【双语灵修】虚假的圣诞A FALSE CHRISTMAS
马太福音 2:7-8
当下，希律暗暗地召了博士来，细问那星是什么时候出现的， 就差他们往伯利恒去，说：“你们去仔细寻访那小孩子，寻到了就来报信，我也好去拜他。”
12月20日
虚假的圣诞
「寻到了，就来报信，我也好去拜他。」 - 马太福音 2:8
西方世界的圣诞节已极度世俗化，虽然庆典仍然冠以基督之名，但这个时节却充斥着礼物派对、灯饰与装点。尽管这些元素大多无害，却未能引导人聚焦于本应作为庆典核心的对基督的敬拜。
可悲的是，那些熟知救主降生预言的祭司与文士，竟无兴趣核实应许的实现，尽管伯利恒距耶路撒冷仅数里之遥。而希律因为到威胁才心生关切，却不愿听闻神想要的君王样式—一位柔和的牧者（《马太福音》2:6）。有时，我们同样容易忽略已知的神的应许，执意维护自身的权益与舒适区。
圣诞节将至，或许你已开始庆祝，正享受着文化赋予这个节日的传统氛围。当我们欢庆时，需慎防传统或不良心态催生一个拒绝敬拜耶稣的虚假圣诞。愿我们不像希律固守舒适的宫殿，而要像东方博士那样主动追寻神应许的救主。
祷告
慈悲的神啊，我们承认自己极易沉溺于自我构建的圣诞幻象，却错失救主降生的奇迹。求你赦免，并使我们的心志定睛于耶稣。阿们。
Matthew 2:7-8
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 20
A FALSE CHRISTMAS
“As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him.” —Matthew 2:8
Christmas in the Western world has become a highly secularized holiday. While the celebration still bears the name of Christ, the season marks a time of gifts and parties, lights and decorations. And while many of those themes are relatively harmless, they do not call attention to the worship of Christ that should be at the center of the holiday celebrations.
It’s sad that the priests and scholars who knew the prophecy about the Savior’s birth weren’t interested enough to see if it was fulfilled, despite the fact that Bethlehem was only a few miles from Jerusalem. And Herod, who was interested because he felt threatened, didn’t want to hear about the kind of king God desired—a gentle ruler and shepherd (Matthew 2:6). At times, we too have our tendencies to ignore what we know about God’s promises and to try to maintain our own sense of authority and comfort.
In just a few days Christmas will be here. Perhaps you’ve already begun your celebrations, and you’re enjoying the traditions our culture has built up around this holiday.
As we celebrate, let’s be careful not to let our traditions or attitudes bring about a false Christmas that rejects the worship of Jesus. Instead of staying in our own comfortable palaces, let us go, as the Magi did, to seek God’s promised Savior.
Gracious God, we confess how easy it is to get caught up in our own version of Christmas and miss the wonder of the Savior’s birth. Forgive us, and fix our attention on Jesus. Amen.