The jealousy of God

What does it mean to say that God is jealous?
The first thing that comes to our mind is the Commandment which forbids idolatry.
You shall not make for yourself a graven image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth;
you shall not bow down to them or serve them; for I the LORD your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and the fourth generation of those who hate me,
but showing steadfast love to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments (Exodus 20:4-6).
So, here is a common sense understanding of the jealousy of God. He describes Himself as a jealous God, like a husband. If Israelites worship idols, their actions would be similar to an unfaithful wife who has an extra-marital affair. Of course, God would be angry, would be jealous to protect His property, His inheritance. This jealousy is punitive, visiting the iniquity to the fourth generation.

How shall we interpret the following verse?
Thus says the LORD of hosts: I am jealous for Zion with great jealousy, and I am jealous for her with great wrath (Zechariah 8:2)
The word "jealous" is only a translation of a Hebrew word קִנְאָה which has a shade of meanings. It may mean the usual jealous, it can also mean zealous, to burn with zeal. Let us see how it has been translated into Chinese.
萬軍的上主這樣說：「我以極度的妒愛，愛著熙雍，為了她我發了很大的妒恨。」

Here is another understanding of the jealousy of God. When an emotion becomes intense, it is impossible to tell the difference between love and jealousy. The Chinese translation puts the two together, reflecting a Hebrew style. Truly, in Hebrew literature we can easily find opposites bundled together.
I believe that the relation between God and the Israelites must have been a sweet and sour one. There were people and times when the Israelites pleased God very much. There were also people and times, I am afraid this accounted for the majority, when the Israelites provoked God to wrath. Still, God was jealous, was zealous for their good. This jealousy is formative. It is for the good of the Israelites. That is why God is faithful even when we are not.
if we are faithless, he remains faithful--for he cannot deny himself. (2 Timothy 2:13)
This faithfulness is difficult to harmonize with the first interpretation of God's jealousy which is punitive. But it fits well with the second interpretation of a jealousy of love, a formative jealousy for the good of the loved ones.

We should not find fault with the Exodus interpretation of God's jealousy. I believe that both religion and theology have to go through an evolution, so that our understanding of God is constantly refined.

Dear Lord, May Your jealousy for us drive us towards an ever higher level of union with You. Amen.

Twenty Sixth Ordinary Sunday (Year B)

Fr. John Baptist Kwan celebrated his last Sunday Mass in Tuen Mun this morning at elevent. The Diocesan Chancery sent him to St. Margaret Parish in the Happy Valley after he had served the parish in Tuen Mun for 11 years.
In his homily, he firstly thanked all who had worked with him in the parish for their support. Parish life had been very lively and amiable. He continued to thank the congregation for their generosity so that the parish was able to be self-sufficient. Even in times of global financial crisis, the parish was able to sustain and survive without asking a penny from the Diocese. Lastly, he begged all of us to forgive him for whatever he had done to wrong them. He knew that he was an impatient man and must have offended a lot of us who needed a priest to listen to their grievances.
After mass, the Parish Council organized a farewell tea-party for him. Many parishioners took pictures with him.

In the first reading today, we read of the story of Joshua being jealous for Moses.
Moses was overloaded with settling disputes among the Israelites. Moreover, the people were complaining about not having meat in their daily diet. Therefore, God told Moses to choose seventy elders from the people. He would give them some of the spirit which He had given Moses so that these 70 elders might share the burden of Moses to handle the cases of the people. Moreover, God would also feed the people with quails for one whole month.
Two of the elders remained in the camp while the rest were stationed around the tent outside. The spirit descended onto all of them so that they were able to prophesize. A young man found the two elders inside the camp prophesizing and told Joshua. Joshua was loyal to Moses and asked Moses to forbid these two elders from prophesizing.
And Joshua the son of Nun, the minister of Moses, one of his chosen men, said, "My lord Moses, forbid them."
But Moses said to him, "Are you jealous for my sake? Would that all the LORD's people were prophets, that the LORD would put his spirit upon them!"(Numbers 11:28-29)
Moses had a large heart. He wished that all the Lord's people were prophets! A similar case happened in the gospel. John also stopped a man from using Jesus' name for exorcism. But Jesus told John not to forbid him.
But Jesus said, "Do not forbid him; for no one who does a mighty work in my name will be able soon after to speak evil of me.
For he that is not against us is for us (Mark 9:39-40).
We Christians have no right to monopolize salvation. We are, but one of the many channels through which God saves the world. We do not have exclusive monopoly, nor can we dictate how God should save a particular person.

However, I am more interested in finding out the purpose of sandwiching the story of 70 elders between the quails story.
The Israelites were facing many difficulties in the wilderness. They needed a leader to bring them through the desert. But being a leader is not a fun job. He is caught between God and the people. The following verse is a vivid description of the situation of leaders like Moses.
Moses heard the people weeping throughout their families, every man at the door of his tent; and the anger of the LORD blazed hotly, and Moses was displeased (Numbers 11:10).
Since Moses and God has established a long term working relationship. He was able to intercede for the Israelites. He was even able to complain God to, who else but God Himself! He laid the problem in front of God and reasoned with Him. Moses had to deal with two related problems.
Where am I to get meat to give to all this people? For they weep before me and say, 'Give us meat, that we may eat.'
I am not able to carry all this people alone, the burden is too heavy for me (Numbers 11:13-14).
Moses needed better food and more helping hands. God had already given the Israelites manna for food. But the manna was not tasty enough and the people were fed up with it. They wanted better food. They even wept for meat.
It is human nature to raise their expectations continually. After filling up the stomach, they want better food. After finding a shelter, they want better housing. After ascending to the throne, they want to become God. Some theologians suggest that God makes us long for Him. Otherwise, man is unable to obtain salvation. Therefore, who can blame us for aiming higher, for wanting more?
Only God can satisfy our unlimited wants. Moses could not. Therefore, Moses needed more helping hands to share his burden, to provide better service. In response to Moses request, God gave 70 elders some of the spirit of Moses, but with a difference.
Then the LORD came down in the cloud and spoke to him, and took some of the spirit that was upon him and put it upon the seventy elders; and when the spirit rested upon them, they prophesied. But they did so no more (Numbers 11:25).
The 70 elders were able to prophesized once and did so no more. They were administrators and not innovators. Moses was a charismatic leader who brought about changes in response to crises. These 70 elders shared his job to effect the changes Moses initiated. Moses remained the sole leader having direct access to God.
However, appointing administrators might not be able to solve the food crisis. They were not able to placate God's wrath. The Israelites collected the quails in frenzy for two days.
While the meat was yet between their teeth, before it was consumed, the anger of the LORD was kindled against the people, and the LORD smote the people with a very great plague (Numbers 11:33).
We, at least the Israelites, need more prophets, charismatic leaders who have better connections with God, but not more administrators.

Dear Lord, make us better prophets, better channels of Your grace to our neighbours. Amen.

Feast of Ss. Comas and Damian

Ss. Comas and Damian were twin brothers and physicians. They healed people without accepting any fee and brought many people to believe in Christ. They died martyrdom in 287 A.D. during the Diocletian persecution.
In Hong Kong, the Church in Tsuen Wan is named after them. Interestingly enough, the Church is surrounded by a polyclinic and the Yan Chai Hospital. As the economy in Hong Kong is flourishing and medical services provided by the government are able to take care of most of the citizens, the veneration of these two saints does not grow in popularity in this generation.

Today, we read the prophet Zechariah, who was a contemporary of Haggai. Both of them were called by God to urge the Jews to pick up the rebuilding of the Temple. On top of this assignment, Zechariah has left us with some prophecies about the Messiah. Early in Chapter 1, God has shown His own will.
Therefore, thus says the LORD, I have returned to Jerusalem with compassion; my house shall be built in it, says the LORD of hosts, and the measuring line shall be stretched out over Jerusalem.
Cry again, Thus says the LORD of hosts: My cities shall again overflow with prosperity, and the LORD will again comfort Zion and again choose Jerusalem(Zechariah 1:16-17)
God has decided. Among the peoples and nations, God has chosen Zion and Jerusalem. He would comfort them. His Temple would be built in them. Isn't God supposed to be impartial? Why then did God show favouritism towards them?
This is a question commonly asked by non-Jews. In my younger days, I also asked why Jesus was born a Jews and not a Chinese. After learning something about the history of the Israelites and the Jews, I do not envy God's choice anymore.
When God decided not to give up the human race, He thought up a perfect plan to save men. First of all, He needed to meet us, to break into our history and communicate with us. God needs an entry point. This entry point was Abraham. The Bible describes him as "a friend of God" (2 Chronicles 20:7), "the father of all believers" (Romans 4). After many generations, the descendents of Abraham became a nation. They were unfaithful and God made use of other nations to punish them, to purify them. The Babylonian Captivity was one such purification incident. The Jews failed to spread the salvation plan of God to all mankind.
Christians saw themselves as the true Israelites, replacing the previously rebellious ones who were responsible for the crucifixion of Jesus, their Lord. Now, these Christians were numerous enough to spread the salvation plan of God to all men.
Sing and rejoice, O daughter of Zion; for lo, I come and I will dwell in the midst of you, says the LORD.
And many nations shall join themselves to the LORD in that day, and shall be my people; and I will dwell in the midst of you, and you shall know that the LORD of hosts has sent me to you (Zechariah 2:10-11).
God wants all nations to be saved through whoever are willing to be His channels of peace. Jews and Christians alike, when they are open-minded enough not to condemn the shortcomings of other, but work collaboratively for the benefit of all, God's salvation will come.
Truly, God does not need a Temple to dwell on earth. Yet, a Temple shows God's presence. Each one of us who believes in God, whether you are a Jew, a Christian or a Muslim, shows God's presence to a variety of degrees. Favouritism is out of question.

Dear Lord, I pray that people I meet are able to discern Your presence in our words and deeds. Amen.

Give us some room please

Many of my colleagues were exhausted and tried hard not to fall asleep in the talk this afternoon but to no avail. Our eyes were very heavy because we had been slaved since 8:30 in the morning. Our boss wanted to occupy every single minute of ours in today's Staff Development Day. He wanted to take control over all our time. Perhaps he thought that we would not manage our time well. Only he knew best how we should spend our time.
We had two Staff Development Days within September, a particularly hectic month in the academic year. Perhaps his intention was good. He would like us to pick up all the skills in these workshops and apply them in our classes early in the academic year. He thought that the skills promoted by the speaker were useful for us. Alas! We, teachers from six schools, were forced to sit in a school hall and listen to the same man for three times, at least three hours each.
Perhaps the gentleman was capable to entertain a small group of principals, or even the middle managers of the participating schools. However, when he came to meet an audience of more than three hundred notorious students --- teachers, he was stretched beyond his capabilities. No doubt, he had prepared a lot and had his own ideals and visions. Yet, facing more than three hundred cynical students, this gentleman would feel more like being publicly tortured than sharing some tips for teaching students of mixed abilities. Each one of us has our own style. What has been practicable for him might not be practicable for us. I am not him. We don't have his charisma.

God knew the spiritual needs of the remnant. He ordered them to resume the project of rebuilding the Temple. For various reasons, all the returned Jews minded their personal business rather than working together to rebuild the Temple. For their benefits, God commanded them to put down their current work, pick up the building project.
For thus says the LORD of hosts: Once again, in a little while, I will shake the heavens and the earth and the sea and the dry land;
and I will shake all nations, so that the treasures of all nations shall come in, and I will fill this house with splendor, says the LORD of hosts.
The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, says the LORD of hosts.
The latter splendor of this house shall be greater than the former, says the LORD of hosts; and in this place I will give prosperity, says the LORD of hosts(Haggai 2:6-9)
Once again, does God need those silver and gold? Of course not. Eventually, they would belong to the Jews. Does God need the glory and splendor of the Temple? Of course not. The glory and splendor would only boost up the national identity of the Jews, stir up their patriotism.

Perhaps our boss wants to play God, trying to control over our time like God had commanded the remnant to rebuild His Temple. But he is no God and we have no time. Our boss has introduced many new procedures. We find them disruptive as well as unproductive. Many teachers find themselves working until very late but still cannot perform some basic professional obligations --- marking exercise books. Give us more time, not procedures please.

Dear Lord, forgive me for being candid. For the first time, I feel very tired to continue writing. Strengthen us. Amen.

Does God need a Temple?

Cyrus, the Persian King, sent the Jews back to rebuild the Temple in Jerusalem. The Samaritans disrupted the project and the rebuilding came to a halt for some eighteen years. The remnant that had chosen to return lost their hearts in the rebuilding project. Instead, they spent their energy building their own houses, getting married, starting their business. After all, God did not need a house.

When David told prophet Nathan that he wanted to build a Temple for God, God declined, saying that He had been wandering with the Israelites since liberating them from Egypt and had never demanded a Temple.
I have not dwelt in a house since the day I brought up the people of Israel from Egypt to this day, but I have been moving about in a tent for my dwelling.
In all places where I have moved with all the people of Israel, did I speak a word with any of the judges of Israel, whom I commanded to shepherd my people Israel, saying, "Why have you not built me a house of cedar?" (1 Samuel 7:6-7).
Through prophet Isaiah, God declared to us clearly that He was the Creator of everything. What else can man build for Him?
Thus says the LORD: "Heaven is my throne and the earth is my footstool; what is the house which you would build for me, and what is the place of my rest?
All these things my hand has made, and so all these things are mine, says the LORD (Isaiah 66:1-2a).
In Jesus' time, the Jews worshipped God in the Second Temple which was further extended by Herod the Great. The Samaritans worshipped God in Mount Gerizim. When Jesus met a Samaritan woman in John 4, she asked Jesus where they should worship God. Jesus answered neither in Jerusalem, nor in Mount Gerizim but in spirit and truth (John 4:23).
In fact, in 70 A.D. the Roman army burnt down the Second Temple. There was no more Temple worship. Yet, Judaism survives. Therefore, it shows that God does not need a Temple to dwell, nor do men need a Temple to worship God. God dwells everywhere and men worship God in spirit and truth. The Jerusalem Temple is redundant for both God and His worshippers. So, why did the God of Haggai insist on the rebuilding of the Temple? See how jealous and impatient God had been.
Is it a time for you yourselves to dwell in your paneled houses, while this house lies in ruins?
Now therefore thus says the LORD of hosts: Consider how you have fared.
You have sown much, and harvested little; you eat, but you never have enough; you drink, but you never have your fill; you clothe yourselves, but no one is warm; and he who earns wages earns wages to put them into a bag with holes (Haggai 1:4-6).
God told the Jews that if they ignored the rebuilding of the Temple, all their other efforts would be a waste of energy. It would be like putting their wages into a bag with holes! Was God being jealous?

The building of a Temple has never been a purely religious business. Though the Temple provides for the spiritual needs of individuals, it serves political, cultural and economic purposes as well.
Firstly, Temple worship unites a people.
Secondly, the building process requires a highly centralized administrative machine to handle all the logistic matters. An efficient bureaucracy is needed.
Thirdly, the successful building of a Temple showcases the cultural strength of a country. It provides a base for education and academic researches.
Lastly, once a Temple is built, a lot of economy will flourish around it. Therefore, building a Temple serves a nation more than a god.
What did God say about the rebuilding of the second Temple?
Go up to the hills and bring wood and build the house, that I may take pleasure in it and that I may appear in my glory, says the LORD (Haggai 1:8).
God does not need a Temple so that He may appear in His glory. Rather, a king needs a Temple to show off his glory. A people need a Temple to keep and develop their faith. Man needs a Temple to uplift his spirit, to nourish his soul. God doesn't. Rather, it is God's will to uplift our spirit, to save our souls that He urged the Jews to rebuild the Temple in Jerusalem.

Dear Lord, for our good, You give us specific commands as well as general principles. Let us humbly follow Your will and live. Amen.

Feast of St. Padre Pio (Year B)

The Catholic Church has been blessed with many favours from God who has given her many saints to take care of the faithful. Father Pio (1887-1968) was one such priest. He was famous not just for the stigmata on his body, but also for his fervent love of God and the souls of fellow men. He was able to lead people to God in his confessional where he usually spent more than 12 hours a day. Father Pio demonstrated all the theological and cardinal virtues expected of a Christian. His life was exemplary and continues to live on in those hearts and souls which he had touched in his life time. Praise be to God forever. Amen.

A small group of Jews returned from Babylon to rebuild the Temple in Jerusalem. These remnants returned to a place vacant for half a century. Naturally, it was occupied by the indigenous people: the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Jebusites, the Ammonites, the Moabites, the Egyptians, and the Amorites(Ezra 9:1b).
When the Jews returned and settled down, some of them married the local people. Among them, the officials and chief men took the lead.
For they have taken some of their daughters to be wives for themselves and for their sons; so that the holy race has mixed itself with the peoples of the lands. And in this faithlessness the hand of the officials and chief men has been foremost (Ezra 9:2)
Ezra was filled with anger and despair. He interpreted their Babylonian Exile as God's punishment for the sins of their fathers. Now that God had been merciful so that a remnant was able to return to Jerusalem. However, these people seemed intended to test God to the limit. They ignored the precepts of the Torah and intermarried with the local people.
Therefore give not your daughters to their sons, neither take their daughters for your sons, and never seek their peace or prosperity, that you may be strong, and eat the good of the land, and leave it for an inheritance to your children for ever (Ezra 9:12, Deuteronomy 7:3)
Ezra saw these marriages as an invitation to God to destroy them.
And after all that has come upon us for our evil deeds and for our great guilt, seeing that thou, our God, hast punished us less than our iniquities deserved and hast given us such a remnant as this,
shall we break thy commandments again and intermarry with the peoples who practice these abominations? Wouldst thou not be angry with us till thou wouldst consume us, so that there should be no remnant, nor any to escape? (Ezra 9:13-14)
In the end, he imposed divorce on all mixed marriages. He told three full months to finish all divorce business.
Then the returned exiles did so. Ezra the priest selected men, heads of fathers' houses, according to their fathers' houses, each of them designated by name. On the first day of the tenth month they sat down to examine the matter;
and by the first day of the first month they had come to the end of all the men who had married foreign women (Ezra 10:16-17).
Was Ezra an alarmist, exaggerating the wrath of God? Did he have any hidden agenda? After all, what would he gain? Most likely, Ezra would gain nothing. The whole incident went down in the Jewish post-exile history as a major milestone in Judaism. But in the light of New Testament ethics, this is a powerful illustration of the irrationality of a legalistic morality.
St. Paul opposed divorce, even the divorce between a believer and the spouse. His focus was the opposite of the Torah and Ezra. The wrath of God was not his concern. Rather, Paul looked at the benefits for an unbelieving spouse.
To the rest I say, not the Lord, that if any brother has a wife who is an unbeliever, and she consents to live with him, he should not divorce her.
If any woman has a husband who is an unbeliever, and he consents to live with her, she should not divorce him.
For the unbelieving husband is consecrated through his wife, and the unbelieving wife is consecrated through her husband. Otherwise, your children would be unclean, but as it is they are holy (1 Corinthians 7:12-13).
Fearing the wrath of God, Ezra imposed divorce on mixed marriages. Looking at the sanctity of marriage, Paul opposed divorce. Both sides have equally forceful logic. Therefore, rationality or even conscience could not decide. The will of God has the final say. Jesus has spoken against divorce. Period.

Dear Lord, open our hearts to read Your words in the Bible. Enlighten our intellect and warm our souls so that we may live. Amen.

Men are from Mars

Today, we read a little bit of the book of Ezra. Ezra was a great Jewish Scribe, the founder of Judaism.
After 50 years of exile in Babylon, some Israelites had settled and prospered there. Therefore, when Cyrus the Persian King decreed that the Israelites returned to Jerusalem to rebuild the Temple, many Israelites were not too enthusiastic about the whole idea. Nevertheless, some did return and found the land depressively desolate. Naturally, they thought of rebuilding their own houses instead of rebuilding the house of God. Haggai the prophet was furious and scolded them. So, they started working on the rebuilding project. The Samaritans in the north intended to participate. But they were rejected by the local Israelites. Therefore, the Samaritans bad mouthed them before the Persian governor who disrupted the rebuilding project. Then Nehemiah and Ezra came forth so that the project would proceed. Moreover, they were able to secure the support of Darius, the Persian king to pay for all the costs from the royal coffers. The king also decreed that anybody disrupting the project was punishable by death.
Also I make a decree that if any one alters this edict, a beam shall be pulled out of his house, and he shall be impaled upon it, and his house shall be made a dunghill.
May the God who has caused his name to dwell there overthrow any king or people that shall put forth a hand to alter this, or to destroy this house of God which is in Jerusalem. I Darius make a decree; let it be done with all diligence (Ezra 6:11-12)
The Second Temple in Jerusalem was finally built. Of course, it was no comparison with the legendary Solomon Temple. A new phase of Jewish life had begun. It was the contribution of Ezra the Scribe.

On Tuesday evenings, we are still studying Moral Theology under Fr. Robert Ng, S.J. He was talking about the nine trends of Moral Theology that he observed in the post-Vatican II era. One of these trends was dialogues with people from different classes and religions. Among them, Fr. Ng mentioned the feminine theologians in particular. He lamented that the Catholic Church had been very patriarchic and thus legalistic. It was because the Church had been dominated by man theologians, such as St. Thomas Aquinas. After Vatican II, more and more women studied theology and many of them have been very successful and outstanding. They added another perspective in theological reasoning. Fr. Ng quoted the example of abortion.

Abortion is the killing of an innocent life. Therefore, the Catholic Church condemns it and punishes those involved in abortions with excommunication. Fr. Ng. lamented that the approach was too rational and legalistic, like Darius' decree mentioned above. Anybody not following the decree was punishable by death/excommunication. In reality, people would find ways to cheat or bypass the decree. Therefore, the whole purpose was defeated. Men are from Mars. They are too logical and aggressive, attacking anybody who does not toe the party line. However, the approach is not effective. Therefore, let us listen to what woman theologians have to say about the abortion topic.
According to Fr. Ng, he had read a woman theologian writing about the abortion topic. She said that if we wanted women to give up the abortion option, you had to appeal to their mother instinct, rather than scaring them with the fire of hell. During their pregnancy, mothers should look at beautiful baby posters more often. Then, they would not choose abortion.
Fr. Ng could not hide his admiration for woman theologians in his talk. In his three decades of teaching in theology, his best students are women. He even belittled his own writings as dry and lacked lustre. The writings of woman theologians glowed with an aura.

Dear Lord, I pray that I can keep an open mind to engage in dialogues. If I feel unappreciated, they may feel the same. Lord, help me rid of my prejudice against my neighbours. Amen.