The Bill Is Paid 清账单
Dexu Xia
The Bill Is Paid
You shall give it to the Levite, the foreigner, the fatherless and the widow. Deuteronomy 26:12
“What happened to you?” asked Zeal, a Nigerian businessman, as he bent over a hospital bed in Lagos. “Someone shot me,” replied the young man, his thigh bandaged. Although the injured man was well enough to return home, he wouldn’t be released until he settled his bill—a policy that many government hospitals in the region follow. After consulting with a social worker, Zeal anonymously covered the bill through the charitable fund he’d earlier set up as a way to express his Christian faith. In return, he hopes that those receiving the gift of release will one day give to others too.
The theme of giving from God’s bounty pulses throughout the Bible. For instance, when Moses instructed the Israelites on how to live in the Promised Land, he told them to give back to God first (see Deuteronomy 26:1–3) and to care for those in need—the foreigners, orphans, and widows (v. 12). Because they dwelled in a “land flowing with milk and honey” (v. 15), they were to express God’s love to the needy.
We too can spread God’s love through sharing our material goods, whether big or small. We might not have the opportunity to personally give exactly like Zeal did, but we can ask God to show us how to give or who needs our help.
How do you think the patients felt who were released because of Zeal? If you’ve experienced an unexpected gift of grace, how did you respond?
God, thank You for caring for those in need. Open my eyes to the material and spiritual needs of those near and far to me, and help me to know how to respond.
To learn more about finances and the Christian life, visit christianuniversity.org/ML101.
清账单
[你]要分给利未人和寄居的与孤儿寡妇。—申命记26章12节
在拉哥斯的一间医院里，一位名叫齐尔的尼日利亚商人俯身慰问病床上的患者说：“你怎么了？”这位腿上包着绷带的年轻病患回答说：“有人朝我开枪。”虽然他的伤势已无大碍，可以回家休养了。但因他没能力缴清所有帐单，所以无法出院，这是当地许多公立医院依循的政策。齐尔和一位社工讨论之后，就以他先前为实践基督信仰而创立的慈善基金，匿名为这位年轻人清偿了所有欠款。齐尔不求回报，只希望这些获得资助得以出院的人，日后也能这样帮助别人。
圣经一再提到，我们当因上帝的丰盛慷慨而乐于付出，这样的主题贯穿整本圣经。例如，摩西教导以色列人当如何在应许之地生活时，便教导他们要先奉献给上帝（参阅申命记26章1-3节），并且要关怀那些有需要的人，如寄居的、孤儿和寡妇（12节）。因为以色列人所住的是“流奶与蜜之地”（15节），所以要向穷乏的人展现上帝的慈爱。我们也可以与人分享物资，无论是多还是少，都能向人传递上帝的爱。我们或许无法像齐尔那样付出，但我们可以恳求上帝教导我们如何付出，或提醒我们有谁需要帮助。
上帝，感谢祢关心那些贫乏的人。求祢开启我的眼，让我看到周遭或远方的人们，在物质和心灵上的需求，求祢帮助我知道该如何回应。
你认为因齐尔的帮助而能出院的患者会有何感受？
你若经历出乎意料的恩典，会如何回应呢？