马利亚反覆思量什么呢？她有没有掐自己一把，好看清这个事实。就是这位在她面前、躺在马槽里的，正是神儿子自己，那位应许中的弥赛亚？
她是否怀疑神怎能也是一个真实的人，一个婴孩？怎能是一个需要拥抱和细心照顾的婴孩呢？
毫无疑问，马利亚意识到她正经历着一个奇迹。想到牧羊人们说的话，她或许会回想起九个月前天使也来见了她。在那一天，她得知自己一个童贞女，将会由圣灵感孕，她腹中的婴孩将会是神的儿子。
至高的神，超越时间和空间，祂选择倒空自己，成为肉身。出于对你我的大爱，祂作为一个婴孩来到，在伯利恒的那个夜晚，出生于这位母亲。就在那个马槽里，躺着我们的救主，祂将为你我的缘故交出自己的生命。马利亚所怀抱和喂养的，连头也抬不起来、还需要换尿布的这位，就是道成肉身、为要拯救我们的神。
有一天，这个完全真实的人，将选择把祂完全真实的身体，交出来被钉十字架。而马利亚也将在那里，再一次反覆思量。
你会和马利亚一起思量这些事吗？
伯利恒的婴孩耶稣啊，我们对祢出生的奇迹心感敬畏。感谢祢住在我们中间，成为我们的一员。奉祢的名祷告，阿们。
路加福音 2:15-20
15众天使离开他们，升天去了。牧羊的人彼此说：我们往伯利恒去，看看所成的事，就是主所指示我们的。
16他们急忙去了，就寻见马利亚和约瑟，又有那婴孩卧在马槽里；
17既然看见，就把天使论这孩子的话传开了。
18凡听见的，就诧异牧羊之人对他们所说的话。
19马利亚却把这一切的事存在心里，反复思想。
20牧羊的人回去了，因所听见所看见的一切事，正如天使向他们所说的，就归荣耀与神，赞美他。
"Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart." — Luke 2:19
What did Mary ponder? Did she pinch herself, trying to grasp the truth that lying in front of her in a manger was the Son of God himself, the promised Messiah?
Did she wonder how God could also be a real human baby boy? A baby that needed cuddling and attentive care?
Mary surely realized that she was in the presence of a miracle. Thinking about what the shepherds had said, she probably thought back to the day nine months earlier when she too was visited by an angel. On that day she learned that she, a virgin, would become pregnant by the power of the Holy Spirit, and that the child in her womb would be the very Son of God.
Almighty God, who is beyond space and time, chose to empty himself and to take on human flesh. Out of his great love for you and me, he came as a baby born to this mother that night in Bethlehem. There in the manger lay our Savior, who would surrender his own life for your sake and mine. The one whom Mary held and nursed, who could not even hold up his head and would need his diaper changed, was God in the flesh come to make us whole.
One day this very real human being would choose to give his very real body over to be crucified. And Mary would be there to ponder that too.
Will you ponder these things with Mary?
Child of Bethlehem, we are in awe at the miracle of your birth. Thank you for living among us, as one of us. Amen.
诵读: 楚云
片头: 张妙阳
