(瑪5:17-19)
雖然耶穌在今天的福音提過「誡命中最小的一條」(5:19a),可是, 613條梅瑟法律中,哪一條是最小的,仍是眾說紛紜。請不要小覷這問題,因為耶穌基督警告過,「誰若廢除這些誡命中最小的一條,也這樣教訓人,在天國裡,他將稱為最小的。」(5:19b)耶穌好像在教訓基督徒要注意小節。因此,有些天主教徒十分緊張禮儀中的小節,例如經過聖體櫃要單膝下跪,在彌撒中唸天主經時不可手拉手,祇能用口領聖體等等。固然這些不是梅瑟的法律,而且新約已取代了舊約;可是「魔鬼在細節」,注意這些小節,不是值得鼓勵的德行嗎?
當你不知道那一天是世界末日,最安全的做法,就是每天保持警醒;同樣道理,當你不知道哪一件誡命是最小,而且不遵守它便會令你變成在天國中最小的時候,最安全的做法,就是不分大小輕重,認真地遵守每一件誡命!
耶穌基督真的教訓我們注意細節嗎?絕對不是!這樣做,便「過猶不及」,變成好像那些法學士和經師一樣,利用自己的專業知識去歛財和攻擊耶穌。同樣,過份注意細節,會恐懼犯錯,失落恩寵;或者相反,以為把精力,越努力投放在細節上,會賺取越多的恩寵。這樣便與耶穌的教訓背道而馳,與耶穌為敵了!
耶穌基督來成全法律和先知,正是因為法利塞人過份注重條文和細節,令本來可以幫助猶太人成聖的梅瑟的法律,變質成為「食人的禮教」。耶穌基督把慈悲的精神重新注入法律中,要求我們以慈悲的精神,做即使是最小的誡命(路6:36)!引述聖德蘭修女一句,「心懷大愛做小事」,這就是耶穌基督所說的「成全法律」!
主基督!請不要讓我們陷於注重小節的誘惑。亞孟!
生命恩泉
Is Jesus In The Details?
(Matthew 5:17-19) Although Jesus mentions "the least of these commandments" (5:19a) in today's gospel, which among the 613 Mosaic laws is the least is still controversal. Don't think this question trivial because Jesus Christ warns that "Whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do so will be called least in the kingdom of heaven." (5:19b) It seems that Jesus teaches Christians to pay attention to details. Thus, many Catholics are meticulous in liturgical details. For example, one should genuflect whenever one walks in front of the Tabernacle. People should not hold hands while saying the Our Father and we should receive the Holy Communion with our mouth only etc. Of course, these are not Mosaic laws and the New Testament has replaced the Old Testament. However, "the Devil is in the details". Isn't paying attention to details a virtue worth encouraging?
If you do not know which day is the end of the world, the safest approach is to keep alert everyday. Similarly, if you do not know which commandment is the least, and breaking the least commandment makes you the least in the kingdom of heaven, the best approach is to seriously obey all commandments indifferently!
Does Jesus Christ really teach us to pay attention to details? Absolutely not! This is overdoing! We shall become like scribes who make use of their professional knowledge to fatten themselves and to attack Jesus. In the same way, over-concern over details will make us afraid of making mistakes and losing grace. On the other hand, we may think that the more energy we invest in details, the more grace we shall earn. This is exactly the opposite of Jesus' teachings, making us enemies of Jesus!
Jesus Christ came to fulfil the Law and the Prophets all because the Pharisees had over-emphasized the letters of the Mosaic laws, which originally intended to help the Jews in their sanctification, and had turned them into cannibalic regulations. Jesus Christ came to refill the laws with a spirit of mercy. He demands us to obey even the least commandment with the spirit of mercy (Luke 6:36)! To paraphrase St. Mother Teresa, "Do small things with great love". This is what Jesus means by "fulfilling the law"!
Lord Jesus, lead us not into the temptation of overemphasing details. Amen.
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