【双语灵修】“在大卫城中” Once In Royal David’s City

“让小孩子到我这里来，不要禁止他们。因为在神国的，正是这样的人。” - 路 10:14

“在大卫城中”这首诗歌以儿童喜爱的方式讲述了耶稣出生和童年的故事。前三节以其他歌曲少有的方式触及了耶稣的幼年时期。

“圣婴耶稣为我模范，谦卑顺服在膝前；像我身小，像我力弱，知道哀泣并喜欢…”换句话说，耶稣像我们一样成长。祂作为婴孩，和我们一样是无助的，必须像所有孩子一样长大。我们与耶稣有这种体认，知道他经历过和我们一样的生活。

马可福音告诉我们一个关于耶稣和小孩子的故事。祂的门徒责备那些把他们的孩子带到耶稣面前寻求祂祝福的人。但耶稣不喜欢门徒这样做。祂说：“让小孩子到我这里来。”

祂甚至以小孩子为榜样，让每个门徒都来效法。“我实在告诉你们，”祂说，“凡要承受神国的，若不像小孩子，断不能进去。”

作为成年人，我们常常会有疑虑和困惑。有时我们需要被提醒，我们要像孩子一样有信心，听到福音并接受它，相信神会成就祂的应许。作为神的孩子，我们能够回应祂的呼召，来到祂身边，无论祂要带我们去哪里，都毫不迟疑地跟随祂。

祷告

主耶稣，感谢你来到我们中间，像我们一样经历尘世的人生。愿我们听到你的邀请，便来到你身边，跟随你。愿我们相信你会引领我们的前路。阿们。

马可福音 10:13-16

13有人带着小孩子来见耶稣，要耶稣摸他们，门徒便责备那些人。
14耶稣看见就恼怒，对门徒说：“让小孩子到我这里来，不要禁止他们，因为在神国的正是这样的人。
15我实在告诉你们：凡要承受神国的，若不像小孩子，断不能进去。”
16于是抱着小孩子，给他们按手，为他们祝福。

Once In Royal David’s City

"Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these." - Mark 10:14

"Once in Royal David’s City" tells the story of Jesus’ birth and childhood in a kid-friendly way. The first three stanzas touch on the early years of Jesus in a way that few other songs do.

"Jesus is our childhood’s pattern, day by day like us he grew;/ he was little, weak, and helpless, tears and smiles like us he knew. . . ." In other words, Jesus developed as we do. Like us, he was helpless as a baby and had to grow as all children grow. We can connect with Jesus and know that he experienced life as we do.

The book of Mark tells us a story about Jesus and some little children. His disciples were rebuking people who were bringing their children to Jesus to be blessed by him. But Jesus didn’t like that. He said, "Let the little children come to me. . . ."

He even used them as an example that everyone can follow. "Truly I tell you," he said, "anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it."

Often, as adults, we have questions and doubts. Sometimes we need to be reminded that we need to have faith like a child—to hear the good news and accept it, trusting God to be true to his promises. As God’s children, we respond to his call to come to him and to follow him wherever he will lead.

Prayer

Lord Jesus, thank you for coming and experiencing life as we do. May we hear your invitation to come to you and follow you. And may we trust in you to lead us. Amen.