7月14日 逼迫的账

只是我告诉你们，不要与恶人作对。有人打你的右脸，连左脸也转过来由他打。（太五39）

这经文说出作基督徒的谦卑。依常情来说，不还手是懦夫；但在属灵上，不还手表明有神的儿子在他里头。你被侮辱时，不但不要动怒，更要藉这机会表彰神的儿子。你无法模仿耶稣的性情，有就有，没有就没有。对一个圣徒来说，个人受辱是表彰主耶稣美妙的机会，这真令人难以置信。

登山宝训不是——做你当做的，而是——做非你分内的。你本不必走第二里路，不必转左脸，但耶稣说若我们是他的门徒，就必须这样行。我们不该存这样的心：“唉，我受这样的冤屈误会，再也无能为力了。”每次我坚持自己的权益，就伤害了神的儿子；我若接受那一击，就叫耶稣免受伤害。这正是补满基督患难缺欠的意思。主的门徒只知道主的荣耀，而非他自己的声誉，这是系于一生的目标。切勿从他人身上要求正义，自己也不可不去行义。我们往往寻找公义；但登山宝训却说不要找公义，要时常施行公义。

祈祷◆主啊，当我想起你的一切美善、奇妙和恩典，赞美和忧虑的心便在我里面此起彼落。噢，主啊，我所祈求的是：你在我里面最想寻见的一切，正是我必须在现实生活中实践出来的东西。

July 14 The Account With Persecution

“But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil; but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also.” Matthew 5:39, etc

These verses reveal the humiliation of being a Christian. Naturally, if a man does not hit back, it is because he is a coward; but spiritually if a man does not hit back, it is a manifestation of the Son of God in him. When you are insulted, you must not only not resent it, but make it an occasion to exhibit the Son of God. You cannot imitate the disposition of Jesus; it is either there or it is not. To the saint personal insult becomes the occasion of revealing the incredible sweetness of the Lord Jesus.

The teaching of the Sermon on the Mount is not – Do your duty, but – Do what is not your duty. It is not your duty to go the second mile, to turn the other cheek, but Jesus says if we are His disciples we shall always do these things. There will be no spirit of – “Oh, well, I cannot do any more, I have been so misrepresented and misunderstood.” Every time I insist upon my rights, I hurt the Son of God; whereas I can prevent Jesus from being hurt if I take the blow myself. That is the meaning of filling up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ. The disciple realizes that it is his Lord's honour that is at stake in his life, not his own honour.

Never look for right in the other man, but never cease to be right yourself. We are always looking for justice; the teaching of the Sermon on the Mount is – Never look for justice, but never cease to give it.