QT 18/12/2024 Wed. Christmas Message 01: Get or Give? 捉或给？
QT 18/12/2024 Wed. Christmas Message 01: Get or Give?
READ http://www.esvbible.org/luke2
Luke 2:7 And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn. (ESV)
Luke 2:11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. (ESV)
The Christmas mascot today in many places is the Santa Claus. He seemed "neutral" and non-threatening in advertisements and windows of shops. When I was younger, whenever I see Santa in the department stores or in TV shows during Christmas, the likely reaction of children to him is "What I want for Christmas?" The conversations in the speech, scripts and songs would be whether the recipient was good, requests of wants addressed to him.
Later, I learned from the church I was attending as a young boy that the focus of Christmas should be on Jesus, who came to give. The verse says "no place for them in the inn" (2:7), which is quite a sad depiction of the kind of reception that he received. It was seen later that they had no room in their hearts for Jesus too.
Yet Luke 2:11 alerts us of God's gift to us, more precious than what Santa or other figures could give this Christmas. God's gift "unto you" (2:11) was Jesus Christ. While Jesus was laid "in a manger" (2:7)—a seemingly lowly place in the countryside, Jesus was nevertheless a Saviour, in the category of David's heritage and proclaimed as the chosen one and "the LORD".
Reflection: Receiving and giving are both part of life. When you think of Christmas, do you first envision Christmas Santa's style ("What can I get from Santa?") or Jesus' style ("I was sent to give")? Is there a healthy balance of both receiving and giving?
QT 18/12/2024 星期三. 圣诞信息 01: 捉或给？
http://m.bbintl.org/bible/ncv/luk/2/
路加2:7 生了头胎儿子，用布包着，放在马槽里，因为客店里没有地方。
路加2:11 今天在大卫的城里，为你们生了救主，就是主基督。
如今，许多地方的圣诞代表人物是圣诞老人。在广告和商店的橱窗里，他似乎是 “中性 ”的，没有威胁性。小时候，每当圣诞节期间在百货商店或电视节目中看到圣诞老人，孩子们对他的反应多次是："我想要什么圣诞礼物？” 演讲、剧本和歌曲中的对话都是受赠者是否乖巧、向他提出的要求。
后来，我从小时候参加的教会中了解到，圣诞节的重点应该是耶稣，他来就是为了给予。经文中说客栈里没有他们的地方（2:7），这是对耶稣所受到的接待的相当悲哀的描述。后来我们也看到，他们的心里也没有耶稣的位置。
然而，路加福音 2：11 提醒我们，上帝给我们的礼物，比圣诞老人或其他人物在这个圣诞节能给我们的礼物更珍贵。上帝 “为你们生了”（2:11）的礼物就是耶稣基督。虽然耶稣被放在 “马槽里”（2:7), 一个看似卑微的乡下地方，但耶稣是救世主，是大卫的子孙，被被上帝所拣选的——基督。
反思： 接受和给予都是生活的一部分。当你想到圣诞节时，你首先想到的是圣诞老人的风格（“我能从圣诞老人那里得到什么？”）还是耶稣的风格（“我奉差遣来给予”）？ 接受和给予之间是否有健康的平衡？
