【双语灵修】当物品成为障碍WHEN OUR STUFF BECOMES A BARRIER

马太福音 10:5-10

耶稣差这十二个人去，吩咐他们说：「外邦人的路你们不要走，撒马利亚人的城你们不要进，宁可往以色列家迷失的羊那里去。随走随传，说『天国近了』。医治病人，叫死人复活，叫长大痲疯的洁净，把鬼赶出去。你们白白地得来，也要白白地舍去。腰袋里不要带金银铜钱，行路不要带口袋，不要带两件褂子，也不要带鞋和拐杖，因为工人得饮食是应当的。

2月20日

当物品成为障碍

「腰袋里不要带金银铜钱，行路不要带口袋，不要带两件褂子，也不要带鞋和拐杖，因为工人得饮食是应当的。」 -太 10:9-10

耶稣真的是这个意思吗——当我们外出宣教时，不带任何额外的东西？这些命令对今天的我们来说还适用吗？我出差的时候，通常会把行李装得满满的（甚至更多）。

罗杰·格林威（Roger Greenway）是多年前到斯里兰卡宣教的一名宣教士，他讲过他们一家人用了18个木桶和两个大木箱，从美国运送他们的物品，但这批货物被耽搁了四个月。在此期间，他们到了斯里兰卡，才明白到没有这些东西，他们也能过得很好。他们对当地资源的依赖，也帮助了他们与当地人建立起友谊。

当他们的行李最终到达时，邻居们突然把他们看作是非常富有的人，他们的生活水平比当地人高得多。实际上，这些东西成为了与他们要服侍的对象之间的障碍，格林威后来提醒宣教士们，要留心自己的物品会向他人传达怎样的信息。

有鉴于此，在多个世纪以来，对于基督教宣教士立下贫穷的誓愿不足为奇。但这个教训适用于我们所有人，就是我们所拥有的物品和生活方式，会告诉他人我们看重的是什么呢？我们是否首先寻求神的国呢（太 6:33）？

祷告

主啊，感谢祢赐予我们的礼物。请帮助我们慷慨解囊，如果我们所拥有的物品会成为服侍祢和他人的障碍，请帮助我们舍去。阿们。

WHEN OUR STUFF BECOMES A BARRIER

“Do not get any gold or silver or copper to take with you in your belts—no bag for the journey or extra shirt or sandals. . . .”                                   —Matthew 10:9-10

Did Jesus really mean this—to bring nothing extra when we travel for mission work? Do those instructions still apply to us today? When I travel for mission work, I usually pack to the limit (sometimes more).

Roger Greenway, a missionary to Sri Lanka many years ago, recounted how his family had tried to ship their belongings from the United States in 18 barrels and two big crates—but the shipment was delayed by four months. In the meantime, they landed in Sri Lanka and learned that they could get along quite well without most of that stuff. Their dependence on local resources also helped them develop friendships with local people.

When their baggage finally arrived, they were suddenly viewed by their neighbors as very wealthy people whose standard of living was much higher than the locals’. All that stuff actually created barriers between them and the people they had come to serve. Greenway later advised missionaries to be careful about what kind of message their belongings would send to others.

Considering this, it’s not surprising that for many centuries Christian missionaries made a vow of poverty. But this lesson applies to us all—what does our stuff and our lifestyle tell others about our priorities? Are we seeking first the kingdom of God (Matthew 6:33)?

Lord, thank you for your gifts to us. Help us to be generous and to let go of our stuff if it could become a barrier to serving you and others. Amen.