天國是罪人的天國 There Are Sinners In the Kingdom of Heaven

天國系列（四）
天國是罪人的天國（瑪13:47-52）

傳統以來，教會喜歡以「諾厄方舟」自居。她是人心險惡、波濤洶湧的人海中的一條船，拯救眾生。我認為這個象徵並不恰當，因為「諾厄方舟」是一艘封閉的，在波濤洶湧的大水中的救生艇、避難船。因為資源所限；況且方舟已經滿座，倘若勉強加入新成員，恐怕會連累全船的人。所以諾厄一家並沒有向快要溺斃在大水中的同胞，伸出援手，拉他們進入方舟！這行為絕對違反了教會的傳教使命，和教會是「至公」的特徵。耶穌基督提出的比喻，較為恰當，那就是今天所讀的「漁網的比喻」。

漁網是漁夫謀生的重要工具之一，漁船是另一件不能或缺的工具。沒有漁船運載漁夫和他們的工具出海，漁網在陸地上怎能捕魚呢？那麼，在「漁網」的比喻中，「天國」是怎麼樣的一件「工具」呢？

首先，漁網是「開放」的，網羅水中所有的生物甚至垃圾。同樣，這個「天國」聚集所有的人，好人和壞人都聚在一起。倘若「海」象徵整個「世界」，漁網就是比世界小的一個單位。除了「普世教會」外，應該沒有更適當的選擇了。的確，正如「漁網」捕獲各種的海中生物和垃圾，同樣普世教會內聚集了來自各民族、說各種語言的聖人和罪人。

至於「網一滿了，人就拉上岸來，坐下揀選」（瑪13:48），怎樣理解呢？「網一滿了」象徵「時代的終結」，世界的末日；那時就是天主揀選判別好人和壞人的時候了。在「漁網的比喻」中，天父會先揀選惡人，加以懲罰（13:50，13:42）；與「莠子比喻」不同，「漁網比喻」沒有提及天父與義人，共享光榮福樂（13:43）！而且很有趣，這個先後次序與【瑪竇福音第廿五章】所描述的公審判的次序相反，未知內裡包含了甚麼玄機？

各位親愛的讀者，倘若「漁網」就是「教會」，那麼，「漁船」又會是那一個機構呢？政府？銀行？學校？大家不妨默想和分享。
天主保祐
生命恩泉
圖片鳴謝：bibleportal.com

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Kingdom of Heaven (IV)
There Are Sinners In the Kingdom of Heaven (Matthew 13:47-52)

Traditionally the Church likes to apply the symbol of “Noah’s Ark” on herself. She is a life-boat on the turbulent sea of scheming and wicked hearts to save drowning souls. I think this symbol is not appropriate because Noah’s Ark is an enclosed vessel in the Deluge. Resources were scarce and it was already fully housed. Had Noah tried to save a few more souls, the whole vessel would have been overloaded and perished. Thus, Noah’s family did not extend a helping hand to pull their fellow human beings into the Ark! This action contradicts absolutely the evangelization mission of the Church and her Catholic characteristics. I think the Parable of the Net which Jesus Christ narrates today is more appropriate.

The Net is one of the essential tools for fishermen. The other one is their Boat. Without the boat which carries the fishermen as well as their tools to sail on the sea, how can a net catch fish on land? Then in the Parable of the Net, what kind of a tool is the Kingdom of Heaven?

First of all, the Net is open. It rounds up all sorts of living things as well as trash. Similarly, the Kingdom of Heaven gathers all peoples, the righteous as well as the wicked. If the sea symbolizes the world, the Net is a smaller unit than the world. What else if it is not the Universal Church? Indeed, just as the Net collects all sorts of living things as well as trash in the sea, the Catholic Church also gathers from all peoples and all tongues saints and sinners.

How do we interpret “When it is full they haul it ashore and sit down to put …” (Matthew 13:48)? “It is full” symbolizes “the end of this age / the end of the world” which is the time God will elect and judge the good from the wicked. In the Parable of the Net, the Father will send angels to separate the wicked from the righteous and punish the wicked (13:50, 13:42). Unlike the Parable of the Weeds, the Parable of the Net does not say that the righteous will be gloried (13:43)! Here is a point for further meditation: The sequence in the Parable of the Net is the opposite of the Parable of Sheep and Goat in Matthew 25. I wonder what the significance is!

Beloved readers. If the Net is the Church, then what social institution is the Boat? Government? Banks? Schools? Try to meditate and share.
God bless!