三月十二日
当爱你的邻舍。（太5:43）
“爱你的邻舍”，或许他富有，你贫穷，你的小茅屋就在他壮丽的大厦旁边；你天天看到他的家私，他穿的是绫罗绸缎，吃的是珍馐美味；神赐给他这一切，所以你不要贪婪他的财富，也不要起嫉妒的心。若你不能改善自己的境遇，那么就当知足，不要看你的邻舍，也不要希望他像你一样。要爱他，那么你就不会羡慕，也不会嫉妒他了。
也或许，你有钱，而在你邻近的地方有一位穷人。那么不要以为称他为邻舍就是羞辱了自己。你不要轻看人家。你要爱他，那是你的责任。世人看他不及你。可是他有什么不及你的地方呢？他和你是一样的，并无不及你之处，因为神“从一本造出万族的人，住在全地上”。你的衣服比他好，并不是你比他好。他是个人，你还能超出这个人字之外吗？要注意，就是你的邻舍褴褛不堪，贫穷非凡，你也要爱他。
或许你说：“我不能爱我的邻舍，因为我所作的，他们却报之以怨尤和轻蔑。”但是你还能大大地爱他。你只愿作一个穿着轻便如羽毛似的军装的战士，而不愿作一个穿戴爱的厚重的甲胄斗士吗？最有果敢的人，得胜必最多；若你的爱的道路崎岖，要大胆地踏过，仍要不为畏艰困地爱你的邻舍。把炭火堆在他们头上，若他们难以讨好，就不要讨他们的好，要讨你主的好；他们蔑视了你的爱，主却不蔑视。你的行为既被主接纳就像被他们接纳一样。爱你的邻舍，因为你这样作就是跟从了基督的脚踪。
March 12
“Thou shalt love thy neighbour.” –Matthew 5:43
“Love thy neighbour.” Perhaps he
rolls in riches, and thou art poor, and living in thy little cot side-by-side
with his lordly mansion; thou seest every day his estates, his fine linen, and
his sumptuous banquets; God has given him these gifts, covet not his wealth, and
think no hard thoughts concerning him. Be content with thine own lot, if thou
canst not better it, but do not look upon thy neighbour, and wish that he were
as thyself. Love him, and then thou wilt not envy him.
Mayhap, on the other hand, thou art rich,
and near thee reside the poor. Do not scorn to call them neighbour. Own that
thou art bound to love them. The world calls them thy inferiors. In what are
they inferior? They are far more thine equals than thine inferiors, for
“God hath made of one blood all people that dwell upon the face of the
earth.” It is thy coat which is better than theirs, but thou art by no
means better than they. They are men, and what art thou more than that? Take
heed that thou love thy neighbour even though he be in rags, or sunken in the
depths of poverty.
But, perhaps, you say, “I cannot love my neighbours, because for
all I do they return ingratitude and contempt.” So much the more room for
the heroism of love. Wouldst thou be a feather-bed warrior, instead of bearing
the rough fight of love? He who dares the most, shall win the most; and if
rough be thy path of love, tread it boldly, still loving thy neighbours through
thick and thin. Heap coals of fire on their heads, and if they be hard to
please, seek not to please them, but to please thy Master; and remember if they
spurn thy love, thy Master hath not spurned it, and thy deed is as acceptable
to Him as if it had been acceptable to them. Love thy neighbour, for in so
doing thou art following the footsteps of Christ.
