主題：在末日前復活
耶穌基督受洗後，在曠野四十日四十夜，經歷魔鬼的試探；耶穌基督祇透露了其中三個。這些試探，可以理解為魔鬼想盡辦法，窺探天主派遣來到眼前的聖者，用甚麼方法救贖普世。牠向耶穌基督獻計，用經濟、政治和宗教手段，解決世上的罪惡問題。但耶穌基督守口如瓶，祇引用【申命紀】回覆，令魔鬼一點線索也找不到。今天，魔鬼又出動了！
承接上一個主日的福音，耶穌基督已找到了天父所挑選的教會磐石（瑪16:17-18），於是向門徒透露一點，拯救世界的方法。耶穌基督有點高估了祂的門徒，他們仍以「選民」自居，忘記了「選民」對普世人類的神聖責任。事實上，他們並未有足夠的心理準備，因為他們心目中所期望的默世亞，即「受傅者」，好像梅瑟或者波斯王居魯士（依45:1）一樣，是天主派遣來解放以色列人的。他們沒有想過，耶穌基督是消除世罪的天主羔羊（若1:29），是為全人類的！耶穌基督的方法，就是死而復活，把人類從罪惡的奴役出，解放出來（瑪16:21）。
現代人不相信復活，大多數因為他們否定靈魂的存在。沒有靈魂，復活還有甚麼意義呢？耶穌時代的人，即使相信有靈魂，但對復活的觀念並不一致。希臘人不希望有復活，因為他們認為肉體是靈魂的囚室，人死後，靈魂得到解放，重回宇宙的「大靈魂」去，所以保祿在雅典講道踫壁（宗17:32）。即使在猶太人中，也有分歧。由司祭組成的撒杜塞黨，就不相信有復活並經常與相信復活的法利塞人爭論（23:7-8）。而相信復活的，是相信死人在末日復活，例如瑪爾大（若11:24）。所以，門徒們沒有心理準備，接受「第三天要復活」（瑪16:21）！即使親眼看見過耶穌復活雅依洛女兒的伯多祿（谷5:37），也有困難。不錯，耶穌的確有復活死人的大能。但祂死了，有可能令自己復活嗎？而且，他們的「事業」，正日上中天，有很多跟隨者。倘若他們所追隨的耶穌死了，一切捨棄/投資，將化為烏有；難怪伯多祿要諫責耶穌（瑪16:22）！
即使是天父挑選的磐石，仍有很多地方須要雕琢！他犯的一切錯誤，都成了後世信徒的借鏡。耶穌轉身對伯多祿說：「撒殫，退到我後面去！」（16:23）表面上是當眾責備他，教育他。但從語氣上，和祂素來對宗徒們的疼惜來看（17:14-21），更有可能是替伯多祿驅魔！要知道撒殫慣用的技倆，就是在我們不知不覺之中，替牠做出反對天主的事！眷戀眼前的成就，憧憬未來更偉大的成就，乃人之常情。擁有雄心壯志，不輕言放棄，屢敗屢戰，是堅毅不屈的美德；但當它不是天父的旨意時，成就反過來便成了我們，甚至其他人，親近天主的絆腳石！謹慎理智是美德，但當它不符合天父的旨意時，就變成了不願作見證的藉口了！撒殫的手段，真的是層出不窮。但憑人性上的「四樞德」，很難與祂抗衡。靈魂上的戰鬥，有賴超性的德行，和天主的助祐！
讓我們回頭默想復活的課題。在末日時，所有人都要復活，是猶太人，尤其是法利塞人素來的觀念。保祿怎樣處理耶穌基督可以在末日前復活呢？他引入了「復活次第」的觀念，試圖突破末日纔復活的局限。「就如在亞當內，眾人都死了，照樣在基督內，眾人都要復活；不過各人要依照自己的次第：首先是為初果的基督，然後…」（格前15:22-23）。保祿借助為人熟悉的「初果」觀念，來像徵耶穌基督。既然是初果，就表示以後世世代代，還有很多人會像耶穌一樣復活，就是那些「屬於基督的人」。所以在末日前復活，祇是一個次序上的問題。因此，耶穌基督可以在末日前復活！但福音的革命性之處，在於耶穌的復活，不但是在末日前，而更是在「第三天」，在眼前！在復活拉匝祿的故事中，耶穌基督的言論，值得深究。祂說：「我就是復活，就是生命。」（若11:25）簡單地說，祂宣稱自己就是生命的主宰。祇要好像拉匝祿一樣，與祂建立了關係，（用保祿的術語，就是「屬於基督的人」），即使在末日前，也可以復活！拉匝祿就是一個例子。他們一家三口，是耶穌基督的好朋友。拉匝祿死了，耶穌基督為他落淚（11:35）！無疑，拉匝祿後來再一次死了。但他曾復活過，所以在末日的復活，不是空談！
在保祿的神學裡，耶穌基督的復活，彰顯了天主聖三的共融。聖子取了人性，成了會死的人！天主也可以死，真是絕妙的道理！按保祿的觀點，聖子死後，是聖神，即保祿所說的「父的光榮」復活祂（羅6:4；8:11）！所以，擁有聖神，即使在末日前，在今時今日，就已經可以復活重生了！不一定是象徵式的重新做人，而是真實在從死裡復活。「你相信嗎？」（若11:25-26）事出突然，連相當接近耶穌的瑪爾大，亦祇能回應她所能明白的（11:27）。天主的奧秘，真是神妙莫測，不易為世人承受！
各位兄弟姊妹，伯多祿的例子，教我們不必氣餒！雖然受到「原罪」的影響，伯多祿一時糊塗，思念「人的事」，但並沒有動搖了他跟隨主耶穌的抉擇。雖然伯多祿很不堪當，有千瘡百孔的性格，但他不斷回頭悔改，最後能走上十字架上殉道，爭取到光榮的冠冕。回頭悔改，不就是復活的滋味嗎？世上不斷的磨練和復活，不就是耶穌基督所教導的「窄門」（瑪7:13）嗎？讓我們努力，向永生邁進！
天主保祐！
2017講道
圖片鳴謝： sundayschool.works
Twenty Second Ordinary Sunday, Year A
Theme: Resurrection Before Judgment Day
After His baptism, Jesus Christ spent 40 days and 40 nights in the wilderness to experience the Devil's temptations. He only revealed three of the temptations which could be understood as the Devil's attempt to decipher what this Holy One sent from God before its eyes would do to save the entire world. It suggested economic, political and religious ways to solve the global problem of sin. But Jesus Christ was reticent. He only quoted from the book of Deuteronomy, leaving the Devil clueless. Today, the Devil strikes once more!
Subsequent to the gospel passage last Sunday when Jesus Christ had identified the "petra" upon which the Father has chosen to build His Church (Matthew 16:17-18), He revealed to the disciples how He was going to save the world. Jesus Christ has overestimated the disciples who still cherished their identity as God's Chosen People. They had forgotten the sacred duty of the Chosen People to all peoples. Indeed, they were not psychologically prepared. They were anticipating a Messiah, the Anointed One, like Moses or the Persian King Cyrus (Isaiah 45:1), to deliver them. They had never thought of Jesus Christ as the "Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world" (John 1:29), as someone for all humanity! By dying and coming back to life, Jesus Christ would deliver humanity from the bondage of sin (Matthew 16:21).
Modern men do not believe in resurrection because most of them deny the existence of souls. Without souls, is it meaningful to talk about resurrection? Jesus' contemporaries, even if they believed in souls, didn't arrive at a consensus about resurrection. Greeks did not want resurrection because they believed that our souls were imprisoned inside our body. At our death, the soul would be liberated and return to the Universal Soul. Thus, Paul's preaching in Athene was a failure (Acts 17:32). There were also controversies among the Jews. The Sadducees, who were made up of priests, always denied resurrection and argued with the Pharisees (23:7-8). For those who believed in resurrection, they believed that it would take place on the Judgment Day, for example, Martha (John 11:24). Therefore, the disciples were not psychologically prepared to hear "on the third day be raised" (Matthew 16:21). It was difficult even for Peter who had witnessed Jesus' resurrection of Jairus' daughter (Mark 5:37). Yes, Jesus has the powerful to raise the dead. But after His death, was He able to raise Himself? Moreover, their campaign was at its zenith. There were many followers. If Jesus died, all their sacrifices/investments would come to null. No wonder Peter took Jesus aside to rebuke Him (Matthew 16:22)!
Even though Peter was elected by the Father to be the rock, he still needed a lot of polishing. The mistakes he made serve as guideposts for Christians in the future generations. Jesus turned and said to Peter, "Get behind me, Satan!" (16:23) Superficially, Jesus rebuked Peter in public to chastise him. But the tone and the love Jesus had shown the apostles (17:14-21) suggests that probably Jesus was performing exorcism on Peter! Be known that Satan's modus operandi is to lead us into doing things against God unknowingly! To cherish one's achievement and to dream of more glorious prospect is human. To harbour ambitions, to never give up easily, fight doggedly is the virtue of perseverance. But when it is not the Father's will, this can be a stumbling block for us as well as others in coming close to God! Prudence is a virtue. But when it is not the Father's will, it can become an excuse not to bear witness! Satan is extremely tricky. It is difficult to fend it off with the four cardinal virtues only. In order to fight this spiritual battle, we need supernatural graces and the support of God!
Let us turn back to meditate resurrection. All men shall come back to life on Judgment Day. This is the traditional concept of the Jews, in particular the Pharisees. How did Paul explain the resurrection of Jesus Christ before the Last Day? He introduces the concept of "proper order" in order to break through the restriction. "For just as in Adam all die, so too in Christ shall all be brought to life, but each one in proper order: Christ the first fruits; then …" (1 Corinthians 15:22-23). Paul makes use of the familiar concept of "first fruits" to designate Jesus Christ. Since there is the first fruit, more shall come after in the future ages, "those who belong to Christ". Therefore, resurrection before the Judgment Day is only a matter of proper order. Therefore, Jesus Christ was able to come back to life before the Last Day. But what is revolutionary in the gospel is that not only did Jesus' resurrection come before the Last Day, but it was "on the third day", here and now! The narrative of the resurrection of Lazarus is a good example. The family of three was good friends of Jesus. When Lazarus died, Jesus wept (11:35)! No doubt, Lazarus would subsequently die. But he had come back to life. Thus, his resurrection on Judgment Day is not empty talk!
In the theology of Paul, the resurrection of Jesus Christ manifests the communion of the Blessed Trinity. The Son took flesh and became mortal! God can be mortal! What amazing doctrine! According to Paul's view, after the death of the Son, it was the Holy Spirit, in Paul's words "the glory of the Father", who raised Christ from the dead (Romans 6:4; 8:11)! Thus, the possession of the Holy Spirit is a guarantee for resurrection before Judgment Day, here and now! It is not necessarily a symbolic turning of a new leaf but a real resuscitation from the dead. "Do you believe this?" (John 11:25-26) Even a person so close to Jesus as Martha was caught unprepared when confronted by the question. She could only utter whatever she could understand (11:27). God's mystery is so ineffable that it is difficult for us mere mortals to bear!
Brethren! The example of Peter teaches us not to give up! Although damaged by the Original Sin Peter made the mistake of thinking as human beings do, his decision to follow Lord Jesus Christ was not shaken. Although Peter was unworthy and his personality was flawed, he repented continually and finally suffered martyrdom on the cross and attained his glorious crown. Isn't repentance a foretaste of resurrection? Aren't those continual struggles and resurrections on earth the "narrow gate" (Matthew 7:13) taught by Jesus Christ? Let's work diligently and march towards eternal life!
God bless!
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