约翰福音三章十六节的故事（A John 3:16 Love Story）

一个寒冷的冬夜，天正下着大雪，大街上的人们都瑟缩着身体匆忙地赶路。一个卖报纸的小男孩冻得浑身发抖，他走到一位警察面前问道， “先生, 您能告诉我在哪里可以找到一个暖和的地方过夜？我平时就住在街角的一个箱子里，那里实在太冷。”警察低下头来对小孩说，“你沿着这条街一直走到前面一座白色的房子，然后敲门，当有人出来开门时，你就说， ‘约翰福音三章十六节，’他们就会让你进去。”

于是小男孩就走到这间白色大屋前敲门。一位女士出来开门，小男孩就说∶约翰福音三章十六节。

那位女士说∶“进来吧，孩子。”

她带小男孩进入屋里面，在一个大的火炉前坐下后就走开了。

小男孩坐著在想∶“我不明白约翰福音三章十六节是什么，但它却能使一个寒冷的孩子得温暖。

过了一会儿，这位女士回来问道∶“你饿不饿，孩子？”

小男孩说道∶“是的，我已好几天没吃东西了。”

女士带他到厨房里坐下来，桌上摆满了美味的食品，小男孩大口地吃著，直到不能再吃为止。

小男孩又对自己说∶“我不明白约翰福音三章十六节是什么，但它却能使一个饥饿的孩子得饱足。”

等他吃饱了，女士带小男孩上到楼上的浴室说，“洗个澡吧，孩子。”小男孩把身体浸泡在盛满热水的浴缸中，又在想∶“我不明白约翰福音三章十六节是什么，但它却能使一个肮脏的孩子得洁净。”

洗完澡之后，那位女士带他进入一个房间，那里有一张羽毛大床，她替小男孩盖上被，吻他一下, 道别晚安，就把灯熄灭了。

在这严寒的夜晚，小男孩在黑暗中躺著，望向窗外飘落的白雪，他又对自己说∶“我不明白约翰福音三章十六节是什么，但它却能使一个疲倦的孩子得安息。”

第二天醒来，那位女士把他带到那张摆满美味食物的餐桌旁。当小男孩吃饱后，女士让他坐在火炉前的摇椅上，然後拿出一本圣经，望著小男孩问道∶“你明白约翰福音三章十六节是什么意思吗？”

小男孩回答说∶“我不明白。昨晚那位警察先生告诉我时，是我第一次听到。”

女士打开圣经，翻到约翰福音三章十六节，开始跟小男孩讲说耶稣的故事。就在这个温馨的火炉前，小男孩接受了耶稣作他生命的救主。

他坐在那儿在想∶“约翰福音三章十六节，我虽然还不完全明白, 但它确实能使一个迷失的孩子得平安。”

~ A John 3:16 Love Story ~

In the city of Chicago, one cold, dark night, a blizzard was setting in. A young boy was selling newspapers on the corner; watching as people went in and out of the cold. He was so cold that he wasn't trying very hard to sell his papers. Hesitantly, he walked up to a policeman and said, "Mister, you wouldn't happen to know where a poor boy could find a warm place to sleep tonight, would you? You see, I sleep in a box up around the corner there and down the alley and it's awful cold in there for tonight. Sure would be nice to have a warm place to stay."

The policeman sympathetically looked down at the young lad and said, "You go down the street to that big white house and you knock on the door. When they come to the door you just say, "John 3:16," and they will let you in."

So He did. He walked up the steps and knocked on the door, and a lady answered. He looked up at her and said, "John 3:16." The lady said, "Come on in, son." She took him in and she sat him down in a split bottom rocker in front of a great big old fireplace, and she went off. The boy sat there for a while and thought to himself: John 3:16 ... I don't understand it, but it sure makes a cold boy warm!

Later she came back and asked him, "Are you hungry?" He shyly said, "Well, just a little. I haven't eaten in a couple of days, and I guess I could stand a little bit of food."

The lady took him in the kitchen and sat him down to a table full of wonderful food. He ate and ate until he couldn't eat any more. Then he thought to himself: John 3:16 ... I don't understand it, but it sure makes a hungry boy full!

Soon the kind lady led him upstairs to a bath tub filled with warm water, and he sat there and soaked for a while. As he soaked, he thought to himself: John 3:16 ... I don't understand it, but it sure makes a dirty boy clean! Why, I've not had a bath, a real bath, in my whole life. The only bath I have ever had was when I stood in front of the big old fire hydrant as they flushed it out.

After his bath, the lady took him to a cozy little room, tucked him into a big old feather bed, pulled warm covers up around his neck, kissed him goodnight and turned out the light. As he lay there all snug in the warm bed, he looked out the window at the cold and snowy night and thought to himself: John 3:16 ... I sure don't understand it, but it gave a tired boy a warm place to sleep.

The next morning the lady invited the young boy to sit down once again to a table that was filled with lots of good food. After he ate, she took him back to the rocker in front of the fireplace and picked up a big old Bible.

As she sat down in a chair beside of him, she looked into his young face and asked gently, "Do you understand about John 3:16?" He replied, "No, Ma'am, I don't. The first time I ever heard it was last night when the nice policeman told me to use it."

She opened the Bible she was holding to John 3:16 and began to read what it said and then explained to the young boy that John 3:16 was the greatest love story ever told. And she told him that God wanted him to know that He loved and cared about him very much.

Right there, in front of that big old fireplace, the young boy embraced God's love for him and surrendered his young life to Him. He said to the lady, "I'm not sure I understand all about God's love, but it sure makes a lonely orphan boy feel like he will always belong to someone."

- author unknown - （作者：佚名）

译者附注：

“神爱世人，甚至将他的独生子赐给他们，叫一切信他的，不至灭亡，反得永生。” （约3:16）

神---最伟大的给予者；

爱---最无私牺牲的爱；

世人---最广大的群众；

甚至将祂的独生子---最伟大的礼物；

赐给他们---最伟大的行动；

叫一切---最广大的机会；

信---最简单的行动；

祂的---最伟大的感召；

不至灭亡---最伟大的应许；