No excuses!

Infant Jesus and John the Baptist
By Bartolomé Esteban Murillo (1600s)

耶穌問猶太人：「我可把這一代比作什麽呢？」因祂知道為這些人的救恩，可以做的天主已經做了，正如依撒意亞先知說：「我為我的葡萄園所能做的，還有什麼沒有做到？」(依5:4)

耶穌形容這情況為：「它像坐在大街上的兒童，向其他的孩子喊叫，說：我們給你們吹了笛，你們卻不跳舞；我們唱了哀歌，你們卻不捶胸。」意思是：祂和洗者若翰以不同的方式在召叫猶太人和所有人；認為守齌和刻苦生活是件好事的人，可依循洗者若翰和接納他的教導，因他會導人走向耶穌；覺得守齌和刻苦生活是件痛苦的負擔的人，可聽從並相信耶穌，學習祂以愛德自由地生活。無論哪種方式，都能使人找到走向天國的路。

因此，人的不信，是選擇也是藉口，因天主為我們的救恩能做的已經做了。

讓我們繼續為心硬的人祈禱，希望他們能早日接納基督的福音！亞孟。

（本文以英文為準）

Whence Jesus puts this question to the Jews, "To whom shall I liken this generation?" He implies that everything had been done for their salvation, and nothing was omitted; which the prophet Isaiah says of the vineyard; "What ought I to have done to this vineyard, and have not done it?" (Is 5:4) For where Jesus says "It is like children sitting in the market, and saying, We have piped unto you, and you have not danced, we have mourned unto you, and you have not lamented. etc."

Now what Jesus says is like this: John and I have each come an opposite way; just as if we were some hunters of a wild beast that was hard to catch, each taking his stand opposite to the other; so that the beast would fall into one of the two snares.

Let us ask the Jews then, "Is fasting a good thing, and to be admired? You should then have obeyed John, and received him, and believed his sayings. For so would those sayings have led you towards Jesus. Is fasting, on the other hand, a thing grievous, and burdensome? Then should you have obeyed Jesus, and have believed in Him that came the opposite way. Thus, either way, you would have found yourselves in the kingdom."

But, like an intractable wild beast, they were speaking evil of both. The fault is not then Jesus or John, but the ones who did not believe are to blame. For no man would ever choose to speak evil of opposite things, any more than he would commend them. He that approves the cheerful and free character, will not approve him that is sad and grave. For it is impossible to give your vote both ways at once and claiming a middle ground. Therefore Jesus also says, "We have piped unto you, and you have not danced;" that is, "I have exhibited the freer kind of life, and you did not obey;" and, "We have mourned, and you have not lamented;" that is, "John followed the rugged and grave life, and you did not pay attention." The purpose of both were the same. What sort of excuse then can one have after all this?

參考 References:
Homily 37 on Matthew (St. John Chrysostom)