"Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful." (Luke 6:36)
I wanted to express this idea of our continous mercy towards others by drawing the cats licking and caring for each other. They lick each other to display love and affection.
This is an exellent teaching from Jesus on "loving our enemies". In our world today that amplies seeking vengeance by our strength, it is quite the opposite. I believe we should voice out about injustice, but from this teaching, I understand that we should not curse and spread hate on those who mistreat us. Instead we should show them grace, forgiveness and mercy. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, it is not impossible in Christ. A good example is Elisabeth Elliot, who went to live and shared the gospel with the tribe that killed her husband. (See my previous painting for more)
God, the perfect Judge, will repay vengenace for us."Do not avenge yourselves, beloved, but leave room for God's wrath. For it is written: "Vengeance is Mine; I will repay, says the Lord." (Romans 12:19) I see it from this perspective: We are all sinners, saved by grace, through faith. Righteousness is in God alone, and He is the only One who knows it perfectly. Not only are we not the judge, He does not want us to fall into the trap of sins when we revenge as we see fit.
According to His righteousness, God will judge the wicked that refuses to repent. God is gracious and merciful, but He is a Consuming Fire as well. Our own revenge towards the evil will never be proper or more significant than God's wrath. Therefore, He promised to do so for us, in righteousness, at His time.
What does God wants from us? He wants us to forgive, forgive, and forgive, like what He said to Peter about forgiveness, 70 X 7 times. That means unending, complete forgiveness. He wants us to always show kindness and mercy the very best we can, and leave room for God's wrath. Just as Jesus taught us to ask our Father in Heaven in prayer, "Forgive our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us.", He wants us to understand why we shall show mercy uncountably. Our Father God, Holy and merciful, has forgiven us in multitude, magnitude and intensity even more than we do for others. If we love our enemies, "Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked." (Luke 6:35)
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「你們要仁慈像你們的父仁慈一樣。」（路6：36）
貓喜歡互相舐對方來表示愛和關心，所以我就畫了牠們表達要對人持久憐憫、仁慈。
這段經文是出自耶穌基督教導我們要愛仇敵。現在的世界提倡用自己的方法報仇, 報復惡待自己的人, 這我在片集和電影上很常看到。看來這跟基督所教導的不一樣。
我認為要對於不公的事應該發聲, 但從基督的教導, 我明白到我們不應咀咒或憎恨那些惡待我們的人。反之我們應盡量表達憐憫、原諒和恩慈。雖然這是真的很難，但靠著聖靈的大能在基督裏並非沒有可能。極好的例子是我上一幅畫所描繪的伊利沙伯 艾略特， 她願意到殺死丈夫的土人部落居住和向他們傳福音。
唯有神是完美的審判者， 並且衪已應許我們，「 伸冤在我（神），我（神）必報應。」（申32：35） 我們全都是罪人靠著信心和神的恩典得救， 所以我們目光中的公義跟神的標準差得遠。 公義是從神而來的， 我們沒有資格去審判別人。而且神亦不願我們因我們的自義而掉在罪的陷阱裏面， 祂不願我們雙手沾血以自己認為對的標準和方法報復他人。
但是對於不願悔改的惡人, 神肯定會按祂的公義審判的, 且不比我們自己的報復輕省。因為神有慈愛憐憫之餘, 亦是烈火! 神的怒氣來到時有誰能站立得住呢? 所以他應許了會按著祂的時間、在祂的公義裏為我們伸冤。祂的應許是不能推翻的, 我們「寧可讓步, 聽憑主怒」。
那在等候期間神要我們作的是什麼? 我認為是原諒, 原諒和原諒。 耶穌吩咐我們要饒恕別人七十個七次, 意思就是完全和不斷地饒恕。 神只要我們時常表示愛和仁慈， 受傷害的部分完全交給神為我們伸冤。 基督在主禱文教導我們祈求神「免我們的債，如同我們免了人的債」， 我們便得以明白為何我們應該時常恩慈： 我們在天上的父都願意饒恕我們了。衪的饒恕更為聖潔、更顯恩慈、更大、更深、更多, 所以我們應該學效我們的父神去原諒別人，表示恩慈，愛我們的仇敵， 等候神為我們追討。
「你們倒要愛仇敵、也要善待他們、並要借給人不指望償還．你們的賞賜就必大了、你們也必作至高者的兒子．因為他恩待那忘恩的和作惡的。」（路6：35）
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