神的恩典
路加福音十五章11至24节
11耶稣又说：一个人有两个儿子。
12小儿子对父亲说：父亲，请你把我应得的家业分给我。他父亲就把产业分给他们。
13过了不多几日，小儿子就把他一切所有的都收拾起来，往远方去了。在那里任意放荡，浪费赀财。
14既耗尽了一切所有的，又遇着那地方大遭饥荒，就穷苦起来。
15于是去投靠那地方的一个人；那人打发他到田里去放猪。
16他恨不得拿猪所吃的豆荚充饥，也没有人给他。
17他醒悟过来，就说：我父亲有多少的雇工，口粮有余，我倒在这里饿死么？
18我要起来，到我父亲那里去，向他说：父亲！我得罪了天，又得罪了你；
19从今以后，我不配称为你的儿子，把我当作一个雇工罢！
20于是起来，往他父亲那里去。相离还远，他父亲看见，就动了慈心，跑去抱着他的颈项，连连与他亲嘴。
21儿子说：父亲！我得罪了天，又得罪了你；从今以后，我不配称为你的儿子。
22父亲却吩咐仆人说：把那上好的袍子快拿出来给他穿；把戒指戴在他指头上；把鞋穿在他脚上；
23把那肥牛犊牵来宰了，我们可以吃喝快乐；
24因为我这个儿子是死而复活，失而又得的。他们就快乐起来。
信息分享
人因着犯罪而与神隔绝；然而，神却因着祂的恩典与慈爱，差派祂的儿子降世，去寻找和拯救罪人，将人领到神的面前。每当有罪人悔改，归回神的身边，神就非常的欢喜快乐。路加福音十五章4至7节的失羊比喻，8至10节的失钱比喻，以及11至24节的浪子比喻，都清楚描述了这点。
羊因着自己的愚昧和顽固而走迷。人因着粗心大意而遗失了钱。浪子则因为偏行己路而离弃父亲。但最终，无论是迷羊、失钱和浪子都被寻回。所有人都因着浪子被寻回而兴高采烈，惟独他的哥哥却因妒忌而生气。
在浪子的故事中，走迷的儿子究竟有一个还是两个？大儿子从来没有离开家门，可是，他却似乎从没感受到父亲对他的爱。当父亲摆设筵席的时候，他却留在田间。请留意他在第29至31节对父亲所说的话是何等的尖酸刻薄！
你猜故事的结局是怎样？父亲的一番软言细语，能否软化大儿子的硬心？他会与父亲一同进去坐席，一家人共聚欢谈吗？这会否是他们一家人几个月来第一次的促膝谈心？
你可以在这三个故事里面找到自己的角色吗？究竟谁有责任出去寻找迷失的羊？岂不是我们信徒的责任吗？我们有没有尽忠职守，去寻找迷失的羊，抑或只顾过着平安稳妥的生活？
牢记：
基督今天正要使用我们去做祂的工作。
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.