Living Out God’s Love 活出神的爱

[Dexu Xia]

Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you. Exodus 20:12

Today's Scripture Exodus 20:8-17, 21-22

Today's Insights

The Ten Commandments set up principles for God’s people, the Israelites, so they’d flourish. The first four commandments emphasize single-minded devotion to God (Exodus 20:3-11). The last six outline how devotion to God should shape human relationships (vv. 12-17). At the heart of these commands is showing respectful honor to all (Matthew 22:37-40). 

Society flourishes when there’s respectful care for all people, including parents and the elderly. The command to honor parents (Exodus 20:12) doesn’t mean that people should remain in damaging relationships with parents or others or should minimize harmful behavior, for we’re also called to be truthful. But our Creator wants us to recognize that each person is made in God’s image (Genesis 1:27) and therefore we should desire every person’s well-being and respect them

Today's Devotion

Branden’s father was dying of cancer in his fifties. Wanting to help, Branden talked his parents into moving in with him so he could assist them. His dad loved the tropics but could no longer travel, so Branden got creative. He landscaped a pond behind his house, stocked it with fish, and installed a waterfall that tumbled over rocks. He trucked in three loads of beach sand, added banana trees, lights, and tiki torches, and built an awning for shade. His dad spent his last days enjoying a backyard island paradise.

Branden’s actions reflect the kind of harmony between parents and children envisioned in Exodus 20. There, God through Moses instructed the children of Israel, “Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you” (Exodus 20:12). That directive grows out of the commands to love and respect our heavenly Father (vv. 3-8) and bridges to the last five commands, which instruct us how to love and respect our fellow human beings. Don’t murder, don’t commit adultery, don’t steal, don’t lie, don’t covet (vv. 12-17).

Honoring parents might come easily for some. For others, it’s extremely difficult. There’s too much pain and distrust. Old wounds refuse to heal. We can commit them to God our Father, who understands that pain. He enables us to live in His love.

Reflect & Pray

What does it mean for you to honor your parents? What obstacles might you face to do that?  Heavenly Father, show me how to honor others, especially when that seems difficult.  By Tim Gustafson

“ 当孝敬父母，使你的日子在耶和华——你神所赐你的地上得以长久。（出埃及记 20:12）

今日经文：出埃及记 20:8-17, 21-22

今日洞见： “十诫”为神的子民以色列人确立了兴盛生活的准则。前四条诫命强调对神全心全意的敬虔（出埃及记 20:3-11）；后六条则阐明了这种对神的敬虔应如何塑造人际关系（12-17节）。这些诫命的核心在于尊重并敬重每一个人（马太福音 22:37-40）。 当社会上每个人，包括父母和长者，都得到充满尊重的关怀时，社会便会繁荣兴盛。关于孝敬父母的诫命（出埃及记 20:12），并不意味着人必须维持与父母或其他人的有害关系，也不意味着要淡化伤害性的行为，因为我们也蒙召要诚实。然而，我们的创造主希望我们认识到，每个人都是按着神的形象造的（创世记 1:27），因此我们应当尊重他人，并愿每个人都得享福祉。

 今日灵修 布兰登的父亲五十多岁时，因癌症病危。为了照顾父母，布兰登说服他们搬来与自己同住。父亲热爱热带风光，却已无法远行，于是布兰登想出了一个别出心裁的法子。他在屋后修造了一个池塘，放养了鱼儿，并安装了一处流经岩石的瀑布景观。他运来了三大卡车海滩细沙，种上了香蕉树，布置了灯光和提基火把，还搭建了遮阳棚。父亲在后院这个宛如海岛天堂般的环境中，度过了生命最后的时光。 布兰登的举动，体现了出埃及记 20 章中所描绘的那种亲子间的和谐关系。在那段经文中，神借着摩西教导以色列人说：“当孝敬父母，使你的日子在耶和华，你神所赐你的地上得以长久”（出埃及记 20:12）。这一诫命源于爱与敬重我们在天之父的命令（3-8节），同时也起到了承上启下的作用，引出了后五条关于如何爱与敬重他人的诫命：不可杀人、不可奸淫、不可偷盗、不可作假见证、不可贪恋（12-17节）。 对某些人来说，孝敬父母或许并非难事；但对另一些人而言，这却极具挑战。其中往往夹杂着太多的伤痛与不信任，旧日的创伤难以愈合。我们可以将这一切交托给那位体恤我们痛苦的天父；祂必赐我们力量，让我们活在祂的爱中。

 反思与祷告 “孝敬父母”对你而言意味着什么？在践行这一诫命时，你可能会遇到哪些障碍？亲爱的天父，求祢教导我如何敬重他人，尤其是在这看似困难的时候。

作者：蒂姆·古斯塔夫森