2015年12月17日
聖誕的安息 Christmas Rest
读经: 馬太福音11章28節-12章8節
Reading: Matthew 11:28–12:8
凡勞苦擔重擔的人，可以到我這裡來。-馬太福音11章28節
Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened.- Matthew 11:28
全年读经: 阿摩司書7-9章;啟示錄8章
Bible in a Year: Amos 7–9; Revelation 8
少年時期，我為了賺零用錢而去送早報。每天，我都必須在凌晨三點鐘起床，並在早上六點鐘之前，將140份報紙送達客戶家裡，一個星期七天都是如此。
但是，每年有一天是例外。在聖誕節前夕，我會提早把聖誕節的早報送出去。也就是說，一年當中就只有聖誕節這一天早晨，我才能像其他人一樣，享受充足的睡眠和休息。
過了這麼多年，我越來越喜歡過聖誕節，理由不勝枚舉。但在派早報的那段日子裡，我最喜歡聖誕節的原因是，我不必像其他的日子摸黑早起，這天乃是我可以安心睡覺和休息的日子。
那時，我並不完全瞭解聖誕節帶來真正安息的含意。原來基督來到世間，能使那些在律法下勞苦、擔重擔，卻永遠無法達到律法標準的人，可以藉著基督賜下的赦罪之恩得到安息。耶穌說：「凡勞苦擔重擔的人，可以到我這裡來，我就使你們得安息」。（馬太福音11章28節）
在這個世上，我們有太多難以獨自承擔的重擔，但基督來到世上，讓我們可以和祂建立關係，使我們可以脫離勞苦，得到安息。
你有什麼重擔需要主為你擔當？
今日就開口向祂懇求吧！
藏身主懷，心得安息。
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
As a boy I delivered newspapers in order to earn money. Since it was a morning newspaper, I was required to get up at 3:00 every morning, 7 days a week, in order to have all 140 of my papers delivered to their appropriate homes by 6:00 a.m.
But one day each year was different. We would deliver the Christmas morning newspaper on Christmas Eve—meaning that Christmas was the only morning of the year I could sleep in and rest like a normal person.
Over the years, I came to appreciate Christmas for many reasons, but one that was special in those days was that, unlike any other day of the year, it was a day of rest.
At that time, I didn't fully understand the meaning of the true rest that Christmas brings. Christ came so that all who labor under the weight of a law that can never be fulfilled might find rest through the forgiveness Christ offers. Jesus said, "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest" (Matt. 11:28). In a world that is too much for us to bear alone, Christ has come to bring us into a relationship with Him and give us rest.
What burdens would you like the Lord to carry for you? Ask Him today.
Our soul finds rest when it rests in God.