超乎現實的天國（太20: 1-16)

我相信沒有僱主或人事部會按耶穌這比喻的主人僱用員工，因為這樣的人事管理只會製造同事之間無需要的不信任。同樣，我相信也沒有太多人願意在這樣環境下打工，因為多勞沒有多得。若是，為何耶穌要設計這樣一個故事來比喻天國？原因是天國就是這樣超乎現實，也因此，天國不是我們可以建立的。

天國是超乎現實，因為天國不是按人的能力獎勵，而是恩典。表面看來，那些一早獲聘用的應該是最有競爭力，而後來在九時、下午十二時、三時和五時受聘用的應是最無競爭力。但若天國是超乎現實，我們可以反轉來想，即一早獲聘用的是最無競爭力。他們獲聘用，因為主人不希望他們被遺棄。若這是事實，這些一早已獲聘用者對主人的不滿（節11-12）反映出他們看不見其獲聘用不是因為他們能力比人優勝，反而因能力比人弱。可能，下午五時獲聘用者的工作效率可能等同，甚至高於一早獲聘用者整日的工作表現。在生活世界，高與低的生產力決定人的價值，但這不是天國的價值。天國的價值是上主恩典。

天國是超乎現實，因為天國以人的需要為優先，不是它可以容納多少。葡萄園需要多少工人？一早被騁請的總人數應是飽和的人數。所以，稍後獲聘請者不是因人手不夠，而是因他們閒著和呆著。閒著和呆著有何不好？若不是為生存，呆著和閒著可能是好，但這不是這比喻裡面的人之處境。所以，當他們獲聘用，不論時間多少，他們就接受了。或許，天國有用不完的資源，以致天國可以將人的需要放得優先。若天國是超乎現實，我們可以反轉來想，不是因為天國有無限的資源，而是因為主人對人的需要的回應使葡萄園的空間擴大了。當我們只專注可見空間時，我們就忽略了空間也是構想空間。構想空間從來比可見空間大。

天國是超乎現實，因為公道不是從比較而來，反而從為別人感恩而來。這比喻容易給人一種平均主義的印象，即做又三十六，不做又三十六（這是1960-70年代中國社會，工人的每月工資）。歷史証明平均主義是失敗的，因為它對人過份理想，沒有考慮人的自私。若天國是超乎現實，我們可以反轉來想，公道不需要比較，反而為別人得到恩典而感恩。主人向投訴者說，「朋友，我沒虧待你，你與我講定的不是一個銀幣嗎？」（節13）主人繼續說，「因為我作好人，你就眼紅了嗎？」（節15）

當主耶穌教我們禱告「願你（天父）國降臨」時，我們真的嚮往這個超乎現實的天國嗎？還是興幸天國不在世界？或許，問題應是：甚麼樣的人才會嚮往天國？他應是一個承認他的一切全是上主恩典的人；他應是一個對不幸者滿有同情和憐憫的人；他應是一個為他人也蒙恩典而感恩的人。若沒有這些特徵，他不會在天國感到快樂，因為計較和比較使他埋怨上主，看不起其他人。不是天國拒絕他，而是他拒絕天國。這解釋了節 16說，被召的人多，選上的卻少。

Lucky or Blessed (Matt 18: 21-35

If there are two conditions available, namely, being lucky or being blessed, how would you like your life to be? And why? Luck is not unimportant. I had a bad luck last month. The sun roof of my car was seriously damaged by the fallen tree on the day of typhoon No 10 signal. If I parked my car slightly left, I would definitely avoid the bad luck. Luck comes and goes on its own, and it is absolutely brought by chance. We have no obligation to give thanks to the so-called god of luck, for good luck is never consciously designed and there is no guarantee to have good luck again. Unlike luck, feeling being blessed is to admit what we have had and achieved is graciously given. Being blessed does not exclude the role of our effort, but our effort alone would not make things realized. Being blessed reminds us that we are not entitled to, but we are given graciously. We give thanks for being blessed, and the feeling of being blessed makes us humbleness, thankfulness and graciousness to others. One common feature of these two conditions, namely, being lucky and being blessed, is that we are not entitled to, but they generate different attitudes toward life. Having this brief clarification of being lucky and being blessed, how would you describe your life, lucky or blessed? This is the concern of the gospel message today (Matt 18:21-35). 

The gospel message today is about forgiveness. It is about how forgiveness is possible and significant in discipleship. In order to illustrate how and why seventy times seven times of forgiveness possible and necessary, Jesus illustrates it in the parable of the unforgiving servant. There are two features of this parable. First, the master cancels the debt of the servant. The amount is ten thousand talents. One talent is equivalent to 6000 denarii, and a daily wage of a laborer at that time is one denarii. It is unbelievable why the servant is so mean to his fellow, for 100 denarii is a very small amount in comparison to his debt of 6,000,000 denarii being cancelled. Second, we Christians have a belief of that the God anyway would forgive. This is partly true, for God’s judgment would come upon those abusing his graciousness. Abuse is not about not saying thank you, but to keep God’s graciousness to oneself and even preventing others to experience God's graciousness. This message of God's judgment is found in other passages of the Gospel of Matthew, such as, Matt 25. Now let us turn to the experience of the master and the servant in the parable.

How would the servant describe his experience of debt’s cancellation? I would say that he is inclined to see himself very lucky. He would say that he is lucky, for he meets a relatively compassionate master. If the master is mean and tough, he and his family would be sold, and never have a chance to have their own lives. He is lucky, for the master has a good mood. If the trial is taken on another day and the mood of the master is bad, his debt would not be easily cancelled. He is lucky, for the master has a very good income from other sources, and so, he can bear the loss of 1000 talents. Feeling being lucky blinds the servant to see that the debt cancellation is a gracious deed of the master. Since it is a matter of luck, the slave politely says thank you, but not whole-heartedly. Since luck is purely a chance, the slave is hoping that the good luck would remain in his life as long as possible. This explains that he does not see any problem not to cancel the debt of his fellow. His fellow has a bad luck, and what his fellow needs is to have a good luck as his.

For the master, his cancellation of the debt is a deliberate act, not arbitrary. First, the master consciously and voluntarily gives up the right of entitlement. It is absolutely right for the master to request the servant to settle the account, but he chooses not to exercise his right. Second, the interest or the benefits of the servant is taken into account and is given a high priority. This is not about how goodness the servant is, but the goodwill of the master for the servant. Third, the cancellation of the debt is unconditional. It is free, but free is not equivalent to cheap. It is true that many free gifts are cheap, but this is not applied to grace. The love and care provided by our parents to us is unconditional and free. This is precious, not cheap. The master would not consider his act a gracious act, and it leaves to the recipients to articulate the act of the master. One of the significant features of feeling being blessed is to give thanks what you have received, and more importantly, to be a graceful person, to be gracious to your fellows.

The major difference between feeling being lucky and being blessed is that you can’t choose to make your life more lucky, but you can learn and choose to see your life as being blessed. Seeing your life as a blessing helps you to create a greater inner capacity to be gracious to your fellows and even to forgive seventy times seven. Does it imply we have to avoid good luck? Definitely no. If it comes, welcome it. If it goes, let it be. Luck comes and goes on its own. But what we can be is to live in the midst of good and bad luck with a grateful heart to God and graceful heart to our fellows. This is what being blessed brings to life.