孩提时代，圣诞卡上在马槽出生的耶稣总让我很感兴趣：这婴孩是谁？为什么全地都在庆祝他的诞生？他的出生与我们这些地球人有什么关系？
直到我在马太福音一章23节读到耶稣名字的含义时，这个谜团便奇妙地解开了：「必有童女怀孕生子；人要称他的名为以马内利。」（以马内利翻出来就是「神与我们同在」。）
神与我们同在，这名字清晰地宣告耶稣的身份、本性以及他与人的关系。
基督的身份．在基督里的身份
在路加福音关于耶稣诞生的记载中，神清楚地揭示了基督的身份：「……所要生的圣者必称为神的儿子。」（路一35）作为神的儿子，耶稣是神荣耀所发的光辉，是神本体的真像，常用他权能的命令托住万有（来一3）。
正如旧约预言，耶稣是道成肉身的神。他是怎样的神？耶稣的身份对于在地上的客旅来说有什么意义？
作为有别于世界的道成肉身的神，耶稣既是世界的主人，又是客旅：「他到自己的地方来，自己的人倒不接待他。凡接待他的，就是信他名的人，他就赐他们权柄作神的儿女。这等人不是从血气生的，不是从情欲生的，也不是从人意生的，乃是从神生的。」（约一11-13）作为通向天父的道路（约十四6），耶稣是主，他极愿意接待所有真正相信他的人进入天国。因此，耶稣的诞生提醒我们，地上所有接受耶稣为他们个人救主的客旅，无论难民与否，都有最宝贵的、在基督里的身份。作为上帝的儿女，他们是天国永久的子民。
取人形像的神．有神形像的人
尽管耶稣在本质上是百份百的神，完美无罪，但他降世时谦卑自己并取了人的形像，完全顺服父神，以至于死，且死在十字架上，为要拯救罪人（腓二6-8）。他这样做是出于上帝对世人的爱：「神爱世人，什至将他的独生子赐给他们，叫一切信他的，不至灭亡，反得永生。因为神差他的儿子降世，不是要定世人的罪，乃是要叫世人因他得救。」（约三16-17）
作为神本体的真像，耶稣的人性也把我们带回创世记一章27节，当中述说所有人都是神按他自己的形像所创造的。那么，耶稣的人性以及所有基督徒与非基督徒均有神的形像的事实，将如何影响我们跟在我们当中的难民和寻求庇护者的相处呢？
在整本圣经中，客旅指那些缺乏社群身份、保护和谋生平台的人，而我们的社会中的难民和寻求庇护者，也是如此。作为同是按照上帝形像被造的人，他们的受造同样奇妙可畏，拥有来自上帝的尊严（诗一三九14）。倘若我们消除那些对居住在我们中间的旅居者构成压迫或偏见的做法（利十九33-34），并且以基督的爱与恩典款待他们，帮助他们融入我们的家园，他们及神赋予他们的恩赐必成为我们彼此的祝福。
神与我们同在．神与我们同行
全然是神的耶稣降生成人，展现出神如何与人同在同行：他慷慨地爱和接纳原本不认识他的人，并欢迎最微小的到他那里来，特别是那些活在社会边缘的人和那些没有能力回报他的人。
我们当中的难民和寻求庇护者可以放心，耶稣也曾经是难民，他们所经历的流离困苦，耶稣在地上时都亲身经历过，今天也会继续实在地跟他们同在同行。
最重要的是，耶稣应许在父家里有许多住处，而他已经去为那些信他的人预备地方（约十四2-3）。无论我们当中的难民和寻求庇护者遭遇什么境况，耶稣必定领他们走过每一步，耶稣的降生，也正为人带来能与上帝永远同在的盼望。
当我们──尤其是作为难民和旅居者的──遇到身份危机及缺乏支援的时候，愿耶稣的人性成为我们莫大的安慰，因为他就是「神与我们同在」。在庆祝耶稣基督诞生的同时，让我们也热切期盼他的再来，领我们同往神永恒的天家。
本文是由难民事工小组提供，小组由香港的基督教教会和机构组成，
一直以来支援在港难民和免遣返声请者在房屋、教育、心理、生活上的需要，帮助他们融入社会。
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.
