What a privilege to be sons and daughters of the King!

成为万王之王的儿女，是何等殊荣！

Blessed are those whose transgressions are forgiven. Romans 4:7 

得赦免其过、遮盖其罪的，这人是有福的！-罗马书4章7节

When I was in college, I worked a summer on a ranch in Colorado. One evening, tired and hungry after a long day of mowing hay, I drove the tractor into the yard. Acting like the hot shot I thought I was, I cranked the steering wheel hard left, stamped on the left brake, and spun the tractor around. 

在大学时期，我在暑假时曾到科罗拉多州的牧场打工。一天傍晚，在割了一整天的干草后，我又累又饿，开着割草机到草坪上。那时，我想像自己正开着跑车，把方向盘向左急转，再猛踩左边的刹车，让割草机在草坪上快速旋转。

The sickle was down and swept the legs out from under a 500-gallon gasoline tank standing nearby. The tank hit the ground with a resounding boom, the seams split, and all the gasoline spewed out.

不巧，割草机的镰刀扫到附近一个油桶的脚架，容量500加仑的油桶顿时轰然倒地，接缝破裂，整桶汽油倾泄而出。

The rancher stood nearby surveying the scene.

正在附近的牧场主人走过来查看现场。

I got off the tractor, stammered an apology, and—because it was the first thing that popped into my mind—offered to work the rest of the summer without pay. 

我赶紧跳下割草机，结结巴巴地道歉，并承诺继续在农场打工不领薪水，直到暑假结束。这实在是当时我心里的第一个念头。

The old rancher stared at the wreckage for a moment and turned toward the house. “Let’s go have dinner,” he drawled.

年迈的牧场主人盯着乱七八糟的现场看了一会儿，便转身走向屋里去，慢条斯理地说了一句话：“一起去吃晚餐吧！”

A scrap of a story Jesus told passed through my mind—a story about a young man who had done a terrible thing: “Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you,” he cried. He intended to add, “Make me like one of your hired servants,” but before he could get all the words out of his mouth his father interrupted him. In essence, he said, “Let’s go have dinner” (Luke 15:17–24). 

此刻，我脑海里浮现出耶稣所说的比喻。一个做错事的浪子对父亲忏悔说：“父亲！我得罪了天，又得罪了你。”他还想继续说：“把我当做一个雇工吧！”但话还没说完，父亲便开口了，基本上，他父亲就是对他说：“一起去吃晚餐吧！”（路加福音15章17-24节）

Such is God’s amazing grace.

这就是上帝的奇异恩典。

Father, we celebrate Your gracious and lavish forgiveness. Thank You for the peace and freedom it brings us as we enjoy a family relationship with You.

天父，我们称颂祢的慈爱与无比的宽容。感谢祢让我们成为祢家中的一分子，得着平安与自由。

Luke 15:11-24   NIV

15 Jesus continued: “There was a man who had two sons. 12 The younger one said to his father, ‘Father, give me my share of the estate.’ So he divided his property between them. 13 “Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living. 14 After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. 15 So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. 16 He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything. 17 “When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! 18 I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. 19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired servants.’ 20 So he got up and went to his father. “But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him. 21 “The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ 22 “But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. 23 Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. 24 For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate.

路加福音 15:11-24

15 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，把我当做一个雇工吧！”’ 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。

整理：于姊妹