Touched by Grace / 被恩典触摸

[Dexu Xia]

Touched by Grace

Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you. Luke 6:27

In Leif Enger’s novel Peace Like a River, Jeremiah Land is a single father of three working as a janitor at a local school. He’s also a man of deep, sometimes miraculous, faith. Throughout the book, his faith is often tested.

Jeremiah’s school is run by Chester Holden, a mean-spirited superintendent with a skin condition. Despite Jeremiah’s excellent work ethic—mopping up a sewage spill without complaint, picking up broken bottles the superintendent smashed—Holden wants him gone. One day, in front of all the students, he accuses Jeremiah of drunkenness and fires him. It’s a humiliating scene.

How does Jeremiah respond? He could threaten legal action for unfair dismissal or make accusations of his own. He could slink away, accepting the injustice. Think for a moment what you might do.

“Love your enemies,” Jesus says, “do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you” (Luke 6:27–28). These challenging words aren’t meant to excuse evil or stop justice from being pursued. Instead, they call us to imitate God (v. 36) by asking a profound question: How can I help my enemy become all God wants him or her to be?

Jeremiah looks at Holden for a moment, then reaches up and touches his face. Holden steps back defensively, then feels his chin and cheeks in wonder. His scarred skin has been healed.

An enemy touched by grace.

Reflect & Pray

What would your first reaction be in Jeremiah’s situation? How can you help a difficult person move closer to God’s purposes for them?

God, when faced with unfairness, injustice, or abuse, show me how to help my enemy move closer to You.

被恩典触摸

你们的仇敌，要爱他！恨你们的，要待他好！-路加福音6章27节

在利夫‧安格（Leif Enger）的小说《静水深流》（Peace Like a River）中，书中人物耶利米是一所学校的工友，独力抚养三个孩子。他对上帝有极深的信心，而且在整本书中，他的信心一再经历考验。

那所学校的负责人霍登，心胸狭窄、脸有伤疤。尽管耶利米非常敬业，无尤无怨地清理流溢四处的污物、收拾被霍登砸碎的酒瓶，但霍登还是要耶利米离开。甚至在全校学生面前，诬蔑耶利米醉酒并将他开除，令他蒙羞受辱。

耶利米会对不公平的解雇采取法律行动或提出诉讼吗？他会接受不公平的待遇，黯然离去吗？若是你，你会怎么做呢？

耶稣说：“你们的仇敌，要爱他！恨你们的，要待他好！咒诅你们的，要为他祝福！凌辱你们的，要为他祷告！”（路加福音6章27-28节）但并不表示，我们应默默承受别人的怨恨，放弃追求公平正义，而是要仿效上帝的怜悯（36节），我们可以问：“如何让恨我的人，成为合乎上帝心意的人呢？”

耶利米被霍登羞辱时，静静地凝视着霍登，然后伸手触摸他的脸庞。霍登防卫性地退后，却惊讶地发现脸上的伤疤完全好了！一个心中充满仇恨的人被恩典触摸了。

主啊，当我面对不公、不义或羞辱时，求祢让我明白，如何帮助我的仇敌更亲近祢。

如果你是耶利米，第一个反应是什么呢？如何帮助心怀怨恨的人更贴近上帝的心意？