从不赦免人 有一次,卫斯理与一位将军一同旅行,看见将军向他的仆人发怒。仆人立即向他恳求赦免。但将军说,我从来不赦免人。卫斯理就对他说:「将军,我盼望你从来不犯罪。」信徒需要彼此饶恕,如同神在基督里饶恕了我们一样。只有我们免了人的债,才能向神求免我们的债。「你不应当怜恤你的同伴,像我怜恤你么。」(马太福音十九章三十三节) 埋斧留柄 一位青年腰携一斧,终日寻找他的仇人,准备将他劈死。一天,听见福音受了感动,知道恨人杀人是罪,当场认罪悔改。过了一个礼拜,传进人看他没有得救,没有改变,问他到底悔改了没有。他说,他已悔改了,并且听道以后也认过罪了,将准备杀死仇人之斧已埋在土中了。牧师觉得非常奇怪,那有真悔改而不得救之理,遂说:「你的斧头埋在何处?我与你一回去看看。」不看则已,一看才知他的斧头虽是埋在土里,斧柄还是高高露在地上。牧师问他何故埋斧留柄?他说,准备遇见仇人之时可以立刻持柄击杀之。弟兄姊妹彼此认罪,彼此饶恕,必须是从心里作的,不该仅是口头的。「你们各人若不从心里饶恕你的弟兄,我天父也要这样待你们了。」(马太福音十八章三十五节) 沙漠中的朋友 阿拉伯传说中有两个朋友在沙漠中旅行,在旅途中的某点他们吵架了,一个还给了另外一个一记耳光。被打的觉得受辱,一言不语,在沙子上写下:「今天我的好朋友打了我一巴掌。」 他们继续往前走。直到到了沃野,他们就决定停下。被打巴掌的那位差点淹死,幸好被朋友救起来了。被救起后,拿了一把小剑在石头上刻了:「今天我的好朋友救了我一命。」 一旁好奇的朋友问说:「为什么我打了你以后,你要写在沙子上;而现在要刻在石头上呢?」 另外一个回答说:「当被一个朋友伤害时,要写在易忘的地方,风会负责抹去它;相反的如果被帮助,我们要把它刻在心里的深处,那里任何风都不能抹灭它。」 朋友的相处,伤害往往是无心的,帮助却是真心的。忘记那些无心的伤害,铭记那些对你的帮助,你会发现这世上你有很多真心的朋友。 Forgetting and Forgiveness A friend of Clara Barton, founder of the American Red Cross, once reminded her of an especially cruel thing that had been done to her years before. But Miss Barton seemed not to recall it. "Don't you remember it?" her friend asked. "No," Came the reply, "I distinctly remember forgetting it." You can't be free and happy if you harbor grudges, so put them away. Get rid of them. Collect postage stamps, or collect coins, if you wish-but don't collect grudges. Forgetting and Forgiveness A man who was telling his friend about an argument he'd had with his wife commented, "Oh, how I hate it, every time we have an argument, she gets historical." The friend replied, "You mean hysterical.} "No," he insisted. "I mean historical. Every time we argue she drags up everything from the past and holds it against me!"
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