浪子的兄长
路加福音十五25至31节
25那时，大儿子正在田里。他回来，离家不远，听见作乐跳舞的声音，
26便叫过一个仆人来，问是甚么事。
27仆人说：‘你兄弟来了。你父亲因为得他无灾无病地回来，把肥牛犊宰了！’
28大儿子却生气，不肯进去。他父亲就出来劝他。
29他对父亲说：‘我服事你这多年，从来没有违背过你的命，你并没有给我一只山羊羔，叫我和朋友一同快乐。
30但你这个儿子和娼妓吞尽了你的产业，他一来了，你倒为他宰了肥牛犊。’
31父亲对他说：‘儿啊！你常和我同在，我一切所有的都是你的；
信息分享
基督讲这个比喻的时候，确实包含了上述的重点。基督是向法利赛人和律法师（2、3节）讲这个比喻，他们是当时犹太人社会中最「虔诚」的人。基督也许要用这个比喻来教训他们：「你们或许不像那个小儿子，可是，连那个大儿子你们也不要学。」
大儿子有甚么问题呢？他说自己从来没有做过任何错事，也没有胡乱花钱。但他做了甚么呢？他虽然一直住在父的家中，却从没有明白父亲的心，没有分担父亲挂念弟弟的痛苦。
他可能一直勤劳作工，可是，当他应该参加家庭的欢宴时，他却宁可留在田间。他建立了一堵自义的墙，毫无亏欠之心，其实，他最需要一面镜子来看清自己的本相。
此外，他也失落了兄弟之爱。他对父亲说：「你这个儿子……」而不是「弟弟」，显出他内心的怨忿和苦毒，仿佛离家的弟弟与他没有手足关系。
而且，他看不见自己所拥有的，还抱怨自己一无所有。父亲怎样回答他呢？「我一切所有的，都是你的。」这确是事实，因小儿子已把父亲分给他的财产花光了。
父亲怎样对待大儿子呢？像他对小儿子一样，他同样以接纳的爱来对待大儿子。经文没有说出故事的结尾，也许，一个美好的结局是大儿子上前拥抱父亲和弟弟，然后三人一起进屋欢宴快乐。
我们又怎么样呢？我们的父神深爱失丧的人、浪子和流离失所的人，我们是否感同身受？当他们回到父神身边的时候，我们会否妒忌、排拒？为何不请求父神更新我们对这些失丧灵魂的爱心？
求神给我们加略山的爱，让我们懂得如何爱人。
THE OTHER SON
Luke15:25-31
25 “Now his older son was in the field. And as he came and drew near to the house, he heard music and dancing.
26 So he called one of the servants and asked what these things meant.
27 And he said to him, ‘Your brother has come, and because he has received him safe and sound, your father has killed the fatted calf.’
28 “But he was angry and would not go in. Therefore his father came out and pleaded with him.
29 So he answered and said to his father, ‘Lo, these many years I have been serving you; I never transgressed your commandment at any time; and yet you never gave me a young goat, that I might make merry with my friends.
30 But as soon as this son of yours came, who has devoured your livelihood with harlots, you killed the fatted calf for him.’
31 “And he said to him, ‘Son, you are always with me, and all that I have is yours.
Message
That really was one of the main points in Christ's story. It was spoken to the Pharisees and teachers of the law (v.2,3) who were the most 'religious' people of the day. The lesson Christ was trying to give them was: 'You may not be like the boy who left home, but don't be like the other son either'.
What about this older son? He said he had never done anything wrong. He hadn't wasted his money. What had he done? He may have been in the father's house but he never shared in the longings of the father's heart over the younger son.
He had worked hard but he was in the fields when he should have been at the feast. He had lost all sense of indebtedness. He had built up a wall of self-righteousness when what he needed was a mirror in which to see himself.
He had also lost sight of love. How bitter, how unkind were his words: 'This son of yours' - not 'My brother'. ‘He's no relation of mine.'
He had lost sight of his possessions. He complained he had nothing. But what did the father say? 'Everything I have is yours.' That was true too. The younger son had spent his inheritance.
How did the father deal with him? With the same love he had shown to the younger son. We are not told the end of the story. It would be good to think that he flung himself into the arms of his father and his brother and they all went into the feast together.
How about ourselves? Are we as out of touch with the Father's love for the lost, the prodigals, the homeless? Why not ask him to renew our love for lost souls?
LORD GIVE US CALVARY LOVE.