SECTION A
甲部

1. Hello listening friend, we glad you joined us again.
亲爱的朋友，你好，很高兴你能再次收听我们的节目。

2. Let me remind you of where we left you last time.
让我们先来回顾一下上一讲的内容。

3. We were looking into the story of the lost son.
上次我们讲到了浪子的故事，

4. And I said I want to give you two applications.
我说过要给你两方面的应用，

5. And in the last broadcast I gave you the first.
在上次节目中我提到了第一个应用，

6. In this broadcast I want to give you the second application.
今天我要和你谈第二个应用。

7. And the second application is this.
这第二个应用就是：

8. When you find yourself dealing with someone who is blinded with self-fulfillment, the last thing you should do is scream at them.
如果你发现有人沈迷于追求自我的满足，千万不要大声地斥责他们，

9. The last thing you should do is get them to change their mind.
也不要试图去改变他们的想法，

10. Leave them to God.
把他们交给神，

11. Give them up to God.
让神照顾他们。

12. What is Jesus teaching us here
耶稣所要教导我们的就是，

13. When the sheep wandered off
当羊群因为无知，

14. In ignorance.
而失散的时候，

15. The shepherd went after him.
牧羊人会去找寻他们，

16. When the woman lost her coin through carelessness,
当妇人因大意而丢失了她的钱币，

17. She searched for it until she found it.
她四处寻找直到寻见。

18. But when a deliberate and premeditated act of rebellion takes place.
但若是故意背逆神，

19. The father lets him go and suffers quietly and in silence.
天父会默默地忍受痛苦，但愿意让他走。

20. When your child rebels,
当你的孩子背逆你，

21. And when a family member betrays you.
当你的家人背叛你，

22. All you need to do is let them know that you will always love them.
你应该让他们知道，你会一直爱他们，

23. That you are praying for them.
你会一直为他们祷告。

24. Because sometimes it is only in the far country that the lost ones will be able to come to themselves as the boy did.
因为往往只有在沦落异乡的时候，迷失的人才会醒悟过来，就像这个小儿子一样，

25. Sometimes it is only in the humiliation of the far country that brings us to our knees.
往往只有在异地他乡受尽屈辱，才能使我们谦卑跪下来。

26. I want to ask you some questions tonight.
今天我要问你一些问题，

27. What is your far country?
什么是你的异地他乡呢？

28. Is it an unwholesome relationship?
是一段不健全的关系吗？

29. Is it a misplaced priority?
还是生命的次序本末倒置？

30. Is it an unhealthy involvement with someone?
是你和某个人不正常的来往吗？

31. Is it self-indulgence?
是你的自我放纵吗？

32. Is it self-aggrandizement?
还是你的自夸自大？

33. Here’s what Jesus is teaching us in this story.
耶稣在这个故事中教导我们，

34. When you are in the far country.
当你流浪异乡的时候，

35. When you’re dealing with someone in the far country.
当你面对一个浪子的时候，

36. You may never say a word about it.
你什么都不能说，

37. Other than suffer quietly.
只是默默的忍耐。

38. This father stayed home until his son came to himself.
这个父亲一直在家等待他的儿子醒悟过来，

39. The father did not send one of his servants after him.
他并没有派一个仆人去追踪他的儿子，

40. The father did not hire a private detective to follow him….
也没有雇私家侦探去跟踪他的儿子，

41. No.
没有，

42. He lets him go.
他让他走，

43. Now his heart was broken in two.
尽管这让他心碎。

44. And your heart may be broken in two.
现在你的心灵可能破碎了，

45. You may go through your own private Gethsemane.
你可能也在经历你自己的客西马尼园，

46. Your pillow may be stained with tears.
你的枕头满是泪水，

47. You may hurt so much that you feel that you can’t ache anymore.
你的伤痛使你几乎失去知觉，

48. But through it all you must hear the voice of God saying.
在这一切痛苦的经历中，你一定会听到神对你说，

49. I know what you’re going through.
我知道你所经历的，

50. I am suffering with you.
我和你一同受苦，

51. I feel your pain.
我感觉到你的痛苦。

52. I believe God wants us to hear this lesson.
我相信神要我们学习这个功课，

53. He is saying to us.
祂对我们说，

54. This is how I feel when you are unfaithful toward me.
如果你悖逆我，我的心就会这样痛苦；

55. God is saying, this is how I feel when you are unfaithful with your time.
神说，如果你浪费光阴，我的心就会这样痛苦；

56. God is saying that this is how I feel when you are unfaithful with giving back to me with the blessings I have given you.
神说，如果你辜负我所赐的福，不把该奉献的献上，我的心就会这样痛苦；

57. This is how I feel when you are in the far country.
当你流落他乡，我的心就会这样痛苦；

58. This is how I feel when you live your life ignoring me.
如果在你的人生中你忽略我、漠视我，我的心就会这样痛苦；

59. This is how I feel when you keep quiet about me when you’re supposed to speak up.
当你应该为我作见证时，却默默不语，我的心就会这样痛苦。

60. Finally, I want you to notice something else.
最后，我希望你能注意另一件事，

61. It is the attitude of the father toward his repentant son.
就是父亲面对他儿子悔改时的态度。

62. When the boy finally came home,
当这个小儿子终于回家时，

63. The boy knows that he is in disgrace.
他知道自己很羞耻，

64. Everyone expected the father to remain aloof while the boy made his way through the village streets.
村民都以为，当他走过村里的街道时，他父亲会对他很冷淡，

65. The son then would be obliged to sit for some time outside the gate of the house.
就让这个小儿子一直坐在家门口，

66. While the doorman asks his father if he would ever let him in.
守门的人去问他父亲，到底该不该让他进来，

67. And after a considerable time has passed.
要过很长一段时间以后，

68. The boy would have been summoned into the father’s presence.
这个儿子才会被召到他父亲面前，

69. Punishment of some kind would be administered.
并接受某种惩罚，

70. The village would be led to understand that the father indeed has reserved the honor through discipline.
全村的人就会知道这个父亲重获尊严，并教训了儿子。

71. The father must be very angry.
这个父亲一定非常生气，

72. And the boy has to publicly apologize for disgracing the family name.
小儿子必须为自己使家族蒙羞而当众道歉。

73. But you know nothing of that happened.
可是实际上并非如此，

74. All the things that normally happen did not happen.
按照常理该发生的事，都没有发生。

75. The father reacts in the most unvillage like manner.
这个父亲的举动完全出乎村民的意料之外，

76. He goes out to his son running down the road.
他一路跑出去迎接他的儿子，

77. The word here does not mean a slow shuffle.
这里说的不是慢慢走过去，

78. It means like running in a race down the road.
而是像赛跑一样的冲过去。

79. There is something understood in our middle eastern countries.
在中东地区有种规矩，

80. That no man over 30 years of age runs.
就是三十岁以上的男人是不跑步的，

81. A man in his position and stature and age must always walk slowly and with dignity.
一个有身分、有地位的男人走路，总是缓慢而庄重的。

82. In fact, I’m going to share a personal story with you.
我现在要讲一个我自己的故事，

83. A few years ago I was traveling in a middle eastern country.
几年前，我在中东地区旅行，

84. And was with me a 60-year-old American.
和我同行的是一个60岁的美国人，

85. And I called a friend and asked him where is a good place for us to run.
我问当地的一个朋友，附近有没有让我们可以跑步的场地，

86. He was shocked and surprised.
我的朋友非常震惊，

87. He said what,
他说，

88. You are both over 30.
你们都已经超过30岁了，

89. You must never let anyone see you.
不要让人看到你们跑步，

90. It is not very dignified to run.
因为那有失尊严。

91. But that is the very compassion of the father’s heart.
但在这里，这个父亲的心里充满怜悯，

92. Compassion led him to do what is normally not done for a rebellious boy.
怜悯使得他对那个背逆的儿子作出非同寻常的举动，

93. So the father runs.
这个父亲跑过去，

94. So that he may take upon himself the shame and the humiliation that the boy would normally face in the village.
这样，他承受了他儿子应该承担的羞辱，

95. Can you capture here the mystery and the wonder of God revealing himself in Christ?
在这里，你看到神的奇妙彰显在耶稣基督身上吗？

96. The father in the house clearly represents God.
这个父亲就代表了神，

97. When the father leaves the house and takes upon himself the humiliating posture on the road,
当他离开屋子，一路表现出屈辱卑贱的姿态，

98. God was in Christ paying the price of your sins and mine.
正是神借着耶稣基督为你我的罪付了赎价。

99. And the father in this story is a symbol of God incarnate.
这个故事中的父亲就是神道成肉身的象征，

SECTION B
乙部

1. At a great cost he goes down and out to greet the lost son.
他花了极大的代价，走下去迎接他失丧的儿子。

2. The apostle Paul tells us.
使徒保罗，

3. In II Corinthians 5:19,
在哥林多后书5章19节中说，

4. That God was in Christ.
这就是神在基督里，

5. Reconciling the world to himself.
叫世人与自己和好。

6. Our God was in a humiliating posture.
神自甘卑微，

7. Reconciling us the prodigals to himself.
来和我们这些浪子和好。

8. One of the scholars said it this way.
有一位学者曾经这样说过，

9. The mystery of the trinity will always be beyond our human logic and all analysis.
三位一体的奥秘永远超越了我们人类的理性和分析，

10. We cannot adequately understand the fullness of God in the son in his incarnation.
我们不能够完全理解神子道成肉身，是多么丰富的真理。

11. Here we see the father who leaves the comfort and security of the house.
在这里，我们看到父亲离开了舒适安全的家，

12. And exposes himself in humiliating fashion in the village street.
在村庄的街道上，让自己受屈辱，

13. For it was on the cross that the pure God carried my shame and yours.
也正是在十字架上，圣洁的神担当你我的羞耻，

14. It was on the cross that the pure God took upon himself your guilt and my guilt.
在十字架上，圣洁的神担当了你我的罪孽，

15. In Christ was reconciling the world to himself.
神在基督里，叫世人与自己和好。

16. Now as far as the motive why the boy was finally returned home, it doesn’t matter.
这个小儿子回家的动机并不重要，

17. What matters is that he returned.
关键是他回头了，

18. What matters is that he came back.
重要的是他回家了。

19. But notice the father’s reaction to his returning son.
请注意父亲对于儿子回家的反应，

20. Not only that he ran to greet him and accept him.
他不仅跑过去欢迎他，接纳他，

21. But he also embraced him and he kissed him.
而且还拥抱他，亲吻他。

22. These were the embraces and kisses of reconciliation.
拥抱和亲吻代表了他们言归于好。

23. Let me ask you a question.
让我问你一个问题，

24. Have you ever felt the embrace and the kissing of God?
你曾经感受到神的拥抱和亲吻吗？

25. I believe you can feel that tonight.
我相信你今天就可以感受到，

26. If you come to him in repentance,
如果你认罪悔改来到祂面前，

27. I have felt the embrace of God many times in my life.
在我一生中，很多次感受到神的拥抱，

28. And I want to confess this to you.
我坦白告诉你，

29. I often felt the embracing of God when I deserved it the least and I needed it the most.
在我最不配，却最需要神的时候，就是我最能感受到神的拥抱的时候，

30. He will hold me with his tender strong arms.
祂会用祂温柔又有力的手抱着我，

31. Especially the times when I wanted to go to business for myself,
特别是当我想要为自己图谋成就的时候；

32. Or when I am tempted to listen to other voices other than his voice,
当我被诱惑去听从别人的声音，而不听神的声音时；

33. Or when I try to take things into my own hands,
当我试图靠自己的力量去做事时；

34. Or when I’m tempted to give up on obeying him.
当我被诱惑不愿顺服神的时候，

35. Oh, how I feel his tender and everlasting arms.
我就会深深感受到祂温柔的和永远的膀臂。

36. Let us go back to the father in this story.
让我们再回头看这个故事中的父亲，

37. The father didn’t say,
父亲没有说，

38. Go home, shave and bathe, and come back and get dressed and decent clothes, then I will take you in.
回去梳洗干净，穿戴整齐之后，我才让你进家门。

39. No, he didn’t say that.
没有，他并没有这么说，

40. He said that he’s an honored guest.
他说，儿子是他的贵宾，

41. The servants will wash him and dress him and clean him.
要仆人伺候他梳洗，换衣服。

42. The father sent the servants to bring one of his own robes and put it on him.
又打发仆人去拿父亲自己的袍子给儿子穿上，

43. The boy didn’t leave any of his robes behind.
这个小儿子并没有忘记带自己的衣服，

44. He took all of his clothes with him.
他身上穿的，就是他所有的衣服了。

45. It is only the fathers robe of righteousness that would suffice.
唯有父亲公义的外袍才能遮盖他，

46. It is only the fathers robe of holiness and cleansing that would be adequate.
唯有父亲圣洁的外袍才能使他洁净，

47. Not only that,
不仅如此，

48. Then the ring has to be placed on the sons callused hands.
戒指必须戴在他粗糙的手上，

49. This is the signet ring.
这是个可以用作图章的戒指，

50. It symbolizes the father’s bond.
代表着父亲所承诺的约定。

51. Then also the feet that were bare, which is a sign of slavery, had to be washed and cleansed and fitted with sandals.
他赤着脚，这是奴仆的象征，现在要洗干净，并且穿上鞋。

52. But this is a son and not a slave.
他是儿子，不是奴仆，

53. Finally,
最后，

54. The entire household and the village must join in the celebration of the joy of the father.
他们一家和全村的人都要和这个父亲一同欢庆。

55. I want to conclude by telling you another story.
我想再讲一个故事来作为今天的结束，

56. It’s a story that a friend of mine tells about his own life.
这是我的朋友告诉我有关他自己的事，

57. It illustrates how a Christian could make a commitment to God and yet within a matter of weeks he forgets all about it.
这故事告诉我们，一个基督徒对神许愿后，却在几个星期里忘得一乾二净；

58. Or how people come to God only when there is a crisis in their life.
或者我们总是在碰到危机的时候才来到神的面前，

59. When the crisis is over they forget about their commitment and go into the far country.
可是当危机过去，他们就忘了自己的承诺，并远离神。

60. When my friend was going through the far country.
当我的朋友在远离神的时候，

61. He felt that God showed him a vision of his condition.
他感到神让他看见一幅景象，显示出他自己的光景。

62. This vision was as follows.
这幅景象是这样的，

63. His heart was like a house.
他的心就像是一栋房子，

64. A house that has many rooms.
这栋房子有很多房间，

65. And that he woke up one early morning.
有一天早上他醒过来，

66. And he began to go through the house of his heart.
就在这栋房子里四处走动，

67. From room to room,
走进一个个房间，

68. Starting at the top,
从顶层开始，

69. And then he came downstairs.
然后往楼下走，

70. To the kitchen and to the living room,
来到厨房和客厅，

71. But then he looked downstairs toward the basement.
后来他向地下室张望，

72. And he noticed there’s a streak of light coming from the basement.
他注意到有一丝光线从地下室射出来，

73. And when he came downstairs he pushed the door open.
于是他走下去，推开门，

74. And he saw Jesus sitting in a chair.
看见耶稣坐在一张椅子上，

75. My friend said to Jesus,
我的朋友对耶稣说，

76. What are you doing here?
你在这里做什么呢？

77. Jesus said, waiting for you.
耶稣回答说：我在等你。

78. My friend said,
我的朋友问，

79. How long have you been waiting?
你等了我多久？

80. Jesus said,
耶稣说，

81. Oh, for about 6 months.
噢，大概6个月吧。

82. My friend said,
我的朋友说，

83. 6 months,
6个月，

84. Why?
为什么呢？

85. And Jesus said,
耶稣回答说，

86. Remember?
你还记得吗？

87. You and I made an agreement to meet together early every morning six months ago.
六个月前你和我曾经约好，我们每天早晨见一次面，

88. And you kept it up just for a few weeks.
我们的约会，你只持守了几个星期，

89. Then you stopped coming to meet with me.
然后你就不再来见我了。

90. And my friend said,
我的朋友说，

91. And you have been coming every morning for our meeting?
你每天早晨都来这里等我吗？

92. And Jesus said,
耶稣说，

93. I have been waiting here hoping that you would remember and that you would come down.
我一直在这里等你，盼望你能记得来和我见面。

94. Have you made a commitment some time ago?
亲爱的朋友，如果你曾经和神有约，

95. And now you wandered off in the far country.
而现在你却远离祂，

96. Jesus has been waiting for you,
其实耶稣一直在等你，

97. All you need to do is come back to him.
你要回到祂面前，

98. He will embrace you,
祂会拥抱你，

99. And he will kiss you.
祂会亲吻你，

SECTION C
丙部

1. And he will wash you.
祂会洗净你，

2. And he will restore you.
祂会复兴你，

3. The Lord bless you.
愿神赐福给你，再会。