我喜歡計數，今天的福音給了我一度很刺激的數學題。
一個香港的大學畢業生，安份守己，21歲開始工作，月薪領18000元，18年後拿頂薪66800元，餘下的21年，按通脹2.6%調整拿頂薪，退休那一年，每月領100000元。他用了39年的時間，一分錢也不消費，共賺得了2780萬，接近一次「六合彩」的頭獎上限。如果僕人有橫財命，不用工作，祗中「六合彩」的話。他欠的債，相當於208次「六合彩」的頭獎上限！如果每星期有兩次攪珠，而這個僕人每次都中頭獎並領得頭獎上限，也要兩年時間纔可以籌到足夠的錢，還清欠國王的債。耶穌所設的比喻，實在誇張。如果現實一點又如何呢？
一個「德納」是3.85公分銀子，一百個「德納」是0.385公斤銀子，即190美元，約合1483港元。相對之下(二十萬公斤對0.4公斤)，是僕人欠國王的532,468份之一。一個「德納」同時亦是一個工人一日的工資。倘若僕人替國王工作還債，也要做53,200,000日。假設僕人一生可以工作80年，他也要1,800世為奴，方可還請欠債！當然，如果您有幸大學畢業，一生工作39年，您祗要做28.5世，便可以還清一世的欠債。可是，其餘27世的欠債，又怎樣還呢？
按【思高聖經】附錄五，乙部「新約時代」的希臘制貨幣計算，一個「塔冷通」是20.5公斤的銀子。一萬「塔冷通」即20.5萬公斤的銀子，若以493.6美元一公斤計算（二月二十日蘇黎世銀價），故事中，國王的僕人欠國王10,112萬美元、約合7.8億港元。
天父啊！我欠祢的，實在太多了。可是，我仍與人斤斤計較，我知錯了。亞孟。
HOW TO CALCULATE? (Matthew 18:21-35)
I enjoy doing calculations. The gospel reading today gives me an exciting sum to do.
According to Appendix V of the Studium Biblicum Version, Section B, "N.T. Currencies", one talent was 20.5 kg of silver. 10,000 talents would be 205,000 kg of silver. Let 1 kg of silver be USD 493.6 (price of silver in Zurich on 20 February), the servant owed the king 10.112 million USD, roughly 78 million HKD.
Suppose a university graduate in Hong Kong starts working at 21 in a steady job at a salary of HKD 18,000. After 18 years, his salary caps at HKD 66,800. For the remaining 21 years, he receives the maximum salary, adjusted according to an inflation rate of 2.6%. When he retires, he will be receiving HKD 100,000 a month. Throughout his life not spending one cent, he makes 27.8 million HKD, nearly the maximum of a Mark Six first prize. If this servant did not have to work, and simply won all Mark Six first prizes. His debt would roughly be the equivalence of 208 maximum Mark Six first prizes. Suppose Mark Six is drawn twice a week. It would take him nearly two years of winning maximum Mark Six first prizes to repay the debt he owed the king. Jesus' parables are really hyperbolic. Let's get more realistic.
A denarius was 3.85 gm of silver. 100 denarii were 0.385 kg of silver, i.e. USD 190, roughly HKD 1,483. In comparison (200,000 kg vs. 0.4 kg), that was one 532,468th of the debt the servant owed the king. Moreover, one denarius was also the daily wage of a worker. If the servant worked for the king as a slave to repay, he needed to work 53.2 million days. Suppose a servant could work for 80 years throughout his life, he needed to work as a slave, life after life for 1,800 lives! Of course, if he were a university graduate and worked 39 years throughout his life, he still needed to work for 28.5 lives to repay the debt of this life. The question is, how were he to repay the debts of the remaining 27 lives?
Heavenly Father, I owe you too much. Yet, I am still so calculating towards others. I am sorry. Amen.
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