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最危險的罪

「父親！我得罪了天，也得罪了你。從今以後，我不配稱為你的兒子。」(路 15:21)

今天，我想分享什麽是世界上最危險的罪。這種罪的危險性遠勝過通姦、偷竊、謀殺 和欺騙。

《納尼亞傳奇》的作者魯益師 (C.S. Lewis)在《返璞歸真》裏寫道：

世上有一種無人能擺脫的惡習；當這個惡習發生在別人身上時，人人都憎惡它；除基督徒之外， 幾乎無人認為這種惡習是罪。我聽説過有人承認自己脾氣暴躁，或難以抗拒酒色的誘惑，甚至承認自己性格懦弱。可我從來沒聽說過哪個非基督徒因這種惡習而自責。

我們談論的是哪種罪呢？魯益師繼續寫道：

我所說的這個惡習就是驕傲……與之相反的美德……叫做謙卑……驕傲是最大的惡。不貞、怒氣、 貪婪、酗酒等等，跟驕傲相比微不足道：魔鬼正是因驕傲成為魔鬼：驕傲導致其它諸般惡習：驕傲是人心對神的徹底背叛。

沒有什麼罪比驕傲更危險，耶穌寓言浪子的故事清楚透徹地說明了這一點。

兩個兒子的故事

在路加福音第 15 章中，耶穌跟稅吏和罪人交談受到宗教領袖的嘲笑。他們不能相信耶穌會和這樣「卑賤」的人在一起。他們心裡想：「耶穌怎麼會和妓女、小偷來往呢？」耶穌用寓言浪子的故事揭露了這些宗教領袖的心。

故事要從兩個兒子講起。小兒子要求從父親那裡提前分得自己的那份遺產。這相當於說： 「我希望你現在就死掉，因為我想要你的錢。」儘管如此，父親仍把錢給了他。

小兒子去外邦游蕩，賭博、嫖妓、酗酒，將分得的遺產揮霍殆盡，最後淪落在養豬場當工人。 他窮困潦倒，飢餓難挨時甚至想吃豬食。

直到這般境地他才回過神來：這樣的生活連他父親的僕人也不如！他決定回到父親身邊悔罪並求他原諒。他打算這樣說：「父親，我得罪了天，也得罪了你。」

當他回到家，父親才遠遠地看到他就放下手頭的一切前來擁抱。他甚至沒有機會請求原諒， 因為他的父親實在太興奮了。他的父親要僕人舉辦一場聚會來慶祝這個兒子歸來， 還邀請哥哥參加。

哥哥心懷憤恨，他一輩子含辛茹苦，從沒有浪費一分錢家產，而弟弟卻得如此款待。父親怎麼可以如此不公呢？

苦毒和怨恨

哥哥不但沒有為弟弟平安歸來而欣喜，反而充滿了嫉妒和仇恨。他心中怨恨是因為他認為弟弟不配這場專為他準備的宴會。他的想法也許有道理，但他自己也不配啊。

寓言的結尾父親如是說：「兒啊！你常和我同在，我所有的一切都是你的；可是你這個弟弟是死而復活，失而復得的，所以我們理當歡喜慶祝。」(路15:31)

驕傲的醜陋

耶穌講這個寓言是為了表明驕傲的醜陋。耶穌時代的宗教領袖就像寓言中的哥哥，認為可以通過自己的善行贏得父親的愛和感情。他們因此鄙視那些不與他們同道的人。

當耶穌拯救罪人時，那些宗教領袖的心不但沒有感到欣慰，反而被憤怒吞噬。因為他們不明白為什麼神會祝福這些惡人。然而如果他們捫心自問，就會發現自己心中也有同樣的惡行。

兩種人

浪子的寓言告訴我們人有兩種：

1. 驕傲的人－那些相信神的恩典可以透過善行而獲得的人。
2. 謙卑的人－那些相信神將恩典免費賜與無助的罪人的人。

一方面，那些相信救贖可以透過善行獲得的人會鄙視「不配」得救的人。如果救恩是神對好人的獎賞，那麼沒有得救的人就是「壞人」。這也是除基督教之外，其它所有主要宗教的教導。

另一方面，那些相信救恩是神免費賜與的人會為神的恩典而喜悅，常常驚異為什麼神揀選自己而非其他人。他們誇耀的不是自己的義，而是神通過耶穌基督所賜的恩典。

如何脫離驕傲

如果我們誠實面對自己，我們其實都像浪子寓言中的哥哥一樣。我們都曾瞧不起別 人，以為自己比他們優秀。然而耶穌的寓言揭露了驕傲的醜陋，以及驕傲將如何對我們與神和與他人的關係產生毀滅性的影響。

那我們怎樣才能擺脫驕傲呢？魯益師這樣寫道：

如果有人想獲得謙卑，我想我可以告訴他如何採取第一步。首先要意識到自己的驕傲。這也是要邁出的一大步。至少，除此之外無計可施。如果你認為自己並不驕傲，那意味著你確實非常驕傲。

向神坦承自己驕傲之時，我們揭開了自己內心的真相。但更重要的是，我們把自己的罪交託給那位應許用恩典使我們潔淨、更新和重生的耶穌。他從不抛棄跟隨他的人。

認識神的恩典是克服驕傲唯一的良藥。這是因為神的恩典是饋贈而非我們所賺取的。神的恩典讓我們不去輕視那些迷失的人，而要為他們祈禱，希望他們可以得救。

驕傲的人盯著別人，問道：「神怎麼能恩待如此邪惡的人呢？」

謙卑的人低下頭，感嘆道：「為什麼神要拯救我這樣的罪人呢？」

結束禱詞

親愛的父，

請賜給我們眼睛看到，我們常常都是驕傲的人。我們對別人的稱讚沾沾自喜，卻不在祢面前謙卑。請寬恕我們的驕傲，並使我們籍著祢的恩典而堅固。向我們展示祢在耶穌裡豐富的仁慈和憐憫， 使我們能夠以謙卑和仁慈與他人相處。

奉基督的名求，

阿門。

—-詹姆斯·傑弗瑞

The Most Dangerous Sin

By James Jeffery

“Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight. I’m no longer worthy to be called your son” (Luke 15:21).

Today, I want to share with you the most dangerous sin in the entire world. This sin is more dangerous than adultery, theft, murder, and deception.

C.S. Lewis, the author of the Chronicles of Narnia, explains:

There is one vice of which no man in the world is free; which everyone in the world loathes when he sees it in someone else; and of which hardly any people, except Christians, ever imagine that they are guilty themselves. I have heard people admit that they are bad-tempered, or that they cannot keep their heads about girls or drink, or even that they are cowards. I do not think I have ever heard anyone who was not a Christian accuse himself of this vice.

Which sin are we talking about? Lewis continued:

The vice I am talking of is Pride…and the virtue opposite to it…is called Humility…the utmost evil, is Pride. Unchastity, anger, greed, drunkenness, and all that, are mere fleabites in comparison: it was through Pride that the devil became the devil: Pride leads to every other vice: it is the complete anti-God state of mind.

There is no sin more dangerous than pride, and Jesus’ parable of the Prodigal Son shows this – as clear as crystal.

A Tale of Two Sons

In Luke 15, Jesus was talking with tax collectors and sinners. The religious leaders scoffed at Jesus and couldn’t believe he was spending time with such ‘unworthy’ people. They thought to themselves: “How could Jesus associate with prostitutes and thieves?” Jesus exposed the heart of the religious leaders by telling them a parable: the story of the Prodigal Son.

The story begins with two sons. The younger son demands his share of the inheritance from his father. This is the equivalent of saying, “I wish you were dead, because I want your money.” Nevertheless, his father gave him the inheritance.

The younger son went on an international trip and squandered his father’s inheritance on gambling, prostitution, and alcohol. He eventually lost it all and was took a job as a farmhand feeding pigs. He was so hungry and poor that he longed to eat the food that the pigs were eating. 

It was at this moment that he came to his senses. Not even his father’s servants were living like this! He decided to go back to his father and repent of his sin. He planned to say: “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you.”

When he arrived home, his father saw him in the distance, dropped everything, and embraced his son. He didn’t even get the opportunity to ask for his forgiveness because his father was so excited to see him. His father requested the servants to throw a party to celebrate his son’s return and asked his older brother to join them.

The older brother was furious. He had worked hard all his life, had never wasted a cent of his family wealth, and here his younger brother was receiving all the treatment. How could his father be so unjust?

Bitterness and Resentment

Rather than rejoicing that his younger brother was safe and sound, the older brother was consumed with jealousy and hatred. His heart was filled with resentment, for he did not think the younger son was worthy of a party. He was right to think that his younger brother did not deserve it, and yet neither did he.

The parable ends with the father saying: ‘Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. It was fitting to celebrate and be glad, for this your brother was dead, and is alive; he was lost, and is found.’ (15:31)

The Ugliness of Pride

Jesus told this parable to show the ugliness of pride. The religious leaders of Jesus’ day were like the older brother. They thought that the father’s love and affections could be earned through their good works. Therefore, they despised those who were not like them.

Rather than rejoicing when Jesus saved sinners, their hearts were consumed with fury and rage. The reason being, they could not understand why God would bless such wicked people. Yet, if they were honest with themselves, they were guilty of committing the same sins in their hearts.

Two Types of People

The parable of the Prodigal Son shows us that there are two types of people:

1. The Proud — Those who believe God’s favour can be earned through our good works.
2. The Humble — Those who believe God’s favour is a free gift to helpless sinners.

On one hand, those who believe salvation can be earned through good works. They despise those who are ‘unworthy.’ If salvation is a reward for good people, then those who are not saved are the ‘bad people.’ Apart from Christianity, all the major world religions teach this.

On the other hand, there are those who believe salvation is a free gift from God. They rejoice that God has been gracious to them, and often wonder why God would choose them, and not someone else. They boast not in their own righteousness, but in God’s grace through Jesus Christ.

How to Be Freed from Pride

If we are honest with ourselves, we have all been like the older brother. We have all looked down on others before, thinking that we are better than them. Yet, Jesus’ parable exposes the ugliness of pride, and its devastating impact on our relationship with God and others.

How then can we be freed from pride? Lewis helps us in this regard:

If anyone would like to acquire humility, I can, I think, tell him the first step. The first step is to realise that one is proud. And a biggish step, too. At least, nothing whatever can be done before it. If you think you are not conceited, it means you are very conceited indeed.

When we confess our pride to God, we acknowledge the truth about the state of our hearts. But more importantly, we bring our sin to the one who promises to cleanse us, renew us, and restore us in His grace. Jesus promises that whoever comes to Him, He will never cast away.

Knowing God’s grace is the only antidote to pride. This is because God’s grace is a gift we did not earn. Rather than despising those who are lost, God’s grace causes us to pray for them in the hope they will be saved.

Gazing at others, the proud person questions: “How can God be gracious to such evil people?”

Bowing his face, the humble person marvels: “Why did God choose to save a sinner like me?”

Closing Prayer

Dear Father,

Give us eyes to see that we are all too often people of pride. Our joy is in receiving the praises of men, rather than humbling ourselves before You. Forgive us for our pride and restore us by Your grace. Show us the riches of Your kindness and mercy in Jesus, that we may relate to others with humility and kindness.

In Christ’s name we pray,

Amen.