主題：濫權
正如神父在彌撒開始時說，我們每個人都有責任建設這個堂區，分享天主所賜予的永恆生命。所以，我們應該善用天主所賜予的才幹、恩寵與及這些恩賜所帶來的權力，去服事天主，服事有困難的兄弟姊妹，而且在服事有困難的兄弟姊妹時，我們正在服事天主。這個星期，我們看一看運用權力時容易犯的毛病。
首先，讓我們了解多一點馬爾谷福音的結構。馬爾谷福音把耶穌的生平簡化為兩部份，以第八章第29節為整部福音的分水嶺。馬爾谷第八章第29節是甚麼？就是兩星期前所讀，有關伯多祿在斐理伯凱撒肋雅宣認耶穌是默西亞。在這之前的前半部福音講述耶穌在北方加里肋亞一帶宣講天國的道理，召選門徒，行神蹟等。從第八章第29節開始，講述耶穌預言受難並南下到耶路撒冷被釘十字架和復活。另外，馬爾谷在講述耶穌生平時，也做了一些簡單的編輯工作，例如，從若望福音，我們知道耶穌曾到過耶路撒冷最少三次過逾越節，所以我們說耶穌傳教三年。但馬爾谷把三次濃縮成為一次。另外他把耶穌的神蹟，耶穌的教訓集中在幾處。其實，耶穌不一定按馬爾谷福音的次序行神蹟和說教訓的，而是馬爾谷把他認為相關的事蹟和教訓放在一起，達到相得益彰的效果，又可以加強聽眾的記憶。今天所讀的福音，就是一個例子。雖然連續出現三個「誰甚麼甚麼…」也未必是在同一場合講的，說不定在前後相距一年半載亦未可知。現在，讓我們姑且繼續上星期的教訓，從運用權力的角度去默想今個主日福音的教訓。
若望是耶穌最愛的門徒，很多名畫、電影總把他描繪成一個溫文爾雅的人。其實，耶穌給他和哥哥雅各伯起了一個「雷霆之子」的綽號，可想而知，他們兄弟倆有很激烈的性格。例如，有一次他們經過一個撒瑪黎雅村莊時，因為猶太人和撒瑪黎雅人之間是世仇，所以，當村民知道他們是前往耶路撒冷時，便拒絕接待耶穌。兩兄弟就求耶穌准許他們叫火從天降下焚毀村莊（路9:54），他們比較今天的ISIS，不遑多讓。 耶穌當然制止他們，但可想而知，濫用權力是相當容易的一回事。
正當有些人想獨攬大權的時候，另外有些人卻走向另一個極端。他們懶得動腦筋，又沒有時間去尋根究底。他們寧願放棄自己當家作主而倚賴權威、專家為他們選擇，為他們作決定。在香港，很多人，很多廣告喜歡引用權威人士的說話，因為大部份市民信賴權威人士的說話，接受他們所提供的意見。很可惜那些祗顧追求權力的人，往往忘記了權力所帶來的責任。其實，權威人士的擔子是非常重的，他們隨便一句說話，可以令股市大幅波動，可以令全城市民一窩蜂搶購白醋，或者申請外國護照。今天，耶穌向所有權威人士，即那些有能力影響其他人生命的人，發出警告。假如他們濫用了權威，引人犯罪。倘若他們不負責任，令弱小者就犯、跌倒，在肉體上或靈性上受到損害的話，耶穌保証，在末日他們所受的懲罰，比死無葬身之地更慘。猶太人說的「拿一塊驢拉的磨石，套在頸項，投到海裡」即是死無葬身之地的意思，是極惡毒的詛咒。權力越大，責任越大。當你運用權力的時候，你能不謹慎嗎？
最後，當權力開始埋沒你的良心，令你覺得天主很陌生的時候，你可有壯士斷臂的勇氣，辭職、下台？當你全神貫注投入你的工作，卻令你的家庭關係開始疏離，沒有時間讀經祈禱，你可有壯士斷臂的勇氣，主動辭職、下台？當你變成低頭一族，不讓座給附近的老弱傷殘或者孕婦的時候，當你沉迷打機，上網成癮，或者上了賭癮、毒癮的時候，你可有決心戒除這些惡習嗎？
九月的第四個主日是「教育主日」。今年「教育主日」的主題是「耶穌基督就是生命」。教育可以提昇生命，而提昇生命與認識耶穌基督是不可分割的。所以宗教教育是非常重要的一環。另一方面，教育是權力關係錯綜複雜的場合，很容易出現濫用權力的情況。今天讓我們為從事教育的教育工作者和託付在他們手上的莘莘學子祈禱。願他們能在教與學的過程中，與基督相遇，獲得基督的祝福。我們每個人都擁有或多或少的權力，但願當我們運用權力服務的時候，我們與受眾都能獲得天主的祝福。大家要提防獨攬大權的野心，要記住權力所帶來的責任，還有要有急流勇退的決心，否則不能自拔，害己害人。切戒切戒。
今次福音中的片斷，若望禁止其他人用耶穌的名字驅魔，我們固然欣賞若望對耶穌的忠心。可是，你不是我們少林派，就不准用我們少林派的武功；或者你不是天主教，就不准唸我們的天主經；這是合理嗎？注意，這不單是門戶成見的問題，而是若望有壟斷救恩的嫌疑。你想用耶穌的名號驅魔嗎？加入我們的團隊吧。你想得到救恩，就加入天主教吧。這是對的。但我們不能說，你不是天主教的神職人員，不准你用耶穌的名號驅魔。你不信天主教，你就得不到救恩。信佛教，道教，孔教，伊斯蘭教甚至無神論者，就不能得救。就種論調既犯了邏輯上的錯誤，更局限了天主拯救世界的方法，懷疑天主拯救世界的能力。歸根究底，這是權力慾在作怪，人貪圖獨攬大權之過。且看梅瑟的胸襟，耶穌的胸襟，你能不慚愧嗎？
天主保佑。
Twenty sixth Ordinary Sunday (Year B)
Theme: The abuses of authority
Just as what Fr. Ng said at the beginning of the Mass, each and every one of us has the duty to build up this parish to share the eternal life bestowed from God. Therefore, we should make good use of the talents, graces and their concomitant authority to serve God and the needy. And when we serve the brethren in need, we serve God. This week, let us continue to see the common mistakes we can make in exercising authority.
Firstly, let us know a bit more about the structure of the Gospel of Mark. Mark simplifies the life of Jesus into two parts with 8:28 as the watershed. What is Mark 8:28? We read this two weeks ago in which Peter declared at Cæsaria Philippi that Jesus was the Messiah. Before 8:28, the gospel talks about Jesus’ ministry in Galilee in the north, proclaiming the kingdom of God, calling disciples and working miracles etc. Starting from 8:28, it talks about Jesus’ predictions of his passion and his moving south to Jerusalem to be crucified and his resurrection. Moreover, in telling the story of Jesus, Mark put in some simple editorial works. For example, from the Gospel of John, we know that Jesus had come to Jerusalem for at least three times to celebrate Passover. That is why we say that Jesus had preached for three years. However, Mark condenses the three trips into one. Furthermore, Mark groups the miracles and teachings in several places. In fact, Jesus might not follow Mark’s sequence to work miracles or teach. Mark put what he thought were related incidents together so as to enhance its readability and the memory of the listeners. The text we read today is one such example. Though “whoever such and such” appears together three times, Jesus might not have said them in one occasion. Perhaps they were spoken in a span of a year or half a year apart. Now, let us follow last week’s perspective of exercising authority to meditate the teaching today.
John was the beloved apostle of Jesus. Many paintings and movies portrayed him as a meek and gentle man. In fact, Jesus gave him and his brother James a nickname, “sons of thunder”. We can imagine how explosive their temper could be. For example, once they passed through a Samaritan village. Since Jews and Samaritans were enemies, and when the Samaritan villagers learnt that they were heading Jerusalem, they refused to receive them. The sons of thunder asked Jesus to permit them to bid fire from heaven to consume them. (Luke 9:54) Their behaviour was comparable to ISIS today! Of course, Jesus stopped them but we can see how easy it is to abuse authority.
Just when somebody wants to acquire absolute power, others go to the opposite extreme. They are lazy to rack their own brains and they have no time to do research. They would rather surrender their autonomy and rely on the authority of experts to choose for them, to make decisions for them. In Hong Kong, people and advertisements like quoting experts because most citizens trust the words of experts and accept their opinions without reservation. Unfortunately, those whose sole target is power usually forget the concomitant responsibilities. Indeed, their responsibilities are very heavy. One casual word might rock the market; drives the whole town into a “white vinegar” buying frenzy or even floods consulates with citizens trying to get a visa. Today, Jesus gave the people in power a warning, those who have power to influence the life of other people. If they abuse their authority to make other people sin; if they ignore their duties and coerce the weak to sin, to fall, to suffer physical or spiritual harms, Jesus guarantees that at the end of the world, their punishments would be worse than death without a proper burial. In Jewish language, “to be thrown into the sea with a millstone hanging around the neck” is an extremely evil cursing, wishing somebody to die without a proper burial. The greater the power is, the greater is the responsibility. When we exercise authority, can we not be careful?
At last, when your conscience is numbed by authority, when God becomes no longer discernible, do you have the courage “to amputate your limbs”, i.e. to resign and step down? When you concentrate on your work which alienates your family relations, taking away your time to read the Bible and to pray, do you have the courage to resign and step down? When you are addicted to your smartphones so much so that you do not give up your seats to the weak, the disabled and the pregnant; when you are addicted to online games, Internet, or even gambling and narcotics, do you have the determination to kick these bad habits?
The fourth Sunday in September is “Education Sunday”. The theme this year is “Jesus Christ is Life”. Education elevates our life and knowing Jesus is indispensable for the elevation of life. Religious education is an essential link. On the other hand, education is a situation with complicated power relations and abuses of authority can easily take place. Today, let us pray for educators and the students entrusted in their hands. May they encounter Jesus Christ and receive his blessing in the process of learning and teaching. Each and every one of us possesses authority to a certain extent. We pray that when we exercise our authority to serve, we ourselves and the recipients of our service may receive God’s blessing. We should beware of the ambition to acquire absolute power, to remember the responsibilities brought along with authority and the determination to withdraw in dysfunctional situations. Otherwise, we will harm ourselves as well as other. Beware!
In the gospel story today, John stopped somebody from using Jesus’ name to exorcise. We should admire John’s loyalty to Jesus. However, if you do not belong to our Shaolin Temple, you are not allowed to use Shaolin kungfu. Or if you are not a Catholic, you are not allowed to say the Lord’s Prayer. Is it reasonable? Pay attention. It is not a matter of factionalism. John would probably be guilty of monopolizing salvation. Do you want to exorcise in Jesus’ name? Join our hierarchy. If you want to receive salvation, you should become a Catholic. These are correct but we cannot say that since you are not a Catholic priest, you are not allowed to exorcise in Jesus’ name or if you don’t believe in Catholicism, you cannot be saved. If you believe in Buddhism, Taoist, Confucianism, Islam or even atheism, you cannot be saved. This is a logical fallacy. Even worse, it attempts to limit God’s ways of salvation, doubting God’s capability to save the world. At root is the fault of power hunger, of man’s desire to enjoy absolute power. When you look at the breath of mind of Moses and Jesus, can you not feel ashamed?
God bless.
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