12月22日
不同版本
“西面给他们祝福，又对孩子的母亲马利亚说：「这孩子被立，是要叫以色列中许多人跌倒，许多人兴起；又要作毁谤的话柄，叫许多人心里的意念显露出来；你自己的心也要被刀刺透。」”
路加福音 2:34-35
这里有一个童话版的圣诞场景：一个安静的小宝宝躺在温暖的马槽里，身旁是年轻美丽的妈妈和慈爱的养父，陪伴左右的还有温柔的牧羊人和可爱的小羊羔。天上明星照耀，天使美妙的歌声回荡在一片祥和的大地上。
而现实版的场景呢？一个年轻的未婚妈妈手忙脚乱地抱着一个哭闹不止、头骨变形、脐带尚未剪断的婴儿，她和未婚夫是从家里逃出来的。惊恐的牧羊人听到天使所报的奇怪信息，慌慌张张地跑来一看究竟。希律王命令要处死这个婴孩，因此城里每一个新生的婴儿都惨遭士兵的毒手。这个新生婴孩的家庭仓皇逃到埃及，就是他的祖先多年前被奴役的那个地方。
终于，孩子长大了，他有权柄和能力医治病人，叫死人复活。众人拥戴他为王，但是他没有接受他们的要求。最后众人背叛他，击打他，将他处死。面对鲜血淋漓的儿子，他的母亲哭倒在他的脚前。
毫无疑问，我们都更喜欢童话版本。康乃馨般的温馨甜美，总是强过十字架的震撼残酷。
今日祷告：
耶稣，祢喜欢以真实待我，求祢也让我以真实待你。阿们。
December 22
Fairy-tale Version
Then Simeon blessed them, and he said to Mary, the baby’s mother, “This child is destined to cause many in Israel to fall, but he will be a joy to many others. He has been sent as a sign from God, but many will oppose him. As a result, the deepest thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your very soul.”
LUKE 2:34 – 35
There’s the fairy-tale version of Christmas: A quiet baby in a warm manger surrounded by a beautiful young mom and an incredibly gentle adoptive father, graced by gentle shepherds and cute little lambs, all the while a star hovers just overhead. Angels sing sweetly o’er the plain while the earth is placid.
Then there’s the reality: A screaming baby, messy with an umbilical cord and misshapen skull, held by an unwed teenage mom who fled her family with her boyfriend, visited by terrified shepherds on a strange order from angels. The local king demands the baby’s death, so soldiers descend upon the town and murder every young child present. The new family frantically escapes to Egypt, where his ancestors had been enslaved years before. Eventually the baby grows, gifted with authority to heal the sick and raise the dead. Crowds clamor for his kingship, but when he refuses to incite a revolt, the crowds betray him, beat him, and execute him—all while his mother wept at his bloody feet.
No wonder we like the fairy-tale version much better. The sweetness of a carnation is nicer than the shock of the incarnation.
Pray for the Day:
Jesus, you were willing to be real with me. I pray I will be real with you. Amen.
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