How deep is the Father’s love for us!

天父对我们的爱是何其深广！

When you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind. Luke 14:13

Just one week before her scheduled wedding date, Sarah’s engagement ended. Despite her sadness and disappointment, she decided not to waste the food she had purchased for her wedding reception. She did, however, decide to change the celebration plans. She took down the gift table and revamped the guest list, inviting the residents of local homeless shelters to the feast.

在原定婚期的一周前，莎柔取消了她的婚礼。她虽然伤心失望，但仍决定不要浪费那些为婚宴购买的食物，因此她改变了原定的庆祝计划。她撤除了礼物桌，更新了宴客名单，改为邀请住在当地游民收容所的人前来赴宴。

Jesus upheld this sort of no-strings-attached kindness when speaking to the Pharisees, saying, “When you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed” (Luke 14:13–14). He noted that the blessing would come from God because these guests would not be able to repay the host. Jesus approved of helping people who couldn’t supply charity donations, sparkling conversation, or social connections.

耶稣也很看重这种没有任何附加条件的恩慈，就如祂对法利赛人说：“你摆设筵席，倒要请那贫穷的、残废的、瘸腿的、瞎眼的，你就有福了！”（路加福音14章13节）耶稣告诉我们，因为这些宾客无法回报主人，所以上帝会赐下祝福。祂要我们去帮助那些没有经济能力、没有才华或没有社会地位的人。

When we consider that Jesus spoke these words as He sat at a meal given by a Pharisee, His message seems provocative and radical. But real love is radical. I’ve heard it said that love is giving to meet the needs of others without expecting anything in return. This is how Jesus has loved each of us. He saw our inner poverty and responded by giving His life for us.

耶稣是在法利赛人家中坐席的时候，说出这样一番言论，让我们觉得祂的信息似乎会引起争议，且违反常理。然而，真实的爱确实是如此。有人说，爱是为了别人的需要而不求回报地付出。耶稣正是如此爱我们每一个人，祂看到我们生命的穷乏，祂的回应就是为你我付出祂自己的生命。

Knowing Christ personally is a journey into His infinite love. All of us are invited to explore “how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ” (Ephesians 3:18). 

要经历基督这无限的爱，我们就要亲身认识祂。耶稣基督邀请我们每一个人去探索祂长阔高深的爱！（以弗所书3章18节）

Dear God, help us to explore the depths of Your love. We want to give to others what You have given to us.

亲爱的上帝，求祢帮助我们去探究祢的爱有多深。我们愿将祢所赐给我们的给予他人。

Luke 14:7-14   NIV

14  When he noticed how the guests picked the places of honor at the table, he told them this parable: 8 “When someone invites you to a wedding feast, do not take the place of honor, for a person more distinguished than you may have been invited. 9 If so, the host who invited both of you will come and say to you, ‘Give this person your seat.’ Then, humiliated, you will have to take the least important place.10 But when you are invited, take the lowest place, so that when your host comes, he will say to you, ‘Friend, move up to a better place.’ Then you will be honored in the presence of all the other guests. 11 For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”12 Then Jesus said to his host, “When you give a luncheon or dinner, do not invite your friends, your brothers or sisters, your relatives, or your rich neighbors; if you do, they may invite you back and so you will be repaid. 13 But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, 14 and you will be blessed. Although they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.”

路加福音 14:7-14 

14 耶稣见所请的客拣择首位，就用比喻对他们说： 8 “你被人请去赴婚姻的筵席，不要坐在首位上，恐怕有比你尊贵的客被他请来， 9 那请你们的人前来对你说：‘让座给这一位吧！’你就羞羞惭惭地退到末位上去了。 10 你被请的时候，就去坐在末位上，好叫那请你的人来对你说：‘朋友，请上坐！’那时，你在同席的人面前就有光彩了。 11 因为凡自高的，必降为卑；自卑的，必升为高。”12 耶稣又对请他的人说：“你摆设午饭或晚饭，不要请你的朋友、弟兄、亲属和富足的邻舍，恐怕他们也请你，你就得了报答。 13 你摆设筵席，倒要请那贫穷的、残废的、瘸腿的、瞎眼的，你就有福了！ 14 因为他们没有什么可报答你。到义人复活的时候，你要得着报答。”

INSIGHT

灵粮透视

As Jesus attends a dinner party hosted by a “prominent Pharisee” (Luke 14:1), He turns our human desire for social recognition into an opportunity to teach His kingdom values: Don’t seek out positions of prominence but exalt others instead (vv. 7–11). Then He turns that lesson into one tailored for His host: Don’t give a party simply to enhance your own economic prospects or to build your reputation in the community. Instead, give lavishly to those who have a genuine need and cannot repay you (vv. 12–14). This aligns with the Lord’s teaching in the Sermon on the Mount: “When you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets” (Matthew 6:2).

耶稣在应邀去一位“法利赛人的首领”家里坐席时（路加福音14章1节），便藉着这个机会针对人们对社会认可的渴望，教导人们上帝国度的价值观：不要寻求高位，反要高举他人（7-11节）。然后，耶稣将这个教训转为针对筵席的主人：设宴款待宾客不应只为谋求自己的经济利益，或在社会中树立声望，而是要慷慨地邀请那些真正需要帮助且无力回报的人（12-14节）。这与耶稣在登山宝训中的教导遥相呼应：“你施舍的时候，不可在你前面吹号。”（马太福音6章2节）

What motivates my giving and my social interactions? Do I serve God’s kingdom values of unconditional love and mercy?

不妨花点时间思想，我对人的付出并与人交往的动机是什么呢？我是否遵循上帝国度的价值观，愿以无条件的爱和怜悯待人呢？