只是問一下 (7)：復活節有讓你驚詫嗎？

復活節是讓人驚詫的日子。
空墳墓是最佳示範。

它讓人全然得著自由，主要是從死亡中得釋放。

很少人讀約伯記，更不要說把它讀完。
因為它篇幅冗長，而且充塞著對話。

不過，其實它的框架很簡單。

不，不是說它的故事。
任何一篇像樣的導論都足以說明它的情節。
或埋頭苦讀那四十多章經文即可掌握。

我是說它的框架：
「人不認識人；上帝認識人。
人不容忍爭辯；上帝容忍。」

這是何等的釋放！

無須討論上帝與罪惡同時存在的矛盾。
無須保證確實無疑——人可以對某事或某人的認識 99% 正確；但只要有 1% 不正確，已足夠讓人謙卑下來。
驚詫無須 99% 確定。

一個人自以為知道甚麼，實在無關痛癢。
人始終不是全知，因此無法作出完全的判斷。

約伯的個案是個驚詫。
他的朋友因他的正義而驚詫。
他自己因自己而驚詫——
驚詫於獲上帝選中降禍，而不是出於自己的過錯；
驚詫於上帝連他的抗議也加以考慮。

我只是問一下。
復活節有讓你驚詫嗎？

Entrance to the Garden Tomb in Jerusalem (from Wikimedia Commons)

Just asking (7): Got your Easter Surprise?

Easter is for surprise.
The empty tomb is Exhibit Supreme.

Yet it’s so liberating, not least from death.

Hardly anyone has read the book of Job, let alone finished it.
It’s too long and full of dialogs.

But indeed the plot is simple.

No, not about the story.
For that any decent introduction can present.
Or a hard slog through the 40+ chapters may get.

Instead, this is the plot:
“Man doesn’t know man; God knows man.
Man doesn’t tolerate arguments; God does.”

This is extremely liberating.

There’s no need for theodicy.
There’s no need for guaranteed certainty—Man could be correct 99% right about something or someone; but it only takes just 1% to keep man humble.
Surprise doesn’t need 99%.

It really doesn’t matter how much one thinks one knows.
One still doesn’t have omniscience to form a perfect judgement.

Job’s case was a surprise.
His friends were surprised of his righteousness.
He was surprised himself.
Surprised that he got picked on by God, through no fault of his own.
Surprised that God even entertained his protest.

I’m just asking.
Got your Easter surprise?