许多人乐意庆祝圣诞节,但从来都不细心思想圣诞节的意义,更无意接纳耶稣为救主,像当年给希律提供耶稣降生地点消息的祭司长和文士一样,他们明知圣婴生在伯利恒,也不前往朝拜。
为什么如此呢?基本上是由于没有期待救主来临的热诚。他们满足于现今的地位和享受;以自己在宗教界和学问上的成就而自豪。他们觉得,一般的百姓也许需要这位救主,但自己并没有这样的需要。结果也便失去了这千载一时的宝贵机会!
但愿圣灵开导我们的心,叫我们认识自己的需要;也激励我们至诚地迎接这位为我们降生,拯救我们脱离罪恶的耶稣进入我们心中,居首位,掌王权。
本诗作者Cecil F. Alexander女士于1818年生于英国爱尔兰,是一位杰出的圣诗作家,十分喜爱儿童,她写了一部《儿童圣诗集》风行各地,于1848 年初版,到了1900年已出版至69版了!
词:Cecil F. Alexander
Lyrics(歌词):
Once in royal David’s City
Stood a lowly cattle-shed,
Where a mother laid her Baby
In a manger for His bed.
Mary was that mother mild,
Jesus Christ her little Child.
He came down to earth from heaven
Who is God and Lord of all,
And His shelter was a stable,
And His cradle was a stall.
With the poor, and mean, and lowly
Lived on earth our Saviour holy.
And through all His wondrous childhood
He would honour and obey,
Love, and watch the lowly Maiden
In whose gentle arms He lay.
Christian children all must be
Mild, obedient, good as He.
For He 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;
And He feeleth for our sadness,
And He shareth in our gladness.
And our eyes at last shall see Him,
Though His own redeeming love;
For that Child so dear and gentle
Is our Lord in heaven above;
And He leads His children on
To the place where He is gone.
Not in that poor lowly stable,
With the oxen standing by,
We shall see Him,but in heaven,
Set at God's right hand on high;
When like stars His children crowned
All in white shall wait around.
歌词:
昔日大卫王城某处,
有一破落牲畜棚。
有一母亲诞下婴孩,
马槽辟作小摇篮。
慈母名叫马利亚,
小婴孩名叫耶稣。
他本是神万主之主,
却从天上降世间。
出生之处乃是马棚,
小摇篮乃是马槽。
救世主纡尊降贵,
甘与贫贱人同行。
他的童年人人称羡,
待人谦恭且和顺,
敬爱地上谦和母亲,
静待在她臂弯中。
属主孩童要效主,
正直温柔且听命。
他是孩童学效榜样,
每一天成长向上。
孩童耶稣曾笑曾哭,
就像寻常孩子样。
他体恤我们愁苦,
他体会我们喜悦。
有一天我们要见他,
他成就救赎大功。
那可爱温柔圣婴孩,
是天上掌权君主。
他引领他的儿女,
往他所在的地方。
我们将来见他所在,
不再是破落马棚。
却是天上荣美家乡,
父神宝座之右旁。
我们要照耀如星,
穿白衣侍奉座前。
诗歌背景:
神是应当称颂的,因他眷顾他的百姓,为他们施行救赎,在他仆人大卫家中,为我们兴起了拯救的角。(路 1:68-69)