两个儿子

马太福音 21:28-32 又说:“一个人有两个儿子,他来对大儿子说:‘我儿,你今天到葡萄园里去作工。’他回答说:‘我不去。’以后自己懊悔就去了。又来对小儿子也是这样说,他回答说:‘父啊,我去。’他却不去。你们想这两个儿子,是哪一个遵行父命呢?”他们说:“大儿子。”耶稣说:“我实在告诉你们,税吏和娼妓倒比你们先进神的国。因为约翰遵着义路到你们这里来,你们却不信他。税吏和娼妓倒信他。你们看见了,后来还是不懊悔去信他。

问题讨论

在你自己的生活经历中,是否遇到过有人口头上答应了你,结果只是出于“礼貌”或别的什么原因,而其实并没有答应你?(这在中国文化里很常见)
在答应了他父亲之后却没去做,这个儿子可能有那些借口呢?
为什么今天有人称耶稣为主,却不按他的意思去做呢?
那些称耶稣为主却不按他的意思去做的人是不是已经进入他的国了呢?
那些过去不认耶稣,但现在服从他的人呢?


注释

耶稣在此是在回答那些质问他事奉的权柄的宗教权贵。这些宗教权贵就像这个口头说是,但却不按父亲的意思去做的儿子。注意到这个小儿子“恭敬”地回答说:父啊,我去。”但真正的恭敬不是只表现在口头上,而是在顺服上。有许多人,甚至有些基督徒,把自己看作是信教的,并且质问别人事奉的合法性,但从不认真地自问他们自己是不是在做神要他们做的事。他们只是在名义上像顺服的儿子,而事实上却像耶稣所说的那样:
“凡称呼我:‘主啊,主啊’的人,不能都进天国。惟独遵行我天父旨意的人,才能进去。”【马太福音 7:21】
对此,他问到:
“你们为什么称呼我‘主啊,主啊,’却不遵我的话行呢?”【路加福音 6:46】
在悔改之后,税吏和娼妓就去按神的意思做了。而宗教权贵没有正确地回应耶稣和施洗约翰。虽然自以为是,他们缺乏悔改所需的谦卑。他们的信不是付诸应用的信,而只是字面上的。时至今天,有些教会所做的不过是制造噪音。他们大声地宣称他们爱神,但他们的行为却相反。


Rap

A man had two sons and said to the one
Go work in the vineyard today my son
But the son at first just wouldn't obey
"I'm not going to work, no not today"
But later he changed his mind and went
Even though before he did not consent
He asked the second son the same
"Sir, I'll go" he did proclaim
But didn't go as he said he would
Though I'm sure he thought himself good.
Which of these two did his father's will
The first one did and the other did nil
Then Jesus spoke to the chief priest
And to the elders missing the feast
Those whom you think don't have a clue
Are entering the kingdom ahead of you
John showed you the way, you haven't believed
But sinners repented, his word they received
And after you saw how they did repent
You didn't really seem to care what he meant