孩提時代，聖誕卡上在馬槽出生的耶穌總讓我很感興趣：這嬰孩是誰？為甚麼全地都在慶祝祂的誕生？祂的出生與我們這些地球人有甚麼關係？
直到我在馬太福音一章23節讀到耶穌名字的含義時，這個謎團便奇妙地解開了：「必有童女懷孕生子；人要稱他的名為以馬內利。」（以馬內利翻出來就是「神與我們同在」。）
神與我們同在，這名字清晰地宣告耶穌的身份、本性以及祂與人的關係。
基督的身份．在基督裡的身份
在路加福音關於耶穌誕生的記載中，神清楚地揭示了基督的身份：「……所要生的聖者必稱為神的兒子。」（路一35）作為神的兒子，耶穌是神榮耀所發的光輝，是神本體的真像，常用他權能的命令托住萬有（來一3）。
正如舊約預言，耶穌是道成肉身的神。祂是怎樣的神？耶穌的身份對於在地上的客旅來說有甚麼意義？
作為有別於世界的道成肉身的神，耶穌既是世界的主人，又是客旅：「他到自己的地方來，自己的人倒不接待他。凡接待他的，就是信他名的人，他就賜他們權柄作神的兒女。這等人不是從血氣生的，不是從情慾生的，也不是從人意生的，乃是從神生的。」（約一11-13）作為通向天父的道路（約十四6），耶穌是主，祂極願意接待所有真正相信祂的人進入天國。因此，耶穌的誕生提醒我們，地上所有接受耶穌為他們個人救主的客旅，無論難民與否，都有最寶貴的、在基督裡的身份。作為上帝的兒女，他們是天國永久的子民。
取人形像的神．有神形像的人
儘管耶穌在本質上是百份百的神，完美無罪，但祂降世時謙卑自己並取了人的形像，完全順服父神，以至於死，且死在十字架上，為要拯救罪人（腓二6-8）。祂這樣做是出於上帝對世人的愛：「神愛世人，甚至將他的獨生子賜給他們，叫一切信他的，不至滅亡，反得永生。因為神差他的兒子降世，不是要定世人的罪，乃是要叫世人因他得救。」（約三16-17）
作為神本體的真像，耶穌的人性也把我們帶回創世記一章27節，當中述說所有人都是神按祂自己的形像所創造的。那麼，耶穌的人性以及所有基督徒與非基督徒均有神的形像的事實，將如何影響我們跟在我們當中的難民和尋求庇護者的相處呢？
在整本聖經中，客旅指那些缺乏社群身份、保護和謀生平台的人，而我們的社會中的難民和尋求庇護者，也是如此。作為同是按照上帝形像被造的人，他們的受造同樣奇妙可畏，擁有來自上帝的尊嚴（詩一三九14）。倘若我們消除那些對居住在我們中間的旅居者構成壓迫或偏見的做法（利十九33-34），並且以基督的愛與恩典款待他們，幫助他們融入我們的家園，他們及神賦予他們的恩賜必成為我們彼此的祝福。
神與我們同在．神與我們同行
全然是神的耶穌降生成人，展現出神如何與人同在同行：祂慷慨地愛和接納原本不認識祂的人，並歡迎最微小的到祂那裡來，特別是那些活在社會邊緣的人和那些沒有能力回報祂的人。
我們當中的難民和尋求庇護者可以放心，耶穌也曾經是難民，他們所經歷的流離困苦，耶穌在地上時都親身經歷過，今天也會繼續實在地跟他們同在同行。
最重要的是，耶穌應許在父家裡有許多住處，而祂已經去為那些信祂的人預備地方（約十四2-3）。無論我們當中的難民和尋求庇護者遭遇甚麼境況，耶穌必定領他們走過每一步，耶穌的降生，也正為人帶來能與上帝永遠同在的盼望。
當我們──尤其是作為難民和旅居者的──遇到身份危機及缺乏支援的時候，願耶穌的人性成為我們莫大的安慰，因為祂就是「神與我們同在」。在慶祝耶穌基督誕生的同時，讓我們也熱切期盼祂的再來，領我們同往神永恆的天家。
本文是由難民事工小組提供，小組由香港的基督教教會和機構組成，
一直以來支援在港難民和免遣返聲請者在房屋、教育、心理、生活上的需要，幫助他們融入社會。
Identity • Humanity • Solidarity
Author(s): Pastor Farmer
As a child, I was always intrigued by Christmas cards featuring Jesus as a baby born in the manger. Who is this baby? Why is His birth in the manger celebrated all over the world? How is His birth related to all of us dwelling on Planet Earth?
It was only when I read the meaning of Jesus’ name in Matthew 1:23 was the mystery resolved with my profound amazement: ‘The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel (which means “God with us”).’
God with us. Three simple words that unequivocally announces the identity of Jesus, the nature of Jesus, and His relationship with human.
Identity of Christ • Identity in Christ
In Luke’s account of the birth of Jesus, God clearly reveals the identity of Christ: “…the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God.” (Luke 1:35) Being the Son of God, Jesus is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of His being, who is able to sustain all things by His powerful word (Hebrews 1:3).
Jesus is God incarnate as prophesied in the Old Testament. How is God like? What is the significance of Jesus’ identity for those who have the identity as foreigners on earth?
As God incarnate who is distinct from the world, Jesus is both a host to the world as well as a guest and stranger: ‘He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God – children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.’ (John 1:11-13) Being the way to the Father (John 14:6), Jesus as the divine host extends a lavish welcome to the Kingdom of God to all who would genuinely put their faith in Him. Jesus’ birth therefore reminds us that all strangers on earth – refugees and non-refugees alike – who receive Jesus as their personal Savior as Lord have the most precious identity in Christ. And as children of God, they have the permanent citizenship in the Kingdom of Heaven.
God in human form • Man in God’s image
Though Jesus was fully God in His nature, perfect and sinless, He humbled Himself and fully took on the nature of human when He came to the world, living out full obedience to God the Father in His humanity – even to the point of death on the cross for the salvation of sinful man (Philippians 2:6-8). He has done all this out of God’s love for all human: ‘For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.’ (John 3:16–17)
As the exact representation of God Himself, Jesus’ humanity also takes us all the way back to Genesis 1:27, which recounts that all human are created by God and bear the image of God. How then should Jesus’ humanity and the fact that all human – Christians and non-Christians – are bearers of God’s image impact us regarding how we should relate to refugees and asylum seekers in our midst?
Throughout the Bible, aliens or strangers refer to those who lack membership in the community as well as protection, support and the means to making a living – so are refugees and asylum seekers in our community. As fellow human made in the image of God, all of them are equally fearfully and wonderfully made, having the dignity from God (Psalm 139:14). They are also endowed with good gifts from God that are bound to contribute to and enrich our community if we eliminate practices that would cause oppression or prejudices against the foreigners residing among us (Leviticus 19:33-34) and if we extend God’s hospitality to them that facilitate their integration in where we call home.
God with us always • God with us forever
With the full weight of incarnation, Jesus in his solidarity with humanity does not lose his identity as the divine Son of God. Jesus’ solidarity with humanity exemplifies God’s hospitality in His lavish extension of love and acceptance to the stranger, and His welcome of the least, particularly those who live on the margins of society and those who are not or may not be able to reciprocate hospitality.
Our refugees and asylum seeker friends can be rest assured that Jesus – being a refugee Himself who has been through a myriad of trials throughout His life and ministry on earth – solidly identifies with them.
Most importantly, Jesus promises that God the Father’s house has many rooms and He has gone to prepare a place for those whose faith is in Him (John 14:2–3). Whatever circumstances our refugee and asylum seeker friends face, Jesus will carry them through. The birth of Jesus is what brings people the hope of being with God forever.
Conclusion
In a time when there are intense struggles with identity and solidarity in our residence on earth – especially for refugees and foreigners in the land, may Jesus’ humanity be our great comfort, for He is ‘God with us’. As we celebrate Jesus’ birth, let us also wait in eager expectation for His return to bring us to dwell with God in His eternal home that will never pass away.
This article is provided by the Refugee Ministry Group (RMG). The writer is a pastor. The Refugee Ministry Group is a group of Christian churches and organizations in Hong Kong that have been supporting the housing, education, psychological and living needs of refugees and non-refoulement claimants in Hong Kong and helping them to integrate into society.
