Luke 15:28-30 (NKJV) But he was angry and would not go in. Therefore his father came out and pleaded with him. So he answered and said to his father, ‘Lo, these many years I have been serving you; I never transgressed your commandment at any time; and yet you never gave me a young goat, that I might make merry with my friends. But as soon as this son of yours came, who has devoured your livelihood with harlots, you killed the fatted calf for him.’
In this parable, the elder son tried to earn his father’s acceptance. He was self-righteous, and what was hidden in his heart surfaced in the fit of jealousy—”I have served you for many years, I was a servant, I was good and yet you did not allow me to party!”
Sometimes, we may also have a similar attitude towards God and our fellow brothers and sisters. When we feel that they are blessed, we find ourselves thinking they are not as good a Christian as we are, we complain inwardly, and we make comparisons.
Luke 15:18-19 (NKJV) I will arise and go to my father, and will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you, and I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired servants.”
While the elder brother was self-righteous, the younger brother demonstrated true repentance, which involves an honest confession of our sins, without any excuses—“I have sinned against heaven and before you”. The concept of repentance in the Jewish setting centres on the idea of return.
1 John 1:8-10 (NKJV) If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.
God’s grace is given to all who will receive the Father’s compassion. One should not serve God to win His approval, because we are accepted by God based on His grace, not works! Likewise, neither should our children attempt to win our approval or get our attention. God does not want us to feel as though we are hired servants. Instead, He is more interested in having the close father-and-son relationship with His children.
Ephesians 1:6 (NJKV) to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved.
Sermon Series: The Love of the Father (The Compassionate Father and the Two Lost Sons)
成为神的孩子
路加福音15：28-30（NKJV）大儿子却生气、不肯进去．他父亲就出来劝他。
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． 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。
在这个寓言中，大儿子试图赚取父亲的接纳。他自以为义，嫉妒之情使他内心深处隐秘的心思浮出水面：“我已经为你服务了很多年，如同仆人，我循规蹈矩，但你却从不让我呼朋唤友开派对！”
有时候我们对上帝以及我们的兄弟姐妹也可能有类似的态度。当我们感到他们蒙福的时候，我们发现自己的小心思是：比起他们，我们是更好的基督徒，我们心怀抱怨，相互比较。
路加福音15：18-19（NKJV） 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．从今以后、我不配称为你的儿子、把我当作一个雇工吧”
当哥哥自以为义的时候，弟弟却表现出真正的悔改，包括诚恳地认罪，不带任何借口-“我得罪了天，又得罪了你”。在犹太人的语境里，悔改的概念是以回归的思想为中心的。
约翰一书1：8-10（NKJV）我们若说自己无罪、便是自欺、真理不在我们心里了。我们若认自己的罪、 神是信实的、是公义的、必要赦免我们的罪、洗净我们一切的不义。我们若说自己没有犯过罪、便是以 神为说谎的．他的道也不在我们心里了。
上帝的恩典是赐给所有愿意领受天父怜悯的人。一个人不应该为赚取上帝的认可而服侍祂，因为我们被上帝所接受是基于祂的恩典，而不是我们所做的工！同样，我们的孩子也不应试图以他们的行为引起我们的注意或赢得我们的认可。上帝不希望我们感到自己像是受雇的仆人；相反的，祂更想与祂的儿女们建立亲密的亲子关系。
以弗所书1：6（NJKV）使他荣耀的恩典得着称赞．这恩典是他在爱子里所赐给我们的。
讲章系列：天父的爱（慈父与两个失丧的儿子）