Unfailing Love
Sunday, November 20th, 2005
True, some of them were unfaithful; but just because they broke their promises, does that mean God will break his promises? Of course not! Though everyone else in the world is a liar, God is true. As the Scriptures say, "He will be proved right in what he says, and he will win his case in court."
Dalam terjemahan indonesianya dituliskan begini :
Jadi bagaimana, jika di antara mereka ada yang tidak setia, dapatkah ketidaksetiaan itu membatalkan kesetiaan Allah?
Sekali-kali tidak! Sebaliknya: Allah adalah benar, dan semua manusia pembohong, seperti ada tertulis: "Supaya Engkau ternyata benar dalam segala firman-Mu, dan menang, jika Engkau dihakimi."
Jujur aku tersentak membaca ini semalam… Berkali-kali aku melakukan kesalahan dan berkali-kali pula aku merasa ‘tidak layak’. Sampai semalam aku mengerti bahwa berapa kalipun aku bersalah, kasih setia-Nya tidak pernah berkesudahan. Berapa kalipun aku bersalah, pengampunan-Nya selalu ada.
Minggu lalu aku membaca sebuah email dari seorang saudara tentang pengampunan.. (aku kutip yak…) : Mereka tau tentang kasih, tetapi tidak punya ide berapa dalam, tinggi, lebar dan luas kasih Bapa itu.
Hmm.. masih harus terus mengenal Bapa.. jangan pernah berhenti apalagi sampai menyerah.. Aku tutup dengan cerita anak yang hilang dari Lukas 15
Story of the Lost Son
To illustrate the point further, Jesus told them this story: "A man had two sons. The younger son told his father, `I want my share of your estate now, instead of waiting until you die.’ So his father agreed to divide his wealth between his sons.
"A few days later this younger son packed all his belongings and took a trip to a distant land, and there he wasted all his money on wild living. About the time his money ran out, a great famine swept over the land, and he began to starve. He persuaded a local farmer to hire him to feed his pigs. The boy became so hungry that even the pods he was feeding the pigs looked good to him. But no one gave him anything.
"When he finally came to his senses, he said to himself, `At home even the hired men have food enough to spare, and here I am, dying of hunger! I will go home to my father and say, "Father, I have sinned against both heaven and you, and I am no longer worthy of being called your son. Please take me on as a hired man." ‘
"So he returned home to his father. And while he was still a long distance away, his father saw him coming. Filled with love and compassion, he ran to his son, embraced him, and kissed him. His son said to him, `Father, I have sinned against both heaven and you, and I am no longer worthy of being called your son.[b]‘
"But his father said to the servants, `Quick! Bring the finest robe in the house and put it on him. Get a ring for his finger, and sandals for his feet. And kill the calf we have been fattening in the pen. We must celebrate with a feast, for this son of mine was dead and has now returned to life. He was lost, but now he is found.’ So the party began.
"Meanwhile, the older son was in the fields working. When he returned home, he heard music and dancing in the house, and he asked one of the servants what was going on. `Your brother is back,’ he was told, `and your father has killed the calf we were fattening and has prepared a great feast. We are celebrating because of his safe return.’
"The older brother was angry and wouldn’t go in. His father came out and begged him, but he replied, `All these years I’ve worked hard for you and never once refused to do a single thing you told me to. And in all that time you never gave me even one young goat for a feast with my friends. Yet when this son of yours comes back after squandering your money on prostitutes, you celebrate by killing the finest calf we have.’
"His father said to him, `Look, dear son, you and I are very close, and everything I have is yours. We had to celebrate this happy day. For your brother was dead and has come back to life! He was lost, but now he is found!’ "
