Twenty-Seventh Ordinary Sunday, Year B
Theme: Is It Possible To Become A Child Again? 重拾「童真」可能嗎？
When Nicodemus, a Pharisee and a ruler of the Jews (John 3:1), visited Jesus at night, it speaks volume of the tension between the Pharisees/Jewish leaders and Jesus. Together with Joseph of Arimathæa, both of them could only associate with Jesus in secret for fear of fellow Jews (19:18). Their faith was commendable because their association with Jesus would cost them dearly. In fact, who would win a place in the Kingdom of God without paying a heavy price?
Nicodemus’ complaint was totally legitimate because it is next to impossible for an adult to un-know what he has known, to unlearn what he has learnt, to un-see what he has seen and to undo what he has done! Most of the time, an adult could only regret the mistakes he made when he was younger. A man does not possess freedom in the time dimension. He would only wish that he could travel back in time not to do what he subsequently regretted. In fact, all perceptions and experiences, whether they be visual, audio, memories and feelings etc., will leave their impressions on our nervous system and stay there for life. We are not able to erase them, but only to repress them, meaning to force ourselves NOT to remember them. Nevertheless, they remain. So Nicodemus was right in saying that it was impossible for a person to be born again like a blank slate, a tabula rasa. As “the teacher of Israel” (3:10), Nicodemus proved his point by drawing up a hypothetical and impossible case: that a man re-enters his mother’s womb to be born again (3:4)! To make His point more understandable, Jesus teaches the mystery of Sacraments, namely visible signs that give invisible grace. Jesus says, “No one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and Spirit” (3:5). Jesus leaves behind the seven Sacraments for the Church to administer to the faithful. Through the Sacrament of Baptism [water] and Sacrament of Confirmation [Spirit], a person is born again and becomes a new creation in Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17).
One may wonder how water and Spirit are able to help a person become a child again.
First of all, we need to debunk a common misconception shown by Nicodemus, namely that a child was born as a tabula rasa, a blank slate without any prejudices nor any preconceived ideas. The child gains more knowledge through exposure and immersion and become sophisticated. However, earlier Jesus taught us that in order to enter the kingdom of God, a person must deny himself, take up his cross and follow Jesus (Mark 8:34). If a person is sophisticated and is calculating, he would not have sufficient incentive to follow Jesus and enter the Kingdom of God. Children do not calculate costs and benefits. They are more responsive to people who love them. Thus, they would be more receptive to God’s love and therefore possess the advantage to enter the Kingdom of God etc.
The tabula rasa image of a child is simple enough to understand and seems to be able to explain Jesus’ teaching well. However, it fails to explain how, many of the Catholic saints, no doubt sophisticated and wealthy adults whose cost-benefit-analysis would never yield sufficient incentive for them to give up all possessions and even their lives to follow Jesus who only promises them eternal life and perpetual bliss in heaven which are too remote and intangible to worth giving up all earthly things to follow in poverty, are able to unlearn what they have learnt, to erase their former experiences and memories, so as to deny themselves, carry their crosses and follow Jesus. The tabula rasa image assumes that simplicity and innocence are sufficient to gain entry into the kingdom of God. The Holy Spirit has no role to play. This is the fatal flaw of this misconception. Does Jesus demand innocence and simplicity to enter the Kingdom of God? If so, I am afraid the immaculately conceived Blessed Virgin Mary would be the only soul to enter the Kingdom of God. Perhaps we may add John the Baptist too!
I would say Jesus demands something else, namely the acknowledgement of our incompetence and thus total reliance on God. Unlike adults who are independent physically, intellectually, emotionally and financially, children depend on adults to survive. They are vulnerable and fragile both physically and emotionally. They have no choice but to be obedient and are prone to falling victims to abuses. On the other hand, adults are strong in all areas so much so that they trust in themselves more than in God. They build their sense of security on power and wealth rather than on God. With advancements in science and technology, they are bold enough to play God. It would be difficult, if not impossible, for them to give up their security, to expose their vulnerabilities like children in order to enter the Kingdom of God. Therefore, let us consider another possibility.
The God we believe in is not a void Being. Therefore, all of us who were created in the image of God (Genesis 1:26) cannot be a tabula rasa, but a seed pregnant with a lot of potentials/talentum waiting to germinate and grow. Regrettably, the field in which the seed is growing and developing is infested and contaminated with sins which poison God’s gifts/charisma to them. Many of the potentials such as altruism, charity, hope, faithfulness, humility, perseverance and righteousness etc. fail to actualize while other “lucrative ones”, such as athletic, numeric, musical, performance artistic, verbal and vocal etc. flower and bloom. Then, how is it possible for those “children” to accept the Kingdom of God? This is where the Holy Spirit comes in. The Holy Spirit would descend on those children who hear and believe in the words of Jesus Christ, revitalize the smothered potentials in them, in particular, faith, hope and charity. The Holy Spirit would infuse them with the Seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit (Isaiah 11:2-3) to help those heavenly potentials flower and bloom and bear the nine fruits of the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23). The saints do not have to unlearn what they have learnt. Rather, with the graces of the Holy Spirit, their previous experiences would be transformed into future “ammunitions” of those saints in their spiritual battles against the Devil and the world.
Beloved brethren! Now, I see a new light in ageing. When the health and metabolism of the ageing people decline, they are losing control over themselves, their relationships with others as well as their surroundings. They have to rely on God more. This is their second childhood and is an appropriate opportunity for them to accept and enter the Kingdom of God to find their repose in God. I can pray confidently that more and more people are able to give up their reliance on worldly security to enter the Kingdom of God. Amen.
God bless!
Picture Credit: creator.nightcafe.studio
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