重要的福音信息：失迷的儿子终于回家
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
昨天的故事中，羊为何会走失呢？是因为牠愚蠢，不辨方向，或是任意而行。钱为何会丢失？是因为人的粗心大意。到了今天的经文，那个儿子又为何会迷失呢？主要是因为他任意而行。
他的行动是处心积虑的，他以为离开父家，就可以自由自在地过活。他想要享受人生，但最终才发现，最美好的时光是在父亲家里。他在异地的生活，只有放纵和败坏；在他最需要帮助的时候，却完全没有人愿意伸出援手。
他希望吃珍馐佳肴，却要吃猪食。但在父家他可以吃最好的肥牛。
他希望得到关心和温暖，最终在父亲的臂弯中得到了。当他决意放下自我，他就一无所缺了。
而这名父亲得回儿子，他的喜乐一如牧羊人找回迷羊、物主找回失钱一样。当初失去的，现在已经寻回了！
然而，故事中似乎有两个迷失的儿子，除了离家的小儿子，还有一直留在家中的大儿子，也同样需要帮助。这个大儿子充满了自信，内心冰冷而缺乏爱心。他冷眼旁观地看着父亲怎样欢迎弟弟回家，语带怨忿地说：「我服侍你这多年，从来没有违背过你的命。」（29节）像弟弟离家的那段时间一样，大儿子其实也失去与父亲的亲密相交。
那父亲怎样回应大儿子呢？他以同样的爱来柔声安慰和肯定他的大儿子。我们当然希望慈父的爱，最终能融化大儿子的硬心，以致他们父子三人能共享亲密的关系。
我们的父神便是以这种宽宏的爱，来接纳每个到祂跟前的人。我们每个人都犯了不同的罪，都需要父神的宽恕和接纳，而父神总以温柔的爱来挽回我们。
你经历过神的接纳和爱吗？愿我们都为此而感谢神。
GREAT WORDS OF THE GOSPEL THE HOMECOMING OF THE LOST SON
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
In our first story, how was the sheep lost? By its own stupidity or wilfulness? How was the coin lost? By someone's carelessness? How was this son lost? It was by his own self will.
His actions were deliberate. He imagined freedom was anywhere away from the father's home. He wanted a good time, but he eventually found the best time was in the father's house. The far country proved to be a place of want and degradation - a place where no help was given to him when he needed it.
He wanted fine food. He was given pigs' food. But in the father's home, he ate the best beef available.
He wanted satisfaction. He found it in the father's arms. When he yielded his will, he never wanted again.
How the father rejoiced, as did the shepherd and the owner of the coin, when that which was lost, was found!
But there seems to be two lost sons in this story, the one who left home, and the one who stayed. This older brother needed help too. His heart was hard and unloving. He was so self-righteous. 'All these years I've slaved for you and never disobeyed your orders.' (v. 29) He was lost to the fellowship of the father as the other son was while in the far country.
How did the father deal with him? In the same loving way he welcomed the other son. We would like to think the father's love melted the hard heart of the older son and that fellowship was restored for all three of them.
That is how God the Father responds to whoever will come to Him. He deals with each one in tender love in just the way the individual sinner needs.
Has that been your experience? Thank Him for it today.