一丘之貉 Birds of the Same Feather

一丘之貉（路11:47-54）

眾所周知，亞伯爾是亞當的兒子，天主惠顧了他祭獻的肥美首生羊（創4:4），所以傳統上人們稱亞伯爾為「義人」（希11:4）。他的哥哥加音出於嫉妒和不受控的忿怒，殺死了他。在一定程度上，亞伯爾是一個為天主的慈愛作見證的殉道者。

認識則加黎雅的人相信不多，他是大司祭約雅達的兒子。約雅達曾扶助幼主約阿士為猶大王，並與君王一起重修聖殿。不幸大司祭約雅達死後，君王被身邊的讒臣蠱惑，改為崇拜邪神和偶像。約雅達的兒子則加黎雅充滿天主聖神，向群眾數說拜偶像的錯，激怒了群眾。約阿士王竟然下令群眾：「在上主的庭院裡，用石頭將他砸死了」（編下24:20-21）。則加黎雅不必是司祭，他為上主天主的真理作見證，壯烈犧牲，也是一個頂天立地的殉道者。耶穌基督把他和亞伯爾加入先知的行列，雖不中亦不遠矣。

這些殉道者安眠在墓中，靜待末日的復活，在最後審判獲得昭雪，是最恰當的安排。可惜在每個時代總有些當權者，發覺這些殉道者對自己的統治有幫助時，便吩咐『代理人』大興土木，修建這些『先知』的墳墓。真是一丘之貉，虛偽至極。這樣做一來令這批『先知』死後得不到安息；二來這些門面功夫只是一條『無花果樹葉裙子』（創3:7），掩蓋自己默認祖先殺戮先知的惡行而已！倘若真心不贊成殺死這些先知殉道者，最少這些『代理人』也應該倡議真道、廢除剝削窮人的制度、消滅貧富懸殊、尊重人性尊嚴…而不是修建墳墓！

作為『代理人』，這些有權有勢的法學士，已失去了認識真理的興趣；和傳授獲得永生智識的能力；早已把『傳道、授業、解惑』的使命，拋諸腦後！當百姓想聽耶穌傳道的時候，他們甚至與法利塞人聯手，追逼耶穌，阻止百姓認識真理！與法利塞人相比，法學士的『杯盤』裡面，已經失去太多，沒有甚麼可以施捨了。真是可憐！
天主保祐！

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生命恩泉
圖片鳴謝：gemini.google.com

Birds of the Same Feather (Luke 11:47-54)

Everybody knows that Abel is the son of Adam. “The Lord looked with favour on Abel and his offering [the fatty portion of the firstlings of his flock]” (Genesis 4:4). Thus, people traditionally regard Abel to be righteous (Hebrews 11:4). Out of jealousy and unrestrained wrath, his brother Cain murders him. To a certain extent, Abel is a martyr of God’s mercy.

Not many people know about Zechariah, son of Jehoiada the High Priest who had helped enthroned the young king Joash with whom together, they rebuilt the Temple. Unfortunately after the death of Jehoiada, the king listened to the wicked princes and apostatized. The king and the people began to serve Asherahs and idols. Then the Holy Spirit clothed Zechariah, son of Jehoiada. He spoke to the people openly the wrongs of idol worships. “They conspired against him and at the king’s command, they stoned him in the court of the Temple” (2 Chronicles 24:20-21). Zechariah is not a priest by trade, but dies a heroic martyrdom for the truth of God. Jesus Christ putting both of them into the class of prophets is appropriate.

These martyrs rest in peace in their graves, waiting for the Resurrection on the Judgment Day. This is the most appropriate arrangement. Regrettably, when people in power of any ages discover that those martyrs are able to enhance their sovereignty, those rulers would assign their agents to build memorials of prophets whom their ancestors had killed. The scribes and the rulers are truly hypocritical birds of the same feather. Such building projects would make the dead turn in their graves. Moreover, such white-washing projects are nothing but “loincloths of fig leaves” (Genesis 3:7) to cover their consent to their ancestors’ murders of prophets! Had they truly disagreed to the murder of those prophets/martyrs, they would have advocated, in the capacity of regal agency, truth, abolishment of exploitation of the poor, elimination of wealth polarization and human dignity … and not white-washing tombs!

As agents, those powerful scribes had lost their interest in know the truth and in passing on the wisdom to obtain eternal life. They had totally forgotten their mission to teach, to explain and to demystify the Torah to the people! But when the people wanted to hear Jesus’ preaching, the scribes teamed up with the Pharisees to persecute Jesus, preventing the people to learn the truth! Compared with the Pharisees, the scribes had lost too much in their cups and there was not much left to give alms. How pitiful!
God bless!