主題：憐憫必得勝審判
為了保障人能安全地在一個團體生活，團體會定下一些規矩讓成員遵守。為了團體的益處，人必需犧牲一些自由，法律便出現了。今天的第一篇讀經，便反映出這樣的一個現實。痲瘋是一種高度傳染性的疾病，在發現盤尼西林之前，這是不治之症。為了保障其他人的安全，痲瘋病人要接受隔離。（肋13:45）這種隔離並由此引申的歧視，在我們今天的眼中，非常不人道。不過在舊約，天主曾以痲瘋病懲罰過人（戶12:10；列下5:27；編下26:19），所以，一般人會把痲瘋病看待為天主的懲罰。因此，檢驗證明一個痲瘋病人是否痊癒，不是醫生，而是司祭。（肋13:6, 13, 17, 23 ...）
痲瘋病有如罪一樣，既傷害自己，也傷害別人。因此，痲瘋病人是罪人的一個象徵。其實，痲瘋病是一個很好的象徵，它出現在皮膚上，覆蓋著皮膚並慢慢侵蝕進去。同樣，我們都是按天主的肖像所創造，但罪惡包裹著這肖像，使它蒙污，更侵蝕著它，使它瓦解。因此，罪人有兩條可以走的路：就是誓不認錯，或是尋求天主的治療，天主的寬恕 。誓不認錯的後果是滅亡，但為甚麼仍然有罪人選擇繼續犯罪呢？是因為他們心存僥倖，濫用了天主的慈悲；抑或是他們以為自己罪大惡極，不敢相信天主的慈悲會寬恕他們呢？我們不得而知。今天的福音，展示了罪人應有的態度──謙卑。這個痲瘋病人，跑到耶穌跟前跪下，求耶穌潔淨他。（谷1:40）耶穌基督是他惟一的希望，他便不顧禁令，跑到耶穌跟前。他跪下，表達了罪人應有的謙卑。
現代人過份自信，覺得可以把一切玩弄在指掌之間。他有如天主，操控一切，他不需要耶穌基督，不需要對耶穌基督懷有任何希望！這份自信使他們不覺得天主與他們同行，他們的成就或是挫折，與天主無關，他們與天主日漸疏離。天父目睹自己的肖像如此，是何等難過哩！
另一方面，這個痲瘋病人違反禁令，我們可以接受嗎？倘若他擅闖城市，散播病菌，危害他人的安全，這是不能接受的。但他違反禁令，是尋求「專家」的治療，這是應該的。當罪人一日及早與天主的修和，早日對身邊的人有益處，何樂而不為呢？
另一方面，耶穌本來可以祗說一句話，這個痲瘋病人便可以立刻痊癒。但為甚麼耶穌會多此一舉，伸手撫摸那痲瘋病人呢？此外，耶穌撫摸這痲瘋病人，自己也會成為不潔，不能接觸其他人，直至黃昏（戶19:22）。耶穌為甚麼要冒這個險呢？福音的解釋十分簡單，耶穌動了憐憫的心（谷1:41）！難道憐憫就可以不守法紀，橫行霸道嗎？正如雅各伯宗徒所說：「憐憫必得勝審判」（雅2:13）一樣的嗎？耶穌不是來廢除法律，而是成全它（瑪5:17）嗎？正是。且看，後來耶穌吩咐這個痊癒了的痲瘋病人找司祭檢驗和按法律獻祭，所以耶穌基督不是來廢除法律。他不守法紀去撫摸痲瘋病人，是以憐憫去成全法律！法律祗能做到犧牲小數人的利益，來保障大部份人的利益。對痲瘋病人的禁制令，無疑保障了大部份人的利益，但不能兼顧痲瘋病人的需要。請不要忘記，痲瘋病人和罪人也擁有天主的肖像！耶穌撫摸痲瘋病人，表達出對病人，對罪人的憐憫和關顧，補充了法律的冷酷無情。法律是為人而立，並不是人為了法律（谷2:27）！當然，我們可以想像耶穌在接觸到痲瘋病人一刻之前，已潔淨了他。因此耶穌撫摸的已是一個潔淨的人，祂沒有觸犯禁令。這種猜測是可接受的。
天父出於愛，按自己的肖像創造了我們。當我們受罪惡的折磨時，祂出於憐憫，召叫了我們領洗入教，恢復了我們天主子女的身份。祂進一步召叫我們度婚姻、獻身或聖職人員的生活，在這種生活中成聖，刷新這天主肖像的光輝。我們應該學習痲瘋病人的榜樣，謙遜地跪伏主前，求主憐憫。
驕傲自大是人的死穴，它令人對自己的不善盲目，障礙了人尋求天主的治療。這個跪在耶穌跟前的痲瘋病人，做對了！
天主保祐！
Sixth Ordinary Sunday, Year B
Theme: Mercy Triumphs over Judgment
In order to protect the safety of people in a community, regulations must be set up for members to follow. For the benefits of the community, members have to sacrifice some of their freedom. Laws appear. The first reading today depicts such a reality. Leprosy is a highly infectious disease. Before the discovery of penicillin, it was incurable. To protect the safety of the others, lepers had to be quarantined (Leviticus 13:45). This quarantine and the prejudice it derived is inhumane to modern eyes. But in Old Testament times, God had punished some people with leprosy (Numbers 12:10, 2Kings 5:27, 2Chronicles 26:19). Thus, people saw leprosy as a punishment of God. Naturally, to inspect whether a leper was cured was the job not of physicians, but priests. (Leviticus 13:6, 13, 17, 23 ...)
Like sins, leprosy harms oneself as well as the others. Thus lepers are a symbol of sinners. In fact, it is an excellent symbol. Leprosy appears on the skin, covers it and slowly erodes into it. Similarly, we were created in the image of God. But sins cover this image, contaminate it and even erode to disintegrate it. Thus sinners have two choices: either to refuse to pledge guilty or to seek God's healing, God's forgiveness. Refusing to pledge guilty will only lead to demise, but why would some sinners choose to continue sinning? Would it be because they want to take chances, to abuse the mercy of God? Or they think that their sins are so grave that they dare not to believe that God would forgive them out of mercy? We don't know. The gospel reading today shows us the proper attitude of sinners --- humility. This leper came to kneel before Jesus, beseeched Jesus to cleanse him (Mark 1:40) Jesus Christ was his only hope. He disregarded the injunctions, came before Jesus and knelt down to show a humility proper to sinners.
Modern people are over-confident. They feel that everything is within their grips. They are like God, dominating everything and have no need of Jesus Christ, of putting their hope on Jesus Christ. This overconfidence renders them unable to see that God is with them, blinds them of the relationship between God and their successes and failures. They are moving away from God day by day. When the Father sees His images suffer like this, how upset He shall be!
On the other hand, Jesus would have cured the leper immediately with only a word. But why did Jesus touch him? It was not a necessity. Moreover, when Jesus touched this leper he would become unclean and could not contact others until evening. (Numbers 19:22) Why did Jesus take this risk? The explanation in the gospel is simple: Jesus was moved with pity! (Mark 1:41) Is pity an excuse for not obeying the law, the same as James, the Apostle says, "Mercy triumphs over judgment"? (James 2:13) Did Jesus come not to abolish the law, but to fulfill it? (Matthew 5:17) Exactly! Behold, Jesus later told the cured leper to be inspected by a priest and to offer sacrifice according to the law. Thus, Jesus did not come to abolish the law. That Jesus disregarded the law by touching the leper was to fulfill the law with mercy! In order to protect the benefit of the majority, the law can only sacrifice the benefit of the minority. Doubtless to say, the injunction on lepers protects the benefits of the majority, but it ignores the needs of lepers. Don't forget, lepers and sinners also possess the image of God! Touching the leper, Jesus showed the sick and sinners mercy and care to fulfill the impersonal laws. The law was made for man, not man for the law. (Mark 2:27) Of course, we can imagine that the moment before Jesus touched the leper he had already cleansed the leper. Thus Jesus was touching a cleansed man. He did not violate the injunction. This speculation is acceptable.
Out of love, the Father created us in His image. When we were tortured by sins, out of mercy, the Father called us to be baptized and restored our identity as children of God. He further called us to lead a married, or a consecrated or a clergy life in order to blush up the glory of the image of God, to be sanctified. We should learn from the leper, kneel before the Lord in humility to beseech His mercy.
On the other hand, can we accept the leper's breaching the injunctions? If he trespasses into a city to spread the fungus and harming the safety of the others, it is unacceptable. But he breached the injunctions to seek expert cure. This is appropriate. The sooner a sinner seeks reconciliation with God, the more benefits he brings to his neighbour. Why not? Arrogance is the Achilles' heels of men. It blinds him of his inadequacy and prevents him from seeking God's cure. This leper who knelt before Jesus had done the right thing!
God bless!
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