Broken people are made whole by God’s love.

不完美的人因上帝的爱得以完全。

God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:8

惟有基督在我们还作罪人的时候为我们死，上帝的爱就在此向我们显明了。-罗马书5章8节

In Japan, food products are immaculately prepared and packaged. Not only must they taste good but they must look good too. Often I wonder if I am purchasing the food or the packaging! Because of the Japanese emphasis on good quality, products with slight defects are often discarded. However, in recent years wakeari products have gained popularity. Wakeari means “there is a reason” in Japanese. These products are not thrown away but are sold at a cheap price “for a reason”—for example, a crack in a rice cracker.

日本食品总是精心制作、包装精美，不仅要好吃，还要好看。有时我不知道到底是买食品还是买包装呢！由于日本人重视优良的品质，那些稍有瑕疪的产品通常就被淘汰。然而，近年来，日本“稍有瑕疵”的产品却越来越受欢迎，例如有瑕疵的虾饼，没有被丢弃，而是以便宜的价格出售。

My friend who lives in Japan tells me that wakeari is also a catchphrase for people who are obviously less than perfect.

有位住在日本的朋友告诉我，“稍有瑕疵”也可指不够完美的人。

Jesus loves all people—including the wakeari who society casts aside. When a woman who had lived a sinful life learned that Jesus was eating at a Pharisee’s house, she went there and knelt behind Jesus at His feet, weeping (Luke 7:37–38). The Pharisee labeled her “a sinner” (v. 39), but Jesus accepted her. He spoke gently to her, assuring her that her sins were forgiven (v. 48).

耶稣爱世上所有的人，包括那些被社会抛弃的、不够完美的人。当一个生活充满罪恶的女人，知道耶稣在法利赛人的家里吃饭时，她就去到那里，跪在耶稣身后，挨着祂的脚哭泣（路加福音7章37-38节）。法利赛人认定这个女人是个“罪人”（39节），但耶稣却接纳她、柔声地对她说，她的罪已被赦免了（48节）。

Jesus loves imperfect, wakeari people—which includes you and me. And the greatest demonstration of His love for us is that “while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Rom. 5:8). As recipients of His love, may we be conduits of His love to the flawed people around us so they too may know that they can receive God’s love despite their imperfections.

耶稣爱那些并不完美、有瑕疵的人，包括你和我。上帝显明祂对我们的爱，莫过于“惟有基督在我们还作罪人的时候为我们死”（罗马书5章8节）。我们得着上帝的爱，便可成为祂爱的管道，使我们周遭并不完美的人也能知道，尽管有瑕疪，他们也同样能得到上帝的爱。

I know I’m not perfect, Lord, so help me not to be hypocritical and pretend I have it all together. Open my heart to others in acceptance and love so that they might know Jesus’s concern for them.

主啊，我知道自己并不完美。求祢帮助我，
不再虚伪、粉饰太平。求祢敞开我的心，
去爱和接纳别人，好让他们知道，耶稣顾念他们。

Luke 7:36-50New International Version (NIV)

Jesus Anointed by a Sinful Woman

36 When one of the Pharisees invited Jesus to have dinner with him, he went to the Pharisee’s house and reclined at the table. 37 A woman in that town who lived a sinful life learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee’s house, so she came there with an alabaster jar of perfume.38 As she stood behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them and poured perfume on them.

39 When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would know who is touching him and what kind of woman she is—that she is a sinner.”

40 Jesus answered him, “Simon, I have something to tell you.”

“Tell me, teacher,” he said.

41 “Two people owed money to a certain moneylender. One owed him five hundred denarii,[a] and the other fifty. 42 Neither of them had the money to pay him back, so he forgave the debts of both. Now which of them will love him more?”

43 Simon replied, “I suppose the one who had the bigger debt forgiven.”

“You have judged correctly,” Jesus said.

44 Then he turned toward the woman and said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I came into your house. You did not give me any water for my feet, but she wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. 45 You did not give me a kiss, but this woman, from the time I entered, has not stopped kissing my feet. 46 You did not put oil on my head, but she has poured perfume on my feet. 47 Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven—as her great love has shown. But whoever has been forgiven little loves little.”

48 Then Jesus said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.”

49 The other guests began to say among themselves, “Who is this who even forgives sins?”

50 Jesus said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”

路加福音 7:36-50Chinese Union Version Modern Punctuation (Simplified) (CUVMPS)

有罪的女人用香膏抹主

36 有一个法利赛人请耶稣和他吃饭，耶稣就到法利赛人家里去坐席。 37 那城里有一个女人，是个罪人，知道耶稣在法利赛人家里坐席，就拿着盛香膏的玉瓶， 38 站在耶稣背后，挨着他的脚哭，眼泪湿了耶稣的脚，就用自己的头发擦干，又用嘴连连亲他的脚，把香膏抹上。 39 请耶稣的法利赛人看见这事，心里说：“这人若是先知，必知道摸他的是谁，是个怎样的女人，乃是个罪人！” 40 耶稣对他说：“西门，我有句话要对你说。”西门说：“夫子，请说。” 41 耶稣说：“一个债主有两个人欠他的债，一个欠五十两银子，一个欠五两银子。 42 因为他们无力偿还，债主就开恩免了他们两个人的债。这两个人哪一个更爱他呢？” 43 西门回答说：“我想是那多得恩免的人。”耶稣说：“你断的不错。”

44 于是转过来向着那女人，便对西门说：“你看见这女人吗？我进了你的家，你没有给我水洗脚，但这女人用眼泪湿了我的脚，用头发擦干； 45 你没有与我亲嘴，但这女人从我进来的时候就不住地用嘴亲我的脚； 46 你没有用油抹我的头，但这女人用香膏抹我的脚。 47 所以我告诉你：她许多的罪都赦免了，因为她的爱多；但那赦免少的，他的爱就少。” 48 于是对那女人说：“你的罪赦免了！” 49 同席的人心里说：“这是什么人，竟赦免人的罪呢？” 50 耶稣对那女人说：“你的信救了你，平平安安地回去吧！”

整理：于姊妹