“‘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 5:39
在耶稣的教导中，几乎没有比这“转过另一边脸”的命令更难做得到。有人得罪我们打我们的脸时，我们自然会想报复。然而神却吩咐我们要转过另一边脸由他打。衪是否在吩咐我们任凭别人肆意霸凌我们呢？我们是否绝对不可以自卫？不是这样。其实这个命令有着更深含义。
有人得罪我们时，要记着没有一项罪是不会受到惩罚的，这会令我们感到好过一点。无论犯了任何一项罪，都是要付代价的。主说：“伸冤在我，我必报应”（申命记 32:35；参看罗马书 12:17-21）。对那些被人得罪的信徒，这是极大的安慰！每一件得罪我们的事都终将受到惩罚。
耶稣有一个好消息，得罪我们的人如果悔改，并且也寻求饶恕，那么他的罪债已由在十字架上的耶稣偿还了。耶稣来到世上，是为了背负人类一切罪过带来的惩罚，好叫凡信靠衪的人都得拯救。
有人得罪我们时，我们可能会这样想：“我希望那个伤害我的人受到惩罚。我希望他们受罚，而不是基督。”然而，我们也需要记着，我们也曾得罪很多人，基督同样也背负了针对我们罪过的惩罚,并偿还了我们的罪债。
祷告
赦罪的神，求你引领我们对人生出忍耐，尤其是当人得罪我们时更要如此，好叫人们能在我们身上见到基督。求圣灵帮助我们，在任何时候，任何境况中，都能彰显出你忍耐的性情。奉耶稣名祈求，阿们。
马太福音 5:38-45
38“你们听见有话说：‘以眼还眼，以牙还牙。’
39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；
40有人想要告你，要拿你的里衣，连外衣也由他拿去；
41有人强逼你走一里路，你就同他走二里。
42有求你的，就给他；有向你借贷的，不可推辞。
43“你们听见有话说：‘当爱你的邻舍，恨你的仇敌。’
44只是我告诉你们，要爱你们的仇敌，为那逼迫你们的祷告，
45这样就可以做你们天父的儿子，因为他叫日头照好人也照歹人，降雨给义人也给不义的人。
Patience Toward Others
“I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also.” – Matthew 5:39
Few teachings of Jesus are more difficult to follow than this instruction to turn the other cheek. When we are wronged, it is natural to want to get even. Yet God calls us to turn the other cheek. Is this a call for us to simply let ourselves be bullied? To never stand up for ourselves? No, it runs far deeper than that.
When we are wronged, it helps to remember that no wrong will go unpunished. Every sin that is committed will be paid for. “It is mine to avenge,” says the Lord, “I will repay” (Deuteronomy 32:35; see Romans 12:17-21). This is a great comfort to believers who are being wronged! Every wrong against us will be punished.
The good news of Jesus is that if the wrong that was committed is repented of, and the wrongdoer asks for forgiveness, the wrong is paid for by Christ on the cross. Jesus came into this world in order to take on the punishment for all human sin, so that all who look to him can be saved.
When a wrong is committed against us, we might think, “Well, I want the one who hurt me to be punished. I want them punished, not Christ.” But we need to remember that we too have wronged many others and that Christ took on our punishment, paying for our guilt as well.
Prayer
Forgiving God, guide us to be patient with others, especially when we are wronged, so that Christ may be made visible in us. Help us, Holy Spirit, to show your patience in all times and circumstances. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
