為愛而愛（瑪20:20-28）
有些「天機」真的是不可洩漏的，否則後果嚴重。例如末日的日期和時間，如果宣佈了，恐怕會世界大亂；同樣，如果宣佈了誰人將會在末日，坐在耶穌基督的左右，這兩個人便會成為其他人針對的目標，對他們是不公平的；而且，其他人也不必再為天國而奮鬥了！因此，即使若望，耶穌基督所愛的門徒，將來真的會坐在耶穌基督的右邊，也不可以在末日之前宣佈。
耶穌基督將要飲的爵，即祂的受難，門徒們固然會飲。將來他們在傳教的時候，會陸續為信仰而殉道。這是坐在耶穌左右的必要條件，但仍不是充份條件，還有其他耶穌基督沒有透露的條件，惟有天父纔知道。我們不必細查，因為位置祗有兩個，總不會屬於我們這些平凡的人。我們的目標非常渺小，就是進入天國。至於在天國的那一個位置，就不必講究了。聖詠確實能表達我們的心聲：「我寧願站在我天主殿宇的門限，我不願逗留在惡人帳幕的裡面。」（詠84:11）
轟轟烈烈地殉道也好，平凡地活出福音的教訓也好，絕不能缺乏愛。保祿曾說過：「我若捨身投火被焚；但我若沒有愛，為我毫無益處。」（格前13:3）因此，耶穌基督所倡議的「僕人領袖」─即為大為首的要作僕伇─並不是甚麼「管理學」或另類以愛作為領導動力的「帝王之術」。因為愛成了手段，尊榮纔是目的。這是不道德的！相反，愛應該是所有基督徒所作所為的目標。我們爭取去管理，去服務，是為了愛弟兄姊妹。所以，倘若為了更能使弟兄姊妹得益，載伯德的兩個兒子爭取坐在耶穌基督左右，這是可取的。
天父啊，請派遣聖神，灼熱我們的冰心，去服務弱小的弟兄姊妹。亞孟。
Feast of James, son of Zebedee
Love for love's sake (Matthew 20:20-28)
Some "celestial timings" should never be revealed. Otherwise, the consequences would be disastrous! For example, the date and time of the end of the world. If it were made known, the whole world would be thrown into chaos. Similarly, if it were made known who would sit on the left and right of Jesus Christ, those two would become targets of attack and it would not be fair to them. Moreover, there would no longer be any incentive for the others to work hard for the Kingdom of Heaven! Therefore, even if John, the beloved disciple of Jesus Christ, shall sit on the right of Jesus Christ, it shouldn't be made known before the end of the world.
The disciples would surely drink the chalice which Jesus Christ drank, i.e. his Passion. In the future, they would, one by one, die martyrdom in evangelization. This is the necessary condition to sit on the left and right of Jesus, but not the sufficient conditions which Jesus had not revealed. Only the Father knows! It is not necessary for us to know these sufficient conditions because there are only two vacancies. We are too insignificant. Our target is extremely tiny, i.e. to enter the Kingdom of Heaven. As for which position, I don't care. The Psalmist was very good in expressing our voices, "I had rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God, than to dwell in the tents of wickedness." (Psalm 84:10)
Whether to die martyrdom spectacularly, or to lead a life uneventfully according to the gospel, love should not be lacking. St. Paul says, "And though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing." (1 Corinthians 13:3) Therefore, the "Servant Leader" which Jesus advocates, i.e. whoever will be great among you shall be your servants, is not a management philosophy or a Machiavellianism clothed in love. It is immoral to make use of love as a means to honour. On the contrary, love should be the ends of Christian actions. We fight to govern, to serve for the love of our brethren. Thus, for the better good of their brethren, the Zebedee boys strived to sit on both sides of Jesus Christ. This was commendable.
Father, send us the Holy Spirit to kindle our frozen hearts to serve the needy brethren. Amen.
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