主題：天主主動尋找亡羊
今天沒有讀第三個比喻，相信大家已經聽過很多次了，不用讀亦已經非常熟悉了。耶穌喜歡用比喻講述天國的道理，因為比喻容易理解，容易記憶。今天的三個比喻，旨在說明天父是慈悲的，祂不願看見罪人喪亡，所以當罪人悔改的時候，會給天父帶來很大的喜樂。說一個比喻不是已經足夠了嗎？為甚麼要說三個呢？理由十分簡單，正如我們不是有一部而是四部福音，從不同的角度介紹耶穌基督的生平。同樣，三個失而復得的比喻，也是從不同的角度，讓人明白天父的心意。
比喻是以小故事，講述大道理。所以比喻會用一些誇張的手法，或者出人意表的情節，吸引聽眾，並給聽眾留下深刻的印象。所以聽比喻是一種享受，在享受以餘，再玩味其中的大道理。當然，我們不是二千年前的聽眾，有些時候，我們未必掌握到其中的驚喜之處。例如，今天科技發達，耕種稻米的技術得到改良，由一顆種子吐出的穗，可以有二百多顆的稻榖。二千年前的生產量祗不過是三四十顆，沒有這麼多了。所以當耶穌說三十倍、六十倍甚至一百倍時，我們不覺得有甚麼了不起，但當時的聽眾，一定非常眉飛色舞，希望耶穌可以送一些神奇種子給他們。
今天的比喻，有甚麼驚喜之處呢？英文有這樣的一句成語：「手中一鳥，勝過林中雙鳥。」教人不可貪得，輕言冒險。中國人也有「亡羊補牢」的成語，勸人做一些補救的工程，減少未來的損失，雖然比較消極，但卻十分合理。福音的第一個比喻，令人意外之處，就是主人竟然為了一隻迷失的羊，而掉下九十九隻手上的羊。這是絕對不理智的做法，無論是說英語的人或中國人，都一定不會這樣做。因為找回先前迷失的一隻之後，回來時可能已經失去掉下的九十九隻羊，得不償失。這個比喻令人驚喜之處，在於天主奇怪的思想，祂真的不惜任何代價，祗是為了一隻亡羊。
相對地，第二個比喻的女人比較理智，她這樣翻箱倒籠是合理的。試想想，如果一個男人可以為了百份之一的財產如此落力，何況是十分一的財產，不是應該更加落力嗎？一個「達瑪」祗不過是一天的工資。這個婦女的十個銀幣，一定是她的「私房錢」，或者是她的嫁妝。所以這失去的達瑪的珍貴之處，不在於它的幣值，而是在於它的意義。一個人有甚麼價值可言呢？他出於塵土，將來亦要歸於塵土。人已是如此卑微，更何況是罪人呢？天主的慈悲，就在這裡彰顯出來。縱使我們祗值一個達瑪，天主也不會嫌棄我們，反而會不厭其煩地尋找罪人。這就是出人意表之處。教宗方濟各說，天主會不厭其煩地寬恕我們，祗不過我們厭倦求天主憐憫我們罷了。
讓我們做一個小結。第一和第二個失而復得的比喻，告訴我們亡羊和失錢是不會自己回頭的，是主人主動地，不惜代價地去尋覓它們的。其次，亡羊和失錢雖然本身的價值不大，但它們的主人仍非常珍惜它們，沒有嫌棄它們。找到它們，給主人帶來很大的歡樂。同樣，罪人沒有能力自己悔改。他們需要天主尋覓他們，而天主亦樂於伸出援手。
為甚麼還要說第三個失而復得的比喻呢？還有甚麼可以說呢？有！就是為那些自以為是的罪人。他們都是亡羊，但他們不認為自己是亡羊，所以不需要主人的尋覓。他們最大的問題，就是以為自己沒有問題。世上最難醫治的病人，就是那些認為自己沒有病的人。既然沒有病，就不需要醫生；同樣，義人既然沒有罪，就不需要天主了。問題是，那些所謂義人，真是義人嗎？
蕩子比喻的主角不是那悔改的不肖子，而是那長子。當弟弟分家產的時候，他沒有勸阻，反而坐享其成。祗是弟弟想分家，他不想分家嗎？結果弟弟做了不肖子，他做了「孝子」。當弟弟回來，父親竟然沒有懲罰他，反而大排筵席，宰了那肥牛犢，為那不肖子向全村的鄉親父老謝罪。至於他，連一隻山羊也未享用過，父親實在太不公義，太徧心了！
其實，他一直在父親身邊，一直享受著在父親身邊的益處。現在不肖子返回父親身邊了，他的焦點不在浪子的回頭，不在一家團聚的喜樂，不在父親的慈悲，反而要和弟弟斤斤計較，甚至和父親斤斤計較。難道這不肖子會分薄他的利益嗎？當我們的心容不下別人的過失的時候，我們的心就容不下天主了。這是多麼危險的事。這就是我們經常祈禱的事：「求祢寬恕我們的罪過，如同我們寬恕別人一樣。」第三個失而復得的比喻，提醒我們，悔改不是別人的事，是我們每一個人的事。
天主保祐！
Twenty Fourth Ordinary Sunday (Year C)
Theme: God takes the initiative to look for lost sheep
I believe all of you have read many times the third parable which I did not read today and you are already very familiar with it. Jesus likes to speak about the Kingdom of Heaven with parables because they are easy to understand and remember. The three parables talk about the mercy of the Father. He does not want to see sinners perish. So when sinners repent, it brings Him great joy. Isn't one parable enough? Why are there three? The reason is simple. Just as there are not one but four gospels to tell the life of Jesus from different angles, similarly, the three "lost-and-found" parables help us understand God's mind from different angles.
Parables are fables that teach a moral. Therefore, parables make use of exaggerations or surprises to attract the audience and leave them a deep impression. Therefore, enjoy listening to parables and in your leisure, figure out the moral. Of course, we are not audience two millennia ago. Sometimes, we may not appreciate where the surprises lie. For example, advances in technology improve the technique of rice growing. Today, a grain of rice may produce more than 200 grains. Two thousand years ago, the output was merely thirty to forty. So, when Jesus said thirtyfold, sixtyfold and even a hundredfold, the eyes of the audience might have been brightened and would like Jesus to give them these miracle seeds.
So, where are the surprises in the parables today? In English, an idiom "A bird in hand is worth two in the bush" warns people not to take risks casually. In Chinese, the idiom "Mend the fence when you lose a sheep" advises us that it is never too late to rectify mistakes in order to contain the damages and prevent future loss. Though it is passive, it is reasonable. The surprise in the first parable lies in the behaviour of the man after he lost his sheep. He left the 99 sheep in hand behind to look for a lost sheep! This is absolutely irrational. Any English speak people or Chinse speaking people would never take such an action. What if after finding the lost sheep, you return home only to find the 99 sheep disappeared. The risk/cost is higher than the benefit. God's strange way of thinking surprises us. He is willing to pay whatever price it takes to find the lost sheep.
Comparatively speaking, the woman in the second parable is more sensible. Her turning the house upside down was reasonable. Just think about it. If a man worked so hard to recover one hundredth of his possession, would he not work even harder to recover one tenth? One drachma was the wage of one day. These ten drachmas of the woman must be her "private purse" or perhaps her dowry. The value of the lost drachma lies not in the face value of the silver coin but its meaning to the woman. What does a man worth? He came from dust and will one day return to dust. Man is already so lowly. How much lower is even a sinner? God's mercy is manifested here. Even if all we worth were only one drachma, God would never abandon us. On the contrary, He would seek us out tirelessly. This is the surprise. Pope Francis said, "God would never grow tired of forgiving us. It is we who are tired of seeking mercy from God."
Let us consolidate what we have so far. The first and second "lost-and-found" parables tell us that the lost sheep and the lost coin were unable to return on their own. The master took the initiative to seek them out whatever the costs. Secondly, the lost sheep and the lost coin did not worth much, but their masters still treasured them, did not abandon them and sought them out. Finding them brings great joy to the master. Similarly, sinners are unable to repent on their own. They need God to seek them out and God is happy to lend them a helping hand.
The hero of the Parable of the Prodigal Son is not the younger son but the elder brother. When the younger son wanted his share of inheritance, the elder brother did nothing to prevent him. He did not dissuade his younger brother. He benefited from his brother's claim without moving his finger. Was the younger brother the only one who wanted to divide the inheritance? Did the elder brother not want to? The younger brother became the bad boy and he the good. When the younger brother returned, the father killed the fatted calf to pacify the elders in the village, to apology on behalf of his prodigal son. As for the elder son, he never had a kid to merry with his friends. The father was unfair and showed favouritism.
In fact, he had always stayed close to the father, enjoying the benefits of being close to the father. Now that this wayward son had returned, his focus was not on the repentance of the younger brother, not on the joy of family reunion, not on the mercy of the father, but on enumerating the wrongs of the younger brother and even the wrongs of the father. Would his younger brother take away his benefits? When our hearts cannot let go the mistakes of the others, our hearts have no room for God. How dangerous it is. That is why we keep on praying, "Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us." The third "lost-and-found" parable reminds us that repentance is NOT other people's problem. It is the problem of each one of us.
Why then do we need the third "lost-and-found" parable? What else can we say? There is! Those self-righteous sinners need the third parable. They are lost sheep but they do not think they are. They do not need their Master to seek them out. Their biggest problem is that they do not think they have problems. The most difficult patients in the world to heal are those who do not think that they are sick. They are not sick, thus they do not need physicians. Similarly, righteous people are without sins, thus they do not need God. The problem is whether these righteous people are truly righteous.
God bless.
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