二○二一年七月三日／四日
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這一切你們都領悟了嗎？
周曉暉牧師
主耶穌在地上曾運用多種方式傳講天國的真理和福音，其中一大特色，就是運用比喻。而新約裡面的所有比喻，幾乎都是耶穌講的。
有人就曾經數過，到底主耶穌講過多少比喻？有說 30，有說 50，甚至有說是 80 個之多。這數量的差別，主要出於一些修辭文體的分類。無論如何，主耶穌真的講了很多比喻，所以，人若跳過對觀福音書中的比喻，相信就會錯過主耶穌一半的講論。
對於信主年日不短的信徒，福音書大概起碼也讀過五、六遍，以致或會不再覺得這些比喻有甚麼特別。加上歷代對比喻的解讀有時會被挪用，硬把比喻中的枝節引伸一番，令致我們就算跟隨近百年的釋經傳統，比喻的解讀也有「既定路線」。或許比喻就像蒸餾好的雞精，縱有益處，也失了鮮味，令人嘗不出其中能改變生命之活力。
最近趁疫情緩和，我上道風山走了一走，而這山我也不知上過多少回。
年少時上道風山，總會由中式禮堂出發，一股勁地往那豎立大十字架的山頭跑，穿過窄門，爬過「活在主內」的大石頭，在大十字架前影相留念，這就算是走完道風山了。的確，這是上道風山的「既定路線」，可是這山卻不只有這片小園地啊！
到了今天，我也偶爾會往道風山走走。試過清晨前往，又試過吃了早餐之後前往；有時一家上山，有時獨個兒上去退修。地點好像十分熟悉，但每次去，都仍有新的發現。
有一次，正好遇上在道風山工作的好友。好友帶我一家前往一個名為「蓮花洞」的祈禱密室，一走進這石壁內室，就發現一個截然不同的小天地，內中的石牆刻著「放下重擔」四個大字，底下有一席地供人跪著禱告。
若不是好友引介，自己也許不會貿然走進蓮花洞，因其位置不在走往大十字架的既定路線上，可是這也是道風山上一個特色地方啊。原來在山上多走走，就會發現別有洞天。
讀主基督的比喻也是這樣，乍看十分熟悉，然而，「這一切你們都領悟了嗎？」（太十三 51，新漢語譯本）昔日，主對連連聽比喻的門徒發出這問題，今天，祂也要作為門徒的你我，誠實回答這提問。
就讓我們再次走進比喻的天空，體會主聖言的精妙，更深刻領悟那些引進天國真理的比喻。
Pastor's Sharing Have You Understood All These Things?
Rev Arnold Chow
When the Lord Jesus was on earth, He had used various ways to preach the truths about the Heavenly Kingdom and the gospel. One special feature is the use of parables. Almost all the parables in the New Testament are told by Jesus.
How many parables of Jesus are there? Some counted 30, some others 50. Some even said 80. The disparity mainly arises from the classification of rhetorical genre. But whatever the number, Jesus had really told numerous parables. Therefore, if we skip Jesus' parables in the gospel books, we will miss half of what the Lord Jesus teaches.
For longtime believers, they must have read the gospel books five or six times so they may no longer find the parables in any way special. Moreover, down the ages, the parables have sometimes been interpreted with certain details being extensively elaborated out of proportion. As a result, even when we follow the exegetical traditions of the past century, there are still "established lines of interpretation" for the parables. Perhaps the parables are like distilled essence of chicken – beneficial and yet no longer fresh in taste. Readers cannot savor its life-changing vitality.
But wait, we need not dwell on the heaviness. Let me discuss something else. The other day, I took the opportunity of the easing of the pandemic situation to go up Tao Fong Shan, which I have lost count of how many times I have visited.
When I went to Tao Fong Shan as a youth, I would always start at the Chinese-style hall and run all the way to the hilltop where the big cross is erected. I would go through the narrow gate, climb the "In Christ we live" boulder and take a picture in front of the cross to conclude the trip. That is my "established route," but there are many more places on the mountain to this route.
Today, as I live in Shatin, I still enjoy going to Tao Fong Shan which is close by every now and then. I have done the trip in early morning and after breakfast. Sometimes I take my family along, and sometimes I go on a retreat alone. The place is familiar, but every time I go, there are new discoveries.
Once, I met a good friend who works there. My friend took me and my family to a secluded prayer room called the "Lotus Crypt." Once inside the stone-walled room, we found an amazingly different little place. On the stone walls were engraved four large characters in Chinese, "Lay down your burdens." There is also an area where people can kneel in prayer.
I would not have visited the crypt had I not been introduced by my good friend, for the crypt is not en route to the big cross. Yet, it is another landmark of Tao Fong Shan. The more you spend time on the mountain, the more you will discover to your amazement.
It is the same with reading the parables of Jesus. They look very familiar at first glance, but "Have you understood all these things?" (Matthew 13:51) In those days, the Lord asked this question to His disciples who had heard parable after parable. Today, He also wants you and me as His disciples to honestly respond to this question.
Let us once again enter the space of parables, humbly seeking to understand the wonder of the Lord's holy word. The Spirit of the Lord will surely give us a deeper understanding of the parables that lead to Heavenly truths.
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