神的恩典
路加福音十五章11至24節
11耶穌又說：一個人有兩個兒子。
12小兒子對父親說：父親，請你把我應得的家業分給我。他父親就把產業分給他們。
13過了不多幾日，小兒子就把他一切所有的都收拾起來，往遠方去了。在那裡任意放蕩，浪費貲財。
14既耗盡了一切所有的，又遇著那地方大遭饑荒，就窮苦起來。
15於是去投靠那地方的一個人；那人打發他到田裡去放豬。
16他恨不得拿豬所吃的豆莢充飢，也沒有人給他。
17他醒悟過來，就說：我父親有多少的雇工，口糧有餘，我倒在這裡餓死麼？
18我要起來，到我父親那裡去，向他說：父親！我得罪了天，又得罪了你；
19從今以後，我不配稱為你的兒子，把我當作一個雇工罷！
20於是起來，往他父親那裡去。相離還遠，他父親看見，就動了慈心，跑去抱著他的頸項，連連與他親嘴。
21兒子說：父親！我得罪了天，又得罪了你；從今以後，我不配稱為你的兒子。
22父親卻吩咐僕人說：把那上好的袍子快拿出來給他穿；把戒指戴在他指頭上；把鞋穿在他腳上；
23把那肥牛犢牽來宰了，我們可以吃喝快樂；
24因為我這個兒子是死而復活，失而又得的。他們就快樂起來。
信息分享
人因著犯罪而與神隔絕；然而，神卻因著祂的恩典與慈愛，差派祂的兒子降世，去尋找和拯救罪人，將人領到神的面前。每當有罪人悔改，歸回神的身邊，神就非常的歡喜快樂。路加福音十五章4至7節的失羊比喻，8至10節的失錢比喻，以及11至24節的浪子比喻，都清楚描述了這點。
羊因著自己的愚昧和頑固而走迷。人因著粗心大意而遺失了錢。浪子則因為偏行己路而離棄父親。但最終，無論是迷羊、失錢和浪子都被尋回。所有人都因著浪子被尋回而興高采烈，惟獨他的哥哥卻因妒忌而生氣。
在浪子的故事中，走迷的兒子究竟有一個還是兩個？大兒子從來沒有離開家門，可是，他卻似乎從沒感受到父親對他的愛。當父親擺設筵席的時候，他卻留在田間。請留意他在第29至31節對父親所說的話是何等的尖酸刻薄！
你猜故事的結局是怎樣？父親的一番軟言細語，能否軟化大兒子的硬心？他會與父親一同進去坐席，一家人共聚歡談嗎？這會否是他們一家人幾個月來第一次的促膝談心？
你可以在這三個故事裡面找到自己的角色嗎？究竟誰有責任出去尋找迷失的羊？豈不是我們信徒的責任嗎？我們有沒有盡忠職守，去尋找迷失的羊，抑或只顧過著平安穩妥的生活？
牢記：
基督今天正要使用我們去做祂的工作。
GOD'S GRACE SEEN IN STORY AND PICTURE
Luke 15: 11 - 24
11 Then He said: “A certain man had two sons.
12 And the younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the portion of goods that falls to me.’ So he divided to them his livelihood.
13 And not many days after, the younger son gathered all together, journeyed to a far country, and there wasted his possessions with prodigal living.
14 But when he had spent all, there arose a severe famine in that land, and he began to be in want.
15 Then he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country, and he sent him into his fields to feed swine.
16 And he would gladly have filled his stomach with the pods that the swine ate, and no one gave him anything.
17 “But when he came to himself, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger!
18 I will arise and go to my father, and will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you,
19 and I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired servants.”’
20 “And he arose and came to his father. But when he was still a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him.
21 And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight, and am no longer worthy to be called your son.’
22 “But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet.
23 And bring the fatted calf here and kill it, and let us eat and be merry;
24 for this my son was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ And they began to be merry.
Message
Man had become separated from God by sin. But God in love and grace gave his Son so that man could be brought back to him. God rejoices over each sinner who returns to him. That is what these stories illustrate. (The story of the lost sheep is found in verses 4 - 7, the lost coin in verses 8 - 10.)
The sheep was lost to safety through its own stupidly and stubbornness. The coin was lost to usefulness through someone's carelessness. The son was lost to fellowship through his own willfulness. But each was found. Everyone rejoiced over the finding of the lost son except the older brother.
How many boys were really lost in that story? One or two? The older brother never life home, but it seems he was far away from the father's loving heart. He was in the fields when he should have been at the feast. Notice his harsh words in verses 29 - 31.
How does that story end? Do you think the father's gracious words melted the older brother's hard heart? Did he find real fellowship at the table with his father which perhaps they had not known for many months?
Can you find yourself in any of these stories? Who is doing the shepherd's work of finding lost sheep today? It's our responsibility, isn't it? Are we doing it or are we just enjoying our own safety and security?
REMEMBER:
Christ has no hands but our hands to do his work today.