Ministry in Word

Relationship

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“Be careful not to do your ‘acts of righteousness’ before men, to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.“

你们要小心，不可将善事行在人的面前，故意叫他们看见，若是这样，就不能得你们天父的赏赐了。

Matthew 6:1

马太6：1

What are our 'acts of righteousness'? What does God expect us to do? “He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.” (Mic 6:8) What is the purpose of doing our 'acts of righteousness'? Is it to please man or to please God? Jesus told us that we ought to do them secretly to receive our reward from God. We are supposed to show the fruits we bear to glorify God, and not flaunt our 'acts of righteousness'.

什么是我们的善事呢？ 神盼望我们做什么呢？ “世人哪，耶和华已指示你何为善。他向你所要的是甚麽呢？只要你行公义，好怜悯，存谦卑的心，与你的神同行。” (弥6：8) 我们做善事的目的是什么呢？是要讨人喜欢或是讨神喜悦？ 耶稣告诉我们我们应该秘密地做善事来从神那里得到我们的赏赐。我们应该显示我们所结的果子来荣耀神，而非标榜我们的善事。

Jesus then gave three examples of the 'acts of righteousness': giving to the needy, prayer, and fasting, representing three dimensions of human relation. Giving to the needy is concerning one's relationship with other people, with our neighbors. Jesus said, “So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.” (Mt 6:2-4) The motive for our giving to the needy should be our love for others and our compassion for them. It should not be our desire to make a name for ourselves. If we do it in public to seek men's praise, that will be all the reward we get. But if we do it in secret seeking God's righteousness, God will bless us with heavenly joy. It is our proper relation with others that we should love them as God loves them, and do to them as if we do to God (Mt 25:40), yet we ought not to seek their approval instead of God's.

耶稣然后举三个善事的例子：施舍，祷告和禁食，代表三个人际关系的维度。 施舍是关乎一个人与其他人的关系，譬如我们的邻舍。 耶稣说， “所以，你施舍的时候，不可在你面前吹号，像那假冒为善的人在会堂里和街道上所行的，故意要得人的荣耀。我实在告诉你们，他们已经得了他们的赏赐。你施舍的时候，不要叫左手知道右手所做的，要叫你施舍的事行在暗中。你父在暗中察看，必然报答你。” (太6:2-4) 我们施舍的动机应该是我们对其他人的爱和我们对他们的同情。不应该是我们沽名吊誉的欲望。如果我们在大庭广众中做善事来寻找人的称赞，那就是我们得到的所有奖励。但是，如果暗中做来寻找神的义，神将赐我们天上的喜乐。我们应该象神爱他们一般爱他们，并且我们对他们所做的，就犹如我们给神做的一般(太25:40)，那是我们与其他人正确的关系，但是我们不应该求取他们的认可而不求取神的认可。

The next dimension of human relation is prayer. Prayer is concerning one's relationship with God, our intimacy with our heavenly Father. Jesus said, “And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.” (Mt 6:5-6) Prayer is our two-way communication with God. We need to focus on God as the object of our personal prayer and source of our inspiration, not making it into a show before men.

下个人际关系的维度是祷告。 祷告是关乎一个人与神的关系，我们与我们天上的父的亲切。 耶稣说， “你们祷告的时候，不可像那假冒为善的人，爱站在会堂里和十字路口上祷告，故意叫人看见。我实在告诉你们，他们已经得了他们的赏赐。你祷告的时候，要进你的内屋，关上门，祷告你在暗中的父；你父在暗中察看，必然报答你。” (太6:5-6) 祷告是我们与神的双向联系。 我们需要集中于神作为我们个人祷告的对象和我们启发的来源，不是把祷告变成在人之前的表演。

Fasting is the third dimension of human relation. It is concerning one's relationship with self. Jesus said, “When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show men they are fasting. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that it will not be obvious to men that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.” (Mt 6:16-18) Fasting represents a denial of my immediate satisfaction, bringing my focus off myself onto God and others. This is what Jesus said, “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.” (Mt 16:24) Making people aware of our self-denial is no self-denial at all!

禁食是人际关系的第三维度。 它是关乎一个人与自已的关系。 耶稣说， “你们禁食的时候，不可像那假冒为善的人，脸上带着愁容；因为他们把脸弄得难看，故意叫人看出他们是禁食。我实在告诉你们，他们已经得了他们的赏赐。你禁食的时候，要梳头洗脸，不叫人看出你禁食来，只叫你暗中的父看见；你父在暗中察看，必然报答你。” (太6:16-18) 禁食代表我对即时满足的否定，把我的焦点从我自己带到神和其他人身上。这是耶稣说的， “若有人要跟从我，就当舍己，背起他的十字架来跟从我。” (太16:24) 让人知道我们舍己就不是舍己了!

When we do our 'acts of righteousness' in secret instead of in public, we are doing them for only one reason: God. We will then reap the greatest reward: God. From this dimension of our human to divine relation spawns a healthy human to human relation with self and others. Have you gotten your relation right with God? If not, now is a good time to pray to receive Christ as your Savior to have the right foundation for your relation with yourself and others.

当我们在暗里做我们的善事，而不是公开的，我们做的原因就只有一个：神。 然后我们将收获最大的奖励：神。从这个人神关系的维度产生我们与自已和与其他人健康的人际关系。 您已经得到与神正确的关系了么？如果没有，现在正是好时机来祈祷接受基督作为您的救主，您就可以有与您自己和与其他人的关系的正确基础。

Tom and Tehwan Tso

仲谋与德菀

“The outcome of your faith is the salvation of your souls.” 1Peter 1:9

”信心的果效， 就是灵魂的救恩” 彼得前书1：9