2008年3月10日 星期一

誰是真正的罪人?

Bible Reading: Luke 7: 36 – 50
How many parables did Jesus tell? Possibly about thirty-nine. Many of the best known are found in the gospel of Luke and a number of these are not in the other gospels. Often the stories in Luke were told around a dinner table.

耶穌總共說過多少個比喻?大約有三十九個。路加福音記載了許多廣為人知的比喻,且是其他福音書所找不到的。路加福音的比喻還有一個特色,就是經常以吃飯的時候作為故事的背景。

These parables are so true to life that it would not be difficult to transfer them to this year and to our place of living. We can almost see them being acted out in front of us.

耶穌所講的比喻往往很貼近現實,故此,不難將它們轉移到現今的處境,而其真實的程度,就仿如發生在我們眼前一樣。


In the story we have just read there are three people. Two are in debt to the third. One owes a little, the other owes a lot. But both had nothing with which to pay their debts.

耶穌向西門所講的比喻包含了三個人物:一個債主和兩個欠債的人,其中一個欠債較多,一個欠得較少,但兩人都同樣是無力償還債項。


Can you imagine the scene as these two men come confessing that they cannot pay a penny and their tremendous joy when the man says, 'It's quite all right, I will forgive both of you'? What a surprising end to the story!

試想想,當兩人來到債主面前,承認自己無力還債,卻竟然聽到債主對他們說:「既然如此,我就免了你們的債吧!」他們兩人將會是何等的喜出望外!故事的結局實在是太出人意表!


But it is not really the end. There is the application. Christ asked this question: 'Which man would love him the most?' His host, Simon, said, 'The one who owed the most'. Then Jesus went on, 'Do you see this woman Simon? She loves me because she knows the joy of sins forgiven. You don't really know that joy, Simon, because you don't realise your need. You are a sinner just like she is, but she has been forgiven. Why don't you ask for forgiveness too?'

然而,比喻還有下文,就是如何將它應用在生活之中。基督問作主人的西門說:「你想,這兩個欠債的人,哪一個會更愛那名債主呢?」西門回答說:「當然是欠他更多的那個人。」耶穌接著說:「西門,你看見這女人麼?她因為得著了赦罪的喜樂,所以她內心充滿了對我的愛;反之,你卻並未真正體會這喜樂,因為你還未察覺自己有罪,不覺得自己需要尋求赦免。你其實像她一樣都是罪人,但她已獲得赦罪,而你呢?你為何不尋求赦免呢?」


We are not told what happened to Simon. He would have to overcome a lot of pride to seek the Saviour's forgiveness. But if he asked for it, he would have been immediately forgiven.

我們不知道西門聽完這番說話之後,會有何反應;他可能要經過一段時間,才能克服自大的心理,尋求救主的赦免。然而,只要祂向主祈求,他就必定獲得主的赦免。


Have you asked for the forgiveness of your sins? If not, why not ask Christ to forgive you today?

你已尋求救主的赦免了嗎?若然還沒有,何不立即祈求呢?只要你求,就必獲得赦罪的喜樂。

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