主題：從「和氏璧」看天國
瑪竇福音雄心勃勃，把耶穌生平的言行，編成五大段落，好比「梅瑟五書」。這幾個星期，我們聆聽第三部份，即解說天國的部份。耶穌用比喻來講解天國，按瑪竇福音的編排，「撒種比喻」是第一個比喻，又是解釋其他比喻的鎖匙。從另一個角度看，其餘的比喻，可以說是「播種比喻」的註腳，更全面地發揮「撒種比喻」的教訓。
例如，眾人都是按天主的肖像所創造，理應人人渴慕天主的。為甚麼不同的人對所聽的福音會作出不同的反應呢？上星期所聽的「麥子和莠子」的比喻，便嘗試解答這個疑問。首先，耶穌進一步說明魔鬼的角色，它不但取去人心中的福音（即撒種比喻中的第一類人），更利用他們作為它在世上的工具，干擾那些信從福音的人。所謂「近朱者赤，近墨者黑」，好人與壞人走在一起，互相影響，對福音便產生了不同的反應。另一方面，「麥子和莠子」的比喻再進一步說明天父的忍耐和慈愛。
既然魔鬼一直在破壞天主與人類的關係，我們何來希望可以結出百倍、六十倍和三十倍的果實呢？於是耶穌用「芥子比喻」向我們保證教會開始的時候，雖然有如芥子般微小，但最終要成為一棵大樹，給世人庇蔭。耶穌又用「酵母比喻」指出福音是有它的生命力，有如星星之火，可以燎原。那麼，讓我們默想今天的比喻，看它如何發揮「撒種比喻」的教訓。
「寶貝和珍珠」比喻，其實是指第四類人，他們獲得了天國。他們成功的秘訣在於「買掉他所有的一切，買了那塊地／它。」（瑪13:44, 46）第二或第三類人因為信仰沒有紥根，或者把注意力集中在其他地方，所以得不到天國。那麼，信耶穌要變賣所有家產，纔能進入天國嗎？這與那些歛財的邪教有何分別呢？值得為天國放棄所有財產嗎？其實，不必變賣所有家產。且看，昨天剛晉鐸的兩位神父及在座之中的神父和修女，他們不是放棄了自己的家庭和事業來響應天主的呼召嗎？他們已獲得了天國。因此，選擇天主而作出適當的放棄，就得到了天國。
其實，天國是甚麼意思呢？基督徒不是不應過問政治嗎？
讓我給大家溫習一段熟悉的歷史故事，從中看看如何「變賣一切」來換取天國。相信大家一定聽過「和氏璧」的故事。有一天，楚國的卞和在山上發現了一塊美好的玉璞，便把它獻給楚厲王。厲王命玉官鑑定，玉官說是石頭，王以為卞和以一塊石頭欺騙他，便命人砍去他的左腳。後來楚武王即位，卞和再獻玉璞，武王再命令玉官鑑定，結果仍然是一塊石頭，卞和的右腳被砍去了。武王死後，文王即位。卞和抱著玉璞在楚山下哭了三日三夜。文王得知，派人詢問他。卞和答道：「我不是哭兩腿被砍，而是為了寶玉被判為石頭，忠貞之士被判為騙子而哭。」文王於是命令玉官處理，得美玉。於是命之為「和氏璧」。【韓非子‧和氏第十三】到了秦始皇，他把和氏璧雕琢成傳國璽，以後的一千年，歷代皇朝都以擁有它作為正統，象徵皇朝得到上天的認可。
你可能會問：「為甚麼卞和那麼傻，不把玉璞雕琢好纔獻給楚王呢？這樣做就不會賠上了兩條腿嘛！」。有兩個可能的答案：
從「和氏璧」的故事，我們可以看到為了克勝罪惡，為了天國的臨現，為了天主的旨意得到承行，適當的犧牲，在所難免。這犧牲不一定是變賣所有家產，而是我們日常生活中的實際情況，我們的時間、金錢、自由甚至性命。
雖然「天國」聽來好像是一個政治概念，其實不然。天國是指天主的旨意得到圓滿地實現。天主為每一件事物：一個人，一隻小鳥，一顆樹甚至一塊石頭，都安排了圓美的計劃，他們會得到圓滿的發展。可惜罪惡的出現，破壞了天主在萬事萬物身上的計劃，使人得不到應有的自由，不能全面發展天賦的潛能；尤有甚者，社會更進而建立不公義的制度，剝削弱小和破壞生態環境。換句話說，天國有點像孫中山先生─一個基督徒─所提出的救國方略的四個綱領：「人盡其才，地盡其利，物盡其用，貨暢其流。」。所以基督徒可以論政，但應以福音精神為基礎！
卞和可以說是制度下的犧牲品，他的故事，我們不是看見「為義而受迫害」的例子嗎？耶穌基督說：「天國是屬於卞和的。」我們不是看見「和氏璧」最終得見天日，最後成為傳國璽，圓滿了天主為它安排的命運嗎？
各位兄弟姊妹，你們找到了天主的旨意嗎？你們決定了犧牲甚麼來回應天主的呼召呢？
天主保祐！
Seventeenth Ordinary Sunday, Year A
Theme: Seeing Kingdom of Heaven in He's Jade Disc
The gospel of Matthew is ambitious. He organized the words and deeds of Jesus into Five Discourses similar to the Pentateuch. In the last two weeks, we have been listening to the Third Discourse about the Kingdom of Heaven. Jesus made use of parables to describe the Kingdom of Heaven. Matthew arranged the "Parable of the Sower" to be the first parable and the key to the understanding of the remaining parables. From another perspective, the other parables are footnotes to the "Parable of the Sower", elaborating its teachings.
For example, men were created in the image of God. They should desire God. Why do different people react in different manners to the gospel? The "Parable of Wheat and Tarts" we heard last week tries to answer the question. Firstly, Jesus describes further the role of Satan. Not only did Satan take away the gospel from people's hearts (Type One people in the Parable of the Sower), but it also made use of them to interfere those who believed in the gospel. "If you live with a lame man, you will learn to limp." When the good and the bad live and interact together, they will react in different manners to the gospel. Moreover, the "Parable of Wheat and Tarts" also show us the patience and mercy of the Father.
If Satan has been disrupting our relationship with God, where comes the hope to harvest a hundredfold, sixtyfold and thirtyfold of fruits? Then, Jesus told the "Parable of the Mustard Seed" to guarantee that although the Church started off in a small scale at the beginning, it shall eventually develop into a big tree, providing shelter for all peoples. Furthermore, Jesus told the "Parable of Leaven" to point out that the gospel message has its own vitality. "A single spark can start a prairie fire." Thus, let us meditate the parables today to see how they elaborate the teachings of the Parable of the Sower.
The "Parable of Treasure and Pearl" talks about the Type Four people. They successfully attain the Kingdom of Heaven. The secret of their success is that the merchant "sells all that he has and buys that field/it." (Matthew 13:44, 46) The faith of Type Two people does not take root and the attention of Type Three people goes elsewhere. Thus they fail to attain the Kingdom of Heaven. Then, do we need to sell all that we have in order to enter the Kingdom of Heaven? How does it differ from cults which cheat money? Does the Kingdom of Heaven deserve our abandoning all our possessions? Indeed, we don't need to give up all that we have. Take a look at the two priests newly ordained yesterday and our parish priest and the nuns gathered here. Haven't they renounced their family and career to answer God's call? They have attained the Kingdom of Heaven. Therefore, in order to attain the Kingdom of Heaven, we need to make appropriate sacrifices.
In fact, what does "Kingdom of Heaven" mean? Shouldn't Christians get involved in politics?
Although "Kingdom of Heaven" sounds like a political concept, it is not. Kingdom of Heaven means the fulfillment of God's will. God has a perfect plan for everything, a human person, a bird, a tree and even a piece of rock, so that they shall fully be actualized. Unfortunately, sins disrupt God's plan in all things. They take away the freedom to which we are entitled and prevent us from fully actualize our God given potentials. Worse still, unfair institutions are set up to exploit the disadvantaged and destroy our ecology. For example, the idea of the Kingdom of Heaven can be found in the "Four Guiding Principles to Rebuild the Country" proposed by Dr. Sun Yat-sen, a Christian: People can fully exercise their talents. Land can be fully developed according to their advantages. Resources can fully be utilized and Commodities can be fully circulated. Thus Christians can base on the spirit of the gospel to talk about politics.
Let me revise with you a well-known story to see how a person "sold all he had" in exchange of the Kingdom of Heaven. I am sure all of you are familiar with the story of the Jade Disc of He. One day, Bian He of Chu Dukedom discovered a piece of beautiful jade rock. He offered it to Duke Li who ordered the jade officer to assess it. The officer reported that it was simply a rock. Duke Li was angry that Bian He had cheated him with a rock. So he ordered to have He's left foot amputated. Later, Duke Wu ascended the throne. Bian He offered the jade rock again. Duke Wu ordered it to be reassessed. It came out to be a rock and He had his right foot amputated. After the death of Duke Wu, Duke Wen ascended the throne. Bian He carried the jade rock to Mount Chu to weep and wail for three days and three nights. Duke Wen heard about it and sent an officer to inquire. Bian He said, "I do not weep for the amputation of my legs. I weep because a piece of good jade was judged to be a rock, a loyal subject a cheater!" Thus, Duke Wen ordered to have the jade rock processed and obtained a piece of precious jade disc. He named it He's Jade Dice. (Han Fei XIII). When Qin Shi Huangdi became the first Emperor of China, he ordered to have the He's Jade Dice made into the Imperial Seal. For the next millennium, all dynasties must have possession of it to make themselves orthodox, showing heaven's approval of their rules.
Perhaps you might think that Bian He was stupid. Why didn't he carve and polish the jade rock well before offering it to the dukes? Then he would not have lost his legs! There are two possibilities:
In the story of He's Jade Disc, we see that it is inevitable for us to make sacrifice in order to overcome evil, to make present the Kingdom of Heaven and to have God's will done. This sacrifice is not necessarily a demand to sell all that we have but the stations of our daily life, our time, money, freedom and even our life.
Bian He was a victim of the system. In his story, do we not see an example of "Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake"? Jesus said, "For He's is the Kingdom of Heaven." Do we not see how He's Jade Disc could see the light of the day and in the end became the Imperial Seal, thus fulfilling its destiny in God's plan?
Brethren, have you found God's will? Have you decided what sacrifice to make to answer God's call?
God bless!
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