主題：虔誠敬拜
上星期我們聽過納因城寡婦的故事，她非常幸運，因為耶穌及時來到納因城。正當人們抬著她的獨生子的遺骸出城外安葬，耶穌看見她的處境，對她動了憐憫的心，於是上前按住了棺材，復活了那年青人，交還給他的母親，大團圓結局。讓我們想像一下，倘若耶穌來遲了一個星期，或者一個月，寡婦的命運將會變成怎樣呢？
首先，她會失去所有家庭的支援。她嫁入夫家，已離開了自己的父家，她已不能要求兄弟的供養。其次，她的兒子是她與亡夫所有的一切的惟一合法聯系。如今兒子死了，她立刻喪失了一切管用權。她頓失依靠，惟有自食其力。假如她有一技旁身，例如木匠、陶工、農夫或漁夫，她還可以糊口。但在耶穌時代，這個機會不大。她很可能會成為一個娼妓，最後行乞終老。無論是娼妓或是乞丐，這兩個「行業」在任何地域、任何世代，都不會受人尊重。我稱他們為「行業」，因為他們很容易成為由黑幫操控的人口販子的目標。在今天的香港，我們經常看見他們跨境謀生。
在今天的福音，這位對耶穌表達欽崇的妓女，從前有可能是一個寡婦。耶穌從前曾為她做過甚麼，值得她如此厚愛耶穌呢？假如這個女人從前的確是一個好像納因城的寡婦，肯定耶穌是來遲一步，未能為她解困，以致她變成了一個娼妓。如果真的是這樣，這位寡婦之所以成為一個娼妓，耶穌或許也要負上一點兒責任。無論如何，她現在是一個娼妓了。如果她不幸染上性病，耶穌有為她醫治嗎？倘若她背後被黑邦操縱，耶穌有替她贖身嗎？耶穌有恢復她的名譽地位嗎？沒有！耶穌從來沒有特別為她做過甚麼。因此，這個婦人不是出於感激耶穌曾為她做過的好事來報答他。
誠然，報恩是一個值得栽培的美德。當初沒有父母的愛，一個嬰兒怎可能生存下來呢？因此，孝敬父母是應該的。當初沒有老師的教導，一個人最終落得鋃鐺入獄或者在地獄永不超生。因此，尊師重道是應該的，投桃報李，報答恩惠是應該的。但用甚麼理由去解釋這個婦人對耶穌的行為呢？
我認為在這個女人的心目中，耶穌是她所有希望的化身。這個婦人生活在黑暗和絕望中。她沒有將來，地獄是她最後的歸宿。日復日地，在暗處她受到嫖客的淫辱；在公眾場所被歧視為罪人；在心靈上，她以為天主不會寬恕一個人盡可夫的妓女。忽然間，地平線上露出希望的曙光。耶穌來治病，或許他會治療她的病；耶穌來驅魔，解放附魔的人，或許他能解放她困擾的良心。耶穌來邀請娼妓和稅吏參加天主的宴會，比法利塞人更早進入天國，在天國為他們預留一席位，得享天父的慈悲。一如慈悲禧年禱文所說，耶穌是「不可見的天父可見的面容，彰顯天主寬恕和慈悲的力量。」這個婦人在耶穌身上看見了慈悲的天主來包紮她的傷口，解除她的枷鎖，並應許她在天堂有一席位。因此，她所做的是對慈悲的天主欽崇敬拜的行為。她相信沒有罪過是天主不能寬恕的。
在物質層面上，她仍會當娼以維生，但她可以有骨氣地當娼。她仍要捱受嫖客的淫辱，仍會受到公眾的歧視和宗教領袖的咒罵。但在她的心底深處，她知道天主不會定她的罪，天主會寬仁待她。憑藉著天主賜予的信心和力量，或許有朝一日，她能擺脫娼妓的生涯。不要因為在耶穌寬恕了她之後仍操醜業而感覺驚奇。耶穌是務實的。且重讀經文。在若望福音所載有關淫婦的故事中，耶穌在故事結束時不但沒有定淫婦的罪，還叮囑她不要再犯罪了（若8:11）。可是在這裡，耶穌並沒有囑咐她不要再犯罪了。當然，耶穌還做了很多事，沒有記載在福音裡，所以可能耶穌有說了，但路加忘記寫下來，也未可知。耶穌肯定不會勸人繼續犯罪，因為這樣做，會傷害自己的身心，傷害我們與別人和天主的關係。但耶穌在這裡的沉默，顯示出了他的體諒。
這個故事帶來甚麼教訓？
第一：我們要忍耐。天主有祂的時間表。倘若天主現在不立刻伸出援手，我們仍要保持信德，他始終會出手拯救我們。
第二：愛得越多，罪過獲赦恕得越多。法利塞人西滿或許有更大的罪過，可惜他錯過了獲得寬恕的機會。作為一個天主教徒，我們應全心全靈愛慕敬拜耶穌基督。
最後，耶穌的沉默說得非常清楚，他是務實的。因此，教會也應該是務實的。一方面，教會不能姑息罪惡。但另一方面，她應該像耶穌一樣，體諒那些生活在困境中的人。作為耶穌的門徒，我們應克制，不隨便論斷他人的不是，有如法利塞人西滿一樣。我們應擔當慈悲大使的任務，把天主的寬恕，帶給有需要的人。
天主保祐。
The Eleventh Ordinary Sunday (Year C)
Theme: An act of Adoration
Last week, we heard of the story of a pitiful widow in Nain. She was extremely lucky because Jesus arrived at the city gate just in time. People were carrying the corpse of her only son to the graveyard and preparing to give him a proper burial. Jesus saw the situation, had compassion on the widow. He stopped the bier and brought the dead man to life and gave him back to his mother. It was a happy ending. Let us imagine what would have happened to the widow if Jesus had arrived at Nain one week or one month later.
First of all, she would have lost all her family supports. She was married and no longer belonged to her father's house. She could not turn to her brothers to seek support. Secondly, she did not have a son who had been her only legitimate link with whatever her husband had. That is to say, she had lost all claims on her husband's property. Where else could she go? She was totally on her own with nobody to support. If she were some sorts of a skilled worker, such as a carpenter, potter, farmer or fisherman etc., she could still feed herself. But that would be very unlikely in Jesus' time. Most likely, she would become a prostitute and ended up being a beggar at an old age. In neither profession would you earn any respect in any place or at any time. I said "profession" because these two groups of people are easy targets of human trafficking controlled by gangsters. Nowadays in Hong Kong, we see many of them travel across the border to make a living here.
In the gospel story today, we might be seeing a widow turned prostitute showing her love towards Jesus. What had Jesus done to her in the first place to deserve such a fabulous treatment? If the woman had truly been a widow like that of Nain, Jesus had surely come too late and had failed to console her and deliver her from her plights so much so that she ended up becoming a prostitute. In such case, Jesus was partly to blame for arriving too late and making a prostitute out of her! Now that she had become a prostitute, had Jesus cured her of sexually transmitted diseases if she had contracted any? Did Jesus buy her freedom if she was controlled by gangsters? What had Jesus done to restore her fame or status? Nothing. Jesus had not done anything in particular towards her in the first place. Therefore, what the woman did was not done out of gratitude in return for good things Jesus had done to her.
Of course, being grateful is a virtue which we must cultivate. Without parental love in the first place, a baby cannot subsequently survive. Therefore, it is right to honour our parents. Without teachers instructing us what the right things to do in the first place, we end up in jail or in hell. Therefore, it is right to respect teachers. It is right to return favour, to show gratitude. But what reasons can we give to explain the behaviour of the woman towards Jesus?
I think, to the woman in the story, Jesus was the personification of her hope. The woman led a life of darkness and despair. She saw no hope in the future and hell would surely be her final resting place. Day in day out, she was abused by her clients in private. She was discriminated as a sinner in the public. She was indoctrinated to believe that God would not forgive a woman who slept with so many men. But suddenly, a ray of hope dawned upon her. Jesus came to cure diseases. He would also cure hers. Jesus came to drive away demons to free the possessed. He would also clear her guilty conscience. Jesus came to invite prostitutes and tax-collectors to eat at God's table, to grant them a place in the Kingdom of Heaven before the Pharisees and to partake in the mercy of the Father. To quote the Prayer of the Jubilee of Mercy, Jesus is "the visible face of the invisible Father, of the God who manifests his power above all through forgiveness and mercy." This prostitute saw a merciful God in Jesus who came to heal her wounds, to free her from bondage and to promise her a place in heaven. Therefore, her behaviour was an act of adoration, an act of worship before a merciful God. She had faith that no sins were so great that God would be unable to forgive.
On the material level, she still had to continue to earn her living as a prostitute, but with an attitude. She would still have to endure the abuses of clients, the discrimination of the public and the curses of religious leaders etc. But deep inside her heart, she knew that God would not condemn her. God would be merciful to her. With the empowerment of God, she might one day even be able to shake off the bondage of prostitution. So, don't be surprised if she continued to work as a sex-worker after Jesus had forgiven her sins. Jesus was very realistic. I would like to draw your attention to the text once more. Unlike the story of the "adulterous woman" in the gospel of John in which not only did Jesus not condemn the adulterous woman and told her not to sin anymore (John 8:11), but here in this story, Jesus did not tell the prostitute not to sin anymore. Of course, Jesus had done many things not mentioned in the gospels. Therefore, it is also possible that Jesus had told her and Luke forgot to put it down in writing. Surely, Jesus would not encourage us to continue to commit sins because it is harmful to our body and soul, our relationships with fellow men and with God. But the silence strongly suggests that Jesus was very considerate.
So, what have we learnt from her story?
First of all, be patient. God has His schedule. Even if God does not deliver you immediately, have faith in Him. He would come to your aid sooner or later.
Secondly, greater love earns greater salvation. Simon the Pharisee might have even greater sins but he had missed the chance. As a Christian, we should love and adore Jesus Christ with all our heart and soul like the prostitute in the story.
Thirdly, Jesus' silence speaks loud and clear. He is pragmatic. So should the Church be! On one hand, the Church does not condone sins but on the other, she must be considerate, like Jesus, towards people living in difficult situations. As members of the Church, we should refrain from passing judgments on people, like Simon the Pharisee. We should be ambassadors of mercy, bringing the forgiveness of God to whoever is in need.
God bless.
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