基督徒的希望 The Hope of Christians

【失望/希望系列（六）】
基督徒的希望（路18:9-14）

我們所信仰的天主，是一個鋤強扶弱的天主，祂喜歡為受苦和被欺負的人出頭。法律書《申命紀》和先知書記載了天主憐愛猶太人的原因。法律書這樣寫：「上主喜愛你們，揀選你們，並不是因為你們比其餘的民族人數眾多；其實你們在所有的民族中，是最少的一個；而是由於上主對你們的愛，並為履行祂向你們祖先所起的誓…」（申7:7-8a）。厄則克耳先知用一個比喻說出以色列是上主的淨配：「當你出生時…沒有一個人憐視你…我從你身旁經過時，見你輾轉在血污中…我又經過你身旁時，看見了你…我就向你展開了我的衣襟，遮蓋了你的裸體，也向你發了誓，立了約─吾主上主的斷語─你遂成了我的…你的名聲傳遍了萬國；因我用我的飾物點綴了你，你纔如此美麗無瑕」（則16:3-14）。我們在星期三的默想中，已經認識到法律和先知是【舊約】的根基。可以看到，即使是猶太教，也認識到是上主天主先憐愛了我們，我們纔享受到今日的富貴與平安。

到了【新約】時代，保祿宗徒曾以諷刺的口吻，勸勉門徒避免「自以為是」的傾向。「弟兄們！你們看看你們是怎樣蒙召的：按肉眼來看，你們中有智慧的人並不多，有權勢的人也不多，顯貴的人也不多；天主偏召選了世上愚妄的，為羞辱那有智慧的；召選了世上懦弱的，為羞辱那堅強的；甚而天主召選了世上卑賤的和受人輕視的，以及那些一無所有的，為消滅那些有的」（格前1:26-28）。言下之意，宗徒警告那些聰明和有財有勢的人，自以為是便會站在天主的對立面，最後祇會一敗塗地！路加是保祿的門徒，今天他以一個比喻，做出一個強烈的對比。當中的教訓，不言而喻。耶穌基督在〔真福八端〕也指出神貧、哀慟、溫良、飢渴、對天主專一的人和被迫害的人是蒙受祝福的（瑪5:3-10）。

親愛的讀者，生活在【新約】的我們，信仰條件比【舊約】更優勝。倘若猶太人也有得救的希望，我們的蒙福的希望不是更高、更肯定的嗎？所以我們應該喜樂。明天是「喜樂主日」，四旬期已過了一半。讓我們收拾心情，向更崇高的「望德」邁進。亞孟。
天主保祐！

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生命恩泉
圖片鳴謝：ideogram.ai

Disappointment & Hope Series (VI)
The Hope of Christians (Luke 18:9-14)

The God whom we believe in is a God who helps the weak to defeat the strong. He likes to advocate for those who suffer and are abused. The Torah, in particular the book of Deuteronomy, and the Prophets tell us the reason why God has mercy on the Jews. The Torah says, “It was not because you are more numerous than all the peoples that the LORD set His heart on you and chose you; for you are really the smallest of all peoples. It was because the LORD loved you and because of His fidelity to the oath He had sworn to your ancestors …” (Deuteronomy 7:7-8a). Ezekiel the prophet uses a parable to tell us that Israel is the spouse of the LORD, “On the day you were born … No eye looked on you with pity or compassion … Then I passed by and saw you struggling in your blood … I passed by you again and saw that … So I spread the corner of my cloak over you to cover your nakedness; I swore an oath to you and entered into covenant with you --- oracle of the LORD --- and you became mine … You were renowned among the nations for your beauty, perfected by the splendour I showered on you” (Ezekiel 16:4-14). In our meditation on Wednesday, we know that Torah and Prophets are the foundation of the Old Testament. Thus, even Judaism knows that the LORD God has mercy on us so that we are able to enjoy prosperity and peace today.

In New Testament times, Paul the apostle writes in a sarcastic tone to Christians, encouraging them to avoid the tendency of self-righteousness. “Consider your own calling, brothers. Not many of you were wise by human standards, not many were powerful; not many were of noble birth. Rather, God chose the foolish of the world to shame the wise, and God chose the weak of the world to shame the strong, and God chose the lowly and despised of the world, those who count for nothing, to reduce to nothing those who are something” (1 Corinthians 1:26-28). In other words, the apostle warns those who are wise, rich and powerful of the world that being self-righteous shall put themselves opposite God and shall be defeated! Luke is a disciple of Paul. Today, Luke puts the same teaching vividly in a parable contrasting between self-righteousness and humility. Similarly in the Beatitudes, Jesus Christ points out that blessed are the poor, the mournful, the meek, the hungered, the one-minded and the persecuted (Matthew 6:3-10).

Beloved readers! Living in the age of the New Testament, we are at an advantage over the Old Testament in terms of religious milieu. If Jews have hope of salvation, should our hope of blessedness not be higher and more certain? Tomorrow is Laetare Sunday and we are half-way through the Lenten Season. Let us focus and scale greater height of HOPE. Amen.
God bless!