主題：君王此中尋
瑪竇福音二十五章，是耳熟能詳的經文。但天主的聖言，的確充滿生命力，不同經歷後的默想，觸動了不同的感應。不知為甚麼，在不同的神職人員團體的分享中，大家不約而同地聚焦到「君王」去。
按保祿的論述，「在發命時，在總領天使吶喊和天主的號聲響時，主要親自由天降來，那些死於基督內的人先要復活，然後我們這些活著還存留的人，同時與他們一起要被提到雲彩上，到空中迎接主」（得前4:16-17）。非常簡單地，保祿把末日的人，分成兩批：死過的人和仍存活的人。
那麼，讓我們在那些「活著還存留的人」中找吧。既然他們仍活著，或多或少，總會掌握著一點權勢吧！難道有權勢的人，都在末日前全部死去了嗎？
這樣的「戰國時代」有兩個可能結局：全球亂局達到一個不可收拾的程度，再沒有一個人有任何權勢，全球陷入完全失去秩序的狀態！那時，有待耶穌基督，普世君王，君臨天下，審判生者死者，安排他們到天堂地獄裡去。當然，全球亂局還可以有另一個結果，就是「天下三分」，互相制衡，全球恢復秩序，繼續發展新的可能性，直到下一次「全球戰國時代」的出現。總有一次，結果是全球進入無序狀態，人類不可能再生存，天主子一定要介入！
上面提及的全世界再沒有一個人有任何權勢，可能嗎？這一點需要進一步澄清。
作為執事，我們有幸以服務為本，權力為末，時常嘗試在「我這些最小兄弟中的一個」（瑪25:40），尋找耶穌基督。在監獄中的囚犯及職員、醫院裡的病人，家人及醫護員工、安老院的職員及義工、在船上漂泊的船員或機場過境的機組人員、被社會邊緣化了的露宿者、外判清潔工人等…我天真地，浪漫地，想在他們身上找到我們心目中，曾為門徒洗腳的君王，來肯定自己的服務。無疑地，在服務弱勢社群的時候，接觸個別有需要安慰的靈魂的同時，我自身的傷痛，也獲得處理。可是「君王」呢？仍擦身而過，不留痕跡…
讓我們先從那些死而復活的人中找打權勢的人吧。他們當中，肯定有很多帝王將相，是曾經擁有過權勢的人。問題是，他們都死了，他們的權力，不是由別人繼承了，便是被他人奪取了。所以從死裡復活的人，生命是恢復了，但權威是沒有了。不要忘記，他們的新生命，都是靠生命之主，耶穌基督賜予的。所以他們即使有權威，也在耶穌基督的權威之下！
我們不排除這個可能性，而且，全部有權勢人士的死亡，更有可能是促使世界末日出現的原因之一。聖經中很多末日言論，經常提及「太陽昏暗，月亮無光，星宿墜下」之類「天上萬象動搖」的描述（瑪24:29）。從自然科學看，遠在這些事件發生之前，地球已經不復存在，所以祇能從它們的象徵意義理解。在古代，這些日月星宿大多象徵帝王將相。所以，末日前全球的統治者在相對短的時間內，相繼死去，他們的繼承者或奪權者，把全界推入一個類似戰國的時代，開始末日倒數，是可能發生的。
初步結論，到了末日，世上列王不復存在，宇宙間祇有一個耶穌基督，普世君王。
自古以來，權力是怎樣來的呢？在起初可能來自個人的體力。但人類與其他物種不同之處，在於他們懂得為了生存而團結的思維。在團結的大前提下，個體必須作出取捨，犧牲一些利益，換取生存。這樣，權力出現了；而且使這個以權力維系的團體，更成功地生存下去，做更有組織，更龐大的巴貝耳塔！結果本末倒置，追求權力，而不是生存，變成了目標，編織了整部人類歷史！耶穌基督第一次來臨時，不是來廢除權力，而是來完滿它，重申權力的真義：守護、服務兄弟姊妹。祂使用「為門徒洗腳」的圖像，教導我們「若我為主子，為師傅的，給你們洗腳，你們也該彼此洗腳」（若13:14），更正了加音所推卸，守護兄弟的責任（創4:9）！
可以想像，到了末日亂局，再沒有任何精神、政治及文化領袖，全球失去秩序，人人自危自保，再沒有守護服務兄弟的思維，何來權勢，何來君王？
今天我纔清楚看見，耶穌基督並不在這些人身上！這些人並沒有被基督附體！祇要執事們與這些弱勢人士，因耶穌基督之名聚在一起，祂曾應許，要臨在他們中間（18:20）。在理智上，我們一再提醒自己，執事職的服務，不是社會福利服務，而是因主耶穌基督之名，守護兄弟的服務。知易行難，但願我們所領受的聖體聖事，讓我們感受到基督的真實臨在。
主啊！請佔有我。亞孟。
圖片鳴謝：Wikipedia
The Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe, Year A
Theme: Come Meet Thy King
Matthew 25 is a well-known passage. But the Word of God is full of life. It touches different nerve fibres when we meditate it after different experiences. For some unknown reasons, in different clergy gatherings, all sharing focuses on the King.
The gospel we read today is not a parable. Jesus Christ makes use of images to tell us a definite ending, the Judgment Day. This time, when I read this story, the first thought that jumped up was "Where have all the powerful people today gone?" It is a sharp contrast with "Kings on earth rise up and princes plot together against the Lord and against his Anointed One." (Psalm 2:2) Why is only the Son of Man on the throne? Why is there nobody to challenge Him? Where have all those oligarchs, totalitarians and cartels gone? Of course, the King of Universe can relieve all worldly kings of their powers. Still, it would not make the following meditation meaningless.
According to Paul, "The Lord himself, with a word of command, with the voice of an archangel and with the trumpet of God, will come down from heaven, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air." (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17), Paul simply divided people at the end into two groups: those who have died and those who are still alive.
Then, let us turn to those who are still alive. Since they are alive, they should, to some extent, have some power, unless all powerful people die before the end of the world. Would it be possible?
There are two possible endings to this era of global warring kingdoms: The whole world would become so chaotic that not a single person is able to hold any power. Humanity arrives at a stage of global disorder, awaiting Jesus Christ, the King of the Universe to come down to judge the living and the dead, sending them to heaven and hell. Of course, there is another possible ending. Global chaos sinks into a tripartite state in which three parties log head against each other, reaching equilibrium. Global order is restored and continues to develop into new possibilities until the next global warring state appears. After many such cycles, the final outcome of one such cycle would be a global disorder in which humanity is unable to survive and the Son of God has to intervene!
Previously, I mentioned "not a single person is able to hold any power". Is it possible? Let me clarify.
As deacons, we are blessed to put service as an end and authority as a means. We try to look for Jesus Christ among "one of these least brothers of mine" (Matthew 25:40). Among the inmates and staff in prisons; patients, their family members and medical staff in hospitals; workers and volunteers in homes for the aged; sailors on ships or flight crew in transit; socially marginalized homeless and out-sourcing janitors etc. I naïvely and romantically try to seek among them the king who once had washed the feet of his disciples, thus affirming my ministry. Doubtlessly, when I serve these disadvantaged people or when I encounter souls in need of consolation, my wounds are being dressed. But the king? He is still intangible…
Let us look for those powerful people in the group of the dead. Among them, there were emperors and supreme commanders, people with unchallenged authorities. The problem is that they have died. Their authority was either inherited or usurped by others. Therefore, those who shall come back to life have life but no authority. Don't forget, their new life is given by Jesus Christ, the Author of Life. Even if they have any power, their powers should be subordinate to Christ's authority!
We cannot exclude this possibility and the death of all the powerful people can be one of the reasons that trigger the end of the world. The eschatological narratives in the Bible usually mention "The sun will be darkened and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from the sky, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken …" (Matthew 24:29) or something similar. From the knowledge of natural sciences, the world would disappear long before such things happen. Therefore, those narratives can only be understood in a symbolic manner. In ancient times, celestial objects usually represented emperors and commanders. Therefore, the narratives probably mean that within a short period of time, all the powerful people die and their successors or usurpers push the world into a state of warring kingdoms. End time countdown would kick-off in this way.
As a preliminary conclusion, at the end of the world, there shall not be any powerful people on earth. There shall only be one king in the universe, Jesus Christ.
Since ancient times, where does authority come from? At first, it might come from the physical strength of individuals. But human beings are different from other species in that they have the mentality to cooperate in order to survive. With the imperative of solidarity, individuals have to give up some of their benefits and freedom in exchange for survival. Authority appears. Organization makes such authority-bound communities more capable to survive and to build bigger Babel towers! Consequently, the cart has come before the horses. Seeking authority, not survival, has become the end. The rest is history! When Jesus Christ came for the first time, he did not come to abolish authority but to fulfil it, to clarify once more its true meaning: to keep and serve our brethren. Christ made use of the image of "washing the feet of the disciples" to teach us, "If I, therefore, the master and teacher, have washed your feet, you ought to wash one another's feet." (John 13:14) to correct the sin of Cain, his refusal to be the keeper of his brother (Genesis 4:9)!
It is imaginable that at eschatological chaos, there would be no more spiritual, political and cultural leaders. The world would have lost its order. Everybody fends for themselves in order to survive. There's no more mentality of brother's keeper. Where comes authority? Where come the kings?
But today I see more clearly that Jesus Christ is not embodied in these people! These people are not "possessed" by Christ! It is only when we deacons and those disadvantaged people come together in the name of Jesus Christ, He promises to be present among us (18:20). Rationally, we keep on reminding ourselves that the diaconal ministry is not social welfare services. Rather, it is the service as a keeper of brothers in the name of Jesus Christ. It is more easily said than done. Pray that we can feel the real presence of Christ in the Holy Communion we receive.
Lord! Possess me. Amen.
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