“从此就显出谁是神的儿女，谁是魔鬼的儿女：凡不行义的就不属神，不爱弟兄的也是如此。” 约翰一书３：１０失落的儿子与以色列国的历史无不相同，他们虽被称为“受捡选的民”，但却周期性地在很长的时间里把神的产业浪费在他们自己罪性的欲望里。于是神带领他们走过“旷野”，使他们谦卑，领他们悔改。
失落的儿子也有这个“旷野”的经历——去放猪——这使得他悔改。旷野的经历给人带来悔改所必需的谦卑。甚至耶稣也代替我们，被带到旷野去受魔鬼的试探。他对魔鬼的回答之一引用的就是申命记里关于以色列人的旷野的经历的经文：“他苦炼你，任你饥饿，将你和你列祖所不认识的吗哪赐给你吃，使你知道，人活着不是单靠食物，乃是靠耶和华口里所出的一切话。” 申命记８：３谦卑是所有品质中最重要的。因为谦卑总能把人带回到神那里。然而，注意到他悔改的动机并不一定总是可嘉的，而是自私的。但无论如何，这是接受神。因为悔改并非是彻底无罪的，而只是有足够的谦卑，能够认识到自己的罪，以及罪的害处。
所以我认为大儿子代表法利赛人之类的人，虽人他们觉得按自己的行为来说他们是“义人”，但从他们不愿饶恕的态度上讲其实是不义的。事实上，这整个“失落”系列是这样在路加福音第十五章里开始的： 众税吏和罪人，都挨近耶稣要听他讲道。法利赛人和文士私下议论说：“这个人接待罪人，又同他们吃饭。” 路加福音１５：１，２
名义上的基督徒有两种——无法的和墨守律法的。（其实有三种——但我认为“自由派”的人太偏异了，已不能算作“基督徒”了）一般说来，无法的基督徒愿意接受基督为救主，但不愿接受他为主，墨守律法愿意接受基督为主，但不愿接受基督为救主。当然，他们也许会在言语上接受，但行为却是另一个样子。因为我们的行为所表现出的是我们真实的信仰。
Rap| A man had two sons and the younger one
Wanted just to have some fun So he asked his father to give him his share Of his estate as it seemed fair. Then he went away and spent all he had On wild living being really bad But suddenly a famine came on the land For which he wasn't prepared beforehand He got a job feeding swine And though he was used to drinking wine He wanted to eat along with the pigs But he got nothing, no wheat or figs Then he finally came to his senses After he considered his consequences "My father's workers have food to spare, I'm starving to death while I'm working here. I'll go back to my father and say this too: I've sinned against heaven and against you. I'm not worthy to be called your son For I lost that right just to have some fun. Make me like one of your hired men." Then he got up and went home again. But while he was still a long way away
The older son was in the field.
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