what we want others to do to us. In another words, Jesus is giving us the reasons why we should love others as ourselves.

“你们祈求,就给你们;寻找,就寻见;叩门,就给你们开门” (太7:7)。许多人因断章取义而曲解这段祷告。为什么耶稣在这里谈论祷告呢?《马太福音》7章12节中的“所以”或“因此”为我们提供了线索。耶稣正在教导我们要以我们愿被对待的方式对待别人。换句话说,耶稣正在给予我们爱人如己的教导。

 

  1. God’s Promise 神的应许 (7:7-8)

God promises that we have access to His eternal and unlimited treasure to meet our needs as well as others. We have no fear of depleting the divine resources. So love one another without reservation.

神应许我们享用祂那永恒与无限的财富满足我们与他人的需要,因此我们无须担心自己会用尽神所供应的资源。所以,我们当毫无保留地彼此相爱。

 

  1. God’s Pattern 神的模式 (7:9-11)

If imperfect and sinful human fathers so willingly and freely give their children the basics of life, our perfect, merciful and gracious heavenly Father will infinitely outdo them in measure and in benefit. (Eph. 1:3, 7-8), so be confident in loving one another.

如果连不完美的父亲都乐意并无拘束地满足孩子生活上的基本物质需求,我们那完全、满有恩典和慈爱的天父的供应必然更多、更好(弗1:3,7-8)。所以,我们可以有信心彼此相爱。

 

  1. God’s Purpose 神的旨意 (7:12)

The perfect love of the heavenly Father will be reflected in the perfect love of his children. If we want God to treat us with loving generosity, we should also treat others the same way (Eph. 5:1-2). However, an unbeliever has no access to such divine resources that sustain a loving lifestyle.

当天父的孩子能待人如己,天父那完美的爱就能在他们的身上反映出来了。如果我们愿神以慷慨和慈爱待我们,我们也当以同样的方式待别人(弗5:1-2)。然而,一个不信主的人是没有这种属灵的资源来维持一个充满爱心的生活方式。

 

 
 
 
 

Praying the Scripture 用经文祷告

 

  1. Be careful not to read the Bible apart from its context. If you hear a man say a strange woman slept beside him, your mind might think of scandalous things, only to realize later that a woman slept in the seat beside him on a plane. Let’s pray that we rightly divide the Word of God.

在读圣经时,请注意上下文或经文的背景。如果你听到某人说有一位陌生女子睡在他身旁,你或许会马上联想到一些可耻的事情;之后才发现他指的是有一位女子在他身旁的飞机座位上睡着了。请祈求神让我们正确地分解真道。

 

  1. We, in our own capacity, cannot love unconditionally like God. If we are to love each other in the way God love us, we desperately need Him to empower us. Let’s pray for His empowerment to love one another.

我们凭着自己的能力是无法像神那么无私地爱人的。我们若要像神爱我们一样彼此相爱,就急需祂加添力量给我们。请向神祷告,恳求赐予我们祂的能力彼此相爱。

 

  1. 1 John 4:7-8 states, “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.” Let’s pray that we manifest God’s love among us.
《约翰一书》4章7至8节说:“亲爱的弟兄阿,我们应当彼此相爱。因为爱是从神来的。凡有爱心的,都是由神而生,并且认识神。没有爱心的,就不认识神。因为神就是爱。” 请向神祷告,让我们在彼此之间彰显神的爱。