Identity and Sabbath (Mk 2;23-29)

Circumcision and Sabbath are the two most obvious features of Jewish identity. This is particularly important when Jewish nation no longer exists at the time of Jesus. This explains why the Pharisees take Sabbath very serious. Violation of Sabbath is not just simply disobedience to law, but an act of de-Jewish identity. We as the people of Hong Kong have the similar experience as Jews. In mid 1980s, Deng Xiaopeng affimred the people of Hong Kong of that after 1997, both dancing and racing would be kept on (馬照跑，舞照跳). The issue is not whether both dancing and racing are good to be kept, but they aymbolize the identity of being Hongkongese, that is, one country two systems. Therefore, any attempt to denounce it is an act of de-Hong Kong identity. In this context, Jesus’ violation of Sabbath is not just an argument of how Sabbath is righly interpreted, but how Jewish identity is understood. If so, what is Jewish identity?

In this passage, Jesus considers that first, the Jewish identity is not primarily about Jewish, but about being considerate. Jesus uses the story of David to argue that being considerate is more important than observing the law, and respecting the law has to subject to the love of people. In other words, Jewish identity is formed by its hospitality and gracious to the need more than meeting the requirements of the rituals. This is hardly to be appreciated, for at that time, the Pharisees are used to define identity by boundary, such as, Jews and gentiles. As a result, Jewish identity becomes a kind of chauvinism. Jesus here is not against the Jewish identity, but attempts to expand the meaning of Jewish identity from the political consideration to the concern of the need of the people.

Second, the Jewish identity lies on the relationship between God and Jews, not between Sabbath and Jews. It is God who makes the covenant with the Jewish community, and makes them become the people of God. The covenant with God is expressed in Torah, but the Torah is not God himself. Torah is a symbol pointing to and even participating into God’s covenant with the Jewish community, but it is not the one who makes the covenant. The failure of the Pharisees is not their unfaithful to Torah, but rather they turn the finite into infinite, the law into God himself. Jesus’ saying of that ‘the son of man is the lord of the Sabbath’ is not about his own authority, for this is against the concept of hidden Messiah in Mark’s Gospel, but is a reminder to them what their identity lies on.

In Jesus’ eye, Jewish identity is more than an ethnic issue. Rather it is derived from the belief in God who is the God of Jews and gentiles, the God of law and gospel. Jesus challenges the over-riding of Jewish national identity against their religious identity represented by love and inclusion. Can such a religious identity be integrated with the national identity in real life? When I studied in Denmark in 1986, I had heard a story about the Danes in solidarity with the Jewish community during the occupation of Hitler. The Jews in Denmark were requested to wear a yellow ribbon in their arms in order to be differentiated from the Danes. Surprisingly, the king of Denmark appealed to his people to wear a yellow ribbon also. The Danes took the King’s appeal positively at the risk of their lives, for their act would be considered as against Hitler. However, I have to tell you that this is not a true story. It is not found in history, but it is the myth that the Danes believe, that is, a sense of solidarity with people who are in danger. The myth is more powerful than the fact, for the values and ideal reflected in the myth shapes our lives. In the case of the Danes, the Danes is not just a national identity, but also their inclusiveness and solidarity.

Recently, we the people of Hong Kong are in a crisis of identity. Many people from China mainland come to Hong Kong to give birth in order to get Hong Kong residency, and this threatens both their lives and our medical system. Drivers of China mainland may be allowed to drive in Hong Kong for leisure, and this may affect both our road safety and air quality. Our shops and shopping malls have been converted to serve the people from mainland China, and the people of Hong Kong are marginalized from the city life. Since the Hong Kong economy is more dependent upon China mainland and Hong Kong has gradually lost all its advantages, all these make us lose our confidence and feel unsecure. The Hong Kong identity is getting diluted and unclear. In order to maintain our identity, some discriminate people from China mainland, project them as uncivilized and even condemn them as 蝗虫.

We are reminded by Jesus that the Hong Kong identity is not preserved by discrimination and exclusion. Rather our identity is maintained by our commitment to inclusion, hospitality and respect. We lose our identity, not because there are more people coming from China mainland, but because we are becoming more excusive, mean and arrogant. This does not mean that we should allow the Chinese pregnant women abusing the Hong Kong medical system, for instance. We should do what we can in law and in act to prevent the abuse, but not discrimination. We Christian should not allow our Hongkong identity over-riding our Christian identity. These two identities are not in opposition to one another, but they are not necessarily equivalence. We are remind that we are called to the ministry of reconciliation. Where there is hatred, we sow love. Where there is conflict, we sow peace. Where there is distrust, we sow hope.