QT 12/03/2024 Tuesday. Read Luke 15. The prodigal son that is at home. 在家里的浪子。
QT 12/03/2024 Tuesday Read Luke 15. The prodigal son that is at home.
http://www.esv.org/luke15
Does your heart rejoice over what the LORD rejoices? The Pharisees and the scribes did not.
The THREE parables of the 100 Sheep (Luke 15:3-7), the ten Lost Coins (Luke 15:8-10) and the two Lost Sons (Luke 15:11-32) were told by Jesus TO ANSWER the accusation against Jesus, "This man receives sinners and eats with them" (Luke 15:2)
What should be the proper response of the Pharisees and the scribes when , "the tax collectors and sinners were all DRAWING NEAR TO HEAR HIM" (Luke 15:1)?
The proper responses should have been similar to "REJOICE with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost" (Luke 15:6). It should have been "REJOICE with me" over the coin that was found (Luke 15:9). It should have been "Let us eat and CELEBRATE" (Luke 15:23).
SO WHO IS THE PRODIGAL SON?
The prodigal son IS NOT the one who realises his alienation from his father's house and turns his heart towards the father who raised him.
The prodigal son IS NOT the one who sees his own inadequacies, and out of humility, asks for the appropriate position, that of a hired servant, commensurate with his misdeeds.
The prodigal son IS NOT the one who merely leaves the father's house physically.
The prodigal son IS NOT the one who has reconciled with his father before the parable ends.
WHO IS THE PRODIGAL SON THEN?
The prodigal son IS the son who lives under the same roof with the father, YET sees himself as a SERVANT and analyses situations from a purely servant-master relationship. Look at how he talked without addressing his father, "Look, these many years I have served you, and I never disobeyed your command, yet you never gave me a young goat, that I might celebrate with my friends" (Luke 15:29).
The prodigal son IS the son who looks forward to celebration with "his friends" when he should now be celebrating with his father.
The prodigal son IS the son whose heart is far away from the father, even though he is in the house at these while. The prodigal son is the son who self-righteously remain outside the house when he should be in.
The prodigal son IS the son who laments over lost of money (Luke 15:30) and the fattened calf (Luke 15:27) when he should have cherished the return of his brother instead. He sees nothing in the father's assurance, “Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours” (Luke 15:31).
The father calls the younger son "son" (v.24) and the older son too (v.31). Even the servants uses relational terms, "your brother has come" (v.27) and "your father" (v.27). The younger son addresses the father as "father" five times (vv. 12, 17, 18 x2 & 21) and addresses himself as "son" (vv. 19, 21).
However, the prodigal son is the son who NEVER addressed the father as father in the whole parable, but starts a conversation with his father rudely, "Look, these many years I have served you...".
- The prodigal son IS the son who rejoices when the father mourns, who mourns when the father rejoices.
REFLECTION : Are you a prodigal son or daughter? Are you coming into the house of your Father, your creator and provider and rejoicing with him? Or would you rather remain outside and whine?
星期二 2024年3月12日 今日读经：路加福音15章. 在家里的浪子。
http://m.bbintl.org/bible/ncv/Luk/15/
你的心会为主欢喜的事而欢喜吗？法利赛人和经学家并没有。
那三个关于100只羊(路15:3-7)、10个丢失的银币(路15:8-10)和两个失去的儿子的比喻(路15:11-32),都是耶稣用来回答对祂的指控，“这个人接待罪人，又和他们一起吃饭”(路15:2)。
对于法利赛人和经学家，当“众税吏和罪人，都接近耶稣，要听他讲道” (路15:1)时，他们应当有什么样的回应？
适当的回应应该是与“请大家和我一同欢乐，因为我失去的羊已经找到了”相似(路15:6)。他们所当有的反应是“和我一同欢乐”因为失去的银币已经找回(路15:9)。他们所当有的回应是“我们要吃喝快乐”(路15:23)。
谁是那浪子？
那浪子并不是那个发觉自己已和父亲的家断绝往来的人，且把心转向那养育他的父亲。
那浪子并不是那个看见自己的不足的人，且出于谦卑，要求给他适当的职位，就是仆人的身份，以配合他的过犯。
那浪子并不只是人离开了父亲的家。
那浪子在故事结束前，并不是那个与父亲和好的人。
那谁才是那浪子呢？
那浪子是与父亲同住一个屋檐下的儿子，但他却视自己为仆人并从纯粹的仆人-主人的角度来分析各种情景。他说话时不称呼他的父亲，“你看，我服事你这么多年，从来没有违背过你的命令，可是你没有给我一只山羊羔，叫我和朋友一同欢乐”(路15:29)。
那浪子是那个本应和父亲一同欢乐，却希望能够和他的朋友“欢乐”的人。
那浪子是那个心远离父亲的儿子，虽然他一直都没有离开过家。那浪子是那个称自己为义的人，他本应在家里却呆在外面。
那浪子是那个为了失去的钱(路15:30)和失去的肥牛犊(路15:27)悲伤的人，他本应珍惜他弟弟的归回才对。他不把父亲的保证看为是重要的，“孩子，你常跟我在一起，我的一切都是你的”(路15:31)。
那父亲称小儿子为“儿子”(24节)，也称大儿子为儿子(31节)。就连那些仆人也用了相关的名称，“你弟弟回来了”(27节)和“你父亲”(27节)。那小儿子五次称呼父亲为“父亲”(12、17、18X2 和21节)并称自己为“儿子”(19,21节)。
然而，那浪子是在整个故事里，那个完全没有称呼父亲为父亲的儿子，他还与他的父亲展开了一段很无礼的对话，“你看，我服事你这么多年...”.
- 那浪子是那个当父亲哀伤时欢喜，当父亲欢喜时哀伤的儿子。
反思：你是那浪子吗？你是否来到你的父亲、你的创造者和供应者的家并与祂同乐？又或者你宁愿呆在外面并抱怨不停？
