In Christ, there are no outsiders.

What does the  your God ask of you but to fear the  your God, to walk in obedience to him, to love him.Deuteronomy 10:12

In the remote region of Ghana where I lived as a boy, “Chop time, no friend” was a common proverb. It was a humorous way of acknowledging the fact that food in certain areas was scarce, and Ghanaians are by nature very giving people. Were you to walk in, they might well give you the last of their food. 

In the Philippines, where I also lived for a time, if you visit unannounced at mealtime, your hosts will insist on sharing with you regardless of whether they have enough for themselves. 

As the Israelites left Egypt, God provided specific instructions to govern their culture. But rules—even God’s rules—can never change hearts. So Moses said, “Change your hearts and stop being stubborn” (Deut. 10:16 nlt). Interestingly, right after issuing that challenge Moses took up the topic of Israel’s treatment of outsiders. God “loves the foreigner residing among you,” he said, “giving them food and clothing. And you are to love those who are foreigners, for you yourselves were foreigners in Egypt” (vv. 18–19).

Israel served the “God of gods and Lord of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome” (v. 17). One powerful way they were to show their identification with God was by loving foreigners—those from outside their culture.

What might this small picture of God’s character mean for us today? How can we show His love to the marginalized and the needy in our world?

Heavenly Father, help us bless others today by showing Your love in some small way.

在基督里，大家都不是外人。

耶和华你上帝向你所要的是什么呢？只要你敬畏耶和华你的上帝，遵行祂的道，爱祂。-申命记10章12节

小时候，我住在加纳的偏远小镇。“用餐时间，谢绝外人”是当地人的习惯。因为物资缺乏，所以他们认为，在吃饭时间去拜访人是失礼的，不管是邻居或外地人都一样。

我也曾在菲律宾小住一段时间，那里就大不相同了！即使没有预先知会对方就在用餐时间前去拜访，对方就算自己不够食物，也会坚持与到访的客人一起分享。人们因着对事物不同的看法，而产生了不同的文化。

以色列百姓离开埃及后，上帝给了他们一些指令以建立他们的文化。但即使是上帝所给的指令也无法改变人心，所以摩西说：“你们要将心里的污秽除掉，不可再硬着颈项”（申命记10章16节）。摩西发出这样的呼吁之后，接着他就教导以色列百姓应如何接待外地人。他说：“[上帝]怜爱寄居的，赐给他衣食。所以你们要怜爱寄居的，因为你们在埃及地也作过寄居的。”（18-19节）

以色列百姓服事的上帝是“万神之神，万主之主，至大的上帝，大有能力，大而可畏”（17节）。以色列百姓善待不同文化的外地人，就能表明他们是属上帝的子民。

上帝的这项属性给了我们什么样的启示？在生活中，我们如何向社会边缘人和有需要的人表现出祂的爱呢？

天父，帮助我们即使是在小事上，
也能向人展现祢的爱，使人蒙福。

Deuteronomy 10:12-22

12 And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God ask of you but to fearthe Lord your God, to walk in obedience to him, to love him, to serve theLord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, 13 and to observe the Lord’s commands and decrees that I am giving you today for your own good?

14 To the Lord your God belong the heavens, even the highest heavens,the earth and everything in it. 15 Yet the Lord set his affection on your ancestors and loved them, and he chose you, their descendants, above all the nations—as it is today. 16 Circumcise your hearts, therefore, and do not be stiff-necked any longer. 17 For the Lord your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome, who shows no partiality and accepts no bribes. 18 He defends the cause of the fatherless and the widow, and loves the foreigner residing among you, giving them food and clothing. 19 And you are to love those who are foreigners, for you yourselves were foreigners in Egypt. 20 Fear the Lordyour God and serve him. Hold fast to him and take your oaths in his name. 21 He is the one you praise; he is your God, who performed for you those great and awesome wonders you saw with your own eyes.22 Your ancestors who went down into Egypt were seventy in all, and now the Lord your God has made you as numerous as the stars in the sky.

整理：于姊妹