12月23日
天使问安
“天使进去，对她说：「蒙大恩的女子，我问你安，主和你同在了！」马利亚因这话就很惊慌，又反复思想这样问安是什么意思。天使对她说：「马利亚，不要怕！你在上帝面前已经蒙恩了。 你要怀孕生子，可以给他起名叫耶稣。”
路加福音 1:28-31
有史以来最尴尬的问候奖应该颁给那位说话简单明了的天使加百列。路加福音记载，上帝差遣加百列前往拿撒勒去问候马利亚，一位刚和木匠约瑟订婚的年轻处女。加百列走向她，礼貌地问候了她，然后他向马利亚传递了好消息，上帝拣选她怀孕生子，就是上帝的儿子。
但是马利亚并不明白天使的意思。她对这位天使长所说的话感到惊慌失措。凭着天使的奇妙能力，加百列一定感觉到了马利亚的紧张和不安，于是他就决定用任何一个未婚少女最愿意听到的话安抚她说：“不要怕，马利亚，你怀孕了！” 我相信，这样会使马利亚平静下来。
今日祷告：
耶稣，不要让我满足于这个圣诞节琐碎的安排，让我清楚明白圣诞节真正的意义。阿们。
December 23
Hello!
Gabriel appeared to her and said, “Greetings, favored woman! The Lord is with you!” Confused and disturbed, Mary tried to think what the angel could mean. “Don’t be afraid, Mary,” the angel told her, “for you have found favor with God! You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus.”
LUKE 1:28 – 31
The award for the most awkward hello of all eternity should go to the simply spoken angel Gabriel. Luke tells us that God sent him to Nazareth to speak to Mary, a young virgin who was engaged to a carpenter named Joseph. Gabriel went to her and politely said, “Greetings.” He then “delivered” the good news to Mary that the Lord had chosen her to conceive the very Son of God.
But Mary wasn’t so sure his hello was a good thing. She was quite afraid of him and greatly troubled at the blunt verbiage of this supreme heavenly warrior. But with his amazing angel abilities, Gabriel must have sensed Mary’s discomfort at his little announcement. So he decided he would try to reassure her with words that every unwed teenage girl wants to hear: “Don’t be afraid, Mary. You’re pregnant!” I’m sure that calmed her nerves, Gabe.
Pray for the Day:
Jesus, don’t let me be comfortable with the details of Christmas this year. Let its simplicity profoundly shake me awake. Amen.
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