【双语灵修】值得去的地方 The Place To Be

“每年到逾越节，〔耶稣〕父母就上耶路撒冷去。” - 路 2:41

朝圣者上耶路撒冷时总会颂唱诗篇122篇。在今天的时代，人们到纽约去找寻娱乐、到罗马去观赏美景、到法国去追求爱情。在旧约圣经的世界，耶路撒冷才是值得去的地方。这是“大君王的城”（诗篇48:2），是神在殿中作王的地方。在节期时，以色列每一个支派的百姓都会上耶路撒冷去敬拜神。

耶稣自幼便开始参与每年的逾越节朝圣队伍。你能想像在众人之中的衪吗？衪笑容满面地颂唱这篇诗篇，衪期待领略城市的繁华盛景。耶路撒冷是值得去的地方。

成年之后，耶稣依旧时常到耶路撒冷去，但每一次到访衪都似乎遭人抗拒，到了最后，对耶稣来说，这个城市已经成为一个危险的地方，一个置衪于死地的地方。然而，衪不会就此止步，衪仍然最后一次上耶路撒冷庆祝逾越节，但是过节不是祂入城唯一的原因。

在耶路撒冷，耶稣还有三个要赴的约会：与公会的人有约、与罗马总督有约、与十字架有约。所以，对耶稣来说，耶路撒冷是值得去的地方；衪是为了我们的好处才到那里的，就让我们为衪上耶路撒冷而欢喜快乐吧。

祷告

耶稣啊，你愿意上耶路撒冷去，我们真是非常感谢你。感谢你为了我们这样的罪人接受十字架并伴随它的羞辱。阿们。

诗篇 122

1人对我说“我们往耶和华的殿去”，我就欢喜。
2耶路撒冷啊，我们的脚站在你的门内。
3耶路撒冷被建造，如同连络整齐的一座城。
4众支派，就是耶和华的支派，上那里去，按以色列的常例称赞耶和华的名。
5因为在那里设立审判的宝座，就是大卫家的宝座。
6你们要为耶路撒冷求平安：“耶路撒冷啊，爱你的人必然兴旺。
7愿你城中平安，愿你宫内兴旺！”
8因我弟兄和同伴的缘故，我要说：“愿平安在你中间！”
9因耶和华我们神殿的缘故，我要为你求福。

The Place To Be

"Every year Jesus' parents went to Jerusalem for the Festival of the Passover." - Luke 2:41

Pilgrims used to sing Psalm 122 on their way to Jerusalem. Nowadays people go to New York for entertainment, to Rome for beauty, and to Paris for romance. In the biblical world, Jerusalem was the place to be. It was "the city of the Great King" (Psalm 48:2), where God was enthroned in the temple. At festival time, all the tribes of Israel would go up to Jerusalem to glorify God.

Starting when he was just a boy, Jesus joined the annual Passover pilgrimage. Can you picture him in the crowd? A smile stretches across his face as he sings this psalm. He's anticipating the sights and sounds of the city. Jerusalem is the place to be.

As an adult, Jesus continued to visit Jerusalem regularly. Each of those visits seemed to stir up opposition. Eventually the city became a dangerous place for Jesus, a place to die. But that didn't stop him. He still went up to Jerusalem one last time to celebrate the Passover. But that wasn't the only reason.

Jesus also had several appointments to keep there: one with the ruling council, one with the Roman governor, and one with a cross. So, for Jesus, Jerusalem was the place to be. And that was for our benefit. So we can rejoice that he went up to Jerusalem.

Prayer

Jesus, we are so grateful that you went up to Jerusalem. You embraced the cross and its shame for the sake of sinners like us. Thank you. Amen.