主題：信德系列之七：永生得來不易
做耶穌基督的朋友，不用擔心死後去哪，因為主耶穌肯定在天堂，已為他們留了一席位。不過在生時，生活就未必好過了。拉匝祿要等到病死後，主耶穌纔動身去復活他（若11:43）；保祿歸化後，為耶穌基督嘗過了不少困苦（格後11:23-28），纔獲得光榮的冠冕（弟後4:7-8）；以後的殉道聖人如斯德望及老楞佐等，就不用多說了。那麼，如果沒有機會為耶穌基督受苦殉道，我們還是不是祂的朋友呢？我們在天國的席位，會否岌岌可危呢？
現代人生活富庶了，講求生活質素。能夠活動、工作、與人交往，纔顯得自己存在著，並且是有價值的。死亡的可怕之處，不一定在於死前所捱受的痛苦，否則，世上就沒有烈士/殉道者了。死亡的恐怖，是死後的化為烏有，被人遺忘，甚至被天主所遺忘。多篇哀求的聖詠，表達了對死亡實在的恐懼，無他，都是恐怕被天主遺棄在陰府裡（詠6:6, 30:10, 88:11-13, 15:17）。所以人更加把持著自己的性命，不肯放手，恐怕天主會忘記了他的存在！所以無論信德有多大，也很難把自己，把自己的生命，完全托付在天主的手中！「不要照我所願意的，而要照祢所願意的。」（谷14:36）談何容易！
保祿、斯德望和老楞佐選擇了殉道成聖之路。可憐的拉匝祿，在非自願的情況下，失救而死！誠然，在死亡面前，除了天主子外，誰也沒有選擇權。所謂「生有時，死有時。」（訓3:2），我們控制不了。天主子耶穌基督就不一樣，「誰也不能奪去我的性命，而是我甘心情願捨掉它；我有權捨掉它，我也有權再取回它來。」（若10:18）所以，祂自願的死，成了後世殉道者的榜樣。祂有能力自己從死者中復活，一點也出奇，因為祂身為天主，在生死之間自由往還，一點困難也沒有。可是，跟隨祂榜樣的殉道者，憑自己是沒有能力復活的，惟有信靠這位生命的主宰。在拉匝祿的個案中，耶穌基督給我們證明了，祂的確有起死回生的能力。等一等，耶穌基督不是曾復活了雅依洛的女兒（瑪9:25）和納因城寡婦的獨生子嗎（路7:14-15）？對素未謀面的陌生人，耶穌基督尚且如此善待，復活自己的好朋友，又有甚麼希奇，有甚麼特別之處呢？
若望福音把拉匝祿描述為耶穌基督「所愛的」（11:3），所以拉匝祿對耶穌基督的信德，是肯定的。而耶穌的宣講，「信從我的，即使死了，仍要活著」，亦在拉匝祿身上，具體地彰顯在眾人面前。耶穌基督透過復活拉匝祿，「賜給他們（百姓）另一顆心，在他們臟腑放上另一種精神；拿走他們鐵石的心，給他們換上一顆血肉的心。」（則11:19；36:26）結果，得出兩極的效果，「就有許多人信從了祂」（若11:45）獲得永生；同時，「在那一天起，他們（即公議會）就議決要殺害耶穌。」（11:53）。拒絕換心，拒絕永生的，大有人在！
瑪爾大很有現代人的氣息，停不了，四出張羅。她像大部份的母親一樣，不行動無以表現對子女的愛；瑪爾大不行動無以表現對耶穌基督的愛。不過，不可以小覷她的信德。她對主說：「就是現在，我也知道：你無論向天主求甚麼，天主必要賜給你。」（11:22）她是「知道」，是肯定的而不是「相信」，是沒有百份百把握的！更重要的，是她沒有規定耶穌基督向天父求甚麼。這份對耶穌基督和對天父的開放，的確難能可貴！瑪利亞則剛好相反，雖然她也對耶穌基督說了與瑪爾大相同的話（11:32），表現出一致的姊弟情，並向主表達了她們現在的苦況，但她用不著要求耶穌基督了。因為在耶穌基督身上，瑪利亞已感受到復活的氣息；從主的眼淚中（11:35），默觀到永生的澎湃！與天主子同在，必永遠不死！
各位兄弟姊妹，相信永生並不是迷信，也不是精神的安慰，因為會受苦甚至殉道。相信永生，使我們在現世的生命，活得更淋漓盡致，瑪爾大仍是瑪爾大，不過是一個更能生活天父旨意的瑪爾大；瑪利亞仍是瑪利亞，不過是一個更敏銳地展現默觀生活價值的瑪利亞。願今天默想拉匝祿的復活，能再激起我們對永生的渴求，無懼現世生活的種種困難和挑戰。
天主保祐！
2017年講道
圖片鳴謝：lifewater.church
Fifth Sunday of Lent, Year A
Theme: On Faith (VII) --- Eternal Life is Difficult to Attain
Friends of Jesus Christ don't have to worry about where to go after death because Lord Jesus definitely has reserved a place in heaven for them. But life on earth would not be easy. Lazarus had to die of illness before Lord Jesus proceeded to raise him (John 11:43); Paul had suffered a lot after conversion (2 Corinthians 11:23-28) before he could attain the crown of righteousness (2 Timothy 4:7-8); not to mention the martyrs, such as Stephen and Lawrence in subsequent ages. Then, if we don't have the opportunity to suffer or die martyrdom for Jesus Christ, are we still His friends? Would our lack of sufferings cast doubt on our place in heaven?
Modern people live in affluence. We chase after quality of life. We act, work and interact to express our very existence, to make ourselves worthy of attention. The horror of death lies not in the pains before it. Otherwise, there would not be any martyrs. The horror is the nothingness after death. Nobody remembers us, not even God. Many lamentation psalms express this fear in concrete terms of being abandoned in Sheol by God (Psalms 6:6; 30:10; 88:11-13; 15:17). Thus, men hold fast their life the more lest God would forget their existence! However great our faith is, it is very difficult to surrender ourselves and our lives completely to God! "Not what I will but what you will." (Mark 14:36). It is more easily said than done.
Paul, Stephen and Lawrence had chosen the path of sanctification through martyrdom. Poor Lazarus, he died of a lack of cure, not of his own choice! Of course, nobody can choose when to die except the Son of God. "A time to give birth and a time to die;" (Ecclesiastes 3:2) Death is beyond our control. Jesus Christ the Son of God is different. "No one takes it from me, but I lay it down on my own. I have power to lay it down, and power to take it up again." (John 10:18) His willingness to lay down His life becomes the exemplar for martyrs in subsequent ages. It is no surprise that He is able to rise from the death. As God Himself, it is not difficult for Him to move freely between life and death. But the martyrs who have followed His example do not have the power to rise themselves. They could only trust in this Author of Life. In the case of Lazarus, Jesus Christ proves that He really has the power to raise the dead. Wait! Hadn't Jesus Christ raised the daughter of Jairus (Matthew 9:25) and the only son of the widow of Nain (Luke 7:14-15)? If Jesus Christ shows kindness to total strangers, what is so special about raising His good friend?
What special message does the story of raising Lazarus show us? This narrative provides Jesus Christ an opportunity to expound on the meanings of eternal life. Moreover, have you noticed the role Mary plays in this story? The description of Martha and Mary agrees with that in Luke (Luke 10:40). Martha is a woman in action, Mary a contemplative. Mary speaks little and keeps all things reflecting on them in her heart. The BVM is a combination of both. The teachings of eternal life scatter throughout the whole gospel of John. And here are two points, "I am the resurrection and the life; whoever believes in me, even if he dies, will live, and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die." (John 11:25-26) These two verses probably apply to Jairus' family and the family of the widow of Nain. But the focus of the narratives in the Synoptic gospels does not explicitly point to eternal life. The Lazarus narrative is different.
John describes Lazarus as the one the Master loves. (11:3) Lazarus' faith in Christ is certain. Thus, Jesus' proclamation, that "whoever believes in me, even if he dies, will live", is concretely demonstrated before the people. Through raising Lazarus, Jesus Christ, "gives them anther heart and a new spirit I will put within them. From their bodies I will remove the hearts of stone, and give them hearts of flesh." (Ezekiel 11:19; 36:26) Consequently, it achieved two opposite effects "Many of the Jews who had … seen what He had done began to believe in Him" (John 11:45) and attained eternal life. At the same time, "So from that day on they (the Sanhedrin) planned to kill Him." (11:53) Many are there indeed who refuse hearts transplant and eternal life!
Martha is very modern. She can't stop moving around working. Like most mothers who can't show their children enough love without working, Martha can't show Jesus Christ her love without actions. However, don't underestimate her faith. She says to the Master, "Even now I know that whatever you ask of God, God will give you" (11:22). She "knows" and is affirmative, not "believes" without any certainty. More importantly, she does not demand what to ask of God. This openness to Jesus Christ and the Father is precious! On the contrary, even though Mary says the same as Martha has said (11:32), showing the same love among siblings and articulates their plights to the Master, she does not ask anything from Jesus Christ. It is because she senses in the Master the breath of resurrection and from the tears of the Master (11:35), she contemplates the rigour of eternal life! With the Son of God, we shall never die!
Brethren! Faith in eternal life is not a superstition or a spiritual consolation because it brings sufferings and even martyrdom. Instead, faith in eternal life makes our life on earth more fulfilling. Martha is still Martha, but a Martha who lives more closely according to the will of the Father. Mary is still Mary, but a Mary who is more able to demonstrate into focus the values of contemplative life. May our meditation on the resurrection of Lazarus today trigger our desire for eternal life, fearlessly accepting all challenges and difficulties in our life on earth.
God bless!
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