“我们在你们那里的时候，曾吩咐你们说：‘若有人不肯做工，就不可吃饭。’” – 帖后 3:10
在今天的经文和其他经文中，神很清楚指出，照顾别人的需要是有限度的。保罗教导帖撒罗尼迦信徒“不肯做工的，就不可吃饭”。对那些能工作但不去工作的人，我们的责任是训诫他们，而不是支持他们的懒惰。就如箴言10:4教导说：“手懒的，要受贫穷；手勤的，却要富足。”人不一定必然有特权去依赖别人的慷慨去过活。不过我们要留意，保罗是在对一个教会应怎样对待自己的会友而写的。
当我们要把这些教导应用在今天时，我们会面对一些挑战。第一，就是如何知道求助者真的是可以工作和是可以找到工作的。在现今的经济体系中，似乎总会有找不到工作和不能工作的人。虽然我们觉得某人肯定能工作和有工作的机会，但我们也可能会看错。精神病患像身体病患一样会使人衰弱无力工作。而且，无论是什么情形，我们都有责任去与人连系，希望在圣灵的引领下有机会引导他们认识基督。
祷告
主啊，我们知道你爱捐得乐意的人。求你帮助我们去辨别在什么情况下不宜捐助。而当我们不肯定时，情愿叫我们多点怜悯。求你引导我们去领人归向你。阿们。
帖撒罗尼迦后书 3:1-13
1弟兄们，我还有话说，请你们为我们祷告，好叫主的道理快快行开，得着荣耀，正如在你们中间一样；
2也叫我们脱离无理之恶人的手，因为人不都是有信心。
3但主是信实的，要坚固你们，保护你们脱离那恶者。
4我们靠主深信，你们现在是遵行我们所吩咐的，后来也必要遵行。
5愿主引导你们的心，叫你们爱神，并学基督的忍耐！
6弟兄们，我们奉主耶稣基督的名吩咐你们，凡有弟兄不按规矩而行，不遵守从我们所受的教训，就当远离他。
7你们自己原知道应当怎样效法我们；因为我们在你们中间，未尝不按规矩而行，
8也未尝白吃人的饭，倒是辛苦劳碌，昼夜做工，免得叫你们一人受累。
9这并不是因我们没有权柄，乃是要给你们做榜样，叫你们效法我们。
10我们在你们那里的时候，曾吩咐你们说：若有人不肯做工，就不可吃饭。
11因我们听说，在你们中间有人不按规矩而行，什么工都不做，反倒专管闲事。
12我们靠主耶稣基督吩咐、劝诫这样的人，要安静做工，吃自己的饭。
13弟兄们，你们行善不可丧志。
Don’t Work, Don’t Eat
“When we were with you, we gave you this rule: ‘The one who is unwilling to work shall not eat.’” – 2 Thessalonians 3:10
God makes clear in this passage and in other Scriptures that there are limits to caring for the needs of others. Paul taught the Thessalonians, “The one who is unwilling to work shall not eat.” Our responsibility to people who are capable of working but who refuse may be to admonish them rather than to support their laziness. As Proverbs 10:4 teaches, “Lazy hands make for poverty, but diligent hands bring wealth.” People are not necessarily entitled to live off the generosity of others. It is important to note, though, that Paul is writing to a church concerning their own members.
When it comes to applying this teaching today, we face a number of challenges. The first is to find out whether a person who is seeking aid is truly able to work and has the opportunity to do so. In our economic systems today, it seems, there are nearly always people who are unemployed and unemployable. Though we may feel certain that an individual has the ability and the opportunity to work, we may be wrong. Mental illness can be a factor that is every bit as debilitating as a physical condition. And whatever the case, we are also responsible to establish relationships with people in the hope of having opportunities to lead them to know Christ, as the Spirit leads.
Prayer
Lord, we know that you love a cheerful giver. Help us to discern when it may be inappropriate to give. And if we are not sure, help us to err on the side of mercy. Guide us in leading people to you, we pray. Amen.
诵读: 骆云秀
片头: 张妙阳
