你困苦流離嗎？ Are You Troubled & Abandoned?

福傳系列之二：你困苦流離嗎？（瑪9:32-38）

福音中的群眾，不都是住在各城各村的嗎（瑪9:35）？為甚麼耶穌見到他們困苦流離呢（9:36）？可能當時的經濟情況差，說「群眾困苦」是可以理解的。但他們不是移民或者難民，甚至不是好像被警察驅趕的露宿者一樣，不停地遷徙，他們怎會是「流離」呢？因此，我們應該默想，群眾在哪方面困苦流離，引起了耶穌的慈心呢？

有人經濟條件差，但不能安貧樂道，終日營營役役，為了追求好一點的生活質素而四出奔波勞碌。看在耶穌眼中，是多麼流離失所！有人先天條件差，競爭能力弱，時常遭受別人欺負，生活提心吊膽；又不甘心，時常想找機會報復。看在耶穌眼中，是多麼困苦。生活在羅馬帝國的殖民統治下，大部份人受盡制度上的壓迫和剝削，敢怒而不敢言，而默西亞的出現，遙遙無期。看在耶穌的眼中，這些渴望天主的公義，渴望祂來解放的人，就好像失去了牧人的羊群（9:36）。耶穌豈能不動慈心呢？

可是，對於貧窮的人，得到天國有甚麼實用價值呢（5:3）？對於以溫良面對欺凌的人，有希望承受土地嗎（5:4）？那些渴望擺脫極權統治的人民，耶穌基督的解放，何時纔會得到滿足（5:5）？真的要等到末日，耶穌基督的承諾，纔會兌現嗎？

關鍵在於沒有足夠的工人願意投身在傳福音的事業上，改造人心，聖化這個世界（9:38）。世界就好像一塊生長著麥子和莠子的土地，莠子越多，麥子的生存空間越少；相反，麥子越多，莠子越少。越多人接受福音，活出真福八端的精神，兌現耶穌基督的承諾，又有何難呢？
天父啊！請賜下聖神七恩，讓更多人能辨明聖召，踴躍加入福傳的行列。亞孟。
生命恩泉
圖片鳴謝：ucatholic.com

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Evangelization (II): Are You Troubled & Abandoned? (Matthew 9:32-38)

Weren’t the crowd in the gospel residing in towns and villages (Matthew 9:35)? Why did Jesus see them being troubled and abandoned (9:36)? Perhaps the economy was bad at that time. Therefore, the crowd was understandably “troubled”. But they were not migrants or refugees, not even like the homeless who have to move around continually because the police are chasing them away. How could the crowd be “abandoned”? Thus, we should meditate in what ways the crowd was abandoned such that Jesus’s heart was moved with pity.

The financial situation of some people is bad and they don’t want to suffer poverty. Thus they move around hastily and labour hard to earn themselves a better living quality. In Jesus’ eyes, they are no different from the homeless! Some people are dealt a poor hand. They don’t have much competitiveness and are often bullied by others. Their vulnerability makes them feel like caged all day long. They might want to take revenge when opportunities arise. In Jesus’ eyes, they are really troubled! Living under the colonial rule of the Roman Empire, most people were persecuted and exploited by the system. People could only swallow their fury while the Messiah was nowhere in sight. In Jesus’ eyes, these people who desired God’s righteousness and liberation were like “sheep without a shepherd” (9:36). How could Jesus not be moved with pity for them?

However, for the poor, what practical use is the Kingdom of Heaven (5:3)? For those who are mild before a bully, do they have any hope of inheriting the land (5:4)? For those who want to see the totalitarian rule removed, when shall the liberation of Jesus Christ come to make them satisfied (5:5)? Do we have to wait until the end of the world for Jesus Christ to honour His pledge?

The key to unlock the issue is that there are not enough labourers willing to evangelize, to transform men’s hearts and to sanctify the world (9:38). The world is like a piece of land where wheat and weeds grow together. The more the weeds, the less space the wheat shall occupy in order to survive. On the contrary, where there is more wheat, there will be less weeds. When more people believe in the gospel and live up the spirit of the beatitudes, it wouldn’t be difficult for Jesus to honour His pledge!
Heavenly Father! Grant us the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit. Let more people discern their vocation and join the league of evangelization. Amen.