讲解音频：
Youtube视频：
马太福音5：33-37
马太福音 5:33 你们又听见有吩咐古人的话、说、『不可背誓、所起的誓、总要向主谨守。』34 只是我告诉你们、甚么誓都不可起、不可指着天起誓、因为天是 神的座位；35 不可指着地起誓、因为地是他的脚凳；也不可指着耶路撒冷起誓、因为耶路撒冷是大君的京城。36 又不可指着你的头起誓，因为你不能使一根头发变黑变白了。37 你们的话、是、就说是；不是、就说不是；若再多说、就是出于那恶者。〔或作是从恶里出来的〕
起誓是非常严肃的事情，特别是以神的名义起誓，甚至以一些无足轻重的东西的名义起誓也是如此。法利赛人可能认为指着天、地、耶路撒冷，甚至自己的头赌咒发誓（即使违背了誓言）也没有什么错，因为他们做这些并没有以神的名义。但耶稣说，你完全没有必要起誓，只需说“是”，或者“不”。
有多少次你说过这样的话：“上帝啊，外面可真冷。”这样使用上帝的名是徒劳的。我们的文化偏爱说：“拉钩”；“以我故去的妈妈的名义”；或者我最不喜欢的：“在我心上划十字，以死起誓。”在这里你的意思是举起十字架这个标志，如果没有说实话，毋宁死。这是一个多么糟糕的誓言啊。
有些誓言是合宜的，比如法庭上的誓言。即使是耶稣在大祭司面前也没有拒绝发誓。他为我们谨守了第二条诫命，宣誓的时候说的都是真话，而且也从不为那些微不足道的事物起誓。从我们口中出来的话语都是重要的，所以我们一定要谨慎选择。
祷告：主耶稣啊，请原谅我口出的每一句无心之语，不管它们是无心的誓言，还是有意的欺骗和伤害。请教导我谨慎选择要说的话，这样我无论说什么，都能荣耀你的名。祷告奉你的名，阿们！
Matthew
Listen: Matthew 5:33-37 “Again, you have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘Do not break your oath, but fulfill to the Lord the vows you have made.’ 34 But I tell you, do not swear an oath at all: either by heaven, for it is God’s throne; 35 or by the earth, for it is his footstool; or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the Great King. 36 And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make even one hair white or black. 37 All you need to say is simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything beyond this comes from the evil one.
An oath is a serious thing, especially when that oath is taken in God’s name, but even when it is taken in the name of something inconsequential. The Pharisees would probably argue that swearing an oath by heaven, or by earth, or by Jerusalem, or by your own head would not be wrong (even if you broke it) because you weren’t swearing by God’s name. Jesus says you don’t have to swear an oath at all. Jesus say “Yes” or “No.”
How many times have you said something like, “God, it’s cold out!” That’s taking God’s name in vain. We have some favorites in our culture. “Pinky swear!” “On my mother’s grave.” Or, my least favorite of all” “Cross my heart and hope to die.” What you are saying with that oath, by the way, is that you are putting the sign of the cross and hope to die if you aren’t telling the truth. What a terrible oath to take!
Some oaths are appropriate, like in a court of law. Even Jesus allowed himself to be put under oath before the high priest. He kept the second commandment for us by telling the truth under oath, and by never taking an oath for trivial matters. The words that come out of our mouths are important and we should choose them carefully.
Prayer: Lord Jesus, forgive me for every careless word that has come out of my mouth, whether those were words that spoke careless oaths or words that were meant to deceive or words that were meant to harm. Teach me to choose my words carefully so that I can honor you in everything that I say. I ask this in your name. Amen.
马太福音灵修
马太福音5:38-42
马太福音5:38 你们听见有话说、『以眼还眼、以牙还牙。』39只是我告诉你们、不要与恶人作对．有人打你的右脸、连左脸也转过来由他打。40有人想要告你、要拿你的里衣、连外衣也由他拿去。41有人强逼你走一里路、你就同他走二里。42有求你的、就给他．有向你借贷的、不可推辞。
我们该如何面对这个世界的不公，特别是当这个不公是直接针对我们个人的？我曾经在Youtube的福音频道听过Tim Keller牧师的讲道，内容就是关于基督徒与公正。当时我碰巧看了讲道后面的评论，以往对此我从来没有关注过。我今天早晨就和大家分享一下这些评论，它们来自一位名为Hannah Joy的女士。
“如果不是十字架的缘故，我根本不可能相信上帝。我所相信的唯一上帝就是被尼采嘲笑为‘十字架上的上帝。’”在这个充满痛苦的现实世界，人们怎么可能敬拜一位神，而这位神对这个世界无动于衷呢？我去过很多亚洲国家的佛教寺庙，毕恭毕敬地站在释迦摩尼的雕像前。他的腿交叉，他的手臂折叠，他的眼目关闭，嘴角一抹神秘的微笑，脸上的表情冷漠，对这个世界的痛苦超然度外。但每一次过不了多久我就转身离开。在想象中我转向在十字架上的那一位，他孤单、扭曲、受尽折磨；手脚被钉子穿透，后背撕裂，四肢扭伤；额头因为荆棘的刺在流血；口干舌燥，陷入被神弃绝的黑暗中。这才是我的神！他置痛苦于不顾，道成肉身进入我们这个有泪水有死亡的世界。在他的光照之下，我们的痛苦变得可以忍受。虽然人类的苦难仍是未解之谜，但当我们勇敢地在另一个标志上打上我们的印记，我们就胜过了苦难；这个标志就是象征耶稣受难的十字架。基督的十字架是他在这个世界中唯一自我称义的记号。其他的神都是强壮的，你却是软弱的；他们驰骋天下，你却跌落在宝座前。只有上帝的伤痕能医治我们的伤痕。没有一个神拥有伤痕，唯独你拥有。
知道耶稣为我忍受了这样的残忍给我带来勇气，以至于当我也遭受残忍的时候，把另一侧脸颊也转过来。
祷告：主耶稣，你承担了我的十字架，我才能担负我自己的十字架。你因我的耻辱而受苦，我才能永远不会因你而羞愧。你在不公面前默然无声，我才能面对我自己生活的不公时依然欢喜快乐。但愿你的十字架永远刻在我的心门上。阿们！
Matthew
Listen: Matthew 5:38-42 38 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.’ 39 But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also. 40 And if anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, hand over your coat as well. 41 If anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them two miles. 42 Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.
How do we deal with injustice in the world, especially when that injustice is directed against ourselves? I listened to a Tim Keller sermon on my Youtube channel on Christians and justice and just happened to look at the comments below, which I almost never do. I want to share these words with you this morning from a lady named Hannah Joy.
“I could never myself believe in God, if it were not for the cross. The only God I believe in is the One Nietzsche ridiculed as ‘God on the cross.’ In the real world of pain, how could one worship a God who was immune to it? I have entered many Buddhist temples in different Asian countries and stood respectfully before the statue of the Buddha, his legs crossed, arms folded, eyes closed, the ghost of a smile playing round his mouth, a remote look on his face, detached from the agonies of the world. But each time after a while I have had to turn away. And in imagination I have turned instead to that lonely, twisted, tortured figure on the cross, nails through hands and feet, back lacerated, limbs wrenched, brow bleeding from thorn-pricks, mouth dry and intolerably thirsty, plunged in Godforsaken darkness. That is the God for me! He laid aside his immunity to pain. He entered our world of flesh and blood, tears and death. He suffered for us. Our sufferings become more manageable in the light of his. There is still a question mark against human suffering, but over it we boldly stamp another mark, the cross that symbolizes divine suffering. ‘The cross of Christ … is God’s only self-justification in such a world” as ours….’ ‘The other gods were strong; but thou wast weak; they rode, but thou didst stumble to a throne; But to our wounds only God’s wounds can speak, And not a god has wounds, but thou alone.”
Knowing that Jesus suffered such cruelty for me gives me the courage to turn the other cheek in the face of cruelty inflicted on my.
Prayer: Lord Jesus, you bore my cross so that I could carry mine. You suffered my shame so that I could never be ashamed of you. You quietly stood in the face of injustice so that I could find joy in facing injustice in my life. Let your cross be always stamped on the portals of my heart! Amen.