Instead of Revenge /以德报怨
Dexu Xia
Instead of Revenge
If your enemy is hungry, feed him. Romans 12:20
Today's Scripture & Insight: Romans 12:17–21
After Jim Elliot and four other missionaries were killed by Huaorani tribesmen in 1956, no one expected what happened next. Jim’s wife, Elisabeth, their young daughter, and another missionary’s sister willingly chose to make their home among the very people who killed their loved ones. They spent several years living in the Huaorani community, learning their language, and translating the Bible for them. These women’s testimony of forgiveness and kindness convinced the Huaorani of God’s love for them and many received Jesus as their Savior.
What Elisabeth and her friend did is an incredible example of not repaying evil with evil but with good (Romans 12:17). The apostle Paul encouraged the church in Rome to show through their actions the transformation that God had brought into their own lives. What did Paul have in mind? They were to go beyond the natural desire to take revenge; instead, they were to show love to their enemies by meeting their needs, such as providing food or water.
Why do this? Paul quotes a proverb from the Old Testament: “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink” (v. 20; Proverbs 25:21–22). The apostle was revealing that the kindness shown by believers to their enemies could win them over and light the fire of repentance in their hearts.
以德报怨
你的仇敌若饿了，就给他吃。-罗马书12章20节
在1956年，吉姆 ‧ 艾略特（Jim Elliot）与另外四位宣教士，试图传福音给厄瓜多尔的华欧拉尼族人，却不幸被杀害而殉道。但接下来的事，更出乎众人的意料。吉姆的遗孀伊莉莎白带着他们年幼的女儿，与其中一位殉道宣教士的妹妹，义无反顾地选择回到这杀害他们亲人的部落。他们花了好几年的时间，与华欧拉尼族人一起生活，学习他们的语言，并为他们翻译圣经。这两位殉道者的家属活出宽容与恩慈，使华欧拉尼族人相信上帝对他们的爱，并有许多人接受耶稣为生命的救主。
伊莉莎白与另一位姐妹所立下的美好榜样，就是不以恶报恶，反倒以善胜恶（罗马书12章17节）。使徒保罗鼓励罗马教会的信徒，以行动显明上帝在他们的生命中所带来的转变。保罗的期盼是什么呢？就是众信徒不但能胜过报复仇敌的欲望，甚至还能向仇敌伸出援手，比如提供食物或水，来展现对他们的爱。
为什么要这样做呢？保罗引用了旧约箴言的经文，说：“你的仇敌若饿了，就给他吃；若渴了，就给他喝”（20节；箴言25章21-22节）。保罗清楚表明，当信徒对仇敌释出善意时，便可化敌为友，促使他们愿意认罪悔改。
阿爸天父，我们无法靠自己的力量去爱别人。
求圣灵帮助我们，能真心地爱仇敌，
并且使用我们，带领他们来到祢面前。
耶稣如何以实际的行动爱祂的仇敌？
你今天如何向那些伤害你的人展现上帝之爱？