QT 21/01/2024 Sunday Matthew 18. Forgive and try to forget. 饶恕、忘记。
QT 21/01/2024 Sunday Matthew 18
http://www.esvbible.org/matt18
A childlike heart is required to enter the kingdom of heaven. Unless a person changes and does "become like little children", "you will never enter the kingdom of heaven" (Matt 18:3).
REFLECTION (1): How can I receive MERCY if I feel I am RIGHT and justified and NOT WRONG, all the time? (Realistically, none of us is perfect)
REFLECTION (2): Did I cause any of the little ones to sin? Jesus notes its seriousness and the disgust He has for this by commenting that it is better off to hang a large millstone around that person who causes that sin and "be drowned in the depths of the sea" (Matt 18:6).
APPLICATION (1): Indeed, every single person is precious and is under the watchful protection of the heavenly Father (Matt 18:10-14). To avoid stumbling others, Jesus mandated that our own sins be dealt with ruthlessly (Matt 18:7-9).
Matt 18:15-19 discloses a PROCEDURE for handling disputes and discipline. The frequently overlooked step is step 1 of 3: "If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother" ((Matt 18:15). Many skip to step 2 or step 3 directly. This is not helpful and might even cause irreparable damage to the community.
APPLICATION (2): If others wrong you, Matt 18:15 reminds you NOT to wait for them. Instead, go and tell him his fault.
Lastly, the unforgiving person would not be shown mercy by the heavenly Father (Matt 18:33) because we owe the heavenly Father MORE THAN what others owe us (Matt 18:21-33)!
APPLICATION (3): Forgive and try to forget and move on. Why punish yourself by insisting on wallowing in the mud when others have moved on to "party" happily?
星期日 2024年1月21日 今日读经：马太福音18章
http://m.bbintl.org/bible/ncv/Mat/18/
若要进入天国，必须有一颗像孩子一般的心。一个人除非他回转，“变成像小孩子一样”，“一定不能进天国”(太18:3)。
反思(1):若我总是觉得自己是对的、正直的，没有任何的错，那么，我如何能够得到怜悯呢？(说实在的，我们没有一个人是完全的)
反思(2):我是否使到小弟兄犯罪？耶稣非常厌恶这严重的罪，祂说倒不如拿一块大磨石拴在犯罪的人的颈项上，“把他沉在深海里”(太18:6)。
应用(1):的确，每一个人都是宝贵的，每一个人都在天父的保护之下(太18:10-14)。为了避免使人跌倒，耶稣规定我们一定要狠狠地对付自己的罪(太18:7-9)。
太18:15-19让我们看到在处理纠纷和管教时可采用的步骤。那时常被忽略的是三部曲里的第一步：“如果你的弟兄犯了罪，你趁着和他单独在一起的时候，要去指出他的过失来。如果他肯听，你就得着你的弟兄”(太18:15)。有些人直接就跳到第二步或第三步。这是不正确的，甚至有可能会导致肢体遭受到无可弥补的破坏。
应用(2):如果别人得罪了你，太18:15提醒你，不要等那得罪你的人来找你。相反的，“要去指出他的过失”.
最后，那不肯怜悯他人的，天父也不会怜悯他(太18:33)因为我们欠天父的比他人欠我们的还要多(太18:21-33)!
应用(3):饶恕，尽可能放下并继续向前走。当别人已开开心心地“逍遥”，为何你要惩罚自己，让自己一直消沉在痛苦的深渊？
