主題：在我的心目中，耶穌是誰
首先，讓我們認識一些福音的背景。斐理伯的凱撒勒雅位於加里肋亞湖以北約40公里，在當時的敘利亞省邊界，是一座很有戰略價值的城市。斐理伯是大黑落德的其中一個兒子。是大黑落德死後統治猶大的分封侯之一；另一個分封侯就是惡名昭彰，殺死若翰洗者的安提帕。斐理伯為了奉承凱撒奧古斯都而將該城改名為凱撒勒雅。
不經不覺，耶穌在北方的加里肋亞省一帶的傳道工作，已差不多三年了。今天耶穌做了一個並沒有代表性的民意調查，詢問門徒，他在群眾的心目中是怎麼樣。門徒七咀八舌，把自己心目中想聽到的意見報告給耶穌。例如，十二宗徒中有一個政治立場鮮明的「熱誠者」西滿。這一黨人反對建制派，反對羅馬人統治。黑落德安提帕是羅馬帝國所扶植的傀儡殖民地統治者，他殺了洗者若翰。所以有人散播謠言，把耶穌描繪成為復活了的洗者若翰，想借助耶穌打擊黑落德。耶穌與洗者若翰有幾分相似，兩者都是不畏權貴，仗義執辭。不過，洗者若翰未曾行過一個神蹟。所以把耶穌描繪成先知比較恰當。
當然，耶穌並不介意別人怎樣看他。他關心的是十二宗徒，教會將來的基石如何了解他。所以，耶穌直指其心地問：「您們說我是誰呢？」（谷8:29）十二宗徒之中，祗有伯多祿站出來作答。所以，其他基督教派無論怎樣不願意，也不能否定一個事實：伯多祿是十二宗徒之長。他未必是耶穌收的第一個徒弟，他肯定不是若望福音所載的「耶穌最愛的門徒」或者是十二人中最能幹的門徒。但可以肯定，他是十二宗徒的「大師兄、班長」。所以是他站出來，代表十二人答覆耶穌。
更嚴重的問題出現了。耶穌清楚表明默西亞的真正任務，就是以受難復活來解放全人類。伯多祿出於好意，想勸諫制止耶穌。他這樣做是人之常情，但是「好心做壞事」。請大家留意，耶穌斥責伯多祿的說話，其實不是針對伯多祿，而是伯多祿背後的撒殫。伯多祿並沒有附魔，撒殫仍未入侵到伯多祿體內。所以耶穌不用說驅魔的命令。耶穌命令撒殫退到自己的身後，以自己來擋住撒殫，目的為了保護伯多祿。跟著教訓伯多祿，希望他能領會天主的思想。
這件事蹟，我們可以領悟出最少兩個教訓。第一，倘若我們不尋求天主的旨意的話，我們的好心祗會做壞事。伯多祿就是一個很清楚的例子。所以，我們有必要讀經祈禱，體會天主的旨意。在今天的第二篇讀經，雅各伯宗徒在他的書信中，清楚表達出天主的旨意是甚麼。天主的旨意不是漂亮的演講辭，而是具體的愛德服務。天主的旨意是跨越狹隘的民族主義、本土主義，跨越那些祗關心自己人，而不理會敘利亞難民的生死存亡的思想；是胸襟廣闊的泛愛眾人。
第二，耶穌的問題不單問十二宗徒，也問我們。在我們的心目中，耶穌是誰？這個問題我們可以參考別人的答案， 例如在今天的第一篇讀經，我們看到依撒意亞先知，仗義執辭，得罪君王，受到其他人的攻擊。對於他，天主就是他的保護，就算在君王前被指控，也有天主作他的辯護。但天主要的，是我們每個人自己的答案。你呢？耶穌在你面前問你，你認為耶穌是誰呢？
梅瑟曾預言將來天主要派一個好像他一樣的先知，來解放以色列人。但在舊約歷史的發展之中，就出現了兩類的先知，包括在朝庭做官的先知和在民間的先知。所謂伴君如伴虎，在君王身邊的先知很少能做到諫官的任務，而民間的先知反而能批評時弊，勸人悔改，自己卻成了君王的眼中釘。有些民間先知，甚至能行神蹟，更被稱為「天主的人」，他們所留下的著作，還被編入希伯來經典之中。所以，耶穌在世的時候，選擇性地行一些舊約先知曾行過的神蹟，提醒猶太人，天主所應許的先知，所應許的默西亞已來臨。
他的答案，表面上是正確的。「默西亞」就是預許了要來解放猶太人的達味後裔。可是，當代的猶太人對「默西亞」有錯誤的演繹。當年達味為了表達對天主的愛，想為天主興建一座聖殿，安放與以色列人流浪了四百多年的約櫃。天主很欣賞達味，不但不需要他建造聖殿，反而應許達味的王朝永世長存。聖殿將來由達味的兒子撒羅滿王興建。可惜好景不常，撒羅滿王死後，以色列國分裂為南北二國。國力不但分薄了，還先後亡國給亞述和巴比倫。但天主的諾言怎可能落空呢？所以，就出現了「默西亞」的觀念。將來，天主要興起一個達味的後裔，復興以色列。當時，猶太人被羅馬帝國殖民統治。很自然，他們心目中的「默西亞」，就是一個「反清復明」的人民英雄。他將會是一個驅逐羅馬人，解放猶太人的軍政領袖。但耶穌要對付的，不單是羅馬帝國；耶穌要解放的，不單是猶太人。耶穌的門徒被狹隘的民族主義所蒙蔽，對「默西亞」有錯誤的理解。
我不能代你答。但執事我可以提供幾個參考答案。
以上祗是隨手拈來的幾個朋友的經驗。最重要的是你自己與耶穌的關係。這個星期就默想檢討這個關係吧。
天主保祐。
Twenty-fourth Ordinary Sunday, (Year B)
Theme: In my heart, who is Jesus?
Let us begin with something about the background of the gospel story. Cæsarea Philippi is 40 km north of the Sea of Galilee. It was a strategic city located near the border of the province of Syria. Philip was one of the sons of Herod the Great, one of the tetrarchs ruling Judea after the death of Herod the Great. Another tetrarch was the notorious Herod Antipas who beheaded John the Baptist. To flatter Cæsar Augustus, Philip renamed the city Cæsarea.
Time flew. Jesus had been preaching the gospel in the northern province of Galilee for nearly three years. Today, he did a not-so-valid opinion poll, asking his disciples what the people generally thought about him. The disciples were eager to tell Jesus what they wanted to hear from the people. For example, one of the Twelve was Simon, a Zealot, who hated the pro-establishment and openly opposed the Roman rule. Herod Antipas was a puppet king put in place to exercise the Roman colonial rule. He killed John the Baptist. Therefore, some people spread the rumour that Jesus was John the Baptist coming back to life. They wanted to make use of Jesus to attack Antipas. To a certain extent, Jesus and John the Baptist were alike in that both of them dared to criticize the people in power according to the truth. But John the Baptist had never worked a single miracle. Therefore, it would be more appropriate to describe Jesus as a prophet.
Moses had prophesized that God would raise a prophet like him to liberate the Israelites. In the course of Old Testament history, two types of prophets arose, official prophets who served in the palace and the prophets among the people. It was perilous to serve a king. Therefore, not many prophets could dare to exhort the kings to do the right things. On the other hand, prophets of the common folk were able to criticize the current abuses and exhort people to repent. They themselves became nemesis of kings. Some of these prophets were able to work miracles and were called “men of God”. They left behind writings which were collected into the Hebrew Scriptures. So, when Jesus came, he selectively performed miracles done by these prophets, reminding the Jews that the promised Messiah had arrived.
Actually, Jesus did not care very much about what other people thought of him. He cared about how the Twelve, the foundation stones of the Church, perceived him. Therefore, Jesus asked pointedly, “But who do you say I am?” (Mark 8:29) Among the Twelve, only Peter stood up to answer. Therefore, no matter how reluctant some Protestant churches are to accept, they cannot deny a simple fact: Peter was the head of the Twelve. He might not be the first disciple, nor the “beloved disciple” in the gospel of John, nor the most capable disciple. One thing for sure, Peter was the prefect of the Twelve. He stood up to represent the Twelve to answer Jesus’ question.
Superficially, Peter’s answer was correct. The Messiah was the foretold descendant of David God sent to liberate the Jews. However, the contemporary Jews had a wrong interpretation of the idea of the Messiah. King David wanted to show his love for God. He planned to build God a house/temple to house the Ark which had been wandering in the wilderness with the Israelites for more than four centuries. God appreciated that but God did not want David to build the Temple. Instead God promised that David’s house/dynasty would last forever. The Temple would be built by his son, King Solomon. Unfortunately, after the death of King Solomon, Israel was divided into the Northern and Southern Kingdoms. Their vitality was reduced and the two Kingdoms were subsequently conquered by the Assyrians and Babylonians. But how could God’s promise fall to the ground? Thus the concept of the “Messiah” sprang into life. In the future, God would raise a descendant of David to restore Israel. In Jesus’ time, Jews were Roman colonial subjects. Naturally, their conception of the Messiah would be a political military leader who would drive away the Romans and liberate the Jews. However, Jesus did not target the Roman Empire. Jesus did not liberate the Jews alone. The understanding of the disciples of Jesus was clouded by narrow nationalism and resulted in a wrong understanding of the Messiah.
Worse was still to come. Jesus explained clearly that the true mission of the Messiah was to suffer and die and come back to life in order to liberate all mankind. Out of good intention, Peter tried to dissuade Jesus. His action was natural enough but “the path to hell is littered with good intentions”. Peter was doing a bad thing with good intention. Pay attention. The words Jesus used to scold Peter did not target Peter, but the Satan behind Peter. Peter was not yet possessed. Therefore, Jesus’ words were not exorcism commands. Jesus commanded Satan to get behind him in order to block Satan from attacking Peter. Jesus wanted to protect Peter. Then he told Peter to try to understand God’s thinking.
This event teaches us at least two things. Firstly, if we do not seek the will of God, our good intentions will only result in bad things. Peter was a vivid example. Therefore, we need to read the Bible and pray to know more about God’s will. In the second reading today, James speaks clearly what God’s will is. God’s will is not beautiful speeches but concrete charity services. God’s will transcends those narrow nationalism and nativism, those which care only about the good of “we” and ignore the plights of the “they”, the Syrian refugees. It is a big heart to be inclusive, to love all mankind.
Secondly, Jesus did not direct the question to the Twelve only. Jesus also asks us. In our hearts, who is Jesus? We may refer to other people’s answer. For example, in the first reading today, we see that Isaiah spoke the truth and antagonized the kings and the people attacked him. For him, God was his protection, his advocate when put on trial. However, God wants our personal answer. What about you? When Jesus stands in front of you and asks you, what do you think of Jesus?
I cannot answer for you. But I can offer you a few answers for reference purpose.
The above are just experiences from a few friends. The most important point is your personal relationship with Jesus. This week, meditate about this relationship.
God bless.
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