【神貧系列（II）】
上高山的經驗（谷9:2-10）
梅瑟攀登西乃山，花了40天的時間領受十誡。可惜山下的以色列人沒有耐性，迫亞郎給他們做一隻金牛，帶領他們返回埃及（出32:1-4）。梅瑟下山看見以色列人在金牛像前歌舞，便大怒並摔碎手上兩塊「約版」，懲罰了那些拜金牛的人。後來梅瑟按上主的吩咐，再帶兩塊石版上山，再過了40天的時間領受十誡。今次下山，因為同上主說過話，面部發光，從此梅瑟要用首帕蒙面（34:29, 35）。這個在高山上與上主相遇的經驗，改變了這位八十歲在埃及長大的王子，在往後的四十年，領導那一盤散沙般的以色列12支派，邁向上主所應許的「福地」。
厄里亞在加爾默耳山，與450個崇拜巴耳的假先知比試求雨（列上18:19），在以色列子民面前證明了雅威纔是天主，並鼓動群眾捉了所有假先知到山下斬殺了（18:40）。這可謂是厄里亞履行天主代言人職務的顛峰。可惜這比試觸怒了依則貝耳皇后，她下達追殺令，厄里亞不得不逃亡了40日，來到曷勒布山避難（19:8）。在那裡，天主在輕微細弱的風聲中，委派了他三個任務（19:15-16）；厄里亞亦改變了以往目空一切的性格，繼續履行他先知的角色。
梅瑟和厄里亞分別代表法律和先知，可以說代表了整部【舊約】。他倆在高山上所遭遇的經驗，在他們身上起了戲劇性的變化，從此他們以一個全新的面貎，履行天主委派給他們的使命。
天主保祐！
Poverty Series (II)
Experiences On High Mountains (Mark 9:2-10)
Moses scaled Mount Sinai and spent forty days to receive the Ten Commandments. Regrettably the Israelites were impatient down below and forced Aaron to make them a golden calf to bring them back to Egypt (Exodus 32:1-4). When Moses came down and saw the Israelites dancing before the golden calf, he was furious and smashed the two tablets of covenant and punished those who worshipped the idol. Later, following God’s instruction, Moses brought 2 stone tablets and scaled forty more days to receive the Ten Commandments again. This time when Moses came down with the two tablets of covenant, his face became radiant while he spoke with the LORD. From then on, Moses had to put a veil over his face (34:29, 35). This encounter with the LORD on a high mountain transformed this eighty-year-old prince of Egypt. In the following four decades, he led the disorganized twelve tribes of Israel to enter the land promised by the LORD.
On Mount Carmel, Elijah challenged 450 false prophets of Baal to pray for rain (1 Kings 18:19), to demonstrate before the Israelites that Yahweh was the true God. Subsequently, he incited the crowd to seize all the false prophets and killed them down the Mount (18:40). This was the zenith of Elijah’s ministry as a spokesman of God. Regrettably, Queen Jezebel was furious and declared an order to execute Elijah who fled for forty days for his life to hide in Mount Horeb (19:8). There, in a light silent sound, the LORD commissioned him three missions (19:15-16). Consequently, Elijah also transformed his arrogant personality in discharging his mission as a prophet.
As representatives of Law and Prophet, Moses and Elijah represented the whole of the Old Covenant. Their experiences on high mountains effected dramatic transformations on them. From then on, they put on “a new face” in discharging the missions the LORD gave them.
Today, we celebrate the Transfiguration of Lord Jesus on a high mountain, manifesting His divinity to the three apostles to assure them of the glory of resurrection and to strengthen their faith so that after His resurrection, they might strengthen other brothers (Luke 22:32). This was an invaluable treasure because the faith we cherish today came from them. Beloved brethren! Do we have this experience of encountering the Lord on a high mountain? Is our faith the same like yesterday, yester-year or even a decade before, without showing any progress? Does the faith we practise remain at a 30% level of what we learnt in catechumen class? It is high time we evaluated our spiritual life.
God bless!
生命恩泉
Picture Credit: communio.stblogs.org, creator.nightcafe.studio, create.pixelcut.ai/magic-eraser
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