人的仇敵，就是自己的家人 One's enemies will be those of his household

勇氣系列之二：
「人的仇敵，就是自己的家人。」（瑪10：36）

你有勇氣聽這句說話嗎？聽得入耳嗎？
首先必需澄清上句所指的「仇敵」，是甚麼意思。注意，原文是指「與天主作對」的意思！即是說，是自己的家人，阻擋我們親近天主，阻擋我們獲得救恩。

在理想的教友家庭中，公教父母把基督宗教信仰，傳授給子女，裝備他們回應天主的成聖召叫；而子女們亦欣然接受這福音，並在成長過程中，按部就班地履行教導。這樣理想化的公教家庭，何來仇敵？的確是令人羨慕的家庭典範，「聖家」三口就是這樣的一個理想公教家庭。

可是，現實帶給家庭很大的壓力，甚至令很多家庭，失去了應有的職能，嚴重的甚至出現家庭暴力，或者父母離異，令家庭支離破碎，家庭成員得不到應有的保障及發展！在這種情況下，上述的福音句子，即使抹去它的宗教元素，亦成了部份現代家庭的寫照！

比較健康的和正常的家庭，也難免受到家庭成員的成長和發展，所帶來的張力所影響！孩子長大了，反叛了，覺得父母的信念過時了，信天主不科學，令他們在朋輩之間蒙羞…丈夫/妻子升職了，工作環境改變了，接觸的同事不同了，工作時間長了，與配偶的關係出現了裂縫…父母老了，反應遲鈍了，脾氣古怪了，性格固執了…這一切都令家庭關係持續緊張，天主好像從家庭中消失了…

請緊記耶穌的教訓！祂不是教導我們要「愛我們的仇人，為迫害我們的人祈禱」（5：44）嗎？誰是我們的仇敵？耶穌說：「就是自己的家人」（10：36）。倘若連家庭中的仇敵也不能愛，遑論外面的仇敵呢？那不愛自己所看見的，遑論去愛那看不見的天主（若一4：20）呢？
主啊！請賜我們勇氣和力量，去愛那些傷害我們最重的人。亞孟。

圖片鳴謝：archive.ru
論盡神學

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Courage Series #2
One's enemies will be those of his household (Matthew 10:36)

Do you have the courage to hear these words? Are you able to listen?
First of all, let us clarify what "enemies" means. It is ἐχθρός in Greek, meaning "hostile to, hating and opposing God"! That is to say, it is one's household which prevents us from coming close to God, preventing us from receiving salvation.

In an ideal believers' family, Catholic parents should pass on Christianity to their children, equipping them to respond to God's call to sanctification. Children should gladly receive this gospel and put it into practice stage by stage during their growth and development. From where do the "enemies" come in these ideal families? Indeed, these are admirable exemplar families which the Holy Family is one such. However, reality exerts a lot of pressure on families so much so that many families have lost their proper functions. Domestic violence and divorces happen in grave cases, breaking families up and failing to provide protection and growth for their members! In such cases, the quotation above, even with its religious connotation removed, is a realistic portrait of many modern families!
Families which are comparatively healthy and normal are inevitably affected by tensions brought about by the growth and development of family members! Children grow and become rebellious. They feel that parents' beliefs are outdated. Belief in God is outdated and embarrasses them in front of their peers … Husbands or wives are promoted. Working environment has changed. Colleagues are different. Working hours become longer and cracks appear in spousal relationship … Parents are ageing. Their responses are slower. Tempers become queer and personality becomes less flexible … All family relations become tense. God seems to have vanished in families …

Bear in mind Jesus' teaching! Doesn't He teach that we should "love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you" (5:44)? Who are our enemies? Jesus says, "our household" (10:36) If we cannot love those enemies from our household, how can we love enemies from outside? If we do not love whom we see, how can we love God whom we have not seen (1 John 4:20)?
Lord! Grant us courage and strength to love those who hurt us most. Amen.