When we love Christ, we love others.

我们爱基督，也应该爱人。

My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. John 15:12 

你们要彼此相爱，像我爱你们一样，这就是我的命令。-约翰福音15章12节

In Emily Bronte’s novel Wuthering Heights, a cantankerous man who often quotes the Bible to criticize others is memorably described as “the wearisomest self-righteous Pharisee that ever ransacked a Bible to rake [apply] the promises to himself and fling the curses to his neighbours.”

在艾米莉．勃朗特（Emily Bronte）的小说《呼啸山庄》中，有个坏脾气的人物经常引用圣经批评他人。作者描述他是“最令人讨厌、自以为义的法利赛人，自己搜刮圣经所有的应许，却将咒诅丢给他的邻舍”。      

It’s a funny line; and it may even bring particular people to mind. But aren’t we all a bit like this—prone to condemn others’ failures while excusing our own?

这段描述很有趣，或许会让我们想起某些人。但是，我们每个人岂不也和他有点相似，常常严以律人、宽以待己吗？

In Scripture some people amazingly did the exact opposite; they were willing to give up God’s promises for them and even be cursed if it would save others. Consider Moses, who said he’d rather be blotted out of God’s book than see the Israelites unforgiven (Exodus 32:32). Or Paul, who said he’d choose to be “cut off from Christ” if it meant his people would find Him (Romans 9:3).

圣经中有些人物却完全相反，他们愿意放弃上帝给他们的美好应许，甚至愿意受诅咒，只为了可以救其他人。想想摩西，他宁愿上帝在生命册中抹去他的名字，也不愿见到以色列人不得赦免（出埃及记32章32节）。保罗也说，若同胞能寻见基督，就算要他“与基督分离”，他也愿意（罗马书9章3节）。

As self-righteous as we naturally are, Scripture highlights those who love others more than themselves. Because ultimately such love points to Jesus. “Greater love has no one than this,” Jesus taught, than “to lay down one’s life for one’s friends” (John 15:13). Even before we knew Him, Jesus loved us “to the end” (13:1)—choosing death to give us life.

虽然自以为义是我们的本性，圣经却凸显了有些人是爱人更甚于爱己。因为这样的爱最终乃指向耶稣，正如祂教导我们：“人为朋友舍命，人的爱心没有比这个大的”（约翰福音15章13节）。甚至在我们还不认识耶稣的时候，祂就爱我们“到底”（13章1节），祂甘心流血舍命，赐给你我生命。

Now we are invited into the family of God, to love and be loved like this (15:9–12). And as we pour into others Christ’s unimaginable love, the world will catch a glimpse of Him.

现在我们都受邀进入上帝的家中，我们蒙上帝所爱，也要像祂一样去爱人（15章9-12节）。当我们向人流露基督那测不透的爱时，世人便能一窥祂的美善。

Lord, thank You for showing us what it means to love. Help us to love like You.

主啊，感谢祢让我们知道什么是爱，帮助我们像祢一样爱人。

John 15:5-17    NIV

15 “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. 6 If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. 7 If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8 This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples. 9 “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. 10 If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. 11 I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. 12 My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. 13 Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. 14 You are my friends if you do what I command. 15 I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. 16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you. 17 This is my command: Love each other.

约翰福音 15:5-17

15 我是葡萄树，你们是枝子。常在我里面的，我也常在他里面，这人就多结果子；因为离了我，你们就不能做什么。 6 人若不常在我里面，就像枝子丢在外面枯干，人拾起来扔在火里烧了。 7 你们若常在我里面，我的话也常在你们里面，凡你们所愿意的，祈求，就给你们成就。 8 你们多结果子，我父就因此得荣耀，你们也就是我的门徒了。9 “我爱你们，正如父爱我一样，你们要常在我的爱里。 10 你们若遵守我的命令，就常在我的爱里，正如我遵守了我父的命令，常在他的爱里。 11 这些事我已经对你们说了，是要叫我的喜乐存在你们心里，并叫你们的喜乐可以满足。 12 你们要彼此相爱，像我爱你们一样，这就是我的命令。 13 人为朋友舍命，人的爱心没有比这个大的。 14 你们若遵行我所吩咐的，就是我的朋友了。 15 以后我不再称你们为仆人，因仆人不知道主人所做的事。我乃称你们为朋友，因我从父所听见的，已经都告诉你们了。 16 不是你们拣选了我，是我拣选了你们，并且分派你们去结果子，叫你们的果子常存，使你们奉我的名无论向父求什么，他就赐给你们。 17 我这样吩咐你们，是要叫你们彼此相爱。

INSIGHT

灵粮透视

The important idea of love for one another found in John 15:12–14 is rooted in one of Jesus’s most enduring teaching images—the vine and the branches (vv. 1–8). Our life so completely flows from being connected to Christ that everything we do, including our ability to love one another, is drawn from His life and power.

约翰福音15章12-14节讲到彼此相爱的重要观念，这乃植根于耶稣历久弥坚的一个比喻性教导，即葡萄树和枝子（1-8节）。我们生命的流露乃是因为与基督连结，我们所做的一切，包括我们彼此相爱的能力，都源于祂的生命和大能。

整理：于姊妹