與眾不同的愛 Distinctive Love
與眾不同的愛
Distinctive Love
Well good morning Gracecity! How are you today? This is my attempt at a distinctive entrance.
And a distinctive attire. Do you like it?
早上好 Gracecity 今天好吗？这是我尝试的与众不同的入场方式 和与众不同的着装 你们喜欢吗？
The last time I wore a tux was at the school ball. That’s going back 8- 9 years, right?! ☺
我上次穿礼服还是在学校舞会上。那是八九年前的事了，对吧？
Some things are distinctive. They stand out.
有些东西与众不同 它们很显眼
It might be the our iconic kiwi (picture on screen) our famous bird that can’t actually fly.
可能是我们标志性的奇异鸟（屏幕上的图片），我们著名的不会飞的鸟。
Or penguins, (picture on screen) formally classified in a group of birds that cannot fly. Perhaps they
can also be classified as the birds who wear tuxedos!
或者企鹅，（屏幕上的图片）被正式归类为不会飞的鸟类。或许，它们也可以被归类为穿燕尾服的鸟类！
When I think of distinctive – I also think of the iconic tourist guide umbrella. (picture on screen of a
yellow or red umbrella from tourist guide)
说到与众不同，我还会想到标志性的旅游指南伞。(屏幕上的图片是一把黄色或红色的旅游指南伞）
In our new series, we are talking about what makes followers of Jesus distinctive. How is it that
Christians are meant to stand out
在我们的新系列中，我们将讨论是什么让耶稣的追随者与众不同。基督徒如何与众不同？
If you’re not a Jesus follower, you might wonder what those distinctive elements are. In your mind,
perhaps it isn’t a great list. There is the perception – real or not – that Christians are judgemental,
arrogant, and keep to themselves. They rally people against the progressive direction of culture with
angry voices and calls to take our culture back to what it was. As a result, we’re often known for what
we are against.
如果你不是耶稣的信徒，你可能会在想这些独特的元素是什么。在你的心目中，也许这并不是一
个很好的清单。有一种看法--无论真实与否--认为基督徒是批判性的、傲慢的、独来独往的。他们
用愤怒的声音号召人们反对文化的进步方向，呼吁让我们的文化回到从前。因此，我们常常以反
对什么而闻名。
This series is all about what we are meant to be known FOR. What is it that is meant to cause us to
stand out and be distinct.
本系列的主题是我们应该为什么而闻名。是什么让我们脱颖而出，与众不同。
Each week, we will look at a distinct trait.
每周，我们将探讨一种与众不同的特质。
Today, is the umbrella concept Jesus gave us that causes us to stand out.
今天，我们要讨论的是耶稣赋予我们的、使我们脱颖而出的雨伞概念。
Think of this trait with Jesus holding up that umbrella to guide us to what it is to be a distinct
community.
想象耶稣为我们撑起这把伞，引导我们成为一个与众不同的群体，这就是我们的特质。
But of course, Jesus isn’t gathering tourists but disciples. He is about to be arrested and crucified. He
is spent the last three years showing them and training them for the mission he is placing into their
hands. And now into our hands.
当然，耶稣聚集的不是游客，而是门徒。他即将被捕并被钉上十字架。在过去的三年里，他向他们
展示并训练他们，以完成他交给他们的使命。现在也交给了我们。
He leaves His disciples with this one imperative. One command.
祂留给门徒的只有一个命令。一个指令
Often when we think of commands – we might think of the ‘do nots.’ ‘Don’t do this... Don’t do that.’
Jesus gives 1 commandment that sums up what makes us distinct. It is something we are to be known
FOR. This is what he says:
So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should
love each other. Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.” / John
13:34-35
In other words, love is the tuxedo we wear. Love is what makes us stand out.
通常，当我们想到命令时，我们可能会想到'不要'。不要这样做... 不要那样做 耶稣给出的一条诫
命概括了我们的与众不同之处。这也是我们要为之闻名的东西。他是这样说的:
所以我现在给你们一条新的诫命： 你们要彼此相爱。我怎样爱你们，你们也要怎样相爱。你们彼
此相爱，就向世人证明你们是我的门徒"。/ 约翰福音 13：34-35
换句话说，爱就是我们穿的晚礼服。爱让我们脱颖而出。
For many of us – this is no longer “new” – we’ve heard it before. It was the same for them. They had
heard it before. But, it might be like the last time I wore a tuxedo. It’s been a while. Time has a way to
make some things change.
对于我们中的许多人来说，这已经不再是 "新鲜事 "了--我们以前就听过。对他们来说也是一
样。他们以前也听过。但是，这可能就像我上次穿燕尾服一样。已经有一段时间了。时间总能改变一些事情。
When it comes to the aging process and clothing, much seems to change around the waist. It’s hard
to fit that tuxedo back on again.
说到衰老过程和服装，腰部的变化似乎最大。现在很难再穿上那件燕尾服.
Sometimes, significant changes need to be made in our lives in order for us to re-wear this posture of love.
有时，我们需要在生活中做出重大改变，才能重新穿上爱的姿态。
So, what does this commandment mean?
那么，这条诫命意味着什么呢？
If we’re honest – it all sounds a bit touchy feel-ley. Love can be hard to define.
老实说，这听起来是更实质上的东西。 爱很难定义。
Imagine you had no idea what music was, I might say to you, "Music is the science of the art of
tones." Does that help you? You might even memorise that definition but you would have no idea
what it is. It would be better to have you listen to music and experience it – than defining it.
假设你不知道音乐是什么，我可以告诉你："音乐是音调艺术的科学"。这对你有帮助吗？你甚至
可以记住这个定义，但你根本不知道它是什么。与其给音乐下定义，还不如让你听音乐，体验音乐。
Or imagine If you had no idea what a diamond is. I might say “Diamonds are native carbon in
isometric crystal.” That might get you a passing grade on a geology exam but it’s not something to
mention when you propose. But, just one diamond flashing before you offers a better definition.
或者想象一下，如果你不知道钻石是什么。我可能会说 "钻石是等轴晶体中的原生碳"。 这可能会
让你在地质学考试中取得及格分数，但在求婚时却不值得一提。但是，只要一颗钻石在你面前闪过，你就会有一个更好的定义。
If love is meant to be the distinctive trait for us - how do we define love?
如果爱是我们与众不同的特质--我们该如何定义爱呢？
The good news is that we can describe love by looking at the way Jesus loved.
好消息是，我们可以通过观察耶稣爱的方式来描述爱。
He even clarified this in the verses here:
他甚至在这里的经文中阐明了这一点：
So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should
love each other. Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.” / John 13:34-35
所以，我现在赐给你们一条新命令： 你们要彼此相爱。我怎样爱你们，你们也要怎样相爱。 你们
彼此相爱，就向世人证明你们是我的门徒"。/ 约翰福音 13：34-35
“Do I as I do.” “Love like I have loved you.”
"我怎样做，你们也要怎样做" "像我爱你们一样去爱”
As we look at the way Jesus loves, we begin to see what embodied love looks like at work, and around
the house, and in our classes, and in our neighbourhoods. We begin to see how and why love should
be the distinctive characteristic of every follower of Jesus.
当我们看到耶稣爱的方式时，我们就会开始看到在工作中、在家里、在班级里、在邻里间体现的
爱是什么样的。我们开始明白，爱如何以及为什么会成为每一个耶稣追随者的鲜明特征。
We begin to see that love is the tuxedo we wear. It is what makes us stand out.
我们开始明白，爱是我们的礼服。它让我们脱颖而出。
So, let’s consider four characteristics of this distinctive love that Jesus expressed:
那么，让我们来看看耶稣所表达的这种与众不同的爱的四个特点：
1) Distinctive love is a love that extends to ALL people
独特的爱是一种延伸到所有人的爱
Jesus spoke about this kind of love a lot. One of my favourite passages – albeit challenging – is what
he says in Luke 6:
“LOVE your ENEMIES! Do GOOD to them. Lend to them without expecting to be repaid. Then … you
will truly be acting as children of the Most High, for he is kind to those who are unthankful and
wicked. You must be compassionate, just as your Father is compassionate./ Luke 6:35-36
耶稣经常谈到这种爱。我最喜欢的段落之一--尽管具有挑战性--是他在路加福音第六章中所说的
话：
"爱你的敌人！对他们好。借给他们，不求回报。这样......你们就真像至高者的儿女了，因为他慈
爱那些不感恩的恶人。 你们要存怜悯的心，像你们的父存怜悯的心一样。
I’ve heard an unpublished contemporary kiwi translation that goes like this…
“Love your enemies! Except in political seasons. Then you can act and react like everyone else.”
我听过一个未出版的当代新西兰译本，内容是这样的......
"爱你的敌人！除了在政治季节。那你就可以像其他人一样行动和反应"
“Love your enemies! Except that colleague who did _____. Except that person who said ____.
Except that neighbour who always ______.”
"爱你的敌人！除了那个做了 _____ 的同事。除了那个说 ____ 的人。
除了那个总是______ 的邻居"。
It’s easy to place exceptions to what Jesus said.
对耶稣所说的话提出例外很容易。
But, if we place exceptions, it becomes a love that is no longer distinctive: Everyone can rally up love for people who like them and are just like them!
但是，如果我们设置了例外，这种爱就不再与众不同： 每个人都可以为喜欢自己、和自己一样的人凝聚起爱！
Everyone can find some semblance of love to give to people who speak the same language, who look the same, who think the same, who vote the same.
每个人都能找到一些爱的方式，给予语言相同、相貌相同、思想相同、投票相同的人。
But a love that reaches out to people who don’t like you and aren’t like you – that’s what makes us
distinctive. That’s the tuxedo that causes us to stand out as a follower of Jesus.
但是，向不喜欢你、不像你的人伸出援手的爱--才是我们与众不同的地方。这就是使我们作为耶
稣的追随者脱颖而出的晚礼服。
This distinctive love that extends to ALL people is modeled in the way Jesus loved.
这种与众不同的爱延伸到所有人，耶稣爱的方式就是这种爱的典范。
The religious community of the day had a phrase full of disdain – ‘the tax collectors and prostitutes’ or
‘the sinners.’
当时的宗教团体有一句充满蔑视的话--"税吏和妓女 "或 "罪人"。
Jesus’ circle include these very people who were disdained and scorned by wider society.
耶稣的圈子就包括这些被社会鄙视和蔑视的人。
When we read these stories today, we can often find more warmth towards these people and less
towards the religious community. Part of the reason is that we describe the people Jesus hung out
with in ways that would describe the people we hang out with – so that we don't feel any pinch point.
今天，当我们阅读这些故事时，往往会发现对这些人更多的是温情，而对宗教团体则较少。部分
原因是，我们用描述我们所接触的人的方式来描述耶稣所接触的人--这样我们就不会觉得有什么
不妥。
An example of that is people might refer to a tax collector as someone who works for the Inland
Revenue Department. It’s true, if you’re at a party, and someone says they work for IRD – it’s may well
be a conversation stopper. But, this was bigger than that.
举个例子，人们可能会把收税员说成是在税务局工作的人。的确，如果你在一个聚会上，有人说
他们在税务局工作，这很可能会成为一个谈话的障碍。但是，这件事远不止于此。
Effectively, these people were tax cartels with all the scruples of a modern day crack dealer.
实际上，这些人就是税务垄断组织，他们的肆无忌惮就像现代的毒贩一样。
At the time, the country of Judea was a subjugated country under the control of the Romans. The
Romans had learned not to take the prisoners but to set them up in their own economies and then
tax them - highly. But in order to tax people, Rome needed people on the inside who knew where the
wealth was. This was at a time when people didn’t have bank accounts and didn’t declare income. So
they got collaborators from among the Jewish people, paid them well, and asked them to point out
where the wealth was. They protected these people with Roman garrisons so no one dared harm
them. So, a tax collector would say to the Roman officials, “Now that person has 90 sheep up in
Bethlehem. I’ve known this family for years. You’d never know it to look at his house, but that man’s
loaded.” So the Romans could tax him all the more.
当时，犹太国是罗马人控制下的一个被征服的国家。罗马人学会了不抓俘虏，而是将他们安置在
自己的经济体中，然后向他们征收高额税款。但为了向人们征税，罗马需要知道财富所在的内部
人员。当时人们还没有银行账户，也不申报收入。于是，他们从犹太人中找来合作者，付给他们
高额报酬，要求他们指出财富所在。他们用罗马驻军保护这些人，所以没人敢伤害他们。因此，
税吏会对罗马官员说："现在这个人在伯利恒有 90 只羊。我认识这家人很多年了。"你看他家的房
子肯定看不出来，但那人很有钱" 所以罗马人可以向他征收更多的税。
Because money and power involved, there was ample opportunities for corruption. People would
come up to a tax collector and say, “Hey, don’t tell them I’ve got 90 sheep up in Bethlehem. It will ruin
me.” He says, “All right, I won’t tell them. But what do I get for it?” So then a little bribe would pass
under the table and a compromise might be reached. These tax collectors used a privileged
relationship to exploit their own people.
由于涉及金钱和权力，腐败的机会很多。人们会走到税吏面前说 "嘿，别告诉他们我在伯利恒有90只羊 这会毁了我的。" 他说："好吧，我不告诉他们。但我能得到什么呢？" 于是，一点贿赂就
从桌子底下溜走，然后双方达成妥协。这些税吏利用特权关系剥削自己人。
Tax collectors were filthy rich in the fullest sense of the term. They operated a tax cartel and took
advantage of people. It might be best to think of them as the loan sharks of the day who get rich on
the misfortunes of others.
税吏是最肮脏的富人。他们经营着一个税收组织，占人便宜。也许最好把他们想象成当时的高利
贷者，靠别人的不幸发财。
This is who Jesus hung out with.
耶稣就是和这些人混在一起的。
Then, there were the prostitutes. In one of the stories of Jesus, we read that a prostitute poured
expensive perfume over Jesus feet and washed his dirty feet with her hair. What would you say if you
were in the room, watching? Well, the religious leaders sneer, “If this man were a prophet, he would
know who is touching him and what kind of woman she is—that she is a sinner.”/ Luke 7:39
还有妓女。在耶稣的一个故事中，我们读到一个妓女把昂贵的香水倒在耶稣脚上，并用自己的头
发洗他的脏脚。如果你在房间里看着，你会怎么说？宗教领袖们冷笑道："如果这个人是先知，他
就会知道是谁在摸他，她是个什么样的女人--她是个罪人。路加福音 7：39
It’s interesting language isn’t it? ‘what kind of woman she is.’ Isn’t that what we often do. We place
people in categories. This religious person placed her in the camp of ‘sinner’ which meant – ‘stay
away. Don't’ get seduced by her and her ilk. Keep them at a distance.’
很有趣的语言，不是吗？”她是什么样的女人。”这不正是我们经常做的事吗？我们把人分门别
类。这个虔诚的人把她归入 "罪人 "的阵营，这意味着--"远离。不要'被她和她的同类所诱惑。与
他们保持距离。
With political debates happening at the moment, some would say that one side of the political
spectrum moves towards the rich and other side of the political spectrum tend to move towards the
poor and the downcast. Whether that's true or perception or stereotype is mis-side the point.
在当前的政治辩论中，有人会说，政治光谱的一方倾向于富人，而政治光谱的另一方则倾向于穷
人和落魄者。这到底是事实，还是看法或刻板印象，这都不是重点。
What I find interesting is that Jesus had a love that extended to both sides – the filthy rich. And the
downcast and abused.
我觉得有趣的是，耶稣的爱延伸到了两边--肮脏的富人。还有那些被抛弃和虐待的人。
Jesus demonstrated a love that extends to all groups, to all people.
耶稣展示的爱延伸到所有群体、所有人。
And He says to you and me– go and do the same.
他对你我说--去做同样的事吧。
Yeah – but… Those people abuse power. Those people risk your reputation.
是的，但是......那些人滥用权力。那些人会带给你的名誉风险。
Jesus never ignores what anyone did or does. But he always reached out in love. He does so even at
the risk of his own reputation – all in order to bring them close.
耶稣从不忽视任何人的所作所为。但他总是以爱伸出援手。他这样做甚至不惜牺牲自己的名誉--
这一切都是为了拉近与他们的距离。
Question: who might be the people that you lest want to be around?
It might be because of a cause close to your heart. That person embodies the complete opposite of it.
Like a Greenpiece advocate with an Oil CEO, or vice versa.
问题：谁是你最不愿意接近的人？
可能是因为你心中的某个事业。这个人体现了与之完全相反的东西。
就像一个绿色环保的倡导者和一个石油公司的首席执行官，反之亦然。
It might be a person or group of people that have hurt you – or others. You are repulsed by them.
可能是一个人或一群人伤害了你或其他人。你对他们感到厌恶。
But Jesus doesn’t say – ‘love the people that you like.’ Or ‘love the people who are like you.’
但耶稣并没有说--"爱你喜欢的人。或'爱和你一样的人'。
That’s normal.
这很正常。
Distinctive love is a love that extends to ALL people
独特的爱是一种延伸到所有人的爱
It’s when we go out of our way to serve people, and serve with people who are unlike us – who may
not even like us – that is distinctive love.
当我们不遗余力地为他人服务，与不同于我们--甚至可能不喜欢我们--的人一起服务时，这才是
与众不同的爱。
Question: Why is this characteristic of love so important to Jesus?
Answer: it’s all about showing that God’s love is freely available to everyone.
问题: 为什么这种爱的特征对耶稣如此重要？
回答：这就是要表明，上帝的爱是向每个人免费提供的。
If people only see love expressed to people who are just like you, it’s makes love exclusive. But real
love is inclusive.
如果人们只看到爱是对和你一样的人表达的，这就使爱具有排他性。但真正的爱是包容的
It sees everybody. It welcomes everybody. It is FOR everybody.
它看到每一个人。它欢迎每一个人。它是为了每一个人。
Ask yourself: To what extent is my love inclusive? Even in the quietness of this moment – Spirit of God
– would you bring particular people to mind that you want us to love like you love?
What might you do?
问问你自己 我的爱在多大程度上具有包容性？即使在此刻的宁静中--上帝之灵--你会让我们想
起一些特定的人，你希望我们像你爱我们一样去爱他们吗？
你会怎么做？
That’s trait number one. If trait one looks at who we love, the next distinctive trait looks at how we
love.
这就是特质一。如果说第一特征是看我们爱谁，那么下一个与众不同的特征就是看我们如何去
爱。
Distinctive love is a love seen in tangible actions, not just words
独特的爱是一种体现在实际行动中的爱，而不仅仅是言语。
So, how did Jesus love others?
那么，耶稣是如何爱他人的呢？
Jesus met tangible needs of people around him.
耶稣满足周围人的实际需求。
In fact, this is the main way Jesus attracted the crowds. They flocked to him because he fed them, he
healed them, and he helped them.
事实上，这是耶稣吸引众人的主要方式。他们对他趋之若鹜，因为他喂饱了他们，医治了他们，帮助了他们。
Jesus also did a lot of talking. But, a lot of the time the crowd didn’t understand Jesus was talking
about!
耶稣也说了很多话。但很多时候，众人并不明白耶稣在说什么！
But, 1) He welcomed all people, and 2) he displayed that love in tangible actions, meeting real
physical needs. They were drawn to it.
但是，1）他欢迎所有的人，2）他用实际行动展示了他的爱，满足了人们实际的需要。他们被吸引了。
Think about the story of Jesus feeding a huge crowd with 5 small loaves of bread and two fish.
想想耶稣用五个小面包和两条鱼喂饱一大群人的故事。
We're told that there were 5000 men, along with their families. I’m not sure why it’s just men who are
counted. But, it’s reasonable to think when you have 5000 men you probably have another 5000
women. Then, there are children – remember at least one little boy who has brought a snack along
for the occasion shows up in the story. Presumably there are other children present. So, we could be
talking about well over 10,000 people.
我们听说有 5000 名男子和他们的家人。我不知道为什么只计算了男人。但是，我们有理由相信，
当你有 5000 名男子时，你可能还有另外 5000 名妇女。然后，还有孩子们--记得故事中至少出现
了一个带着点心的小男孩。想必还有其他孩子在场。因此，我们所说的人数可能远远超过 1 万人。
This is a remarkable figure, particularly when you consider that neighbouring towns like Capernaum
and Bethsaida had only 2000-3000 inhabitants each. In other words, people have come surrounding
towns everywhere and out from this zealot hill country to be here in the crowd on that day.
这是一个了不起的数字，尤其是考虑到邻近的迦百农和伯赛大等城镇的居民只有 2000-3000 人。
换句话说，人们从周围的城镇来到这里，又从这个狂热的山乡来到这里，在这一天聚集在这里。
Jesus attracted crowds of people. I think we often skim past why they are coming. Why it is that they
flock to Jesus. A big reason is that he welcomed everyone. And another reason is because he did
things for people.
耶稣吸引了许多人。我想我们常常忽略了他们来的原因。他们为什么涌向耶稣。一个重要原因是
他欢迎每一个人。另一个原因是他为人们做事。
They liked it.
他们喜欢这个。
In the story, we read that it’s getting late. Jesus takes 5 loaves and 2 fish that a kid had in his lunchbox
and multiplied it to feed everybody in the crowd with some left over! All this is simply to meet a
physical need that people had.
在故事中，我们读到天色已晚。耶稣从一个孩子的饭盒里拿出五个饼和两条鱼，把它们加倍，喂
饱了人群中的每一个人，还剩下一些！这一切只是为了满足人们的物质需要。
Sometimes people think the ministry of a church is all about the soul. Sometimes I’ll even hear people
say to me ‘that budgeting help is good and all – but what about the souls of people.’
有时，人们认为教会的事工是关于灵魂的。有时，我甚至会听到有人对我说：'帮助做预算是好事
，但人们的灵魂怎么办？
But, Jesus spends much of his time meeting physical needs of people who were far from God.
但是，耶稣的大部分时间都在满足远离上帝的人们的物质需求。
So, when Jesus says ‘love like I love – part of what he is saying is – go and do good deeds. Show God’s
love in tangible ways. Don't just care for the soul and ignore physical, emotional, or relational needs.
因此，当耶稣说 "像我爱你们一样去爱 "时，他的部分意思是 "去行善"。用实际行动表达上帝的
爱。不要只关心灵魂，而忽视身体、情感或关系上的需要。
That comes through in other things Jesus says:
No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it
gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so
that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.” (Matt 5:15–16 NLT)
耶稣说的其他事情也体现了这一点：
没有人会点一盏灯，然后把它放在篮子里。相反，灯要放在架子上，给屋里的每个人照明。照样，
你们的善行也要发光，让众人看见，叫人人都称赞你们的天父。(马太福音 5:15-16 NLT）
Words matter. Words are part of the way we love.
But Jesus says good deeds are the way we stand out. Good deeds show what we are FOR. Good
deeds are the tuxedo we wear that makes us distinct as a follower of Jesus.
言语很重要。言语是我们爱的方式的一部分。
但耶稣说，善行是我们脱颖而出的方式。善行是我们的标志。善行是我们所穿的晚礼服，它使我
们作为耶稣的追随者与众不同。
Jesus’ followers picks up on the teaching and example of Jesus and they call their readers to do the
same…
Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see
your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us. – 1 Peter 2:12 (NIV)
耶稣的追随者们继承了耶稣的教导和榜样，并号召他们的读者也这样做......
在异教徒中要过这样好的生活，这样，虽然他们指责你们做错了，但他们可以看到你们的善行，
在上帝临到我们的日子荣耀他。- 彼得前书 2:12
Just as the body is dead without breath, so also faith is dead without good works. – James 2:26 NLT
身体没有气息是死的，信心没有善行也是死的。- 雅各书 2:26 NLT
You can’t ignore that one of the traits that make love distinctive is tangible actions – good works.
你不能忽视，使爱与众不同的特征之一就是实实在在的行动--善行。
So, why is this characteristic of love so important?
那么，为什么爱的这一特征如此重要呢？
It points to a bigger reality. When Jesus met the basic physical needs of people around him, he was
pointing to a bigger reality. We see this in the story of feeding the 5000. After this miracle, Jesus says
to the crowd: “I am the bread of life!” – John 6:48
它指向一个更大的现实。当耶稣满足周围人的基本物质需求时，他指向的是一个更大的现实。
我们可以从喂饱五千人的故事中看到这一点。在这个神迹之后，耶稣对众人说： "我就是生命的
粮！" - 约翰福音 6：48
So, Jesus takes simple bread from which he has fed the crowd and then he uses it to point the way to
a much bigger reality – ‘you realise of course that have a spiritual hunger that needs living bread. I am
the living bread. Yes, you were hungry for bread. I met that need. I want you to know there is a
hunger that can’t be satisfied with simple bread and butter. There’s something inside you that
hungers for something else. You know it’s there. You sense it daily. You were made for something
more than this. I want you to know that I can take care of the greater need.’
因此，耶稣用简单的面包喂饱了众人，然后用它来指出一个更大的现实--"你们当然意识到，精神
上的饥饿需要活的面包。我就是活饼。是的，你们渴望面包。我满足了你们的需要。我想让你们
知道，有一种饥饿感不是简单的面包和黄油就能满足的。在你的内心深处，有一种东西在渴求别
的东西。你知道它就在那里。你每天都能感觉到 你是为了更多的东西而生 我想让你知道 我能满
足你更大的需求
Isn’t that brilliant?! Jesus is a genius the way he takes common things, does good deeds and points to
something bigger.
这不是很聪明吗？耶稣是个天才，他把普通的事情做成好事，并指向更大的东西。
Over this next week you will have ample opportunities to step in and provide a helping hand to fellow
students, colleagues, neighbours.
在接下来的一周里，你们将有很多机会向同学、同事和邻居伸出援助之手。
Let me take the opportunity to highlight another. We’re involved in a community project at a Riverina
School. It’s an East led project – but all invited.
让我借此机会再强调一次。我们参与了里弗里纳一所学校的社区项目。这是一个由东部地区领导的项目，但邀请所有人参加。
Slide that shows details of where to sign up…
I want to encourage you to sign up. You can follow this QR link or head to our website. Come along for
a 2 hour serving stint. Water blasting. Painting. Food distribution. Looking after kids. Gardening.
我想鼓励大家踊跃报名。您可以通过这个二维码链接或访问我们的网站。参加 2 小时的服务活
动。喷水。画画。分发食物。照顾孩子 园艺
For many years, our East location has chosen one school each year. We now have a reputation out
East as the church that meets a need for free.
多年来，我们在东区每年都会选择一所学校。现在，我们在东部地区享有 "免费满足需求的教会 "的美誉。
The reason we do that is because God’s meets our need for free.
我们之所以这样做，是因为上帝免费满足了我们的需要。’
Jumping in to serve next weekend will not only help you meet other people who make up Gracecity –
from Greenlane location and our East location – but you will be stepping in to meet a need for free.
下周末参加服事不仅能帮助您认识其他组成Gracecity的人--来自Greenlane和我们东区的人--而且
您将免费满足他人的需要。
We’ve seen two traits of this distinctive love;
● Something about the who that receives that love – Distinctive love is a love that extends to
ALL people.
● Something about the how of that love - Distinctive love is a love seen in tangible actions, not
just words.
● This next trait is about the extent of this love.
我们看到这种独特的爱有两个特征；
- 关于接受爱的人--独特的爱是一种延伸到所有人的爱。
- 关于爱的方式--独特的爱是一种体现在实际行动中的爱，而不仅仅是语言。
- 下一个特征是关于这种爱的程度。
Distinctive love is a love seen in sacrifice
与众不同的爱是牺牲中的爱
Real love is free. But someone always pays for it. That is always charged to the person extending that
love.
真正的爱是免费的。但总会有人为此付出代价。付出代价的总是爱的传递者。
● It might be a cost to your reputation – someone misunderstands why you would welcome or
help that person.
这可能是你名誉上的代价--有人误解你为什么会欢迎或帮助那个人
● It might be a cost to you financially – your help for them comes out of the little you have in
your wallet.
这可能会让你付出经济代价--你对他们的帮助要从你钱包里仅有的一点钱中支出。
● It might be a cost to your time – its already a precious commodity.
这可能会耗费你的时间--时间本来就很宝贵。
● It might be a cost to your energy – which already feels depleted.
这可能会耗费你的精力--你已经感觉精力耗尽了。
While love is freely given, it’s always involves sacrifice.
虽然爱是无偿给予的，但它总是包含着牺牲。
The night Jesus gave us this original commandment reminds us of that.
耶稣那个夜晚给我们这条原始的诫命提醒了我们这一点。
It was the very night Jesus would be arrested, the night before he would be crucified.
When Jesus talks about love, it comes from the ultimate model of sacrifice.
就在那天晚上，耶稣被捕，被钉上十字架。
当耶稣谈论爱时，它来自牺牲的终极模式。
So, when Jesus calls us to love in the same way – it involves sacrifice.
因此，当耶稣以同样的方式呼唤我们去爱时--这涉及到牺牲。
As I was reflecting on the story I mentioned earlier about the way Jesus fed the 5000, I was struck
with the background story.
当我回想之前提到的耶稣喂饱五千人的故事时，我被故事的背景所震撼。
It happens after a long tiring ministry trip. Jesus is tired. The disciples are exhausted. They’ve just
returned with stories to tell. It’s appropriate that they rest. We read;
故事发生在一次长途旅行之后。耶稣累了。门徒们也筋疲力尽。他们带着故事刚刚回来。他们应该休息一下。我们读到:
The apostles returned to Jesus from their ministry tour. …Then Jesus said, “Let’s go off by ourselves
to a quiet place and rest awhile.” He said this because there were so many people coming and going
that Jesus and his apostles didn’t even have time to eat. / Mark 6:30-31
使徒们结束巡回传道回到耶稣身边。......耶稣说："我们自己到一个安静的地方休息一会儿吧。他
这么说是因为来来往往的人太多了，耶稣和他的使徒们连吃饭的时间都没有。/ 马可福音 6：30-31
Hungry. Tired. But rest is in sight. Phew. But…
饿了。累了。但休息就在眼前。呼。但是
But many people recognized them and saw them leaving, and people from many towns ran ahead
along the shore and got there ahead of them. Jesus saw the huge crowd as he stepped from the boat,
and he had compassion on them … – Mark 6:32-34
有许多人认出他们来，看见他们要走，就有许多城里的人沿岸跑到他们前面。耶稣下船的时候，
看见一大群人，就怜悯他们......--《马可福音》6：32-34
I felt like this earlier in the week. We hosted two events this week. Over those two events, we had 90
leaders across 18 denominations here to talk church planting and multiplication. Incredibly exciting to
see the over 150 churches that the capital C church is dreaming and planning to plant in the these
years ahead. While those kind of events are invigorating, they’re also exhausting. It’s appropriate to
rest after a busy time.
本周早些时候我就有这种感觉。本周我们举办了两次活动。在这两次活动中，我们邀请了来自18 个宗派的 90 位领袖来这里讨论建立教会和倍增的问题。看到大写 C 教会的梦想并计划在未来几年建立的 150 多间教会，令人无比兴奋。虽然这类活动令人振奋，但也令人精疲力竭。忙碌过后，休息一下也是应该的。
Reading this again this week, there was a sense of resonance and surprise – when even in the midst
of weariness, Jesus steps in and responds with loving deeds to the needs of people around him.
本周再次阅读这段经文时，有一种共鸣和惊喜的感觉--即使在疲惫不堪的时候，耶稣也会介入，以爱的行动回应周围人的需要。
There is a legitimate tension here between valid rest and valid action. Wellbeing is vital – we’ve
spoken about that before. But, there is always the call for sacrifice. It’s ensuring our lives are
punctuated with sabbath rest – but the realisation that love is always sacrificial – to our time,
finances, and energy. It’s never a simple equation.
在这里，有效的休息和有效的行动之间存在着合理的张力。安康是至关重要的--我们之前已经谈
到过这一点。但是，牺牲总是有的。要确保我们的生活有安息日的休息，但也要认识到爱总是要
牺牲的，牺牲我们的时间、金钱和精力。这绝不是一个简单的等式。
As a Christian community, if we focus solely on wellbeing and balance and boundaries – we will miss
the sacrificial nature of genuine love that Jesus models us. Love costs us something.
作为一个基督徒团体，如果我们只关注福祉、平衡和界限，我们就会错过耶稣为我们树立的真爱
牺牲的本质。爱需要我们付出代价。
It may be a cost of time – taking you away from something you would have preferred to do.
It may be a cost of money – it means you can’t purchase what you would have loved to buy.
它可能是时间的代价--让你无法去做你更想做的事情。
它可能是金钱的代价--这意味着你无法购买你本想购买的东西。
When you hear about opportunities to serve or give - we typically respond -- really? I’ve got enough
on. I’ve got enough invoices in front of me. Rarely will people go ‘I’ve got time on my hands so where
can I serve. Ive got more money than I could possibly use so where can I give it? No – it takes sacrifice
in our time, in our finances, in our energy.
当你听说有服务或奉献的机会时，我们通常的反应是--真的吗？我的工作已经够多了。我面前的
发票已经够多了。人们很少会说'我手上有时间，我能去哪里服务呢？我的钱多得用不完，到哪里
去捐呢？不--这需要我们牺牲时间、金钱和精力。
I don’t think there is a more important time than now for people to see a distinctive love: People
need to see a love that extends to everyone, a love expressed in action, and a love that is sacrificial.
They need to know what we are FOR, not what we are against.
我认为，现在是人们看到与众不同的爱的最重要时刻： 人们需要看到一种延伸到每个人的爱，一
种用行动表达的爱，一种牺牲的爱。他们需要知道我们支持什么，而不是反对什么。
Let’s face it - things have changed significiantly in NZ.
让我们面对现实吧--新西兰的情况已经发生了重大变化。
There was a time when people saw the church as weird but harmless.
曾经人们认为教会是怪异但无害的。
It reminds me of a time when Robyn and I were travelling with my parents in America. My dad was a
bit eccentric – friendly and socially awkward (I guess the same as me, right?!). We were in an ice
cream parlour and dad – as per his nature – began to chat to a couple of young adults on one of the
tables. I was standing on the side. They didn’t realise i was with dad. When dad left, I heard them sum
my father up “eccentric but harmless.”
这让我想起了Robyn和我随父母在美国旅行的时候。我父亲有点古怪--友善而不善交际（我想他和
我一样，对吧！）。我们在一家冰淇淋店里，爸爸--按照他的本性--开始和其中一张桌子上的一对
年轻人聊天。我站在一边。他们没有意识到我和爸爸在一起。爸爸走后，我听到他们对爸爸的评
价是 "古怪但无害"。
I wonder if that’s how how people used to see the church. Eccentric but harmless.
我想知道人们是否也是这么看待教会的 古怪但无害
But, no more.
但现在不是了
People now see the church as dangerous. The way of Jesus is often at odds with values in society.
Some people want to cancel Christianity. If you don’t feel this, I can assure you that your kids do, or
will.
现在，人们认为教会是危险的。耶稣的道路往往与社会价值观相悖。
有些人想要取消基督教。如果你没有这种感觉，我可以向你保证，你的孩子已经或将要这样做。
So, what do we do?
那么，我们该怎么办呢？
A natural response is to fight, to take up political arms, to claim back territory, let it known what we’re
against. Some Christians are choosing to respond that way.
一种自然的反应是战斗，拿起政治武器，夺回领土，让人们知道我们反对什么。一些基督徒选择
了这种方式。
But the way of Jesus is modeled in the way the early church responded.
Interestingly, the early church faced a similar problem to today. The wider culture tried to cancel them
out.
但耶稣的方式是以初期教会的回应方式为榜样的。
有趣的是，早期教会面临着与今天类似的问题。更广泛的文化试图将他们排除在外。
2000 years back, Rome was afraid of this small but growing group of Jesus’ followers. They tried
persection -- stripping them of titles, jobs, and income streams.
早在两千年前，罗马就惧怕这一小撮不断壮大的耶稣追随者。他们试图分化他们--剥夺他们的头
衔、工作和收入来源。
History tells us that Emperor Nero even set fire to Rome and blamed the fire on Christians, whom he
indiscriminately crucified. He had burned Christians on poles at a garden party, pretending them to
human candles. Its’ horrid.
历史告诉我们，尼禄皇帝甚至放火焚烧了罗马城，并将这场大火归咎于被他不分青红皂白地钉死
在十字架上的基督徒。他曾在一次花园聚会上把基督徒放在柱子上烧死，把他们假装成人肉蜡
烛。这太可怕了。
Rome tried to cancel out Jesus followers. Quite literally.
罗马试图消灭耶稣的信徒。简直就是这样。
So, how did they not only survive but actually multiplied? Judaism was already marginalized so how
did this tiny group of no more than 120 people when Jesus left, how did that little group eventually
become the majority faith in the known world?
那么，他们是如何不仅存活下来，而且成倍增加的呢？犹太教已经被边缘化了，那么当耶稣离开
时，这个不超过 120 人的小团体是如何最终成为已知世界上的大多数信仰的呢？
That’s one of the questions historians have asked. Whether believers or not – these historians land in
the same way. The answer? A distinctive love.
这是历史学家提出的问题之一。无论是否信教，这些历史学家的落脚点都是一样的。答案是什
么？与众不同的爱。
Their distinctive love was a love extended to all people.
他们与众不同的爱是对所有人的爱。
At that time, people were very class and race conscious. BUT the early Christians displayed an
inclusive love.
● They loved rich and poor. Free people and slaves. Romans, Jews, Greeks and Samaritans.
● They loved people who didn’t like them.
● They loved people who were unlike them.
● It made them stand out.
当时，人们的阶级和种族意识非常强烈。但早期的基督徒却表现出一种包容的爱。
- 他们爱富人，也爱穷人。自由人和奴隶。罗马人、犹太人、希腊人和撒玛利亚人。
- 他们爱那些不喜欢他们的人。
- 他们爱不像他们的人。
- 这使他们脱颖而出。
Their distinctive love was seen in tangible actions – not just words.
他们与众不同的爱体现在实实在在的行动中，而不仅仅是言语。
We have a letter from one of the emperors who lived 300 years after Jesus. His name was Julian. He
was concerned because his religion was declining and Christianity was blooming. He was trying to
bring on a counter-revival of paganism back into the Roman Empire. Effectively, they had these
marketing sessions working out what to do. In the end he identifies what they have done wrong and
what Christianity has done right. He writes to his pagan priests in the empire and gives them, in his
opinion, the reason why Christianity is growing:
我们有一封来自耶稣之后 300 年的一位皇帝的信。他的名字叫朱利安。 他很担心，因为他的宗教
正在衰落，而基督教正在兴盛。他试图将异教的反复兴带回罗马帝国。 实际上，他们召开了几次
营销会议，研究该怎么做。最后，他指出了他们做错的地方和基督教做对的地方。他写信给帝国
的异教祭司们，在他看来，基督教发展壮大的原因是什么：
“I think that when the poor happened to be neglected and overlooked by the priests, the impious
Galileans observed this and devoted themselves to benevolence. The impious Galileans support not
only their poor, but ours as well, everyone can see that our people lack aid from us.” - Julian, Roman
Caesar
"我认为，当穷人碰巧被祭司们忽视和忽略时，不虔诚的加利利人看到了这一点，并致力于慈善
事业。不虔诚的加利利人不仅支持他们的穷人，也支持我们的穷人，每个人都能看到我们的人民
缺乏来自我们的援助"。 - 罗马凯撒朱利安
[* “irreligious” because they weren’t worshipping the pagan God or a God that was visible.]
[*"无宗教信仰 "是因为他们不崇拜异教的神 或是看得见的神]
Their distinctive love was a love seen in sacrifice.
他们与众不同的爱是牺牲中的爱。
In AD 249 to 262, the Roman Empire was devastated by the Cyprian Plague. According to Wikipedia,
the city of Rome was said to have lost an estimated 5,000 people a day at the height of the outbreak.
One historian has calculated that the population of Alexandria dropped from 500,000 to 190,000
during the plague – some of that from death, but much of that was because of people fleeing the city.
公元 249 年至 262 年，罗马帝国遭受了塞浦路斯瘟疫的破坏。根据维基百科的记载，据说在瘟疫
最严重的时候，罗马城每天约有 5000 人死亡。据一位历史学家计算，在瘟疫期间，亚历山大城的
人口从 50 万降至 19 万--其中一部分是因为死亡，但大部分是因为人们逃离这座城市。
What did the Christians do? They moved into these cities to take care of the sick.
基督徒做了什么？他们进入这些城市照顾病人。
While the fear of that caused most people to turn their backs on each other and fail to respond to
need, it was followers of Jesus who checked on their neighbours, who served and who cared. It was
this very activity that shown to others. Some of them lost their lives in the process.
虽然对瘟疫的恐惧使大多数人背弃彼此，不对需要做出回应，但正是耶稣的追随者们去看望他们
的邻居，为他们服务，给予他们关怀。正是这种活动向其他人展示了这一点。他们中的一些人在
这一过程中失去了生命。
Tertullian, one of the early church leaders of this time summed it up well:
“It is our care of the helpless, our practice of loving kindness that brands us in the eyes of many of our
opponents. ‘Only look,’ they say, ‘look how they love one another!’”/ Tertuliian
早期教会领袖之一德尔图良对此作了很好的总结：
"正是我们对无助者的关怀，我们仁爱的实践，使我们在许多反对者的眼中蒙上了污点。 他们说
，'看看，看看他们是如何彼此相爱的！'"/ 德尔图良
They embodied a distinctive love.
他们体现了与众不同的爱。
There is one final characteristic of love.
爱还有最后一个特点。
Distinctive love is a love first received, then given
独特的爱是一种先接受、后给予的爱
Before I am able to give real love, I need to receive real love.
在我能够给予真正的爱之前，我需要接受真正的爱。
The reason we can love like this is because Jesus first loved us like this.
我们之所以能这样爱，是因为耶稣先这样爱了我们。
He sees you which means you can see others.
He understands you which means you can understand others.
He includes you which means you can include others.
He forgives you which means you can forgive others.
祂看见你，意味着你能看见他人。
祂理解你，意味着你可以理解他人。
他包容你，意味着你可以包容他人。
他宽恕你，意味着你可以宽恕他人。
He knows you all the way through, and despite your deepest fears, he loves you. He doesn’t just say,
“I would die for you.’ But, ‘I did die for you.’ He is able to change you to love the way he loves.
他了解你的一切，尽管你有最深的恐惧，但他爱你。他不只是说："我愿意为你而死。而是说："我
确实为你而死。他能够改变你，让你以他爱的方式去爱。
If you have never experienced His love in your own life, we would welcome you to chat with one of
our prayer team after the service. Because, if we are to love like him, we need to first receive love
from him.
如果你从未在自己的生命中经历过祂的爱，我们欢迎你在礼拜后与我们的祷告小组成员聊聊。因
为，如果我们要像他那样去爱，我们首先需要从他那里接受爱。
And we need to continue to receive love from him. Basking in it – morning and evening. Putting
ourselves in a place where we remember that we are deeply loved by the creator of the heavens.
That there is nothing I can do to make him love me more. And nothing I can do to cause him to love
me less.
我们需要继续从他那里接受爱。朝夕沐浴在爱中。让自己牢记，这位造物主深爱着我们。我做什
么都无法让他更爱我。我也无法让他少爱我一些。
It begins by receiving the unexpected love of Jesus.
从接受耶稣意想不到的爱开始。
WRAP UP 总结
There is a lot of angst in wider society. That will be expressed in your school, place of work, in you
neighbourhood, in the catch-ups with friends.
Rather than be known for what we are against, Jesus gives us one command: Love.
社会上有很多焦虑。这将在你的学校、工作场所、邻里间、与朋友的闲聊中表现出来。
耶稣没有让我们因反对什么而闻名，而是给了我们一条命令： 爱。
What sets us apart, what makes us distinct is the love that he first showed us.
A love extended to all people.
A love seen in tangible actions, not just words.
A love that involves sacrifice
A love that is first received, then given.
使我们与众不同、与众不同的是他首先向我们展示的爱。
一种延伸至所有人的爱。
一种体现在实际行动中的爱，而不仅仅是言语。
一种包含牺牲的爱
一种先接受、后给予的爱。
May we stand out with distinctive love.
愿我们以与众不同的爱脱颖而出。
PRAYER AT END
结束祷告
Get people to stand
请大家起立
Then get peopel to raise hand if there is something particular for prayer// challenged in some way
today... // need a special reminder of God’s love...
然后让大家举手，如果有什么特别需要祷告的///今天在某些方面受到挑战...... // 需要上帝之爱
的特别提醒......
// rally around those people. You don’t need to ask them – they can tell you if they want to – juyst
pray God’s presence/love over them... We believe God is here by His Spirit. He wants to refresh. He
wants to use us as his ambassadors..
// 团结在这些人周围。你不需要问他们--如果他们愿意，他们可以告诉你--只需为他们祈求上帝
的同在/爱... 我们相信上帝的灵就在这里。祂想让我们焕然一新。他想让我们成为他的使者。
Then into worship...(while people continue to pray)
然后开始敬拜......（人们继续祷告）
