天父的爱
杜嘉
“严父慈母”这是中国人再熟悉不过的对父母的描述。大多数中国人对父亲的印象都是严肃的，威严的，让人敬畏害怕的。心中无数次想奔向父亲的怀抱，好像奔向母亲的怀抱一样，但无数次都可能被一张无形的帐幕骤然阻挡，亲而不能相近，这是无数儿女心灵中难以释怀的创痛。
曾有一个中年妇人泪流满面地说着自己的故事：从有记忆开始，就完全没有被爸爸抱过的印象，爸爸近在眼前，却远在天边。直到有一次（都少年人了），她不小心踩了钉子，锥心之痛啊！这时，爸爸一手抱过她来，很焦急、很专注、很细心地清洗护理她的伤口。她感到无比幸福，希望钉子的伤口不要那么快痊愈，让爸爸可以再抱她一次……如果受伤能换取爸爸的关注和拥抱，她宁愿再次受伤！
这让人伤心的故事，多少都会在我们的心里引起共鸣。我们渴望父亲的爱，父亲的爱却不能完全满足我们心里的渴望。为什么呢？原来，父亲心里的渴望也没有被他的父亲完全满足啊！
可是，我们在天上的父亲，却能满足人类心灵深处一切的渴望！
“慈爱的天父”，这是基督徒每次祷告开头说的话，这是何等温暖亲切的称呼啊！原来，我们在天上有一位父亲，祂是慈爱的父亲，祂是伟大的父亲，祂是永远的父亲。
有人说，人的一生都在尽力取悦父亲，期望得着父亲的赞赏。但我们的天父却是天天巴望流浪在外的，破败不堪的儿子回家。圣经记载了一个浪子回家的故事，记载在路加福音第十五章。那个浪子拿了父亲的财产，离家出走，以为外面的世界很精彩，却发现外面的世界不但很无奈，而且很悲哀。于是，浪子怀着忐忑不安的心回家找父亲，想着，就算回家做父亲的雇工都很幸福。没想到，父亲一见到自己的儿子，二话不说，就张开怀抱，把这个心灵破碎的孩子紧紧地抱在怀里！连连地亲嘴（估计这浪子很久没有沐浴洗脸了，污秽臊臭）；急急地把外袍披在孩子的身上，把戒指戴在孩子的手指上（这是尊贵身分的象征）；快快地让仆人们预备丰盛的宴席，表达无比喜乐的心情，并让所有的人都一同高兴快乐！原来，我们不需要拼命地取悦天父，我们是天父的孩子，这就够了。神就是爱，天父本身就是爱，祂给予祂孩子们的，是完全的爱，是能够满足孩子们心灵一切需要的爱。
有人把父亲比作家里的银行，他负责养家糊口，培养孩子。有一首诗歌叫〈这是天父世界〉，歌词说到：“这是天父世界，我心满有安宁，树木花草，苍天碧海，述说天父全能。这是天父世界，小鸟长翅飞鸣，清晨明亮好花美丽，证明天理精深……”天父上帝是世界的创造主，天地万物都是祂的，祂毫不吝啬地都赐给我们了，并且在其中教导我们：野地的花，无比艳丽，那是天父给他们披上的彩衣，何况我们呢？不必为衣裳忧虑；天上的飞鸟，不种不收，天父上帝尚且养活他们，何况我们呢？不必为食物忧虑。天父上帝养活我们，并且赐给我们富足又不加上忧虑的福分。
这么伟大的天父上帝，对祂的孩子们却是无比的温柔慈爱，祂曾如此说：“你们要从中享受〔从中享受原文是咂〕；你们必蒙抱在肋旁，摇弄在膝上。母亲怎样安慰儿子，我就照样安慰你们。”（圣经以赛亚书66:12-13）咂？咂！这是亲嘴发出来的声音吧？抱在肋旁，摇弄在膝上，这是在逗乐吧？母亲怎样安慰儿子？足够的温柔细腻吧？这幅图画，温馨得令全人类都震惊了！
“慈爱的天父……”能够如此呼唤上帝的人有福了，因为他们必称为天父的孩子。
（引自金灯台活页刊第237期 2025年5月）
The Father’s Love
By Du Jia
“Strict father, gentle mother”—this is a description of parents that Chinese people are all too familiar with. Most Chinese associate fathers with seriousness, authority, and a sense of awe or fear. Countless times, children may long to run into their father’s arms just as they would their mother’s, but an invisible curtain often suddenly stops them. Close, yet unreachable—this is a lingering pain buried deep in the hearts of many sons and daughters.
There was once a middle-aged woman who tearfully told her story: ever since she could remember, she had no memory of being embraced by her father. Her father was physically near but emotionally distant. Until one time—as a teenager—she accidentally stepped on a nail. The pain was excruciating! Her father immediately scooped her up in his arms, anxiously, attentively, and carefully cleaning and treating her wound. She felt an overwhelming sense of happiness and secretly wished that the wound wouldn’t heal so quickly—so that her father might hold her just once more. If getting hurt could win her father’s attention and embrace, she would rather be hurt again!
This heartbreaking story resonates with many of us. We long for a father’s love, yet find it unable to fully satisfy the deep hunger of our hearts. Why? Because our fathers themselves never fully received the love they needed from their own fathers.
But our Heavenly Father—He alone can satisfy the deepest longings of the human soul!
“Loving Heavenly Father”—this is how Christians often begin their prayers. What a warm and tender address! It turns out we have a Father in heaven—He is a loving Father, a great Father, and an everlasting Father.
Someone once said, a person spends their whole life trying to win their father’s approval, hoping to gain his affirmation. But our Heavenly Father is the one who is daily longing for His wandering, broken children to come home. The Bible tells the story of the prodigal son in Luke 15. The son took his father’s inheritance and ran off, thinking the world outside was exciting. But he soon found it disappointing, even miserable. So the prodigal returned home with a heart full of fear and uncertainty, thinking, “Even if I can only be my father’s hired servant, it would be enough.” But as soon as the father saw him, he ran toward him, wrapped him in a warm embrace, and kissed him repeatedly (even though the son hadn’t likely bathed in a long time and probably smelled awful). The father hurried to put the best robe on him, a ring on his finger (a sign of honor and sonship), and ordered a feast to celebrate, calling everyone to rejoice together!
It turns out, we don’t need to try hard to please the Heavenly Father. We are His children—that’s enough. God is love. The Father Himself is love. What He gives His children is perfect love—love that fully satisfies every need of the human heart.
Some people compare a father to the “bank of the household,” responsible for providing and educating. There’s a hymn called This Is My Father’s World. One stanza goes:
This is my Father’s world; Oh, let me ne’er forget,
That though the wrong seems oft so strong, God is the ruler yet.
This is my Father’s world: The birds their carols raise,
The morning light, the lily white, declare their Maker’s praise…
God the Father is the Creator of the world—everything in heaven and earth belongs to Him, and He generously gives it to us. Through all of it, He teaches us: the flowers of the field are arrayed in splendor—God clothes them. How much more will He care for us? We need not worry about clothing. The birds of the air neither sow nor reap, yet the Father feeds them—how much more will He provide for us? We need not worry about food. God our Father provides for us and grants us blessings that are abundant and free from sorrow.
Such a great Heavenly Father deals with His children with immeasurable tenderness and love. He once said,
“You will nurse and be carried on her arm and dandled on her knees.
As a mother comforts her child, so will I comfort you.”
(Isaiah 66:12–13)
“Nurse”? The original Hebrew word suggests the sound of a kiss. To be carried on the hip, to be bounced on the knees—this is playful joy! “As a mother comforts her child”—such gentle intimacy! This picture is so warm and tender it astonishes all humanity.
“Loving Heavenly Father…” How blessed are those who can call God by this name, for they shall be called children of the Father.
(From Golden Lampstand Leaflet, Issue 237, May 2025)