阅读经文 

事件中的那个人并不真的认识耶稣，看到关于这类人的故事时，我们很容易便会轻视他们。这人看来相当富有，他也因敬虔守法而自恃清高；可是，他似乎完全不明白，耶稣的呼召是把他的生命主权全然交给神——又或许他根本不愿意这样做。我暗自思忖：“他或许真的不明白跟从耶稣是什么意思吧。”

但我也往往会像故事中的人那样回应耶稣。我时常都不了解，或不明白耶稣说的话，或不知道祂对我个人的期望。

然而，在这个故事中，耶稣并没有轻视这个人。《圣经》记载说：耶稣看着他，就爱他。

我很感恩——尽管这个人完全弄错了——耶稣并没有不理会他或谴责他，祂反而爱他和邀请这人来跟从祂。

在这个故事中，我从耶稣那里学到了生动的一课。当我不明白祂的教导，或误解了关于祂的真理和祂的国度时，耶稣仍然慈爱地邀请我跟从祂并继续学习。

在故事中，不论耶稣对这人还说了些什么其他的话，都是基于祂对这个不完全明白真理的人的厚爱而说的。这便令我感到安心宽慰！

In reading stories about people like the man in this episode, people who don＇t really under­stand Jesus, I＇m tempted to look down on them. The man appears to have been wealthy, and he had a high opinion of how well he kept the law. But he seems to have had no idea that Jesus was simply calling him to give his whole life to God—or maybe he just didn＇t want to do that. I think to myself, ＂I guess he just doesn＇t get what it means to follow Jesus.＂

And yet I often respond to Jesus in the same way that man did. Often I don＇t catch what Jesus is about, or understand what he has just said, or realize what he expects of me.

But in this story, Jesus doesn＇t look down on the man. Jesus looks at him and loves him, the Bible says.

I am so thankful that—even though the man had it all wrong—Jesus didn＇t just dismiss him or condemn him. Instead, Jesus loved him and invited the man to follow him.

Right there is something wonderful I can learn from Jesus. When I don＇t understand his teachings, or when I misunder­stand the truth about Jesus and his kingdom, there is still a loving invitation from Jesus to follow him and keep learning.

Whatever else Jesus says to the man in the story, it＇s in the context of Jesus＇ love for a person who doesn＇t fully get it. That is reassuring to me!