滿懷希望打破規矩 Breaking Rules with Hope

二月三日
《希望的傳承者系列 II》
主題：滿懷希望打破規矩（谷5:21-43）

相信天主全能全知、慈悲慈愛、無處不在，言出必行…並不難，困難在於遇上挫折失敗、恐懼疑惑、痛苦甚至迫害時，仍然相信天主的慈愛！是「望德」發揮作用的時候了！今天的故事中，會堂長雅依洛與及患血漏病的婦人，究竟碰上甚麼困難呢？

故事中的婦人患病已有十二年（谷5:25），不但受了許多痛苦，還花盡了自己所有的一切求醫，病情卻日益嚴重（5:26）！這個婦科病令她長期「不潔」，被社會隔離，沒有任何正常的社交生活。在缺乏親友支援的情況下，她理應心灰意冷。是「望德」支持她捱到耶穌的出現，耶穌的聲名帶給了她一線生機！她可以好像尼苛德摩（若3:1-2）一樣，夜訪耶穌求醫嗎？可能不合禮教。她可以好像一般的癩病人一樣，遠距離公開地向耶穌求醫嗎？可能沒有這個機會。要知道她擠身在人群中間，走到耶穌後面摸祂的衣裳，會令她所接觸到的所有人，包括耶穌在內，直到晚上都「不潔」（肋15:19-30），帶給很多人麻煩！但她已經到了「亂投藥石」的階段，顧不了那麼多法律和規矩，因為耶穌是她獲得痊癒的最後機會！她惟有選擇打破規矩，擠入人群中，摸耶穌的衣裳！她滿懷希望地打破規矩，結果耶穌沒有令她失望，安慰她並讚揚她的信德（谷5:34）。

雅依洛是會堂長（5:22），很可能是法利塞人。要知道大部份法利塞人仇視耶穌，甚至與自己的政敵聯手，除滅耶穌而後快（3:6）。雅依洛公開向耶穌求醫（5:22-23），是在打破法利塞黨內的團結，在黨內必會招來排擠，他有足夠的「望德」支持嗎？另一方面，雖然目睹耶穌治好血漏婦人的神跡，但女兒死去的噩耗，引發雅依洛的恐懼和失措，是非常實在的，令他幾乎吃不消，須要耶穌立刻給他支持：「不要怕，只管信」（5:36），肯定了他背棄黨的團結是恰當的，並維持著他的希望！今次雅依洛只需要捱受短時間的困難，日後耶穌受難時，才是真正考驗他「望德」的場合！

親愛的兄弟姊妹，只要是天主的旨意，打破規矩是正確的，但需要更清楚的「明辨」和更強大的望德才可以。
天主保祐！

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生命恩泉
圖片鳴謝：grok.com

[Messengers of Hope Series II]
Theme: Breaking Rules with Hope (Mark 5:21-43)

Believing in an omnipotent, omniscient, all-forgiving, all-loving, all-present and all-faithful etc. … God is not difficult. Difficulty arises when we meet doubts, failures, fears, frustrations, pains and even persecutions. Do we still trust in God’s mercy? It is high time hope worked! In the story today, what difficulties did Jairus, a synagogue official and the bleeding woman encounter?

The woman had been suffering with haemorrhages for twelve years (Mark 5:25). Not only did she suffer pains, but she had also spent all that she had and yet, the affliction was getting worse (5:26)! This gynecological illness made her unclean, sandboxed by the society and deprived of normal social interactions. She should have become disheartened due to a lack of familial support. It was HOPE that had sustained her until the arrival of Jesus whose fame gave her a glimpse of life! Could she visit Jesus at night like Nicodemus (John 3:1-2) to seek cure? Mosaic Law would probably not permit. Could she beg for a cure from a distance in public like lepers? Probably she did not have that opportunity. Take note that when she elbowed her way among the crowd to come behind Jesus and to touch His cloak would make everyone she came in physical contact with, including Jesus, unclean until evening (Leviticus 15:19-30), bringing “inconvenience” to many people! But she was desperate and could not afford to care so much about rules and laws because Jesus was her last chance to get cured! Probably reluctantly she chose to break the rule and squeezed herself among the crowd in order to touch the cloak of Jesus! With hope she broke the rules and Jesus did not disappoint her. He consoled her and praised her faith (Mark 5:34).

Jairus was a synagogue official (5:22), most likely a Pharisee. Take note that most Pharisees were hostile to Jesus. They even joined hand with their political enemies to eliminate Jesus (3:6). Jairus was breaking the solidarity of Pharisees when he sought Jesus’ cure in public (5:2-23). Consequently he would be sidelined in the party. Did he find sufficient support in HOPE? On the other hand, though the miraculous cure of the bleeding woman would boost his faith, the news of his daughter’s death would definitely trigger fear and collapse of confidence. This was existential and needed Jesus’ immediate intervention, “Do not be afraid; just have faith” (5:36) which affirmed his deserting the party and sustaining his hope! This time, Jairus only needed to suffer a brief difficulty. His real challenge would come when Jesus suffered and died in the future!

Beloved brethren! When it is God’s will, breaking rules is appropriate on condition that there is a clear discernment and a stronger virtue of hope.
God bless!