撒羅滿與約納有多偉大？（路11:29-32）
約納有甚麼偉大？他只是一個『充滿偏見歧視』的先知，一個『被迫』的先知！上主派約納前往亞述帝國首都，宣講有限期的悔改。若四十天內不悔改，尼尼微城就要毀滅（納3:4）。國仇家恨，約納當然渴望天主毀滅尼尼微城，所以他往相反方向逃跑，便上演了在大魚腹中三日三夜的神跡，成為耶穌引用的「徵兆」（路11:29）。最後，尼尼微城上下人畜都『齋戒，披苦衣，呼求上主，轉離邪路，放下手中的暴行』。言下之意，他們都皈依了上主，天主當然不降災給尼尼微城（納3:7-10）！約納真箇是『無心插柳柳成陰』了！注意，在末日審判時，不是約納定『這個邪惡世代』的罪，而是尼尼微人（路11:32）！耶穌比約納大，因為約納沒有死；而天主子「就是復活，就是生命」（若11:25）。撒羅滿有甚麼偉大？他當然偉大！他的財富與智慧，名聞天下，吸引了『南方的女王』（路11:31），即『舍巴女王』（列上10:1, 編下9:1），帶了很多財寶到耶路撒冷探明虛實。結果她不但滿載而歸，還表示了對上天天主的信仰。她對撒羅滿說：「上主，你的天主應受讚美！祂喜愛你，使你坐在祂的王位，代上主你的天主為王；因為你的天主愛慕以色列，要永遠保持他們，所以使你作他們的王，來秉行義」（9:8）！回國後，女王可能會把『雅威崇拜』推行全國，並且透過貿易，把信仰的種子，滲透到非洲。一千年後，斐理伯執事便為一個厄提約丕雅太監施洗（宗8:37-38）。所以在末日審判時，不是撒羅滿定『這個邪惡世代』的罪，而是舍巴女王，「她從地極來聽撒羅滿的智慧」（路11:31），因而相信了上主天主！耶穌比撒羅滿大，因為撒羅滿的智慧來自天主子，祂「就是道路、真理和生命」（若14:6）。
天主保祐！
生命恩泉
圖片鳴謝：gemini.google.com
How Great are Solomon and Jonah? (Luke 11:29-32)
How great is Jonah? He is only a biased prophet and a reluctant one! The Lord sends him to the capital of the Assyrian Empire to proclaim a time-bound repentance. If people do not repent within 40 days, Nineveh should be overthrown (Jonah 3:4). Jonah has good reasons to desire the destruction of Nineveh because the Assyrians have conquered Israel. So, he flees from the presence of the Lord to the opposite direction and brings about the miracle of surviving in the belly of a great fish for three days and three nights, which becomes the sign Jesus quotes today (Luke 11:29). In the end, all people and beasts “fast, be covered with sackcloth and call loudly to God; turn from their evil way and from the violence of their hands”. In other words, they convert to the Lord. Because of that, God does not carry out the destruction (Jonah 3:7-10). Jonah is truly an accidental prophet! Notice that, “At the judgment, the men of Nineveh [not Jonah] will arise with this generation and condemn it” (Luke 11:32)! Jesus is greater than Jonah because Jonah survives, and the Son of God is “the resurrection and the life” (John 11:25).How great is Solomon? Of course he is great! His wealth and wisdom is so widely known that “the queen of the south” (Luke 11:31), i.e. “the Queen of Sheba” (1 Kings 10:1, 2 Chronicles 9:1) brings along a large amount of treasures to Jerusalem to test him. In the end, she returns with a greater treasure trove and expresses her faith in the Lord. She tells Solomon, “Blessed be the Lord, your God, who was pleased to set you on His throne as king for the Lord, your God. In the love your God has for Israel, to establish them forever, He has made you king over them to carry out judgment and justice” (9:8). Returning to Sheba, the Queen would promote “Yahweh worship” in her sovereignty and through trade, plant the seed of faith in Africa so that one millennium later, Deacon Philip baptized an Ethiopian eunuch (Acts 8:37-38). Thus, at the judgment, the queen of the south, [not Solomon] will rise with this generation and condemn them, because “she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon” (Luke 11:31) and believes in the Lord God! Jesus is greater than Solomon because the wisdom of Solomon comes from the Son of God who is “the Way, the Truth and the Life” (John 14:6).
Beloved brethren! Jesus is truly greater than Solomon and Jonah, but what is the use? Solomon and Jonah make many people, including the wealthy and the powerful, convert to the Lord God. What of Jesus? His report card is miserable! Only about 120 insignificant people remain (Acts 1:15). When Jesus says, “Behold, there is something greater than Solomon here … there is something greater than Jonah here” (Luke 11:31-32), He has no intention to slight the contributions of Solomon and Jonah. Instead, He expresses His intention to become “the one who is the least among all of you” (9:48) so as to work more thoroughly in humility. He intends to receive humiliation and death on the cross to redeem all, to conquer death with resurrection. Do you want to be greater than Jonah, or greater than Solomon?
God bless!
No comments:
Post a Comment