主題：為何相信便免受審判?
在日常生活中，我們對用詞並不講究，能傳達意思就可以了。所以，我們經常把「真假對錯」，混為一談。真的就是對，假的就是錯，相差無幾。但嚴格來說，真假和對錯完全是兩回事。真和假是用來描述客觀上的事實，例如：潤年真的是有366日；美國總統簽署法案，向中國大陸入口的鋁材徵收20%關稅的消息是假的。另一方面，對與錯卻是用來評論、判斷一個行為是否符合倫理原則。例如：回到徵收關稅的行為上，在美國的立場，徵收關稅保護了美國的工業，所以是對的；在中國的立場，徵收關稅是宣佈貿易戰，對中國是不利的，所以美國的行為是錯的。我們是不會用真和假來描述行為的好與壞。
不過，真假和對錯，是非常容易混淆的。例如，近來網上流傳一段很有啟發性的短片，名為「Alternative Math」。故事中的數學老師給小學生設計了一張加數的工作紙，有學生寫「2+2」的答案是22，而不是4。我們即時的反應是「答案是錯的」，而不是「答案是假的」！對不對？看！我不是問「真不真」！
我們知道野蠻霸道是錯的。但今天的福音，卻給讀者一個野蠻霸道的感覺：「那信從他的，不受審判；那不信的，已受了審判，因為他沒有信從天主獨生子的名字。」（若3:18）為甚麼相信耶穌基督的，就免審查，一定是對的；而不相信耶穌基督的，就會遭受調查，若有任何不符合標準的，就被判是錯的，是有罪的呢？如果佛經同樣寫：「那信從佛祖的，不會落地獄；那不信的，在世上生活已好像在十八層地獄了！」你會覺得合理嗎？公平嗎？這規定是不公平的，因為法律面前人人平等，天子犯法與庶民同罪。即是說，為了公義，法律祇看行為，以行為的對錯，作為判斷原則，而不是看你信耶穌基督，抑或是信如來佛祖。
不過，宗教信仰不是法律，而是法律的基礎。今天很多法律條文和法律原則，都是源於十誡。法律處理社會上出現的不公平事件，而宗教信仰給世人一個視野，解釋不公平現象的來源，並指出天主是公義的。縱使現世不能還受害人一個公道，在末日，天主會替受害人申冤。法律講求理性和邏輯，宗教講求符合理性的信念，沒有理性的信念就是迷信。那麼，天主教信仰合乎理性嗎？
理性告訴我們，一切事物都有來源和出處，天主教徒稱最終極的來源為「天主」。縱使世上充塞著傷害人的罪惡，但仍有美好的事物存在，所以我們推論天主是美善的。既然天主是美善的，我們推論祂為了我們的益處，創造了一個美好的世界給我們生活。自由是美善的一種，因為它使人類的潛能發揮得淋漓盡致。可惜我們濫用了這美好的自由，運用自由選擇了罪惡。罪惡的後果就是目前世界的紛亂。這樣，我們合理地解釋了為甚麼這世界充塞著罪惡。我們有理由相信，天主是不會放棄祂的精心傑作的！以上就是天主教徒的信念，是符合理性的信念而不是迷信。
天主做甚麼方法拯救這個世界，是一個很難明白的奧秘。可幸天主親自降生成人，啟示並實踐了祂的計劃。上述的信念是宗徒們傳下來的。他們與耶穌基督生活過，認識到祂是不可見的天主，可見的慈悲面容，看見祂就是看見天主，我們的造物主。耶穌基督降生成人的任務，就是指示給世人天主是愛的真理，祂親自帶領世人與天父和好，回歸父家，分享天父永恆的生命。所以耶穌基督在最後晚餐時，總結了一句：「我是道路、真理、生命，除非經過我，誰也不能到父那裡去。」（14:6）世上從沒有人，甚至如來佛祖，會這樣說話的。因此，凡接受並相信耶穌基督的人，會按祂的教訓，在生活中尋求天父的旨意，便能得到永生。那些不接受的，可能因為從來沒有機會接觸過教會或教徒；他們憑自己個人的好惡，或習俗，或法律，或良心生活。但並不是每一樣都是符合天主旨意的，所以需要受審判。因此，福音的說話並不是野蠻霸道，而是說明事實，指示真理。
各位兄弟姊妹，傳福音就是這樣重要。您忍心看到你所關懷的家人，親戚朋友，同學同事，因為不認識耶穌基督，不認識真道而受審判嗎？拿出您的愛心，向您身邊所接觸到的人，尤其是年青人，介紹耶穌基督吧！
故事發展下去，即使老師很忍心在教導，學生仍拒絕學習，怪獸家長更責罵老師，向老師動粗，並向校方投訴。老師堅持真理，結果被學校解僱！最後校方還要老師在傳媒面前，簽收兩個月的賠償金。結局出人意表，但容我賣個關子，不做「劇秀」，破壞了大家享受這齣短片的樂趣。我們用「對錯」來描述和判斷片中人的行為，而不會用「真假」。不過，對與錯也是建基在真與假之上的。我們認為老師的行為是對的，因為她堅持著「2+2=4」的真理。家長是錯的，因為他們祗顧袒護自己的兒子，支持「2+2=22」；校方是錯，因為他們祇為了迎合家長的歡心，漠視數學的真理。
天主保祐！
Fourth Sunday in Lent, Year B
Theme: Why are those who Believe Not Condemned?
In our daily life, we choose our wordings loosely so long as they are able to convey our meanings. Thus, we usually mix up true/false with right/wrong. What is true is right, false is wrong. It is not much different. But strictly speaking, true/false and right/wrong are totally different. We use true/false to describe objective facts. For example, it is true that there are 366 days in a leap year. The news that Donald Trump has imposed a 20% tariff on aluminum imported from China is false. On the other hand, we use right/wrong to comment and to judge whether an action follows some moral principles. For example, from the American perspective, imposing tariff protects local industries. Therefore it is right. From the Chinese perspective, imposing tariff is a declaration of trade war and is disadvantageous to China. Thus, the US action is wrong. We do not use true/false to describe the goodness of badness of an action.
However, it is very easy to mix up true/false and right/wrong. For example, a short film "Alternative Math" has gone viral recently on the Internet. A mathematics teacher gave an addition worksheet for her primary students. A student gave 22, not 4 as the sum of 2+2. Our immediate reaction is "the answer is wrong" and NOT "the answer is false". Right? See, I did not ask "True?"
We know that being barbaric is wrong. But the gospel passage today does give a barbaric impression on readers, "He who believes in him is not condemned; he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God." (John 3:18) Why do people who believe in Jesus Christ can be exempted from judgment and must be right, while those who do not believe will be scrutinized and condemned if they do not meet some kind of standards? What would you feel, if Buddhist scriptures are written likewise, "Those who believe in Buddha will not go to Hell while for those who don't, their life on earth shall be like living in Hell"? Do you think it is reasonable, fair? Of course not! It is because all are equal before the law. The king and his subjects shall receive the same treatment. That is to say, to be fair, the law only looks at an action to see whether it is right or wrong in order to pass judgment. The law does not judge according to your faith in Jesus Christ or in the Buddha.
However, religion is not law but the foundation of law. Today, many legal texts and legal principles came from the Ten Commandments. The law deals with disputes in the society and religion gives mankind a perspective to explain the source of injustice and points out that God is fair. Even if the world is unable to do justice to a victim, at the end of the world, God will. Law seeks rationality and logic. Religion seeks faith based on rationality. Without rationality, faith is superstition. Then is Catholicism rational?
Rationality tells us that everything has an origin. Catholics call the ultimate origin God. Even though the world is full of harmful evil, goodness still exists. Therefore, we deduce that God is good. Since God is good, we conclude that for our good, God created a good world suitable for us to live. Freedom is a good because it enables us to fully actualize our potentials. Unfortunately, we have abused this good freedom and use it to choose evil. The consequence of evil is the chaotic world we are now living in. Thus, we have rationally explained why the world is full of evil. But we have evidence to believe that God has not abandoned His masterpiece! The above are Catholic beliefs which are rational and not superstitious.
How God saves this world is a mystery. It is difficult to understand. But fortunately God incarnates to reveal and implement His salvation project. These beliefs have been handed down by the Apostles who had lived with Jesus Christ and known that He is the visible merciful countenance of the invisible God. Seeing him is seeing God, our Creator. The mission of Jesus Christ is to show us the truth that God is love. He came to bring us in person to reconcile with the Father, to bring us home and partake in the eternal life of the Father. During the Last Supper, Jesus Christ summarizes His mission, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but by me." (14:6) Nobody on earth, not even Buddha, has spoken like this. Thus, those who accept and believe in Jesus Christ will follow his teachings to seek God's will in their life in order to partake in eternal life. Those who do not accept probably have never seen a Church or met a Catholic before. They follow their inclinations, or customs, or the law or their conscience to lead their life. But not all of them follow God's will. Therefore, judgment is needed. Thus, the gospel passage is not barbaric but is describing a fact, telling the truth.
Brethren, how important evangelization is! Have you no feeling to see those you love and care, your family members, relatives and friends, fellow classmates and colleagues condemned because they don't acknowledge Jesus Christ, don't know the true way? Take out your loving heart. Show people you meet, especially young people, Jesus!
As the story develops, no matter how patiently the teacher tried to teach, the student refused to learn. The "monster" parents yelled at and even physically slapped the teacher on her face. They complained to the school administration. The math teacher insisted on the truth and was consequently fired by the school. In the end, the school demanded the teacher to sign the receipt of a two-month compensation in front of the media. The ending was a hilarious surprise. Pardon me for not revealing the ending. I don't want to spoil your fun watching this video. We use right/wrong and not true/false to depict and judge the actions of the characters in the video. But right/wrong is built upon true/false. We think that the teacher is right because she insists on the truth of "2+2=4". The parents are wrong because they take side with their son and support "2+2=22". The school is wrong because they want to appease the parents and ignore mathematical truths.
God bless!
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