伦勃朗的油画“浪子回头”常常令人心生敬畏。博物馆里，观众们围绕挂在墙上的巨画，惊叹着父亲迎接他那任性儿子时那庄严之美。
但是，正如伦勃朗这异常感人的父子和解的场景，圣经比喻中父亲对儿子的接纳也是非同寻常，甚至更加惊人。在小儿子甚至还没到家的时候，父亲就在守望等候。接着，当他看见儿子走近时，这位高贵的一家之主卷起袍子冲出去，以拥抱和亲吻迎接他迷失的孩子。对耶稣时代的听众来说，一位父亲这样不顾颜面着实令人震撼。
浪子的比喻结束了一系列三个展现神对罪人无限慈爱和怜悯的故事。第一个讲的是营救迷羊，第二个讲的是寻找丢失的钱币，而在这第三个比喻中，我们看见一位父亲，以急迫而喜乐的心跑出去迎接他任性的孩子。这孩子是死而复活，失而又得的。
我们都像浪子一样，拒绝和悖逆了我们的父亲。我们挥霍了照祂的形象被造的这宝贵遗产。我们宁可在泥里打滚，也不愿在祂怀中享乐。然而，这位父亲竟以恩典和怜悯冲向我们！所以，让我们从现在起，与祂同住并为祂而活吧！
父啊，当我们迷失和死在罪中时，祢来寻找我们。现在，愿我们为祢而活，在绝望的世界中分享祢的爱和怜悯。奉耶稣的名祷告，阿们。
路加福音 15:11-32
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，浪费资财。
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，我倒在这里饿死吗？
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，把我当作一个雇工吧！’
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。
25那时，大儿子正在田里。他回来，离家不远，听见作乐跳舞的声音，
26便叫过一个仆人来，问是什么事。
27仆人说：‘你兄弟来了；你父亲因为得他无灾无病地回来，把肥牛犊宰了。’
28大儿子却生气，不肯进去；他父亲就出来劝他。
29他对父亲说：‘我服事你这多年，从来没有违背过你的命，你并没有给我一只山羊羔，叫我和朋友一同快乐。
30但你这个儿子和娼妓吞尽了你的产业，他一来了，你倒为他宰了肥牛犊。’
31父亲对他说：‘儿啊！你常和我同在，我一切所有的都是你的；
32只是你这个兄弟是死而复活、失而又得的，所以我们理当欢喜快乐。’”
"This son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found." — Luke 15:24
Rembrandt's painting The Return of the Prodigal Son often moves people to awe. Viewers crowd around the wall in the museum where this massive painting hangs, marveling at the solemn beauty of the father receiving his wayward son.
But as remarkable as Rembrandt's scene of reconciliation is, the father's reception of his son in the parable is even more striking. Even before the son reaches home, the father is watching and waiting. Then, when he sees his son approaching, the dignified head of the household gathers up his robes and dashes out to greet his missing child with hugs and kisses. For Jesus' audience, a father's tossing aside all dignity would have been shocking.
The parable of the lost son completes a series of three stories showing God's boundless love and mercy for sinners. The first tells about rescuing a lost sheep, and the second tells of finding a lost coin. And in this third parable we meet a father who with urgency and joy runs out to meet his wayward child, who was dead and is now alive, was lost and now is found.
Like the prodigal son, we have all rejected and dishonored our Father. We have squandered our inheritance of being made in his image. Foolishly, we would rather wallow in mud than revel in his embrace. But in grace and mercy the Father comes to us! So let's live with and for him from now on.
When we were lost and dead in our sins, Father, you came to us. Now let us live for you, sharing your love and mercy in a desperate world. Amen.
诵读: 楚云
片头: 张妙阳
