主題：天網恢恢
生活在社會裡，人與人之間的來往不可以祇按個人的好惡，作出損人利己的勾當。更進一步，為了公益，個人必須放棄一些應該享有的權利。為了便利社會整體運作的暢順，必須定下規矩和法律，來解決紛爭。所以立法的其中一個作用，就是以第三者的客觀立場，公平地處理兩者之間的糾紛，例如訂下在道路上甚麼時段是巴士專線，甚麼時候讓所有車輪使用等。
再進一步，為了一些有利社會環境的現實需要，也有用上立法的方式，間接推廣一些政策。例如人口過份膨脹，有必要鼓吹計劃生育，政府便在稅制上下功夫，第一、二名子女的免稅額高，以後出生的子女所享有的免稅額遞減。但是，如果國家強制墮胎，便是殺害無辜胎兒的生命，違反了倫理道德。這些法律便成為了惡法。由此可見，合法不一定合乎道德。再例如社會上制訂了「最低工資」的法律，僱主便可以合法地，祇支付最低工資給工人，滿足合約的要求。可是，這樣做，是否踐踏了工人的尊嚴和剝削了工人應得的經濟成果呢？
與此相反，合乎道德的行為，有可能會觸犯法律。例如耶穌不守梅瑟的法律，在安息日治病；又或者印度聖雄甘地，於1930年拒絕繳納鹽稅給殖民地政府，並率領群眾遊行24日到海邊造鹽！1955年在美國，羅莎帕克斯女士在巴士上，拒絕讓出她坐著的「黑人座位」給一位白人而被捕等等！可見憑良心，做出合乎倫理道德的事，也可以是違法的！
政府立法的時候，剛好相反。制訂條文時，盡力考慮到巨細無遺的地步，強調「魔鬼在細節」！結果，墮入了魔鬼的圈套，作法自斃！即使立法者不信天主，也應以史為鑒，從歷史中吸取教訓。例如，戰國時代，落後的秦國在列強中，也想進行改革，壯大起來。秦孝公招聘賢士，不計較應聘的是否外國人。來自魏國的商鞅，幫助秦孝公變法，以「治亂世用重典」的方針，令秦國富強起來。秦孝公死後，商鞅失寵了，結果死在自己所立的精密法律之下！
現代人生活舒適方便了，以為一切問題，都可以運用經濟手段解決。國家領導人以為「脫貧、小康」便可以化解群眾的埋怨和不滿，安定繁榮成了最高的目標！當社會出現了動盪時，便把責任推在富商身上、推在地產發展商身上。殊不知人是有靈魂的，吃飽了祇解決問題的一小部份！正如耶穌回答撒殫的第一個試探說：「人生活不但靠食物，而且也靠上主口中所發的一切言語生活。」（申8:3）且看耶穌公開宣講福音時，經常回應群眾在靈魂上和肉身上的需要。例如在施行五餅二魚的神蹟，讓五千人果腹之前，耶穌基督花了整個下午來教訓群眾許多事，還給他們治病（谷6:34；路9:11）；在治好癱子的神蹟中，耶穌先赦免了癱子的罪，讓他從此能安心地、快快樂樂地繼續癱下去（谷2:5）！後來祂為了解放一個附魔人的靈魂，不惜把邪魔驅逐到二千頭豬身上，讓豬群跳崖而死。二千頭豬是整條村的財產，可見耶穌基督非常珍惜靈魂的價值！
反觀現代人迷信科學，否認天主的存在，否認天堂地獄的存在，否認靈魂的存在…並且輕視了今天福音的教訓，「你們不要怕那殺害肉身，而不能殺害靈魂的；但更要害怕那能使靈魂和肉身陷於地獄中的。」（瑪10:28）他們不怕，因為他們以為自己沒有靈魂，以為其他人也沒有靈魂，世上沒有地獄，沒有天主！他們濫用科技，為所欲為。結果，把人間變成了地獄，留給自己，四周的人和後代子孫！我們相信靈魂是不滅的。那麼，靈魂是不會死，不會被殺害的，祇會是「陷於地獄的」，即永遠在地獄裡受苦而不能死去，不能一了百了！這是多麼痛苦的一回事！天堂在哪？天堂就是天主的居所，在那裡可以與天主同在。地獄在哪？地獄就是沒有天主的地方，在那裡沒有半點天主的慈愛，天主的恩寵！
我們不會奢望世間的法律可以完美，亦不會害怕有人會濫用國家法律來迫害那些憑良心生活的人；和那些信靠天主的基督徒。即使生活在迫害之中，我們應該好像宗徒們一樣，慶幸自己能堪當為耶穌基督的名字受侮辱（宗5:41）。 天主保祐！
2017講道
圖片鳴謝：speakout.hk
Twelfth Ordinary Sunday, Year A
Theme: The SkyNet Is Leak-Proof
Living in a society, people should not interact according to personal likes and dislikes, doing harmful things to others to benefit themselves. Take one step further, for the sake of common good, sometimes individuals have to give up some rights they are entitled to enjoy. For the smooth running of the society, rules and regulations must be set up to resolve conflicts. Thus, one of the purposes of legislation is to settle disputes in a fair manner by an impartial third party. For example, time slots are set aside to be bus-lane in the highway and the remaining time for all vehicles.
Take yet another step further. In order to meet concrete needs of the social situation, government may pass laws to advocate some policies. For example, when population is exploding, it is necessary to promote family planning. Governments may work on the taxation system, giving high tax allowance for the first two children and decreasing it stepwise for children born later. However, if the government imposes abortion on pregnancies that are not permitted, it is a murder of innocent foetus and is immoral. Such abortion laws are evil. Thus, being legal is not necessarily moral. Take another example, there are minimum wages laws. Employers may legally pay only the minimum wages to workers to satisfy the contracts. But isn't that a trampling on the workers' dignity and an exploitation of workers of the economic fruits due them?
On the contrary, taking moral actions may breach the laws. For example, Jesus did not follow Mosaic laws and healed the sick on Sabbath. In 1930, Gandhi refused to pay salt-tax to the colonial government and marched for 24 days to the sea to make salt! In 1955, Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat at the "coloured section" of the bus to a white man and was arrested! Thus, following the conscience to take moral actions may breach the law!
Men's laws are too primitive compared with God's laws! God's laws are broad but able to "catch" everything! For example, the Ten Commandments do not set down the details (Exodus 20:2-17). They set the boundaries to guide human beings how to lead a righteous life. They leave broad latitudes for mankind to develop God's images inside them. The purpose of the Ten Commandments is not to restrict but to help humanity develop and restore the inner images contaminated by sins! Jesus Christ gave a new commandment during the Last Supper, "Love one another as I have loved you" (John 13:34). This commandment aims at the edification and sanctification of our life so that we may partake in the eternal life of the Father. God's laws and Jesus' aim at giving us more abundant life. (10:10)
When governments make laws, they take an opposite approach. They believe that "the Devil is in the details". So when they draft laws, they labour painstakingly to make laws catch big and small offences alike. In the end, they fall into Satan's snare, killing themselves with the laws they've made! Even for atheists, they should at least learn from history. For example, during the Warring States period in China, the backward Qin state wanted to rival other foreign states. Duke Xiao of Qin hired advisers even from foreign states to help him. A legalist, Shang Yang from Wei helped him reform, deploying the policy of harsh legislation to deal with chaotic periods of time. Qin became strong and rose above other warring states. After the demise of Duke Xiao, Shang Yang lost patronage and consequently, was killed by the meticulous legislations he himself had designed!
Modern people lead a comfortable and convenient life. They think that economy is able to solve all sorts of problems. State leaders think that "getting rid of poverty and becoming sufficiently rich" would be able to dissolve social discontents. Prosperity and stability becomes the highest goal of the government! When social unrest emerges, government officials put the blame on rich merchants and land developers. They forget that man has a soul. Filling up the belly solves only a minor part of the problem! Just as what Jesus quoted in answering Satan's first temptation, "It is not by bread alone that people live, but by all that comes forth from the mouth of the Lord." (Deuteronomy 8:3) See what Jesus did in His public ministry. He often took care of the physical as well as spiritual needs of the crowd. For example, before He multiplied 5 loaves and 2 fish to feed the crowd, Jesus spent the whole afternoon teaching the crowd many things and healed their diseases (Mark 6:34, Luke 9:11). In the cure of the paralyzed man, Jesus forgave his sins first so that the paralyzed man might paralyze happily ever after (Mark 2:5)! Liberating a possessed man, Jesus drove the demons into 2000 pigs which jumped to their death. The 2000 pigs were the property of the whole village. Thus we see that Jesus Christ takes seriously the value of human souls!
Modern people are superstitious in science. They deny the existence of God, of heaven, of hell and of souls etc. They slight the teaching of the gospel passage today, "And do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; rather, be afraid of the one who can destroy both soul and body in Gehenna." (Matthew 10:28) They are not afraid because they think that they have no soul to destroy. Others also don't have souls. There is no Gehenna on earth and no God! They abuse technology and do whatever they wish. Consequently, they create hell on earth for themselves, for people around them and for the future generation! But we believe that souls are immortal. Thus, souls do not die and can't be killed. They can only be destroyed in Gehenna. That is to say, souls will suffer in hell and can't die to cut short their sufferings. How painful it would be! Where is heaven? Heaven is the abode of God where we can live with God. Where is hell? Hell is where there is no God, no God's mercy nor God's grace to be found!
We do not expect laws on earth to be perfect. We are not afraid of people abusing state laws to persecute those who lead a conscientious life or those Christians who trust in the Lord. Even in time of persecutions, we should be joyful like the apostles because "they had been found worthy to suffer dishonour for the sake of the name (of Jesus Christ)" (Acts 5:41).
God bless!
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