“所以弟兄们，我以神的慈悲劝你们，将身体献上，当作活祭，是圣洁的，是神所喜悦的。你们如此事奉，乃是理所当然的。” - 罗 12:1

今天我们重温博士的故事，他们从东方远道而来敬拜耶稣，他们带着昂贵的礼物“黄金、乳香、没药”，前来献上。我们需要问自己，“我们能献什么礼物给万王之王呢？”

当代歌曲“圣诞献祭”以一种关注赞美、喜乐和敬拜的献祭方式重述了圣诞故事。这首歌从牧羊人和博士去寻找新王开始，指出他们用敬拜的献祭来尊崇耶稣——我们也应当这样做。

正如这首歌所说，“吾今衷心献祭将心交给我主，只有我主配得我倾心赞美。耶稣，愿你接受你配得的荣耀…”

在整本圣经中，神呼吁祂的子民真实地敬拜祂。祂派祂的儿子耶稣来，使我们与祂和好，成为圣洁。因着耶稣在十字架上的牺牲，我们被洗净了。只有靠着祂的宝血和祂的怜悯，我们才能说：“主啊，我来到你面前。”

由于神对我们的怜悯，我们蒙召献上自己，“当作活祭，是圣洁的，是神所喜悦的。”我们敬拜时——无论是作为团体还是个人——都是在赞美神的身份和作为。我们可以用我们整个生命来投入这件事奉，“真诚而合宜地敬拜”我们的王基督。

祷告

亲爱的神，愿我们在敬拜中把自己全然作为礼物献给你。阿们。

马太福音 2:1-12

1当希律王的时候，耶稣生在犹太的伯利恒。有几个博士从东方来到耶路撒冷，说：
2“那生下来做犹太人之王的在哪里？我们在东方看见他的星，特来拜他。”
3希律王听见了，就心里不安，耶路撒冷合城的人也都不安。
4他就召齐了祭司长和民间的文士，问他们说：“基督当生在何处？”
5他们回答说：“在犹太的伯利恒。因为有先知记着说：
6‘犹大地的伯利恒啊，你在犹大诸城中并不是最小的，因为将来有一位君王要从你那里出来，牧养我以色列民。’”
7当下，希律暗暗地召了博士来，细问那星是什么时候出现的，
8就差他们往伯利恒去，说：“你们去仔细寻访那小孩子，寻到了就来报信，我也好去拜他。”
9他们听见王的话就去了。在东方所看见的那星忽然在他们前头行，直行到小孩子的地方，就在上头停住了。
10他们看见那星，就大大地欢喜。
11进了房子，看见小孩子和他母亲马利亚，就俯伏拜那小孩子，揭开宝盒，拿黄金、乳香、没药为礼物献给他。
12博士因为在梦中被主指示不要回去见希律，就从别的路回本地去了。

Christmas Offering

"I urge you . . . in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship." - Romans 12:1

Today we revisit the story of the Magi who came a long way from the east to worship Jesus. They came bearing costly gifts: "gold, frankincense, and myrrh." And we need to ask ourselves, "What can we bring as a gift to the King of kings?"

The contemporary song "Christmas Offering" retells the Christmas story in a way that focuses on offerings of praise, joy, and worship. Beginning with the shepherds and the Magi going to find the new King, this song points out that they honor Jesus with offerings of worship—and we are called to do that too.

As the song puts it, "We bring an offering of worship to our King./ No one on earth deserves the praises that we sing./ Jesus, may you receive the honor that you’re due. . . ."

Throughout Scripture, God calls his people to truly worship him. He sent his Son, Jesus, to reconcile us to himself and make us holy. And because of Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross, we are washed clean. It’s only by his blood and through his mercy that we can say, "Lord, I come to you."

In view of God’s mercy for us, we are called to offer ourselves "as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God." When we worship—as a community or individually—we are praising God for who he is and what he has done. And we can do this with our whole life, bringing "true and proper worship" to Christ our King.

Prayer

Dear God, may we bring our whole selves as an offering to you in worship. Amen.