马太福音2:21-23 卑微的救主
马太福音2:21 约瑟就起来，把小孩子和他母亲带到以色列地去；22 只因听见亚基老接着他父亲希律作了犹太王，就怕往那里去，又在梦中被主指示，便往加利利境内去了，23 到了一座城，名叫拿撒勒，就住在那里。这是要应验先知所说，他将称为拿撒勒人的话了。
拿撒勒（Nazareth）是加利利（Galilee）地区的小镇，这里没有什么出名的。拿但业（Nathaniel）对腓力（Philip）说：“拿撒勒能出什么好的吗？”就像是在说：“我的家乡爱克索尼亚（Exonia）有什么好处？”唯一来自艾克森尼亚（Ixonia）的真正有名的人物是约翰（John）“ Commodore” Lewis，有史以来最矮的男人。但是我敢打赌，你也不知道吗？
拿撒勒其实不是如此的。曾经最有名的人在那个小镇住过并且长大。但是马太所指的预言从何而来？有人认为这是来自以赛亚书11：1（从耶西的本（原文作“墩”）必发一条，从他根生的枝子必结果实。），其中弥赛亚被称为“枝子”。希伯来语中的“枝子”是“ netzer”，发音与拿撒勒人接近。但是，马太这里说的“先知”，是复数的形式，也就是众先知的意思。更可能的联系是，许多先知指出了基督的卑微的处境，而拿撒勒正是围绕我们救主的出生和生活的那些卑微的处境之地。马太提到它时，人们会认识到这种联系。
对我们意味着什么？保罗说耶稣自己取了奴仆的样式，谦卑自己，甚至死在十字架上（腓立比书2章7-8节，反倒虚己，取了奴仆的形像，成为人的样式。既有人的样子，就自己卑微，存心顺服，以至于死，且死在十字架上）。这个来自不知名地区的人是有史以来最重要的人。他不是很少有人知道的历史人物，而是我们可以信靠得永生的人。
祷告：主耶稣，你选择进入这个世界，不是为了给自己出名，而是为了荣耀你的天父。您来过的不是奢侈的生活，而是贫穷的生活，通过您，我们可以以最好的方式“富足”。你来谦卑自己，成为仆人，以便我们成为国王和祭司。为此，让您的名字得到永远的称赞。阿们
Matthew 2:21-23: So he got up, took the child and his mother and went to the land of Israel. 22 But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning in Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. Having been warned in a dream, he withdrew to the district of Galilee, 23 and he went and lived in a town called Nazareth. So was fulfilled what was said through the prophets, that he would be called a Nazarene.
Nazareth is an off the beaten path town in Galilee that was not famous for having anyone famous coming from there. Nathaniel told Philip, “What good can come out of Nazareth?” It’s kind of like saying, “What good ever came out of Ixonia [my hometown]?” The only really famous person that came from Ixonia was John “Commodore” Lewis, the shortest man that ever lived. But I bet you didn’t know that, either, did you?
That’s not true of Nazareth anymore. The MOST famous person who ever lived grew up in that small town. But where does the prophecy that Matthew refers to come from? Some think it is from Isaiah 9:1, where the Messiah is called the “branch.” “Branch” in Hebrew is “netzer”, which is close to Nazarene. However, Matthew said “the prophets.” The more likely connection is that many of the prophets point to the humble circumstances of the Christ and that coming from Nazareth is one of those humble circumstances that surround the birth and life of our Savior. Matthew makes the reference to it as a connection that people in his day would recognize.
What does it mean for us? Paul said that Jesus took for himself the form of a servant and humble himself, even to death on a cross. This nobody from a nobody town is the most important person who ever lived. He is not just an historical figure that few people even know about, but the person in whom we believe for eternal life.
Prayer: Lord Jesus, you chose to come into this world, not to make a name for yourself, but to glorify your Father in heaven. You came not to live in luxury but in poverty so that through you, we might become rich in the best way. You came to humble yourself and become a servant, so that we might become kings and priests. For this, let your name be praised forever and ever. Amen.
马太福音3:1-6 悔改
马太福音3:1 那时，有施洗的约翰出来，在犹太的旷野传道，说：2 「天国近了，你们应当悔改！」3 这人就是先知以赛亚所说的。他说：「在旷野有人声喊着说：预备主的道，修直他的路！」4 这约翰身穿骆驼毛的衣服，腰束皮带，吃的是蝗虫、野蜜。5 那时，耶路撒冷和犹太全地，并约旦河一带地方的人，都出去到约翰那里，6 承认他们的罪，在约旦河里受他的洗。
路德在小问答里说：“悔改有两个部分。一是我们承认我们的罪，二是我们从牧师那里，就如同从神那里得到赦免或宽恕。悔改不是怀疑，而是坚信我们的罪孽已因此在天上被赦免了。”我感谢我们开始每一次敬拜的时候都有认罪和赦罪。但是，我们是否借此机会对困扰我们的罪恶表示认罪呢？你向你的牧师认罪的时候，你感到自在吗？如果您是一位牧师，您会向谁承认自己的罪过？
我们有时候会把施洗约翰只是描绘成一个如同带着火和硫磺的传道人，他在野外的装扮，他在讲道中发出律法的威胁。但是，如果他只是这样一个人的话，为什么人们涌向旷野（这实际上是耶路撒冷周围真正的旷野！），向约翰认罪呢？约翰一定也有真正的牧养的心肠。他明白人的本性以及人们生活中的罪恶负担。他不仅宣讲律法，而且宣扬宽恕的甜美福音，施行洗礼，以洗去他们的罪过。
我希望我也是这种牧师，但是，我看不到遇到麻烦的人经常敲我的门。也许那只是我们文化的一部分，自己来承担自己的罪孽，不要暴露你的灵魂。这真是可悲，因为大卫说：“我要向耶和华承认我的过犯，你就赦免我的罪恶。”（诗篇32:5）不要掩饰它。不要害怕将自己的罪过放在十字架的脚下，不要恐惧将自己的过犯放在另一个基督徒的耳边，因为他会说：“耶稣赦免了你的罪过。”
祷告：主耶稣，我从不惧怕向你敞开我的灵魂，向你坦白我最坏最可怕的罪过。我知道你会永远原谅我，因为你答应了。在我的洗礼中每日更新我，并更新你在我里面创造的新生命。当我的罪过重，以至于我无法承受时，就请给我勇气，找一个能听我认罪并以你的名赦免我的信徒。阿们
Matthew 3:1-6: In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the wilderness of Judea 2 and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.” 3 This is he who was spoken of through the prophet Isaiah: “A voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.’” 4 John’s clothes were made of camel’s hair, and he had a leather belt around his waist. His food was locusts and wild honey. 5 People went out to him from Jerusalem and all Judea and the whole region of the Jordan. 6 Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River.
Luther’s catechism says, “Confession has two parts. The one is that we confess our sins; the other, that we receive absolution or forgiveness from the pastor as from God himself, not doubting but firmly believing that our sins are thus forgiven before God in heaven.” I appreciate that we start every worship service is confession and absolution. But do we take the opportunity to make personal confession for the sins that trouble us? Do we feel comfortable doing that with your pastor? And if you are a pastor, to whom do you confess your sins?
I think we picture John the Baptist as a fire and brimstone preacher with his wild clothes and wild hair breathing out threats of the law in his sermons. But if that was the case, why were people flocking out to the wilderness (which is really a true wilderness around Jerusalem!) and confessing their sins to John? John must have had a real pastoral side to him as well. He understood human nature and the burden of sin in people’s lives. He not only preached the law, but the sweet gospel of forgiveness and baptism to wash away their sins.
I hope that I am that kind of pastor, but then, I don’t see troubled people knocking at my door that often. Maybe that’s just part of our culture. Keep your sins to yourself. Don’t bare your soul. That’s sad, because David said, “I said I will confess my transgressions to the Lord, and you forgave the guilt of my sin.” Don’t hide it. Don’t stuff it. Don’t be afraid to lay your sins at the foot of the cross and in the ears of a fellow Christian who will says, “Jesus has forgiven your sin.”
Prayer: Lord Jesus, I am never afraid to bare my soul to you and confess to you my worst and most egregious sins. I know that you will always forgive me, because you promised to do so. Renew me every day in the waters of my baptism and sustain the new life you have created in me. And when my sin becomes such a burden that I cannot bear it, then give me courage to find a fellow believer who can hear my confession and absolve me in your name. Amen.