Anger almost always vanishes in the face of grace.

Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. Luke 6:36

On the last day of the US Civil War, officer Joshua Chamberlain was in command of the Union army. His soldiers lined up on both sides of the road that the Confederate army had to march down in surrender. One wrong word or one belligerent act and the longed-for peace could be turned to slaughter. In an act as brilliant as it was moving, Chamberlain ordered his troops to salute their foe! No taunting here, no vicious words—only guns in salute and swords raised to honor.

When Jesus offered His words about forgiveness in Luke 6, He was helping us understand the difference between people of grace and people without grace. Those who know His forgiveness are to be strikingly unlike everyone else. We must do what others think impossible: Forgive and love our enemies. Jesus said, “Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful” (v. 36).

Imagine the impact in our workplaces and on our families if we were to embrace this principle. If a salute can make armies whole again, what power there must be in Christ’s grace reflected through us! Scripture gives evidence of this in Esau’s embrace of his deceitful brother (Gen. 33:4), in Zacchaeus’s joyful penance (Luke 19:1–10), and in the picture of a father racing to greet his prodigal son (Luke 15).

With the grace of Christ, may we let this be the final day of bitterness and dispute between our enemies and us.

Lord, we know how the gentle power of forgiveness can bring healing in relationships. Grant us the courage to end our conflicts by Your grace.

 面对恩慈，愤怒几乎消失于无形。

你们要慈悲，像你们的父慈悲一样。-路加福音6章36节

约书亚·张伯伦是美国南北战争中北方联邦军的将领。战争结束的那一天，他率领的士兵在南方联盟军队前来投降的路上分列两旁。两军相会的气氛紧张，一句气话或一个挑衅的行为，都会让渴望已久的和平变为杀戮。张伯伦于是做出感人且明智的举措，那就是下令他的军队向敌军敬礼！没有冷语讥讽或恶言出口，只有举枪行礼与举剑致敬。

在路加福音6章中，当耶稣提到饶恕时，祂是要我们明白心怀恩慈的人与心无恩慈的人有何差别。人若能明白耶稣的饶恕，他的生命就会与众不同。我们必须做到他人认为不可能的事：饶恕并爱我们的敌人。正如耶稣说：“你们要慈悲，像你们的父慈悲一样。”（36节）

若我们在职场和家庭秉持这个原则，你想将会带来什么影响？如果行礼致敬能让两军合一，那么基督的恩慈也必能藉着我们发挥更大的能力！圣经中也不乏有力的例证，就如以扫拥抱曾经欺骗他的弟弟雅各（创世记33章4节） 、财主撒该欢欢喜喜地尽力补偿（路加福音19章1-10节），以及父亲跑去迎接浪子回头的儿子（路加福音15章）。

愿我们藉由基督的恩慈，今日就终结我们与敌人之间的苦毒与争执。

主啊，饶恕的温柔大能可以修复各种关系。
藉着祢的恩慈，求祢赐给我们勇气去终止争端与冲突。

 Luke 6:27-36New International Version (NIV)

Love for Enemies

27 “But to you who are listening I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28 bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. 29 If someone slaps you on one cheek, turn to them the other also. If someone takes your coat, do not withhold your shirt from them. 30 Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back. 31 Do to others as you would have them do to you.

32 “If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them. 33 And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do that. 34 And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, expecting to be repaid in full.35 But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. 36 Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.

整理：于姊妹