主題：天主子的誘惑
耶穌基督是真人真天主，這是基督信仰的核心部份。祂是真實的人，否則，祂的死祗不過是一齣戲，是沒有贖罪價值的了。祂又是真實的天主，否則，祂的死不足以補償古往今來世人所犯的罪過。因此，福音記載了耶穌饑餓、耶穌疲倦、耶穌為朋友的死哭泣、耶穌發怒、耶穌害怕與及耶穌受試探。這些都是確實的，與我們沒有分別的經歷。今天的福音，讓我們反省如何面對試探。
究竟甚麼是試探誘惑呢？讓我們從反面來思考吧！當你肚飽的時候，食物不能誘惑你。當你是億萬富翁的時候，你不會被區區數百萬元所誘惑。當你已經有一段美滿婚姻的時候，第三者不能誘惑你。當你是一國之君的時候，權力不能誘惑到你。但你會追求長生不老，永遠享受你的權力和人民對你的敬仰。大家知否西方大部份偉大的音樂家所寫的最後一首音樂作品是甚麼？是安魂曲，因為到了那個時候，再沒有甚麼足以表達他的音樂造詣了。從以上所舉的例子，大家會明白到，祗要人一息尚存，他們必須滿足各種各樣的需要，有生理上的、心理上的、社會的、文化的和靈性上的需要。滿足這種種需要是重要的，否則人不能成長，不能發揮天賦的潛質。誘惑就是「想」以不正確的手段，不符合天主旨意的方法來滿足這些需要。注意，誘惑本身不是罪，但付諸實踐就成為罪了。例如，在婚姻生活中的性行為既可以滿足性的需要，加強夫婦之間的恩愛，促進夫妻二人心靈的成長，並且生兒育女，這是美好的，符合天主旨意的。但在婚姻之外滿足性需要的念頭，就是誘惑。付諸實行就犯罪，甚至犯法了。所以，當誘惑出現時，是成聖還是成魔，祗是一念之差。
不要以為耶穌基督是天主，對誘惑會無動於衷。基督兼有天主性和人性，所以誘惑對祂會有一種微妙的吸引力。在三次的試探之中，魔鬼就說過兩次：「你若是天主子」（瑪4:3，6）。固然，可能魔鬼想核實眼前的這個人是否又是天主派來的一位先知，抑或是天主子。不過，撒殫肯定會感覺到在它面前的不是一個凡人。所以，這兩個試探，一定是同時誘惑耶穌基督的天主性和人性的。
人性方面的誘惑，比較容易理解。肚子餓了，當然渴望有食物充飢。既然輕而易舉，有能力做的事情，為甚麼不露一手，反而要沉著氣不做呢？在天主性方面，我們不是天主，故此祗能推測，不能肯定。我估計對基督天主性的誘惑，在於運用神力，解決人性的需要和舒緩人性的痛苦。倘若這樣做，便握剎了人性的潛質。饑餓是辛苦的，忍耐也是辛苦的。可是，饑不擇食，與動物有甚麼分別呢？故此，變麵餅來充饑，豈不把人貶為動物嗎？人可以為了尊嚴，寧願餓死，也不吃「嗟來之食」；人亦可以為了理想，爭取應得合理的權益而絕食。這些都是人性的光輝，人性的潛能。倘若運用神力，使自己感覺不到饑餓，耶穌四十天的守齋，祗是一場表演，就變成沒有價值了。你可能覺得為了顯示自己是天主子的身份，從聖殿頂躍下很無聊。但請你想想，如果耶穌三個小時在十字架上，沉不住氣，跳了下來，後果有多麼嚴重！
耶穌的榜樣，給我們甚麼啟示？
首先，耶穌對抗誘惑的方法，十分簡單直接。祂沒有使用法力，消滅魔鬼，或者與魔鬼進行辯論。祂祗引用聖經，而且祂所引用的，全部出自【申命紀】，是以色列人作為生活指標的法律書。耶穌引用【申命紀】說：「人生活不祗靠餅，而也靠天主口中所發的一切言語。」（瑪4:4，申8:3）開宗明義，提醒我們必須熟悉聖經，熟悉天主的教導，纔能抗拒誘惑的挑戰。
其次，耶穌心中充滿著愛，以愛化解誘惑。用聖保祿宗徒的教訓來印証，他說：「愛是含忍的…不誇張，不自大，不作無禮的事，不求己益…」（格前13:4-5）所以，在生活中，我們應該充滿忍耐，不要衝動，不隨便發怒，這是充滿著愛的表現。不以自我為中心，要求人人按自己的意思行事。要知道別人也是按天主的肖像所造，要尊重他，給他足夠的時候和空間去發展。不是按你的意願發展，而是按天主的意願去發展。所以耶穌引用【申命紀】說：「不可試探上主，你的天主！」（瑪4:7，申6:16）
各位兄弟姊妹，四旬期是回心轉意，重投天父懷抱的好機會。第一，勤讀聖經，在福音中找到生活的力量。第二，關愛別人，不要再自我中心，好像那些坐在車箱內，低著頭打機的人一樣，他們看不到站在他們面前的孕婦！與人相處時，多忍耐，給他們時間發展，不要強加自己的意願到別人身上。最後，全心投靠天主，戒除惡習，不與惡勢力交往和妥協。
最後，作為基督徒，我們應以天主為生活的中心，不應出賣靈魂，與惡勢力妥協，與魔鬼妥協。所以，耶穌再一次引用【申命紀】，揭露魔鬼的真面目，並斥責魔鬼說：「你要朝拜上主，你的天主，惟獨事奉祂。」（瑪4:10，申6:13）
天主保祐！
First Sunday of Lent (Year A)
Theme: Temptation of the Son of God
Jesus Christ is truly human and truly divine. This is the core of Christianity. He is truly human. Otherwise, his death was a show and not redemptive. He is truly divine. Otherwise, his death was not able to redeem all the sins past, present and in the future. Thus, we read in the gospel that Jesus was hungry, tired, wept for the death of his friend, was angry, afraid and was tempted. These are all genuine experiences not different from ours. With the gospel reading today, let us reflect on how to deal with temptations.
What is temptation? Let us think along from a negative perspective! If you are full, food cannot tempt you. If you are a zillionaire, you will not be tempted by a few million dollars. If you already have a fulfilled married life, the seductress has no place. If you were a king, no more authority is able to tempt you. You would only look for the elixir which extends your life forever so that you might enjoy your power and awe of your subjects forever. Do you know what the last piece of music written by most Western composers was? It is Requiem because by that time, there was nothing more which could showcase his musicianship better. From these examples above, we can conclude that as long as our hearts beat, we have to satisfy all sorts of needs: physiological, psychological, social, cultural and spiritual needs. Meeting these needs is important. Otherwise, men cannot develop and their potentials cannot be actualized. Temptation is the idea to meet these needs in an improper way, in a way against the will of God. Notice that temptation in itself is not a sin. Putting it into action is. For example, conjugal love in married life satisfies the sexual needs on one hand, strengthens the friendship of the spouses, enhances their spiritual growth and makes babies on the other. This is good and fulfils God's will. However, the thought of gratifying sexual needs outside of marriage is a temptation. Putting it into action commits a sin and even a crime. Thus, whenever temptation emerges, the decision to act or to resist turns you into a demon or a saint.
Do not think that Jesus Christ is divine and thus is immune to temptations. Jesus Christ is both human and divine. Thus temptation is trickier. Among the three temptations, the Devil spoke twice "If you are the Son of God" (Matthew 4:3, 6) Of course, probably the Devil wanted to verify that the man was yet another prophet sent by God or the Son of God. But Satan must have sensed that the man standing in front of it was no ordinary man. Thus, these two temptations must be enticing both the humanity and divinity of Jesus Christ.
On the humanity, it is easier to understand. You are hungry. Of course you want to eat to release the tension. When something can be done as easily as a snap of your fingers, why refrain from doing it? On the divinity, it is beyond us to contemplate. We can only speculate. I opine that the temptation to Christ' divinity was to make use of his divine power to satisfy the needs and relieve the pains of his humanity. Had Christ done so, he would have suppressed the potentials of humanity. Both hunger and patience are painful. But if we are fed whenever we are hungry, we are no different from animals. Then, doesn't turning stones into bread to feed us downgrade us to animals? A Chinese idiom came from a story in which a man refused relief and subsequently starved in dignity when a rich man bade him rudely over for some congee in a famine. Men go hunger strikes to fight for ideals and reasonable human rights. These are the pride and potentials of humanity. Had Jesus made use of his divine power to make himself not hungry, his fasting for forty days and nights would have only been a show and become worthless. You might find proving your identity as the Son of God by jumping down from the top of the Temple trivial. Please think again. After hanging on the cross for three hours, had Jesus become impatient and jumped down from it, the consequences would have been disastrous!
What have we learned from Jesus' exemplar?
Secondly, Jesus is full of love. He neutralized temptations with love. This is further supported by the teaching of St. Paul who said, "Love is patient ... is not boastful; it is not arrogant or rude. Love does not insist on its own way ..." (1 Corinthians 13:4-5) Thus, in our daily life, we should be patient, not impulsive and not easily irritable. This is how love is manifested. Do not be egocentric and demand people to follow our wills. We need to know that others were also created in the image of God. Respect them. Give them adequate time and space to develop, not according to your will, but according to God's will. So, Jesus quoted Deuteronomy, saying "You shall not tempt the Lord your God." (Matthew 4:7, Deuteronomy 6:16)
Lastly, as Christians, we should make God the centre of our life. We shouldn't betray our souls and make a deal with the Devil. Thus, Jesus quoted Deuteronomy once more to reveal the true face of the Devil and rebuked it, "You shall worship the Lord your God and him only shall you serve." (Matthew 4:10, Deuteronomy 6:13)
Brethren, Lent is a good opportunity to turn around to embrace the Father again. Firstly, study the Bible and draw strength from the Gospels. Secondly, care about the others. Don't be self-centred like those who play mobile games and ignore pregnant women standing right before them. Be patient and give people time to grow. Don't impose your will on others. Lastly, go to God. Kick bad habits and make no deals with evil powers.
First of all, Jesus resisted temptation in a simple and direct way. He did not make use of his divine power to destroy the Devil or argue with it. He simply quoted the Bible and all his answers came from Deuteronomy, the Torah of the Israelites. From the start, Jesus quoted Deuteronomy to tell us that "Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God." (Matthew 4:4, Deuteronomy 8:3) We must know the Bible, know the teachings of God in order to resist the challenges of temptations.
God bless!
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