“看，玫瑰花开茂盛”
我在美国西南部长大，有很多机会看到沙漠里开花的景象。鲜花盛开的沙漠是地球上最美丽的景观之一。它的美丽能如此令人惊叹，部份原因是由于在一年中的大部份时间里，沙漠看起来像一片荒地。它看起来就像以赛亚描述的那样——“干旱之地”——直到仙人掌开花时节，明亮、灿烂的颜色遍布整个景观。这给生活在那里的人带来许多欢乐。
以赛亚描述沙漠对此的反应是欣喜和快乐。他所描绘的画面是干旱之地上无望之人生出的希望。
“看，玫瑰花开茂盛”描述的就是这幅画面，并联系到以赛亚的预言，有关从耶西的树干必生出一根嫩芽（赛 11:1）。它将红花的绽放与从耶西的儿子大卫的家族中生发的“嫩枝”联系在一起。这一意象随后又与基督的诞生联系起来。“真神又是真人，祂来拯救祂子民，脱离罪恶黑夜。”
在基督的降生中，我们看到了希望、喜悦和欢欣。耶稣给我们带来了生命之水，把我们从罪恶和死亡中救赎出来，用更新的力量和永恒的喜悦取代了我们的悲伤和叹息。
耶稣，你给我们干涸和疲惫的心带来莫大的欢欣。愿我们在你到来时“乐上加乐，而且欢呼。”从今时直到永远。阿们。
以赛亚书 35章
1旷野和干旱之地必然欢喜，沙漠也必快乐，又像玫瑰开花。
2必开花繁盛，乐上加乐，而且欢呼。黎巴嫩的荣耀，并迦密与沙仑的华美，必赐给它。人必看见耶和华的荣耀，我们神的华美。
3你们要使软弱的手坚壮，无力的膝稳固，
4对胆怯的人说：“你们要刚强，不要惧怕！看哪，你们的神必来报仇，必来施行极大的报应，他必来拯救你们。”
5那时瞎子的眼必睁开，聋子的耳必开通。
6那时瘸子必跳跃像鹿，哑巴的舌头必能歌唱。在旷野必有水发出，在沙漠必有河涌流。
7发光的沙要变为水池，干渴之地要变为泉源。在野狗躺卧之处，必有青草、芦苇和蒲草。
8在那里必有一条大道，称为“圣路”。污秽人不得经过，必专为赎民行走，行路的人虽愚昧也不致失迷。
9在那里必没有狮子，猛兽也不登这路，在那里都遇不见，只有赎民在那里行走。
10并且耶和华救赎的民必归回，歌唱来到锡安，永乐必归到他们的头上。他们必得着欢喜快乐，忧愁叹息尽都逃避。
Lo, How A Rose E’er Blooming
"Like the crocus, [the desert] will burst into bloom; it will rejoice greatly and shout for joy." - Isaiah 35:1-2
Growing up in the southwestern United States gave me a lot of opportunities to see the desert in bloom. A desert in full bloom is one of the most beautiful landscapes on earth. Part of the reason it can be so breathtaking is that for most of the year the desert looks like a wasteland. It looks the way Isaiah describes it—as a "parched land"—until the cactus blossoms and bright, radiant colors abound across the landscape. This can bring so much joy to the people who live there.
Isaiah describes the desert as responding with gladness and joy. The picture Isaiah paints is one of hope for the hopeless in a dry land.
"Lo, How a Rose E’er Blooming" takes this picture and connects it to Isaiah’s prophecy of a shoot coming from the stump of Jesse (Isaiah 11:1). It ties the bloom of the crocus together with the "tender stem" that sprouted from the line of David, the son of Jesse. This imagery is then connected with the birth of Christ: "True God and yet true man, he came to save his people from earth’s dark night of sin."
At the birth of Christ we see hope, joy, and gladness. Jesus brings us the water of life, redeeming us from sin and death and replacing our sorrow and sighing with renewed strength and everlasting joy.
Jesus, you bring so much joy to our dry and weary hearts. May we "rejoice greatly and shout for joy" at your coming, now and forever. Amen.
诵读: 骆云秀
片头: 张妙阳
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