春風吹又生 Spring Breezes Will Revive

福傳系列之五：春風吹又生（瑪10:16-23）

世人生活在罪惡中，是不爭的事實。細心觀察，會發現有些人為了自己的利益，會把罪惡制度化，剝削其他人來添加自己的利益。耶穌基督的福音，是得救的真理，而真理必會使人獲得自由（若8:32）。就這樣，傳福音必定會觸及當權者的利益，傳教士甚至教會遭受迫害，在所難免。今天的福音，羅列出不同來源的迫害：公議會、會堂、總督、君王和父兄等（瑪10:17-18, 21），他們都是我們身邊的當權者。可見傳福音真是困難重重。

保祿是一位偉大的傳教士，倘若我們需要找如何面對迫害的榜樣，在他身上找，一定不會落空。他曾說：「但是罪惡在那裡越多，恩寵在那裡也越格外豐富。」（羅5:20）因此，迫害越大，表示我們所傳的福音，觸及了很龐大的罪惡集團，有很多不幸的人遭受到罪惡的奴役。但那裡同時會有格外豐富的恩寵！傳教士可以怎樣？教會可以怎樣？這真是兩難！要麼我們為了苟延殘喘，放棄或者妥協，甚至更改福音的教訓，以迎合當權者！要麼我們堅持到底，接受殉道和禁教的命運！

但耶穌基督不是指示我們，遇到迫害時，我們「就逃往另一城去」嗎（瑪10:23）？是的。但很明顯，每個人的背境和處境不盡相同。所以逃走或留守，完全是個人的自由決擇。前一句不是說：「惟獨堅持到底的，纔可得救」（10:22）嗎？把兩句放在一起，很清楚的是天主對不同人的不同旨意。難道逃走到別處，另起爐灶，繼續傳教，就不是堅持到底，所以不能得救嗎？福音具有無法消滅的生命力，即使目前這裡不能容納它，亦不能否定將來福音在此地發揮光大。主說：「你們心裡不要煩亂；你們要信賴天主，也要信賴我。」（若14:1）我們經常缺乏的，就是這份信賴。我們不認識的，就是福音的生命力。相信天主吧，福音燒不盡，春風吹又生！
主耶穌！請增加我們的信德罷（路17:5），好讓我們更信賴天主。亞孟。
生命恩泉
圖片鳴謝：iFuun.com

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Evangelization (V):Spring Breezes Will Revive(Matthew 10:16-23)

It is an indisputable reality that men live in sins. When we take a closer look, it is not difficult to see that some people institutionalize sins to benefit themselves. They make use of sinful institutions to enrich themselves at the expenses of their fellow folks. The gospel of Jesus Christ embodies salvific truth and “The truth will set you free” (John 8:32). In this way, evangelization will definitely come into conflict with the interests of the people in power. Persecution of missionaries and the Church is inevitable. The gospel text today enumerates the sources of persecution: courts, synagogues, governors, kings, fathers and brothers etc. (Matthew 10:17-18, 21), in short people in power around us. Thus evangelization is difficult.

Paul was a great evangelist. If we want to look up an exemplar for how to deal with persecutions, we don’t need to go elsewhere. He says, “Where sin increased, grace overflowed all the more” (Romans 5:20). Therefore, the greater the persecution, the greater the sinful corporation we have touched on and the more unfortunate people have been enslaved. At the same time, more grace would be available! What can missionaries do? What can the Church do? This is truly a dilemma! Either we continue to survive by abandoning, compromising or even adjusting the gospel teachings to please the powerful, or we persevere to the end, accepting the fate of martyrdom and imperial ban!

But doesn’t Jesus Christ teach that when they persecute us in one town, “Flee to another” (Matthew 10:23)? Yes, He does. But obviously, the background and situation of each individual is different. Whether to flee or to stay is totally a personal choice. Doesn’t the previous verse read, “Whoever endures to the end will be saved” (10:22)? Putting the two verses together clearly shows God’s different will for different people. The gospel has an indestructible vitality. Even if the present situation does not tolerate it, it doesn’t deny its brilliant future. The Lord says, “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You have faith in God; have faith also in me.” (John 14:1) What we usually lack is this faith. We don’t know the vitality of the gospel. Have faith in God. The gospel can’t be completely burnt. Spring breezes will revive it!
Lord Jesus! Increase our faith (Luke 17:5) so that we may trust more in God. Amen.