“Have We Humbly Prepared Room for Jesus Christ 我們已謙卑地預備地方給耶穌基督嗎？“（Luke 路加福音2:1-7）
So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.
約瑟本是大衛家族的人，也從加利利的拿撒勒上猶太去，到了大衛的城伯利恆，與所聘之妻馬利亞一同登記戶口。那時馬利亞的身孕已經重了。他們在那裡的時候，馬利亞的產期到了，生了頭胎兒子，用布包著，放在馬槽裡，因為客店裡沒有地方。
Luke clearly tells us that he recorded actual history and real events. Under the Holy Spirit’s inspiration, he presented this most amazing event of Jesus’ birth in a simple, understated manner. To register at their own city, Joseph and Mary took a roughly eighty miles’ trip which was not a short distance in those days and demanded a significant undertaking, costing time and money. We are not told that anyone assisted Mary in the birth. Wrapping baby Jesus in torn clothes and placing him in a manger by Mary herself points to a lonely, humble birth. ‘No guest room available’ could symbolise that the only place where there was room for Lord Jesus was on the cross.
路加清楚地告訴我們，他記錄了實在的歷史和真實的事件。在聖靈的默示下，他以一種簡潔、低調的方式呈現了這個最令人驚訝的耶穌出生事件。為要回到本鄉報名上冊，約瑟和馬利亞走上約八十英里的旅途，在當時並不是一個短的路程，並要求耗費時間和金錢的重大承擔。沒有資料來源告訴我們有人在馬利亞分娩時幫助她，馬利亞自己親手用撕下的布包著嬰孩耶穌，把祂放在馬槽裡，都表明一個獨自、卑微的分娩。「客店裡沒有地方」可以像徵著，只有十字架才是主耶穌的容身之處。
Prayer: Father God, today small events could often be inflated with over-description and presented as more important than they actually are. On the other hand we might often miss such necessary details of this most amazing event of Jesus’ birth that we look lightly its significance to our faith. Thank you for your reminder through this lonely, humble birth that we need to make room in heart for Lord Jesus receiving Him not only as our Saviour but also as Lord of our lives. Amen.
禱告: 父神啊，今天過分形容的小事情往往可以是誇張的，並被描述得比事情實在是怎樣更加重要。另一方面，我們或許往往錯失在這個最令人驚訝的耶穌出生事件裡如此必須的細節，以致我們輕看它對我們信仰/信心的重要性。感謝你透過這獨自、卑微的分娩，提醒我們需要為主耶穌在心裡預備容身之處接待祂，不單只作為我們的救主，而且也要作為我們生命的主。阿們。
