Suffering Afflictions and Going the Second Mile

I tell you not to resist an evil person. But whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also —Matthew 5:39

This verse reveals the humiliation of being a Christian. In the natural realm, if a person does not hit back, it is because he is a coward. But in the spiritual realm, it is the very evidence of the Son of God in him if he does not hit back. When you are insulted, you must not only not resent it, but you must make it an opportunity to exhibit the Son of God in your life. And you cannot imitate the nature of Jesus— it is either in you or it is not. A personal insult becomes an opportunity for a saint to reveal the incredible sweetness of the Lord Jesus.

The teaching of the Sermon on the Mount is not, “Do your duty,” but is, in effect, “Do what is not your duty.” It is not your duty to go the second mile, or to turn the other cheek, but Jesus said that if we are His disciples, we will always do these things. We will not say, “Oh well, I just can’t do any more, and I’ve been so misrepresented and misunderstood.” Every time I insist on having my own rights, I hurt the Son of God, while in fact I can prevent Jesus from being hurt if I will take the blow myself. That is the real meaning of filling “up in my flesh what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ . . .” (Colossians 1:24). A disciple realizes that it is his Lord’s honor that is at stake in his life, not his own honor.

Never look for righteousness in the other person, but never cease to be righteous yourself. We are always looking for justice, yet the essence of the teaching of the Sermon on the Mount is— Never look for justice, but never cease to give it.

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逼迫的賬

只是我告訴你們，不要與惡人作對。有人打你的右臉，連左臉也轉過來由他打。 （太五39）

這經文說出作基督徒的謙卑。依常情來說，不還手是懦夫；但在屬​​靈上，不還手錶明有神的兒子在他裡頭。你被侮辱時，不但不要動怒，更要藉這機會表彰神的兒子。你無法模仿耶穌的性情，有就有，沒有就沒有。對一個聖徒來說，個人受辱是表彰主耶穌美妙的機會，這真令人難以置信。

登山寶訓不是——做你當做的，而是——做非你分內的。你本不必走第二里路，不必轉左臉，但耶穌說若我們是他的門徒，就必須這樣行。我們不該存這樣的心：[唉，我受這樣的冤屈誤會，再也無能為力了。 ]每次我堅持自己的權益，就傷害了神的兒子；我若接受那一擊，就叫耶穌免受傷害。這正是補滿基督患難缺欠的意思。主的門徒只知道主的榮耀，而非他自己的聲譽，這是系於一生的目標。切勿從他人身上要求正義，自己也不可不去行義。我們往往尋找公義；但登山寶訓卻說不要找公義，要時常施行公義。

祈禱◆主啊，當我想起你的一切美善、奇妙和恩典，讚美和憂慮的心便在我裡面此起彼落。噢，主啊，我所祈求的是；你在我裡面最想尋見的一切，正是我必須在現實生活中實踐出來的東西。