This Life Was the Light Of the Human Race 這生命是人的光

The Nativity of the Lord, Year A
Theme: This Life Was the Light Of the Human Race 這生命是人的光

Our resources are finite and limited. If we continue to consume in the present manners and are unable to develop newer modes of production and consumption, one day we’ll deplete most of the natural resources on earth. There will be no more clean water to drink and pristine air to inhale. Not only will we live in poverty, we might even barely survive. In other words, there is no free lunch under the sun. As an aphorism goes “No pain, no gain”. Athletes have to undergo rigorous and even hellish trainings in order to win gold medals in the Olympics. By the sweat of their brows, farmers eat bread (Genesis 3:19). When emperors built their Babel Towers, royal entombments and Great Walls, thousands of slaves were toiled to death. All in all, we must pay for the affluence, comfort, convenience or glory we’re enjoying, whether we pay them ourselves or our offspring repay for us. In the latter case, it is immoral of us to leave a mess behind for our children to clean up in the future. In short, when we enjoy happiness which we don’t earn, someone else has to pay for us.

Christmas is a festive and joyful season. We greet each other “Merry Christmas”. However, from what we have discussed above, have you ever thought about who has/have paid for our merriment and/or our happiness in Christmas? Caesar Augustus decreed a census. Many people had to travel around to return to their native towns to enrol (Luke 2:1). Normal productions came to a halt except for tourism and hospitality. Whatever benefits Augustus had had in mind to gain, an economic price had already been paid. Matthew saw this as a fulfilment of a prophecy about the birth of the Messiah (Matthew 2:5-6). Then who had paid or would pay the price for this prophecy? Joseph and the pregnant Virgin had to travel afar from Nazareth in the north to Bethlehem in the south, not to mention other travellers on their way to enrol. The inn had no room to house Joseph and Mary such that the new born king was laid in a manger (Luke 2:7)!

Though I’m a man, I can imagine how painful it is for a woman in labour. In ancient time, delivering a firstborn could be fatal to both the mother and the infant. Though we believe that with special graces, the BVM was exempted from Original Sin at conception, that might not necessarily exempt her from the pain of giving birth (Genesis 3:16) in the first Christmas. Moreover, her pains did not stop there. Simeon prophesized she would suffer alongside with her child unto the end (Luke 2:35). Therefore, we owe our happiness to the BVM and St. Joseph. Wait a minute! Hadn’t some Magi come to adore the Holy Infant and offered the Holy Family precious gifts, viz. gold, frankincense and myrrh (Matthew 2:11)? Well, at least the Holy Family had gained a small fortune, hadn’t they? I doubt very much carpenters were able to make use of the gold or frankincense which they were not supposed to possess! Those gifts would incriminate them! Indeed, those precious gifts are more symbolic than pragmatic!

I would not spend more time on the Nativity story of Matthew which everybody knows is unsettling further down. It’s high time we return to the gospel text on Christmas Sunday. The text is John’s attempt to rewrite Genesis in light of the Incarnation of the Son of God. I would like to meditate upon. “All things came to be through Him, and without Him nothing came to be. What came to be through Him was life, and this life was the light of the human race” (John 1:3-4). John had spent some sixty years to reflect on his three-year encounter with Jesus Christ, the Son of God. At the beginning of his gospel, John identifies this Son of God as the Word of God which God the Father uttered when He created this known universe (Genesis 1:2). While the author of Genesis populated the seven-day-week cycle with different creatures and crowned the human race with the “image of God” on the sixth day (1:26), John is more concerned with the eternal life in God. To John, the Creation was an outburst of life: human beings, animals, plants and the heaven bodies. That’s what John tries to convey when he says, “What came to be through Him was life” (1:3b-4a). Then how should we understand the next half of the verse, “and this life was the light of the human race” (1:4b)?

The meanings of words evolve through ages. There is the obvious example of “Suffer little children and forbid them not to come unto me …” (Matthew 19:14, KJV) Here, “suffer” means “allow”. Nowadays, “light” usually symbolizes “enlightenment” and “truth” etc. I suspect this philosophical flavour might have been popularized since the Age of Enlightenment when “knowledge” was equated with “power”! I think during the Apostolic Age, “light” symbolized something else because “this life was the truth of the human race” doesn’t make sense to our understanding. Furthermore, John uses the word “truth” when he refers to the truth. E.g. “But whoever lives the truth comes to the light, so that his works may be clearly seen as done in God” (John 3:21) Therefore, John does not use “light” as a synonym of “truth”. Then how is “life” connected to “light” in John? Perhaps we may find the answer in Matthew who says, “Your light must shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your heavenly Father” (Matthew 5:16).

Risking over-generalization, I opine that during the Apostolic Age, Christians made use of “light” to refer to charitable works. This makes perfect sense in John’s theology. For John, God is love (1 John 4:8). As a Jew, John would not have a chimpanzee in mind when he thought about men as an image of God. Ancient theologians would vaguely associate human souls to God’s image, and further refined the concept to pinpoint creativity, intelligence and the use of languages etc. It was good enough to differentiate humanity from animals during the Middle Age up till the Industrial Revolution. However, when chess grandmasters were defeated by Artificial Intelligence, where else can the human race find a defining criterion for humanity? At the moment, no computer programmers would create “self-awareness” software for A.I. Even if they do, nobody would write “self-sacrifice” programs because it will lead to self-destruction of robots. That’s contradictory and doesn’t make sense for the A.I. industry. Therefore, I opine that charity, not intelligence, is the defining criterion for humanity.

Since human beings were created in the image of God, we are able to love to some extent and in different degrees because God is love. Due to our different upbringings, some of us might only be able to love a little, loving only themselves and other lovable people. On the other hand, some of us might be able to love until it hurts for the good of others, even for our persecutors!
Brethren! Life comes about from love and love pays the price of happiness. Christians should therefore be generous because the Christian God is infinite. There is no scarcity of love in Him. “And the Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us, and we saw His glory, the glory as of the Father’s only Son, full of grace and truth” (John 1:14). The Son of God has paid the price on the cross to redeem us all so that we may partake in the eternal life of God. Our happiness is guaranteed! Therefore, be generous!
God bless!
2016 Reflection

Let’s Be Stars

Let’s Be Stars

Deacon Alex

Thank God, COVID measures have relaxed before Christmas. Yet, our economy is battered by the pandemic and yet to recover. Around the city, Christmas decorations are less radiant and less vibrant. In short, festive ambience is in short supply and our mood fails to reach the Christmas climax. Suddenly, we realize how much we rely on the commercials, which stimulate us to spend money, to remind us of the birth of Christ! How true it is for many of us, that there is no room in our hearts to welcome the Holy Infant (Luke 2:7).

Since childhood, we were told that three wise men came from the East to adore baby Jesus. The gospel of Matthew mentions that they offered three gifts, namely gold, frankincense and myrrh. Therefore, we assume that there were three wise men. Actually, the gospel is vague in the exact number. It leaves us room for imagination. Then came “The Other Wise Man”, a novel and later movies about the adventure of the fourth wise men. Compared with the Nativity story in Matthew, which reads more like power struggles among royals, this Fourth Wise Man is more heart-warming. I’m sure you have already heard of the story. If not, look up Wikipedia.

Despite the fact that throughout his journey Artaban, the Fourth Wise Man, failed to meet Jesus in person, he had already found Jesus the moment he helped a dying man. Later, Artaban sold his ruby to save a little boy in Bethlehem and lastly a precious pearl to ransom a slave girl in Jerusalem. In doing those works of mercy, Artaban actually did it for Jesus (Matthew 25:40)! This novel is heart-warming because who on earth have met Jesus in person? This story is narrating our actual experiences and gives us hope. Yes, we are able to meet Jesus when we extend a helping hand to the needy. This too is our aspiration. After all, the Holy Eucharist is only a sign in which Jesus is really present. How much we desire to meet Jesus in person! 【Editor: While we hold dear the Presence of Christ in the Eucharist, we can also learn to see and serve His equally ‘real presence’ in the poor and the needy as He says in Mt. 25. May we grow in our desire to meet Jesus in the person of the hungry, the thirsty, the homeless, the prisoners and the sick!】

As time moves on, the meaning of some symbols have changed over time. Nowadays, we take “light” to symbolize truth. However, during the time the gospels were written, light symbolized something else. Take a look at the following gospel verse which becomes difficult to interpret if “light” symbolizes “truth”. John writes, “through him was life, and this life was the light of the human race” (John 1:4). What would “the truth of the human race” possibly mean? The gospel of Matthew shows the way: “Just so, your light must shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your heavenly Father” (Matthew 5:16). Therefore, during the Apostolic age, “light” means “charity” and “love”.

Brethren! We were created in the image of God (Genesis 1:26) and God is love (1 John 4:8). Therefore, we are capable of loving to some extent. Some are capable of loving slightly with reservations while others love more fervently. Some love only the loveable while others are able to love even their persecutors. In other words, we’re like stars shining in different luminosities. Furthermore, like the Star of Bethlehem which led the wise men to adore the Holy Infant, we too are stars leading people to meet the great light prophesized by the prophet. “The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; Upon those who lived in a land of gloom a light has shone” (Isaiah 9:1).
Allow me to remind you, my dear readers, that the atmosphere is not always clear and most of the time turbulent. Sometimes, dark clouds may block even sunlights, not to mention our twinkling star lights. But one thing is certain. Dark clouds do not last. So, don’t complain about darkness. Keep shining, however flickling our star lights are, to lead the people in darkness to our merciful Lord, the great light in which our lights will merge! “The one who perseveres to the end will be saved” (Matthew 24:13), pledged the Lord who is certainly faithful. Amen!

Emmanuel 厄瑪奴耳

Fourth Advent Sunday, Year A
Theme: Emmanuel 厄瑪奴耳

At long last after three weeks of anticipation, God comes to liberate us. It should have been good news to all of us who live in darkness and death’s shadow (Luke 1:79). But regret to say, some people feel comfortable living in slavery, compulsion, obsession and addiction etc. For different reasons, they hide inside their comfort zones. Perhaps some of us don’t know or feel being enslaved by those dysfunctions. Therefore, it would be meaningless to “liberate” them because they don’t feel the need of freedom! They only want comfort! The complaints of the Israelites in the wilderness is a vivid illustration of such a mentality, “If only we had died at the Lord’s hand in the land of Egypt, as we sat by our kettles of meat and ate our fill of bread! But you have led us into this wilderness to make this whole assembly die of famine!” (Exodus 16:3) They preferred comfort and security to freedom!

Some people want to hide from God. Probably they are like Adam who disobeyed God and was ashamed of failing his Creator or was afraid of being punished for disobedience (Genesis 3:10). In hind sight, it is naïve of Adam trying to hide from God. There is no such place in the known universe! The Psalter sings this beautifully and deserves to be quoted in full. “Where can I go from your spirit? From your presence, where can I flee? If I ascend to the heavens, you are there; if I lie down in Sheol, there you are. If I take the wings of dawn and dwell beyond the sea, Even there your hand guides me, your right hand holds me fast. If I say, ‘Surely darkness shall hide me, and night shall be my light’. Darkness is not dark for you, and night shines as the day. Darkness and light are but one” (Psalms 139:7-12). The Psalter feels encircled and even penetrated. The space we occupy is His! Such is the reality but then in this light, freedom seems to be an illusion.

Is there a better way so that our genuine freedom is guaranteed? Previously, God attempted to restrain His power by establishing successive covenants with the Israelites. In so doing, the almighty God draws boundaries as to what He can and cannot do! “For I, the Lord, your God, am a jealous God, inflicting punishment for their ancestors’ wickedness on the children of those who hate me, down to the third and fourth generation; but showing love down to the thousand generation of those who love me and keep my commandments” (Exodus 20:5-6). This is the first of the Ten Commandments which seems to have embedded an understanding of a judgmental God. However, people have overlooked the word “love” in this very first Commandment and focused too much on the word “punishment”. It is true that “punishment” goes first and first impression is so lasting that even a thousand is insufficient to overcome three and four! Alas! Laws written on stones are rigid. So, God chooses a better, a less intrusive and less imposing label for His redemptive action. Perhaps it can be more palatable for humanity. God comes to stay with us --- Emmanuel, in Hebrew. “Behold, the virgin shall be with child and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel, which means ‘God is with us’” (Isaiah 7:14, Matthew 1:23). Indeed, this “Emmanuel” theme runs through the whole gospel of Matthew and it forms an inclusio in the gospel whose very last verse reads, “And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age” (28:20). In this final verse before His ascension, Jesus proclaims His divinity. Perhaps we should meditate how Jesus is with us always as narrated in the gospel of Matthew.

As the Holy Infant, Jesus revealed himself through the Bethlehem Star to the Magi, hinting that God’s love is universal and is not confined to the Jews (2:1-2). Fleeing the murderous attempts of Herod the Great, the Holy Family became refugees in Egypt. How paradoxical it is that our Saviour can be found among traditional enemies (2:14-15)! Indeed, no enemy is permanent! After returning from Egypt, He was raised up in Nazareth which was not a respectable town in the north (John 1:46). However, Matthew was able to associate this town with a dedicated and even a consecrated life! “He shall be called a Nazorean” (Matthew 2:23). Jesus is sinless and yet He asked the Baptist to baptize Him in the River Jordan to fulfil all righteousness (3:15). Thus, early in His public ministry, Jesus was eager to accompany sinners in their repentant journey. Not only is our Saviour found among saints but He can also be found among sinners. He dined with tax-collectors and sinners/prostitutes (9:11). But don’t make Jesus wrong. He does not despise the powerful (8:10) or the rich (26:6) and has no difficulty mixing with them. At the end of His life, He was crucified between two robbers (27:38). He challenges His disciples to welcome Him among sinners and enemies.

Miracles are signs indicating God’s presence. In the Old Testament, most of the miracles are overwhelming to show off God’s majesty in fighting battles for the Israelites: splitting the Red Sea (Exodus 14:21-22) and stopping the movement of the sun for half a day (Joshua 10:13). Jesus also did spectacular miracles to reveal His divinity such as calming the sea, driving out demons and multiplying bread to feed 5000 etc. On the other hand, Jesus also works more refined miracles which took care of the needy grass-root people: the lepers, the paralyzed and the blind etc. Though Jesus could not be infected and suffer illness physically, He is able to read minds (Matthew 9:4) and thus to feel their agony. He is in communion with the sick and thus able to console and heal them. Doesn’t Jesus tell the disciples to care for the sick because He is among them? In the miracle of walking on the water, He saved Simon Peter (14:31) whom He would later make the Rock on the Church (16:18). In this particular miracle, Jesus shows that He is in communion with the Church. If we want to find Jesus, find Him in the Church, not in the Temple. The greatest miracle Jesus has ever worked should be the consecration/transformation of bread and wine into His own body and blood (26:26-28). In so doing, He made Himself accessible to all peoples and in communion with all peoples. He is present in whoever believes in this mystery and receives the Holy Eucharist. Lastly, in the Matthean narrative of the Agony in the Garden, Jesus spoke “with me” twice (26:38, 40) while none is found in the narratives of the other two Synoptic gospels. Not only is a powerful walking-on-water Son of God found in the Church, but also an abandoned Suffering Servant of God!

Brethren! The list above is not meant to be exhaustive. With further meditation, I’m sure you are able to unearth more. Are you able to find a class/category of people whom Jesus does not stay with?
May the Lord be with you whichever category of people you are. Amen!
2019 Reflection
Picture Credit: shutterstock.com

What Do You Expect To See? 你想看見甚麼？

Gaudete Sunday, Year A
Theme: What Do You Expect To See? 你想看見甚麼？

Scientists sent probes to Mars, searching for water and thus signs of life beyond our planet. But do we expect to see water in desert and parched land (Isaiah 35:1) and to find abundant flowers blooming (35:2)? The chances are extremely slim. But that does not stop our God working miraculous work of mercy (35:5-7). Nor do our scientists stop their untiring probing. With medical advancements nowadays, it is not necessary to be a god in order to make the eyes of the blind see, the ears of the deaf open and the mute tongue sing (35:6). No wonder these days, scientists have no restrains from playing God! I think it is getting harder and harder for our God to reveal Himself and His will to us because our attention lies elsewhere.

It is a tautology to claim that our perception is conditioned by our experiences. In order to survive and interact in this world, we need to actively construct our world view. Such preconceptions relieve us of reinventing the wheel again and again. It saves energy and proves to be efficient. However, our Creator is a God of surprises! He will always prod us out of our comfort zone to meet the unexpected.
In the gospel reading today, we read of what John the Baptist did after he had been imprisoned by Herod. The Baptist was nearly immediately imprisoned after he had baptized Jesus in River Jordan. They no longer had the chance to meet each other afterwards. Thus, the Baptist could only hear in prison of the rising of a Galilean miracle worker whom he had previously baptized. Perhaps that was the Messiah anticipated by them all. “Are you the one who is to come, or should we look for another?” (Matthew 11:3).

How did Jesus answer? He did not deny nor affirm because the Baptist was asking a wrong question. The answer Jesus was going to give went far beyond the Baptist’s question. So, Jesus could only quote the prophecy of Isaiah, “the blind regain their sight, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor have the good news proclaimed to them” (11:5, Isaiah 35:5-6a) All right, we all know that Jesus came to fulfil the prophecies of the prophets. What’s so “far beyond”? Well, if we read the prophets out of the context, we’ll miss the surprise. Let’s step back a little. Isaiah says, “Say to the fearful of heart: Be strong, do not fear! Here is your God, he comes with vindication; with divine recompense he comes to save you” (35:4). This time, God takes things seriously. He does not simply send spokesmen to exhort and to console. He comes in the person of Jesus Christ to execute vindication! While the Jews anticipated a human liberator like Moses or even Cyrus, they passed the Son of God by without realizing that He was already here! By quoting Isaiah, Jesus proclaims His divinity. While the Jews anticipated vindication in the form of “To bring retribution on the nations, punishment on the peoples, to bind their kings in shackles, their nobles in chains of iron…” (Psalms 149:7-8), they missed God’s intention to save all, including their conquerors!

Now, Jesus turned to the crowd and made use of poetic rhetoric to draw the attention of the audience to the role of the Baptist. It was because the crowd did not know what to look for in the Baptist. They knew that the Baptist was a prophet. For more than four hundred years leading life under the colonial rule of different empires, the Jews received no revelation from God. It looked as if God had abandoned them because of their idolatry and wickedness. Here came a prophet announcing the advent of the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 3:2). The Baptist spoke as if the wrath of God was descending on them (3:7-10) which was a typical prophetic vocabulary. He flatly denied that to be the Messiah (3:11) but failed to make it clear that he was the Elijah who would come before the Messiah (Malachi 3:23-24). Perhaps the Baptist himself was not aware of this particular role of his! It took Jesus to clarify this point to the crowd.

Jesus employed rhetorical questions to bring in the focus. It is common sense that people do not look for reeds, an aquatic plant, in desert (Matthew 11:7). Nor do people look for nobilities in the wilderness (11:8). In order to proclaim God’s message, prophets seldom stayed in deserts for long. God usually sent prophets, such as Samuel and Elijah to confront kings; and Jonah to warn the people. There were even royal prophets working with kings, advising them whether they should go to wars or not. Therefore, the Baptist was a special prophet who preached in an unexpected place --- the wilderness and people were attracted to approach the Baptist by the Holy Spirit. The Baptist did his job of preparing the hearts of the people through repentance and baptism. Jesus affirmed that the Baptist was the Elijah by quoting Malachi instead of quoting Isaiah, “Now I am sending my messenger --- he will prepare the way before me” (Malachi 3:1). Of course, people would be misled by the interpretations and teachings of scribes and Pharisees so that their preconceptions blocked them from seeing the Baptist as the foretold Elijah.

This should give us good food for meditation. Today the Church celebrates Gaudete Sunday. Simply put, we should rejoice because our Saviour is just around the corner. But what Jesus would you expect to meet this Christmas? Of course, not the military Messiah anticipated by the Jews in captivity. Is it the Holy Infant in the manger adored by shepherds? By the Magi? But the Holy Infant was in the past more than two millennia ago! Can the Holy Infant be relevant in this war-torn world today? Well, the prophet says He is the Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:5). Then what peace can it bring? Is the Holy Infant able to bring “quarantined people” together?

Previously, the Pope drew our attention to the plights of refugees when he reminded us of the refugee status of the Holy Family fleeing the murderous scheme of Herod the Great? So, when we do our meditation this Christmas, what image does a Holy Infant in manger surrounded by Mary, Joseph, shepherds and cattle conjure in our mind? Are we able to see in the manger abused children, child labourers and victims of child pornography or something else? Are you aware of parents who impose their ambitions on their children, thus forcing them into another form of slaves? On the other hand, have you seen children bringing their parents back to Church?

Brethren! Hope is not totally lost. Children are our hope. Let’s be patient in adversity. Our salvation is at hand. Amen.
God bless!
2019 Reflection
Picture Credit: By Nilüfer Demir from DHA Agency (Turkey) - Original publication: Published in many sourcesImmediate source: http://www.rewanbej.com/cima-min-weneye-alan-wesand-peter-bouckaert.html, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=47737832

What Fire is Unquenchable? 甚麼火會不滅？

Second Advent Sunday, Year A
Theme: What Fire is Unquenchable? 甚麼火會不滅？

Last Sunday, Isaiah painted a future world of justice and peace where peoples and nations do not engage in battles against each other anymore (Isaiah 2:4). Today, he elaborates further how peoples celebrate plurality together. “The wolf shall be a guest of the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the young goat. The calf and the young lion shall browse together, with a little child to guide them. The cow and the bear shall graze, together their young shall lie down; the lion shall eat hay like the ox. The baby shall play by the viper’s den, and the child lay his hand on the adder’s lair” (11:6-8). You might disagree and argue that if wolves do not devour lambs, they are no wolves! Let me assure you. Wolves are still wolves and leopards are still leopards even though they no longer harm the lambs or the goats. How can it be possible? Perhaps the lions and bears are able to give us some clues. They are still lions and bears but they have changed their eating habits (11:7)! Those predators have changed from carnivores to herbivores! How is it possible? What science fiction is this?

Actually, those predators are restored to their original state because when God first created the animals, He gave them green plants for food (Genesis 1:30). That is to say, there was a time when wolves did not prey on lambs and leopards on goats. The story of the fall of our First Parents hints that the ground became cursed because of our sins (3:17). The story of the murder of Abel vividly depicts how “the ground opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand” (4:11). The author seems to suggest that the scent of blood had triggered the evolution of animals with stronger jaws and sharper claws into carnivores. Now, how will the end of the world turn those predatory carnivores back into herbivores? Isaiah explains, “For the earth shall be filled with knowledge of the Lord, as water covers the sea.” (Isaiah 11:9)

Prophets speak in images and enigmas. So, let’s assume that those predators are symbols of tyrants, bullies and evil people while goats, lambs and cows are symbols of the mild and the weak. At the end of the world, righteousness and peace will prevail when the earth is filled with knowledge of the Lord. Then tyrants, bullies and evil people will no longer prey on the mild and the weak. Let’s imagine what this could possibly mean in the world today. Leaders of all nations, some of whom are strong while some are weak, sit together in peace, viz. Anwar, Biden, Kim, Putin, Salman, Sogavare, Sunak, Tsai, von der Leyen, Xi and Zelenskyy etc. They coexist in peace because the knowledge of the Lord has transformed them. For the Jews, “knowledge” means “intimate union”. Therefore, the wicked will no longer exploit or prey on the disadvantaged, not because they are afraid of the punishments from the Lord. Instead, they are so filled with the Lord’s love that they are hungry and thirsty to exploit no more!

But will the exploited feel comfortable? Even though they may rest assured that they will be safe in the future, they won’t feel comfortable if they want justice done, their version of justice! They have followed St. Paul’s advice to endure to the end (Romans 15:4). Yet it would be regrettable if the communion with the Lord is unable to empower the exploited “to think in harmony with one other” (15:5), thus to forgive those exploitative overlords. It is always a mystery why the Lord allows the good to suffer. At the moment, I could only console myself with the idea that the good Lord allows a certain amount of necessary evil so as to prevent some greater evil. God allows totalitarian atheist states to exist. Perhaps He wants to expose the hypocrisy of powerful democratic states in this world. Again, I could only leave it to the Lord to console and to encourage.

How are we able to obtain the knowledge of the Lord unless He reveals Himself? Therefore, the Second Person of the Blessed Trinity incarnated as the Jesus of Nazareth to show us the way and the truth and the life (John 14:6). Before His public ministry, John the Baptist prepared the hearts of the Jews, exhorting them to repent and turn to the Lord. His tone was urgent and harsh. He was harsh towards the Pharisees and Sadducees, calling them “brood of vipers!” (Matthew 3:7) But don’t feel offended. Doesn’t Isaiah’s prophecy mention that “the baby shall play by the viper’s den” (Isaiah 11:8)? Doesn’t Jesus commission the seventy-two disciples, saying “Behold, I am sending you like lambs among wolves” (Luke 10:3)? So, don’t be surprised by the imagery!

The Baptist’s vocabulary was urgent: “coming wrath” (Matthew 3:7), “Even now the ax lies at the root of the trees” (3:10) But our distorted sense of justice will easily mislead us to misunderstand his message. When John the Baptist describes what the coming Messiah does, he says, “His winnowing fan is in his hand. He will clear his threshing floor and gather his wheat into his barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire” (3:12). The unquenchable fire will easily conjure up the image of hell in the audience. Then, we’ll easily associate the wheat with the righteous who will go to heaven and the chaff with the wicked who will go to the unquenchable fire in hell at the end of the world. However, I opine that this logic is too simplistic!

I agree that the wheat is the righteous, but only after the chaff has been removed. Before that happens, the wheat and the chaff form the whole grain, a unity of opposites. The chaff is simply the crust of the wheat which is the image of God (Genesis 1:26). When St. Paul preaches the theology of justification by faith, he says, “All have sinned and are deprived of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). All humanity is contaminated by sins which form a crust to block our communion with the Lord. All of us need to repent and to turn to the Lord in order to have this outer crust removed. The crust is not the core and thus repentance is possible. While some cultures bind sinners and sins together, Christian morality insists on the separation of sins from sinners. While sinful actions are deplorable, sinners are redeemable. I believe the imagery of wheat and chaff demonstrates this ethical truth.

Let’s come back to the Baptist’s urgent message. It clearly states that after the chaff has been removed from the wheat, the Son of Man will burn it with unquenchable fire. But I opine that this time dimension is misleading. It is because the Son of Man exists beyond the time dimension. He is eternal and time is meaningless to Him! When we remove the time dimension, the Baptist’s message clearly states that the Son of Man cherishes and treasures the core which is the image of God. He puts the core in heaven while He burns away the chaff with unquenchable fire. So, what should this “unquenchable fire” be? I speculate that it is the furnace of divine love of God instead of hell! “For Love is strong as Death, longing is fierce as Sheol. Its arrows are arrows of fire, flames of the divine” (Songs 8:6). It is mystical and challenging when we put love and death together. Perhaps our concept of hell is more accurately a concept of purgatory. The unquenchable fire of divine love will purify us and rid us of our sinful crust that prevents us from total surrender and communion with the Lord.

Brethren! The issue is not completely settled because without time, repentance becomes not so urgent after all! Then on what ground does the Lord exhort us to stay awake? On one hand, He warns that nobody knows the hour of His second coming. He would appear at the most unexpected moment! That’s why we should always stay awake. But hasn’t He already come, accompanying us until the end of the age in the Eucharist and in our prayers because He is not constrained in the time dimension? Perhaps urgency is also an illusion. Seize the moment and repent because nobody knows at which moment our lives would be cut short. “You have folded up my life, like a weaver who severs me from the last thread. From morning to night, you make an end of me” (Isaiah 38:12). God bless!
2019 Reflection
Picture Credit: thewayofbeauty.org