浪子回头

这段圣经记载了浪子的比喻。在浪子的故事中，父亲喻表天父，大儿子喻表犹太人，小儿子喻表税吏和罪人。小儿子生活在罪恶中，但由于他认罪悔改，反成为蒙爱的儿子。

11-12节：小儿子生长在幸福的父家，但因觉受父亲管教不自由，就对他父亲说：“请你把我应得的家业分给我。”按犹太人的规矩，父亲还活着的时候，不能分家业，但小儿子却不顾这些。我们要知道，人在神面前没有什么应得的家业，神没有欠我们的债，我们所有的都是从神那里领受的。

“父亲就把产业分给他们”，父亲并不强制小儿子，而是允准了他所求的。神也赐给人自由意志。神将亚当安置在伊甸园中，并吩咐他不可吃善恶树上的果子。但他却选择违背神的命令，最终被逐出伊甸园。人若不愿顺从神，神就任凭他们。

13节：小儿子用父亲给他的家业“任意放荡”，正如人把神的恩赐浪费耗尽，沉迷于罪中之乐，最终走向灭亡。

14-16节：浪子既耗尽一切所有，又恰逢饥荒就穷苦起来，甚至连猪食也吃不上。这就是说：罪的果子永远是“似甜而实苦”的。凡在罪中寻找快乐的人，不仅是落得一场空，而且还得尝“罪的工价乃是死”（参罗6:23）。这浪子连吃猪食都不能够，岂不要活活饿死吗？

17节：“他醒悟过来”。浪子遇到各样的痛苦后才想到父亲温暖的家。“醒悟过来”这四个字是何等的宝贵！彼得三次不认主。当鸡叫时，彼得醒悟过来，流泪痛哭，认罪悔改，最后成为忠心的使徒，为主传福音，建立教会。大卫王曾强要乌利亚的妻子，并谋害了乌利亚。当先知拿单责备他时，大卫醒悟过来，痛哭认罪，重新恢复了与神亲密的关系。但是也有人死不悔改。如犹大，耶稣虽暗示他不可卖主，给他悔改的机会，他还不醒悟，最终走向灭亡。扫罗虽受撒母耳的责备与警告，但就是不醒悟，结果不但失了王位，也丧失了生命。一个肯醒悟悔改的人就能得神的赦免和拯救，且在神面前蒙恩得福。

18节：“我要起来，到我父亲那里去。”这是浪子下决心要向父亲悔改的行动。人在罪中醒悟了还不够，还要有认罪悔改的行动。

浪子对父亲说：“我得罪了天，又得罪了你。”“天”代表神，原来人所犯的罪，都是得罪了神。凡愿意信耶稣的人，都必须向神认罪悔改。大卫犯罪后，虽然遮蔽住人的眼睛，却无法阻止自己良心的控告。他自己说：“我闭口不认罪的时候，因终日唉哼而骨头枯干。”（参诗32:3）直到他向神诚实认罪，才得着赦罪的平安。所以，箴28:13记载“遮掩自己罪过的，必不亨通，承认离弃罪过的，必蒙怜恤。”一个人知罪并认罪，就必得着天父的赦免。（参约壹1:9）

19节：浪子认识到自己的败坏，实在不配称为父亲的儿子。路18:9-14讲到法利赛人与税吏的祷告。法利赛人的祷告自以为义，不蒙悦纳；税吏因着认识自己是个罪人，谦卑悔改而得神顾念。人在神面前要存一颗谦卑的心，敬畏神，事奉主，常常觉得自己不配，一心追求主道。

20节：父亲远远望见小儿子就“动了慈心”，“跑”去抱住儿子的颈项连连亲嘴，丝毫不嫌小儿子衣衫褴褛，满身污秽。这正如天父的慈爱和怜悯。21-24节：当浪子向父亲认罪时，父亲不等他说完就吩咐仆人说：“把那上好的袍子快拿出来给他穿。”“袍子”指荣耀，我们原是罪人，但神为我们预备了耶稣基督的义袍，使我们因信罪得赦免，被称为义。

“把戒指戴在他指头上”。戒指在人订婚或结婚时戴上，表明两者相爱立约的凭据。神爱是永不改变的。“戒指”也表明儿子的身份，有权柄和尊荣。

“把鞋穿在他脚上”。鞋是用来走路，也是保护脚不受伤，不沾染灰尘的。神爱我们，他要带领我们一生走在正路上。

“把那肥牛犊牵来宰了”。儿子回来，父亲欢喜快乐，大摆筵席，对人说：“我这个儿子是死而复活，失而又得的。”他们就快乐起来。浪子离开父亲往远方去，是何等的孤单、贫穷、痛苦、可怜，直到归回父家，才得到真正的平安和快乐。照样，罪人若肯认罪悔改归向主，作神的儿子，必在神面前得享满足的喜乐。

The Return of the Prodigal

By Rev. Huang Meiying

Bible Verse Reading: Luke 15: 11-24

These verses record the parable of the prodigal. In the story here, the father is compared to the Heavenly Father, the elder son to the Jew and the young son to the tax collector and the sinner. The young son lived in sin, but he became the loved son due to his confession of sin as well as his repentance.

In the verses of 11 and 12, the young son lived in the happy home, but he felt restrained and said to his father, "Father, give me the share of the property that will belong to me." According to Jewish rule, the property was not to be divided when the father was alive. But the young son ignored it. We should know that in front of God we do not have any property that belongs to us, because all that we have is from God.

"Father divided his property between them." Father did not force his view of the son. Instead, he approved of his son's request. God also gives human beings free will. HE put Adam in Eden and told him not to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. But Adam disobeyed God and was driven out of Eden. God will put it at their disposal if human beings do not choose to follow HIM.

13 verse: The young son squandered his property given to him by his father "in dissolute living", just like human beings wasting and using up God's grace and indulging in the pleasure of sin that leads them to death.

14-16 verses: When he had spent everything, a severe famine took place throughout that country, the prodigal did not even have the pods of the pigs for food. That is to say the fruit of sin is seemingly sweet but actually bitter. All that seek pleasure in sin will come to no good end and we know that "the wages of sin is death". (Romans 6:23) Without even the pig food, the prodigal was dying of hunger.

17 verse: "He came to himself". Having experienced pains, the prodigal thought of his father's cozy home. It is so wonderful to "come to oneself". Peter denied the Lord three times. When the rooster crowed the third time, he came to himself and cried painfully. He confessed his sin and repented. Later he became a loyal disciple of the Lord. He preached Gospel and founded the Church. King David took Uriah's wife and had Uriah killed. When the prophet Nathan condemned him, David came to himself and cried painfully, repenting. He resumed his close relationship with God. However, there are some who never repent. Take Judas for example. Although Jesus hinted that Judas ought not betray God, he did not come to himself. Finally he ended up in death. Saul did not come to himself though he was condemned and warned by Samuel. As a result, he lost both his throne and his life. God forgives and saves those who come to themselves and repent, and blesses them.

18 verse: "I will get up and go to my father." This was what the prodigal would do to show his repentance to his father. It is not enough to just come to oneself from sin, we need to take actions for our repentance.

The prodigal said to his father, "I have sinned against heaven and before you." "Heaven" symbolizes God. It turns out that human beings commit sin because they sin against God. Those who believe in Jesus should confessed their sin and repent in front of God. Having sinned, David could not stop the charge of his conscience though he managed to cover it from human beings. He said, "While I kept silence, my body wasted away through my groaning all day long." He did not have peace until he confessed his sin in front of God. Thus Proverbs 28: 13 says, "No one who conceals transgressions will prosper, but one who confesses and forsakes them will obtain mercy." When we confess our sins, our Heavenly Father will forgive us our sins. (1 John 1: 9)

19 verse: The prodigal knew that he was no longer worthy to be called his father's son after he had realized how degenerate he was. Luke 18: 9-14 records the prayers of a Pharisee and a tax collector. The Pharisee trusted in himself and his prayer was not pleased; the tax collector knew that he was a sinner and was blessed by God because of his humbleness and repentance. We should be humble in front of God and fear God. We should pursue the road of the Lord.

20 verse: When he saw the son in distance, Father "was filled with compassion" and "ran' and put his arms around his son. He did not detest his son's raggedness and dirtiness.

21-24 verses: When the prodigal confessed his sin, before he finished, Father told the servant to "bring out the best robe and put it on him". "Robe" symbolizes glory. We were all sinners, but God prepared the righteous robe of Jesus Christ so that we are called righteous and our sins are forgiven because of our faith.

"Put a ring on his finger." A ring is put on the finger for an engagement or marriage , which is a proof for love. God's love is unchangeable. "The ring" also shows the identity of the son, with power and glory.

"And get the fatted calf and kill it." The son came back and Father was very happy and had a feast. He said, "This son of mine was dead and is alive again." They cheered up.

How lonely, poor, painful, miserable and pitiful the prodigal was when he left his father. He did not have the peace and joy until he got home. Likewise, when sinners confess sins and repent, they become God's children and enjoy the joy in God. 　

（根据录音整理）