主題：宣講罷，不要畏懼
作為一個成熟的人，要合情合理地生活，應該要培養到接納別人意見的胸襟。沒有人是完美的，總有盲點，身邊的人有如一面鏡，即使是有缺陷的鏡，亦可以反映出我們的不足之處。可惜，很多人因為性格上的幼稚，不能接受別人善意的批評或忠告，又分辨不到益友和損友，結果忠心的朋友先後離去，與家人同事祇保持在工作關係上，生活一點滿足感也找不到。
另一方面，作為親友同事，甚至團隊成員，我們能堅持進諫多久呢？
不是被迫，而是看見前人的結局，例如洗者若翰的殉道（谷6:14-29），便顧慮忠言逆耳所帶來惡果，產生畏懼嗎？但這種畏懼，是人之常情，怎樣做也無可避免。惟有日夕與這畏懼，一起生活。習慣了之後，畏懼的威力，自然會減退下來。
我們應該聽從若望的指導，找到面對畏懼的力量。「在愛內沒有恐懼，反之，圓滿的愛把恐懼驅逐於外」（若一4:18）我們恐懼，因為我們的愛，尚未達至圓滿。原本「全心、全靈、全意、全力愛上主」與「愛近人如愛自己」是兩條分開的誡命，但耶穌基督的教訓「凡你們對我這些最小兄弟中的一個所做的，就是對我做的」（瑪25:40）把兩條最大的誡命，連貫起來！全心全意愛天主容易，全靈全力愛近人難。我有沒有出於愛，出於關心近人，甚至迫害者的生死存亡，而向他們宣傳得救的福音，獲得生命的喜訊呢? 愛驅逐恐懼，就不會害怕傳福音而殉道，更不會害怕懲罰而勉強傳道了！
各位兄弟姊妹，在將臨期預備主的再度來臨時，我們應檢查自己有沒有充足的燈油（25:8），等待新郎的出現。這燈油，就是一份為近人，為仇恨我們的人的益處，而付出的愛，除了憐憫和寬恕外，還包括向他們傳遞獲得自由的喜訊。
同理，作為一個成功的領導人，要擁有比一般成熟的人更多質素。除了有願景、有遠見、知人善用、能策動團隊成員之外，更重要的，就是能夠吸納不同的，甚至反對的意見，從中減少計劃中的破綻。可以說，一個領導人的能力，是從他能夠採納多少逆耳的忠言，去量度其高下。不能聽取異見的領導人，祇會聚集到一群「報喜不報憂」的宦官，包圍著他。有志報國，有才幹為人民服務的人，卻被放逐在外。當朝廷不能制止領導人採取「文字獄」滅聲，以言入罪，達到寒蟬效應，再也聽不到反對的聲音的時候，這樣一個又盲又聾，掩耳盜鈴的朝廷，不亡者幾希矣！
儒家思想看似非常務實，明哲保身。例如孟子教導門徒按自己的處境行事：「得志，澤加於民；不得志，修身見於世。窮則獨善其身，達則兼善天下」（孟子‧盡心上）表面上是審時度勢，量力而為；在適當的時候，做適當的事！但不要以為一句「獨善其身」，便可以用來否定比干海端之流，那種以卵擊石的殉道氣概；因為成敗得失，是超出人力所能控制的範圍。君不見孔子說：「朝聞道，夕死可矣」（論語‧里仁）嗎？表面上是在理性的層面，認識了真理，便死而無憾。但為甚麼聽過了真理會死呢？毫無疑問是實踐真理，損害了權貴的利益所帶來的後果！孟子也說「生，亦我所欲也；義，亦我所欲也，二者不可得兼，捨生而取義者也。」（孟子‧告子上）清楚明白地表述那「修身見於世」的幅度。司馬遷也指出「人固有一死，或重於泰山，或輕於鴻毛，用之所趨異也」（司馬遷《報任少卿書》）所以，受儒家思想薰陶的中國人，是可以為了更高尚，更偉大的目標，不惜「拋頭顱，灑熱血」的。統治者借儒家片面思想，愚弄群眾；對統治者不利的儒家政治理念，絕口不提；使人覺得儒家弟子，不外乎為是了自身利益，出賣靈魂，成為擁護當權者的走狗，實在太冤枉了！
「給耶路撒冷報喜訊的啊！請大聲疾呼！高呼罷！不要畏懼！向猶大各城報告說：你們的天主來了！」（依40:9）既然報告的是喜訊，而且又是代表天主報喜，為甚麼會畏懼呢？難道是被迫報喜，有如保祿所說的，「我若不傳福音，我就有禍了」（格前9:16b）嗎？在某程度上是真實的，天主委託的事業，你怎可以像約納一樣，一走了之，而天主又會不追究呢？約納的例子告訴我們，天主不但要解放尼尼微人，更要把約納從仇外的心態中，解放出來。天主愛罪人，包括祂不完美的僕人！所以，保祿的這句話，是誇張的修辭而已。事實上，出於害怕懲罰所做的一切，僅屬倫理行為最低層次，正如保祿在前半節所說：「我若傳福音，原沒有甚麼可誇耀的，因為這是我不得已的事」（ 9:16a）。「不得已」就是必須的事，即儒家恩想的「盡已之謂忠」也。
天主保祐！
2017講道
圖片鳴謝：Pinterest
Second Advent Sunday, Year B
Theme: Cry Out, Do Not Fear!
In order to lead a decent life, a mature person has to be able to accept other people's opinions. Nobody is perfect. There must always be blind spots. People around us are like mirrors. However imperfect they may be, they are able to reflect some of our inadequacies. Regrettably, due to naiveties in personality, many people are unable to accept criticisms or advice of good intention. Worse, they are unable to discern good friends from bad companions. Consequently, many loyal friends depart. Only working relationships are maintained with family members and colleagues. Life is unfulfilled.
On the other hand, how long should family or team members continue to voice their dissident views?
The Bible refuses to be a propaganda painting a rosy picture. It does not cover up the faults of their ancestors. On the other hand the Bible portraits suffering good people in unadorned words. It is because God is the shield of martyrs.
If it is not duress, does fear come out of seeing how predecessors ended, for example the martyrdom of John the Baptist (Mark 6:14-29), worrying about the consequences of giving dissident advice? But this fear is normal and inevitable. Then live with this fear. In time, its control over you will recede.
We should listen to the teaching of John to find strength in face of fear. "There is no fear in love, but perfect love drives out fear because fear has to do with punishment, and so one who fears is not yet perfect in love." (1 John 4:18) We fear because our love is not yet perfect. At first, "love the Lord thy God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind and with all your strength" and "Love thy neighbour as thyself" are two separate commandments. But the teaching of Jesus Christ that "Whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me" (Matthew 25:40) joins the two into one! Loving God with all our hearts and minds is easy but loving our neighbour with all our souls and strength is difficult. Do we, out of love of our neighbour and even the care for the life and death of those who persecute us, preach the gospel of salvation and the good news of life to them? Love drives away fear, even the fear of martyrdom. We shall not evangelize out of fear of punishment!
Brethren! In Advent when we prepare for the second coming of our Lord, we should trim our lamps and check our oil (25:8) to wait for the appearance of the bridegroom. This oil is the love towards our neighbour and those who hate us for their good. This love includes not only mercy and forgiveness, but also preaching them the good news of freedom.
Similarly, being a successful leader requires more qualities than an ordinary mature person. Besides vision, proactivity, knowledge of people, motivating charisma, the most important quality is the ability to integrate different opinions and even opposition so as to eliminate loopholes in projects. In other words, the calibre of a leader can be measured by his ability to accept unpleasant advice. A leader who doesn't listen to dissidents could only be surrounded by a harem of eunuchs who feed him with good news only. Those who are capable and genuinely patriotic are exiled. When a curia is unable to stop a leader from silencing dissidents so much so that there is no more opposition, it's a rarity that such a blind and deaf curia would continue to exist for long!
Confucianism looks very pragmatic and adaptive. For example, Mencius told his disciples to act according to situations. "Mete out benevolence to the people as a mandarin. As a commoner, walk tall as a moral person. Be good yourself in poverty. Make others good in power." (Mencius. Jix Xin I) Superficially, Mencius advised his disciples to pay attention to the political climate and have an accurate assessment of their capabilities. Do the right thing at the right time! Do not be misled by "be good yourself" and apply it to deny the martyr spirit of Bi Gan and Hai Rui who threw themselves like eggs against stone walls. It is because successes and failures are beyond human control. Have you not read Confucius who says, "Hearing the truth at dawn, there is no regret to die in the evening" (Analect, Liren) ? Superficially it seems to suggest that knowing the truth intellectually there is no more regret to die. But why does one die after hearing the truth? Without doubt, it is the consequence of acting out the truth and harming the interests of the powerful! Mencius says plainly, "Life is what I want and justice too. When both are not attainable at the same time, I forfeit life to attain justice." (Mencius, Gaozi I) Without ambiguity, Mencius illustrates the dimension of "walk tall as a moral person". Sima Qian also points out, "All men are mortal. Some deaths are heavier than Mountain Tai while some are lighter than a feather. The difference lies in the aim." (Sima Qian, Letter to Ren An) Thus, Chinese people who have been brought up in Confucianism are willing to sacrifice even their lives for nobler and greater causes. People in power make use of fragmentary teachings of Confucianism to fool the people. They keep silent on the Confucian political ideals. Confucians are made like running dogs of powerful people, betraying their souls for benefits. What a smearing!
"Cry out at the top of your voice, Jerusalem, herald of good news! Cry out, do not fear! Say to the cities of Judah: Here is your God!" (Isaiah 40:9). It is a herald of good news from God. Why is there fear? Are you forced to proclaim the good news, like what Paul says, "Woe to me if I do not preach it" (1 Corinthians 9:16b)? To a certain extent, Paul was right. When God commissions a mission, can you walk away like Jonah and God lets you go? The example of Jonah tells us that not only does God want to liberate the people of Nineveh, but He also desires to liberate Jonah from prejudice against Gentiles! Thus, Paul's words are rhetoric. In fact, actions out of fear of punishment are moral behaviours of the lowest grade. Like what Paul says in the first half of the verse, "If I preach the gospel, this is no reason for me to boast, for an obligation has been imposed on me" (9:16a), an obligation is a necessity, the same concept of Confucian "loyalty" --- putting up one's utmost.
God bless!
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