In Year A, we read of the Passion story of Matthew. Before Mass, there was a procession in which everybody held a palm branch to celebrate Jesus' entry into Jerusalem. This procession kick started the Holy Week. The Jews welcomed Jesus into Jerusalem as a king to liberate them from the Roman Occupation. They had no red carpet. They spread their garments on the ground instead. They had no national flags to wave, but branches from the trees instead. After Mass, we brought the palm branch home and hung it up. This is our 'national flag', showing our identity as citizens of the Kingdom of God.
Mark 11 told us that the disciples fetched an ass for Jesus to ride on. Matthew, who was an eye-witness and knew of Zechariah's prophecy in Zechariah 9:9, corrected Mark to have the disciples fetching an ass and a colt (Matthew 21:7). Which one did Jesus ride, the ass or the colt? Matthew does not make it clear, leaving room for Fr. Patrick Sun to assign the colt for Jesus, showing his humility.
And the crowds that went before him and that followed him shouted, "Hosanna ὡσαννὰ to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!" (Matthew 21:9) Hosanna ὡσαννὰ
is in fact a cry for help, save. Save us, Son of David! The whole atmosphere was explosive and would trigger a riot. Jesus was indeed a very dangerous person in the eyes of people in authority.
When Pilate asked whether he was the king of the Jews, Jesus said, "You have said so." (Matthew 27:11). Other than that, Jesus said no more. That was enough to condemn him to death. Throughout the whole Passion story in Matthew, Jesus said very little. When he was hanging on the cross, he uttered
And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, "Eli, Eli, la'ma sabach-tha'ni?" that is, "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?" (Matthew 27:46) Jesus rounded up his Passion with Psalm 22. He has accomplished his mission as the Suffering Servant.
My God, I thank You for giving me Your Son to die for my redemption. Allow me to embrace my Redeemer who lives. May my soul find repose in Him, my Lord and Redeemer. Amen.
Showing posts with label 2008lent. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 2008lent. Show all posts
Sunday, 16 March 2008
Saturday, 15 March 2008
Feast of St. Joseph, Husband of BVM
Since the Feast of St. Joseph, Husband of the Blessed Virgin Mary, March 19, falls into the Holy Week, the Church celebrates today instead. St. Joseph is a very humble saint. He remains anonymous in the public life of Our Lord.
The season of Lent ends today. What have I achieved? How much has my heart been softened? How near have I approached my God? Not much, I am afraid but I will persist. May St. Joseph be my aid. He did not do extraordinary things. But with God, he did wonders.
In the Old Testament, Joseph, one of the sons of Jacob, was a dreamer. He was famous for his dreams as well as his ability to interpret dreams. Through interpreting the dreams of Pharaoh, Joseph was elevated from a prisoner to the post of the governor over the land. In the New Testament, Joseph also had a number of dreams in which he received God's revelations. When he discovered that Mary was pregnant by the Holy Spirit, Joseph was pondering divorcing her according to the Law. God's angel told him in his dream to marry Mary and named the son Jesus (Matthew 1:20-21). His faith in God reckoned him righteous. When Herod the Great wanted to murder the new born king, an angel of the Lord told Joseph to bring the baby and his mother to flee to Egypt (Matthew 2:13). After the death of Herod, an angel of the Lord told Joseph to bring the baby and his mother to return to Israel (Matthew 2:20). They returned to Nazareth and remained anonymous for the rest of his life. A faithful and humble saint indeed.
Divorcing Mary according to the Law would not reckon Joseph righteous. Rather, it was his faith in the Lord that counted him righteous. When exhausting all possible options according to our previous experiences does not show us an exit, we have to take a leap of faith.
In hope he (Abraham) believed against hope, that he should become the father of many nations (Romans 4:18).
For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? (Romans 8:24).
Our faith needs to be sustained by hope, a hope in the promised made by God who is forever faithful.
My God, my faith is weak probably I have not put sufficient hope in Your promises. I pray that You rekindle my hope in Your promises. May this hope strengthen my faith to continue my journey. I have reached the end of this Lent journey. I see it as the beginning of yet another quest ahead. Prod me on with Your kindness.
St. Joseph, pray for us. Amen.
The season of Lent ends today. What have I achieved? How much has my heart been softened? How near have I approached my God? Not much, I am afraid but I will persist. May St. Joseph be my aid. He did not do extraordinary things. But with God, he did wonders.
In the Old Testament, Joseph, one of the sons of Jacob, was a dreamer. He was famous for his dreams as well as his ability to interpret dreams. Through interpreting the dreams of Pharaoh, Joseph was elevated from a prisoner to the post of the governor over the land. In the New Testament, Joseph also had a number of dreams in which he received God's revelations. When he discovered that Mary was pregnant by the Holy Spirit, Joseph was pondering divorcing her according to the Law. God's angel told him in his dream to marry Mary and named the son Jesus (Matthew 1:20-21). His faith in God reckoned him righteous. When Herod the Great wanted to murder the new born king, an angel of the Lord told Joseph to bring the baby and his mother to flee to Egypt (Matthew 2:13). After the death of Herod, an angel of the Lord told Joseph to bring the baby and his mother to return to Israel (Matthew 2:20). They returned to Nazareth and remained anonymous for the rest of his life. A faithful and humble saint indeed.
Divorcing Mary according to the Law would not reckon Joseph righteous. Rather, it was his faith in the Lord that counted him righteous. When exhausting all possible options according to our previous experiences does not show us an exit, we have to take a leap of faith.
In hope he (Abraham) believed against hope, that he should become the father of many nations (Romans 4:18).
For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? (Romans 8:24).
Our faith needs to be sustained by hope, a hope in the promised made by God who is forever faithful.
My God, my faith is weak probably I have not put sufficient hope in Your promises. I pray that You rekindle my hope in Your promises. May this hope strengthen my faith to continue my journey. I have reached the end of this Lent journey. I see it as the beginning of yet another quest ahead. Prod me on with Your kindness.
St. Joseph, pray for us. Amen.
Friday, 14 March 2008
Being Unpopular
Prophets, whether ancient or modern, have never been popular. They claim to be the voice of God and the conscience of the society. They are the arch-enemies for those who are in power, who cling on to the status quo. Most scholars agree that Jeremiah was the prototype of Jesus. Both of them shared the same fate, being rejected and killed by the people in authority.
In Jeremiah 19, the fate of Judah was pronounced. First of all, Jeremiah listed their sins: The people had forsaken the Lord (Jeremiah 19:4a)
which I did not command or decree, nor did it come into my mind (Jeremiah 19:5c),
this was exactly what He instructed Abraham to do in Genesis 22! Of course, it was a test of Abraham's faith and Abraham passed this test with flying colours. Although the holocaust of Isaac was never realized, many a Catholic (Mr. Peter Chiu, ex-vice principal of La Salle College) finds it hard to swallow such cruelty towards a 107-year-old Abraham. Anyway, for all the sins committed, Judah would be conquered and the people sent to exile. The siege of the land was so severe that
And I will make them eat the flesh of their sons and their daughters, and every one shall eat the flesh of his neighbor in the siege and in the distress, with which their enemies and those who seek their life afflict them (Jeremiah 19:9). Cannibalism awaited them!
After hearing this prophecy, the priest Pashhur beat Jeremiah and locked him up (Jeremiah 20:2). Then Jeremiah revealed the identify of the enemy: Babylon.
For thus says the LORD: Behold, I will make you a terror to yourself and to all your friends. They shall fall by the sword of their enemies while you look on. And I will give all Judah into the hand of the king of Babylon; he shall carry them captive to Babylon, and shall slay them with the sword.
Moreover, I will give all the wealth of the city, all its gains, all its prized belongings, and all the treasures of the kings of Judah into the hand of their enemies, who shall plunder them, and seize them, and carry them to Babylon.
And you, Pashhur, and all who dwell in your house, shall go into captivity; to Babylon you shall go; and there you shall die, and there you shall be buried, you and all your friends, to whom you have prophesied falsely." (Jeremiah 20:4-6)
Jeremiah had God on his side so that he was able to confront people in authority. Prophets always think that they possess the truth. That's why many people in authority find them offensive. Sometimes, some prophets were smart enough to package their message in a more palatable coating such as the beautiful parable of 'the poor man and his ewe' by Nathan in 2 Samuel 12:1-5. Jeremiah did not enjoy such luxury. His was a generation of imminent disaster. Here, we have a rare glimpse of the psychology of prophets.
O LORD, thou hast deceived me, and I was deceived;
thou art stronger than I, and thou hast prevailed.
I have become a laughingstock all the day; every one mocks me.
For whenever I speak, I cry out, I shout, "Violence and destruction!"
For the word of the LORD has become for me a reproach and derision all day long.
If I say, "I will not mention him, or speak any more in his name,"
there is in my heart as it were a burning fire shut up in my bones,
and I am weary with holding it in, and I cannot (Jeremiah 20:7-9).
Indeed, the life of a prophet is anything but to be envied. If you proclaim the truth, you will be derided or even die. If you don't, God's word will burn in your bones. Woe to you, prophets of Yahweh. You will suffer unto death if you insist on standing your ground. What will be your reward?
Yet it was the will of the LORD to bruise him; he has put him to grief;
when he makes himself an offering for sin, he shall see his offspring, he shall prolong his days;
the will of the LORD shall prosper in his hand;
he shall see the fruit of the travail of his soul and be satisfied;
by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant,
make many to be accounted righteous; and he shall bear their iniquities (Isaiah 53:10-11).
My God, I thank You for sending Your Servant to suffer for us so that we may have life. I am not the stuff of a prophet. I am only an insignificant teaching man. May Your Word be planted in the hearts of students who lend me their ears. May this Word of Yours grow and prosper in their hearts so that they may become loving children of Yours. Console me when I am depressed, often. Prod me on when I am tired. May Your kingdom come. Amen.
In Jeremiah 19, the fate of Judah was pronounced. First of all, Jeremiah listed their sins: The people had forsaken the Lord (Jeremiah 19:4a)
- They profaned the place by burning incense to alien gods (Jeremiah 19:4b)
- They shed the blood of the innocents (Jeremiah 19:4c)
- They built altars to worship Baal (Jeremiah 19:5a)
- They burned their sons as burnt-offerings to Baal (Jeremiah 19:5b)
which I did not command or decree, nor did it come into my mind (Jeremiah 19:5c),
this was exactly what He instructed Abraham to do in Genesis 22! Of course, it was a test of Abraham's faith and Abraham passed this test with flying colours. Although the holocaust of Isaac was never realized, many a Catholic (Mr. Peter Chiu, ex-vice principal of La Salle College) finds it hard to swallow such cruelty towards a 107-year-old Abraham. Anyway, for all the sins committed, Judah would be conquered and the people sent to exile. The siege of the land was so severe that
And I will make them eat the flesh of their sons and their daughters, and every one shall eat the flesh of his neighbor in the siege and in the distress, with which their enemies and those who seek their life afflict them (Jeremiah 19:9). Cannibalism awaited them!
After hearing this prophecy, the priest Pashhur beat Jeremiah and locked him up (Jeremiah 20:2). Then Jeremiah revealed the identify of the enemy: Babylon.
For thus says the LORD: Behold, I will make you a terror to yourself and to all your friends. They shall fall by the sword of their enemies while you look on. And I will give all Judah into the hand of the king of Babylon; he shall carry them captive to Babylon, and shall slay them with the sword.
Moreover, I will give all the wealth of the city, all its gains, all its prized belongings, and all the treasures of the kings of Judah into the hand of their enemies, who shall plunder them, and seize them, and carry them to Babylon.
And you, Pashhur, and all who dwell in your house, shall go into captivity; to Babylon you shall go; and there you shall die, and there you shall be buried, you and all your friends, to whom you have prophesied falsely." (Jeremiah 20:4-6)
Jeremiah had God on his side so that he was able to confront people in authority. Prophets always think that they possess the truth. That's why many people in authority find them offensive. Sometimes, some prophets were smart enough to package their message in a more palatable coating such as the beautiful parable of 'the poor man and his ewe' by Nathan in 2 Samuel 12:1-5. Jeremiah did not enjoy such luxury. His was a generation of imminent disaster. Here, we have a rare glimpse of the psychology of prophets.
O LORD, thou hast deceived me, and I was deceived;
thou art stronger than I, and thou hast prevailed.
I have become a laughingstock all the day; every one mocks me.
For whenever I speak, I cry out, I shout, "Violence and destruction!"
For the word of the LORD has become for me a reproach and derision all day long.
If I say, "I will not mention him, or speak any more in his name,"
there is in my heart as it were a burning fire shut up in my bones,
and I am weary with holding it in, and I cannot (Jeremiah 20:7-9).
Indeed, the life of a prophet is anything but to be envied. If you proclaim the truth, you will be derided or even die. If you don't, God's word will burn in your bones. Woe to you, prophets of Yahweh. You will suffer unto death if you insist on standing your ground. What will be your reward?
Yet it was the will of the LORD to bruise him; he has put him to grief;
when he makes himself an offering for sin, he shall see his offspring, he shall prolong his days;
the will of the LORD shall prosper in his hand;
he shall see the fruit of the travail of his soul and be satisfied;
by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant,
make many to be accounted righteous; and he shall bear their iniquities (Isaiah 53:10-11).
My God, I thank You for sending Your Servant to suffer for us so that we may have life. I am not the stuff of a prophet. I am only an insignificant teaching man. May Your Word be planted in the hearts of students who lend me their ears. May this Word of Yours grow and prosper in their hearts so that they may become loving children of Yours. Console me when I am depressed, often. Prod me on when I am tired. May Your kingdom come. Amen.
Thursday, 13 March 2008
Covenants with God
In the creation story of Genesis 1, God created animals in the seas and birds of the air on the fifth day and blessed them (Genesis 1:23). On the sixth, God created animals on land and blessed them as well. Then God created man in His image and likeness, male and female (Genesis 1:26). When God blessed them, He spoke to them לָהֶ֜ם (Genesis 1:28). As for the other animals, God simply spoke. But when it came to men, God spoke to them, showing an intention and a possibility to build up a relation with them. It was the beginning of an ongoing dialogue, interaction and relation between God and man. But what kind of relation was it, an owner and His pets? This was probably true before the Fall. But later, it is one of covenant.
God continues to show his kindness, despite man's rebellion. God forbade man to eat from the tree of knowledge of good and evil, for in the day that they ate of it, they would die (Genesis 2:17). In fact, Adam and Eve did not die the day they ate the fruit. When God drove them out of Eden, God even made garments of skins to clothe them (Genesis 3:21). Despite God's warning, Cain killed his brother Abel out of jealousy and anger. As a punishment, he became a fugitive and a wanderer on the earth (Genesis 4:12). When Cain complained that the punishment was too severe because whomever he met would slay him, God protected him with a mark אֹ֔ות (Genesis 4:15). God even responded to requests for protection from murderers! His kindness resulted in the spread of sins. When sins and men multiplied on earth, God decided to cut short men's life-span from hundreds of years (Adam 930; Seth 912; Enosh 905; Kenan 910; Mahalalel 895; Jared 962 and Methuelah 969) to 120 in order to contain the damages (Genesis 6:3). As a last resort, He decided to blot out man and beast and creeping things and birds with a flood of waters (Genesis 6:17). Then came the first formal covenant.
The first formal covenant was between God and Noah. After the Deluge, God unilaterally established with Noah and his descendants a covenant in which God promised not to destroy mankind with a flood and He would set the rainbow as a sign of covenant (Genesis 9:9-17). It was unilateral in that man did not have to do anything in return. The second covenant was between God and Abram in which God promised him descendants and land (Genesis 15:18-21). Once more, it was unilateral in that Abram did not have to do anything. He believed the Lord and God counted him righteous (Genesis 15:6).
In today's reading of Genesis 17, God re-established His covenant with Abram when he was 99 years old and Ishmael was born of Hagar 13 years ago. God changed Abraham's name to Abraham (discounting Ishmael?). God would give him descendants and land and the Lord would be their God (Genesis 17:4-8). But this time, Abraham had to do one thing: circumcision (Genesis 17:10). It was a circumcision of the flesh and later in the New Testament, St. Paul extended it to the circumcision of the heart (Romans 2:29).
The Old Testament is a covenant in which our obligation was to listen to God, obey Him and follow the Torah. The New Testament is a covenant in which our obligation is to put our faith in Jesus and abide in him. We are but lowly and unworthy creatures, yet God intends to raise us to the status of adopted children.
My God, we are not worthy to enter into any covenant with You. Let us circumcise not just our skin but our hearts so that we may lead a compatible covenant life in You. In this time of flu alert, I pray for the families of the children who have died. May Your Spirit console them and strengthen them in this time of pain and loss. May we learn another lesson and lead a healthier life. In the days to come, may we continue to praise You and sanctify Your name. Amen.
God continues to show his kindness, despite man's rebellion. God forbade man to eat from the tree of knowledge of good and evil, for in the day that they ate of it, they would die (Genesis 2:17). In fact, Adam and Eve did not die the day they ate the fruit. When God drove them out of Eden, God even made garments of skins to clothe them (Genesis 3:21). Despite God's warning, Cain killed his brother Abel out of jealousy and anger. As a punishment, he became a fugitive and a wanderer on the earth (Genesis 4:12). When Cain complained that the punishment was too severe because whomever he met would slay him, God protected him with a mark אֹ֔ות (Genesis 4:15). God even responded to requests for protection from murderers! His kindness resulted in the spread of sins. When sins and men multiplied on earth, God decided to cut short men's life-span from hundreds of years (Adam 930; Seth 912; Enosh 905; Kenan 910; Mahalalel 895; Jared 962 and Methuelah 969) to 120 in order to contain the damages (Genesis 6:3). As a last resort, He decided to blot out man and beast and creeping things and birds with a flood of waters (Genesis 6:17). Then came the first formal covenant.
The first formal covenant was between God and Noah. After the Deluge, God unilaterally established with Noah and his descendants a covenant in which God promised not to destroy mankind with a flood and He would set the rainbow as a sign of covenant (Genesis 9:9-17). It was unilateral in that man did not have to do anything in return. The second covenant was between God and Abram in which God promised him descendants and land (Genesis 15:18-21). Once more, it was unilateral in that Abram did not have to do anything. He believed the Lord and God counted him righteous (Genesis 15:6).
In today's reading of Genesis 17, God re-established His covenant with Abram when he was 99 years old and Ishmael was born of Hagar 13 years ago. God changed Abraham's name to Abraham (discounting Ishmael?). God would give him descendants and land and the Lord would be their God (Genesis 17:4-8). But this time, Abraham had to do one thing: circumcision (Genesis 17:10). It was a circumcision of the flesh and later in the New Testament, St. Paul extended it to the circumcision of the heart (Romans 2:29).
The Old Testament is a covenant in which our obligation was to listen to God, obey Him and follow the Torah. The New Testament is a covenant in which our obligation is to put our faith in Jesus and abide in him. We are but lowly and unworthy creatures, yet God intends to raise us to the status of adopted children.
My God, we are not worthy to enter into any covenant with You. Let us circumcise not just our skin but our hearts so that we may lead a compatible covenant life in You. In this time of flu alert, I pray for the families of the children who have died. May Your Spirit console them and strengthen them in this time of pain and loss. May we learn another lesson and lead a healthier life. In the days to come, may we continue to praise You and sanctify Your name. Amen.
Wednesday, 12 March 2008
The Truth will make you free
Today, we continue to read John 8:31-42. By coincidence, we come upon the topic of freedom again.
Jesus then said to the Jews who had believed in him, "If you continue in my word ἐὰν ὑμεῖς μείνητε ἐν τῷ λόγῳ τῷ ἐμῷ , you are truly my disciples,
and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free." (John 8:31-32)
The word μείνητε means 'you stay, remain, abide' etc. If we abide in Jesus' teaching, we are truly his disciples. Then we will know the truth and the truth will make us free. However, according to the analysis of Erich Fromm, we are afraid of freedom! We don't want to be free but prefer the comfortable state of addiction. Therefore, very often, we are afraid to know the truth and being ignorant is so comfortable until, of course, it is too late! Then we regret and continue regretting and doing nothing to improve the situation. Taking action is so risky and learning the truth so painful. So, we simply deny the truth! It is not my fault. It is their fault that causes so many troubles.
What was the reaction of the Jews?
We are descendants of Abraham, and have never been in bondage to any one. (John 8:33) What? How could they forget the Egyptian bondage, the Babylonian Captivity? In fact, in Jesus' time, they were under the Roman rule and had lost their national independence for more than 400 years! How could they be so blind to these historical realities, not to mention the spiritual situation? Blatant denial!
So, what is the truth?
Jesus said to him (Thomas), "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; Ἐγώ εἰμι ἡ ὁδὸς καὶ ἡ ἀλήθεια καὶ ἡ ζωή no one comes to the Father, but by me (John 14:6). Further down,
Sanctify them in the truth; thy word is truth ὁ λόγος ὁ σὸς ἀλήθειά ἐστιν (John 17:17). Therefore, Jesus is the truth. He is the Word of God made flesh (John 1:14) and God's Word, of course, is wisdom and truth. This truth brings us life in God. Jesus shows us the way. He is the way, the Torah himself. In the Old Testament, God gave the Israelites the Torah to help them lead a holy life, a life full of freedom. God had already given the Israelites Jesus in the form of the Torah, but they didn't recognise that it was Jesus. They only saw two tablets of stone. They had been following Jesus for more than a thousand years when they kept the Torah. Now, Jesus came in person to lead us the way.
Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.
For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light (Matthew 11:29-30).
Therefore, the freedom Jesus gives us is easy and light.
My God, through Your love, You gave us freedom. But it was such a heavy responsibility. The burden was very crashing. In Your mercy, You sent us Jesus and bid us to take up our cross. I know that You do not give us a cross too heavy to bear. Strengthen my limbs that I may stand up again to continue this journey home. May I abide in Jesus and take up his yoke, learn his humility and find rest for my soul. Amen.
Jesus then said to the Jews who had believed in him, "If you continue in my word ἐὰν ὑμεῖς μείνητε ἐν τῷ λόγῳ τῷ ἐμῷ , you are truly my disciples,
and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free." (John 8:31-32)
The word μείνητε means 'you stay, remain, abide' etc. If we abide in Jesus' teaching, we are truly his disciples. Then we will know the truth and the truth will make us free. However, according to the analysis of Erich Fromm, we are afraid of freedom! We don't want to be free but prefer the comfortable state of addiction. Therefore, very often, we are afraid to know the truth and being ignorant is so comfortable until, of course, it is too late! Then we regret and continue regretting and doing nothing to improve the situation. Taking action is so risky and learning the truth so painful. So, we simply deny the truth! It is not my fault. It is their fault that causes so many troubles.
What was the reaction of the Jews?
We are descendants of Abraham, and have never been in bondage to any one. (John 8:33) What? How could they forget the Egyptian bondage, the Babylonian Captivity? In fact, in Jesus' time, they were under the Roman rule and had lost their national independence for more than 400 years! How could they be so blind to these historical realities, not to mention the spiritual situation? Blatant denial!
So, what is the truth?
Jesus said to him (Thomas), "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; Ἐγώ εἰμι ἡ ὁδὸς καὶ ἡ ἀλήθεια καὶ ἡ ζωή no one comes to the Father, but by me (John 14:6). Further down,
Sanctify them in the truth; thy word is truth ὁ λόγος ὁ σὸς ἀλήθειά ἐστιν (John 17:17). Therefore, Jesus is the truth. He is the Word of God made flesh (John 1:14) and God's Word, of course, is wisdom and truth. This truth brings us life in God. Jesus shows us the way. He is the way, the Torah himself. In the Old Testament, God gave the Israelites the Torah to help them lead a holy life, a life full of freedom. God had already given the Israelites Jesus in the form of the Torah, but they didn't recognise that it was Jesus. They only saw two tablets of stone. They had been following Jesus for more than a thousand years when they kept the Torah. Now, Jesus came in person to lead us the way.
Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.
For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light (Matthew 11:29-30).
Therefore, the freedom Jesus gives us is easy and light.
My God, through Your love, You gave us freedom. But it was such a heavy responsibility. The burden was very crashing. In Your mercy, You sent us Jesus and bid us to take up our cross. I know that You do not give us a cross too heavy to bear. Strengthen my limbs that I may stand up again to continue this journey home. May I abide in Jesus and take up his yoke, learn his humility and find rest for my soul. Amen.
Israelites' rebellions
In the gospel reading today, we read of
So Jesus said, "When you have lifted up the Son of man, then you will know that I am he, and that I do nothing on my own authority but speak thus as the Father taught me." (John 8:28) Jesus was applying the 'Bronze Serpent' typology in Numbers 21 on himself.
The middle section of Numbers records a string of rebellions of the Israelites in their wilderness journey (Numbers 10:11-21:25). The 'Bronze Serpent' is the last one recorded in this section of Numbers. Maybe it is beneficial for us to reflect on these incidents which were very human indeed.
and they assembled themselves together against Moses and against Aaron, and said to them, "You have gone too far! For all the congregation are holy, every one of them, and the LORD is among them; why then do you exalt yourselves above the assembly of the LORD?" (Numbers 16:3) Their argument was legitimate though their motives were not. In the end, the earth opened up and swallowed them and their households alive (Numbers 16:32-33).
"Take the rod, and assemble the congregation, you and Aaron your brother, and tell the rock before their eyes to yield its water; so you shall bring water out of the rock for them; so you shall give drink to the congregation and their cattle." (Numbers 20:8) Instead of telling the rock to bring forth water, Moses told the people
"Hear now, you rebels; shall we bring forth water for you out of this rock?" (Numbers 20:10) Water gushed out when Moses struck the rock twice with his rod.
And the LORD said to Moses and Aaron, "Because you did not believe in me, to sanctify me in the eyes of the people of Israel, therefore you shall not bring this assembly into the land which I have given them." (Numbers 20:12) This incident cost Moses his own entry into the Promised Land. How Moses fell! How Moses fell!
And the people spoke against God and against Moses, "Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no food and no water, and we loathe this worthless food." (Numbers 21:5) God sent fiery serpents among the people to bite them and many died. Fulfilling the role of the Prophet, Moses prayed for the people
And the LORD said to Moses, "Make a fiery serpent, and set it on a pole; and every one who is bitten, when he sees it, shall live."
So Moses made a bronze serpent, and set it on a pole; and if a serpent bit any man, he would look at the bronze serpent and live. (Numbers 21:8-9)
The Ancient Serpent tempted Eve and Adam and man fell from the state of grace. Jesus became the Healing Serpent to restore our state of grace and beyond. The Son of God won for God adopted sons and inheritors who are willing to confess their faith in God.
Praise be Christ Jesus forever and ever. Amen.
So Jesus said, "When you have lifted up the Son of man, then you will know that I am he, and that I do nothing on my own authority but speak thus as the Father taught me." (John 8:28) Jesus was applying the 'Bronze Serpent' typology in Numbers 21 on himself.
The middle section of Numbers records a string of rebellions of the Israelites in their wilderness journey (Numbers 10:11-21:25). The 'Bronze Serpent' is the last one recorded in this section of Numbers. Maybe it is beneficial for us to reflect on these incidents which were very human indeed.
To improve the living standard
In Numbers 10, the Israelites had already received the 10 commandments and God had started supplying them daily with manna. Now, they were not satisfied with manna only. They wanted meat. To improve the living standard was a totally legitimate request. Therefore, God instructed Moses to gather 70 elders to bear the burden of the people with Moses (Numbers 11:16-17). Then God gave them quails (Numbers 11:31).To escape from freedom
Then they sent men to spy out the land of Canaan (Numbers 13:2). After 40 days, the spies returned and reported that it was truly flowing with milk and honey (Numbers 13:27), but was heavily fortified and guarded by giants. In face of such difficulty, the Israelites decided to make another captain to lead them back to Egypt (Numbers 14:4). God was angry and sent the people in a zigzag circuit for 40 years, everyday a year (Numbers 14:34) instead of occupying the Promised Land directly and immediately. God spent 40 years to purge the Israelites of their slavery mentality developed for 400 years in Egypt. They preferred the security and comfort of slavery to the risks and hardship of freedom. Erich Fromm, a social psychologist who authored The Art of Loving (1956), first wrote The Fear of Freedom (1941) to explore man's struggle with this gift from God.To demand democracy
Then came the rebellion from a group of Israelites led by Korah, Dathan and Abiram. They were joined by 250 leaders of the congregation (Numbers 16:1-2) to challenge the authority of Moses.and they assembled themselves together against Moses and against Aaron, and said to them, "You have gone too far! For all the congregation are holy, every one of them, and the LORD is among them; why then do you exalt yourselves above the assembly of the LORD?" (Numbers 16:3) Their argument was legitimate though their motives were not. In the end, the earth opened up and swallowed them and their households alive (Numbers 16:32-33).
To demand living water
Then came the Meribah incident in Numbers 20. This time, the Israelites demanded water in the wilderness and Moses fell. God instructed Moses:"Take the rod, and assemble the congregation, you and Aaron your brother, and tell the rock before their eyes to yield its water; so you shall bring water out of the rock for them; so you shall give drink to the congregation and their cattle." (Numbers 20:8) Instead of telling the rock to bring forth water, Moses told the people
"Hear now, you rebels; shall we bring forth water for you out of this rock?" (Numbers 20:10) Water gushed out when Moses struck the rock twice with his rod.
And the LORD said to Moses and Aaron, "Because you did not believe in me, to sanctify me in the eyes of the people of Israel, therefore you shall not bring this assembly into the land which I have given them." (Numbers 20:12) This incident cost Moses his own entry into the Promised Land. How Moses fell! How Moses fell!
Becoming impatient
After their victory over Canaan, the Israelites became impatient and rebelled for the last time.And the people spoke against God and against Moses, "Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no food and no water, and we loathe this worthless food." (Numbers 21:5) God sent fiery serpents among the people to bite them and many died. Fulfilling the role of the Prophet, Moses prayed for the people
And the LORD said to Moses, "Make a fiery serpent, and set it on a pole; and every one who is bitten, when he sees it, shall live."
So Moses made a bronze serpent, and set it on a pole; and if a serpent bit any man, he would look at the bronze serpent and live. (Numbers 21:8-9)
The Ancient Serpent tempted Eve and Adam and man fell from the state of grace. Jesus became the Healing Serpent to restore our state of grace and beyond. The Son of God won for God adopted sons and inheritors who are willing to confess their faith in God.
Praise be Christ Jesus forever and ever. Amen.
Tuesday, 11 March 2008
Adulterous woman
Yesterday, learning of an adulterous relationship between two friends in the parish, I was very much shaken. Why was I so much shaken? It is because suddenly I realize that adultery can be so close, so near. I felt like a survivor in an air-crash, having just rubbed shoulders with death.
Regrettably, among my friends and classmates, some Catholic, some non-Catholic, a number of them suffer from failed marriages because of extra-marital affairs. I would say it was understandable because some of them were too young, or because they had to work across the border, or because there were some chinks in the personality, or because it had been a mistake for the two of them to get married in the first place etc. In ancient times, women were mostly confined at home and adultery probably was a luxury for the rich, as demonstrated by a Chinese idiom：「妻不如妾，妾不如偷。」Nowadays, with greater independence, women are working hand in hand and shoulder to shoulder with men. Men are meeting more and more women in the workplace. More choices, more comparisons are inevitable. Many a man would easily harbour some adulterous fantasies and who knows, a sip of wine in time of boredom, and the floodgate is flown fully open.
I feel blessed because my god-brothers lead wonderful married lives and I share the joy with them. We are children of a more conservative generation.
Eric did not enter university in Hong Kong. Instead, he migrated to the States, got his degree, married an American lady who gave birth to four children for him. Every year, he sends me family photos around Christmas time. It is such a wonderfully warm family.
Felix is less fortunate. His first wife was not a Catholic and had suffered from cancer for a long, long time. Eventually she died, leaving behind a daughter. During the whole time, Felix took care of her and their daughter. He loved his wife like his own flesh and bone. After spending some years as a widower, God gave Felix another wife, this time a fervent Christian. Their marriage was the happiest news that boosted my morale in my last year in La Salle.
As for me, I feel blessed to be a diabetic. Erminia has been taking care of this fragile body of mine. With God's blessings, she gave birth to four children for me. Had I not been a diabetic, I would probably have been one of those adulterers myself.
We have heard too many negative stories. Let us not forget there are many more positive ones, including today's story in John 8 where Jesus forgave an adulterous woman caught in the very act. We, bystanders, have no right to cast the first stone because we are also sinners and adulterers lucky enough not to have been exposed openly. Rather, as adulterers in heart, let us be more sympathetic towards these fallen brothers and sister. Try to understand their plight. Pray to the merciful Lord to bring them home.
My God, forgive me of my adulterous fancies. May we discern the true love around us, around our beloved ones and Your love for us. May we not point our fingers at our fallen brothers but extend a peaceful hand to help them stand. May the merciful Lord show us the way to true love. Amen.
Regrettably, among my friends and classmates, some Catholic, some non-Catholic, a number of them suffer from failed marriages because of extra-marital affairs. I would say it was understandable because some of them were too young, or because they had to work across the border, or because there were some chinks in the personality, or because it had been a mistake for the two of them to get married in the first place etc. In ancient times, women were mostly confined at home and adultery probably was a luxury for the rich, as demonstrated by a Chinese idiom：「妻不如妾，妾不如偷。」Nowadays, with greater independence, women are working hand in hand and shoulder to shoulder with men. Men are meeting more and more women in the workplace. More choices, more comparisons are inevitable. Many a man would easily harbour some adulterous fantasies and who knows, a sip of wine in time of boredom, and the floodgate is flown fully open.
I feel blessed because my god-brothers lead wonderful married lives and I share the joy with them. We are children of a more conservative generation.
Eric did not enter university in Hong Kong. Instead, he migrated to the States, got his degree, married an American lady who gave birth to four children for him. Every year, he sends me family photos around Christmas time. It is such a wonderfully warm family.
Felix is less fortunate. His first wife was not a Catholic and had suffered from cancer for a long, long time. Eventually she died, leaving behind a daughter. During the whole time, Felix took care of her and their daughter. He loved his wife like his own flesh and bone. After spending some years as a widower, God gave Felix another wife, this time a fervent Christian. Their marriage was the happiest news that boosted my morale in my last year in La Salle.
As for me, I feel blessed to be a diabetic. Erminia has been taking care of this fragile body of mine. With God's blessings, she gave birth to four children for me. Had I not been a diabetic, I would probably have been one of those adulterers myself.
We have heard too many negative stories. Let us not forget there are many more positive ones, including today's story in John 8 where Jesus forgave an adulterous woman caught in the very act. We, bystanders, have no right to cast the first stone because we are also sinners and adulterers lucky enough not to have been exposed openly. Rather, as adulterers in heart, let us be more sympathetic towards these fallen brothers and sister. Try to understand their plight. Pray to the merciful Lord to bring them home.
My God, forgive me of my adulterous fancies. May we discern the true love around us, around our beloved ones and Your love for us. May we not point our fingers at our fallen brothers but extend a peaceful hand to help them stand. May the merciful Lord show us the way to true love. Amen.
Monday, 10 March 2008
5th Sunday in Lent (Year A)
Today, we read of Jesus' raising of Lazarus in John 11. Before Mass, my wife told me about a tragedy in the parish. A pair of parishers, both of whom we know, committed adultery! I was shaken. Immediately, I thought of their children and their children-in-laws. They must be terribly hurt. Then, these two friends came to my mind. They have disappeared from the parish and must be suffering silently somewhere. Like Lazarus, they are shut off from us and probably from God. May Jesus have mercy on them, give them the Spirit and raise them from their tomb.
In his homily, Father Martin Ip said that when we are selfish, we become autistic and shut ourselves up in our tomb. We need to reach out and come back to life again. He told us the story of a reporter in an hunger-stricken region in Africa. He saw a starving woman and gave her a piece of bread. She was so hungry that without a thought, she shoved the whole piece of bread into her mouth and munched. Then, before she would swallow this life-saving piece of bread, she seemed to remember something. From inside her mouth, she slowly removed the paste and started feeding a tiny, bony baby in her bosom. This woman has the right and freedom to preserve her life. Yet, it is a greater freedom to restrain from what she can do, what she wants to do. Very often, we misunderstand the meaning of freedom and do whatever pleases us in the name of freedom. Yet, it is a higher freedom not to satisfy our own selfish desires. Very often, we abuse the freedom God has given us and become the slave of our lust.
Twice, St. Paul has said
All things are lawful for me, but not all things are helpful. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be enslaved by anything (1 Corinthians 6:12).
All things are lawful, but not all things are helpful. All things are lawful, but not all things build up (1 Corinthians 10:23). How wise he was.
In Analect, Confucius shared with us the journey of his heart. It took him 70 years to coach his heart so that he was able to follow his heart's desires without breaching the rules.
吾十有五而志於學；三十而立；四十而不惑；五十而知天命；六十而耳順；七十而從心所欲，不踰矩。【論語‧為政】
We are no Confucius or St. Paul. Nor are we seventy yet. How much more should we be careful lest we abuse our freedom and be enslaved by harmful desires, bringing tragedy to ourselves and our beloved?
My God, I pray to surrender my freedom and autonomy. Bring us out of our tombs so that we may see Your light again. May I whole-heartedly follow Your Wisdom throughout this life. Amen.
In his homily, Father Martin Ip said that when we are selfish, we become autistic and shut ourselves up in our tomb. We need to reach out and come back to life again. He told us the story of a reporter in an hunger-stricken region in Africa. He saw a starving woman and gave her a piece of bread. She was so hungry that without a thought, she shoved the whole piece of bread into her mouth and munched. Then, before she would swallow this life-saving piece of bread, she seemed to remember something. From inside her mouth, she slowly removed the paste and started feeding a tiny, bony baby in her bosom. This woman has the right and freedom to preserve her life. Yet, it is a greater freedom to restrain from what she can do, what she wants to do. Very often, we misunderstand the meaning of freedom and do whatever pleases us in the name of freedom. Yet, it is a higher freedom not to satisfy our own selfish desires. Very often, we abuse the freedom God has given us and become the slave of our lust.
Twice, St. Paul has said
All things are lawful for me, but not all things are helpful. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be enslaved by anything (1 Corinthians 6:12).
All things are lawful, but not all things are helpful. All things are lawful, but not all things build up (1 Corinthians 10:23). How wise he was.
In Analect, Confucius shared with us the journey of his heart. It took him 70 years to coach his heart so that he was able to follow his heart's desires without breaching the rules.
吾十有五而志於學；三十而立；四十而不惑；五十而知天命；六十而耳順；七十而從心所欲，不踰矩。【論語‧為政】
We are no Confucius or St. Paul. Nor are we seventy yet. How much more should we be careful lest we abuse our freedom and be enslaved by harmful desires, bringing tragedy to ourselves and our beloved?
My God, I pray to surrender my freedom and autonomy. Bring us out of our tombs so that we may see Your light again. May I whole-heartedly follow Your Wisdom throughout this life. Amen.
Sunday, 9 March 2008
Forbidding a prophet to intercede
One of the roles of a prophet is to intercede for the people. When God intends to send punishment, a prophet is able to change God's mind. He can pray to God for the sinful people so that God aborts the punishment. The story of Abraham's bargain with God over the fate of Sodom and Gomorrah in Genesis 18 is one such example. Another one can be found in Exodus 32 when God was so furious with the golden calf that He intended to wipe out all the Israelites and establish Moses instead. In both cases, the prophets were allowed to touch on a 'weak spot' of God to avert the disaster.
Wilt thou indeed destroy the righteous with the wicked? (Genesis 18:23)
Far be it from thee to do such a thing, to slay the righteous with the wicked, so that the righteous fare as the wicked! Far be that from thee! Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right? (Genesis 18:25) The Judge of all the earth cannot afford to be unjust!
Why should the Egyptians say, `With evil intent did he bring them forth, to slay them in the mountains, and to consume them from the face of the earth'? Turn from thy fierce wrath, and repent of this evil against thy people. Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, thy servants, to whom thou didst swear by thine own self, and didst say to them, 'I will multiply your descendants as the stars of heaven, and all this land that I have promised I will give to your descendants, and they shall inherit it for ever.' (Exodus 32:12-13). The Almighty God cannot undo His own wonders in the eyes of the enemies and forget His promises to the Patriarchs!
However, there is a bottom line. When despite repeated warnings from the prophets, the Jews persisted in worshipping idols and offering sacrifices to Baal, God would not listen to the intercessions from the prophets. Jeremiah was less fortunate. His was a generation of imminent doom. The Babylonians were already at the door.
As for you, do not pray for this people, or lift up cry or prayer for them, and do not intercede with me, for I do not hear you. (Jeremiah 7:16)
Therefore do not pray for this people, or lift up a cry or prayer on their behalf, for I will not listen when they call to me in the time of their trouble. (Jeremiah 11:14).
The LORD said to me: "Do not pray for the welfare of this people.
Though they fast, I will not hear their cry, and though they offer burnt offering and cereal offering, I will not accept them; but I will consume them by the sword, by famine, and by pestilence." (Jeremiah 14:11-12).
We should be responsible for our own actions and bear the consequences. It is no good for us to sin and leave the prophets to pray to God to pardon our iniquities. Repentance is our business and if we don't take care of our own business, someone will. If we do not repent and make necessary changes, God will take over to clean up the mess in His way. In the end, our incompetence will be rendered impotence.
My God, I pray for myself as well as other incompetent neighbours. May we repent and make changes before it is too late. Have mercy on us all. We look forward to celebrating joyfully the Golden Jubilee of our Shung Tak. Amen.
Wilt thou indeed destroy the righteous with the wicked? (Genesis 18:23)
Far be it from thee to do such a thing, to slay the righteous with the wicked, so that the righteous fare as the wicked! Far be that from thee! Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right? (Genesis 18:25) The Judge of all the earth cannot afford to be unjust!
Why should the Egyptians say, `With evil intent did he bring them forth, to slay them in the mountains, and to consume them from the face of the earth'? Turn from thy fierce wrath, and repent of this evil against thy people. Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, thy servants, to whom thou didst swear by thine own self, and didst say to them, 'I will multiply your descendants as the stars of heaven, and all this land that I have promised I will give to your descendants, and they shall inherit it for ever.' (Exodus 32:12-13). The Almighty God cannot undo His own wonders in the eyes of the enemies and forget His promises to the Patriarchs!
However, there is a bottom line. When despite repeated warnings from the prophets, the Jews persisted in worshipping idols and offering sacrifices to Baal, God would not listen to the intercessions from the prophets. Jeremiah was less fortunate. His was a generation of imminent doom. The Babylonians were already at the door.
As for you, do not pray for this people, or lift up cry or prayer for them, and do not intercede with me, for I do not hear you. (Jeremiah 7:16)
Therefore do not pray for this people, or lift up a cry or prayer on their behalf, for I will not listen when they call to me in the time of their trouble. (Jeremiah 11:14).
The LORD said to me: "Do not pray for the welfare of this people.
Though they fast, I will not hear their cry, and though they offer burnt offering and cereal offering, I will not accept them; but I will consume them by the sword, by famine, and by pestilence." (Jeremiah 14:11-12).
We should be responsible for our own actions and bear the consequences. It is no good for us to sin and leave the prophets to pray to God to pardon our iniquities. Repentance is our business and if we don't take care of our own business, someone will. If we do not repent and make necessary changes, God will take over to clean up the mess in His way. In the end, our incompetence will be rendered impotence.
My God, I pray for myself as well as other incompetent neighbours. May we repent and make changes before it is too late. Have mercy on us all. We look forward to celebrating joyfully the Golden Jubilee of our Shung Tak. Amen.
Saturday, 8 March 2008
The Holy Spirit is the Living Water
As a diabetic, I always feel thirsty. My throat is dry. My skin is dry and brittle. It is irritatingly itchy. I always feel want scratching it. Wounds inflicted take a long time to heal, leaving spotty scars. In fact, I haven't gone swimming for more than a decade! The thirst is only physical and there will be an end to it.
But how am I to put in words yet another kind of thirst, which words fail to convey? Am I too demanding, asking too much from life, always feeling itchy and restless? Have I been too much a perfectionist, suffocating everybody around me? Then St. Augustine's famous line came to my mind:
Tu excitas, ut laudare te delectet, quia fecisti nos ad te et inquietum est cor nostrum, donec requiescat in te.
Thou movest us to delight in praising You; for You have formed us for Yourself, and our hearts are restless till they find rest in You. (Confessions 1.1)
Jesus promised to give us living water when he engaged in a revealing dialogue with a Samaritan woman.
but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst; the water that I shall give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life (John 4:14). He meant the Holy Spirit.
Jesus went to Jerusalem to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles.
On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and proclaimed, "If any one thirst, let him come to me and drink.
He who believes in me, as the scripture has said, 'Out of his heart shall flow rivers of living water.'"
Now this he said about the Spirit, which those who believed in him were to receive; for as yet the Spirit had not been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified (John 7:37-39). Consequently, the crowd was divided. Some thought that Jesus was a prophet, others the Christ. There were always some who remained skeptical through and through. All of them knew that Jesus came from Galilee but they argued that the Scripture had foretold that Christ had to be born in Bethlehem (John 7:40-43). So, they would not accept Jesus as their Christ. (From this, we may conclude that not many people in the 1st century knew that Jesus was born in Bethlehem as Matthew and Luke had reported in the Nativity narratives in their gospels.) Later, when Nicodemus asked the Pharisees to be open-minded and scrutinize objectively what Jesus had done, they retorted that
Search and you will see that no prophet is to rise from Galilee (John 7:52). Jonah, son of Amittai, came from Gath-hepher which was in Galilee (2 Kings 14:25). Moreover, it was very near Nazareth! (Oxford Bible Atlas, 3rd ed., OUP 1984, pages 62 & 86) Once more, too much prejudice had blocked the minds of the Pharisees from seeing the truth. Some biblical scholars would forgive them by interpreting their 'no prophet' as 'not the eschatological prophet' of v.40 above (Jerome Biblical Commentary New Jersey:Prentice-Hall, 1968, 63:106).
My God, I am tired. Give me living water so that I may not thirst, that I may take a good rest and continue my quest. Amen.
But how am I to put in words yet another kind of thirst, which words fail to convey? Am I too demanding, asking too much from life, always feeling itchy and restless? Have I been too much a perfectionist, suffocating everybody around me? Then St. Augustine's famous line came to my mind:
Tu excitas, ut laudare te delectet, quia fecisti nos ad te et inquietum est cor nostrum, donec requiescat in te.
Thou movest us to delight in praising You; for You have formed us for Yourself, and our hearts are restless till they find rest in You. (Confessions 1.1)
Jesus promised to give us living water when he engaged in a revealing dialogue with a Samaritan woman.
but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst; the water that I shall give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life (John 4:14). He meant the Holy Spirit.
Jesus went to Jerusalem to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles.
On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and proclaimed, "If any one thirst, let him come to me and drink.
He who believes in me, as the scripture has said, 'Out of his heart shall flow rivers of living water.'"
Now this he said about the Spirit, which those who believed in him were to receive; for as yet the Spirit had not been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified (John 7:37-39). Consequently, the crowd was divided. Some thought that Jesus was a prophet, others the Christ. There were always some who remained skeptical through and through. All of them knew that Jesus came from Galilee but they argued that the Scripture had foretold that Christ had to be born in Bethlehem (John 7:40-43). So, they would not accept Jesus as their Christ. (From this, we may conclude that not many people in the 1st century knew that Jesus was born in Bethlehem as Matthew and Luke had reported in the Nativity narratives in their gospels.) Later, when Nicodemus asked the Pharisees to be open-minded and scrutinize objectively what Jesus had done, they retorted that
Search and you will see that no prophet is to rise from Galilee (John 7:52). Jonah, son of Amittai, came from Gath-hepher which was in Galilee (2 Kings 14:25). Moreover, it was very near Nazareth! (Oxford Bible Atlas, 3rd ed., OUP 1984, pages 62 & 86) Once more, too much prejudice had blocked the minds of the Pharisees from seeing the truth. Some biblical scholars would forgive them by interpreting their 'no prophet' as 'not the eschatological prophet' of v.40 above (Jerome Biblical Commentary New Jersey:Prentice-Hall, 1968, 63:106).
My God, I am tired. Give me living water so that I may not thirst, that I may take a good rest and continue my quest. Amen.
Friday, 7 March 2008
Applying Game Theory to study Exodus 32
Game theory is a very powerful tool for strategic management. It is also a useful model in analyzing rational behaviour. The Holy Bible is full of characters outwitting each other in high dramas. Therefore, she is a fertile field to make use of Game Theory. Today, I would like to make use of 'Game Theory' to analyze the story in Exodus 32.
When Moses went up the mountain to bring down the Ten Commandments, he took 40 days. The Israelites below were getting impatient and forced Aaron to make a golden calf to lead them on their Exodus. God was furious and planned to destroy them all (Exodus 32:9-10).
(A) was the original, ideal situation for both parties. Israel had seen how God had worked great wonders to deliver them from the bondage in Egypt. It would be wise for Israel to listen to God and obeyed all His commandments. God would show the whole world that He is almighty. He is able to make a small nation Israel great among all nations on earth.
(B) would be an unfortunate destiny for Israel. The God they had followed was very cruel indeed. What else could they do? Bad luck!
(C) would be the actual outcome in the future. Now, God and Moses had vanished in the mountain. Perhaps He and Moses would retire there forever. Then, how would they survive in the wilderness without someone or something to unite them? Abandoning God was risky. Yet, God and Moses might no longer exist. If He was still there, perhaps He would keep His promises to the fathers and continue to accompany them through this journey. So, this risk was worth taking. See (F) below.
(D) would be the most logical outcome at the moment. Israel deserved to be punished because they worshipped idols instead of the one, true God. God was a God of justice. He was keeping His covenant sealed on Mount Sinai. No complaint.
Now, God was offering Moses to make him and his children a great nation instead. Should Moses accept this offer?
(E) This was God's proposal. Moses would father a great nation. This was a very attractive option indeed. But there would be a complication. Moses could not guarantee that his children would not abandon God in the future. Then, God would destroy them again as He would destroy Israel now. God had repented before and would repent in the future. This option needed a second thought.
(F) Moses reminded God of the damages God would bring to His own reputation if He destroyed Israel (Exodus 32:12). Furthermore, by rejecting God's offer, Moses deprived God an opportunity to repent. Moreover, Moses reinforced the promise God made to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Moses forced God to be faithful now and in the future. God had to work extra hard to keep His promises (Exodus 32:13). By not being selfish, Moses had saved the Israelites from being wiped off from the surface of the earth, had kept God's reputation intact before the Egyptians and made God faithful to His promises. Moses was truly Israel, for you have striven with God and with men, and have prevailed (Genesis 32:28). Rejecting God's offer was a win-win strategy in this case.
My God, You had set up Moses as a great Prophet to deliver the Israelites from Egyptian bondage. He had done a wonderful job in interceding for the Israelites. In end times, You sent Your beloved Son, our Lord Jesus to deliver us from the bondage of sins with his death. Our Lord Jesus is still interceding for us sinners. Have mercy and remember Your faithfulness to the whole Creation which we have contaminated. May we humbly reconcile with You and renew Your Creation. Amen.
When Moses went up the mountain to bring down the Ten Commandments, he took 40 days. The Israelites below were getting impatient and forced Aaron to make a golden calf to lead them on their Exodus. God was furious and planned to destroy them all (Exodus 32:9-10).
| God | |||
| keeps Israel | destroys Israel | ||
| Israel | follow God | A | B |
| abandon God | C | D | |
(B) would be an unfortunate destiny for Israel. The God they had followed was very cruel indeed. What else could they do? Bad luck!
(C) would be the actual outcome in the future. Now, God and Moses had vanished in the mountain. Perhaps He and Moses would retire there forever. Then, how would they survive in the wilderness without someone or something to unite them? Abandoning God was risky. Yet, God and Moses might no longer exist. If He was still there, perhaps He would keep His promises to the fathers and continue to accompany them through this journey. So, this risk was worth taking. See (F) below.
(D) would be the most logical outcome at the moment. Israel deserved to be punished because they worshipped idols instead of the one, true God. God was a God of justice. He was keeping His covenant sealed on Mount Sinai. No complaint.
Now, God was offering Moses to make him and his children a great nation instead. Should Moses accept this offer?
| God | ||
| elevates Moses | ||
| Moses | accepts God's offer | E |
| rejects God's offer | F | |
(F) Moses reminded God of the damages God would bring to His own reputation if He destroyed Israel (Exodus 32:12). Furthermore, by rejecting God's offer, Moses deprived God an opportunity to repent. Moreover, Moses reinforced the promise God made to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Moses forced God to be faithful now and in the future. God had to work extra hard to keep His promises (Exodus 32:13). By not being selfish, Moses had saved the Israelites from being wiped off from the surface of the earth, had kept God's reputation intact before the Egyptians and made God faithful to His promises. Moses was truly Israel, for you have striven with God and with men, and have prevailed (Genesis 32:28). Rejecting God's offer was a win-win strategy in this case.
My God, You had set up Moses as a great Prophet to deliver the Israelites from Egyptian bondage. He had done a wonderful job in interceding for the Israelites. In end times, You sent Your beloved Son, our Lord Jesus to deliver us from the bondage of sins with his death. Our Lord Jesus is still interceding for us sinners. Have mercy and remember Your faithfulness to the whole Creation which we have contaminated. May we humbly reconcile with You and renew Your Creation. Amen.
Thursday, 6 March 2008
My Father is working still
Whether you like it or not, when you come to any place, any country and if you want to stay, you must keep the customs and laws of that particular place. Therefore, Jews kept the Torah so that they might live in the land God had promised to Abraham. This theme is repeated throughout the book of Deuteronomy (e.g. 4:1, 12:1, 18:9, 25:15 etc.) Among these statues and commandments, circumcision and keeping the Sabbath distinguish Jews among the nations. Therefore, when Jesus healed the sick on Sabbath, the Jews were very much offended.
John 5 records the cure of a man who had been ill for 38 years. Some scholars see the man as a symbol of Israel who had wandered in the wilderness for 38 years before entering the Promised Land (40 years minus one to leave Egypt and another one to enter the Promised Land). Therefore, Jesus had symbolically healed Israel in this miracle. Instead of thanking Jesus for healing this man (Israel), the Jews wanted to persecute Jesus because he did it on Sabbath. How ungrateful!
But Jesus answered them, "My Father is working still, and I am working." (John 5:17)
Jesus told them that God had never rested on Sabbath which He consecrated. He continuously sustains the Creation without rest. Indeed, God does not need any rest.
This verse reminds me of the first oracle in I-Ching 乾. In a philosophical reflection on this oracle, Confucius concluded that 天行健，君子以自強不息。As an ideal man, a 君子, we should follow the characteristics of heaven (God), tirelessly perfecting ourselves without rest. Of course, Confucius did not harbour the desire to become God. He advised us to lead a life as an ideal, a perfect man. Jesus is more 'ambitious'.
In defending his action, Jesus offended the Jews even more because he called God his Father.
This was why the Jews sought all the more to kill him, because he not only broke the sabbath but also called God his Father, making himself equal with God (John 5:18).
Jesus declared his own divinity and awakened the spark of divinity God has deposited in us. When we work tirelessly towards perfection, we partake in the divinity of God.
You, therefore, must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect (Matthew 5:48).
Our Heavenly Father, You unceasingly sustain Your wonderful Creation. You made us in Your image and likeness so that one day, we may be fully infused in Your divinity. May we work, unceasingly like You, towards perfection, loving You and our neighbours ever more. Amen.
John 5 records the cure of a man who had been ill for 38 years. Some scholars see the man as a symbol of Israel who had wandered in the wilderness for 38 years before entering the Promised Land (40 years minus one to leave Egypt and another one to enter the Promised Land). Therefore, Jesus had symbolically healed Israel in this miracle. Instead of thanking Jesus for healing this man (Israel), the Jews wanted to persecute Jesus because he did it on Sabbath. How ungrateful!
But Jesus answered them, "My Father is working still, and I am working." (John 5:17)
Jesus told them that God had never rested on Sabbath which He consecrated. He continuously sustains the Creation without rest. Indeed, God does not need any rest.
This verse reminds me of the first oracle in I-Ching 乾. In a philosophical reflection on this oracle, Confucius concluded that 天行健，君子以自強不息。As an ideal man, a 君子, we should follow the characteristics of heaven (God), tirelessly perfecting ourselves without rest. Of course, Confucius did not harbour the desire to become God. He advised us to lead a life as an ideal, a perfect man. Jesus is more 'ambitious'.
In defending his action, Jesus offended the Jews even more because he called God his Father.
This was why the Jews sought all the more to kill him, because he not only broke the sabbath but also called God his Father, making himself equal with God (John 5:18).
Jesus declared his own divinity and awakened the spark of divinity God has deposited in us. When we work tirelessly towards perfection, we partake in the divinity of God.
You, therefore, must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect (Matthew 5:48).
Our Heavenly Father, You unceasingly sustain Your wonderful Creation. You made us in Your image and likeness so that one day, we may be fully infused in Your divinity. May we work, unceasingly like You, towards perfection, loving You and our neighbours ever more. Amen.
Wednesday, 5 March 2008
Sin no more
Ezekiel was a priest turned prophet at the time of Babylonian Captivity. He consoled the exiles and foretold the return to Jerusalem. There are 48 chapters in the book of Ezekiel which is famous for her visions. Her first chapters inspired Erich von Danikon to write a book called The Chariots of the Gods?: Unsolved Mysteries of the Past in 1968. In that generation, people fantasized that human civilizations were seeded by alien travellers around the universe. No wonder they saw God descending in flying saucers to pass on knowledge to human beings. However, it is more difficult to decide if the martial art novelist 「還珠樓主」had drawn inspiration from the vision of the Valley of Dry Bones of Ezekiel 37 in writing his 【蜀山劍俠傳】in 1932. Anyhow, similarity in visions probably reveals a deep archtype in the subconscious of the human psyche. There is no question of plagiarism in these literary creations. Ezekiel will remain a perpetual source of inspirations for the authors of science fictions.
The last chapters of prophetic books almost always offer consoling thoughts. Ezekiel 47 is no exception. She describes to us a vision of the living water gushing from the south side of the altar in the Temple (Ezekiel 47:1). The waters run deeper and deeper, ankle-deep (47:3), knee-deep then to the loins (47:4) until they become a river to swim in (47:5). The river revitalizes the surrounding, freshening the sea and sustaining all life forms (47:8-9). Whichever way you interpret this vision of living water, it must be God giving life to all creatures. At the end of time, a living water will flow from God and gives life to all creatures.
And on the banks, on both sides of the river, there will grow all kinds of trees for food. Their leaves will not wither nor their fruit fail, but they will bear fresh fruit every month, because the water for them flows from the sanctuary. Their fruit will be for food, and their leaves for healing (Ezekiel 47:12). This is a living water. It heals. Then God instructed Ezekiel to divide the land as the inheritance for all people, including Gentiles. Yes, we Gentiles will share the salvation of God.
John 5 tells us of Jesus healing a sick man at the pool of Bethzatha. This man had suffered for 38 years. Jesus healed him on Sabbath, a holy day for the Jews. Later, Jesus met the man again in the Temple and advised him
See, you are well! Sin no more, that nothing worse befall you (John 5:14).
My God, I beg You to heal me too. On my own, I am unable to obtain healing. You are merciful. See my disabilities. Make me wholesome and grant me the Holy Spirit so that I sin no more. Amen.
The last chapters of prophetic books almost always offer consoling thoughts. Ezekiel 47 is no exception. She describes to us a vision of the living water gushing from the south side of the altar in the Temple (Ezekiel 47:1). The waters run deeper and deeper, ankle-deep (47:3), knee-deep then to the loins (47:4) until they become a river to swim in (47:5). The river revitalizes the surrounding, freshening the sea and sustaining all life forms (47:8-9). Whichever way you interpret this vision of living water, it must be God giving life to all creatures. At the end of time, a living water will flow from God and gives life to all creatures.
And on the banks, on both sides of the river, there will grow all kinds of trees for food. Their leaves will not wither nor their fruit fail, but they will bear fresh fruit every month, because the water for them flows from the sanctuary. Their fruit will be for food, and their leaves for healing (Ezekiel 47:12). This is a living water. It heals. Then God instructed Ezekiel to divide the land as the inheritance for all people, including Gentiles. Yes, we Gentiles will share the salvation of God.
John 5 tells us of Jesus healing a sick man at the pool of Bethzatha. This man had suffered for 38 years. Jesus healed him on Sabbath, a holy day for the Jews. Later, Jesus met the man again in the Temple and advised him
See, you are well! Sin no more, that nothing worse befall you (John 5:14).
My God, I beg You to heal me too. On my own, I am unable to obtain healing. You are merciful. See my disabilities. Make me wholesome and grant me the Holy Spirit so that I sin no more. Amen.
Tuesday, 4 March 2008
New heavens and a new earth
It is very comforting to read the last chapters of a prophetic book. The prophet would speak many words of comfort because the end is just around the corner. Isaiah 65 is the last but one chapter. It is full of consoling words.
When Luke tells us how the Father longed for the return of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15:20), he was retelling what God declared in the book of Isaiah.
I was ready to be sought by those who did not ask for me;
I was ready to be found by those who did not seek me.
I said, "Here am I, here am I," to a nation that did not call on my name.
I spread out my hands all the day to a rebellious people,
who walk in a way that is not good, following their own devices (Isaiah 65:1-2).
In all His wisdom, God knows very well that He has to take the initiative to deliver sinners. Otherwise, nobody will be redeemed. All of them will be lost into the hand of Satan. God spreads out His hands all the day to reach out to sinners. That was why Jesus chose to be crucified. On the cross, he declared to the world how much he wanted us to seek him, to find him and he will always be there, however undeserving we are.
Isaiah continues to show us two different situations for the righteous (Isaiah 65:9-10) and the sinners (Isaiah 65:11-15). The decision is for us to make. To remain in sinful states (deaf to God's call) or to seek God for reconciliation. Make up your mind now. If we do, we will be able to enjoy the new heavens and the new earth.
For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth;
and the former things shall not be remembered or come into mind.
But be glad and rejoice for ever in that which I create;
for behold, I create Jerusalem a rejoicing, and her people a joy.
I will rejoice in Jerusalem, and be glad in my people;
no more shall be heard in it the sound of weeping and the cry of distress (Isaiah 65:17-19).
But what is so good about this new heavens and the new earth?
No more shall there be in it an infant that lives but a few days,
or an old man who does not fill out his days,
for the child shall die a hundred years old, and the sinner a hundred years old shall be accursed.
They shall build houses and inhabit them; they shall plant vineyards and eat their fruit.
They shall not build and another inhabit; they shall not plant and another eat;
for like the days of a tree shall the days of my people be,
and my chosen shall long enjoy the work of their hands.
They shall not labor in vain, or bear children for calamity;
for they shall be the offspring of the blessed of the LORD, and their children with them.
Before they call I will answer, while they are yet speaking I will hear (Isaiah 65:20-24).
Even if you are not delighted in longevity, you should be satisfied to see that you do not labour in vain. This is the answer to Ecclesiastes who declared that all labour is in vain. Everything is vanity. But the most reassuring of all is God's promise to answer us before we call, to hear us before we speak of our worries. What else do we need? The last verse of Isaiah 65 echoes Isaiah 11:6 & 9. It gives us a glimpse of the peaceful Kingdom of Heaven which our Heavenly Father has prepared for us from the foundation of the world (Matthew 25:34). The decision is for us to make.
My God, You have shown us Your loving care beyond what we dare to dream. Let me arise and return to You, loving Father. I have sinned against heaven and before You. Allow me a tiny room, even at the threshold of Your house that I may behold Your merciful countenance. Amen.
When Luke tells us how the Father longed for the return of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15:20), he was retelling what God declared in the book of Isaiah.
I was ready to be sought by those who did not ask for me;
I was ready to be found by those who did not seek me.
I said, "Here am I, here am I," to a nation that did not call on my name.
I spread out my hands all the day to a rebellious people,
who walk in a way that is not good, following their own devices (Isaiah 65:1-2).
In all His wisdom, God knows very well that He has to take the initiative to deliver sinners. Otherwise, nobody will be redeemed. All of them will be lost into the hand of Satan. God spreads out His hands all the day to reach out to sinners. That was why Jesus chose to be crucified. On the cross, he declared to the world how much he wanted us to seek him, to find him and he will always be there, however undeserving we are.
Isaiah continues to show us two different situations for the righteous (Isaiah 65:9-10) and the sinners (Isaiah 65:11-15). The decision is for us to make. To remain in sinful states (deaf to God's call) or to seek God for reconciliation. Make up your mind now. If we do, we will be able to enjoy the new heavens and the new earth.
For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth;
and the former things shall not be remembered or come into mind.
But be glad and rejoice for ever in that which I create;
for behold, I create Jerusalem a rejoicing, and her people a joy.
I will rejoice in Jerusalem, and be glad in my people;
no more shall be heard in it the sound of weeping and the cry of distress (Isaiah 65:17-19).
But what is so good about this new heavens and the new earth?
No more shall there be in it an infant that lives but a few days,
or an old man who does not fill out his days,
for the child shall die a hundred years old, and the sinner a hundred years old shall be accursed.
They shall build houses and inhabit them; they shall plant vineyards and eat their fruit.
They shall not build and another inhabit; they shall not plant and another eat;
for like the days of a tree shall the days of my people be,
and my chosen shall long enjoy the work of their hands.
They shall not labor in vain, or bear children for calamity;
for they shall be the offspring of the blessed of the LORD, and their children with them.
Before they call I will answer, while they are yet speaking I will hear (Isaiah 65:20-24).
Even if you are not delighted in longevity, you should be satisfied to see that you do not labour in vain. This is the answer to Ecclesiastes who declared that all labour is in vain. Everything is vanity. But the most reassuring of all is God's promise to answer us before we call, to hear us before we speak of our worries. What else do we need? The last verse of Isaiah 65 echoes Isaiah 11:6 & 9. It gives us a glimpse of the peaceful Kingdom of Heaven which our Heavenly Father has prepared for us from the foundation of the world (Matthew 25:34). The decision is for us to make.
My God, You have shown us Your loving care beyond what we dare to dream. Let me arise and return to You, loving Father. I have sinned against heaven and before You. Allow me a tiny room, even at the threshold of Your house that I may behold Your merciful countenance. Amen.
Monday, 3 March 2008
4th Sunday of Lent (Year A)
In today's gospel, we read of the story of the cure of the man born blind in John 9. This story is a fertile theological field. There are many topics for us to meditate on.
For modern people, it is unfortunate for a man to be born blind. But he is only a victim of random mutation. Nobody is to be blamed. For the Jews in biblical times, it was a different story. Their God was a God of justice. He guaranteed the fairness of the law. He would award or punish men according to their behaviour. He would award the good and punish the bad. This is an axiom universal to all religions. From this, it followed a flawed conclusion: if you suffer, you must have sinned and God is punishing you.
The man born blind posed a difficult challenge to the above conclusion. Therefore Jesus' disciples asked: "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?" (John 9:2).
The man was born blind. He was blind before he was able to commit sins. (The Jews had not developed the theology of Original Sin. We have to wait until the 4th century.) So, was his blindness a punishment for his parents' sins? This reasoning follows the logic of Exodus.
for I the LORD your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and the fourth generation of those who hate me, (Exodus 20:5).
This logic was refuted by Jeremiah.
In those days they shall no longer say: `The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children's teeth are set on edge.'
But every one shall die for his own sin; each man who eats sour grapes, his teeth shall be set on edge. (Jeremiah 31:2-30). The story of Job wrestles with the problem of God's justice and human sufferings. Jesus elevated the problem of sufferings to a higher level.
Jesus answered, "It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God might be made manifest in him" (John 9:3). Human sufferings manifest the works of God. Jesus then restored the sight of the blind.
This miraculous cure would have been a glory of God, had it not been performed on Sabbath! Now, the Pharisees were divided.
Some of the Pharisees said, "This man is not from God, for he does not keep the sabbath." But others said, "How can a man who is a sinner do such signs?" There was a division among them (John 9:16). They investigated and in the end, rejected the blind man. He was a sinner because he was blind. He did not deserve to bear witness.
They answered him, "You were born in utter sin, and would you teach us?" And they cast him out (John 9:34). They declared him a born sinner all because he did not agree with their opinion towards Jesus. Who did these Pharisees think they were? God? Even Jesus did not pass judgment on this blind man.
Jesus said, "For judgment I came into this world, that those who do not see may see, and that those who see may become blind."
Some of the Pharisees near him heard this, and they said to him, "Are we also blind?"
Jesus said to them, "If you were blind, you would have no guilt; but now that you say, `We see,' your guilt remains (John 9:39-41).
And this is the judgment, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.
For every one who does evil hates the light, and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed (John 3:19-20).
What a paradox! The blind see while those who see blind. What a danger to be learned! Too much knowledge crowds the truth and prejudice makes the learned blind. The learned easily fall victim to the desire to play God.
My God, may my learning lead to true knowledge, the knowledge of You. Though I see, I am blind to Your loving wonders and mercy. I pray that we love You more deeply and unite with You more completely. May we continue to walk in Your path of justice and mercy. Amen.
For modern people, it is unfortunate for a man to be born blind. But he is only a victim of random mutation. Nobody is to be blamed. For the Jews in biblical times, it was a different story. Their God was a God of justice. He guaranteed the fairness of the law. He would award or punish men according to their behaviour. He would award the good and punish the bad. This is an axiom universal to all religions. From this, it followed a flawed conclusion: if you suffer, you must have sinned and God is punishing you.
The man born blind posed a difficult challenge to the above conclusion. Therefore Jesus' disciples asked: "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?" (John 9:2).
The man was born blind. He was blind before he was able to commit sins. (The Jews had not developed the theology of Original Sin. We have to wait until the 4th century.) So, was his blindness a punishment for his parents' sins? This reasoning follows the logic of Exodus.
for I the LORD your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and the fourth generation of those who hate me, (Exodus 20:5).
This logic was refuted by Jeremiah.
In those days they shall no longer say: `The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children's teeth are set on edge.'
But every one shall die for his own sin; each man who eats sour grapes, his teeth shall be set on edge. (Jeremiah 31:2-30). The story of Job wrestles with the problem of God's justice and human sufferings. Jesus elevated the problem of sufferings to a higher level.
Jesus answered, "It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God might be made manifest in him" (John 9:3). Human sufferings manifest the works of God. Jesus then restored the sight of the blind.
This miraculous cure would have been a glory of God, had it not been performed on Sabbath! Now, the Pharisees were divided.
Some of the Pharisees said, "This man is not from God, for he does not keep the sabbath." But others said, "How can a man who is a sinner do such signs?" There was a division among them (John 9:16). They investigated and in the end, rejected the blind man. He was a sinner because he was blind. He did not deserve to bear witness.
They answered him, "You were born in utter sin, and would you teach us?" And they cast him out (John 9:34). They declared him a born sinner all because he did not agree with their opinion towards Jesus. Who did these Pharisees think they were? God? Even Jesus did not pass judgment on this blind man.
Jesus said, "For judgment I came into this world, that those who do not see may see, and that those who see may become blind."
Some of the Pharisees near him heard this, and they said to him, "Are we also blind?"
Jesus said to them, "If you were blind, you would have no guilt; but now that you say, `We see,' your guilt remains (John 9:39-41).
And this is the judgment, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.
For every one who does evil hates the light, and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed (John 3:19-20).
What a paradox! The blind see while those who see blind. What a danger to be learned! Too much knowledge crowds the truth and prejudice makes the learned blind. The learned easily fall victim to the desire to play God.
My God, may my learning lead to true knowledge, the knowledge of You. Though I see, I am blind to Your loving wonders and mercy. I pray that we love You more deeply and unite with You more completely. May we continue to walk in Your path of justice and mercy. Amen.
Sunday, 2 March 2008
Offering sacrifices to God
In all religions, people offer sacrifices to their gods. There are many purposes: to pacify them when disasters strike, to ask for favours in times of needs, to thank them for favours granted and to expiate their sins. Sometimes, the sins are so grave that only death would expiate them. Killing an animal in their stead was a clever way out.
Cain, the son of Adam and Eve, was the first to offer sacrifice to God.
In the course of time Cain brought to the LORD an offering of the fruit of the ground (Genesis 4:3). Then came Abel his brother.
and Abel brought of the firstlings of his flock and of their fat portions. And the LORD had regard for Abel and his offering (Genesis 4:4).
But what makes an offering acceptable to God? The following research may throw light on the question.
ObedienceAnd Samuel said, "Has the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices,
as in obeying the voice of the LORD?
Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice,
and to hearken than the fat of rams (1 Samuel 15:22).
An open ear and to do God's willSacrifice and offering thou dost not desire;
but thou hast given me an open ear.
Burnt offering and sin offering thou hast not required.
Then I said, "Lo, I come; in the roll of the book it is written of me;
I delight to do thy will, O my God; thy law is within my heart. (Psalm 40:6-8)
A broken & contrite heartFor thou hast no delight in sacrifice;
were I to give a burnt offering, thou wouldst not be pleased.
The sacrifice acceptable to God is a broken spirit;
a broken and contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise (Psalm 51:16-17).
To do justiceTo do righteousness and justice
is more acceptable to the LORD than sacrifice (Proverbs 21:3).
Mercy & the knowledge of GodFor I desired mercy, and not sacrifice;
and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings. (Hosea 6:6, KJV). [RSV uses steadfast love instead.] This is confirmed by Jesus in Matthew 9:13; 12:7.
My God, thank You for allowing me to know what is acceptable to You. Open my ears so that I may obey and do Your will. Justice and mercy are Yours and let me imitate with a contrite heart. Tame my arrogant heart in Lent and thereafter. May I be able to dwell in Your house and praise You forever and ever. Amen.
Cain, the son of Adam and Eve, was the first to offer sacrifice to God.
In the course of time Cain brought to the LORD an offering of the fruit of the ground (Genesis 4:3). Then came Abel his brother.
and Abel brought of the firstlings of his flock and of their fat portions. And the LORD had regard for Abel and his offering (Genesis 4:4).
But what makes an offering acceptable to God? The following research may throw light on the question.
ObedienceAnd Samuel said, "Has the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices,
as in obeying the voice of the LORD?
Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice,
and to hearken than the fat of rams (1 Samuel 15:22).
An open ear and to do God's willSacrifice and offering thou dost not desire;
but thou hast given me an open ear.
Burnt offering and sin offering thou hast not required.
Then I said, "Lo, I come; in the roll of the book it is written of me;
I delight to do thy will, O my God; thy law is within my heart. (Psalm 40:6-8)
A broken & contrite heartFor thou hast no delight in sacrifice;
were I to give a burnt offering, thou wouldst not be pleased.
The sacrifice acceptable to God is a broken spirit;
a broken and contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise (Psalm 51:16-17).
To do justiceTo do righteousness and justice
is more acceptable to the LORD than sacrifice (Proverbs 21:3).
Mercy & the knowledge of GodFor I desired mercy, and not sacrifice;
and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings. (Hosea 6:6, KJV). [RSV uses steadfast love instead.] This is confirmed by Jesus in Matthew 9:13; 12:7.
My God, thank You for allowing me to know what is acceptable to You. Open my ears so that I may obey and do Your will. Justice and mercy are Yours and let me imitate with a contrite heart. Tame my arrogant heart in Lent and thereafter. May I be able to dwell in Your house and praise You forever and ever. Amen.
Saturday, 1 March 2008
Love Your Neighbour as Yourself
I believe that the authors of different books of the Bible were inspired by the Holy Spirit. I also believe that the authors retained their autonomy in the writing of their books. In various degrees of freedom, they contributed in choice of words, idioms and the arrangement of the materials at hand. The story of the question of the first commandment of all in the Synoptic gospels is a case in point.
Mark was the first to put his gospel in writing. Matthew and Luke must have referred to it when they put together their own gospel. They told the same story in different styles. In the story understand consideration, a teacher of the Law challenged Jesus to identify the first commandment among the 613 pieces of legislation. Mark had Jesus gave the answer, quoting Deuteronomy 6:4Jesus answered, "The first is, ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one;
and you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ (Mark 12:29-30). Then Jesus continued to give the next, quoting Leviticus 19:18.
The second is this, `You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no other commandment greater than these." (Mark 12:31). When the teacher of the Law echoed the answers and added that it
is much more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices, Jesus commented that he was not far from the Kingdom God. After that, nobody dared to ask him any question (Mark 12:32-34).
Matthew is shorter. After giving the 2 answers, Jesus concluded that
On these two commandments depend all the law and the prophets (Matthew 22:40). The teacher of the Law did not echo the answers, nor did Jesus comment that he was not far from the Kingdom of God. Matthew did not mention that nobody dared to ask any question. It had been enough for him to portray Jesus as a Master Rabbi.
Luke treated the story in a totally different way. The teacher of the Law asked what he should do to inherit eternal life (Luke 10:25). The question looked different, but the answer was identical. Now, instead of answering the question directly, Jesus made the teacher of the Law answer the question himself. Jesus was an effective teacher indeed. Then came a new twist.
But he, desiring to justify himself, said to Jesus, "And who is my neighbor?" (Luke 10:29). Seeing that the teacher of the Law was egocentric, Jesus told the famous parable of the Good Samaritan and asked the same question in the opposite perspective.
Which of these three, do you think, proved neighbor to the man who fell among the robbers? (Luke 10:36). This question pulled the teacher of the Law out from his self-centre. Luke always remains my favourite author.
Yes, our love of neighbour should be for the sake of our neighbour, not for our own sake. On the other hand, we love them as ourselves. Therefore, we must love ourselves, respect ourselves as well.
My God, forgive me for not taking care of myself enough, for not extending my love generously enough to my neighbours. May this Lent season open my heart to love more caringly. Amen.
Comment from Ruth;
Loving and respecting ourselves is a good way to love our neighbor too. As we love and take care ourselves, our neighbor, for example, our parents don't need to worry about us so much. We share their burdens when we are doing our duties.
My Reply;
The father of the righteous will greatly rejoice;
he who begets a wise son will be glad in him.
Let your father and mother be glad,
let her who bore you rejoice (Proverbs 23:24-25).
身體髮膚，受諸父母，豈敢毀傷，孝之始也；立身行道，揚名於後世，以顯父母，孝之終也。【孝經】
Yes, Ruth, this was what you learnt in your RS Section B.
Mark was the first to put his gospel in writing. Matthew and Luke must have referred to it when they put together their own gospel. They told the same story in different styles. In the story understand consideration, a teacher of the Law challenged Jesus to identify the first commandment among the 613 pieces of legislation. Mark had Jesus gave the answer, quoting Deuteronomy 6:4Jesus answered, "The first is, ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one;
and you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ (Mark 12:29-30). Then Jesus continued to give the next, quoting Leviticus 19:18.
The second is this, `You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no other commandment greater than these." (Mark 12:31). When the teacher of the Law echoed the answers and added that it
is much more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices, Jesus commented that he was not far from the Kingdom God. After that, nobody dared to ask him any question (Mark 12:32-34).
Matthew is shorter. After giving the 2 answers, Jesus concluded that
On these two commandments depend all the law and the prophets (Matthew 22:40). The teacher of the Law did not echo the answers, nor did Jesus comment that he was not far from the Kingdom of God. Matthew did not mention that nobody dared to ask any question. It had been enough for him to portray Jesus as a Master Rabbi.
Luke treated the story in a totally different way. The teacher of the Law asked what he should do to inherit eternal life (Luke 10:25). The question looked different, but the answer was identical. Now, instead of answering the question directly, Jesus made the teacher of the Law answer the question himself. Jesus was an effective teacher indeed. Then came a new twist.
But he, desiring to justify himself, said to Jesus, "And who is my neighbor?" (Luke 10:29). Seeing that the teacher of the Law was egocentric, Jesus told the famous parable of the Good Samaritan and asked the same question in the opposite perspective.
Which of these three, do you think, proved neighbor to the man who fell among the robbers? (Luke 10:36). This question pulled the teacher of the Law out from his self-centre. Luke always remains my favourite author.
Yes, our love of neighbour should be for the sake of our neighbour, not for our own sake. On the other hand, we love them as ourselves. Therefore, we must love ourselves, respect ourselves as well.
My God, forgive me for not taking care of myself enough, for not extending my love generously enough to my neighbours. May this Lent season open my heart to love more caringly. Amen.
Comment from Ruth;
Loving and respecting ourselves is a good way to love our neighbor too. As we love and take care ourselves, our neighbor, for example, our parents don't need to worry about us so much. We share their burdens when we are doing our duties.
My Reply;
The father of the righteous will greatly rejoice;
he who begets a wise son will be glad in him.
Let your father and mother be glad,
let her who bore you rejoice (Proverbs 23:24-25).
身體髮膚，受諸父母，豈敢毀傷，孝之始也；立身行道，揚名於後世，以顯父母，孝之終也。【孝經】
Yes, Ruth, this was what you learnt in your RS Section B.
March 1, 2008
Friday, 29 February 2008
The finger of God
The recent obscene photos scandal is a defamation campaign. It leaves everybody a loser. The celebrities captured in the photographs are losers. The way police handled the situation makes it a loser. The sensational reporting by the media makes them losers. In the future, the Internet users may have their freedom restricted. They may become the ultimate losers ... People living in this technologically advanced society are very vulnerable indeed.
Jesus' enemies also tried to defame him, saying that he drove out demons with the power from the prince of demon, Beelzebul (Luke 11:15). Jesus defended himself with a parable of a divided kingdom. In the end, he concluded
But if it is by the finger of God ( δακτύλῳ θεοῦ ) that I cast out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you (Luke 11:20). He was referring to the Holy Spirit.
My God, where is Your finger today? The celebrities are possessed by lust, the police by power, the Internet users voyeurism and the media greed. My God, when will You exorcise them all?
Reading Jeremiah 7 today sent a chill down my spine. The Chosen People had driven God out of their existence. The Temple became for them a placebo. God was not inside (Jeremiah 7:4). God was not inside because there was no God in their hearts, only idols. Their hearts were smothered and they were not able to hear God's voice.
and when I spoke to you persistently you did not listen, and when I called you, you did not answer (Jeremiah 7:13).
Are the technological achievements which bring us welcomed comfort real progress? The obscene photo scandal has spoken against it loud and clear! We go backward and not forward.
For in the day that I brought them out of the land of Egypt, I did not speak to your fathers or command them concerning burnt offerings and sacrifices.
But this command I gave them, 'Obey my voice, and I will be your God, and you shall be my people; and walk in all the way that I command you, that it may be well with you.'
But they did not obey or incline their ear, but walked in their own counsels and the stubbornness of their evil hearts, and went backward and not forward.
From the day that your fathers came out of the land of Egypt to this day, I have persistently sent all my servants the prophets to them, day after day;
yet they did not listen to me, or incline their ear, but stiffened their neck. They did worse than their fathers (Jeremiah 7:23-26).
And they have built the high place of Topheth, which is in the valley of the son of Hinnom, to burn their sons and their daughters in the fire; which I did not command, nor did it come into my mind (Jeremiah 7:31). This reminds me of the child pornography victims who are burnt on the altar of the Internet!
The Israelites would not listen because their hearts were occupied by various idols. Their future? Gruesome indeed! Jeremiah seemed to be describing more the 20th century Holocaust than the Babylonian captivity of the 6th century B.C.
Therefore, behold, the days are coming, says the LORD, when it will no more be called Topheth, or the valley of the son of Hinnom, but the valley of Slaughter: for they will bury in Topheth, because there is no room elsewhere.
And the dead bodies of this people will be food for the birds of the air, and for the beasts of the earth; and none will frighten them away.
And I will make to cease from the cities of Judah and from the streets of Jerusalem the voice of mirth and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride; for the land shall become a waste.
At that time, says the LORD, the bones of the kings of Judah, the bones of its princes, the bones of the priests, the bones of the prophets, and the bones of the inhabitants of Jerusalem shall be brought out of their tombs;
and they shall be spread before the sun and the moon and all the host of heaven, which they have loved and served, which they have gone after, and which they have sought and worshiped; and they shall not be gathered or buried; they shall be as dung on the surface of the ground.
Death shall be preferred to life by all the remnant that remains of this evil family in all the places where I have driven them, says the LORD of hosts (Jeremiah 7:32-8:3).
My God, we indulge in idols of different flavours but see not the consequences. The Israelites have suffered a painful lesson. But modern people do not learn from them. Father, You are the God of the living, not of the dead. For the sake of Your holy name, exorcise all the idols in our hearts so that we may truly appreciate Your loving care. Amen.
Jesus' enemies also tried to defame him, saying that he drove out demons with the power from the prince of demon, Beelzebul (Luke 11:15). Jesus defended himself with a parable of a divided kingdom. In the end, he concluded
But if it is by the finger of God ( δακτύλῳ θεοῦ ) that I cast out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you (Luke 11:20). He was referring to the Holy Spirit.
My God, where is Your finger today? The celebrities are possessed by lust, the police by power, the Internet users voyeurism and the media greed. My God, when will You exorcise them all?
Reading Jeremiah 7 today sent a chill down my spine. The Chosen People had driven God out of their existence. The Temple became for them a placebo. God was not inside (Jeremiah 7:4). God was not inside because there was no God in their hearts, only idols. Their hearts were smothered and they were not able to hear God's voice.
and when I spoke to you persistently you did not listen, and when I called you, you did not answer (Jeremiah 7:13).
Are the technological achievements which bring us welcomed comfort real progress? The obscene photo scandal has spoken against it loud and clear! We go backward and not forward.
For in the day that I brought them out of the land of Egypt, I did not speak to your fathers or command them concerning burnt offerings and sacrifices.
But this command I gave them, 'Obey my voice, and I will be your God, and you shall be my people; and walk in all the way that I command you, that it may be well with you.'
But they did not obey or incline their ear, but walked in their own counsels and the stubbornness of their evil hearts, and went backward and not forward.
From the day that your fathers came out of the land of Egypt to this day, I have persistently sent all my servants the prophets to them, day after day;
yet they did not listen to me, or incline their ear, but stiffened their neck. They did worse than their fathers (Jeremiah 7:23-26).
And they have built the high place of Topheth, which is in the valley of the son of Hinnom, to burn their sons and their daughters in the fire; which I did not command, nor did it come into my mind (Jeremiah 7:31). This reminds me of the child pornography victims who are burnt on the altar of the Internet!
The Israelites would not listen because their hearts were occupied by various idols. Their future? Gruesome indeed! Jeremiah seemed to be describing more the 20th century Holocaust than the Babylonian captivity of the 6th century B.C.
Therefore, behold, the days are coming, says the LORD, when it will no more be called Topheth, or the valley of the son of Hinnom, but the valley of Slaughter: for they will bury in Topheth, because there is no room elsewhere.
And the dead bodies of this people will be food for the birds of the air, and for the beasts of the earth; and none will frighten them away.
And I will make to cease from the cities of Judah and from the streets of Jerusalem the voice of mirth and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride; for the land shall become a waste.
At that time, says the LORD, the bones of the kings of Judah, the bones of its princes, the bones of the priests, the bones of the prophets, and the bones of the inhabitants of Jerusalem shall be brought out of their tombs;
and they shall be spread before the sun and the moon and all the host of heaven, which they have loved and served, which they have gone after, and which they have sought and worshiped; and they shall not be gathered or buried; they shall be as dung on the surface of the ground.
Death shall be preferred to life by all the remnant that remains of this evil family in all the places where I have driven them, says the LORD of hosts (Jeremiah 7:32-8:3).
My God, we indulge in idols of different flavours but see not the consequences. The Israelites have suffered a painful lesson. But modern people do not learn from them. Father, You are the God of the living, not of the dead. For the sake of Your holy name, exorcise all the idols in our hearts so that we may truly appreciate Your loving care. Amen.
Thursday, 28 February 2008
Study Deuteronomy
Jesus knew Deuteronomy very well. In the three temptations recorded in Matthew and Luke, he simply quoted passages from Deuteronomy to counter Satan. Therefore, if Christians are true to their master, they should study Deuteronomy as well.
Modern people take it for granted that as citizens of a country, it is their responsibility to know the law. Of course, if one leads a moral life, there is no need for him to know the letters of the law because his life follows naturally. If you know the law, you are able to protect your interests. You have law-enforcers to protect your life and property. Of course, people may abuse the law for their advantage. For example, the recent speeding case of a Hong Kong tycoon, Mr. Lxxxx.
In ancient times, common people were not allowed to know the law. Only nobles and aristocrats knew. Moreover, laws were subject to the whims of kings. Therefore, we would expect a lot of injustice happening around. In ancient China, 536 B.C., it was revolutionary for 子產 to inscribe the laws on bronze tripods to make them known to all the people【左傳‧魯昭公六年】. At first, the nobles complained. Two decades later, other warring states followed suit【左傳‧魯昭公廿九年】. Confucius 孔子 lamented the situation because all people, nobilities as well as commoners, had become equal before the law. Then, people would not know their distinct status in a country. This country would soon collapse.
In sharp contrast, Deuteronomy 4 opens a window for us to take a glimpse of how the Israelites saw themselves. Yahweh entered into a covenant with them. They had to keep all the statues and ordinances taught by Moses, God's representative. Instead of seeing them as restrictive, the Israelites were proud of these statues and ordinances instead. There were no nobilities worrying about making known the laws to the commoners. There were no political philosophers lamenting for a confusion of roles and status, leading to the collapse of a country.
Keep them and do them; for that will be your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the peoples, who, when they hear all these statutes, will say, 'Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.'
For what great nation is there that has a god so near to it as the LORD our God is to us, whenever we call upon him?
And what great nation is there, that has statutes and ordinances so righteous as all this law which I set before you this day? (Deuteronomy 4:6-8)
These statues and ordinances are righteous because they were given by God. They were guidelines to help the Israelites lead a holy life (Exodus 19:6).
Thy word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.נֵר-לְרַגְלִי דְבָרֶךָ; וְאוֹר, לִנְתִיבָתִי (Psalm 119:105)
Therefore, keeping them is wisdom and understanding in the sight of the nations. Even Jesus affirmed their importance.
Think not that I have come to abolish the law and the prophets; I have come not to abolish them but to fulfil them (Matthew 5:17). Therefore, it is foolish for Christians to disregard them.
My God, Your wisdom is beyond comprehension. For Your loving care, You gave the Israelites the Torah to lead a holy life and pass on this wisdom to mankind. May we study them diligently, love them with all our heart and live them up. We are feeble and insignificant. Strengthen us so that we may lead a life pleasing and acceptable to You. Amen.
Modern people take it for granted that as citizens of a country, it is their responsibility to know the law. Of course, if one leads a moral life, there is no need for him to know the letters of the law because his life follows naturally. If you know the law, you are able to protect your interests. You have law-enforcers to protect your life and property. Of course, people may abuse the law for their advantage. For example, the recent speeding case of a Hong Kong tycoon, Mr. Lxxxx.
In ancient times, common people were not allowed to know the law. Only nobles and aristocrats knew. Moreover, laws were subject to the whims of kings. Therefore, we would expect a lot of injustice happening around. In ancient China, 536 B.C., it was revolutionary for 子產 to inscribe the laws on bronze tripods to make them known to all the people【左傳‧魯昭公六年】. At first, the nobles complained. Two decades later, other warring states followed suit【左傳‧魯昭公廿九年】. Confucius 孔子 lamented the situation because all people, nobilities as well as commoners, had become equal before the law. Then, people would not know their distinct status in a country. This country would soon collapse.
In sharp contrast, Deuteronomy 4 opens a window for us to take a glimpse of how the Israelites saw themselves. Yahweh entered into a covenant with them. They had to keep all the statues and ordinances taught by Moses, God's representative. Instead of seeing them as restrictive, the Israelites were proud of these statues and ordinances instead. There were no nobilities worrying about making known the laws to the commoners. There were no political philosophers lamenting for a confusion of roles and status, leading to the collapse of a country.
Keep them and do them; for that will be your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the peoples, who, when they hear all these statutes, will say, 'Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.'
For what great nation is there that has a god so near to it as the LORD our God is to us, whenever we call upon him?
And what great nation is there, that has statutes and ordinances so righteous as all this law which I set before you this day? (Deuteronomy 4:6-8)
These statues and ordinances are righteous because they were given by God. They were guidelines to help the Israelites lead a holy life (Exodus 19:6).
Thy word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.נֵר-לְרַגְלִי דְבָרֶךָ; וְאוֹר, לִנְתִיבָתִי (Psalm 119:105)
Therefore, keeping them is wisdom and understanding in the sight of the nations. Even Jesus affirmed their importance.
Think not that I have come to abolish the law and the prophets; I have come not to abolish them but to fulfil them (Matthew 5:17). Therefore, it is foolish for Christians to disregard them.
My God, Your wisdom is beyond comprehension. For Your loving care, You gave the Israelites the Torah to lead a holy life and pass on this wisdom to mankind. May we study them diligently, love them with all our heart and live them up. We are feeble and insignificant. Strengthen us so that we may lead a life pleasing and acceptable to You. Amen.
Wednesday, 27 February 2008
To forgive 70 x 7 times
Matthew, Mark and Luke are called the Synoptic gospels because they follow a similar plot and can be put 'side-by-side' to study together, to do comparison. Some materials are shared by all three or even 4, including John. E.g. The story of 5 loaves and 2 fish. Some materials are unique to a particular gospel. E.g. The parable of the Good Samaritan, the Prodigal Son are found in Luke only. Very often, the same story are told differently, probably to cater for the needs of the different communities for which the gospels were written, or because they grew from the different traditions in different communities. For example, Mark 10 tells us that Jesus cured blind Bartimaeus when he came to Jericho, without touching him. Matthew 20 tells us that Jesus cured two anonymous blind men by touching their eyes when he came to Jericho. I think we should not try to harmonize the two different versions but to accept them as they are. Scholars generally agree that Matthew based on Mark to write his gospel. There must be a reason for Matthew to have 2 blind men instead of one even though we may never know what it was.
Today, we read Matthew 18. It is a collection of different sayings of Jesus, but put in different contexts from those parallel passages in Mark. Of course, I would eye passages unique to Matthew. For example,
See that you do not despise one of these little ones; for I tell you that in heaven their angels always behold the face of my Father who is in heaven (Matthew 18:10). From this, we know that all of us have our own guardian angels in heaven taking care of our spiritual good.
Matthew 18:15-17 deals with the way we should settle our disputes. First, between the 2 of you in private. Failing that, brought in 2 witnesses. Then bring the matter to the church. If all attempts failed, "and if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector" (Matthew 18:17b). Does it mean we should ex-communicate him, or we should start evangelizing him all over again, like a tax collector? This is open to interpretation. No matter what, Matthew agrees with St. Paul that we should not make use of worldly courts to settle our disputes, to attack our brothers in Christ. You may defend that Jesus teaches us to "Render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar's" (Matthew 22:21b) Therefore, we should be a good citizen of Hong Kong and cooperate with the government to beat crimes. However, the remaining verse continues with "... and to God the things that are God's." (Matthew 22:21c) Now, is there anything not God's? No. God's policy overrides SAR government's. Therefore, we should follow Matthew's precepts.
Then we read of yet another famous line from Matthew.
For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I in the midst of them (Matthew 18:20). This beautiful verse is the true spirit of the Church, a gathering of redeemed in Jesus' name. Unlike other wisdom religions in which an individual can attain enlightenment all by himself, our faith is communal. We unite with God in our community. We cannot do it all by ourselves.
The remaining chapter deals with the question of forgiveness. Jesus answered Peter's question by telling him to forgive forever.
Jesus said to him, "I do not say to you seven times, but seventy times seven" (Matthew 18:22). Hypothetically, if someone offends you 7 times and you have already forgiven him 7 times and yet, he continues. What does that mean? He has learnt nothing! Then, should you be angry with someone so low in IQ? I doubt very much if someone can be so stupid as to offend you 490 times without learning anything. More often than not, the offender usually does not have the courage to seek forgiveness. We don't even have one single chance to forgive. I am afraid we will never be able to use up all those 490 chances throughout our life. If I sound too pessimistic about the human nature, just too bad.
The parable of the Unforgiving Steward that follows (Matthew 18:23-35) illustrates vividly the nature of forgiveness. The one who forgives is already in an advantaged & superior position. When your brother offends you, immediately you are in a superior position because he owes you at least an apology. So, if he repents and seek reconciliation but you withhold your forgiveness, you are abusing your superiority. Moreover, it breeds bitterness and resentment in our hearts. Forgiveness provides a chance for both parties to mend fences for the benefit of the future and a chance for both to grow up.
My God, it is not easy to forgive, but I don't think I will be able to exercise fully the 490 chances to forgive. Worse still, many a sinner like me finds it even harder to seek forgiveness. Is it because I have not forgiven enough so that I become stiff-necked not to seek forgiveness? Unplug me from my egoism that I may travel light to my heavenly home. Then I will be able to visualize Your glory. Amen.
Today, we read Matthew 18. It is a collection of different sayings of Jesus, but put in different contexts from those parallel passages in Mark. Of course, I would eye passages unique to Matthew. For example,
See that you do not despise one of these little ones; for I tell you that in heaven their angels always behold the face of my Father who is in heaven (Matthew 18:10). From this, we know that all of us have our own guardian angels in heaven taking care of our spiritual good.
Matthew 18:15-17 deals with the way we should settle our disputes. First, between the 2 of you in private. Failing that, brought in 2 witnesses. Then bring the matter to the church. If all attempts failed, "and if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector" (Matthew 18:17b). Does it mean we should ex-communicate him, or we should start evangelizing him all over again, like a tax collector? This is open to interpretation. No matter what, Matthew agrees with St. Paul that we should not make use of worldly courts to settle our disputes, to attack our brothers in Christ. You may defend that Jesus teaches us to "Render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar's" (Matthew 22:21b) Therefore, we should be a good citizen of Hong Kong and cooperate with the government to beat crimes. However, the remaining verse continues with "... and to God the things that are God's." (Matthew 22:21c) Now, is there anything not God's? No. God's policy overrides SAR government's. Therefore, we should follow Matthew's precepts.
Then we read of yet another famous line from Matthew.
For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I in the midst of them (Matthew 18:20). This beautiful verse is the true spirit of the Church, a gathering of redeemed in Jesus' name. Unlike other wisdom religions in which an individual can attain enlightenment all by himself, our faith is communal. We unite with God in our community. We cannot do it all by ourselves.
The remaining chapter deals with the question of forgiveness. Jesus answered Peter's question by telling him to forgive forever.
Jesus said to him, "I do not say to you seven times, but seventy times seven" (Matthew 18:22). Hypothetically, if someone offends you 7 times and you have already forgiven him 7 times and yet, he continues. What does that mean? He has learnt nothing! Then, should you be angry with someone so low in IQ? I doubt very much if someone can be so stupid as to offend you 490 times without learning anything. More often than not, the offender usually does not have the courage to seek forgiveness. We don't even have one single chance to forgive. I am afraid we will never be able to use up all those 490 chances throughout our life. If I sound too pessimistic about the human nature, just too bad.
The parable of the Unforgiving Steward that follows (Matthew 18:23-35) illustrates vividly the nature of forgiveness. The one who forgives is already in an advantaged & superior position. When your brother offends you, immediately you are in a superior position because he owes you at least an apology. So, if he repents and seek reconciliation but you withhold your forgiveness, you are abusing your superiority. Moreover, it breeds bitterness and resentment in our hearts. Forgiveness provides a chance for both parties to mend fences for the benefit of the future and a chance for both to grow up.
My God, it is not easy to forgive, but I don't think I will be able to exercise fully the 490 chances to forgive. Worse still, many a sinner like me finds it even harder to seek forgiveness. Is it because I have not forgiven enough so that I become stiff-necked not to seek forgiveness? Unplug me from my egoism that I may travel light to my heavenly home. Then I will be able to visualize Your glory. Amen.
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