主題：為甚麼要捨棄一切所有？
這幾個主日的福音是一脈相承的。首先，耶穌正朝耶路撒冷出發的時候，有人問耶穌得救的人多不多，耶穌便指出要進入天國，必需通過窄門。即是說，進入天國是要用力的，要作出犧牲的。上一個主日的福音，耶穌直指得救的核心所在，就是「謙遜」。人類因為渴望成為天主，並驕傲地想取代天主，所以惹下大禍，我們稱之為「原罪」。針對人類的驕傲，天主聖子降生成人，服從至死，並死在十字架上，就是「對症下藥」，教導我們以謙遜的心態，走過得救的窄門。今天，耶穌更清楚指出，跟隨耶穌，做耶穌門徒的人，要捨棄一切。不過，我們要瞭解，耶穌當時說這番話的背景。
首先，耶穌行過了五餅二魚與及其他的神蹟，已經吸引了一大群人跟隨他。其次，從門徒口中，耶穌知道了群眾對他懷有一個「危險的期望」，就是擁立他為「默西亞」，帶領他們進入耶路撒冷，驅逐羅馬人。而他正朝耶路撒冷方向進發，入聖城受難。當然，耶穌渴望所有的人得救，但得救與否，始終仍是個人的自由抉擇。因此，耶穌有責任向跟隨他的人，事先聲明，後果是自負的。所以耶穌按步就班，把進入天國的步驟慢慢展示出來。他首先提出窄門，然後提出謙遜，最後攤牌，提出做他的門徒要捨棄一切。所以，如果你是一個機會主義者，想跟隨耶穌，得到一官半職，但又不願意作出犧牲的話，恐怕你要適可而止，早日另謀高就了。倘若你是真心跟隨耶穌，我們就進一步默想耶穌的教訓，它的真正意義是甚麼。為甚麼我們要捨棄一切，纔能得救？
在路加福音中，耶穌提出的「捨棄」分了三個層次。第一是「憎恨自己的親人，甚至憎恨自己的生命」，第二是「背起自己的十字架」，第三是「捨棄一切所有」。讓我們來分析第一個層次。
很自然，愛耶穌甚於愛惜自己的生命，必會帶來困難痛苦。因為愛耶穌，你會遵從祂的教訓行事，努力實踐真福八端的要求，自然招致來自自己的私慾徧情、世俗和魔鬼的干擾。這就是耶穌所指的十字架了。最後，為甚麼要捨棄一切呢？錢財是身外物，但親友的關係、事業的成就，是你自己的組成部份，甚至是重要的組成部份。捨棄了這些，你還是你嗎？親友的確是天主賜給你，幫助你成長的，不可缺少的成員。你的事業是你善用天主所賜的才幹的成果。但這一切，就是天主的計劃嗎？天主真的想你停在現狀嗎？
今天，真福德蘭修女封聖了，她的生平是一個很好的說明。她已經捨棄了一切，加入了一個傳教女修會，離開家人，到印度加爾各答教書，做到了校長的地位。她本可以繼續安逸地在學校的圍墻內教書，作育英才，興建更多的名校，甚至晉升為修會會長。但她沒有這樣做。她感覺到一個召叫中的召叫，耶穌呼召她到最貧窮的人之中，去服事他，實踐瑪竇福音第廿五章的教訓。就這樣，她捨棄了過往十八年的成就，離開了安全、安逸的學校環境，走入了陌生、危險貧民窟，踏上了成聖之窄門。你或者會說，真福德蘭修女是聖人，我們是凡人。她做得到，我們做不到。
耶穌所說的兩個計算的比喻很有趣，其中暗藏了一些指示。第二個比喻中提及以一萬人與二萬人作戰，有勝算嗎？有！你可以與其他國王聯盟作戰。找誰聯盟最好呢，哪位國王的作戰紀錄最好呢？據民長紀的記載，天主從一萬士兵之中，挑選了其中三百個，打敗了外族的十二萬的聯軍。所以，投靠天主是最好的選擇。其實，天主非常渴望幫助我們，可惜我們不願捨棄阻礙我們親近天主的事物。你能犧牲捨棄多少呢？
猶太人用的希伯來語，是沒有比較式的。即是說，祗有美和醜，沒有更加美。正如兩個美女站在一起的時候，一個是美，另一個便是醜了。但所謂醜的並不是真正的醜，祗是沒有那麼美。同理，因為希伯來文沒有比較式，所以祗有愛和恨。在耶穌與父母之間，你愛哪個多一些呢？你會說：「我愛耶穌多一些，我愛父母少一些。」這是中國人，現代人的表達方式。但在耶穌時代的猶太人，他們祗能說：「我愛耶穌，憎恨父母。我愛天主，憎恨自己的生命。」試想想，十誡不是要求人孝敬父母嗎？憎恨父母豈不是違反十誡呢？耶穌是天主，他豈能自我矛盾呢？所以，第一個層次，就是在心態上，你愛自己的生命多，還是愛耶穌多呢？你愛自己的妻子、兒女多，還是愛耶穌多呢？耶穌要求做他門徒的人，愛他更甚於愛自己的生命。
天主保祐。
Twenty Third Ordinary Sunday (Year C)
Theme: Why do we have to renounce all?
The gospel readings in these few weeks are related. First of all, when Jesus was heading towards Jerusalem, somebody asked Jesus whether few would be saved. Jesus told them to strive to enter the Kingdom of Heaven through the narrow gate. That is to say, in order to be save, we need to strive, to sacrifice. Last Sunday, Jesus pointed directly to the core of salvation. That is humility. Men desired to become God, and arrogantly wanted to replace God. This started all the troubles and we call it the "Original Sin". Targeting this human pride, the Son of God incarnated and died obediently even on the cross. With this dose of target medicine, Jesus taught us to go through the narrow gate of salvation with humility. Today, Jesus makes it clear that one must renounce all in order to become his disciple. But let us take a look at the background of this teaching.
Firstly, Jesus had worked the 5 loaves and 2 fish and many other miracles. He had attracted a large following. Secondly, from his disciples, Jesus knew that the crowd had cherished a dangerous expectation on him. They wanted to make him the Messiah, lead them to Jerusalem to drive out the Romans. Coincidentally, he was heading Jerusalem at the moment to suffer his Passion. Of course, Jesus desires all to be saved but at the end of the day, it is a matter of personal free choice. Therefore, Jesus has the obligation to make it clear beforehand to the people who were following him what the consequences would be. So, he patiently and step by step unfolded how to enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Firstly he brought up the narrow gate, then humility and lastly the renunciation of all. If you were an opportunist and wanted to get a government job, you had better think again and perhaps quit as soon as possible. If you sincerely want to follow Jesus, let us meditate further the real meaning of Jesus teaching. Why is it necessary to renounce all in order to be saved?
In the gospel of Luke, Jesus mentions three levels of renunciation. Firstly, you must hate your family members and your life. Secondly, you must carry your own cross and lastly, you renounce all. Let us take a look at the first level.
In Hebrew, there is no comparative. That is to say, there are "beautiful" and "ugly" and there is no "more beautiful". So when two beautiful ladies stand together, one is beautiful and the other ugly. But the ugly one is not really ugly. She is only less beautiful. Similarly, there are only "love" and its opposite "hate" and no in-between. So, between Jesus and parents, which one do you love more? You would say, "I love Jesus more, and my parents less." This is the Chinese way, the modern way of expression. But in Jesus' time, people could only say, "I love Jesus and hate my parents. I love God and hate my life." Just think about it, do the Ten Commandments not tell us to love our parents? If we hate our parents, do we go against the Ten Commandments? Jesus is God. How could he contradict himself? Therefore, on the first level, in our choices, do we love our life more than we love Jesus? Do we love our wife and children more than we love Jesus? Jesus demands his followers to love him more than their own lives.
Naturally, if we love Jesus more than our own life, difficulties and sufferings will follow. It is because when we love Jesus, we want to follow his teaching and try our best to fulfil the Beatitudes. This will attract disturbances and persecutions from our own concupiscence, the secular world and Satan. This is what Jesus meant by the crosses we have to carry. Lastly, why should we renounce all? Money and wealth are things outside, but relationships with friends and relatives, our careers and achievements are parts of ourselves, even the most crucial parts. They are what made us. Without them, we are not what we are today. God gave you relatives and friends to help you grow up. They are significant others of your life. Your career is the fruit of what you have made use of God's bestowed talents. But are all these people and achievements God's plan for you? Does God really want to remain in this status quo?
Today, the Blessed Mother Teresa will be canonized. Her life was a good illustration of this teaching of renunciation. Mother Teresa had already forsaken all to join the Loreto Order. She left everything behind, moved to Calcutta to teach and had even become the headmistress of an elite convent school. She could have stay behind the security of the school to continue her teaching, her formation of young girls, building up of more elite schools and even her promotion to the post of Mother General. But she did not do this. She felt "a call within a call" that Jesus called her to serve him among the poorest of the poor, to put the teaching of Matthew 25 into practice. In this way, she renounced her achievements of 18 years, leaving the safe and secure environment of the convent school, walked into an unknown and treacherous slum, the narrow gate of sainthood. You may complain that Blessed Mother Teresa is a saint and we are mere mortals. She could do it. We cannot.
Here, Jesus2 two parables of calculation might give us some hint. In the second parable, can you win 20,000 with 10,000? Yes you can. You may join alliance with other kings. Which king should we join, a king with a good track record? According to the book of Judges, God once selected 300 soldiers among 10,000 to defeat an alliance army of 120,000. So, choosing God is the best. In fact, God desires to help us very much. It is we who do not want to forsake things that block us from getting close to God. How much can you renounce?
God bless.
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