几年前，我们教会的一个会友带领一位年轻女士归信了基督。那位年轻女士患了绝症，在她临死前，我和几个人一起站在她的病房里听了她的见证。在她的追思礼拜上，我提到她如何在生命的最后几个月将自己交给神。礼拜结束后有人对我说，这样的信主过程，看起来似乎太容易了吧。
那个人就像葡萄园里的工人一样，觉得这太容易了，也不公平。在比喻中，辛苦工作了一天的人们很不高兴，因为那些在最后一个小时被雇用的人，得到了和他们一样的工资。他们觉得被骗了，而这位来找我谈话的人也有同样的感觉。有些人在生命的最后几个月才回转归向神，却和一生努力服事神的人一样被神接纳，似乎太不合理了。
耶稣在这个比喻中的信息是：在天国里，重要的不是我们工作多么努力，或服事神有多长时间，因为我们不是靠着自己的努力进入天国的。永生是神恩典的礼物，无论何时，只要人真诚悔罪，来到神的面前，祂都将这恩典赐给他们。
你已经得着这奇妙的恩典了吗？
神啊，凡因着耶稣的名投靠祢的，祢都会把奇妙的恩典赐给他/她，我们为此感谢祢！奉耶稣的名求，阿们。
马太福音 20:1-16
1“因为天国好像家主清早去雇人进他的葡萄园做工，
2和工人讲定一天一钱银子，就打发他们进葡萄园去。
3约在巳初出去，看见市上还有闲站的人，
4就对他们说：‘你们也进葡萄园去，所当给的，我必给你们。’他们也进去了。
5约在午正和申初又出去，也是这样行。
6约在酉初出去，看见还有人站在那里，就问他们说：‘你们为什么整天在这里闲站呢？’
7他们说：‘因为没有人雇我们。’他说：‘你们也进葡萄园去。’
8到了晚上，园主对管事的说：‘叫工人都来，给他们工钱，从后来的起，到先来的为止。’
9约在酉初雇的人来了，各人得了一钱银子。
10及至那先雇的来了，他们以为必要多得；谁知也是各得一钱。
11他们得了，就埋怨家主说：
12‘我们整天劳苦受热，那后来的只做了一小时，你竟叫他们和我们一样吗？’
13家主回答其中的一人说：‘朋友，我不亏负你，你与我讲定的不是一钱银子吗？
14拿你的走吧！我给那后来的和给你一样，这是我愿意的。
15我的东西难道不可随我的意思用吗？因为我作好人，你就红了眼吗？’
16这样，那在后的，将要在前；在前的，将要在后了。 ”
"'Don't I have the right to do what I want with my own money? Or are you envious because I am generous?' So the last will be first, and the first will be last." — Matthew 20:15-16
Several years ago a member of our church was privileged to lead a young woman to faith in Christ. The young woman had a terminal illness, and shortly before she died, I stood with a few others in her hospital room, listening to her testimony. At her memorial service I mentioned how in her last few months she had turned her life over to the Lord. After the service someone told me that it just seemed too simple.
Like the workers in the vineyard, that person felt it was too easy and not fair. In the parable, the men who had worked hard all day were upset because those who had been hired in the last hour received the same wages as they did. They felt cheated. The person who came to talk to me felt the same way. It did not seem quite right that someone who turns to the Lord during the last few months of her life should be as acceptable to God as someone who has served the Lord for a lifetime.
Jesus' message in this parable is that in the kingdom of heaven it's not a matter of how hard we've worked or how long we've served the Lord. We don't earn our way into the kingdom; eternal life is a gift of God's grace, and he extends his grace to everyone who comes to him, no matter when.
Have you experienced that grace in your life?
Thank you, Lord, for your amazing grace, which you extend to all who call on you in Jesus' name. Amen.
诵读: 楚云
片头: 张妙阳
