This evening, we sang an extra mass to celebrate the Assumption of Our Lady. Fr. Patrick Sun was the celebrant. His homily was deeply spiritual and yet easily accessible for us laymen. We learn a lesson in Mariology.
First and foremost, the Blessed Virgin Mary is not divine. She is one among the many creatures of God, though a perfect one. Therefore, for Roman Catholics and Eastern Orthodox, honouring the BVM is not the same as worshipping God, our Creator.
Secondly, we have all the reasons to honour the BVM because of the many first's she scored in her life. In Fr. Sun's words, the BVM has scored 10 A's in HKCEE, has won many champions in competitions, has smashed many Guinness world records.
She was the first to have her Original Sin removed in her conception while we have our Original Sin removed in our baptism. She was the first Christian because she brought forth Christ into this world. She was the first person to command Jesus to work miracle. She was the first and only human to offer Jesus as a sacrifice to God. At last, she was the first to be assumed, body and soul, into heaven. But bear in mind, it is all the will of God that she is blessed with so many favours.
Thirdly, her destiny is also the destiny of all Christians. Fr. Sun said that many are called, but few are elected. Baptism and Confirmation do not guarantee us a place in heaven. 【This statement is questionable because we receive the Holy Spirit in Baptism and Confirmation and St. Paul said that the Holy Spirit given us is God's guarantee of our salvation (1 Corinthians 1:22, 2 Corinthians 5:5, Ephesians 1:13-14).】We need to cooperate with God, like the BVM has been.
And Mary said, "Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word." (Luke 1:38a)
She brought forth Jesus to this world as an unwed mother. We could imagine her plights. She accompanied Jesus all his way, from Bethlehem to Egypt to Nazareth to Jerusalem. She followed Jesus behind the scene in his public ministry from Capernaum all the way to Mount Calvary. She persevered in carrying her own cross until the very end.
Therefore, the psalm which the apostles were apt to quote as a prooftext of the resurrection of the Messiah can also be applied to the BVM who has followed Christ, her son so closely all the way through.
For thou wilt not abandon my soul to Hades, nor let thy Holy One see corruption (Acts 2:27, Psalm 16:10).
Therefore, it is a dogma of the Catholic Church that the Blessed Virgin Mary did not see corruption after her death. Her body and soul were assumed to heaven soon after her death. We should celebrate this mystery because it demonstrates the destiny of all deserving Christians.
In the second reading tonight, I was puzzled by the translation. Let me list the different versions of translation and I will explain what puzzled me.
最後才是結局；那時，基督將消滅一切率領者、一切掌權者和大能者，把自己的王權交於天主父。
因為基督必須為王，直到把一切仇敵屈伏在衪的腳下。
最後被毀滅的仇敵便是死亡；【格前15：24-26，思高】
Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power.
For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet.
The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death (1 Corinthians 15:24-26, KJV).
Then comes the end, when he delivers the kingdom to God the Father after destroying every rule and every authority and power.
For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet.
The last enemy to be destroyed is death (RSV).
εἶτα τὸ τέλος, ὅταν παραδιδῷ τὴν βασιλείαν τῷ θεῷ καὶ πατρί, ὅταν καταργήσῃ πᾶσαν ἀρχὴν καὶ πᾶσαν ἐξουσίαν καὶ δύναμιν.
δεῖ γὰρ αὐτὸν βασιλεύειν ἄχρι οὗ θῇ πάντας τοὺς ἐχθροὺς ὑπὸ τοὺς πόδας αὐτοῦ.
ἔσχατος ἐχθρὸς καταργεῖται ὁ θάνατος:
I was puzzled because I believe that God's creatures, once created, will never be destroyed. They will exist forever. Well, maybe this is a naive residue from the science training I received. According to the law of conservation of energy and matter, the total among of energy and matter is fixed within a closed system, say the universe. So, even if we die, our molecules and atoms will be recycled and will not vanish. Even if we go through nuclear fusion/fission, our matter will be changed into some forms of energy. That is all for physical matter. It will not be annihilated. The same applies even stronger to spiritual matter such as angels. They are supposed to be more everlasting than us human. Therefore, even Satan and his devils cannot be annihilated. That is why God will shut them up in hell. I think they will neither be annihilated as well.
Now, rule, authority and power are supposed to be classes of angels. How can they be destroyed? That puzzled me. So, I have to look up the Greek text. The Chinese translation 「消滅、毀滅」 and KJV "put down, destroyed" use different terms to translate the same word καταργέω. This time, the RSV is more faithful in sticking to the same word "destroy". However, for me, the word "destroy" seems to be too strong. "Abolish" or "put down" 「廢除」 seems to me to be more palatable. But it is only a matter of taste or style. I know that I do not have enough theological training. The opinions voiced above are immature.
Dear Lord, may we look up to the model set up by the BVM and be reminded that our destiny is in heaven above. Amen.
Sunday, 16 August 2009
Saturday, 15 August 2009
Feast of St. Maximilian Kolbe
Under ordinary situations, men act ordinarily. Heroic acts will emerge only in difficult times. I think this is what Wen Tian Xiang 文天祥 means in his verse 「時窮節乃現，一一垂單青。」 and it is an apt description of the heroic life of Fr. Kolbe, a Franciscan priest.
Fr. Maximilian Mary Kolbe (1894-1941) was Polish. He was one of the many victims in the notorious Auschwitz Nazi concentration camp in Poland. When one prisoner disappeared, the deputy camp commander randomly chose 10 prisoners to be executed to deter further escape attempts. When one of the prisoners cried out for his own family, Fr. Kolbe volunteered to replace him. All 10 were starved to death. After three weeks, the Nazi murdered Fr. Kolbe with a poisonous injection. Pope Paul VI beatified him in 1971. On October 10, 1982, the late Polish Pope John Paul II canonized him and declared him a martyr of charity and before that, had already mentioned him as a patron saint of our difficult times. May God bless us to defy evil with charity, to choose Him over other vanities. Amen.
Today, we read the last chapter of Joshua. The Israelites had finished their invasion of Canaan. Obviously, they did not conquer all the local peoples. They could not exterminate, nor could they drive out every living soul in the whole region. They had to live with the remaining inhabitants. Then, there existed inevitably the danger of syncretism, of assimilating the local deities into their religious life. Before his death, Joshua made clear his position before the people. He did not force the Israelites to believe in God. He gave them a chance to choose and follow their choices.
Then Joshua gathered all the tribes of Israel to Shechem, and summoned the elders, the heads, the judges, and the officers of Israel; and they presented themselves before God (Joshua 24:1).
Then, he summarized the history of Israel beginning with Terah, the father of Abraham and of Nahor, beyond the Euphrates. At that time, they did not know Yahweh. They served other gods (Joshua 24:2). The Exodus was a time of independence fighting and empire building. It was also a time of relationship mending. Throughout this time after the death of Moses, Joshua was the leader and he had gained first-hand experience that God fought the battles on their behalf. Joshua made it clear that the Israelites did not occupy this piece of land through their own merits. God gave them this piece of land on which they had not laboured.
And I sent the hornet before you, which drove them out before you, the two kings of the Amorites; it was not by your sword or by your bow.
I gave you a land on which you had not laboured, and cities which you had not built, and you dwell therein; you eat the fruit of vineyards and oliveyards which you did not plant (Joshua 24:12-13).
Now that they had settled down in Canaan, there were no more battles to fight, no more threats of survival. They had the spare time to turn their attention to theological problems.
Now therefore fear the LORD, and serve him in sincerity and in faithfulness; put away the gods which your fathers served beyond the River, and in Egypt, and serve the LORD.
And if you be unwilling to serve the LORD, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell; but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD (Joshua 24:14-15)
After the Exodus experience, the logical conclusion was to serve Yahweh. Yet, Joshua still allowed the Israelites the choice. As for himself, he had chosen to serve Yahweh. As a matter of fact, God had chosen him the successor of Moses. Joshua did not choose God. God had chosen him. Once chosen, we should work our potential to as much the maximum as possible.
Joshua died 110 years old (Joshua 24:29). He did not live a full age of 120 like Moses did. In the New Testament, Joshua was called Jesus. Jesus of Nazareth lived only to 33. Fr. Kolbe died at 47. The length of age doesn't matter. Their choices, or rather, God's choices matter.
Dear Lord, let my life be a good enough melody. If You wish, let me be Your servant, be a melodic hymn to sing You praises. Amen.
Fr. Maximilian Mary Kolbe (1894-1941) was Polish. He was one of the many victims in the notorious Auschwitz Nazi concentration camp in Poland. When one prisoner disappeared, the deputy camp commander randomly chose 10 prisoners to be executed to deter further escape attempts. When one of the prisoners cried out for his own family, Fr. Kolbe volunteered to replace him. All 10 were starved to death. After three weeks, the Nazi murdered Fr. Kolbe with a poisonous injection. Pope Paul VI beatified him in 1971. On October 10, 1982, the late Polish Pope John Paul II canonized him and declared him a martyr of charity and before that, had already mentioned him as a patron saint of our difficult times. May God bless us to defy evil with charity, to choose Him over other vanities. Amen.
Today, we read the last chapter of Joshua. The Israelites had finished their invasion of Canaan. Obviously, they did not conquer all the local peoples. They could not exterminate, nor could they drive out every living soul in the whole region. They had to live with the remaining inhabitants. Then, there existed inevitably the danger of syncretism, of assimilating the local deities into their religious life. Before his death, Joshua made clear his position before the people. He did not force the Israelites to believe in God. He gave them a chance to choose and follow their choices.
Then Joshua gathered all the tribes of Israel to Shechem, and summoned the elders, the heads, the judges, and the officers of Israel; and they presented themselves before God (Joshua 24:1).
Then, he summarized the history of Israel beginning with Terah, the father of Abraham and of Nahor, beyond the Euphrates. At that time, they did not know Yahweh. They served other gods (Joshua 24:2). The Exodus was a time of independence fighting and empire building. It was also a time of relationship mending. Throughout this time after the death of Moses, Joshua was the leader and he had gained first-hand experience that God fought the battles on their behalf. Joshua made it clear that the Israelites did not occupy this piece of land through their own merits. God gave them this piece of land on which they had not laboured.
And I sent the hornet before you, which drove them out before you, the two kings of the Amorites; it was not by your sword or by your bow.
I gave you a land on which you had not laboured, and cities which you had not built, and you dwell therein; you eat the fruit of vineyards and oliveyards which you did not plant (Joshua 24:12-13).
Now that they had settled down in Canaan, there were no more battles to fight, no more threats of survival. They had the spare time to turn their attention to theological problems.
Now therefore fear the LORD, and serve him in sincerity and in faithfulness; put away the gods which your fathers served beyond the River, and in Egypt, and serve the LORD.
And if you be unwilling to serve the LORD, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell; but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD (Joshua 24:14-15)
After the Exodus experience, the logical conclusion was to serve Yahweh. Yet, Joshua still allowed the Israelites the choice. As for himself, he had chosen to serve Yahweh. As a matter of fact, God had chosen him the successor of Moses. Joshua did not choose God. God had chosen him. Once chosen, we should work our potential to as much the maximum as possible.
Joshua died 110 years old (Joshua 24:29). He did not live a full age of 120 like Moses did. In the New Testament, Joshua was called Jesus. Jesus of Nazareth lived only to 33. Fr. Kolbe died at 47. The length of age doesn't matter. Their choices, or rather, God's choices matter.
Dear Lord, let my life be a good enough melody. If You wish, let me be Your servant, be a melodic hymn to sing You praises. Amen.
Friday, 14 August 2009
Crossing the River Jordan
Forty years ago, Moses brought the Israelites out of Egypt. God parted the Red Sea for them to cross and flee to safety, thus totally cutting off the pursuit of the Egyptians. A few months later when they reached the border of Canaan, they made a grave mistake of not trusting in God to conquer the land. God purged them and sent them off wandering in the wilderness for forty years so that people older than twenty (at that time) would die off. Therefore, by the time Joshua led the Israelites to cross the River Jordan, nobody, except Joshua and Caleb (Numbers 14:30), was older than sixty.
Interestingly, in order to show all the Israelites that Joshua had the backing of God, God worked a miracle similar to the crossing of the Red Sea. This time, it was crossing the River Jordan on dry ground. Before we proceed, let us review the geography of the River Jordan.
River Jordan enters Lake Huleh in the north, which is slightly above sea level and exits into the Sea of Galilee which is 209m below sea level. It runs a further 167Km before entering the Dead Sea which is 422m below sea level. The Israelites crossed the River Jordan to conquer Jericho which is 258m below sea level and some 58Km north of the Dead Sea. Assuming that the River Jordan descends homogeneously from the Sea of Galilee to the Dead Sea. The Israelites crossed the River Jordan at a point roughly 348m below sea level and Jericho was some 90m above and 5Km away to the west of the River.
Before crossing the River, Joshua sent two spies to view the land, especially Jericho (Joshua 2:1). Here, we have the story of the harlot Rahab who provided shelter for these two spies and encouraged them to invade the city (Joshua 2:9-13). When the spies returned, they were very confident to invade the land, unlike the 10 spies forty years ago.
And they said to Joshua, "Truly the LORD has given all the land into our hands; and moreover all the inhabitants of the land are fainthearted because of us." (Joshua 2:24)
Confidence is one thing. Support from God is another. If we are not doing the will of God, every effort is in vain. God's will had always been to give the Israelites Canaan as their inheritance. Forty years ago, they did not have faith in God. They had lost a golden opportunity. After forty years of wandering and battles, the Canaanites were scared of the Israelites while the Israelites had gradually built up their confidence in God. To back up their new leader Joshua, God sprang to action again.
And the LORD said to Joshua, "This day I will begin to exalt you in the sight of all Israel, that they may know that, as I was with Moses, so I will be with you.
And you shall command the priests who bear the ark of the covenant, 'When you come to the brink of the waters of the Jordan, you shall stand still in the Jordan.'" (Joshua 3:7-8)
This time, God did not come down in fire and strong wind. He worked quietly through the Ark. When the priests who bore the Ark stepped into the River Jordan, God dammed up the upper stream and cut off the water flow down into the Dead Sea. All the Israelites would cross the dried land on the riverbed!
Behold, the ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth is to pass over before you into the Jordan.
Now therefore take twelve men from the tribes of Israel, from each tribe a man.
And when the soles of the feet of the priests who bear the ark of the LORD, the Lord of all the earth, shall rest in the waters of the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan shall be stopped from flowing, and the waters coming down from above shall stand in one heap (Joshua 3:11-13)
Remember, the Sea of Galilee is roughly 140m above them. If God had dammed up the River Jordan long enough, the water would have flooded Jericho which is only 90m above them. This is exactly what the Chinese are doing now at Three Gorges. Chinese engineers have planned this project for decades and it has taken them nearly 15 years to finish. In the meantime, a lot of scenic and historical sites are submerged under water. Of course, this is an engineering project and engineers have done their cost-benefit analysis. But God works miracles and He likes to play with waters, e.g. during Creation, the Great Deluge, crossing the Red Sea, the River Jordan, calming a storm in the Sea of Galilee, walking on the Sea of Galilee etc. God does all these for the salvation of men.
Dear Lord, my faith is not strong enough. If the traffic jam on the last November 29 is a sign, please continue to reinforce me, support me and bless my work so that I may serve You well. Amen.
Interestingly, in order to show all the Israelites that Joshua had the backing of God, God worked a miracle similar to the crossing of the Red Sea. This time, it was crossing the River Jordan on dry ground. Before we proceed, let us review the geography of the River Jordan.
River Jordan enters Lake Huleh in the north, which is slightly above sea level and exits into the Sea of Galilee which is 209m below sea level. It runs a further 167Km before entering the Dead Sea which is 422m below sea level. The Israelites crossed the River Jordan to conquer Jericho which is 258m below sea level and some 58Km north of the Dead Sea. Assuming that the River Jordan descends homogeneously from the Sea of Galilee to the Dead Sea. The Israelites crossed the River Jordan at a point roughly 348m below sea level and Jericho was some 90m above and 5Km away to the west of the River.
Before crossing the River, Joshua sent two spies to view the land, especially Jericho (Joshua 2:1). Here, we have the story of the harlot Rahab who provided shelter for these two spies and encouraged them to invade the city (Joshua 2:9-13). When the spies returned, they were very confident to invade the land, unlike the 10 spies forty years ago.
And they said to Joshua, "Truly the LORD has given all the land into our hands; and moreover all the inhabitants of the land are fainthearted because of us." (Joshua 2:24)
Confidence is one thing. Support from God is another. If we are not doing the will of God, every effort is in vain. God's will had always been to give the Israelites Canaan as their inheritance. Forty years ago, they did not have faith in God. They had lost a golden opportunity. After forty years of wandering and battles, the Canaanites were scared of the Israelites while the Israelites had gradually built up their confidence in God. To back up their new leader Joshua, God sprang to action again.
And the LORD said to Joshua, "This day I will begin to exalt you in the sight of all Israel, that they may know that, as I was with Moses, so I will be with you.
And you shall command the priests who bear the ark of the covenant, 'When you come to the brink of the waters of the Jordan, you shall stand still in the Jordan.'" (Joshua 3:7-8)
This time, God did not come down in fire and strong wind. He worked quietly through the Ark. When the priests who bore the Ark stepped into the River Jordan, God dammed up the upper stream and cut off the water flow down into the Dead Sea. All the Israelites would cross the dried land on the riverbed!
Behold, the ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth is to pass over before you into the Jordan.
Now therefore take twelve men from the tribes of Israel, from each tribe a man.
And when the soles of the feet of the priests who bear the ark of the LORD, the Lord of all the earth, shall rest in the waters of the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan shall be stopped from flowing, and the waters coming down from above shall stand in one heap (Joshua 3:11-13)
Remember, the Sea of Galilee is roughly 140m above them. If God had dammed up the River Jordan long enough, the water would have flooded Jericho which is only 90m above them. This is exactly what the Chinese are doing now at Three Gorges. Chinese engineers have planned this project for decades and it has taken them nearly 15 years to finish. In the meantime, a lot of scenic and historical sites are submerged under water. Of course, this is an engineering project and engineers have done their cost-benefit analysis. But God works miracles and He likes to play with waters, e.g. during Creation, the Great Deluge, crossing the Red Sea, the River Jordan, calming a storm in the Sea of Galilee, walking on the Sea of Galilee etc. God does all these for the salvation of men.
Dear Lord, my faith is not strong enough. If the traffic jam on the last November 29 is a sign, please continue to reinforce me, support me and bless my work so that I may serve You well. Amen.
Thursday, 13 August 2009
Did Moses really see Dan from Mount Nebo?
Today, we read the last chapter of Deuteronomy. My impression is that Moses really did not belong to this world!
And Moses went up from the plains of Moab to Mount Nebo, to the top of Pisgah, which is opposite Jericho. And the LORD showed him all the land, Gilead as far as Dan,
all Naphtali, the land of Ephraim and Manasseh, all the land of Judah as far as the Western Sea,
the Negeb, and the Plain, that is, the valley of Jericho the city of palm trees, as far as Zoar (Deuteronomy 34:1-3).
Get any biblical atlas. It will show you maps of Canaan. Look up the end of the atlas. It will give you the latitudes and longitudes of the locations. Mine is Atlas of the Bible and Christianity by Tim Dowley published by Baker Books in 1997. It yields the following coordinates.
Moses was not allowed to cross River Jordan and enter the Promised Land. So, God brought him up Mount Nebo where he was to die and see for the last time in his life the land which God had promised to give to the descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
River Jordan runs from Lake Huleh in the north, through the Sea of Galilee down into the Dead Sea. Dan lies north of Lake Huleh, the northernmost part of the Promised Land, the fountainhead of River Jordan. Mount Nebo is on the north of the Dead Sea and east of River Jordan. Jericho is also on the north of the Dead Sea but on the west of River Jordan. Zoar is on the south of the Dead Sea. The four locations mentioned in Deuteronomy 34 lies along a strip of land running north-south (longitude 35o East) within a width of about 35 Km. Interested readers may visit the following link to check the surface distance between any two locations, given the latitudes and longitudes. The webpage was written by John Byers. The distance from Mount Nebo to Dan is 163.88 Km.
The next question is how far could Moses see on the top of Mount Nebo which is 0.8 Km above the sea level. Deuteronomy says that even when Moses died at an age of 120, his eyes were not dim (Deuteronomy 34:7). Let's assume that Moses' eyesight was perfect.
A simple search on the Internet will give us many webpages explaining how far we can see from a certain height. Here is one entitled "Distance to the Horizon". Following the formula sqrt(2*R*h) , without refraction, we get the following approximation. Assuming that the radius of the earth R is 6378 Km. From a height h of 0.8 Km, Moses could only see roughly 101 Km away. Of course, the calculation should be more complicated because the earth is not a perfect sphere, but the answer should not be too far off. If Moses really had to see Dan 164 Km away, the earth radius R would have been longer so that the earth surface would be flatter, thus he could see farther. It would be roughly 16785 Km instead of 6378 Km! That is too much. Or the height h from where he saw would be roughly 2.1 Km instead of 0.8 Km above ground. That is more reasonable. It is only one third the height of Mount Everest. But then, Mount Nebo would have lost 1300 metres since 1200 B.C., roughly 0.4 metre per year! Such an erosion rate is unheard of!
Therefore, Moses could see Jericho and Zoar without any problem because they lay within 101 Km from Mount Nebo. But Moses could not see with his unaided naked eyes Dan. Even a telescope could not help because a telescope enlarges an image within the visible horizon. Dan lies beyond this visible horizon. Therefore a telescope could not help. Rather, God must have televised the environment of Dan to Moses or flew Moses 2.1 Km in the sky to see Dan. Then distance would no longer be any problem.
Reading the last chapter of Deuteronomy 34 is rather disturbing for those who believe that Moses wrote the five books of Torah. Read this.
So Moses the servant of the LORD died there in the land of Moab, according to the word of the LORD,
and he buried him in the valley in the land of Moab opposite Bethpeor; but no man knows the place of his burial to this day.
Moses was a hundred and twenty years old when he died; his eye was not dim, nor his natural force abated (Deuteronomy 34:5-7).
The author wrote in the third person. It would be very very odd for Moses to write about his own death in the third person. The above verses and many others read like being penned by a biographer. Therefore, it would be more palatable if we do not insist on the authorship of Moses. Rather, the Pentateuch has the authority of Moses behind them. It is a collection of different traditions and an editor compiled them together following the teaching authority of Moses. The editor gave the following evaluation of the achievements of Moses.
And there has not arisen a prophet since in Israel like Moses, whom the LORD knew face to face,
none like him for all the signs and the wonders which the LORD sent him to do in the land of Egypt, to Pharaoh and to all his servants and to all his land,
and for all the mighty power and all the great and terrible deeds which Moses wrought in the sight of all Israel (Deuteronomy 34:10-12).
Well, reading the Bible demands many many skills, including geographical ones.
Dear Lord, the more we learn about the world, the more we marvel at Your wonders. I pray that one day, we may converse with You face to face, to be fully satiated with Your wisdom. Amen.
And Moses went up from the plains of Moab to Mount Nebo, to the top of Pisgah, which is opposite Jericho. And the LORD showed him all the land, Gilead as far as Dan,
all Naphtali, the land of Ephraim and Manasseh, all the land of Judah as far as the Western Sea,
the Negeb, and the Plain, that is, the valley of Jericho the city of palm trees, as far as Zoar (Deuteronomy 34:1-3).
Get any biblical atlas. It will show you maps of Canaan. Look up the end of the atlas. It will give you the latitudes and longitudes of the locations. Mine is Atlas of the Bible and Christianity by Tim Dowley published by Baker Books in 1997. It yields the following coordinates.
| Location | Height | Latitude | Longitude | Distance from Nebo |
| Mount Nebo | 802 m | 31o48'N | 35o48'E | 0 Km |
| Dan | 33o16'N | 35o37'E | 163.88 Km | |
| Jericho | -300 m | 31o51'N | 35o27'E | 33.5 Km |
| Zoar | 31o3'N | 35o26'E | 90 Km |
River Jordan runs from Lake Huleh in the north, through the Sea of Galilee down into the Dead Sea. Dan lies north of Lake Huleh, the northernmost part of the Promised Land, the fountainhead of River Jordan. Mount Nebo is on the north of the Dead Sea and east of River Jordan. Jericho is also on the north of the Dead Sea but on the west of River Jordan. Zoar is on the south of the Dead Sea. The four locations mentioned in Deuteronomy 34 lies along a strip of land running north-south (longitude 35o East) within a width of about 35 Km. Interested readers may visit the following link to check the surface distance between any two locations, given the latitudes and longitudes. The webpage was written by John Byers. The distance from Mount Nebo to Dan is 163.88 Km.
The next question is how far could Moses see on the top of Mount Nebo which is 0.8 Km above the sea level. Deuteronomy says that even when Moses died at an age of 120, his eyes were not dim (Deuteronomy 34:7). Let's assume that Moses' eyesight was perfect.
A simple search on the Internet will give us many webpages explaining how far we can see from a certain height. Here is one entitled "Distance to the Horizon". Following the formula sqrt(2*R*h) , without refraction, we get the following approximation. Assuming that the radius of the earth R is 6378 Km. From a height h of 0.8 Km, Moses could only see roughly 101 Km away. Of course, the calculation should be more complicated because the earth is not a perfect sphere, but the answer should not be too far off. If Moses really had to see Dan 164 Km away, the earth radius R would have been longer so that the earth surface would be flatter, thus he could see farther. It would be roughly 16785 Km instead of 6378 Km! That is too much. Or the height h from where he saw would be roughly 2.1 Km instead of 0.8 Km above ground. That is more reasonable. It is only one third the height of Mount Everest. But then, Mount Nebo would have lost 1300 metres since 1200 B.C., roughly 0.4 metre per year! Such an erosion rate is unheard of!
Therefore, Moses could see Jericho and Zoar without any problem because they lay within 101 Km from Mount Nebo. But Moses could not see with his unaided naked eyes Dan. Even a telescope could not help because a telescope enlarges an image within the visible horizon. Dan lies beyond this visible horizon. Therefore a telescope could not help. Rather, God must have televised the environment of Dan to Moses or flew Moses 2.1 Km in the sky to see Dan. Then distance would no longer be any problem.
Reading the last chapter of Deuteronomy 34 is rather disturbing for those who believe that Moses wrote the five books of Torah. Read this.
So Moses the servant of the LORD died there in the land of Moab, according to the word of the LORD,
and he buried him in the valley in the land of Moab opposite Bethpeor; but no man knows the place of his burial to this day.
Moses was a hundred and twenty years old when he died; his eye was not dim, nor his natural force abated (Deuteronomy 34:5-7).
The author wrote in the third person. It would be very very odd for Moses to write about his own death in the third person. The above verses and many others read like being penned by a biographer. Therefore, it would be more palatable if we do not insist on the authorship of Moses. Rather, the Pentateuch has the authority of Moses behind them. It is a collection of different traditions and an editor compiled them together following the teaching authority of Moses. The editor gave the following evaluation of the achievements of Moses.
And there has not arisen a prophet since in Israel like Moses, whom the LORD knew face to face,
none like him for all the signs and the wonders which the LORD sent him to do in the land of Egypt, to Pharaoh and to all his servants and to all his land,
and for all the mighty power and all the great and terrible deeds which Moses wrought in the sight of all Israel (Deuteronomy 34:10-12).
Well, reading the Bible demands many many skills, including geographical ones.
Dear Lord, the more we learn about the world, the more we marvel at Your wonders. I pray that one day, we may converse with You face to face, to be fully satiated with Your wisdom. Amen.
Tuesday, 11 August 2009
Feast of St. Clare of Assisi
The Church celebrates the feast day of St. Clare (1194-1253) of Assisi today. If Assisi reminds you of St. Francis, you are perfectly right. St. Clare was a contemporary of St. Francis (1181-1226) who left us with a Canticle of Brother Sun and Sister Moon. This prayer of St. Francis' inspired the movie "Brother Sun, Sister Moon" released in 1972, depicting the life of St. Francis and St. Clare together. Both of them followed the gospel spirit of poverty literally and led a heroic life of renunciation of worldliness. Nowadays, not many religious orders can follow their footsteps of leading a beggar's life. Still, we should uphold this spirit of total dependence on God whatever our life station may be.
It seems to be a human instinct to struggle once one is thrown into an alien situation, say the water. Babies seem to retain their memory of living inside a placenta of fluid. When they are thrown into a swimming pool, very naturally they will start swimming and diving. However, for most grown-ups, when they fall into the water, they will instinctively struggle to keep their heads above the water to breathe with their nose! The experience of security on land has overwritten the watery experience inside the mother's womb.
Exodus was a good opportunity for the Israelites to learn total reliance on God. However, like grown-ups who fall into the water for the first time, the Israelites were scared and struggled on their own. They had forgotten to rely on God because of their experience of security and comfort in Egypt. When they crossed the Red Sea between two walls of water, which they had never seen before in their life in Egypt, I am afraid not many of them knew that God parted the waters to help them flee to safety. When they collected manna and quails, many of them probably thought that life in the wilderness should be like this. They might not know that God was feeding them. When Moses disappeared for forty days in the mountain to get the Ten Commandments, of course they would panic and demanded a new leader. It was Aaron's fault to make them a golden calf to lead the Israelites. Aaron never admitted this mistake in front of Moses. Based on their experience of a comfortable and secure life in Egypt, it was only natural for the Israelites to behave the way they did in the wilderness. If they persisted and did not learn to put their faith in God, their future life in the Promised Land would soon be corrupted. Therefore, I do not blame God for His decision to "exile" the Israelites in the wilderness for forty years to cleanse up the older generation which preferred the comfortable Egyptian way of life.
We are approaching the end of Deuteronomy. Moses was 120. He would not cross Jordan. He was giving his advice for the last time to the Israelites.
And he said to them, "I am a hundred and twenty years old this day; I am no longer able to go out and come in. The LORD has said to me, 'You shall not go over this Jordan.'
The LORD your God himself will go over before you; he will destroy these nations before you, so that you shall dispossess them; and Joshua will go over at your head, as the LORD has spoken (Deuteronomy 31:2-3).
Moses was addressing the newer generation. The older one had probably all died out. Forty years ago in the wilderness of Paran, just before entering the Promised Land, the Israelites lost their faith in God after hearing evil reports from the spies (Numbers 13). God "exiled" them for forty years before entering the Promised Land. Forty years ago in Meribath, Moses lost favour before God because he struck the rock instead of telling the rock to give water. Moses would die outside the Promised Land (Deuteronomy 32:51-52). Such were the prices the Israelites had to pay because they did not put their faith in Yahweh. Moses urged them to rely on God because he was worried that after his death, they would relapse to their former selves, instinctively relying on themselves, on more tangible things. They did not have the benefit of witnessing the lives of St. Clare and St. Francis which might serve to remind them that reliance on God can be realistic.
Dear Lord, we have spent life relying on material things for too long. It has become a bad habit on our part. I pray that with the intercession of all the saints in the heavenly court, we may lead a life of obedience and submission to You. Amen.
It seems to be a human instinct to struggle once one is thrown into an alien situation, say the water. Babies seem to retain their memory of living inside a placenta of fluid. When they are thrown into a swimming pool, very naturally they will start swimming and diving. However, for most grown-ups, when they fall into the water, they will instinctively struggle to keep their heads above the water to breathe with their nose! The experience of security on land has overwritten the watery experience inside the mother's womb.
Exodus was a good opportunity for the Israelites to learn total reliance on God. However, like grown-ups who fall into the water for the first time, the Israelites were scared and struggled on their own. They had forgotten to rely on God because of their experience of security and comfort in Egypt. When they crossed the Red Sea between two walls of water, which they had never seen before in their life in Egypt, I am afraid not many of them knew that God parted the waters to help them flee to safety. When they collected manna and quails, many of them probably thought that life in the wilderness should be like this. They might not know that God was feeding them. When Moses disappeared for forty days in the mountain to get the Ten Commandments, of course they would panic and demanded a new leader. It was Aaron's fault to make them a golden calf to lead the Israelites. Aaron never admitted this mistake in front of Moses. Based on their experience of a comfortable and secure life in Egypt, it was only natural for the Israelites to behave the way they did in the wilderness. If they persisted and did not learn to put their faith in God, their future life in the Promised Land would soon be corrupted. Therefore, I do not blame God for His decision to "exile" the Israelites in the wilderness for forty years to cleanse up the older generation which preferred the comfortable Egyptian way of life.
We are approaching the end of Deuteronomy. Moses was 120. He would not cross Jordan. He was giving his advice for the last time to the Israelites.
And he said to them, "I am a hundred and twenty years old this day; I am no longer able to go out and come in. The LORD has said to me, 'You shall not go over this Jordan.'
The LORD your God himself will go over before you; he will destroy these nations before you, so that you shall dispossess them; and Joshua will go over at your head, as the LORD has spoken (Deuteronomy 31:2-3).
Moses was addressing the newer generation. The older one had probably all died out. Forty years ago in the wilderness of Paran, just before entering the Promised Land, the Israelites lost their faith in God after hearing evil reports from the spies (Numbers 13). God "exiled" them for forty years before entering the Promised Land. Forty years ago in Meribath, Moses lost favour before God because he struck the rock instead of telling the rock to give water. Moses would die outside the Promised Land (Deuteronomy 32:51-52). Such were the prices the Israelites had to pay because they did not put their faith in Yahweh. Moses urged them to rely on God because he was worried that after his death, they would relapse to their former selves, instinctively relying on themselves, on more tangible things. They did not have the benefit of witnessing the lives of St. Clare and St. Francis which might serve to remind them that reliance on God can be realistic.
Dear Lord, we have spent life relying on material things for too long. It has become a bad habit on our part. I pray that with the intercession of all the saints in the heavenly court, we may lead a life of obedience and submission to You. Amen.
Monday, 10 August 2009
The Feast of St. Lawrence
Today, the Catholic Church celebrates the feast day of a deacon of the Roman Church, St. Lawrence who was martyred in 258 A.D. As a deacon, he served the poor and the needy generously. Legend had it that when the Roman Prefect wanted Lawrence to hand over the treasure of the Church, he brought along all the poor whom the Church had fed and supported. In his fury, the Roman Prefect grilled Lawrence slowly to death. The generosity of St. Lawrence is admirable. He faithfully put the gospel teaching into practice. In short, St. Lawrence is our model.
go, sell what you have, and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; (Mark 10:21b).
Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust consume and where thieves break in and steal,
but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust consumes and where thieves do not break in and steal (Matthew 6:19-20).
Sell your possessions, and give alms; provide yourselves with purses that do not grow old, with a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches and no moth destroys (Luke 12:33).
In his Second Epistle to the Corinthians, St. Paul encouraged the Corinthians to be generous in their almsgiving to the Jerusalem Church.
Imagine you are responsible for fund-raising for a charity, say the Red Cross. You are writing an appeal letter to donors.
How do you persuade people to donate? Will you describe in graphic details the plight of the needy? Or will you explain the benefits of helping the poor? Or will you appeal to the vanity of the donor by telling him that so-and-so has already donated a huge sum of money?
I believe St. Paul employed the last two tactics to make the Corinthians donate generously.
First of all, he created a rivalry (of generosity) between the Macedonians and the Corinthians. St. Paul did it in a very tactful way. He told the Corinthians that their generosity had inspired the Macedonians who looked up to them as models.
for I know your readiness, of which I boast about you to the people of Macedonia, saying that Achaia has been ready since last year; and your zeal has stirred up most of them (2 Corinthians 9:2).
Therefore, the Corinthians had better get the contributions ready lest the Macedonians found them failed their expectations.
How did St. Paul make sure that the Corinthians would donate generously and not half-heartedly?
St. Paul appealed to God. God loved cheerful givers.
The point is this: he who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.
Each one must do as he has made up his mind, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver (2 Corinthians 9:6-7).
If you give, God will reward you. The more you give, the more God will reward you.
Among Christians, the above argument may work. As for the Red Cross, I wonder if we can appeal to God. You are asking people to part with their money, in return for a receipt which they may use to apply for tax exemption. Other than that, there is no more 'benefit' you can give the donors. Other than God, I know of nothing else to which we can appeal to ask people to part with their hard-earned money.
Before I leave, I want to appeal for St. Paul. Martin Luther had painted a St. Paul who championed faith and only faith as the determining factor of justification, who denied the utility of good work for our salvation. I think St. Paul's teaching has been pushed to the extreme and such an act is not doing him justice. St. Paul does not deny the utility of good work. Listen to him.
He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your resources and increase the harvest of your righteousness (2 Corinthians 9:10).
St. Paul was telling the Corinthians that God enabled them to give. God would also reward them for their giving. And when they gave, they became righteous before God --- increase the harvest of your righteousness. St. Paul did not say faith alone justifies and good work does not justify. Christians who deny the good work of other Christians are simply too lazy to study the Bible.
Dear Lord, we are able to give because You enable us to do so. You want to help us share Your eternal life. May we follow the footstep of St. Lawrence, be generous in giving our time, our energy and our money to the needy. Amen.
go, sell what you have, and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; (Mark 10:21b).
Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust consume and where thieves break in and steal,
but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust consumes and where thieves do not break in and steal (Matthew 6:19-20).
Sell your possessions, and give alms; provide yourselves with purses that do not grow old, with a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches and no moth destroys (Luke 12:33).
In his Second Epistle to the Corinthians, St. Paul encouraged the Corinthians to be generous in their almsgiving to the Jerusalem Church.
Imagine you are responsible for fund-raising for a charity, say the Red Cross. You are writing an appeal letter to donors.
How do you persuade people to donate? Will you describe in graphic details the plight of the needy? Or will you explain the benefits of helping the poor? Or will you appeal to the vanity of the donor by telling him that so-and-so has already donated a huge sum of money?
I believe St. Paul employed the last two tactics to make the Corinthians donate generously.
First of all, he created a rivalry (of generosity) between the Macedonians and the Corinthians. St. Paul did it in a very tactful way. He told the Corinthians that their generosity had inspired the Macedonians who looked up to them as models.
for I know your readiness, of which I boast about you to the people of Macedonia, saying that Achaia has been ready since last year; and your zeal has stirred up most of them (2 Corinthians 9:2).
Therefore, the Corinthians had better get the contributions ready lest the Macedonians found them failed their expectations.
How did St. Paul make sure that the Corinthians would donate generously and not half-heartedly?
St. Paul appealed to God. God loved cheerful givers.
The point is this: he who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.
Each one must do as he has made up his mind, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver (2 Corinthians 9:6-7).
If you give, God will reward you. The more you give, the more God will reward you.
Among Christians, the above argument may work. As for the Red Cross, I wonder if we can appeal to God. You are asking people to part with their money, in return for a receipt which they may use to apply for tax exemption. Other than that, there is no more 'benefit' you can give the donors. Other than God, I know of nothing else to which we can appeal to ask people to part with their hard-earned money.
Before I leave, I want to appeal for St. Paul. Martin Luther had painted a St. Paul who championed faith and only faith as the determining factor of justification, who denied the utility of good work for our salvation. I think St. Paul's teaching has been pushed to the extreme and such an act is not doing him justice. St. Paul does not deny the utility of good work. Listen to him.
He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your resources and increase the harvest of your righteousness (2 Corinthians 9:10).
St. Paul was telling the Corinthians that God enabled them to give. God would also reward them for their giving. And when they gave, they became righteous before God --- increase the harvest of your righteousness. St. Paul did not say faith alone justifies and good work does not justify. Christians who deny the good work of other Christians are simply too lazy to study the Bible.
Dear Lord, we are able to give because You enable us to do so. You want to help us share Your eternal life. May we follow the footstep of St. Lawrence, be generous in giving our time, our energy and our money to the needy. Amen.
Sunday, 9 August 2009
Nineteenth Ordinary Sunday (Year B)
We continue to read the controversy Jesus created when he taught about the bread of life to the Jews who sought him after the feeding miracle. Jesus was trying to teach the Jews something totally beyond their understanding. But I were Jesus, I would not have any better teaching methods.
These Jews had very painful experiences before in their dealings with the prophets. There had been many false prophets who brought their nation disasters. Though Moses had taught them how to differentiate between true and false prophets (Deuteronomy 18:22), it was easier said than done. Too often, they listened to false prophets because their messages were more popular, more pleasing to the ears and more suitable for the agenda of the politicians. Consequently, they persecuted true prophets instead.
Now, standing in front of them was a prophet from Nazareth. Was this Jesus a false prophet or a true one? That was the reason why they demanded Jesus to work miracles to prove the authenticity of his messages.
So they said to him, "Then what sign do you do, that we may see, and believe you? What work do you perform?
Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, 'He gave them bread from heaven to eat.'" (John 6:30-31)
It should be noted that the miracles they were looking for must somehow be mentioned in the Scripture. Therefore, they accepted manna as a miracle because the Scripture had talked about it.
Indeed, we Chinese believers always "complain" about the lacklustre miracles of Jesus mentioned in the gospels. Compared with the miracles worked by the Monkey King, Jesus' miracles were negligible. However, with hindsight, we know that the miracles worked by Jesus were related to events happened in the Old Testament. Jesus worked those miracles only to remind the Jews that he was the Messiah announced in the Old Testament. Jesus was he.
In teaching the Jews about the bread of life, Jesus needed to clarify what he meant by life.
For the Jews and most of us, life would only mean the physical life we are living and nothing else. Ancient Chinese with Buddhist background would be more receptive to the idea of an afterlife. Jews and modern people do not buy this. Of course, this is a sweeping statement. There are always exceptions. It is enough to remember that Jesus had difficulty in knocking the idea of resurrection into the heads of his apostles.
Jesus came from heaven. Therefore, the life he was talking about did not refer to the physical mortal life here on earth. Jesus cared more about giving us his eternal life. He made it very clear at the early stage of his discourse.
Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to eternal life, which the Son of man will give to you; for on him has God the Father set his seal (John 6:27)
Yet, the minds of his audience were preoccupied with filling up their own bellies. Therefore, when Jesus told the Jews about life, the Jews were not hearing the same thing as Jesus spoke.
Jesus then said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven; my Father gives you the true bread from heaven.
For the bread of God is that which comes down from heaven, and gives life to the world."
They said to him, "Lord, give us this bread always." (John 6:32-34)
In answering the Jews' remark about manna, the bread from heaven, Jesus made clear that to be qualified as the true bread from heaven, it must be able to give life, eternal life. This was the message of Jesus. From the answer of the Jews, it was obvious that they had misunderstood Jesus. They marvelled at the miracle of feeding of 600,000 people for 40 years in the wilderness. They continued to focus on the physical side of manna. They were asking for something else.
Jesus spent the next few lines to bring them back to the idea of eternal life.
and this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up at the last day.
For this is the will of my Father, that every one who sees the Son and believes in him should have eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day (John 39-40)
Jesus repeated several times that he was talking about eternal life and that affirmed it again with the promise of raising us up at the last day.
But the Jews had a new problem in their understanding. They failed to see how Jesus would have come from heaven. The same old logic came up. They knew his parents.
They said, "Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How does he now say, 'I have come down from heaven'?" (John 6:42)
We meet this same objection in all the gospels. The Jews knew Jesus' background. Some of them even knew Mary before she became an unwed mother. Once again, it was easy to disprove the divinity, the pre-existence of Jesus. The Jews had made this mistake. Shall we follow them?
For our sake, Jesus told us something about predestination. The concept of predestination is a bit discouraging but like it or not, some truths are rather inconvenient.
No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day.
It is written in the prophets, 'And they shall all be taught by God.' Every one who has heard and learned from the Father comes to me (John 6:44-45).
Only the elected will be saved. Only those God sends to Jesus will receive eternal life and Jesus will raise him up at the last day.
But had God not chosen them to set up the old covenant? They also had the advantage to be the first group of people to meet Jesus. Did God not send them to Jesus? However, Jews were very pragmatic. They wanted signs, miracles and proofs because they had seen too many false prophets. Do you want proof? Sorry, the only proof is the resurrection of Jesus. Can I prove the resurrection of Jesus? I am sorry. No, I cannot.
Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes has eternal life (John 6:47).
How would the Jews believe? If I were Jesus, would I be able to handle the situation better, and taught them in a more convincing way? I am afraid I would do no better.
Dear Lord, I thank You for leaving us the sacrament of the Holy Eucharist to nourish our spiritual life. There are many obstacles in accepting this truth. I pray that we deserve to receive Your grace. Amen.
These Jews had very painful experiences before in their dealings with the prophets. There had been many false prophets who brought their nation disasters. Though Moses had taught them how to differentiate between true and false prophets (Deuteronomy 18:22), it was easier said than done. Too often, they listened to false prophets because their messages were more popular, more pleasing to the ears and more suitable for the agenda of the politicians. Consequently, they persecuted true prophets instead.
Now, standing in front of them was a prophet from Nazareth. Was this Jesus a false prophet or a true one? That was the reason why they demanded Jesus to work miracles to prove the authenticity of his messages.
So they said to him, "Then what sign do you do, that we may see, and believe you? What work do you perform?
Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, 'He gave them bread from heaven to eat.'" (John 6:30-31)
It should be noted that the miracles they were looking for must somehow be mentioned in the Scripture. Therefore, they accepted manna as a miracle because the Scripture had talked about it.
Indeed, we Chinese believers always "complain" about the lacklustre miracles of Jesus mentioned in the gospels. Compared with the miracles worked by the Monkey King, Jesus' miracles were negligible. However, with hindsight, we know that the miracles worked by Jesus were related to events happened in the Old Testament. Jesus worked those miracles only to remind the Jews that he was the Messiah announced in the Old Testament. Jesus was he.
In teaching the Jews about the bread of life, Jesus needed to clarify what he meant by life.
For the Jews and most of us, life would only mean the physical life we are living and nothing else. Ancient Chinese with Buddhist background would be more receptive to the idea of an afterlife. Jews and modern people do not buy this. Of course, this is a sweeping statement. There are always exceptions. It is enough to remember that Jesus had difficulty in knocking the idea of resurrection into the heads of his apostles.
Jesus came from heaven. Therefore, the life he was talking about did not refer to the physical mortal life here on earth. Jesus cared more about giving us his eternal life. He made it very clear at the early stage of his discourse.
Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to eternal life, which the Son of man will give to you; for on him has God the Father set his seal (John 6:27)
Yet, the minds of his audience were preoccupied with filling up their own bellies. Therefore, when Jesus told the Jews about life, the Jews were not hearing the same thing as Jesus spoke.
Jesus then said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven; my Father gives you the true bread from heaven.
For the bread of God is that which comes down from heaven, and gives life to the world."
They said to him, "Lord, give us this bread always." (John 6:32-34)
In answering the Jews' remark about manna, the bread from heaven, Jesus made clear that to be qualified as the true bread from heaven, it must be able to give life, eternal life. This was the message of Jesus. From the answer of the Jews, it was obvious that they had misunderstood Jesus. They marvelled at the miracle of feeding of 600,000 people for 40 years in the wilderness. They continued to focus on the physical side of manna. They were asking for something else.
Jesus spent the next few lines to bring them back to the idea of eternal life.
and this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up at the last day.
For this is the will of my Father, that every one who sees the Son and believes in him should have eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day (John 39-40)
Jesus repeated several times that he was talking about eternal life and that affirmed it again with the promise of raising us up at the last day.
But the Jews had a new problem in their understanding. They failed to see how Jesus would have come from heaven. The same old logic came up. They knew his parents.
They said, "Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How does he now say, 'I have come down from heaven'?" (John 6:42)
We meet this same objection in all the gospels. The Jews knew Jesus' background. Some of them even knew Mary before she became an unwed mother. Once again, it was easy to disprove the divinity, the pre-existence of Jesus. The Jews had made this mistake. Shall we follow them?
For our sake, Jesus told us something about predestination. The concept of predestination is a bit discouraging but like it or not, some truths are rather inconvenient.
No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day.
It is written in the prophets, 'And they shall all be taught by God.' Every one who has heard and learned from the Father comes to me (John 6:44-45).
Only the elected will be saved. Only those God sends to Jesus will receive eternal life and Jesus will raise him up at the last day.
But had God not chosen them to set up the old covenant? They also had the advantage to be the first group of people to meet Jesus. Did God not send them to Jesus? However, Jews were very pragmatic. They wanted signs, miracles and proofs because they had seen too many false prophets. Do you want proof? Sorry, the only proof is the resurrection of Jesus. Can I prove the resurrection of Jesus? I am sorry. No, I cannot.
Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes has eternal life (John 6:47).
How would the Jews believe? If I were Jesus, would I be able to handle the situation better, and taught them in a more convincing way? I am afraid I would do no better.
Dear Lord, I thank You for leaving us the sacrament of the Holy Eucharist to nourish our spiritual life. There are many obstacles in accepting this truth. I pray that we deserve to receive Your grace. Amen.
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