主題：耶穌的沉默
提洛和漆冬，正是位於當今世界注目的黎巴嫩境內。黎巴嫩在聯合國成立後，便脫離了法國的托管，成為一個獨立的國家。阿以衝突，黎巴嫩收容了大批巴勒斯坦難民，埋下後來的內戰危機，之後便是歷史了！
耶穌基督有很豐富的難民經驗，出生後不久，為了逃避大黑落德的追殺，聖家星夜「退避到埃及去了」（瑪2:14）。今天福音的故事，不是發生在以色列境內，而是耶穌與法利塞人和經師衝突之後，「離開那裡，就迅往提洛和漆冬一帶去了」（15:21）。走得那麼快，好像逃難一樣。所以說，耶穌基督有很豐富的難民經驗！當然，耶穌基督並不害怕法利塞人的勢力，祂是出於慈父的憐憫，不想他們心腸硬化，灰心喪志（哥3:21），纔不與他們繼續衝突！
在基督徒眼中，天主子降生成人，拯救世人，無分種族，包括以色列人和外邦人，是毫無疑問的。雖然耶穌親口說：「我被派遣，祇是為了以色列家失迷的羊」（瑪15:24），但這都是為了猶太人信徒的需要而記載下來的。且看這個驅魔故事，是以「頌揚以色列的天主」（15:31）作結，便知道是瑪竇為了猶太信徒而這樣寫的。在以色列人的靈魂裡，深深刻上「選民」觀念的烙印。他們是天主「從萬民中特殊的產業，是司祭的國家，聖潔的國民」（出19:5-6）。另一方面，即使亡國充軍，在異地流離失所，卻是為了讓外邦人認識天主（依45:4-5；耶16:13；則20:41，達3:45）。這種衝破種族疆界的普世性思想，出自以天主眼光看待世界的先知之口，是合理的。他們沒有受制於司祭眼光的約束，這種「進步」的選民觀念，使猶太人即使亡國，仍可以引以為傲。保祿宗徒深明猶太人的一神觀念，成了猶太人信仰耶穌基督的絆腳石，所以在今天的書信中，表達了他對鄉親的情懷。他指望在外邦人中間傳福音的成就，可以刺激到他的同胞，皈依基督（羅11:14）。同樣，瑪竇所記載的耶穌基督雖然受聖父派遣，先向以色列家宣傳福音，但並沒有排斥外邦人的意思。同時，耶穌基督以猶太人身份，在外邦人的地域大顯神威，反而為猶太信徒，爭回不少光彩。和聖保祿一樣，瑪竇也希望願耶穌基督在提洛和漆冬的成功，能刺激更多的同胞皈依！
瑪竇對宗徒們（當然包括自己）的缺點，毫不掩飾。他們擁有「選民」的身份，自尊心強。但提洛和漆冬，始終不是以色列的地方，總不應目中無人。在外邦人的地方，卻容忍不了外邦婦人的糾纏，「就上前求祂說：『打發她走走罷！因為她在我們後面不停地喊叫。』」（瑪15:23）雖然說是「求」，但這個「求」是為了自己，抑或是為了那婦人的需要呢？我對後者有保留。且看今天第一篇讀經的教訓。皈依之後是事奉，事奉之後是愛慕，愛慕之後，纔做守盟約的僕人（依56:6）！門徒跟隨耶穌，為耶穌代勞都做到了（瑪10:5-42）。但他們愛耶穌有多少呢？相信很有限，他們尚未掌握到耶穌基督的心意。倘若他們真心愛耶穌，就應該愛耶穌所愛的人。耶穌基督愛護所有的人，包括門徒們不屑交往的外邦人。他們尚未能做到，他們的「選民自我」仍然很大。耶穌基督的回覆（15:24），直刺那「選民」的自尊心，令他們感覺到這自尊心，怎樣帶來兩難！若要維護「選民的尊榮」，就要忍受糾纏的不便；若要擺脫糾纏，就要放下「選民」的身段！原來做「選民」，竟然帶來這麼多的不便，值得把持不捨嗎？
其實，這個客納罕婦人很大體，她祇在耶穌基督的後面求祂，並沒有在祂面前攔截祂，勉強祂！耶穌基督的反應是有趣的，祂「卻一句話也不回答她」（瑪15:23），好像不理會她，繼續前行考驗她，看她有多少能耐，讓她知難而退。這樣做，好像是為了維護門徒「選民」的脆弱心靈，但這樣做便放棄了救贖普世的宏旨。耶穌究竟在做甚麼呢？耶穌基督是天主，在客納罕婦人未提出要求以前，祂已經知道她需要甚麼（6:8）。所以真心的祈禱，不在多言，能在寧靜中，共主相處，四目交投，就足夠了！就在這個時刻，婦人趁耶穌把門徒陷於兩難時，來到耶穌跟前叩拜求助；不再是為了女兒，而是為自己了：「主，援助我罷」（15:25）! 相信這位客納罕母親，為照顧附魔的女兒，也受了不少苦，照顧者的苦，服務者之苦。但人總不願在人前示弱，喜歡用其他人的困難，做自己的擋箭牌！但來到天主面前，還需要掩飾嗎？耶穌與婦人的對話，好像是耶穌在為難她，歧視她。但那婦人並不示弱，從前已分析過，不再贅述。這裡想補充的，是婦人在祈禱中，雖然救女心切，但仍能細心聆聽到天主對她的講話，找到切入點「反擊」，既維護了自己的尊嚴，亦承認了以色列天主的偉大（15:27）！今天發覺到，原來與天主交談，真的有機會與天主搏鬥（創32:23-33）！
各位兄弟姊妹，雖然在祈禱以前，天主已經知道我們需要甚麼；但天主仍然與我們交談，針對我們的需要，因材施教，操練我們，有如祂今天操練門徒與客納罕婦人一樣。今天且讓我們為黎巴嫩的苦難，向人類救主，呈上我們的祈禱，扭轉當地人民的命運（詠126:4）！
天主保祐！
2017年講道
圖片鳴謝：https://www.orucc.org/on-being-heard-tammy-martens-3-4-18/
Twentieth Ordinary Sunday, Year A
Theme: The Silence of Jesus
Tyre and Sidon are located at the focus of the world today, namely Lebanon which attained independence as the French Mandate terminated after the establishment of the United Nations. During the Arab-Israeli Conflicts, Lebanon received many Palestinian refugees which contributed to subsequent civil wars. The rest is history!
Jesus Christ is an experienced refugee. Soon after His birth, the Holy Family "by night and departed for Egypt" in order to hide from the assassination of Herod the Great. (Matthew 2:14) The story today did not take place in Israel. It was after the conflict with the Pharisees and scribes, "Jesus went from that place and withdrew to the region of Tyre and Sidon" (15:21) like a refugee. That's why I said earlier that Jesus had been an experienced refugee! Of course, Jesus Christ was not afraid of the Pharisees' power. Instead, He showed them fatherly love, not wanting them to harden their heart and discourage them (Colossians 3:21). Thus He did not continue to provoke them!
Jesus' exorcist power is indisputable and working miracles is closely related to faith. On one hand, miracles can enhance people's faith. Like the miracle today, it resulted in "great crowds came to him, having with them the lame … and glorified the God of Israel." (Matthew 15:30-31). On the other hand, the faith of the person concerned was always the key which triggered off miracles (9:22). But there is one thing worth paying attention to. In the exorcism story today, the person concerned was not at the spot. It was her mother who triggered the miracle. Therefore, this miracle affirmed the teachings of intercession prayer and communion of saints. Furthermore, the power of prayer is tremendous because the God we pray to is extremely mighty (Luke 1:51a). Jesus' "remote exorcism" shows just how powerful God can be!
In the eyes of Christians, that the Son of God took flesh and became man to redeem humanity irrespective of races, including both Israelites and Gentiles, is common knowledge. Although Jesus Christ says in His own words, "I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel" (Matthew 15:24), it was for the sake of the Jewish disciples. Look at this exorcism story. It ended with "glorified the God of Israel" (15:31) which shows that Matthew wrote this for the Jewish Christians. Craved deeply in the souls of all Israelites is the concept of the "Chosen People". They were God's "treasured possession among all peoples, a kingdom of priests and a holy nation." (Exodus 19:5-6) On the other hand, they were able to see their captivity as an opportunity to allow the Gentiles to know Yahweh (Isaiah 45:4-5, Jeremiah 16:13, Ezekiel 20:41, Daniel 3:45). It is reasonable for this global mentality, which goes beyond races and regions, to come from prophets who saw with the eyes of God. They were not constrained by the priestly perspective. Such a "progressive" conception of Chosen People empowered the Jews to sustain in exile. Paul the apostle knew too well that the Jewish monotheism would be a stumbling block for Jews to accept Christianity. He showed his passion for his country folks in the epistle we read today. He wished that his successful evangelization among Gentiles might make his race jealous and convert to Christ (Romans 11:14). In the same way, the Jesus in Matthew made it clear that He was sent to the House of Israel. But that does not exclude the Gentiles. At the same time, as a Jew, Jesus Christ manifested His might among the Gentiles, winning back the dignity of the Chosen People. Like St. Paul, Matthew might also want Jesus' success in Tyre and Sidon to provoke more Jews to conversion!
Matthew does not cover up the inadequacy of the Apostles (of course, including he himself). They were proud of their identity as the Chosen People. But after all, Tyre and Sidon were alien lands. They shouldn't be arrogant. In a foreign land, they could not tolerate a foreign woman dogging them, "came and asked Jesus, ‘Send her away, for she keeps calling out after us'" (Matthew 15:23). Did they come and ask for their own sake or for the sake of the woman? I doubt very much about the latter. Let's take a look at the first reading today. After joining comes ministering, after ministering comes loving and only after loving would they become servants holding fast God's covenant (Isaiah 56:6)! The disciples had joined and ministered to Jesus (Matthew 10:5-42). But how much did they love Jesus? I believe that their love is limited. They were still unable to know Jesus' mind. Had they loved Jesus genuinely, they would have loved whomever Jesus loved. Jesus loves us all, including the Gentiles whom the disciples despised. They couldn't. Their Chosen People ego still loomed large. Jesus' response (15:24) pierce through their self-image which put them in a dilemma! To maintain the dignity and glory of being a Chosen People, they had to tolerate the inconvenience of being dogged. To rid themselves of the dogging, they had to let go of their pride as the Chosen People. How inconvenient it is to be God's Chosen People! Is such an identity worth keeping?
In fact, this Canaanite woman knew her position well. She only begging Jesus Christ from behind and did not intercept Him and ram her request down Jesus' throat! Jesus' response was interesting. He "did not say a word in answer to her" (Matthew 15:23). It seems that Jesus ignored her, continued ahead to test her, to see how long she would persist and leave. In doing so, He seemed to have protected the fragile souls of the disciples as the Chosen People. But such an interpretation goes against Jesus' will of universal redemption. What was Jesus doing? Jesus Christ is God. Before the Canaanite woman asked, Jesus had already known what she needed (6:8). Therefore authentic prayers need not to babble. Stay with the Lord in silence. Maintain a blessed gaze. That's enough! The woman seized the moment when Jesus put his disciples in a dilemma, came and did homage to Him begging, not for her daughter but for herself, "Lord, help me" (15:25)! I believe that this Canaanite mother must have suffered a lot attending to her possessed daughter. She suffered as many a care-giver. But people don't want to reveal their weaknesses before others. They like to hide behind other people's vulnerabilities, their fig-leaf! But before God, need we to hide? In the dialogue between Jesus and the woman, it looks as if Jesus was putting obstacles before her, discriminating against her. But the woman was in fact fighting back. I have previously analysed this point and shall not repeat here. But I want to mention one more point. In her fervent intercession for her daughter, the Canaanite woman was able to listen to God's word attentively. She was able to spot a stance to fight back, defending her dignity as well as acknowledging the wonder of the God of Israel (15:27)! Indeed, when you engage with God in prayers, be prepared for a fight (Genesis 32:23-33)!
Brethren! Although the Father already knows what we need even before we ask Him, He is pleased to talk with us, teach us and train us according to our abilities, just like what Jesus did today with the disciples and the Canaanite woman. So, let us pray for the sufferings of Lebanon. Offer our prayers to the Redeemer of humanity to "Restore our captives" (Psalms 126:4)!
God bless!
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