We have reached Jeremiah 31. We will finish the reading of Jeremiah for the time being and start something new next week. Jeremiah 31 is an important chapter because a new covenant was prophesized (Jeremiah 31:31). Jeremiah 31 begins with a theme repeated many times in Jeremiah.
At that time, says the LORD, I will be the God of all the families of Israel, and they shall be my people (Jeremiah 31:1).
This is what God had all along hoped for. Yet, this is going to be a sure failure. Though God had chosen a tiny nation to work with, Israelites proved to be a far more stiff-necked people than expected. God needs to love them and chasten them. When all the punishments have finished, God intended to rebuild His people.
Behold, I will bring them from the north country, and gather them from the farthest parts of the earth, among them the blind and the lame, the woman with child and her who is in travail, together; a great company, they shall return here.
With weeping they shall come, and with consolations I will lead them back, I will make them walk by brooks of water, in a straight path in which they shall not stumble; for I am a father to Israel, and Ephraim is my first-born (Jeremiah 31:8-9).
Before they were exiled to Babylon, God had promised to restore them and to bring them back to Jerusalem, the holy city of God. With this assurance, the Jews should have no difficulty in receiving punishment from God.
Matthew quoted Jeremiah 31:15 (Jeremiah 38:15 LXX) to show that the massacre of the innocent children in Bethlehem was actually a fulfillment of prophecy (Matthew 2:18).
Thus says the LORD:
"A voice is heard in Ramah, lamentation and bitter weeping.
Rachel is weeping for her children; she refuses to be comforted for her children, because they are not." (Jeremiah 31:15)
Matthew was guilty of quoting the passage out of context. Jeremiah did not intend to prophesized the massacre. Jeremiah was actually prophesizing the return of the exiles from Babylon.
Thus says the LORD: "Keep your voice from weeping, and your eyes from tears; for your work shall be rewarded, says the LORD, and they shall come back from the land of the enemy.
There is hope for your future, says the LORD, and your children shall come back to their own country (Jeremiah 31:16-17).
Matthew's practice was disappointing indeed. He lifted the piece of text out of context in order to press his point: Jesus was the Messiah promised in the Old Testament. His birth was a threat to Herod the Great. This new born king had to be exterminated. It was ingenious of Matthew to quote this passage out of text. Yet, it would be misleading.
A most mysterious verse is found here in this chapter.
How long will you waver, O faithless daughter?
For the LORD has created a new thing on the earth:
a woman protects a man (Jeremiah 31:22)
A woman protects a man? What does it mean? Remember, it was a new thing created by the Lord on earth.
When we reach verse 31, we find the prophecy on a new covenant.
Behold, the days are coming, says the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah (Jeremiah 31:31).
God swore by the heavenly bodies to demonstrate that He was really serious.
"If this fixed order departs from before me, says the LORD, then shall the descendants of Israel cease from being a nation before me for ever."
Thus says the LORD:
"If the heavens above can be measured, and the foundations of the earth below can be explored, then I will cast off all the descendants of Israel for all that they have done, says the LORD." (Jeremiah 31:36-37)
So, reading books of prophets is not an easy task. You cannot take them literally. Many of the texts are rhetorics. Beware, you don't know when he (and his God) would suddenly turn serious.
My dear Advocate, allow me to perform my filial duties properly. Amen.
Comment from Aviel_8:
Shalom Brother Alex,
I enjoyed reading your article, 'To Be God's People'... a commentary on Jeremiah 31. You've indeed chosen a most interesting passage. Moreover, your concluding admonition for the reader to take heed of the words of the prophets- for we never know when their words might be literal and not simply rhetorical- is well taken.
As a matter of fact, that's the reason that I writing you. With all due respect, I have to disagree with two major points that you've stated in the article. First, you said that Matthew was guilty of quoting Jer. 31:16-17 out of context. On the surface, this would appear to be true; however, in reality, the Apostle Matthew was simply using one of four ancient and commonly used Hebraic literary traditions... i.e., Remez. By "'Remez"', two seemingly distinct passages of Scripture can be linked allegorically by the association of a transcendant sprititual symbolism shared between the two.
In this instance, we have the mothers of Bethlehem (where Rachel's tomb is located) weeping for their slaughtered innocents... even as Rachel weeps for her lost children... the children of Joseph through Ephraim- who were taken by the Assyrians into captivity (721 B.C.) and never heard from again. Rachel's weeping brings me to my second disagreement with you, brother Alex... i.e., that Jeremiah 31:16-17 is not prophesying the return of the Jewish exiles from Babylon. Please take a closer look at the whole of Jeremiah 31. It is an amazing prophecy that principally concerns the return of Rachel's children who were lost... i.e., not the Jews (the children of Leah); but rather, the children of Rachel- namely, Joseph/Ephraim.
Believe it or not, brother Alex, this prophecy is about you and me; and about all true believers in Yeshua HaMashiach (Jesus Christ)... for the Prophecies can- as you have said- be very literal, indeed! In order to understand my point better, may I suggest that you read an artice that I've written on this topic: 'Was Jeremiah Speaking of You?'
I pray that it will be a blessing to you and your family. Shalom, shalom to you from Florida, USA in the name of Yeshua our Messiah.
Aviel
September 18, 2008
Thursday, 7 August 2008
Wednesday, 6 August 2008
Feast of Transfiguration
Many people remember today as the anniversary of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima. The atomic bomb which killed more than 140,000 in Hiroshima was nicknamed 'Little Boy'. While many people believe that this atomic bombing hastened the end of WW2, others disagree and argue that Japan had exhausted all her military resources. Sooner of later, she would surrender whether USA dropped the 'Little Boy' or not. Unfortunately, history is not a science in which we can do experiment with. We could not undo the bombing and observe the outcome.
Human beings are rather helpless before Destiny. USA rushed to develop an Atomic Bomb because Nazi Germany had developed rocket technology (the notorious V2 bombs that terrorized Great Britain). Moreover, they seemed to be developing atomic bombs to win the war. Many scientists, including Albert Einstein, wrote to the US president, urging him to approve researches on developing atomic bombs before Nazi Germany succeeded. In the end, Germany surrendered before witnessing the detonation of the 'Little Boy'. Rather, it was her ally in the Far East, Japan, that bore the brunt of atomic annihilation. Human beings are helpless before Fate.
Tonight, my father called. Mum had drunk three quarters of a bottle of brandy. Previously, she finished a bottle in three days. Then two. She has become not only alcoholic, but also suicidal. My younger brother does not marry in order to take care of the aging couple. He must have been heavily stressed. He has already sent some distress signals before. As the eldest son, I have a share of duty to bear. I will spend a few days in Chai Wan. May God have mercy on her soul, help me to console her.
Today, we read the Matthean version of the Transfiguration story. The three Synoptic Gospels agree in most parts the same story but each has its own peculiarity.
- While both Matthew and Mark put Transfiguration six days after Peter's Declaration of the Messiahship of Jesus (Matthew 17:1, Mark 9:2), Luke put it eight days (Luke 9:28)!
- Both Matthew and Luke mentioned the appearance of Moses and Elijah talking to Jesus (Matthew 17:3, Luke 9:30), Mark had Elijah and Moses instead. The order was exchanged (Mark 9:4). It should be noted that when Peter said he wanted to build three booths for them, one for Jesus, one for Moses and one for Elijah (Matthew 17:4, Mark 9:5, Luke 9:33). All three Synoptic Gospels follow the same order in this case while for some unknown reason, Mark put Elijah before Moses when they were first mentioned.
- Both Mark and Luke say that Peter was overwhelmed by the sight. He did not know what he was saying (Mark 9:6, Luke 9:33), Matthew did not paint Peter in such an unfavourable light (Matthew 17:5).
- While all three report God's voice declaring that Jesus was the Son of God and instructing them to listen to himself, only Matthew added "... with whom I am well pleased ...", deliberately linking this epiphany with that at Jesus' baptism. Notice that this tradition has the support from 2 Peter 1:17.
- While all three report that the three apostles kept silent of what they had witness, Luke did not report that it was Jesus who forbade them to speak. Luke also did not record the question about Elijah the disciples asked Jesus after Transfiguration.
These are interesting points because we may probably help us figure out the relationship among the three gospels. Was there any dependency among them? Did Matthew base his gospel on Mark, improving on the contents as well as grammar? All these are interesting ideas and I am sure they make good topics for writing papers or even graduation thesis. Point#5 may not be very promising because the absence of evidence can mean anything.
My dear Advocate, I worry about my parents and my younger brother. We are not living together. Please keep their in Your loving care and allow me to do some positive things for them. Amen.
Tuesday, 5 August 2008
Mercy and Justice of God
When we reach Jeremiah 30, we have read, by far, the most optimistic oracle. Before that, we read that God instructed Jeremiah to send a letter from Jerusalem to the exiles in Babylon.
Build houses and live in them; plant gardens and eat their produce.
Take wives and have sons and daughters; take wives for your sons, and give your daughters in marriage, that they may bear sons and daughters; multiply there, and do not decrease.
But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the LORD on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare (Jeremiah 29:5-7).
They were to stay there for more than two generations. Therefore, God instructed them to settle themselves down, get married, bear children and prepare themselves to stay there for a long time. This was a very positive attitude in view of the gloomy prospect ahead. This piece of wisdom helped the Jews go through adversity. It had been so successful that in the end, when king Cyrus decreed that they should return to Judah and rebuild their Temple in Jerusalem, quite a number of them preferred to stay back in Babylon!
For thus says the LORD: When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will visit you, and I will fulfil to you my promise and bring you back to this place (Jeremiah 29:10).
So, God had decreed that the Jews would go to exile for seventy years.
Judah was completely conquered in 586 B.C. and Cyrus decreed their return in 537 B.C. The so-called Babylonian Captivity lasted for 50 years. How did Jeremiah come up with 70 years? Well, we should bear in mind that some years before the final conquer, Nebuchadnezzar had besieged Jerusalem and carried away some captives into exile. Interested readers may search the Internet to clarify how the 70 years were calculated.
Now, we come to the most optimistic of all oracles. Jeremiah had repeated many times that God was determined to punish Judah. He would not listen to their prayers, their cries for help and neither would He repent. It was indeed the most resolute curse on them. Therefore, the following oracle was like unto a great light shining through total darkness.
And it shall come to pass in that day, says the LORD of hosts, that I will break the yoke from off their neck, and I will burst their bonds, and strangers shall no more make servants of them.
But they shall serve the LORD their God and David their king, whom I will raise up for them.
Then fear not, O Jacob my servant, says the LORD, nor be dismayed, O Israel;
for lo, I will save you from afar, and your offspring from the land of their captivity.
Jacob shall return and have quiet and ease, and none shall make him afraid (Jeremiah 30:8-10).
This would indeed be a piece of good news for those who were already in exile. But Jeremiah was speaking to a people who were leading a 'normal' life, believing in a lie of peace and rejecting Jeremiah's doomsday warnings. That's the trouble with prophets. They were almost always anachronistic. They remained vague in their time-frame. Nevertheless, one thing is certain. God favours the Jews. On one hand, God loved them. On the other, God punished them harshly. It seems that chastening is in direct proportion with love. Like parents, God punishes because He loves. Now, before sending them into mass destruction, God assured them that He would deliver them. This is His mercy. But ...
For I am with you to save you, says the LORD;
I will make a full end of all the nations among whom I scattered you, but of you I will not make a full end.
I will chasten you in just measure, and I will by no means leave you unpunished (Jeremiah 30:11).
God will not leave Judah unpunished. This is His justice. Just as what Jesus tells us in the gospel, every action carries consequences. We need to pay a price for whatever action we take.
Make friends quickly with your accuser, while you are going with him to court, lest your accuser hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the guard, and you be put in prison;
truly, I say to you, you will never get out till you have paid the last penny (Matthew 5:25-26).
As I have stressed many time before, ignoring consequences doesn't mean there is no consequence. Reality of life is, there is no free lunch. Someone has to pay the price. In most cases, it will not be you, but the others. But in the end, God will extract the price from you because we believe in the justice of God.
My dear Advocate, most of the time, we don't have the moral courage to face the mess we have made. Naturally enough, we put the blame onto the others. May we look squarely at our own faults and try our best to rectify them in ways that please You. Amen.
Build houses and live in them; plant gardens and eat their produce.
Take wives and have sons and daughters; take wives for your sons, and give your daughters in marriage, that they may bear sons and daughters; multiply there, and do not decrease.
But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the LORD on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare (Jeremiah 29:5-7).
They were to stay there for more than two generations. Therefore, God instructed them to settle themselves down, get married, bear children and prepare themselves to stay there for a long time. This was a very positive attitude in view of the gloomy prospect ahead. This piece of wisdom helped the Jews go through adversity. It had been so successful that in the end, when king Cyrus decreed that they should return to Judah and rebuild their Temple in Jerusalem, quite a number of them preferred to stay back in Babylon!
For thus says the LORD: When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will visit you, and I will fulfil to you my promise and bring you back to this place (Jeremiah 29:10).
So, God had decreed that the Jews would go to exile for seventy years.
Judah was completely conquered in 586 B.C. and Cyrus decreed their return in 537 B.C. The so-called Babylonian Captivity lasted for 50 years. How did Jeremiah come up with 70 years? Well, we should bear in mind that some years before the final conquer, Nebuchadnezzar had besieged Jerusalem and carried away some captives into exile. Interested readers may search the Internet to clarify how the 70 years were calculated.
Now, we come to the most optimistic of all oracles. Jeremiah had repeated many times that God was determined to punish Judah. He would not listen to their prayers, their cries for help and neither would He repent. It was indeed the most resolute curse on them. Therefore, the following oracle was like unto a great light shining through total darkness.
And it shall come to pass in that day, says the LORD of hosts, that I will break the yoke from off their neck, and I will burst their bonds, and strangers shall no more make servants of them.
But they shall serve the LORD their God and David their king, whom I will raise up for them.
Then fear not, O Jacob my servant, says the LORD, nor be dismayed, O Israel;
for lo, I will save you from afar, and your offspring from the land of their captivity.
Jacob shall return and have quiet and ease, and none shall make him afraid (Jeremiah 30:8-10).
This would indeed be a piece of good news for those who were already in exile. But Jeremiah was speaking to a people who were leading a 'normal' life, believing in a lie of peace and rejecting Jeremiah's doomsday warnings. That's the trouble with prophets. They were almost always anachronistic. They remained vague in their time-frame. Nevertheless, one thing is certain. God favours the Jews. On one hand, God loved them. On the other, God punished them harshly. It seems that chastening is in direct proportion with love. Like parents, God punishes because He loves. Now, before sending them into mass destruction, God assured them that He would deliver them. This is His mercy. But ...
For I am with you to save you, says the LORD;
I will make a full end of all the nations among whom I scattered you, but of you I will not make a full end.
I will chasten you in just measure, and I will by no means leave you unpunished (Jeremiah 30:11).
God will not leave Judah unpunished. This is His justice. Just as what Jesus tells us in the gospel, every action carries consequences. We need to pay a price for whatever action we take.
Make friends quickly with your accuser, while you are going with him to court, lest your accuser hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the guard, and you be put in prison;
truly, I say to you, you will never get out till you have paid the last penny (Matthew 5:25-26).
As I have stressed many time before, ignoring consequences doesn't mean there is no consequence. Reality of life is, there is no free lunch. Someone has to pay the price. In most cases, it will not be you, but the others. But in the end, God will extract the price from you because we believe in the justice of God.
My dear Advocate, most of the time, we don't have the moral courage to face the mess we have made. Naturally enough, we put the blame onto the others. May we look squarely at our own faults and try our best to rectify them in ways that please You. Amen.
Monday, 4 August 2008
True prophets
Today, the Catholic Church celebrates the feast day of a priest, St. John Vianney (1786-1859). To be a Catholic priest is definitely stressful. They are targets of smear-campaigns and persecutions. Many of them are virtuously simple and easily taken advantage of. In the current situation of Hong Kong, they have to take up extra crosses which are not beneficial for evangelization: school supervisors. Don't take me wrong. I firmly believe in the strategic value of running diocesan schools in Hong Kong as bridgeheads for evangelization. However, the Catholic and Protestant churches in Hong Kong have been overstretched. They have to thin their scarce resources out among educational, medical and social services. While a religious order, such as FSC and MIC etc runs four to five schools, the Hong Kong Catholic Diocese has to run hundreds of them! I feel sorry for the parish priests who have to take charge of more than ten schools in name! Therefore, being a Hong Kong priest is truly stressful. They deserve a patron saint, St. John Vianney, to pray for them.
In baptism, Christians share the threefold roles of Jesus: king, prophet and priest. These are three special roles in the Old Testament. A king carried out the will of God, expanded His sovereignty. A prophet was the spokesman of God, passing on God's message to the people. (The Chinese translation of the term prophet is misleading. Literally, it means knowing something before anybody does.) A priest offered sacrifices to God, to worship God on behalf of the people. So, Christians inherit these roles once they were baptized. We are prophets though we are not able to foretell the future (unless, of course, God wills us to do so). Anyway, we have learnt some basic messages which we know are true and it is our duty to proclaim these messages to the people.
Why did God need a spokesman? Why doesn't God speak directly to the people?
Well, God is so holy and powerful that ordinary people fear any direct contact with Him. Therefore, they prefer to deal with a mediator instead.
Then, how do people know that the prophets are not self-proclaimed prophets? How do you test whether a prophet is a true prophet, one sent from God? This is a real issue because a lot of things are at stake here.
I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their brethren; and I will put my words in his mouth, and he shall speak to them all that I command him.
And whoever will not give heed to my words which he shall speak in my name, I myself will require it of him.
But the prophet who presumes to speak a word in my name which I have not commanded him to speak, or who speaks in the name of other gods, that same prophet shall die.'
And if you say in your heart, 'How may we know the word which the LORD has not spoken?'
when a prophet speaks in the name of the LORD, if the word does not come to pass or come true, that is a word which the LORD has not spoken; the prophet has spoken it presumptuously, you need not be afraid of him (Deuteronomy 18:18-22).
For example, Samuel was such a prophet.
And Samuel grew, and the LORD was with him and let none of his words fall to the ground.
And all Israel from Dan to Beersheba knew that Samuel was established as a prophet of the LORD (1 Samuel 3:19-20).
Today, we read of the story of a prophet called Hananiah in Jeremiah 28. He was an example of a false prophet. He made the following prophecy in the temple in front of the priests and all the people.
Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: I have broken the yoke of the king of Babylon.
Within two years I will bring back to this place all the vessels of the LORD's house, which Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon took away from this place and carried to Babylon.
I will also bring back to this place Jeconiah the son of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, and all the exiles from Judah who went to Babylon, says the LORD, for I will break the yoke of the king of Babylon (Jeremiah 28:2-4).
Hananiah even performed a symbolic act to press home his point. Previously, God told Jeremiah to make thongs and yoke-bars and put them on his own neck (Jeremiah 27:2). Then God sent Jeremiah to the kings of the nations to warn them that God had handed them over to Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon. They would put their necks under the yoke of the king of Babylon (Jeremiah 27:8). Therefore, Jeremiah knew that Hananiah would not be right. Yet, he did not rebuke Hananiah directly. He said calmly.
and the prophet Jeremiah said, "Amen! May the LORD do so; may the LORD make the words which you have prophesied come true, and bring back to this place from Babylon the vessels of the house of the LORD, and all the exiles.
Yet hear now this word which I speak in your hearing and in the hearing of all the people.
The prophets who preceded you and me from ancient times prophesied war, famine, and pestilence against many countries and great kingdoms.
As for the prophet who prophesies peace, when the word of that prophet comes to pass, then it will be known that the LORD has truly sent the prophet." (Jeremiah 28:6-9)
Unprovoked, Hananiah did a very dramatic but stupid thing.
Then the prophet Hananiah took the yoke-bars from the neck of Jeremiah the prophet, and broke them.
And Hananiah spoke in the presence of all the people, saying, "Thus says the LORD: Even so will I break the yoke of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon from the neck of all the nations within two years." But Jeremiah the prophet went his way (Jeremiah 28:10-11).
The story ends with the death of Hananiah.
And Jeremiah the prophet said to the prophet Hananiah, "Listen, Hananiah, the LORD has not sent you, and you have made this people trust in a lie.
Therefore thus says the LORD: 'Behold, I will remove you from the face of the earth. This very year you shall die, because you have uttered rebellion against the LORD.'"
In that same year, in the seventh month, the prophet Hananiah died (Jeremiah 28:15-17).
What was the motive of Hananiah? Did Hananiah make any money in making this false prophecy? I think he was politically motivated. The king of Babylon was too strong and too overwhelming. Hananiah saw it his task to boost up the morale of the people, to buy time to foster alliance with Egypt. Probably, the princes instructed him to do so. But this was a lie and gave the people false hopes. They became blind to the cruel reality which was staring them in their eyes: exile to Babylon had already begun and more exiles were on their way to Babylon. How could they not see the reality?
My dear Advocate, we all are prophets, laymen and priests alike. May we speak God's words with great care, lest we incur His wrath. Modern living has made many types of lies tolerable. Grant us the moral courage to say no to lies. St. John Vianney, pray for us and for priests. Pray that we all speak the truth. Amen.
In baptism, Christians share the threefold roles of Jesus: king, prophet and priest. These are three special roles in the Old Testament. A king carried out the will of God, expanded His sovereignty. A prophet was the spokesman of God, passing on God's message to the people. (The Chinese translation of the term prophet is misleading. Literally, it means knowing something before anybody does.) A priest offered sacrifices to God, to worship God on behalf of the people. So, Christians inherit these roles once they were baptized. We are prophets though we are not able to foretell the future (unless, of course, God wills us to do so). Anyway, we have learnt some basic messages which we know are true and it is our duty to proclaim these messages to the people.
Why did God need a spokesman? Why doesn't God speak directly to the people?
Well, God is so holy and powerful that ordinary people fear any direct contact with Him. Therefore, they prefer to deal with a mediator instead.
Then, how do people know that the prophets are not self-proclaimed prophets? How do you test whether a prophet is a true prophet, one sent from God? This is a real issue because a lot of things are at stake here.
I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their brethren; and I will put my words in his mouth, and he shall speak to them all that I command him.
And whoever will not give heed to my words which he shall speak in my name, I myself will require it of him.
But the prophet who presumes to speak a word in my name which I have not commanded him to speak, or who speaks in the name of other gods, that same prophet shall die.'
And if you say in your heart, 'How may we know the word which the LORD has not spoken?'
when a prophet speaks in the name of the LORD, if the word does not come to pass or come true, that is a word which the LORD has not spoken; the prophet has spoken it presumptuously, you need not be afraid of him (Deuteronomy 18:18-22).
For example, Samuel was such a prophet.
And Samuel grew, and the LORD was with him and let none of his words fall to the ground.
And all Israel from Dan to Beersheba knew that Samuel was established as a prophet of the LORD (1 Samuel 3:19-20).
Today, we read of the story of a prophet called Hananiah in Jeremiah 28. He was an example of a false prophet. He made the following prophecy in the temple in front of the priests and all the people.
Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: I have broken the yoke of the king of Babylon.
Within two years I will bring back to this place all the vessels of the LORD's house, which Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon took away from this place and carried to Babylon.
I will also bring back to this place Jeconiah the son of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, and all the exiles from Judah who went to Babylon, says the LORD, for I will break the yoke of the king of Babylon (Jeremiah 28:2-4).
Hananiah even performed a symbolic act to press home his point. Previously, God told Jeremiah to make thongs and yoke-bars and put them on his own neck (Jeremiah 27:2). Then God sent Jeremiah to the kings of the nations to warn them that God had handed them over to Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon. They would put their necks under the yoke of the king of Babylon (Jeremiah 27:8). Therefore, Jeremiah knew that Hananiah would not be right. Yet, he did not rebuke Hananiah directly. He said calmly.
and the prophet Jeremiah said, "Amen! May the LORD do so; may the LORD make the words which you have prophesied come true, and bring back to this place from Babylon the vessels of the house of the LORD, and all the exiles.
Yet hear now this word which I speak in your hearing and in the hearing of all the people.
The prophets who preceded you and me from ancient times prophesied war, famine, and pestilence against many countries and great kingdoms.
As for the prophet who prophesies peace, when the word of that prophet comes to pass, then it will be known that the LORD has truly sent the prophet." (Jeremiah 28:6-9)
Unprovoked, Hananiah did a very dramatic but stupid thing.
Then the prophet Hananiah took the yoke-bars from the neck of Jeremiah the prophet, and broke them.
And Hananiah spoke in the presence of all the people, saying, "Thus says the LORD: Even so will I break the yoke of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon from the neck of all the nations within two years." But Jeremiah the prophet went his way (Jeremiah 28:10-11).
The story ends with the death of Hananiah.
And Jeremiah the prophet said to the prophet Hananiah, "Listen, Hananiah, the LORD has not sent you, and you have made this people trust in a lie.
Therefore thus says the LORD: 'Behold, I will remove you from the face of the earth. This very year you shall die, because you have uttered rebellion against the LORD.'"
In that same year, in the seventh month, the prophet Hananiah died (Jeremiah 28:15-17).
What was the motive of Hananiah? Did Hananiah make any money in making this false prophecy? I think he was politically motivated. The king of Babylon was too strong and too overwhelming. Hananiah saw it his task to boost up the morale of the people, to buy time to foster alliance with Egypt. Probably, the princes instructed him to do so. But this was a lie and gave the people false hopes. They became blind to the cruel reality which was staring them in their eyes: exile to Babylon had already begun and more exiles were on their way to Babylon. How could they not see the reality?
My dear Advocate, we all are prophets, laymen and priests alike. May we speak God's words with great care, lest we incur His wrath. Modern living has made many types of lies tolerable. Grant us the moral courage to say no to lies. St. John Vianney, pray for us and for priests. Pray that we all speak the truth. Amen.
Sunday, 3 August 2008
Leave it to God
This morning, Fr. Kim celebrated the 11 a.m. Mass. After returning to Korea for more than half a year, he came back on holidays. He joked that he was home-sick, where home means Hong Kong.
He shared with us that life has been very routine way back in Korea. Getting up at six, saying the hours of the Office, saying Mass, meditation, administrative work, spiritual formation work, pastoral work and self-study etc. Surely, the seven and a half years he has spent in Hong Kong have made him more open-up and more considerate. Feed-backs from relatives and friends consistently mention how much he has changed since his last stay in Korea. Fr. Kim thanked us for our generosity in sharing our joy, our sadness and our life with him. He felt blessed to be a missionary priest and he eagerly shared his experiences with the novices back in the Korean seminary. He wished that one day, many more Korean young priests would be deployed to Hong Kong.
Today, we read the Matthean version of the miracle of Five Loaves and Two Fish. Fr. Kim dwelt on the theme of sharing and it was sharing that made miracles a possibility. He brought our attention to the difference in attitudes towards the same situation: the attitude of the apostles and that of Jesus.
After hearing the death of John the Baptist, Jesus retired to a lonely place to figure out how to proceed. The situation had changed. There was no more John the Baptist and he himself would become the focus of all Messianic Expectations. The conflicts with the Jewish authority would be direct ones. Meanwhile, people came to him from the towns.
As he went ashore he saw a great throng; and he had compassion on them, and healed their sick (Matthew 14:14).
Jesus knew their needs. He was compassionate and was very willing to relieve their sufferings. He worked all day long to heal the sick.
When it was evening, the disciples came to him and said, "This is a lonely place, and the day is now over; send the crowds away to go into the villages and buy food for themselves."
Jesus said, "They need not go away; you give them something to eat." (Matthew 14:15-16).
The disciples did not feel it their (and Jesus') responsibility to feed the crowd. The Master had already done more than enough, teaching them and healing them. Let's call it a day. We also need to take a break. However, Jesus did not agree. He said that the crowd did not need to go. The disciples should feed them. Truly, throughout history, the Church has always taken up charitable work. A hungry soul will be too much distracted from spiritual pursuits. To deliver spiritual talks is easy. To hand out concrete services is another matter.
The contrast in attitudes did not stop there. It was further illustrated by the following two verses.
They said to him, "We have only five loaves here and two fish."
And he said, "Bring them here to me." (Matthew 14:17-18)
We are truly very stupid servants. We take things in our own hands and manhandle the issues in our own ways. Whenever the technology allows, we play God. Clearly, this time it is beyond human intervention. How could five loaves and two fish feed five thousand people? Once more, this is the M.O. of God, His signature. God only needs this small amount of food to make it clear beyond any doubt that this was His work, not ours. It takes ages for us to learn to bring the whole issue to Jesus, to leave things to God.
My dear Advocate, when shall we learn? Probably, we never will. But Jesus has already shown us the way. The truth is always there, staring at our eyes. We only need to really listen to Your words. People in Jeremiah's time failed to listen. Today, we are no better. Pray that we really listen to You, lay our burdens before You. Amen.
He shared with us that life has been very routine way back in Korea. Getting up at six, saying the hours of the Office, saying Mass, meditation, administrative work, spiritual formation work, pastoral work and self-study etc. Surely, the seven and a half years he has spent in Hong Kong have made him more open-up and more considerate. Feed-backs from relatives and friends consistently mention how much he has changed since his last stay in Korea. Fr. Kim thanked us for our generosity in sharing our joy, our sadness and our life with him. He felt blessed to be a missionary priest and he eagerly shared his experiences with the novices back in the Korean seminary. He wished that one day, many more Korean young priests would be deployed to Hong Kong.
Today, we read the Matthean version of the miracle of Five Loaves and Two Fish. Fr. Kim dwelt on the theme of sharing and it was sharing that made miracles a possibility. He brought our attention to the difference in attitudes towards the same situation: the attitude of the apostles and that of Jesus.
After hearing the death of John the Baptist, Jesus retired to a lonely place to figure out how to proceed. The situation had changed. There was no more John the Baptist and he himself would become the focus of all Messianic Expectations. The conflicts with the Jewish authority would be direct ones. Meanwhile, people came to him from the towns.
As he went ashore he saw a great throng; and he had compassion on them, and healed their sick (Matthew 14:14).
Jesus knew their needs. He was compassionate and was very willing to relieve their sufferings. He worked all day long to heal the sick.
When it was evening, the disciples came to him and said, "This is a lonely place, and the day is now over; send the crowds away to go into the villages and buy food for themselves."
Jesus said, "They need not go away; you give them something to eat." (Matthew 14:15-16).
The disciples did not feel it their (and Jesus') responsibility to feed the crowd. The Master had already done more than enough, teaching them and healing them. Let's call it a day. We also need to take a break. However, Jesus did not agree. He said that the crowd did not need to go. The disciples should feed them. Truly, throughout history, the Church has always taken up charitable work. A hungry soul will be too much distracted from spiritual pursuits. To deliver spiritual talks is easy. To hand out concrete services is another matter.
The contrast in attitudes did not stop there. It was further illustrated by the following two verses.
They said to him, "We have only five loaves here and two fish."
And he said, "Bring them here to me." (Matthew 14:17-18)
We are truly very stupid servants. We take things in our own hands and manhandle the issues in our own ways. Whenever the technology allows, we play God. Clearly, this time it is beyond human intervention. How could five loaves and two fish feed five thousand people? Once more, this is the M.O. of God, His signature. God only needs this small amount of food to make it clear beyond any doubt that this was His work, not ours. It takes ages for us to learn to bring the whole issue to Jesus, to leave things to God.
My dear Advocate, when shall we learn? Probably, we never will. But Jesus has already shown us the way. The truth is always there, staring at our eyes. We only need to really listen to Your words. People in Jeremiah's time failed to listen. Today, we are no better. Pray that we really listen to You, lay our burdens before You. Amen.
Saturday, 2 August 2008
Keeping a blacklist (of teachers)
Jeremiah put his life at risk when he proclaimed what the Lord had asked him to tell the people. He was prophesizing about the destruction of the Temple and the city of Jerusalem. This was a dangerous message that demoralized the people. In short, Jeremiah was a threat to the nation. In Jeremiah 26, we see several groups of players on the scene: the priests and prophets who wanted to see Jeremiah die (Jeremiah 26:8), the princes who defended Jeremiah (Jeremiah 26:16), the elders of the land who quoted historical precedence (Jeremiah 26:17) and the people who were easily swayed one way or the other (Jeremiah 26:8, 16). For the time being, Jeremiah was protected by Ahikam the son of Shaphan (Jeremiah 26:24).
From the historical precedence quoted by the elders, we learned of the two different fates of prophets speaking against the nation: Micah and Uriah. Micah was lucky. King Hezekiah listened to him (Jeremiah 26:18-19). Uriah was unlucky. King Jehoiakim did not listen and so he fled to Egypt. Yet King Jehoiskim sought him out and murdered him (Jeremiah 26:20-23). So, the fate of Jeremiah would heavily depend on the king.
In ancient time, it was probably inevitable. The king was able to exercise unrestrained power. But nowadays, all leaders need to build up their teams of co-workers to get things done. Transparency is essential in order to prevent misunderstanding. In this respect, the diocesan schools in Hong Kong have a lot to improve. Secrecy is still very common among them.
A Catholic teacher who had opted early retirement applied to our school for the post of pastoral and teaching assistant. He went through the first round of interview with John and I. He was scheduled to meet the principal on Friday. On Thursday, the school office informed him that he did not have to attend the second interview. Later, I learned from John that the applicant had been blacklisted from diocesan schools.
I do not know the reason why the applicant has been blacklisted. I think it is totally legitimate for the Catholic Church in Hong Kong to keep a list of trouble-makers such as teachers of Golden Jubilee Secondary School some decades ago. But for me, the very idea of a blacklist is disgusting.
First of all, a blacklist is shrouded in secrecy. The people concerned may not even know that they have been blacklisted. Even if they suspect so, the Church can simply deny it. They have no way to verify or even rectify the records. There is no justice here because the person is not given a chance to defend himself or to clear his name.
Secondly, keeping such a blacklist goes against Jesus' teaching of forgiveness. The Church can selectively forgive priests and principals but not teachers! There is no justice and no charity.
Lastly, there is no procedure of appeal. Even if the person concerned has reformed, there is no way to rectify his record. In the end, the information contained in the blacklist will become obsolete. There is no truth in such a blacklist. In short, a blacklist carries no justice, no charity and no truth. It is disgusting.
My dear Advocate, I thank You for Your returning Erminia and Saturnia safe and sound to me. They have taken more than a thousand photographs for my teaching. CEE results will be released on Monday. Pray that Saturnia will get good enough results. May she make choices pleasing to You. Amen.
Comment from Maggie_Cheung:
I am so shocked to learn about the blacklist......
How could that be??!!
He's poor.....but the Diocese is even poor...........
August 3, 2008
From the historical precedence quoted by the elders, we learned of the two different fates of prophets speaking against the nation: Micah and Uriah. Micah was lucky. King Hezekiah listened to him (Jeremiah 26:18-19). Uriah was unlucky. King Jehoiakim did not listen and so he fled to Egypt. Yet King Jehoiskim sought him out and murdered him (Jeremiah 26:20-23). So, the fate of Jeremiah would heavily depend on the king.
In ancient time, it was probably inevitable. The king was able to exercise unrestrained power. But nowadays, all leaders need to build up their teams of co-workers to get things done. Transparency is essential in order to prevent misunderstanding. In this respect, the diocesan schools in Hong Kong have a lot to improve. Secrecy is still very common among them.
A Catholic teacher who had opted early retirement applied to our school for the post of pastoral and teaching assistant. He went through the first round of interview with John and I. He was scheduled to meet the principal on Friday. On Thursday, the school office informed him that he did not have to attend the second interview. Later, I learned from John that the applicant had been blacklisted from diocesan schools.
I do not know the reason why the applicant has been blacklisted. I think it is totally legitimate for the Catholic Church in Hong Kong to keep a list of trouble-makers such as teachers of Golden Jubilee Secondary School some decades ago. But for me, the very idea of a blacklist is disgusting.
First of all, a blacklist is shrouded in secrecy. The people concerned may not even know that they have been blacklisted. Even if they suspect so, the Church can simply deny it. They have no way to verify or even rectify the records. There is no justice here because the person is not given a chance to defend himself or to clear his name.
Secondly, keeping such a blacklist goes against Jesus' teaching of forgiveness. The Church can selectively forgive priests and principals but not teachers! There is no justice and no charity.
Lastly, there is no procedure of appeal. Even if the person concerned has reformed, there is no way to rectify his record. In the end, the information contained in the blacklist will become obsolete. There is no truth in such a blacklist. In short, a blacklist carries no justice, no charity and no truth. It is disgusting.
My dear Advocate, I thank You for Your returning Erminia and Saturnia safe and sound to me. They have taken more than a thousand photographs for my teaching. CEE results will be released on Monday. Pray that Saturnia will get good enough results. May she make choices pleasing to You. Amen.
Comment from Maggie_Cheung:
I am so shocked to learn about the blacklist......
How could that be??!!
He's poor.....but the Diocese is even poor...........
August 3, 2008
Friday, 1 August 2008
Feast of St. Alphonsus Liguori
The Catholic Church has a very busy calendar. Nearly everyday, they celebrate at least one saint. Today, it is St. Alphonsus (1696-1787). He was the founder of the Redemptorists and had contributed greatly to the modern development of moral theology of the Catholic Church.
I joined La Salle College in 1976 as a supply teacher for Brother Alphonus Chee, a Malaysian Chinese Brother, who went away for a training program for a few months. In the end, I spent 20 years in LSC instead of a few months. Brother Alphonsus was the vice-principal when Brother Raphael Egan began the metamorphosis project of LSC in last three years of 1970's. Brother Thomas was another vice-principal. Both of them were responsible for seeing this new building through. Many people expected Brother Thomas to succeed Brother Raphael because both of them were Irish and Brother Thomas was the best Economics teacher in Hong Kong at that time. However, when Brother Raphael retired, he handed the College over to Brother Alphonsus Chee instead. Quite a number of people were very disappointed. Brother Thomas went to South Africa to undergo some sort of substance-abuse therapy.
Brother Alphonsus was a very intense person. He was a perfectionist and expected quality work from himself and others. He knew very well that as a Chinese, he needed to put in extra effort to find acceptance among students, teachers and people in the region. He only spent six years at the helm and handed the College over to Brother Francis. He has become a different person since his retirement, more relaxed and humourous. I always respect all these religious because they have devoted their whole life for the service of the Lord. They are the living witness of the living gospel. We need more of these saintly people to affirm our faith. I respect Brother Alphonsus in particular because he was able to stand firm on his ground despite smear-campaigns. I remember most fondly his 'Every' remarks long before the EMI controversy: Every lesson is an English lesson. Every teacher is a discipline teacher etc. Unfortunately for La Salle College, her very success is the reason for the decline of the number of aspirants to join the Brothers. What an irony! La Salle College has been able to produce a lot of elite leaders of Hong Kong, but not a single Brother. God's plan is a mystery.
In reading Jeremiah 26 today, we find similar events happening under the sun. In proclaiming God's message, Jeremiah made himself unpopular among the Judeans. While many other prophets spoke sweet talks, prophesizing about peace while doom was imminent, Jeremiah had to bear the brunt of attacks for speaking the truth. Usually, it takes ordinary people a long time to recognize the truth.
And when Jeremiah had finished speaking all that the LORD had commanded him to speak to all the people, then the priests and the prophets and all the people laid hold of him, saying, "You shall die! (Jeremiah 26:8)
It is only too human to try to please others so that we will find acceptance among others. However, the truth is almost always an unpopular reality.
My dear Advocate, our Lord Jesus has promised us that the truth will set us free. Yet freedom is such a heavy, costly commodity. With freedom comes responsibility. May we, instead of running away from freedom, generously embrace our responsibilities. St. Alphonus, pray for us so that in faith and love, we may grow into more mature followers of Christ. Amen.
I joined La Salle College in 1976 as a supply teacher for Brother Alphonus Chee, a Malaysian Chinese Brother, who went away for a training program for a few months. In the end, I spent 20 years in LSC instead of a few months. Brother Alphonsus was the vice-principal when Brother Raphael Egan began the metamorphosis project of LSC in last three years of 1970's. Brother Thomas was another vice-principal. Both of them were responsible for seeing this new building through. Many people expected Brother Thomas to succeed Brother Raphael because both of them were Irish and Brother Thomas was the best Economics teacher in Hong Kong at that time. However, when Brother Raphael retired, he handed the College over to Brother Alphonsus Chee instead. Quite a number of people were very disappointed. Brother Thomas went to South Africa to undergo some sort of substance-abuse therapy.
Brother Alphonsus was a very intense person. He was a perfectionist and expected quality work from himself and others. He knew very well that as a Chinese, he needed to put in extra effort to find acceptance among students, teachers and people in the region. He only spent six years at the helm and handed the College over to Brother Francis. He has become a different person since his retirement, more relaxed and humourous. I always respect all these religious because they have devoted their whole life for the service of the Lord. They are the living witness of the living gospel. We need more of these saintly people to affirm our faith. I respect Brother Alphonsus in particular because he was able to stand firm on his ground despite smear-campaigns. I remember most fondly his 'Every' remarks long before the EMI controversy: Every lesson is an English lesson. Every teacher is a discipline teacher etc. Unfortunately for La Salle College, her very success is the reason for the decline of the number of aspirants to join the Brothers. What an irony! La Salle College has been able to produce a lot of elite leaders of Hong Kong, but not a single Brother. God's plan is a mystery.
In reading Jeremiah 26 today, we find similar events happening under the sun. In proclaiming God's message, Jeremiah made himself unpopular among the Judeans. While many other prophets spoke sweet talks, prophesizing about peace while doom was imminent, Jeremiah had to bear the brunt of attacks for speaking the truth. Usually, it takes ordinary people a long time to recognize the truth.
And when Jeremiah had finished speaking all that the LORD had commanded him to speak to all the people, then the priests and the prophets and all the people laid hold of him, saying, "You shall die! (Jeremiah 26:8)
It is only too human to try to please others so that we will find acceptance among others. However, the truth is almost always an unpopular reality.
My dear Advocate, our Lord Jesus has promised us that the truth will set us free. Yet freedom is such a heavy, costly commodity. With freedom comes responsibility. May we, instead of running away from freedom, generously embrace our responsibilities. St. Alphonus, pray for us so that in faith and love, we may grow into more mature followers of Christ. Amen.
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