活出「真我」的外來障礙 Obstacles to Live Up To the Authentic Self

真我系列之二：
活出「真我」的外來障礙（瑪13:36-43）

天國有內在和外在的意義。內在的天國位於我們心中，是主觀的。當我們讓天主的旨意和恩寵，在我們的心裡運行無阻的時候，天國便臨現在我們的心中。「撒種的比喻」所描述的，正是這個內在的天國。外在的天國是客觀的，和內在的天國一樣，經過一段時間的發展，便彰顯出來。這客觀的天國要「在今世終結時」（瑪13：39）纔實現。「田間莠子」的比喻所描述的，正是這個到末日纔實現的，外在的天國。

正如內在的天國裡，有荊棘窒息福音種子，使它不能生長，外在的天國也一樣。田就是世界（13：38），就是天國的基地。人子在田裡撒好的種子，為的是在世界上建設天主的國。建設天國是一個過程，需要經過一段時間的發展。同時，在這外在的天國裡，有「使人跌倒的事，及作惡的人」（13：41），障礙著天國的子民，建設天國。

人類社會不斷進化，罪惡不再是個別惡人的行為。罪惡已經制度化，把軟弱的人囚禁在制度之內，成為制度的一部份。昔日祇有個人的貪婪，剝削一小撮家中的僕婢。今天有不公義的法律體系，縱容企業家謀取暴利，剝削整個工人階級，加劇貧富懸殊！企業家之間，在制度內，不擇手段，互相競爭，渴望獨霸整個市場；而工人亦淪為生產的機器！這些結構性的罪惡，扭曲了企業家與勞動人民的尊嚴和人性。當人性蕩然無存的時候，還有「真我」可言，還有「蒙召成聖」的可能嗎？
天父啊！請祢快來，掃除那一切使人跌倒的事，讓義人們的真我，得以「發光如同太陽」。亞孟！

生命恩泉
圖片鳴謝：https://zingcreed.wordpress.com/2013/11/05/structural-sin/

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Authentic Self Series II
Obstacles to Live Up To the Authentic Self (Matthew 13:36-43)

The Kingdom of Heaven has both internal and external meanings. The internal one is in our hearts. It is subjective. When we allow God's will and grace to operate in our hearts without obstacles, the Kingdom of Heaven is present in us. The Parable of the Sower describes this "internal" Kingdom of Heaven. The external Kingdom of Heaven is objective and like the internal one, takes time to develop and manifest. The objective Kingdom of Heaven shall actualize at "the end of the age" (Matthew 13:39). The Parable of the Weeds describes this external Kingdom of Heaven at the end of the world.

Just as the in the internal Kingdom of Heaven, there are thorns smothering the seeds, preventing them from growing, the external Kingdom of Heaven is the same. "The field is the world" (13:38) the base of the Kingdom of Heaven. The Son of Man plants good seeds in the world to build up the Kingdom of Heaven. Building it up is a process and takes time to develop. At the same time, there are people who cause others to sin and evildoers in the Kingdom (13:41), hindering the children of the Kingdom to develop the Kingdom.

In the evolution of human societies, sin is no longer the actions of individual evildoers. Sin is institutionalized. Weaklings are imprisoned in the institution and become a part of it. In previous ages, there were only greedy individuals exploiting a small number of domestic slaves. Today, there are unfair legal systems which turn a blind eye to unscrupulous entrepreneurs who exploit an entire class of labourers, quickening the polarization of wealth! Within the system, entrepreneurs compete among themselves in a dog-eat-dog, hoping to monopolize the market. Workers become bolts and nuts of production! These structural sins twist and distort the dignity and humanity of both the entrepreneurs and labouring people. When humanity is so much trampled, is it meaningful to talk about Authentic Self and is sanctification still possible?
Heavenly Father! Come quickly. Remove all stumbling blocks so that the authentic selves of the righteous may "shine like the sun". Amen!