鹿不是馬 The Emperor Is Naked

鹿不是馬（若5:31-47）

在古代，人們認為地面是平的；太陽每天從東方升起；平行線是永遠不會相交的直線…這些都是與經驗相符，理所當然的常識。到了現代，接受過科學教育的人，知道整個宇宙正在膨脹，推論出大約在一百三十八億年前，曾經發生過一次大爆炸，我們所認知的宇宙誕生了；現代人還相信愛恩斯坦發表的相對論，在宇宙任何一個角落，都是正確無誤的等等。這些道理已經超越人的經驗和直覺，但大部份人卻迷信科學的權威而深信不疑！的確，人類的認知有一個死穴，稱為「確認偏誤」，就是祇會努力尋找證明自己是正確的證據，很少人有本領尋找相反的證據，證明自己是錯的；有更少人有勇氣指出「鹿不是馬」！

世上有比科學定律更高層次的真理，要證明或反證，更加困難。例如，耶穌說：「我是道路、真理和生命」（若14:6），這並不是所有人的經驗和直覺，不是理所當然，沒有可能不證自明。所以，必須有人或者事物，為耶穌基督作見證，好使人能夠相信，從而得救（5:34）。當代的猶太人對耶穌並不友善，因為耶穌基督顛覆了他們的既得利益和社會地位。今天我們讀到耶穌怎樣不計較他們的冒犯，為了自己同胞的得救，而努力地協助他們相信自己。

按照猶太人的法律，祇要找到兩個證人作見證，便足以定奪一件事物的真實性。耶穌基督提出了三組證人，證明祂是默西亞的身份，綽綽有餘：若翰洗者（5:32-33），天父和耶穌自己的言行（5:36-37），最後是梅瑟和舊約經書（5:39, 46）。可惜，猶太人沒有認真對待若翰洗者的見證（谷9:13），而且祇是選擇性地信從梅瑟所寫的法律（若5:46-47），又怎會接受天父在耶穌基督受洗時的作證（路3:21-22）；他們沉迷於尋找耶穌基督違反安息日誡命的罪證，又怎會相信耶穌基督的言論和神蹟呢？ 「確認偏誤」真是害人不淺！

天父啊！請賜下聖神，教導我們謙遜，認清我們的「確認偏誤」。亞孟。
生命恩泉
圖片鳴謝：wikipedia

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The Emperor Is Naked (John 5:31-47)

In ancient times, people thought that the earth was flat; the sun rose in the east and parallel lines never met etc. These beliefs are common sense and correspond to our experiences. Nowadays, people have received science education and know that the universe is expanding. They deduce that some 1.38 billion years ago, a Big-Bang took place and the universe we know was born. Modern people also believe that the relativity theory of Einstein is applicable without modification anywhere in the universe etc. These statements have gone beyond our experience and intuition. Yet many people blindly believe in scientific authority and never cast a doubt. Indeed, there is an Achilles heel in human cognition called “confirmation bias” which makes people seek evidence to prove themselves right. Very few people are able to look for counter-examples to prove themselves wrong, even less have the courage to say, “the emperor is naked”!

There are truths of higher level that are more difficult to prove or disprove. For example, Jesus says, “I am the way, and the truth and the life” (John 14:6). This is not a common experience for everybody and therefore it is not self-evident. Jesus needs people or things to bear witness to make people believe and be saved (5:34). The contemporary Jews were hostile to Jesus because He threatened their interests and social status. Today, we read how Jesus did not count their trespasses but tried hard to help His kinsmen believe and be saved.

According to Jewish laws, it takes two witnesses to validate the truthfulness of a thing or an event. Jesus Christ proposed three groups of witnesses, more than enough to proof His Messiahship: John the Baptist (5:32-33), the Father, the words and deeds of Jesus himself (5:36-37) and lastly Moses and the Scriptures (5:39, 46). Regrettably, the Jews did not treat the Baptist’s witness seriously (Mark 9:13) and they observed selectively the laws handed down by Moses (John 5:46-47). How then would they accept the Father’s witness at the baptism of Jesus Christ (Luke 3:21-22)? They were obsessed with collecting evidence of Jesus’ breaching the Sabbath regulations, how then would they believe in Jesus’ words and miracles? Confirmation bias is very injurious indeed!

Heavenly Father! Send us the Holy Spirit. Teach us to be humble and see clearly our confirmation bias. Amen.

守護靈魂 Defending Our Souls

守護靈魂（若5:17-30）

人有靈性嗎？為甚麼擁有靈性對人類是重要呢？
目前，科學家證明不了人有靈性，因為靈性不是他們有能力研究的範疇。立法者和教育家頂多祇能指出人有倫理道德，有別於禽獸甚至機械人！有朝一日，倘若人工智能發展到足以自己編寫倫理道德「程式」的話，人類還有甚麼可以意識到自己是有人性的人，而不是一台電腦呢？恐怕「靈性」是人類不能失守的最後一個橋頭堡了！

古今中外出現過不少文明，當中可以找到不同形式的宗教信仰。這些信仰有不少共同點：例如肯定靈魂的存在，而且靈魂是永存不滅的！為甚麼呢？因為在人類心靈深處，與生俱來某種公平、公義的概念。可惜目下好人受苦多，甚至含冤而死，但壞人卻逍遙法外，享盡榮華富貴。試問公義何在？這份矛盾，激發人類尋求在人生以外，取回公道。

基督宗教肯定了人的靈魂，就是天主的肖像（創1:26），把不公義的現象歸咎於罪惡。天主不但把罪人解放，甚至把「肖像」身份提昇成為「義子」的地位，這就是福音的核心意義。所以，耶穌基督在今天福音中所說的「子」，也包括了得救了的你和我！

「凡父所作的，子也照樣作。」（若5:19）既然天父從「混沌」創造了「秩序」（創1:2-2:3），所以作為天主子女的我們，應該締造和平（瑪5:9），團結共融四分五裂的社群！既然天父不再追究世人的過犯，所以作為基督大使的我們（格後5:19-20），就應該富於憐憫，寬恕別人的罪債（瑪5:7，6:12）；既然「天主是愛」（若一4:8），所以我們應該要愛，並且成為一份愛的禮物。作為天父的義子，我們應該跟長兄耶穌基督一樣。且看，天父使那不認識罪的聖子，替罪人成了罪（格後5:21），所以我們應該捨己為人，不求自己的喜悅，而是建立他人，使別人受益（羅15:1-2）…這樣做，我們便不是冷冰冰的機械人，而是有靈性的天主子女。

父啊！不要讓我們隨波逐流，沾污祢的肖像。讓我們成為祢名副其實的子女，光榮祢的聖名。亞孟。
生命恩泉
圖片鳴謝：knowyourphrase.com

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Defending Our Souls (John 5:17-30)

Are human beings spiritual? Why does possessing spirituality essential to mankind?
As for now, scientists are unable to prove that men possess spirit because spirit is beyond their turf of expertise. Legislators and educationalists are only able to point out that morality differentiates mankind from animals and even robots! In time, when artificial intelligence is advanced enough to write “morality” programmes to coordinate their behaviours, with what are mankind able to call themselves human persons with humanity and are not computers? I’m afraid spirituality is the last bulwark mankind cannot afford to lose!

Among civilizations sprung up throughout history, we are able to identify different forms of religions. There are many common elements among them: e.g. the existence of souls and their immortality. Why so? It is because deep down in our hearts, there is an inborn sense of fairness. Regrettably in real life, good people suffer and unfairly condemned while wicked people outwit the law and prosper. Where is justice? This contradiction stimulates humanity to see justice done beyond our earthly existence.

Christianity affirms the existence of human souls which are images of God (Genesis 1:26). Injustice is caused by sins. Not only does God deliver sinners from the bondage of sins, but He also elevates our image status to that of adopted children. This is the crux of the gospel. Therefore, when Jesus Christ mentions “son” in the gospel passage today, it includes the redeemed you and me as well!

“For what he (the Father) does, His son will do also.”(John 5:19) Since the Father created order out of chaos (Genesis 1:2-2:3), as children of God we should be peace-makers (Matthew 5:9) to bring conflicting groups into communion! Since the Father does not count the world’s trespasses against them, so we too should become ambassadors of reconciliation (2 Corinthians 5:19-20), full of mercy and forgive those who trespass against us (Matthew 5:7, 6:12). Since God is love (1 John 4:8), so we should become love, a life-giving gift of love. As adopted children of God, we should follow examples set by Jesus Christ our elder brother. Behold, the Father made the Son to be sin who did not know sin (2 Corinthians 5:21), so we should be altruistic, not to please ourselves but for the good and building up of the others (Romans 15:1-2) … Then, we are not cold-blooded robots but children of God with spirit.

Father! Go we not with the flow and smear Your image. Help us become Your authentic children to glorify Your holy name. Amen.

換心 Heart Transplant

換心 Heart Transplant（若5:1-16）

科學家相信宇宙是有秩序的，否則科學的定律，便失去了立足點。科學家對「神蹟」抱懷疑的態度，因為很多時候，「神蹟」好像違反了科學定律，這是可以理解的。可悲的是，有些基督徒為了討好群眾，努力淡化福音中的神蹟，希望容易被不信天主的人接受，恐怕這是好心做壞事了。例如，他們把著名的「五餅二魚」解說成為在現場的五千群眾，被一個兒童（若6:9）的無私所感動，人人拿出自己的食物來分享云云。他們即使成功地淡化「五餅二魚」神蹟，不知道他們如何淡化天主在曠野降下瑪納，養活六十萬人四十年之久的神蹟了！

其實科學家與天主有不謀而合之處，那就是「秩序」。天主的創造，不是無中生有，而是在混沌中建立秩序（創1:2-2:3）。神蹟不一定否定「秩序」，即是說，天主絕對有能力按愛恩斯坦的E=mc²方程式，施行「五餅二魚」神蹟；或者從另一個時空，把麵餅調配到貝特賽達（路9:10）現場，而沒有違反科學定律！科學家需要的，不但是實證，還要擁有一個開放的胸襟！

另一方面，人類社會中還有其他心胸狹窄地追求「秩序」的人。他們就是福音中的法利塞人和他們在現代的「法治」代理人！法利塞人崇尚法律所帶來的秩序、社會的穩定繁榮和帶給他們的地位利益。他們著重法律的條文，卻忘記了法律的精神。他們在條文上鑽空子，凌駕在人民利益之上，把法律變成食人的禮教。他們依法而治，卻運用法律來犯罪，殘民以自肥（谷12:40）！且看，天主立安息日法律的原意，是讓以色列人慶祝不再是奴隸的自由，紀念天主的創造（出20:11）和解放（申5:15）的恩典。法利塞人卻反過來控告天主子違反安息日不許做不必要勞動的規矩，這是多麼的諷刺！

這些偽善人所需要的，不是更細密的條文，而是換一顆血肉的心（則11:19）！

主啊！求祢給我再造一顆純潔的心，求祢使我心重獲堅固的精神（詠51:12）。亞孟。
生命恩泉
圖片鳴謝：behold.oc.org

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Heart Transplant (John 5:1-16)

Scientists believe that the universe is ordered. Otherwise sciences would lose their foothold to build up scientific laws. It is understandable for scientists to be skeptical towards miracles because miracles seem to defy scientific laws. Deplorably, some Christians try to deny miracles in order to make gospel messages more acceptable to non-believers. Their good intentions lead only to hell! For example, they explain away the five loaves and 2 fish miracle as a moral story in which the 5000 plus crowd was touched by the altruism of a child (John 6:9). So they took out their food to share among all etc. Even if they were able to explain away the miracle of five loaves and 2 fish, I wonder how they would explain the miracle of manna in which God fed 600,000 Israelites for forty years in the wilderness!

In fact, both scientists and God agree in “order”. In a sense, God did not create something out of nothing. Rather, He established order out of chaos (Genesis 1:2-2:3). Miracles do not negate order. In other words, God is definitely capable of applying Einstein’s E=mc² equation to work the five loaves and two fish miracle; or allots the food to Bethsaida (Luke 9:10) from another time-space without violating any physical laws! Not only do scientists need positive evidence, but they also need an open heart!

On the other hand, there are narrow-minded people pursuing their version of “order” in the society. They are the Pharisees in the gospels and their “rule by law” counterparts in modern society. Pharisees advocated laws because laws brought about order, social stability and prosperity which showered them with status and benefits. They stressed the letters of the law and deliberately ignored the spirit. For their own interests, they manipulate the law above the benefits of the commoners they served. Law has become a devouring monster. They ruled by law but made use of the law to commit sins, fattening themselves at the expense of the welfare of the people (Mark 12:40)!

God blessed the Sabbath to allow the Israelites to celebrate their freedom from slavery. They could afford to take rests and make good use of the time to remember the graces of God’s creation (Exodus 20:11) and liberation (Deuteronomy 5:15). How satirizing it was for the Pharisees to accuse the Son of God of not observing the rule of refraining from unnecessary labour on Sabbath! What these hypocrites need are not more detailed laws but a heart of flesh (Ezekiel 11:19)!

A clean heart create for me, Lord;renew within me a steadfast spirit (Psalm 51:12). Amen.

「復活蛋」Easter Egg

「復活蛋」Easter Egg（若4:43-54）

電腦遊戲/應用程式中經常埋藏了些「復活蛋」，是一些意外的驚喜，秘技或者資訊。雖然離復活節還有三個星期，但在今天的福音中，筆者竟然發現了一顆「復活蛋」，一個隱藏了的神蹟！

人為「萬物之靈」其中的一個元素、一個足以把人類從動物界分別出來的因素，是他的「理性」。科技的發達，上可以飛出太空，下可以改造基因，都是有目共睹「理性」的輝煌成就。所以，不要怪責今天接受科學洗禮的人，事事講求「實證」。他們對於拿不出真憑實據的宗教信仰，嗤之以鼻，是可以理解的。

可惜，當科學家小心翼翼地指出目前科學結論的局限性時，有些不學無術的人，把「實證主義」推往實證所不能保證的極端，誇大它的成果，使普羅大眾，迷信科學，不信造物主的存在！迷信科學的人否定人類擁有靈性，因為有信仰的人拿不出他們的「靈魂」，給科學家放在顯微鏡下觀察，放進粒子撞擊器裡做實驗…這些不學無術的人，誤導了普羅大眾，在他們的認知裡造成了嚴重的障礙，用不恰當的工具去尋覓真理。這是另類的迷信，與崇拜偶像沒有分別！

今天故事中的王臣，憑他說的這句話，「主，在我的小孩未死以前，請你下來罷！」（若4:49）可知他是個很務實的人。但耶穌祇回答了一句話，「去罷！你的兒子活了」，那人竟然信了（4:50）！是甚麼令王臣信了呢？耶穌不是剛說了，「除非你們看到神蹟和奇事，你們總是不信」（4:48）嗎？這個實事求是的王臣看到甚麼神蹟呢？耶穌所說的一句話，有足夠力量嗎？抑或是耶穌的眼神、面容甚至是氣味，使他相信呢？我們不得而知。從第三章到這裡，我們找不到耶穌從猶太回到加里肋亞後，所行的第一個神蹟。莫非這裡發生了若望所暗示的第一個神蹟（4:54）？可能耶穌基督把自己是天主子的身份，啟示了給這王臣；祂以天主子的身份，向王臣的靈魂說了話。在死而復活的「生命之主」面前，王臣信服了眼前，一位來自加里肋亞的木匠。

主啊，這王臣真是有福！求祢讓我們在四旬期的默觀中，得以享見祢聖容的光輝，有如祢在高山上顯示祢的聖容一樣。亞孟。
相片鳴謝：bible.com
生命恩泉

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Easter Egg (John 4:43-54)

“Easter Eggs” are usually surprises, tips or interesting information buried in computer games/applications. Although there are still about three weeks before Easter, the author discovers in the gospel passage today an “Easter Egg”, a hidden miracle.

One of the elements which makes human beings the zenith of creation, distinguishing them from other animals is their rationality. Take a look at the advances in science and technology. Man is able to fly to outer space and manipulate his own genes. These are brilliant achievements of rationality. Thus, we cannot blame modern people who were baptized by science for demanding postive evidences in everything. It is understandable that they tease religious people who are unable to show concrete evidence of their beliefs.

Unfortunately, while scientists caution us to the limitations of current scientific conclusions, some less disciplined scholars push positivism beyond what positive evidence can guarantee. They exaggerate the fruits of science so much so that the general public become superstitious in science and don’t believe in the existence of a Creator! People superstitious in science deny the existence of souls because believers are not able to put their souls under the microscope for scientists to examine, or inside particle colliders for scientists to do experiment … The general public are misled by these undisciplined scholars who have created in them damaging cognitive obstacles and applying the wrong kind of tools to seek the truth. This kind of superstition is no different from idolatry!

From what the royal official said, “Sir, come down before my child dies” (John 4:49), we know that he was a very pragmatic person. But Jesus only said one sentence, “You may go; your son will live” and he believed (4:50)! What made this royal official believe? Didn’t Jesus say to him just a moment ago, “Unless you people see signs and wonders, you will not believe”? (4:48) What miracle did this pragmatic official see? Was Jesus’ word truly powerful as such? Or Jesus’ gaze, countenance or even smell that made him believe? We don’t know. From Chapter 3 up to here, we are not able to locate the first miracle Jesus did when he came to Galilee from Judaea. Would this encounter be the first miracle suggested by John (4:54)? Jesus Christ reveals his Son of God identity to this royal official. Jesus spoke in the capacity of the Son of God to the soul of the official. Facing this Author of Life who rose from the dead, this official believed in the Jesus he saw.

Lord! How blessed this official was! Allow us to see the glory of Your face in our Lenten contemplation, just as Your Transfiguration on a high mountain. Amen.

We’re Ambassadors of Reconciliation 我們都是修和大使

We’re Ambassadors of Reconciliation

Deacon Alex Kwok

By the time you’re reading this edition of Homestead, we’re probably celebrating the Paschal Triduum in the Holy Week. So before we enjoy the glorious fruit of Easter, let’s review whether we have prepared well enough so as to make up for what is lacking, as the virgins did in Matthew 25:9, before the arrival of the bridegroom. The Lenten Season is a period of forty days for the Elect to prepare for their baptism at Easter Vigil. It is also a time for the baptized to revitalize the graces they received in their baptisms. Like any annual celebrations such as birthdays and marriage anniversaries, we’ll enjoy more when the preparation is better done.

Pope Francis kick-started this Lenten Season by encouraging us to persevere in doing good in his Lenten message 2022. He quoted St. Paul, saying “Let us not grow tired of doing good …” (Galatians 6:9). Then he elaborated on three areas in which we need to put up our efforts: Let us not grow tired of praying, of uprooting evil from our lives and of doing good in active charity towards our neighbours. The Holy Father’s exhortation is both traditional and modern. Traditionally, Christians do three things in particular during Lent: prayers, fasting & abstinence and almsgiving. Our Pope makes these three items relevant to our lives in 2022.

Through prayers, we reconcile with God; draw strength and consolation from our heavenly Father. This is particularly urgent in the current pandemic and on-going war in Ukraine. In different occasions, the Pope invited all Christians and men of goodwill to pray for the end of the COVID-19 pandemic. He even consecrated Russia and Ukraine to the Immaculate Heart of Our Lady on the Solemnity of Annunciation. These days, all churches in Hong Kong are closed. Paradoxically, prayer services have become more accessible, thanks to the popularity of the Internet. Brethren! Have you taken part?

Through almsgiving, we reconcile with our neighbours. From the current pandemic, we learn the importance of keeping the supply-chains connected. If any link is broken because of lockdowns, a lot of people will suffer. The Catholic Church has always acted as a hub of charity. She passes on donations from benefactors to the needy and the marginalized. Our Church has clearly demonstrated the role of charity-hub during this pandemic. Many people have a lot of donated money, coupons, food and medical supplies to us and we have volunteers going out in pairs to visit the needy all over Hong Kong. Brethren! Have you taken part?

Through fasting & abstinence, we reconcile with ourselves. But the traditional form of fasting & abstinence is rather irrelevant to our life in a modern society. Nowadays people are health/figure conscious and fasting has lost its altruistic meanings of sacrifice and life-enhancement for the poor. Thus, our Pope turn our attention to “evil in our lives”. What is “evil in our lives”? The Pope mentioned both the traditional concupiscence and the modern addiction to the digital media. He encouraged us to go to confession saying, “God never tires of forgiving”.
I feel that this is the most difficult part. Fasting & abstinence is easy but going to confession is never easy, right? The older we inevitably grow, the more difficult for us to forgive ourselves. We are burdened with all kinds of failures, mistakes, regrets and misunderstandings etc. Though the Pope has reminded us that God never tires of forgiving, we doubt whether we deserve God’s forgiveness …
Brethren! Such a doubt is a terrible temptation of the Devil. Let me assure you. Christ embraces you in the confessional. Before you’re able to say how many times you have committed such-and-such, you’ll burst into tears and be relieved. Brethren! Have you taken part in the Sacrament of Reconciliation?

Brethren! If you have taken part, congratulations! I’m sure you’ll have a fruitful Easter 2022. If you haven’t taken part enough, there’s still time. Our sweet Lord is waiting to hug you in the depth of your hearts, among the marginalized and inside the confessional.
God bless!

We Should Come to Our Senses 當反躬自問

Lætare Sunday, Year C
Theme: We Should Come to Our Senses 當反躬自問

Today, we celebrate Lætare Sunday, a Sunday of Joy in the Lenten Season. Traditionally, halfway through the Lenten season when Christians fast and abstain to prepare for the Paschal mystery of the Lord, the Church would relax a bit to cheer the faithful up so as to gather a greater momentum for the last leg of journey. “Lætare Ierusalem et conventum, facite omnes qui diligitis eam … Rejoice ye with Jerusalem: and be ye glad for her, all ye that delight in her …” is the entrance hymn which gives this Sunday its name.
What joy can we find these days when the whole world suffers in turmoil from a pandemic and news of Russian invasion in Ukraine? Let me be clear. If we don’t repent, we’ll never find joy. If we don’t come to our senses, we’ll never repent. How do we come to our senses? That’s the question!

A famous Chinese author, known by his pen-name Lu Xun魯迅, told the following story in an anthology of his novellas published in 1923 called “SCREAM 吶喊”: A man woke up inside a sealed iron hut in the company of some other sleeping people. They would all suffocate to death if they continued like that. What would the man do? It was the conviction of Lu Xun at that time that “by waking up the others, there would be an opportunity to find together a way to break out of this sealed iron hut”. In 2019, a mainland professor teaching in one of the universities of Hong Kong disagreed. Time and situation had worsened. The professor lamented that in Hong Kong or perhaps elsewhere, the other sleeping people had actually awakened before. But they had chosen to continue “sleeping” and had become part of the iron hut! Woe to all the people inside this iron hut. They would all be doomed to suffocation!

I buy the professor’s opinion because to a certain degree, it agrees with the Christian faith. Lu Xun was a man of his time. He needed to be over optimistic. He needed to gather a congregation of like-minded comrades to revitalize the Chinese culture which had been eroded by conscripting traditional practices for too long. Most progressive thinkers in that age believed in the superiority of Western culture as vividly demonstrated by all the defeats in battles the Qing Dynasty engaged with the Western countries. Modern China after the fall of Qing Dynasty was desperately in need of more aggressive reforms. Paying lip services to Western superiority by the greedy and self-serving Qing mandarins proved to be conducive to their downfall. So Lu Xun and the other younger thinkers concentrated their efforts to improve the root of the Chinese culture, the very language she speaks and writes. They advocated writing in plain Chinese instead of classical Chinese.

Regrettably, not all people think along such a progressive line because it would be extremely painful for them to come to senses! It is easy and comfortable to throw one’s hands up in the air and be complacent while it is hard and nerve racking to stay awake and to find a way out. Lu Xun had greater confidence than the professor in human nature even though what he had witnessed was the very opposite. I don’t know whether the professor is a Christian or not. But it appears that the professor shares similar views with Christians who believe that human nature has been damaged by the Original Sin which makes it impossible for men to deliver themselves without help from above. Perhaps the similarity ends there. The professor might be an atheist and only has faith in the Western powers to help build democracy. We Christians believe in a higher other power: God. In the gospel reading today, the parable of the Prodigal Son illustrates well that unless one undergoes extreme hardship, one shall not come to his senses. And it is NOT superstitious to believe that extreme hardship is orchestrated by God for our sake.

The younger son came to his senses when “he found himself in dire need.” (Luke 15:14b) He was not the poorest person in the world. I’m sure there were many poor people whose situations were worse. What’s so special about his “dire need”? The simple fact is that he used to be rich and was probably surrounded by a lot of people serving and cheering him. Most likely in a very short time, he had spent all his money. Obviously he didn’t know how to manage his inheritance because Luke writes, “he had freely spent everything” (15:14a). It wouldn’t take too long for a fool and his money part! Some external factors (a severe famine) augmented his plights! He would feel being betrayed by the companions who accompanied him while he was rich. Now he had to put down his dignity as a member of God’s Chosen People to tend the swine (15:15) which no Jews would do because the Torah declared it ritually unclean. He was so hungry that he would have fought with the swine for the pods to fill his hunger (15:16).

A famine is a natural disaster beyond human management. “It must have been sent by God”, the younger son reasoned. He would have thrown his hands up in the air and accepted this “punishment from God” which he would feel he deserved because he had sinned against heaven and his father (15:18). Were he to stop at this point, he had not yet come to his senses! What prompted him to choose returning to his father, the hunger, the feeling of betrayal or the dignity? Or perhaps it was the naivety of the younger son in believing that his father would forgive and accept him that prompted his return. On a second thought, wouldn’t it be naïve to think that working as a hired worker was able to repay all the inheritance he had squandered? Obviously, the younger son did not think through this “second thought”. The younger son was really child-like or immature!

Let us meditate on the behaviour of the elder son and we might understand better. We may safely draw the conclusion that the elder son had not come to his senses when he became angry and refused to enter the house (15:28). Obviously the elder son was more capable in managing his share of inheritance to the extent that he had become a utilitarian. He calculated cost and benefit. He compared his service and obedience with the younger brother’s life of dissipation; his friends with his brother’s prostitutes and a young goat with a fattened calf! His anger had clouded his senses such that the father had to come out to reason him out (15:31-32). In contrast to his brother’s naivety, his sophistication would perhaps lead to his downfall had he insisted on not listening to the father’s call to showing mercy to his brother!

Brethren! Time and again, we make simple things complicated and mess things up. God is love. Whatever He does, He does it for our good. It is simple as such. That’s why Jesus tells us not to over-calculate and burden our senses. “Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.”(Matthew 11:29) Our self-righteousness is our blind spot that clouds our judgment and prevents us from listening to other people’s advice, not even the good Lord’s advice! So, let’s enjoy the banquet for a while and move on in returning to the Father. God bless!
2016 Reflection
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Encounter At The Well 與主相遇在井邊

Third Lent Sunday, Year C
Theme: Encounter At The Well

Liturgically, the Lenten Season is a time of spiritual purification for the elect before their baptism. It is also a time for the baptized to reactivate the graces of baptism and to purify their faith in Jesus Christ their Redeemer. The scriptures in Year A are chosen so well that I can’t help but meditate more on them. The encounter between Jesus and the Samaritan woman at the well is a vivid illustration of how the Good Shepherd goes all the way out to bring back His lost sheep. At the same time, it demonstrates how much Jesus thirsts for our repentance. Today, allow me to meditate one year ahead.

The ”encounter at the well” is a genre in its own right and occupies a respectable place in Biblical literature: Hagar (Genesis 16), Rebekah (Genesis 24), Rachel (Genesis 29), Zipporah (Exodus 2) and Saul (1 Samuel 9) together with the Samaritan woman play a prominent part in these dramas. In a broad sense, these encounters changed the status of all the women concerned and their life-situations were improved. The case of Saul is more complicated and deserves a fuller meditation of its own. Anyhow, in theological jargon, they were delivered or redeemed.
In the first example, Hagar, an Egyptian maidservant, became pregnant by Abraham and she began not to respect Sarai her mistress. Sarai mistreated her and Hagar ran away from Sarai. An angel appeared to Hagar at a spring, the well of Beer-lahai-roi (Genesis 16:7, 14) and persuaded her to return to give birth to Ishmael. Of course family tensions remained but through this incidence, Hagar helped Abraham become the father of the Arabians. In effect, Abraham becomes the father of monotheistic peoples. The stories of Rebekah, Rachel and Zipporah were ones of betrothal and marriage. Subsequently, these women helped their husbands in building a deeper relationship with God to finish God’s intended missions for them. The last story is about Saul who was seeking the lost donkey of his father’s and the young women at the well pointed him the way to meet Samuel who subsequently anointed Saul the first king of Israel! Thus in the Bible, encounters at the well are life-enhancing occasions! Without exception, the Samaritan woman’s encounter with Jesus at the well redeemed her and changed her life for the better!

John was not present in this encounter because together with all other disciples, he had gone into the town to buy food (John 4:3). Subsequently he must have learnt of the incidence from Jesus together with the other disciples but only John found this incidence as well as the Cana’s banquet significant, mediated and wrote them down. We should be grateful to this ”beloved disciple of the Lord” (13:23, 19:26, 20:2, 21:7, 21:20). He left behind important incidences so that we may ”believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through this belief we may have life in His name.” (20:31) It would be ungrateful for us not to mediate on them!
Let’s return to the scene: it was about noon and Jesus was tired from his journey, sitting down at the well which was built by Rachel’s husband. A Samaritan woman came to draw water and Jesus asked her for a drink (4:6-7).

First of all, the Son of God must have known everything and the whole encounter must have been perfectly orchestrated. Yet, it doesn’t deny the humanity of the Son of God. He was tired and thirsty. This encounter was not a show. Jesus’ exhaustion and thirst were genuine. Otherwise, His death on the cross would also have been a phantom. This would be an unacceptable heresy! Rather, the Son of God is truly divine and human. But His humanity is perfectly mingled with His divinity. Jesus thirsted for something more noble. This is echoed later in the same story when the disciples returned, Jesus says, ”My food is to do the will of the one who sent me and to finish His work.” (4:34) Therefore, not only was Jesus thirsty physiologically but He also thirsted for the redemption of this Samaritan woman who represents all the lost sheep of the Good Shepherd.

The timing was significant The Samaritan woman was avoiding the people when she came to draw water because she was probably a public sinner, a scandal of the town. To a certain extent, she was redeemable because she felt shameful for her deeds. An appropriate dose of shame is healthy because it is a driving force for our repentance. If the woman had been hardened and ”shamelessly” came to draw water during peak hour without fear of gossips and peer-pressure, probably it would have been more difficult to persuade her to repent!
Brethren! we’re truly offspring of Adam who after knowing his own sin, hid away from God (Genesis 3:8). But nothing is impossible for God (Luke 1:37) who must have ways beyond our understanding to redeem this woman and all sinners whom she represents.

The Samaritan woman’s response was obviously defensive and was a sharp one. ”How can you, a Jew, ask me, a Samaritan woman, for a drink?” (John 4:9) She brought up sexual as well as racial discriminations to defend herself as well as to complain. She flexed her muscle to show her despise towards a Jew. In ancient time, a woman was supposed to be submissive to men, obeying orders without question. Not now between Jesus and the Samaritan woman. In this way, her response was defensive. On a higher level between God and His people, it was a complaint. God, aren’t you supposed to be with us all the time? See how I have been suffering, being humiliated as a victim of institutionalized sins today?
Brethren! This Samaritan woman helps us see our futile defences before God. We are naked before God in whose sight, ”There is neither Jew nor Greek ... not male or female” (Galatians 3:18). We were created in the image of God but we are living in different societies which impose different roles upon us. Some roles enhance our abilities to manifest the images of God while others which we take up, hinder us from living up to God’s intention. Worse still, some of us become part of the institution to tarnish God’s images in other people and ourselves. God knows that our fragile humanity is unable to save ourselves. Out of love, God takes the initiative to free us from the bondage of sins by sending His only begotten Son to die on the cross to repay all our debts. The Son of God obeys the Father’s will to carry out this impossible mission to bear upon Himself all abuses we inflict on others through structural sins! Lord, have mercy!

The Son of God was not offended when the Samaritan woman retorted back. Jesus did not impose His good will on her. To her hostility, Jesus replied with respect. He patiently ”courted and enticed” her with a promise of living water (John 4:10-15). This reminds us of the imagery portrayed in Ezekiel 16:4-14 in which Israel was born like a baby abandoned in the field, kicking in the blood. God passed by and had pity on her so that she lived. She grew up and God showed affection for her and adorned her with royal richness. The bracelets and nose-ring (Ezekiel 16:11-12) should remind us of Rebekah’s story (Genesis 24:22) Ezekiel shows us that not only is God merciful, but He also goes wherever He wants. There’s no need to look for salvation at a spring or at a well although that is a good symbol of life.

The woman’s attitude started changing. She put down her hostility and started addressing this Jewish stranger ”Sir” (John 4:11, 15) Later on, when Jesus showed knowledge of her marital situation, suddenly the Samaritan woman found nowhere to hide her secrets. She felt naked in front of a Great Mysterious Other! Of course, it took time for her to acknowledge that Jesus is God. So she started acknowledging Jesus as a prophet instead (4:19). It was more than an admiration of the prophetic charisma of Jesus but a confession of her own sins, the repentance required by God. She had successfully engaged on her way towards redemption!

Brethren! It is always refreshing to meditate on the encounter between Jesus and the Samaritan woman. Pray that we may put down our defences in this season of Lent. God have mercy on our nakedness and frailty. He shall forgive.
God bless!
2020 Reflection
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A Utilitarian God? 天主功利嗎？

Third Lenten Sunday, Year C
Theme: A Utilitarian God? 天主功利嗎？

In the gospel reading today, we read of the parable of the barren fig tree. Usually we focus on the mercy of Jesus Christ, the gardener who always intercedes for our good at the right hand of God (Romans 8:34). But today, my attention is somehow attracted to an inconsistency which I have never noticed before: God seems to be utilitarian (Luke 13:7). Woe to us if God were utilitarian! His love, mercy, righteousness and truth would all be questionable. Our existence would not be worth living. What a terrible world!

Fortunately, as far as my understanding goes, the Father whom Jesus Christ reveals is not utilitarian.
First of all, in doing anything, it is not necessary for God to do any cost-benefit-analysis before He takes actions. Why? Because God is eternal. He is free in the dimension of time and is able to travel freely to and fro along this dimension. Translating this into the time it takes in getting something done, it is zero. Therefore, God’s energy and power becomes infinite. That’s what we mean in physics when we say theologically that God is almighty. When God’s energy/power is infinite, no work is able to cost God anything. That’s is to say, the word “cost” does not exist in God’s dictionary!
Nevertheless, costs do exist in our universe. Energy has to be dissipated in getting work done because the universe we know exists in time. For example, the energy to get things done, such as the multiplication of bread to feed 5000 people from five loaves and two fish, is huge in our eyes. [Using the famous Einstein formula E=mc², and assuming 100 gm of starch for an adult per meal. Therefore 5000 * 100 gm = 500 Kg of mass should be created. Take the speed of light to be 3 x 108 m/s. It costs God 500*(3x108)² Joules of energy: 4.5x10¹⁶ KJ, where 1 KJ is energy of running a 1 Kilo-Watt heater for 1 second. Given that there are 3.1536x10⁷ seconds a year. The amount of energy God created is enough to run 1 million 1KW heaters for 1.427 million years!] Nevertheless, it is negligible in God’s eye because previously, God fed sixty thousand Israelites for forty years in the wilderness with manna!
From this first premise, we can deduce that if God so wishes, He would save humanity without the need to count the amount of costs, even suffering death to repay all our debts! This is exactly what the Father is doing when He sends His only begotten Son to become flesh (John 1:14) and to die on the cross to redeem humanity. He couldn’t care less the actual costs He has to pay. Costs do not bother Him, but love does. Therefore, the last label we can apply to God is utilitarian.

On the other hand, we find “bad guys” reasoning in a utilitarian manner in the gospels. For example, Jesus had raised Lazarus from dead. The status of the Jewish religious authority was furthered eroded and threatened. Therefore Caiaphas the High Priest wanted to make sure that Jesus should die and persuaded the Sanhedrin to hand Jesus over to the Romans. He said to them, “You know nothing, nor do you consider that it is better for you that one man should die instead of the people, so that the whole nation may not perish.” (11:49-50) Killing an innocent person is evil because it breaches the Ten Commandments. But killing the whole nation is an even greater evil. In order to save the whole nation, they were willing to give up the life of one innocent person! To soothe their conscience, they would make up crimes to frame the innocent. It is prudent to choose the lesser evil! The logic was good to the ear and Caiaphas prevailed.
Take another example, when Mary the sister of Lazarus, anointed Jesus with a liter of costly perfumed oil, Judas complained, “Why was this oil not sold for three hundred days’ wages and given to the poor?” (12:5) Let’s put aside the motive of Judas’ complaint and simply consider the validity of his logic. His rationale was truly utilitarian. Jesus was only one person whereas 300 days’ wages would be able to feed 300 families! The usefulness of the money would be greater if it were spent on relieving the plights of 300 families instead of on showing gratitude to a single person. The logic was impeccable. But in the end, Judas betrayed Jesus and committed suicide. His demise was tragic. These two examples show that at least God does not buy utilitarianism.

Let’s take a look at the symbols in the parable of the barren fig tree. The master of the vineyard is a symbol of God the Father. Of course the gardener is Jesus Christ who intercedes for us. The vineyard has been a popular image the prophets conjured up to describe the Israelites (Isaiah 3:14, 5:1; Jeremiah 12:10; Ezekiel 28:26; Hosea 2:15; Amos 4:9, Micah 1:6). But vineyard is not the exclusive symbol. There are others, such as the fig tree. Usually fig and vine are mentioned in the same breath, symbolizing the divided kingdoms of Israel and Judah (1 Kings 4:25), or Judah alone (2 Kings 18:31; Jeremiah 8:13). Furthermore, Jeremiah had a vision of two baskets of figs, one baskets of good figs and the other evil (24:1-10). The good figs symbolized the Jews exiled to Babylon and the evil ones were those remained behind and relied on the alliance of Egypt. Therefore, when Jesus told this parable, the barren fig tree was Jerusalem, her citizens together with their religious authority.

Here are the master’s words, “For three years now I have come in search of fruit on this fig tree but have found none. So, cut it down. Why should it exhaust the soil?” (Luke 13:7) St. Augustine interpreted the “three years” as three ages in the Salvation History: the age of Patriarchs, the age of prophets and lastly the age of the gospel. God visited the Israelites and interacted with them throughout these three stages and yet the Israelites did not believe and live a righteous life. The fourth year represents the age of the Church. With the help of the Son of God, hopefully the Church, the People of God, is able to bear the righteous fruit which the Father demands etc.
It is not the interpretation by the Church Fathers which troubles me. Rather, it is the utilitarian logic of the master of the vineyard that makes me uncomfortable. “Why should it exhaust the soil?” Some Church Fathers suggested that the Church have more Gentiles than Jews nowadays, the fourth year. The addition of Gentiles would save the day. The soil is not wasted etc. But that’s not the point. How can God reason in a utilitarian manner? If utilitarianism is right, then Caiaphas and Judas cannot be wrong!

Take a step back. The world is full of evil. The story of Job tells us that without God’s permission, evil cannot prevail. Why God allows evil is another thorny question which theologians are having a hard time struggling with. If we accept such a premise, one may argue that God does not approve utilitarianism but allows it to exist. It is a respectable branch of ethics which is guiding a lot of people in their decision making in a rational manner. Indeed, the existence of utilitarianism is not without merits. Plurality is always better than uniformity. If only one ethics system is permitted, the ideology of a country would suffer malnutrition and her culture a poverty of ideas. Lastly, we may argue that God is not utilitarian but most of us readers are. Therefore in order to keep the parable simple, not requiring extra explanations and qualifications, Luke personified the master in a human understandable manner. I will not oppose this argument.

Brethren! Allow me to apologize for such a dry and rational workout. The good Lord says, “Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles?” (Matthew 7:16) I use this in a defensive manner that I am only a fig tree. Don’t look for grapes in me! I have to confess that for years I have been trying hard not to be so rational but more spiritual, obviously without success. There are some unknown obstacles that divert my efforts. Perhaps I’m applying my efforts in a wrong direction or perhaps I need to let go and entrust my soul into the hand of the Holy Spirit to carry me where it pleases God.
Pray for me.
2019 Reflection
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Pain and Gain 痛苦是成功必須付出的代價

The Second Lent Sunday, Year C
Theme: Pain and Gain 痛苦是成功必須付出的代價

Before the invention of printing, bibles were manually copied. Some manuscripts are more widely accepted while some are more authoritative than the others. For example, there are two versions of Luke 9:35, viz. “This is my beloved Son, listen to him.” and “This is my chosen Son, listen to him.” No such difference is found in Luke 3:22, “You are my beloved Son, in you I’m well pleased.” To us laymen, the difference in Luke 9:35 seems to be superfluous. The “beloved Son” is the widely accepted version and using it in both cases provides a link between Jesus’ baptism and his Transfiguration. In both occasions, the Father declares the divinity of Jesus Christ and confirms that He is the Messiah. Of course, the baptism of the Lord signifies the beginning of His ministry while the Transfiguration points to His upcoming passion and resurrection. Therefore, there must somehow be differences between the two situations.
When Jesus was baptized, He did not have any followers yet. The Transfiguration took place near the end of His mission. There were many followers whom Jesus wanted to incorporate into His Mystical Body in the future. Thus, we are approaching the establishment of the Church during Transfiguration. We are more than bystanders who witness yet another miracle. We become involved because the Father tells us to listen to Jesus and obey His commands. What’s the merit of using “chosen” instead? The word “chosen” is more inclusive to show that all Christians are God’s children, not because of blood line or sharing any other God’s essence but because of faith! And what is that faith? It is the faith in the resurrection of the Son of God who dies to take away the sin of the world (John 1:29). Using the word “chosen” binds us more strongly with the Son of God, to partake in His sufferings and to share in His glory (2 Timothy 2:11-12).

According to the gospels of Matthew and Mark, “six days” after Jesus’ first prediction of His Passion, He took the three disciples up a high mountain and transfigured before them (Matthew 17:1, Mark 9:2). But Luke says “eight days” (Luke 9:28). In my reflection three years ago, I explored the significance of “eight days”. So, I won’t spend time here.

Lastly, Luke arranges the narratives such that the feeding of 5000 and the Transfiguration are put closely together, only 197 Greek words apart! In modern terms, they are 10 verses apart in the same chapter! What message does Luke want to convey?
Like the Great Deluge and the Crossing of the Red Sea are pre-figures of the sacrament of Baptism, the Manna miracle in the wilderness and the feeding of 5000 are also pre-figures of another sacrament. They were a rehearsal of the Last Supper in which the sacrament of the Holy Eucharist was instituted. The Church teaches that the celebration of the sacrament of the Holy Eucharist is Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross in a non-bloody manner. What then has the Transfiguration to do with the Holy Eucharist?

What went before the Transfiguration? To be meaningful, let’s take the starting point at Simon Peter’s declaration of the Messiahship of Jesus. After the confession of Simon, the Son of God renamed him Peter and made him the Rock upon which Jesus Christ would build His Church (Matthew 16:16-19). Furthermore, Jesus announced God’s salvation plan through Passion and Resurrection. However, the disciples were unable to accept such a plan (16:21-23).
Human beings naturally want to acquire gains and to avoid pains. They know the truth of the aphorism, “No pain no gain” but find it difficult to obey. Similarly, there is “No Resurrection without Passion”. The Passion is the springboard to glory because it is the only path to Jesus’ Resurrection. There is no shortcut. However, the disciples had difficulty accepting their master’s death because they had given up all they had to follow him. If their master died, their “investments” would evaporate instantly. Here is the paradox: in order to attain eternal life, one has to die first! But it would only be a paradox if there were no resurrection! Regrettably, we’re not Moses and Elijah who have attained the freedom to travel in time. We aren’t time-travellers and are unable to see the future or to see what is happening in another universe. Therefore, many people don’t have the faith to follow Jesus’ example and throw themselves into martyrdom.

In order to reassure his disciples the certainty of God’s plan, Jesus gave his disciples a preview of the glory of resurrection. He transfigured in front of the three chosen disciples so that they would be able to overcome the fear of subsequent suffering and death. With resurrection, Jesus conquers death and shall die no more. He is able to promise us that He would stay with us until the end of the age (Matthew 28:20)! Without resurrection, He could not honour His pledge to become the Bread of Life for all believers. In other words, without resurrection, there is no sacrament of Holy Eucharist. I think Luke tries to convey this link by putting the feeding of 5000 and the Transfiguration closely together, separated by only 197 words!

The Holy Communion is a mysterious sacrament. It’s both glorious and humble at the same time. It is glorious because it is the Body of the good Lord. There are reports of different kinds of Eucharistic miracles which have been scrutinized and confirmed by the Church. The faithful perform a lot of sacramental, such as Eucharistic adoration and Eucharistic procession to express their awe and praises. Composers have written many soothing and uplifting devotional hymns etc.
However, the Holy Communion is at the same time extremely humble. First of all, it is not made up of precious substance but simple ordinary unleavened bread. Moreover, unlike the Son of God who is able to move around easily at will, the Holy Communion is immobile. It’s unable to protect itself and relies on the Church to prevent it from being desecrated. It is locked up inside the tabernacle in an empty church. Lord Jesus Christ is extremely lonely and is waiting patiently for some accidental believers to come by and adore! Now that churches are locked down during this pandemic, the faithful could only receive Spiritual Communion. Both the good Lord and the faithful have to suffer the pains of separation. While Lord Jesus Christ wants this sacrament to join believers together in communion, His Sacred Heart aches to see believers arguing over theological and liturgical differences on the Eucharist.

Brethren! Even the Holy Eucharist, the body of the Son of God, is an embodiment of suffering in many different ways. How can we just want to gain without pains? During this Lent season, let’s pick up our momentum of prayer, fasting and almsgiving until they hurt.
God bless!
2019 Reflection
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Don’t Play God 不可扮演天主

First Lent Sunday, Year C
Theme: Don’t Play God 不可扮演天主

Traditionally, the Church teaches us to avoid temptations. Though such an approach is passive, it is nevertheless effective. On the other hand, this pandemic teaches us one more effective strategy --- to build up our immunity/defence system through vaccination or even natural infection. Not only is Lent a season of grace, it is also a season suitable for building up our defences against the Tempter.

Driven by the Holy Spirit (Mark 1:12), Jesus Christ the Son of God spent forty days in the desert, praying and fasting which strengthen His defences against Satan’s temptations. Yes, the Son of Man is truly human. He needs food and sleep like us. Similarly, He needs defences like any ordinary human does. Equipped with this enhanced defence through prayers and fasting, Jesus began His confrontation with the Devil. In the end, Jesus fought and won this battle in an elegant manner, thanks to the built-up of defence within those forty days. Without raising his fists or gnashing his teeth, Jesus simply quoted passages from Deuteronomy effortlessly to defeat the Great Liar. Isn’t Jesus elegant and graceful? Of course, we should never forget the role of the Holy Spirit in this spiritual warfare against Satan. Let’s invoke the help of the Holy Spirit.

Traditionally, the Church advocates prayer, fasting and alms-giving (Matthew 6:5-21) in Lent to prepare ourselves for the Paschal mystery of Christ! By a three-pronged approach, we reconcile with God through prayers, with ourselves through fasting and with our neighbour through alms-giving. At this moment of history when the global village is witnessing a pandemic and a bullying invasion, we inevitably deploy languages in a military tone. If prayer and fasting are our defences, then alms-giving will be our attacks. Through alms-giving, we empty ourselves and pour our life out for our needy neighbour! Not only do we strengthen the weakest links among us, but we also win over captives into our camp. We open ourselves up to God’s providence when we become weak and empty! In the Art of War, attack is the best defence. “Blessed be the Lord, my rock, who trains my hands for battle, my fingers for war.” (Psalms 144:1)

In doing battles, it shall be a certain defeat when a soldier knows marching forwards only without stopping to scrutinize the ever changing battle scene. Similarly, in fighting this spiritual battle against Satan, it is a great temptation to throw down the gauntlet and engage in a full frontal attack! Restrain and vigilance are needed.
In the Old Testament, God proved that He had the power to cleanse the whole Creation with the Great Deluge. Yet, His great wisdom gave humanity a second chance and a family of eight was spared. God did not go over the board to the extreme. Once more, God demonstrated His might by wiping out the two sinful cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. But before that, He allowed Abraham to bargain so as to allow him a chance to save his nephew Lot! When the Israelites grew impatient and built a golden calf to lead them back to Egypt, God intended to wipe them out and rebuild a people/nation through Moses. Yet, He allowed Moses to intercede and spare the Israelites (Exodus 32:7-14). In their stead, Moses bore the brunt and could not enter the Promised Land. When David had the opportunities to kill King Saul, he restrained from laying his hand on God’s anointed one (1 Samuel 24:7-8, 26:11-12), winning for himself God’s favour and later became the King of Israel who could truly unite the twelve tribes into one people and one kingdom!

On the other hand, Cain ignored God’s advice to be vigilant (Genesis 4:7) and murdered the innocent Abel in fury! Samson could not restrain his anger from killing and burning down villages (Judges 15). In the end, this tragic hero killed “by his dying more than those he had killed during his lifetime” (16:30)! Elijah could not restrain his self-righteousness from inciting the Israelites to kill 450 Baal’s prophets (1 Kings 18:40). How could he be so sure that not one of the Baal’s prophets would not repent after seeing his calling fire down from heaven to consume the altar? Thus, flexing one’s might without restrain falls right into the snare of Satan. There’s no salvation but destruction. God knows well. Therefore, the Son of God restrained from summoning 12 legions of angels to save him (Matthew 26:53), from jumping down from the cross (27:42), but chose to obey the Father to die on the cross! Destroying Satan is simply a snap of fingers away. Yet, God restrains from such a temptation! Praise be to the Lord.

Saving the world with economic means, turning stones into bread is a temptation because economic affluence will only breed greater greed which is insatiable! Saving the world with political means, either democratic compromises/negotiations or totalitarian shoving one’s ideology of political reform down the throats of all would only worsen the chaotic political scene today. But wishing to gain advantages in chaotic situations, powerful people would gamble and pitch P against B in order to maximize their own benefits, thus falling into temptation. What crisis is the whole world witnessing today? Russia is flexing her military muscles to bully Ukraine in the name of national security! She is pushing the whole world over the brim of yet another world war! Ancient Chinese way, particularly the idealized Tang dynasty, was a better approach. Her cultural affluence attracted neighbouring countries to come and learn, to offer tribute and join alliance with Tang, even becoming Chinese vassals without going into war!

The greatest temptation of all is the temptation to play God. That “Man was created in the image of God” (Genesis 1:27) is a sword that cuts both ways. Though Himself God, the Son of God shows us how NOT to play God by becoming flesh (John 1:14) and dying an extremely humiliating death on the cross (Philippians 2:6-8) Alas! “How the heroes had fallen!” (2 Samuel 1:27) Many a dictator fails to heed the lessons of King Saul whose ambitions overtook his capability. He failed to call on the Lord when he was in troubles (Psalms 91:15). Instead he relied on his own strength forgetting that he would have the most powerful protector of the known universe. Worse still, Saul had lost favour with God who is the ultimate master of human history. To overcome the temptation to play God, Jesus teaches us to be poor, be mournful, meek, hungry, merciful, pure in heart, peace-making and persevering in adversity (Matthew 5:3-11) which Pope Francis says is the identity card of Christians. (GE #63)!

Brethren! “Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.” (2 Corinthians 6:2) Invoke the Holy Spirit to help us make good use of the season of Lent to build up our defences against Satan. Remember the apostle’s advice: “Do not look for revenge but leave room for the wrath;” (Romans 12:19) Vengeance belongs to God. Don’t play God. Leave Him room to execute righteousness.
God bless.
Picture Credit: ebay.com
2019 Reflection