“‘你们要小心，不可轻看这小子里的一个。’” – 太 18:10
Annette和儿子Lloyd都是有先天残障的人，他们因此时常遭人歧视。他们参加RCM主日崇拜，又在那里的食品分发站、活动中心、和二手店工作，长达三十年之久。
Annette入住养老院后，Lloyd尝试在母亲不在身边的情况下独立生活。出于一片真诚款待别人的心，Lloyd接受了几个来历不明的男子入住他继承的祖屋，为他们提供了栖身之所。然而过了不久，这几个人把房子据为己有；当Lloyd质问他们为何如此时，他们竟然把他打死了。
在马太福音18章，耶稣教导我们，小孩子有信靠和倚赖的信心；又说，衪欢迎小孩子进入神的国。衪又警诫我们，不可做任何伤害“这些小子”的事。在希腊文中，mikron这个字的意思是“不重要的或个子小的” － 它可以指小孩子，也可以用来形容其他我们认为卑微或无关紧要的人。然而，在神的国中，每一个人都同样被祂看重。
一群RCM会友，包括前任牧师、牧师的妻子、和其他朋友，围绕在Annette身边来安慰她。因为Annette不能离开养老院，我们把躺在医疗病床上的Annette推到一个会议室，在会议室里，我们一同缅怀Lloyd的一生并感谢神复活的应许。教会会友Steve唱了这首歌：“耶稣爱我我知道！因有圣经告诉我。凡小孩子主牧养，我虽软弱主强壮。”
祷告
父啊，我们都是不重要的人，你却施慈爱和赐力量给我们每一个人，我们感谢你。阿们。
马太福音 18:1-10
1当时，门徒进前来，问耶稣说：“天国里谁是最大的？”
2耶稣便叫一个小孩子来，使他站在他们当中，
3说：“我实在告诉你们：你们若不回转，变成小孩子的样式，断不得进天国。
4所以，凡自己谦卑像这小孩子的，他在天国里就是最大的。
5凡为我的名接待一个像这小孩子的，就是接待我。
6凡使这信我的一个小子跌倒的，倒不如把大磨石拴在这人的颈项上，沉在深海里。
7“这世界有祸了，因为将人绊倒；绊倒人的事是免不了的，但那绊倒人的有祸了！
8倘若你一只手或是一只脚叫你跌倒，就砍下来丢掉！你缺一只手或是一只脚进入永生，强如有两手两脚被丢在永火里。
9倘若你一只眼叫你跌倒，就把它剜出来丢掉！你只有一只眼进入永生，强如有两只眼被丢在地狱的火里。
10你们要小心，不可轻看这小子里的一个。我告诉你们，他们的使者在天上，常见我天父的面。
Mikron
“See that you do not despise one of these little ones. . . .” – Matthew 18:10
Both Annette and her son, Lloyd, were born with disabilities and were often ignored by others. They worshiped at Roseland Christian Ministries and worked in the food pantry, drop-in center, and thrift store for 30 years.
When Annette moved into a nursing home, Lloyd tried to manage without his mother. In an act of innocent hospitality, Lloyd allowed some shady men to move into their family home for shelter. Soon the men took over the house, and when Lloyd confronted them, they beat him to death.
In Matthew 18, Jesus teaches about having the trusting, dependent faith of little children, and of welcoming them into God’s kingdom. He also warns against doing any harm to “these little ones.” The Greek word for this term, mikron, means “small in significance or size”—and while it could refer to children, it can also describe other people that we might consider little or insignificant. In the kingdom of God, however, everyone is significant.
A group of RCM members, including the former pastor and his wife and other friends, gathered around Annette. Unable to leave the nursing home, Annette was rolled in her medical bed into a community room where we celebrated Lloyd’s life and the promises of God. A church member, Steve, sang, “Jesus loves me! This I know, for the Bible tells me so. Little ones to him belong; they are weak, but he is strong.”
Prayer
Father, thank you for your love and strength over all of us, for we are all mikron. Amen.
诵读: 骆云秀
片头: 张妙阳
