很多人都不敢相信「白白的賞賜」，不願意相信「事事有時」。他們寧願相信「多勞多得」，因為自己付出多少努力，是可以掌握控制的。相反，「白白的賞賜」靠運氣，完全沒有把握；而且社會大眾會妒忌你，把你抹黑為懶惰；至於抱「事事有時」的態度，恐怕會錯失良機。所以，大部份的人，在大部份的場合裡，會非常勤力地工作，賺取工資。這是一般人的心態，難怪擁有許多產業的少年人問耶穌：「師傅，我該行甚麼『善』，為得永生？」（瑪19:16）他以為多行『善』，就可以賺取永生。這少年是個聰明人，他請教耶穌，應該把他的精力，投資到哪一種『善』，會賺取到最大的收獲，即永生。
你可否留意到耶穌所列舉的誡命（19:18-19），好像遺漏了甚麼？對！耶穌基督並沒有提出「全心、全靈、全力愛上主你的天主」（申6:5），這條最大的誡命！其實有！當耶穌基督要求富貴少年「變賣你所有的，施捨給…」（瑪19:21b）的時候，這就是「全心、全靈、全力」的指示。把「窮人」（19:21c）等同於「上主你的天主」，要等到瑪竇25章纔啟示出來。能做到這樣，祇不過滿足了舊約時代梅瑟的要求，並未達到耶穌基督所提到「成全」（19:21a，5:48）的境界。要達到這一境界，必須踏出最重要的一步，就是「跟隨耶穌」（19:21d）。即是說「你們該彼此相愛，如同我愛了你們。」（若13:34）
其實，罪過使我們心硬，喪失了愛的能力。我們之所以能夠愛，全都是天主首先愛了我們，寬恕了我們，恢復了我們愛的能力。可以說，表面上是付出，實際上是天主「白白的賞賜」，賞賜我們財富、健康和時間可以去施捨，並賞賜我們施捨的機會，人物和場合等等。我們還可以吝嗇嗎？
聖父，請豐富地賞賜我們聖神，好能認識祢愛的計劃，把握祢賞賜的機會，以貧為先，為弱勢的社群發聲。亞孟。
Yes, It's Free of Charge! (Matthew 19:16-22)
Many people do not believe in "free lunch" and do not want to believe that "there is a time for everything". They would rather believe that "efforts pay" because they can control how much effort they are willing to put up. On the contrary, genuine "free lunch" depends on luck beyond our control. Furthermore, people would envy you and badmouth you as slothful. If you believe that "there is a time for everything", you might miss your opportunities. Thus, most people in most circumstances would work very hard to earn their wages. This is the mentality of most people. No wonder the rich young man asked Jesus, "Teacher, what good must I do to gain eternal life?" (Matthew 19:26) He thought that he would gain eternal life by doing more "good". He was a smart man. He asked Jesus on what sort of "good" he should invest his energies in order to earn the greatest reward, i.e. eternal life.
Have you noticed that something was missing when Jesus listed the commandments (19:18-19)? Right! Jesus did not quote verbatim "You should love the Lord, your God, with your whole heart, and with your whole being, and with your whole strength." (Deuteronomy 6:5) The greatest commandment! But in fact Jesus did! When Jesus asked the rich young man to "sell what you have ... and give" (Matthew 19:21b), this is the instruction of "with your whole heart, and with your whole being, and with your whole strength". We need to wait until Matthew 25 to receive the revelation of equating "the poor" (19:21c) with "the Lord, your God". Even at this stage, you have only satisfied the demands of Moses in the Old Testament. You have not yet reached the stage of perfection mentioned by Jesus (19:21a, 5:48). In order to attain this level, you need to take the most important first step, namely "to follow Jesus" (19:21d). That is to say, "Love one another as I have loved you." (John 13:34)
In fact, our hearts have been hardened by sin. We have lost the capability to love. Now that we are able to love, all because God has loved us first, forgiven us our sins and restored our capability to love. Superficially, we give but in fact it is a "free lunch" from God. He gave us riches, health and time to give. He gives us the opportunities, people and situations to give. Can we be misery anymore?
Holy Father, grant us lavishly the Holy Spirit so that we may know Your plan of love and grasp the opportunities You give us, opt for the poor and advocate for the disadvantaged. Amen.
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