Jesus’ Unpopular Ideas 反其道行之
Dexu Xia
Give to the one who asks you. Matthew 5:42
For fifteen years, Mike Burden held hate-filled meetings in the memorabilia shop he ran in his small town. But in 2012 when his wife began to question his involvement, his heart softened. He realized how wrong his racist views were and didn’t want to be that person any longer. The militant group retaliated by kicking his family out of the apartment they’d been renting from one of the members.
Where did he turn for help? Surprisingly, he went to a local black pastor with whom he’d clashed. The pastor and his church provided housing and groceries for Mike’s family for some time. When asked why he agreed to help, Pastor Kennedy explained, “Jesus Christ did some very unpopular things. When it’s time to help, you do what God wants you to do.” Later Mike spoke at Kennedy’s church and apologized to the black community for his part in spreading hatred.
Jesus taught some unpopular ideas in the Sermon on the Mount: “Give to the one who asks you . . . . Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you” (Matthew 5:42, 44). That’s the upside-down way of thinking God calls us to follow. Though it looks like weakness, it’s actually acting out of God’s strength.
The One who teaches us is the One who gives the power to live out this upside-down life in whatever way He asks of us.
How are you living out Jesus’ words of giving to those who ask and loving your enemies? What would you like to change?
God, help me to love others as You love me. Show me how to do that today.
有求你的，就给他。—马太福音5章42节
迈克 · 伯登（Mike Burden）在某个小镇上经营一间纪念品专卖店。他在店里举办充满歧视与仇恨的聚会长达15年之久。但在2012年，当他的妻子质疑他为何参与这些活动时，他的心开始软化。他意识到自己的种族主义观点是极大的错误，而不想再这样下去。但其他激进分子却对他采取报复行动，将他们全家人从其中一名成员租来的公寓中赶出去。
他能向谁求助呢？出乎意料的是，他去找了曾与他发生冲突的一位当地黑人牧师肯尼迪。过后，这位牧师和他的教会为迈克全家人提供食宿好一段时间，当牧师被问到为何愿意帮助他们时，他说：“耶稣基督做了很多人们不认同的事。当有人需要帮助时，就只要做上帝要你做的事。”后来，迈克在肯尼迪牧师的教会发表谈话，并为自己曾参与散播仇恨向黑人族群道歉。在登山宝训中，耶稣也提到了一些与众不同的观点：“有求你的，就给他；⋯⋯要爱你们的仇敌，为那逼迫你们的祷告”（马太福音5章42、44节）。这就是上帝要求我们反其道而行，这看似软弱的行为，却需要倚靠上帝的能力而行。
上帝既教导我们如此行，祂就会赐给我们能力，让我们能按照祂的吩咐，活出与众不同的生命。
耶稣教导我们“求你的，就给他”且要爱你的仇敌，你如何活出这些教导？你要有什么样的改变呢？
上帝，请帮助我像祢爱我一样去爱别人。求祢今天就教导我应该怎么做。