Three Kings 三位君王

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Dexu Xia

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Oct 26, 2023, 9:54:29 PM10/26/23

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His people made no funeral fire in his honor, as they had for his predecessors. 2 Chronicles 21:19

In the hit musical Hamilton, England’s King George III is humorously portrayed as a cartoonish, deranged villain. However, a new biography on King George said he was not the tyrant described in Hamilton or America’s Declaration of Independence. If George had been the brutal despot that Americans said he was, he would have stopped their drive for independence with extreme, scorched-earth measures. But he was restrained by his “civilized, good-natured” temperament.

Who knows if King George died with regret? Would his reign have been more successful if he’d been harsher with his subjects?

Not necessarily. In the Bible we read of King Jehoram, who solidified his throne by putting “all his brothers to the sword along with some of the officials of Israel” (2 Chronicles 21:4). Jehoram “did evil in the eyes of the Lord” (v. 6). His ruthless reign alienated his people, who neither wept for his gruesome death nor made a “funeral fire in his honor” (v. 19).

Historians may debate whether George was too soft; Jehoram was surely too harsh. A better way is that of King Jesus, who is “full of grace and truth” (John 1:14). Christ’s expectations are firm (He demands truth), yet He embraces those who fail (He extends grace). Jesus calls us who believe in Him to follow His lead. Then, through the leading of His Holy Spirit, He empowers us to do so.

By: Mike Wittmer

Who are you responsible to lead? How might you show both grace and truth to them?

Dear Jesus, I aim to lead others by following You

他的百姓没有为他生火志哀，像从前为他祖先生火一样。—历代志下21章19节

美国著名的音乐剧《汉密尔顿》以幽默的方式，将英国国王乔治三世刻画成一位卡通式的、疯狂的反派角色。然而，一本关于乔治三世的新传记提到，他并非像《汉密尔顿》或《美国独立宣言》中所描述的暴君。若这位国王真如美国人所说的那样残暴，他肯定会用极端的焦土政策来阻止美国的独立运动。根据这本传记，他文明善良的特质使他有所约束。

没人知道乔治三世是否抱憾离世？如果他对人民更严苛一些，是否能更成功地统治大英帝国呢？

恐怕未必如此。历代志下21章记载，犹大王约兰“用刀杀了他的众兄弟和以色列的几个首领”（4节），以此巩固自己的王权。他“行耶和华眼中看为恶的事”（6节），且残酷无情的统治手法使人民与他疏远，以致当他病逝时，百姓没有为他哭泣，也没有“为他生火志哀”（19节，和合本修订版）。

历史学家或许对于乔治三世是否太软弱有争议，但犹大王约兰肯定是过于严苛。最好的治理方式是效仿耶稣这位君王，祂“充充满满地有恩典，有真理”（约翰福音1章14节）。基督的要求很严厉（祂要求坚守真理），但祂也接纳失败者（祂会给予恩典）。耶稣呼召所有相信祂的人来跟随祂，然后透过圣灵的引导，赋予我们能力来效仿祂。

作者： 韦陌格

有谁是你的责任，你需要引导他们？
你要如何以恩慈待他们，并且能坚守真理？