马太福音26:20-25：在爱里呼唤我们悔改

20到了晚上，耶稣和十二个门徒坐席。21正吃的时候，耶稣说：“我实在告诉你们：你们中间有一个人要卖我了。”22他们就甚忧愁，一个一个地问他说：“主，是我吗？”23耶稣回答说：“同我蘸手在盘子里的，就是他要卖我。24人子必要去世，正如经上指着他所写的，但卖人子的人有祸了，那人不生在世上倒好。”25卖耶稣的犹大问他说：“拉比，是我吗？”耶稣说：“你说的是。”

耶稣仍然爱他。他爱这个偷门徒钱财的人。他爱这个把他出卖给敌人的人。他爱他，即使犹大在心里已经出卖了他，在不信中背弃了他。

在这个和门徒一起度过温馨之夜的时刻，他仍然爱他，但犹大却出卖了他。他呼唤他的名字，并不是为了引起门徒的注意；他呼唤他的名字，是因为即使在当时，犹大仍有机会回转悔罪。

这就是耶稣爱人的方式。他爱那些不可爱的人；他爱他的敌人；他爱那些心肠固执的人。带着爱，他总是呼唤我们悔改，这样我们才能和他一起坐席，这个筵席是他在天堂为我们准备的。

祷告：主耶稣，当我走上那条偏离你的道路的时候，请呼唤我从罪中回转，让我的心远离罪恶，这样我才能尽享你为所有信你的人准备的救恩的筵席。祷告奉你的名求，阿们！

Matthew 26

Matthew 26:20-25:  20 When evening came, Jesus was reclining at the table with the Twelve.21 And while they were eating, he said, “Truly I tell you, one of you will betray me.” 22 They were very sad and began to say to him one after the other, “Surely you don’t mean me, Lord?” 23 Jesus replied, “The one who has dipped his hand into the bowl with me will betray me. 24 The Son of Man will go just as it is written about him.But woe to that man who betrays the Son of Man! It would be better for him if he had not been born.” 25 Then Judas, the one who would betray him, said, “Surely you don’t mean me, Rabbi?” Jesus answered, “You have said so.”

        And Jesus still loved him. He loved the man who stole from the disciples. He loved the man who betrayed him to his enemies. He loved him, even though Judas had betrayed Jesus in his heart and turned away from him in unbelief. 

         He loved him here at this intimate gathering of his disciples on the night that Judas would betray him. He called him out, but not so that the other disciples would notice. He called him out so that he would, even now, turn from his sinful ways and repent.

         This is how Jesus loves. He loves the unlovable. He loves his enemies. He loves the stubborn hearted. And in love, he is always calling us to repentance so that we might sit with him at the table he has prepared for us in heaven.

Prayer:  Lord Jesus, when I walk that road that leads away from you, then call me back from my sin. Turn my heart away from my sin so that I might enjoy the feast of salvation that you have prepared for all who believe in you.  I ask this in your name.   Amen.