常年期第四主日，乙年
主題：求主解放我們
把兩個或以上的個體聯合起來的是關係。在對象上，除了其他人之外，也可以是動物或事物。例如寵物和國家，我們也可建立某種形式的關係。在空間上，關係有上下尊卑的分別；在時間上，關係有長短，視乎這關係對各個成員是否有所增益。當任何一個成員再沒法得到預期的益處時，或更好說，付出的代價高於得益時，他便會脫離這種關係。當然有些關係是與生俱來的，不能自由地脫離，例如血緣關係。但在法律上，合約是可以在履行後，或付出賠償後解除。那些不能自由地脫離的關係，就是一種奴役！奴隸制度是一個例子。
人建立各種關係，是為了加大自身的利益。利益是各取所需的，而在一般的情況下，關係好像一個網絡，在一個開放的空間運轉，與其他的關係形成為一個「互聯網」。即是說，關係與關係之間，可以是唇齒相依，在互動中彼此依賴。所有關係都會使當中所有成員的利益增加，纔得到維系。即使部份成員在某段關係可能有所損失，也可能為了維持其他關係的運作，而不會脫離這個招致損失的關係。例如一個士兵冒著生命危險上戰場，即使是凶多吉少，也為了保存家人及國民的性命而不惜犧牲！
說了一大堆關係的理論，是為了默想天主，檢視與天主的關係。若望說天主是愛（若一4:8），而愛絕對不是憑空存在的，必須在關係中發生。我們與自己的配偶、家人、同學同事、上司下屬、朋友、其他市民、政府和天主的關係是健康的嗎？即使是自己與自己，也存在一種互動關係。人可以尊重自己，也可以鄙視自己；可以自暴自棄，也可以自愛。關係有如人類賴以生存的空氣，很難想像在沒有關係的「真空」環境中，找到愛的蹤影！沒有愛，人就沒有發展所需的元素了。
天主是惟一的，沒有任何與祂相稱的存有。那麼天主是孤獨的嗎？「孤獨」應用不到天主身上，因為天主是圓滿的愛，祂的「自愛」就是天主聖三的奧秘，是一個有限的人類不能完全了解的真理，因為天主就是真理！ 耶穌基督告訴我們，「真理必使你們獲得自由」（若8:32）。沒有自由的愛也是愛，但沒有幸福。由此推論，真理讓愛帶來幸福，在沒有真理的情況下，愛打了折扣。心理學家佛洛姆在《愛的藝術》一書就提到，「理解」是愛的四個基本元素之一，沒有理解、沒有真理的愛，祇會帶給對方傷害！例如，送糖果給糖尿病人作生日禮物。
上主天主與人的關係，很清楚是尊卑的關係。但慈悲的上主，卻降生成人，使與人建立平等的關係，變得有可能。祂甚至選擇了好像囚犯一樣，屈辱在十字架上，試問還有甚麼可以阻擋任何人與祂建立關係呢？保祿說得好：「對軟弱的人，我就成為軟弱的，為贏得那軟弱的人；對一切人，我就成為一切，為的是總要救些人。（格前9:22）這不是保祿的豪情快語，而是天主子向人類啟示的愛，是祂為了罪人得救的一片苦心！
耶穌講道的權威，不在於剝奪聽眾的自由，而在吸引他們的注意。耶穌基督的教訓有權威，一方面是因為經師們教訓的不濟（谷1:22），但另一方面是耶穌基督的教訓是真理！在眾說紛紜，偽新聞及謠言泛濫的今天，真理難求。所謂「物以罕為貴」，而耶穌基督本身就是真理（若14:6），是得救的真理，自然有祂獨特的魅力！但接受與否，最後的決定權，仍在聽眾手上。君不見聽眾中，有不少有識之士，如法利塞人及經師，拒絕了耶穌基督的權威，反過來迫害祂嗎？我們有沒有被耶穌基督的真理所吸引，取決於我們有沒有渴求得救的真理。在社會安定時，我們可能為生計奔波，忘記了天主；在社會動盪時，祇顧指罵敵對陣營製造破壞，在疫情肆虐時埋怨政府抗疫無能。我們完全沒有放天主在眼內，沒有被祂的教訓吸引！到頭來，我們與福音中的經師法利塞人，沒有分別，錯過了悔改的機會，誠為可惜、可憐！
耶穌驅魔，是為了解放附魔者，讓他不再成為邪魔的俘虜（依61:1），得以自由地發展和愛。不得不承認，很多人寧願生活在安樂窩中，而不願走出來呼吸自由的新鮮空氣。君不見以色列人離開埃及後，不少人抱怨缺糧缺水，寧願死在埃及嗎（出16:3）！同樣，人的心裡，有不同的魔障，阻礙了我們自由地生活和發展，破壞了人際關係及人神關係。有人濫藥，有人酗酒，有人沉迷上網、賭博、購物或者迷色…林林總總，不一而足，成為了各式各樣的「俘虜」，失去了自由。但很多人仍然樂意犧牲自由，躲在這些「安樂窩」中，逃避外面應付不了的「殘酷」現實…他們與那些願意為義而受迫害、為達義而失去自由的人，高下立見！義人們雖然肉體上困在有限的空間，但內心卻高飛遠致！耶穌基督運用權威為附魔的人驅魔，恢復了他們的自由，怎可以說是剝奪了他們的自由呢？我無意否定邪魔的真實存在，我對它們認識有限，不宜作無聊的推測，耶穌有沒有剝奪了邪魔的自由！
「沒有最好，祇有更好」其實是逃避現實的遁詞，是未能掌握實況的掩飾！說多了便把自己蒙在鼓中，失去了真理，失去了自由！既然天主是愛，是真理的根源，今天就讓我們檢討與天主的關係是否良好，考慮如何改善目前與天主的實際關係：我們花了多少時間祈禱、讀經、領聖事、參加信徒團體的相聚呢？實實在在地踐行真福八端，享受成為天主子女（瑪5:9）的自由。
天主保祐！
2018年講道
圖片鳴謝：pinterest.com
Fourth Ordinary Sunday, Year B
Theme:Liberate Us, Lord
Relations associate two or more objects together. Besides other human beings, the objects can be animals or things. For example, we are able to build up some kind of relations with pets and countries. In spatial terms, there are vertical relations involving superiors and subordinates. In temporal terms, how long a relation lasts depends on whether the relation is beneficial to its members. When a member is no longer able to attain the anticipated benefits, or in other words, the price is more than the gain, he will abandon the relation. Of course some relations are inborn, such as blood relation. But within the legal system, a contract can be terminated by completing it or by paying compensation. Relations which cannot be freely terminated are bondage. Slavery is a prime example!
Men set up all sorts of relations in order to maximize self-interest, each party taking what they need. Under ordinary circumstances, relations operate like networks in an open space, forming a network of networks, an “Internet”. That is to say, relations depend on each other. All relations last when the interests of their members increase. Even if the interests of some members in a relation decrease, in order to maintain other relations, those members would not terminate the relation in question. For example, a soldier shall not desert no matter how perilous it is fighting in the battle field because they want to protect his family members and the citizens!
Why did I say so much about relations? It is because I want to meditate God and to review our relation with God. John says that God is love (1 John 4:8) and love does not exist in vacuum. It exists in relations. Are our relations with our spouses, family members, classmates or colleagues, superior and subordinates, friends, citizens, government and God healthy? Even with ourselves we engage in an interactive relation. One may respect or despise oneself. One can be self destructive or loves oneself. Like the air we rely on for our survival, it is difficult to find love in a relational vacuum. Without love, men lacks the essence to grow.
God is one. There is no being compatible with Him. Then, is God lonely? Loneliness does not apply to God because God is perfect love. God loves Himself and this is the mystery of the Blessed Trinity, an unfathomable mystery for us finite creatures because God is Truth! Jesus Christ says, “The truth will set you free” (John 8:32). Love without freedom is still love but without happiness. Thus, truth brings love happiness. Without truth, love is diminished. Erich Fromm mentioned in The Art of Loving that knowledge is one of the four basic elements of love. Without knowledge, without truth, love hurts! For example, giving a box of candies as a birthday present for a diabetics.
The relation between the Lord God and men is one of superior and subordinates. But the merciful Lord took up flesh making an equitable relation with humanity a possibility. He even chose to suffer humility like a condemned man on the cross. What else can stop him from building a relation with anyone? Paul says well, “To the weak I became weak, to win over the weak. I have become all things to all, to save at least some.” (1 Corinthians 9:22) This is not a boasting from Paul, but a love revealed by the Son of God to show His compassion and determination on saving sinners.
The gospel passage today is the opposite. It shows the authority of the divinity of Jesus Christ. He taught with authority and His command drove away evil spirits. We have to understand that Mark portrays a powerful Son of God before his readers. Thus, the first miracle recorded in his gospel is exorcism and not turning water into wine! Exercising authority seems to deprive the other party of freedom. Can this be love?
Jesus preaches in authority not to deprive His audience of freedom but to attract their attention. The teaching of Jesus Christ is authoritative. On one hand, it contrasted the inadequacy of the scribes' teaching (Mark 1:22). On the other hand, the teaching of Jesus Christ is truth! Today when fake news and rumours are rampant, truth is in short supply. By the scarcity principle, truth becomes valuable. Jesus Christ is the embodiment of truth (John 14:6) and thus charismatic! But the final decision to accept His truth still rests in the hands of the audience. Don't you see that many learned people like the Pharisees and scribes rejected Jesus' authority and turned around to persecute Him? Whether we are attracted by Jesus Christ's truth depends on whether we desire salvific truth. When the society is stable, we busy ourselves earning our livelihood and forget God. When the society is in turmoil, we blame the opposition for wrecking havoc. When the pandemic is rampant, we blame the government for her incompetency. God is not on our radar. We are not attracted by His teachings at all! In the end, we are no better than the scribes and Pharisees in the gospel. It is pitiful that we miss the opportunity to repent!
Jesus exorcises to liberate the possessed, to release the demons' prisoners (Isaiah 61:1) so that they may freely develop and love. Regrettably, we have to admit that many people prefer hiding in their comfort zone to breathing fresh air in liberty. Don't you see that many Israelites grumbled about the lack of food and water, preferred dying back in Egypt (Exodus 16:3) In the same manner, there are many obstacles in people's hearts, preventing them from living and growing in freedom, doing harm to their interpersonal relations with fellow men and with God. Some abuse drugs, others alcohol. Some are addicted to surfing the Internet, gambling, shopping and even pornography etc. They become captives in various forms losing their freedom. But they still prefer the loss of liberty, hiding in their comfort zone in order to evade the cruel reality which they are unable to handle … Compared with those who are willing to be persecuted for the sake of righteousness and to lose their freedom, those captives are dwarfed! Although the bodies of the righteous is confined within a tiny space, their minds and hearts soar! Jesus Christ exercises His authority to exorcise in order to restore the freedom of the possessed. How can we say He deprives them of their freedom? I have no intention to negate the existence of evil spirits. With a poverty in knowledge, it is inappropriate for me to speculate whether Jesus has deprived the liberty of the evil spirits!
“There is no best but better” is a fig-leaf to evade reality, a cover-up of ignorance! When this cliché is abused, you become blind to the truth and lose your freedom! God is love and the source of truth. Today is high time we reviewed the health of our relation with God, thought seriously about how to improve it with concrete measures: how much time do we spend on prayers, bible studies, receiving sacraments, participating in fellowship etc.? Let us put into practice the Beatitudes and enjoy the freedom of being children of God (Matthew 5:9).
God bless!
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