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Tuesday 6 March 2018

寬恕一百個一百次 Forgive 100 times 100

寬恕一百個一百次
(瑪18:21-35

為甚麼要寬恕七十個七次呢(瑪18:22)?七次不是已經很足夠了嗎?倘若對方是智障的,是沒有學習能力的人,即使寬恕一百個一百次又何妨呢?因為他根本不能從錯誤中學習嘛!對方又不是弱智人士,難道七次的寬恕,他還未明白自己做錯的事嗎?寬恕他反而鼓勵他繼續測試你的底線,變本加厲地欺負你。這樣做,豈不「將炭火堆在他頭上」(羅12:20),加快他惡貫滿盈,加快他遭受懲罰嗎?

另一方面,為甚麼愛對方要愛到痛,愛到犧牲自己的地步,纔算是真愛呢?就像耶穌基督愛我們一樣,連自己的性命也犧牲了,我們根本沒有能力回報。同樣道理,我們愛對方,甚至不惜犧牲,試問他如何報答我們呢?難道好像『雙城記』的男主角,要女主角欠他一世嗎?這樣做,豈不是情感上的「綁架」嗎?

其實,擁有上述思想的人,太高估自己的價值了。每個人都是獨特的,對其他人的價值都是獨特的。我們愛一個人,是希望造就他,使他發揮出在他身上獨特的天主肖像。所以,我們不應注目他如何報答我們,而是他如何發揮更大的愛人能力,令其他人得益,而這些「其他人」,可能我們根本不會接觸到,或願意接觸到的。所以,為整體最大的利益,我們愛,無論對方是否智障,都不應計較回報,不應有所保留。同理,寬恕是為了造就做錯事的人,讓他悔改,成就在他身上的天主肖像。寬恕是愛的一種表述。因此,寬恕一百個一百次也應嫌少!
聖父,求祢愛我們的過失,如同我們愛別人的過失一樣。亞孟!

生命恩泉


Forgive 100 times 100
(Matthew 18:21-35)

Why should we forgive seventy times seven (Matthew 18:22)? Are seven times not enough? If the other party is mentally deficient, has no learning ability, we are more than willing to forgive him 100 times 100 because he cannot learn from his mistakes! If he is not mentally damaged, can't he learn his mistakes from our forgiving him seven times? Forgiving him will encourage him to test our bottom line, to bully us more. In this way, are we not heaping burning coals upon his head (Romans 12:20), quickening the completion of his iniquities, his getting punished?

On the other hand, why should we love until it hurts, until we sacrifice ourselves so that our love can then be genuine? Like Jesus Christ who loves us so much that He even sacrifices His life. We can never repay this debt. Similarly, if we love the others to the extent of sacrificing our lives, how can they repay us? Like the hero in A Tale of Two Cities, the heroine would owe him for life. In this way, would it not be some kind of emotional blackmail?

In fact, those who harbour the view above have overestimated their own values. Each person is unique and their values are unique. When we love a person, we want to edify him, make him manifest the unique image of God. Therefore, we should not focus on how he shall repay us. Instead, we should focus on how he can discharge greater love, making more people benefit from his love. We probably may not meet or be willing to get in touch with those people. Thus for the greatest benefit of all, we should not bother about repay, should not love with reservation, whether the other party is mentally deficient or not. Similarly, forgiving is to edify the person who has made mistakes, giving them an opportunity to repent, manifesting the image of God in him. Forgiveness is an expression of love. Thus, it is not enough even to forgive 100 times 100!
Heavenly Father, we beg you to love our trespasses as we love those who trespass against us. Amen!

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