路加福音6:36-42

恩惠、平安从父神和救主耶稣基督归于你们，所有以上帝为父的人，阿们。

我们总是有意或者刻意地把好的品格和家庭的优良传统教给孩子们，让他们能够继承父母引以为豪的东西，不仅是品格，有时候还包括才华、才干，甚至更具体的说，是专业技能。比如，俗话说：“父严子孝；龙生龙、凤生凤；将门出将相。”有时候，的确会按照我们的想法发生，比如父母学计算机的、孩子对电脑似乎就更开窍，父母是有经商头脑的，孩子似乎对理财和投资很感兴趣，父母在教会全职侍奉，儿女也很有可能效仿。

但俗话不是也有说：“有其父、必有其子；子不孝父子过；上梁不正，下梁歪”，这里都是带着贬义，特别是讲儿女败坏的品行都归咎于父母的坏榜样或者毫无管教。事实上的确会这样，古人之所以这样说，就是经验教训的总结。说实话，我自己作为父亲，也可以说每一位在座的父亲或者母亲，有时候也会有这样的顾虑，担心自己做不好，教不好，自己身上不好的地方会让孩子学习到，养成不好的习惯，长大了没有好的品行和教养。圣经中也记载以色列人当中曾有这样的俗语：“父亲吃了酸葡萄，儿子的牙酸倒了。”（耶利米书31:29-30）

      还有一种糟糕的情况，当我们自己意识到自己身上有一些改不掉的坏习惯和糟糕的品行的时候，比如易怒、嫉妒、不饶恕人、时常论断人、时常批评人、不会赞美和欣赏他人的优点、刻薄、吝啬、懒惰、酗酒、滥交朋友、拜金等等的时候，我们会直接归咎于我们的父母，归咎于我们的成长环境，就是今天所谓的“原生态家庭”；似乎我们自己并不需要为自己的糟糕行为负责那样。

      事实上，我们必须承认，我们的父母在养育我们的过程中会遇到失败，并且我们自己作为父母也会遇到失败的地方，这一点在我自己成为父亲后更加深有体会。

我们还不得不承认，那就是如果我们按照中国的文化传统来审视自己的家庭教育，我们其实没有什么可以感到安慰的地方；无论是积极的评语如“父严子孝”或者消极的评价“子不孝父子过”等等，这些都是律法，都可以用来论断人，都可以用来定人的罪。这些都是天然的植入在我们的心中，也可以说我们天生就是论断人的，是定人罪的。我们仔细想一下，我们平时说话中提到最多的不就是行为，应该如何如何吗？

然而有一种品格和态度是我们天然的习性和认知所没有的，是我们在基督信仰之外所不明白，不熟悉的，那就是饶恕，即赦免人的罪。这里我要说一下，我们或许懂得“放下”或者“忘记”，然而我们不知道“饶恕和赦免”。因为前者是出于人的意思，比如说放下恩怨是让自己好受一些，为了自己能够解脱；而真正的饶恕和赦免是从天上来的，是恩典的果子，是我们自己首先要品尝到被天父上帝饶恕，然后才明白什么是饶恕和赦免，并且向其他人施行饶恕和赦免，赦免人的罪。

这是最不可思议的地方。天父上帝是最应该并且最有能力论断人、审判人、定人的罪的，应为祂是至高者，祂知晓一切，连隐藏的事祂都知道并且都鉴察，祂有能力降服和捆绑所有的罪人，然而最大的品格或者说属性，最要作祂亲爱儿女应该效仿的地方，不是别的，就是祂的慈悲和怜悯，是饶恕和赦免。“你们要慈悲，像你们的父慈悲一样。”

主耶稣没有说，“你们要严厉，像你们的父严厉一样。”祂也没有说，“你们要论断和定人的罪，像父上帝那样论断人和定人得罪。”恰恰相反，主耶稣说，“你们要饶恕，就必蒙饶恕。”主耶稣来是要带来福音，带给我们被律法捆绑的罪人，是时常会失败的罪人，无论是作为儿女，还是作为父母都会遇到失败。而我们最需要的，天父也知道，我们最需要是饶恕和赦免。

38“你们要给人，就必有给你们的，并且用十足的升斗，连摇带按，上尖下流地倒在你们怀里；因为你们用什么量器量给人，也必用什么量器量给你们。“这里谈论的不是市场上的交易原则，而是仍然接续前面的主题，你们“要饶恕，就必蒙饶恕。”“要饶恕”是对着身边的人来说，“就必蒙饶恕”，是从父上帝那里领受饶恕。这是什么意思？难道我们饶恕其他人就可以赚取上帝对我们的饶恕吗？

“免我们的债，如同我们免了人的债”我们在主祷文中如此每天祷告。肯定不是赚取，因为我们蒙了饶恕和怜悯是唯独因着耶稣基督在十字架上为我们所做的赎罪大功，我们是因着信靠基督和祂的工作而蒙了怜恤，这是确实无疑的。那我们怎么解释主祷文以及主耶稣在此所说的话？

我们对他人的饶恕是印证了上帝对我们的饶恕和赦免，也让我们更加确信上帝必会不断地赦免我们。我们对他人的饶恕也是上帝对我们的饶恕自然而然流淌出来的结果。就像溪流必须流出去才会有清澈的水不断地流进来，日久常新。

然而一旦流不出去了，就像湖水一样，就变成了死水一潭，就变得浑浊不清，没有了生命。我们饶恕了别人，才能带着信心不断地恳求主的饶恕。如果不饶恕他人，我们也就别想再从父上帝那里祈求什么了，就像那位债务一千两银子被免掉，却转头把欠他十两银子的朋友扔进监狱的人，主必会再向他讨债，让他牢底坐穿。因为这完全是一种对主人慈悲和怜悯的侮辱。

这饶恕和赦免，也恰恰是我们的老师，即先生的本质。39-40“耶稣又用比喻对他们说：‘瞎子岂能领瞎子，两个人不是都要掉在坑里吗？学生不能高过先生；凡学成了的不过和先生一样。”我发现，有些基督徒刚开始蒙恩的时候挺慈悲的，也以恩慈对待身边的人；但时日久了，就把自己也是罪人且时刻需要主的慈悲和饶恕这个事实给忘了，以为自己是多么的公义，行的多么的好，就随意论断他人，定他人的罪，就高过了我们的先生耶稣了，变得自以为是，高高在上，咄咄逼人，并没有谦卑服侍人，随时赦免人的态度了。

甚至有时候自己眼中有梁木还不自知，为什么自身这么大的问题还不知道？因为他的眼睛都盯着别人身上一丁点的瑕疵在查看，是“严于待人，宽于待己。”完全反着来对不对，其实是应该“严以待己，宽以待人”嘛。就成了假冒为善的人。

圣经中谁最会挑别人的错，法利赛人，对不对，他们最懂得律法，最懂得对错，然而他们只针对别人，并不针对自己，以为自己已经很完美了。主耶稣要斥责的就是这类人，其实也是我们每一个基督徒，因为我们身上仍然隐藏着那个老我，老亚当，那个属血气的旧人，那个法利赛人的我仍在天天作怪。

我们在基督里，作上帝儿女的，是有盼望和安慰的，因为那怕我们的父母会失败，他们的确会，那怕我们自己作为父母会失败，事实上我们的确会。

但我们有天上的父可以效法，我们有我们的弟兄和先生耶稣，那位道成了肉身的可以切实地仿效，我们有切实的神家弟兄姐妹们可以彼此操练上帝的爱和饶恕，我们有基督的信仰和福音的真道引领我们，其中最会核心的就是赦免和所带来的平安，让我们继续前行，并且带着欢喜和快乐服侍家人，无论是作为父母还是儿女，我们都可以在赦罪和平安中欢喜快乐地服侍，不再被定罪，不再被论断，也不去定罪，不去论断。感谢上帝。

神所赐、出人意外的平安必在基督耶稣里保守你们的心怀意念。阿们。

Luke 6:36-42

Grace and peace be to you from God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ, to all who have God as their Father. Amen.

We always intentionally or deliberately teach good character and excellent family traditions to our children, hoping they will inherit what their parents are proud of. This includes not only character, but sometimes also talent, ability, and even more specifically, professional skills. For example, as the saying goes: "Strict father, filial son; dragons beget dragons, phoenixes beget phoenixes; generals' families produce generals and prime ministers." Sometimes, it does happen as we expect. For instance, if parents are computer experts, their children seem more adept with computers; if parents have a business mind, their children seem interested in finance and investment; if parents serve full-time in the church, their children are also likely to follow suit.

However, isn't there also the saying: "Like father, like son; an unfilial son is the father's fault; if the beam is crooked, the lower ones will be crooked too"? These are all derogatory, especially when attributing children's corrupt behavior to bad examples from parents or lack of discipline. In reality, this does happen. The ancients said this because it was a summary of experience and lessons. To be honest, as a father myself, and I can say every father or mother present, sometimes we also have such concerns, worrying that we might not do well, teach well, and that our own bad qualities will be learned by our children, leading to bad habits and poor character and upbringing when they grow up. The Bible also records a popular saying among the Israelites: "The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children's teeth are set on edge" (Jeremiah 31:29-30).

There is also a terrible situation: when we realize that we have some unchangeable bad habits and terrible behaviors, such as being easily angered, jealous, unforgiving, often judgmental, often critical, unable to praise and appreciate others' strengths, being harsh, stingy, lazy, alcoholic, promiscuous, materialistic, etc., we directly blame our parents, we blame our upbringing environment, what is called "original family" today; it's as if we ourselves don't need to be responsible for our terrible behavior.

In fact, we must admit that our parents failed in raising us, and we ourselves as parents will also fail. I have come to understand this more deeply since becoming a father.

We also have to admit that if we examine our family education according to Chinese cultural traditions, we actually have nothing to feel comforted about. Whether it's positive comments like "strict father, filial son" or negative evaluations like "an unfilial son is the father's fault," these are all laws, all can be used to judge people, all can be used to condemn people. These are naturally ingrained in our hearts; it can be said that we are born to judge and condemn. If we think carefully, isn't what we talk about most often behavior, and how things should be?

However, there is a character and attitude that is not naturally ingrained in our habits and cognition, something we do not understand or are unfamiliar with outside of the Christian faith, and that is forgiveness, meaning the remission of sins. Here I want to say that we might understand "letting go" or "forgetting," but we don't know "forgiveness and pardon." This is because the former comes from human intention, for example, letting go of grievances to make oneself feel better, for one's own liberation; while true forgiveness and pardon come from heaven, they are the fruit of grace. We ourselves must first taste being forgiven by God the Father, and only then will we understand what forgiveness and pardon are, and then extend forgiveness and pardon to others, forgiving people's sins.

This is the most incredible part. God the Father is the One who should and is most capable of judging, condemning, and punishing people, for He is the Most High, He knows all things, even hidden things He knows and examines. He has the power to subdue and bind all sinners, yet His greatest character or attribute, the most important thing His beloved children should imitate, is none other than His compassion and mercy, which is forgiveness and pardon. "Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful."

The Lord Jesus did not say, "Be strict, just as your Father is strict." Nor did He say, "Judge and condemn people, just as God the Father judges and condemns." On the contrary, the Lord Jesus said, "Forgive, and you will be forgiven." The Lord Jesus came to bring good news, to bring us, sinners bound by the law, sinners who often fail, whether as children or as parents. And what we need most, and what the Father knows we need most, is forgiveness and pardon.

38 "Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you." This is not talking about market transaction principles, but still continuing the previous theme: "Forgive, and you will be forgiven." "To forgive" is addressed to those around us, and "you will be forgiven" means receiving forgiveness from God the Father. What does this mean? Does it mean we can earn God's forgiveness by forgiving others?

"Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors." We pray this every day in the Lord's Prayer. It certainly isn't earning, because we receive forgiveness and mercy solely through the atoning work of Jesus Christ on the cross for us. We receive mercy by believing in Christ and His work; this is absolutely certain. So how do we explain the Lord's Prayer and what the Lord Jesus said here?

Our forgiveness of others is a confirmation of God's forgiveness and pardon to us, and it also makes us more confident that God will continue to forgive us. Our forgiveness of others is also the natural outflow of God's forgiveness to us. Just as a stream must flow out for clear water to continuously flow in, constantly renewing itself.

However, once it stops flowing, like a lake, it becomes stagnant, turbid, and lifeless. When we forgive others, we can then continuously plead for the Lord's forgiveness with confidence. If we do not forgive others, we should not expect to ask for anything more from God the Father, just like the servant whose debt of a thousand talents was forgiven, but who then turned around and threw his friend, who owed him ten denarii, into prison. The Lord will surely demand repayment from him again, making him rot in prison. Because this is a complete insult to the master's compassion and mercy.

This forgiveness and pardon are precisely the essence of our teacher. 39-40 "He also told them a parable: 'Can the blind lead the blind? Will they not both fall into a pit? The student is not above the teacher, but everyone who is fully trained will be like their teacher.'" I find that some Christians are very compassionate when they first receive grace, and treat those around them with kindness; but as time goes on, they forget the fact that they are also sinners and constantly need the Lord's compassion and forgiveness. They think they are so righteous and have done so well, so they arbitrarily judge others and condemn them. They have become superior to our teacher Jesus, becoming self-righteous, arrogant, aggressive, and no longer humble in serving others or ready to forgive.

Sometimes, they even have a plank in their own eye and don't realize it. Why are they unaware of such a huge problem in themselves? Because their eyes are fixed on examining the slightest flaws in others. This is "strict with others, lenient with oneself." It's completely the opposite, isn't it? It should actually be "strict with oneself, lenient with others." They become hypocrites.

Who in the Bible was best at finding fault with others? The Pharisees, right? They knew the law best, they knew right from wrong best, but they only targeted others and not themselves, thinking they were already perfect. The Lord Jesus rebuked precisely this kind of person, and in fact, every one of us Christians, because the old self, the old Adam, the carnal old man, the Pharisee within us, is still causing trouble every day.

In Christ, as children of God, we have hope and comfort, because even if our parents fail, and they do, even if we ourselves as parents fail, and in fact we do.

But we have our heavenly Father to emulate, we have our brother and teacher Jesus, the Incarnate Word whom we can truly imitate, we have real brothers and sisters in God's family with whom we can practice God's love and forgiveness, we have the Christian faith and the truth of the Gospel to guide us. The core of it all is forgiveness and the peace it brings, enabling us to move forward, and to serve our families with joy and happiness, whether as parents or children. We can serve with joy and happiness in forgiveness and peace, no longer being condemned, no longer being judged, and no longer condemning or judging others. Thank God.

The peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.