愛與被愛，就是你能擁有的最大財富。
心中有夢，也能夠使你變得非常富足。
2014.11.23 路加福音第九主日 主日經文
路加福音12:16-21「就用比喻對他們說：有一個財主田產豐盛；自己心裡思想說：我的出產沒有地方收藏，怎麼辦呢？又說：我要這麼辦：要把我的倉房拆了，另蓋更大的，在那裡好收藏我一切的糧食和財物，然後要對我的靈魂說：靈魂哪，你有許多財物積存，可作多年的費用，只管安安逸逸的吃喝快樂吧！神卻對他說：無知的人哪，今夜必要你的靈魂；你所預備的要歸誰呢？凡為自己積財，在神面前卻不富足的，也是這樣。」
李亮神父講道:
今日的福音書中，耶穌說了一個無知財主的比喻。比喻中的這個財主，那年很幸運，他的田地四時和順，五穀豐登。有意思的是，這個人並不努力，一切就發生了。然而，那其實不是自然而然發生的，因為那是神給他的祝福，讓他擁有許多。但是這財主並不開心，農作豐收反而讓他非常煩惱。他內心開始愁煩思想，重要的是，他只在心中自言自語。他問自己，這麼多的農作物該怎麼處理。他只是獨自思索，沒有和任何人討論，因此雖然想到解決辦法，卻是一個最糟的辦法。他要把原本的倉庫拆了，蓋另外一座更大的倉庫，然後他就可以不用工作，他告訴自己：「你有許多財物積存，可作多年的費用，只管安安逸逸的吃喝快樂吧！」
這是故事的前半部分，這個人不明白神的祝福，而神臨到他的祝福實在太多了。另一件事情，他始終只在自己心中思想籌算，他沒有妻子、沒有兒女、沒有朋友可以互相討論。這個財主幾乎孤僻、遠離人群，將自己隔絕於任何關係之外。他已經身處地獄，因為地獄就是孤立、拒絕與他人相處，並且認為：「這裡只有我，別人都不存在」，認為自我就是世界的中心。他的人格已經處於病態。我會這樣說，因為首先從心理層面看來，他沒有社交生活、沒有家人，沒有任何關係。
其次，他不想工作，但工作是很重要的事。神每天都工作，創造萬物；神總是在工作。如你所知，耶穌在畢士大池子旁醫好了癱瘓三十八年的病人，人們質問祂為何在安息日做了這事，耶穌回答說：「我父作事直到如今，我也作事。」（約翰福音5：17）然而年輕財主的自私，卻使他有著不想工作的心理疾病。但有人可能會問：「不工作是糟糕的行為嗎？」是的，這是一切罪惡的根源。即使一個人沒有創造力，他還是可以工作，例如你可能看過我們社區中，有個老人義務地為社區清理街道。此外，還有科學家，總是在工作；廚師或是家庭主婦，也總是在工作。這些人手不停歇，總是工作著。這樣看來，這個比喻中的財主已經活在地獄之中，那就是他孤僻懶散的生活。
然而他卻步步走向更自我孤立的生活，因為他視人生如同享樂，只有享樂。何謂享樂？只是吃吃、喝喝、整天睡覺，這與動物無異。甚至飛鳥都不只是吃喝睡而已，牠們至少還來到教會窗台引吭高唱。這個人想著的，只是金錢；金錢就「是」他，他就「是」金錢。這裡有個大哉問：我們到底是「有」，還是「是」？(Is it to have something or to be something？) 這個人是個一觸即破的夢幻泡影。如我說過的，他就是自己世界的中心，別人都得依照他的意思行事。我怎麼知道？因為我在阿陀斯聖山（Mt. Athos）與St. Porphyrios、Paiysius神父和修院院長George等聖潔的人們一同生活，縱使我的經歷如此貧乏，也稍有體悟。我學習到即使吵架爭論，或者失敗犯錯，也遠遠好過你自以為是神，好過一個只顧自己的虛假人生－只想著自己要這個、那個；指揮別人做這、做那。
這個年輕財主把自己視為偶像，就像在大齋期期間，克里特主教聖安德烈( St. Andrew, the Bishop of Crete)所寫的詩歌，歌詞中說：「我變成一尊偶像，我崇拜自己。」事實上，身為基督徒的我們可能會這麼想：「我與別人吵架嗎？沒有。我竊取別人的錢財嗎？沒有。我有不合宜的戀情嗎？也沒有。看啊！我是多麼地聖潔啊！」但因為如此，我們已將自己視為偶像，而這就是地獄。我多次提到，西方神學家所說的地獄，是一個神用烈火和魔鬼來折磨人的地方，但那是一種錯誤的、病態的想像。初代教會的正統教導，也就是東正教教義中的地獄，並非如此。地獄就是一個人拒絕神的愛，也拒絕愛人和被愛，結果就是深深地活在痛苦中。地獄之火就是神的榮光。神不是虐待狂，神並沒有另外創造烈火來折磨任何人。心中有愛的，神的榮光就是天堂；心中懷恨的，神的榮光就是地獄。（關於天堂地獄的解釋，請參閱文末延伸閱讀）。
福音書的故事中，這財主找到方法來解決他的困難，只為了能與他的金銀財寶活在一起，結果還是只想出一個笨方法。如果他去問問別人的意見，別人可能會建議他做點投資，也許他還能賺得更多。
然後有來自天上的聲音，那是神，祂總是關心我們，以各種方式對我們說話。對財主，神直接對他說話。對我們，今日祂透過福音書對我們說話，我們聽見了祂的道，對嗎？不只如此，耶穌基督的聖體聖血，也進到我們裡面。神用各種方法對我們說話。因著愛，神直接對這個人說話，因為這人簡直就像個聾子，實在是像個活死人，像現今電影中的殭屍。神告訴他：「無知的人哪，今夜必要你的靈魂；你所預備的要歸誰呢？」這人忘了我們可能會隨時死去。
我們明白這個事實，現在我能對你們講道，你們能聽道，就是一個神蹟。我的意思是有心臟病的我，生死有命。有無以數計的細胞分子平在我體內和諧共處，所以我才能說話。但是如果有某個器官出事，我當然可能現在就死去。所以神提醒這個人－可知生命永恆的歸處？活著就是奇蹟。
接著神說：「今夜(他們)必要你的靈魂」，這裡來索取靈魂的「他們」是誰呢？不同教父對此有不同解釋。有些教父說是魔鬼，因為這財主和魔鬼在一起，因為魔鬼就是孤立，就是在鏡中自我感覺良好。有些教父解釋說「他們」是指相較於這個財主，其他吃不飽的旁人。這個人有了一切的財富，而其他人卻挨苦受餓，這樣公平嗎？在我成為修士後，我到了非洲，我看到孩童一天只吃一餐，他們的食物就是用水泡一點點的麥子果腹。當然他們很容易生病，而我們不容易生病，是因為我們一天吃三餐。我感到無比的羞愧，我禱告說：「主啊，我在阿陀斯聖山，以為自己是個修士，吃著新鮮的蔬食，吃著麵包和雞蛋。只要到帖撒邏尼迦就會有最好的醫生。但這些在非洲的人，因著饑餓和疾病，身微命賤地死去。」現在我向你們說話時，每分鐘世界上都有一個孩子死於飢餓。
然後祂說：「你所預備的要歸誰呢？」也許是給一些親戚，假如他沒有親戚，那就是政府會收納他的財產，結局也不過如此而已。如果人們是用人的方法，而不是以神的方式獲得財富，同樣的結局也會發生在其他富有的人身上。這樣說來，我會說我們都是富足的，首先我們是健康的，這就是極大的恩賜。我們一定要為此感謝，如果你需要上醫院看病或是感冒了，你便明白為著自己的健康而感激神是多麼重要的事。也許我們沒有許多錢財，但是我們可以愛人，也有人愛你，這就是你能擁有的最大財富。或者你心中有個夢想，這也能使你變得非常富足。
如何才能依照神的方式，成為富足？神富足，因為祂分享。神是富足，為我們成為生命的糧，成為聖餐中的聖體聖血。什麼是真正的富有？像神一樣：成為食物、付出一切；當你付出與敞開時，神就進入你，與你同在。生命不再是「我擁有」，而是「我是；我存在」。
這就是神的富足之道：祂成為食物。祂喜歡這樣，成為餅和酒，在這樣簡單的食物中與你同在；祂依照神的旨意，分享自己的生命，因而成為富足。有首廣傳的老詩歌，歌中說「生命若不分享，就是浪費」( A life which is not a shared life is a wasted life.) 富足是指我們愈發敞開，突然間我們便發現了全世界；而在世界的中心，我們尋見了與萬物同在的祂，那就是神。我們愈發敞開自己，最終將發現死亡無法再靠近，無法再索取我們的靈魂。甚至當我們死去，如同耶穌基督曾保證的，沒有任何事物能將我們與祂隔絕，也沒有任何事物能將我們與他人隔絕，即使死也不能。若我們敞開自己，分享自己的生命，不再自我中心，就不再死亡，死亡已被終結。耶穌基督說：「我是從天上降下來生命的糧；人若吃這糧，就必永遠活著。」(約翰福音6：51) 這是為何在教會的聖禮儀(聖餐禮)中沒有死亡。生者與亡者同在，生者亡者都在祭壇上的聖杯之中合而為一。
紀錄: Baker教授
翻譯: 張奉書
2014.11.23 Luke 9 – How to Be Rich
St. Paul’s Letter to the Ephesians 2:14-22 BRETHREN, Christ is our peace, who has made us both one, and has broken down the dividing wall of hostility, by abolishing in his flesh the law of commandments and ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace, and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby bringing the hostility to an end. And he came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near; for through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father. So then you are no longer strangers and sojourners, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole structure is joined together and grows into a holy temple in the Lord; in whom you also are built into it for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.
The Gospel of Luke 12:16-21 The Lord said this parable: “The land of a rich man brought forth plentifully; and he thought to himself, ‘What shall I do, for I have nowhere to store my crops?’ And he said, ‘I will do this: I will pull down my barns, and build larger ones; and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I will say to my soul, ‘Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; take your ease, eat, drink, be merry.’ But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul is required of you; and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?’ So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.” As he said these things, he cried out: “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”
Fr. Jonah’s Sermon:
Today Jesus tells the famous parable of this stupid, rich guy. He says that this person was rich and he had been lucky that year: the weather had been very good, so he had such a big harvest. It was interesting to see here that this person did not work for it; it just happened. Not that it happened by itself since it was the blessing of God for him to have a lot of things. But instead of being happy, he started to have a big problem, which was that he had such a large harvest that he started thinking inside himself, and it is important that this was something inside his mind. He was asking himself what he should do now that he had such a big harvest. Then, thinking only in himself, he found the solution, and he found – of course – the worst solution. He said that he would destroy the storage building that he already had and then build a bigger one. And then what? Then he would not work; he would say to himself, like just drink, don’t do anything.
In the first part of the story, this person could not recognize anything about the blessing of God, which was too much for him. And the other thing was that he was thinking only inside his mind. He had no wife; he had no kids; he had no friends. This person was practically isolated from everybody else. This person already is in Hell, because what is Hell? It is this isolation, this isolation, this refusal to be with others; and to think, “It is all about me, you don’t exist here.” The center of the world is himself. This person is already a sick personality. Why do I say this? First of all, from a psychological point of view. There is no social life, no family, no nothing.
The second thing is that he doesn’t want to work any more. Work, you know, is something important. God works every day and He works to make everything; God is always working. As Jesus said, “My Father worketh hitherto, and I work.” (John 5:17, KJV) So, this selfishness also led him to the psychological disease of not wanting to work. But somebody might ask me, “So is not working such a bad thing?” Yes, it is the root of all the sins, because if somebody is not a creative person, then no matter what he is doing, even if he is just cleaning the street. And you may have seen an old man outside of our building someone who is cleaning the street just to do something for the community. And there are scientists – who always work, or cooks, or wives – who always work: these people are doing something. And from this point of view, the person in this parable lives in his Hell, which is his isolation.
And he goes towards more isolation because he sees life as only enjoyment. What is this enjoyment? It is just eating, drinking and sleeping: any animal is doing the same. At least the birds that are coming to the window sill outside our church are doing something extra: they sing very beautifully; they don’t eat, sleep and nothing else. So this person was thinking that what he is, is money. And this is a big question: is it to have something or to be something. This person was just an empty bubble. As I have said, he was the center of his own world and everybody else should be how he wanted them to be, how he wanted them to react: he was the center of the world. And how do I know? It is from my poor experience and from the holy people that I have lived with in Mount Athos, from St. Porphyrios, from Father Paiysius, from my abbot Archimandrite George, I learned that it is better to quarrel, better to do something bad. At least you will not feel, “I’m God.” That is better than to lead a fake life where you think about yourself: “I want this, and this, and this; and I want you to do this, and to this, and to do this.”
So, this person is an idol to himself. During the Great Lent, we have a very long song from St. Andrew, the Bishop of Crete. He says , “I become an idol and I worship myself.” He might think, I don’t quarrel with others. Did I steal money from anybody? Did I go with women? But no, he is only his own idol, and this is Hell. As I have told you and as Orthodox dogmatic says, Hell is not a place like the sick imaginations of the western theologians say, with fire and devils and all these things. It is to refuse the love of God and to love of other people, and this creates pain. The fire of Hell is the light of God.
Here in this story, when the man found the solution of the very difficult problem that he had of what he could do with his treasure and his money. Finally he found a stupid way, and even his way was not smart because if he had asked somebody for advice, the person might have told him to invest his money so that he could have even more.
Then a voice came from Heaven, and this is God, who always cares for us, and who speaks to us in different ways. To this rich person, He spoke directly. To us today, He spoke through the Gospel, and we heard His words, right? Not only this, he entered to us, really as Jesus Christ. And there are so many other ways that God is talking to us. But out of love, God talked to this person directly, because he was completely deaf. He was really a living dead person, like a zombie as we see today in the movies. And God calls him, “Stupid! Tonight they will ask your soul from you. So, who will get all that you have prepared?” This person forgot that we can die any time.
And I want after we eat we can have some conversation, some dialogue with people who want, with some coffee and tea. We see the fact that I can talk to you and you can listen to me now is a miracle. I mean, I could die. I could have a heart attack now. There are millions of molecules in my body that are in harmony, so I can talk. But something could happen and this would be broken, and I could die now. So God reminds this person, “Do you know that your life is going to be forever, as you think it will be?” You live in a miracle.
And God says, “They ask.” Who are they who ask for his soul? There are different interpretations by different Fathers of the Church. Some say that they are all the other people who don’t have enough to eat, while he has so much. And these people are saying, “How long will it be? Is it justice for this person to have everything while others are dying from starvation?” You know, the first time after I became a monk that I felt shame was when I was in Africa, when I saw the kids who ate only once a day, just a little bit of wheat with water, so bad. Of course, they get sick so easily and they say to us that we don’t get sick so easily since we eat three times a day. And I say, “Oh my God. I pretend that I am a monk when I am on Mt. Athos and we eat very fresh things there. We have bread, we have eggs, we have vegetables and we can have the best doctors if we go to Thessaloniki. And these people in Africa, they die like nothing from starvation and disease. “ And every minute that I am talking to you now, one kid dies from starvation in the world. Others say that this refers to the devil, because he was with the devil since the devil is this isolation, this self image, the mirror in which I admire myself.
Then He said, “To whom will your money belong?” Maybe to some relatives or if there are no relatives, the government will take the money, and that’s it. And He says that the same thing will happen to those who become rich in the human way and not in God’s way. From point of view, I would say that we are rich. Why? First of all, we have our health, and this is a very great thing. And we must appreciate this since if you go to a hospital or you catch a cold, then you see how important it is to appreciate that we are healthy. Maybe we don’t have money, but we may have somebody to love or who loves you, and this is a very, very, the biggest thing you can have. Or you have a dream in your life to do something in your life and this makes you very rich.
But what is the way to become rich according to God? God, you see, is rich because He shares. God is rich becomes food, and He becomes food for us to eat. What is the real wealth? To become like this: to become food, to give everything, and as you are giving and opening, God enters you and I. I say, “I have”, and this is wrong. I should say “I am; I exist.”
This is the way that God is rich: He becomes food. He likes this and in the simple things of the bread and your presence, He shares this to become rich according to God. There is a popular song, a little bit old now, but which I like very much. It says, “A life which is not a shared life is a wasted life.” This is the richness: the more we open, suddenly we discover all the world. And in the center of the world, we find Him, with everything: God. And the more we open ourselves, finally death cannot come. Nobody is asking for our souls. And even when we die, as Jesus Christ has promised, nothing can separate us from Him and from the others, not even death. If we open and if our life is shared and not centered on ourselves, then death is not any more; it is over. And Jesus Christ says that he who has the food of life in him will never see death. This is why in the Liturgy there is nothing about the dead. The living and the dead are all together. The living and the dead are all here .
But we can talk more about this after the food. Do you have any question now before I finish? OK? If not, then we will eat.
Recorder: Prof. Baker
