甚麼是真正的溫柔？
真正的溫柔是：當任何不幸的事，即使發生在你的敵人身上時，你的心也同感痛苦。這樣的人是上帝的兒女和後嗣，是基督的兄弟。
真正的溫柔是：當任何不幸的事，即使發生在你的敵人身上時，你的心也同感痛苦。這樣的人是上帝的兒女和後嗣，是基督的兄弟。基督被釘的聖十架已經展現出祂的心感同身受我們所有人的痛苦。
真正的溫柔如同是：一位虔誠的法官在悲痛中處決一位罪犯，為律法加給罪犯的死亡而同感悲痛。因為，判決是殘酷的、充滿憤怒的，所以，徹底的溫柔不得不保持這憤怒和嚴厲。這才最折磨溫柔的心的地方。
另一方面，我們要謹慎，不要讓這溫柔抵擋上帝的尊貴和誡命。摩西是世上最溫柔的人，但是當古以色列人敬拜金牛犢，激怒上帝時，摩西下令殺死了他們許多人，在上帝面前獻上挽回祭。同理，官長必須盡責，不能不發一言，而放任罪惡。
我可以不在乎自己的財產、尊貴、和身體受到傷害，我也不要因此而發怒。但是，我們必須維護上帝的尊貴和誡命。我們必須防止鄰舍受到傷害和不公正對待。官長可以佩劍刑罰（
如果我們有信心，則容易學會這種高尚、崇高、甜美的善工。這也是信心的操練。如果信心不懷疑上帝的好感和恩慈，那麼我們就可以對鄰舍如此恩慈和好感。是的，惡人誠然犯罪了，但是如果我們沒有真正的溫柔，我們豈不更加得罪了上帝。看啊！這小小的誡命已經展現出一個長期的、極大的善行和信心了。——馬丁路德 (AE 12:172–173)
註解：
註解一：回到原文羅馬書13:4 因為他是上帝的用人，是與你有益的。你若作惡，卻當懼怕，因為他不是空空地佩劍；他是上帝的用人，是伸冤的，刑罰那作惡的。
But where there is true meekness, there the heart is pained at every evil which happens to one’s enemy. And these are the true children and heirs of God and brethren of Christ, Whose heart was so pained for us all when He died on the holy Cross. Even so we see a pious judge passing sentence upon the criminal with sorrow, and regretting the death which the law imposes. Here the act seems to be one of anger and harshness. So thoroughly good is meekness that even in such works of anger it remains, nay, it torments the heart most sorely when it must be angry and severe.
But here we must watch, that we be not meek contrary to God’s honor and Commandment. For it is written of Moses that he was the very meekest man on earth, and yet, when the Jews had worshiped the golden calf and provoked God to anger, he put many of them to death, and thereby made atonement before God. Likewise it is not fitting that the magistrates should be idle and allow sin to have sway, and that we say nothing. My own possessions, my honor, my injury, I must not regard, nor grow angry because of them; but God’s honor and Commandment we must protect, and injury or injustice to our neighbor we must prevent, the magistrates with the sword, the rest of us with words and penalties, yet always with pity for those who have merited the punishment.
This high, noble, sweet work can easily be learned, if we perform it in faith, and as an exercise of faith. For if faith does not doubt the favor of God nor question that God is gracious, it will become quite easy for a man to be gracious and favorable to his neighbor, however much he may have sinned; for we have sinned much more against God. Behold, a short Commandment this, but it presents a long, mighty exercise of good works and of faith. ——Martin Luther（WA 9:29f）(Sermon On Good Works, 1520）（Text is taken from http://www.gutenberg.org/files/418/418-h/418-h.htm）
