主題：行使權柄
中國的歷史故事中，有不少令人津津樂道的英雄豪傑。他們表現出不同的非凡能力，令我們這些平民百姓嚮往。他們有不同的領導才幹：有些人能力拔山河；有些運籌帷幄，決勝千里；有些精通兵法，萬夫莫敵；有些一無是處，卻能善用各下屬的長處，把整隊軍隊的戰鬥力，發揮得淋漓盡致，達成改朝換代的目的！
領導是一種風格，既科學，又藝術。對於每個處境，因應天時、地利、人和的條件約束，沒有最好的領導方式，祇有更好的領導方式！一般來說，尤其是在資訊科技發達的年代，集體的智慧，總比個人獨大好！且看被神化了的諸葛亮，雖然早期的他以用人精明見稱；但三分天下入蜀之後，凡事親力親為；結果「食少事繁」，保不住蜀國，有負先帝所託，誠為可惜！古代社會如是，現代社會何嘗不是！現代成功的企業，大多把股權分配給員工，信任員工們不願看見自己公司倒閉；做主管的，願意接納持與他不同意見的下屬，大家攜手合作，使企業健康地增長…；雖然治理企業與治理國家屬於不同層次，但總有參考價值。
讓我們默想超性一點，作為造物主，天主是怎樣治理這個宇宙呢？
首先，祂很滿意自己的創造，看了認為好（創1:4, 8, 10… ），「樣樣都很好」（1:31）。然後，祂把自己的創造，交給祂的傑作，人類管理（1:26，2:15）！天主懂得下放權力，並且信任按祂自己肖像所做的傑作，人類！說也奇怪，為甚麼不下放權力，交給更有本領的天使，而是交給人類呢？即使人類犯錯，並且不斷犯錯，天主仍沒有收回這個管治大地的權力。這裡，我們看到，擁有絕對權力的天主，並不是暴君，隨意行使自己的權力。祂可以行使權力，但祂並沒有運用祂的權力，約束受造物的活動和發展空間。為甚麼呢？我相信天主希望看到人類能圓滿地生活得像一個人，而不是奴隸，不是玩物！人類既是天主的肖像，就應該好像天主一樣，是自由的，有尊嚴的！即使怎樣不濟，仍可以從失敗中站起來，再接再礪，屢敗屢戰！
的確，天主是自由的，按天主的肖像所造的人類便應享有自由。一般的動物離開母體時，已經完全發展，可以獨立生存。人類與其他動物不同之處，就是他們離開母胎時，並未完全發展。這是可貴的，因為這樣，人類可以更有彈性，更能適應環境。看，不論你出生是甚麼種族，你說的母語是你出生最初幾年所處的言語環境。可見人是擁有很多有待發展的潛質。沒有自由，人類的潛質，就得不到應有的充份發揮。這就是自由的可貴之處，就是天主也尊重人類自由的原因！
你一定會問，既然天主尊重我們的自由，為甚麼祂還要頒下誡命，來限制我們，使我們不能隨心所欲地生活呢？這是容易理解的，限制是為了集中我們的精力，朝向成聖的方向。誡命是為了指導我們如何生活，如何成聖。當我們因種種原因沒有遵從誡命的時候，祂並沒有即時懲罰我們，消滅我們。祂仍給予我們改過自新的機會，寬恕我們，不祇七十個七次，而是每一次！祂甚至寬恕那些把祂的獨生子釘死在十字架上的士兵（路23:34）！天主祇會邀請我們與祂合作，除了很特殊的個別例子，祂不會強迫我們！祂邀請亞巴郎做救世主的祖先、邀請法郎釋放以色列奴隸、邀請達味替祂消滅哥肋雅、邀請先知替祂教訓拜偶像的君王、邀請瑪加伯家族為祂悍衛宗教自由、邀請童貞瑪利亞做聖子的母親、邀請稅吏成為宗徒…邀請我們信從祂的聖子耶穌基督，但並不強迫世人領洗入教。看來祂並不希罕出於被迫的愛，而是想與我們自由地談戀愛！
各位兄弟姊妹，天父把天上地下的一切權柄，交給了經過受難考驗的耶穌基督（瑪28:18），我們可以放心了！「因為我們所有的，不是一位不能同情我們弱點的大司祭，而是一位在各方面與我們相似，受過試探的，祇是沒有罪過。」（希4:15）祂不會濫權，反而不行使權力，陪伴我們，出死入生。所以我們可以放心大膽地傳福音，使萬民成為門徒了（瑪28:19）。
天主保祐！
2017年講道
圖片鳴謝：香港紅十字會
The Ascension of the Lord, Year A
Theme: Exercising One's Power
In historical stories of China, there are many legendary heroes. They possessed extraordinary powers enchanting us commoners. They showed different styles of leadership: some were powerful like Hercules; some were able to calculate each and every single step of rivals and won; some knew the art of wars so well that they were invincible; some others had no specific skills but were able to glue their subordinates together so that the whole army was able to build a new dynasty under their leadership!
Leadership is a style, a science as well as an art. In every situation, because of constrains of time, space and people, no leadership style is the best. There can only be better style of leadership! In general, especially in the age of Information Technology, democratic is almost always better than autocratic. Take a look at the deified Zhuge Liang. Although early in his career, he was well known in allocating duties to the best of the subordinates, after tri-partitioning China and entering Shu (Sichuan today) he took upon his shoulders all the administration. Consequently, "eating little and doing a lot", he was unable to defend Shu and failed to discharge the duty assigned him by the deceased Lord. It is such a pity! Ancient society was as such. Modern societies are the same! Many successful enterprises give out company shares to employees, trusting that they don't want to see the company close. Supervisors are willing to accept subordinates who hold different views and are willing to work with them to develop the enterprise … Although governing an enterprise is not on a par with governing a country, there are similarities that deserve consideration.
Let us meditate more supernaturally. As the Creator, how does God govern this universe?
First of all, He was happy with His own creation, saw them good (Genesis 1:4, 8, 10 …) "God looked at everything He had made, and found it very good." (1:31) Then, He gave all His creation to His masterpiece, human beings to manage (1:26, 2:15)! God knows how to delegate authority and He trusts humanity who was created in His image! Don't you find it strange why God did not delegate His authority to more capable angels but to fragile mankind? Even though we are prone to making mistakes and continue to do so, God does not take back this sovereignty. Here, we see God who holds absolute power does not exercise it like a tyrant. He could but He doesn't rein back our activities or space of growth. Why? I believe that God wants to see us lead our life fully like a human being, not a slave or an object! Men were created in the image of God. Like God, men are free and dignified. No matter how incompetent we are, we are able to stand up again right where we have fallen and keep trying hard without giving up!
Truly, God is free. We who were created in God's image should also be free. Most animals are fully developed and are able to live independently once they leave their mothers' womb. But men are different from animals. We are born pre-maturely. This is an asset. Human beings can be more flexible, more capable of adapting to the environment. Whatever races you are, the mother tongue you speak came from the language environment of the first few years of your life. Thus, men have a lot of potentials to be developed. Without freedom, these potentials will never be fully realized. That's why freedom is precious and God also respects our freedom!
You will definitely ask why God, who respects our freedom, gave us commandments, restricting us so that we cannot do what we want! This is easy to understand because restrictions help us focus our energy towards sanctification. Commandments are meant to guide our lives, guide our steps towards becoming saints. When for various reasons we do not follow the commandments, God does not punish us immediately and annihilate us. He still gives us chances to repent and to forgive us not just seventy times seven but every time! He even forgave soldiers who crucified His only begotten Son (Luke 23:34)! God only invites us to work with Him, except for some special cases, He never coerces! He invited Abraham to become the ancestor of the Saviour, Pharaoh to release the Israelite slaves, David to help Him wipe out Goliath, prophets to chasten idolatrous kings, the Maccabees to defend religious freedom, the Blessed Virgin Mary to become the mother of the Son, tax collectors to become apostles … He invites us to believe in His Son Jesus Christ but does not force us to be baptized. It looks as if He does not bother with coerced love. He wants us to fall in love freely with Him!
Why are there people on earth so stupid as to think that coerced love can bring happiness? A king whom his subjects hate, instead of working hard to galvanize his governance, conjures up all sorts of violence to force his subjects to love him, and to love him is to obey him. In this way, the chance of his success is next to zero! We should not blame God for not removing those tyrants for our sake. God "causes rain to fall on the just and the unjust." (Matthew 5:45) God respects our freedom and continuously gives us opportunities to repent. Why can't He give tyrants opportunities to repent? Whether you like it or not, you have to pay this price of enjoying freedom, the price of others' abuse of freedom. Frankly speaking, man can't be compared with God. How can we expect a tyrant to be able to delegate his power, like God does? Tyrants would only "delegate" their faults to scapegoats. Just as a Red Cross poster says, "Need we to beg you if rock is able to yield blood!" It is impossible to expect a tyrant with a heart of stone to transform into a merciful king with a heart of flesh! Is it really impossible? Angel Gabriel says, "For nothing will be impossible for God." (Luke 1:37)
Brethren! Our hearts may rest assured because the Father has given all power in heaven and on earth to Jesus Christ who has gone through passion! "For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who has similarly been tested in every way, yet without sin." (Hebrews 4:15) Surely He shall not abuse His power. Instead, restraining His power, He accompanies us, going through death into life. We may boldly preach the gospel and make disciples of all nations (Matthew 28:19).
God bless!
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