2020-08-08
Romeine 12:19 NLV
Jesus het gesê: ‘Julle het gehoor dat daar gesê is: “‘n Oog vir ‘n oog en ‘n tand vir ‘n tand.” Maar Ek sê… As mense jou op jou regterwang klap, draai vir julle ook jou ander wang’ (Matteus 5:38-39 NLV). Alhoewel die ‘oog vir ‘n oog’ konsep vir ons wreed klink, was dit in werklikheid ‘n reuse tree vorentoe in die antieke wet, waar magtige mense jou vir ‘n klein besering kon doodmaak. Hierdie wet het weerwraak beperk deur mense proporsionele geregtigheid te leer. Dit laat ons egter steeds met ‘n probleem. Instink sê dat wanneer iemand jou seermaak, maak jy hulle terug seer – en die pyn wat jy ervaar is altyd erger as die pyn wat jy vir die ander persoon veroorsaak. Tydens ‘n eksperiment is mense in pare opgedeel en elke persoon het druk teen hulle vinger ontvang. Toe is hulle gevra om dieselfde hoeveelheid druk op die ander persoon se vinger uit te oefen. Wanneer dit hulle beurt was, het hulle altyd meer pyn veroorsaak as wat hulle ontvang het. Altyd. Die resultaat is ‘n oog ‘plus-‘n-klein-bietjie ekstra’ vir ‘n oog. Jy sê: ‘Maar hierdie persoon het my seergemaak en moet daarvoor betaal.’ Hoeveel moet hulle betaal? Net God is in staat om daardie vraag regverdig te beantwoord! Sy Woord sê: ‘Geliefdes, julle moet julleself nie wreek nie. Laat die straf aan God oor. Daar staan mos in die Skrif: ‘Dit is mý reg om te straf; Ek sal vergeld, sê die Here.’ Doen eerder wat die Skrif sê: ‘As jou vyande honger is, gee aan hulle iets om te eet. As hulle dors is, les hulle dors. Deur dit te doen, sal julle hulle bloedrooi van skaamte maak.’ Moenie toelaat dat die slegte julle onderkry nie, maar deur goed te doen moet julle die slegte te bowe kom’ (Romeine 12:19-21 NLV).
Sielskos: Deut 22-24; Luk 12:13-21; Ps 119:25-32; Spr 17:11-15
Romans 12:19 NIV
In Matthew 5:38-39 Jesus said, ‘You have heard that it was said, “Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.” But I tell you…If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also’ (NIV). He was referring to the Old Testament ‘law of retaliation’ that stopped people exacting out-of-proportion revenge. It explained that all punishments should be relative to the crime. Jesus, however, took the idea of getting away with as much punishment as was allowed, and turned it into forgiveness. We know that ‘if anyone slaps you on the right cheek’, it’s natural to want to return the hit, but that starts an endless back and forth. Retaliation leads to retaliation. Here, we’re asked to break that cycle. It’s worth noting that Jesus wasn’t telling people to allow themselves to be taken advantage of, or to allow mistreatment to continue. If a difficult person is making you unsafe, then you absolutely should find a way to get out of that situation and let someone know what’s going on. Whatever the circumstances though, God tells us to avoid messy human revenge and allow Him to deal with the wrongdoer. Romans 12:19-21 tells us ‘Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord. On the contrary: “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good’ (NIV). It’s our job to walk away, and do as much good as possible. We’re called to bring light despite the difficult people. Trust God to do the rest.
Deut 22-24; Luke 12:13-21; Ps 119:25-32; Prov 17:11-15
2020-08-07
1 Peter 2:23 NLT
No one mastered the art of dealing with difficult people better than Jesus. The Romans wanted to silence Him, Herod wanted to kill Him, Pilate washed his hands of Him, religious leaders envied Him, His family thought He’d lost His mind, His townspeople wanted to stone Him, Thomas doubted Him, Peter denied Him, Judas betrayed Him, soldiers beat Him, the crowds shouted for His crucifixion, and His closest followers ran out on Him. Yet Jesus never prayed for God to remove the difficult people from His life. If He had, there would have been nobody left. Sometimes even prayer can be misused as a way of avoidance. Sometimes we ask God to remove a difficult person from our life because we’re not willing to confront that person honestly. And if God answered that prayer the way we wanted, we’d lose the opportunity for growth that is His great desire for us. Jesus’ teachings about dealing with difficult people flowed out of deep, intimate, painful experiences and wisdom. And they’ve influenced world leaders and movements like no other words that have ever been spoken – from Mahatma Gandhi to Martin Luther King Jr. to Nelson Mandela. Peter writes: “If you suffer for doing good and endure it patiently, God is pleased with you. For God called you to do good, even if it means suffering, just as Christ suffered for you. He is your example, and you must follow in his steps…He did not retaliate when he was insulted, nor threaten revenge when he suffered. He left his case in the hands of God, who always judges fairly” (vv. 20-23 NLT). And you are called to follow His example.
Soul food: Deut 18-21; Luke 12:1-12; Ps 119:17-24; Prov 17:7-10
1 Petrus 2:23 DB
Niemand het die kuns om moeilike mense te hanteer beter as Jesus bemeester nie. Die Romeine wou Hom stilmaak, Herodes wou Hom doodmaak, Pilates het sy hande van Hom gewas, geloofsleiers was jaloers op Hom, sy familie het gedink dat Hy mal was, die dorpenaars wou Hom stenig, Tomas het Hom betwyfel, Petrus het Hom verloën, Judas het Hom verraai, soldate het Hom aangerand en sy naaste volgelinge het van Hom af weggehardloop. Tog het Jesus nooit vir God gevra om die moeilike mense uit sy lewe weg te neem nie. As Hy het, sou daar niemand oorgebly het nie. Soms vra ons God om ‘n moeilike mens uit ons lewens te verwyder, omdat ons nie bereid is om daardie persoon eerlik te konfronteer nie. As God daardie gebed dan sou beantwoord, sal ons die geleentheid om te groei verloor, wat sy diepste begeerte vir ons is. Jesus se lesse oor hoe om moeilike mense te hanteer, het uit diepe, intieme, pynlike ervarings en wysheid voortgevloei. Sy woorde het wêreldleiers en bewegings soos geen ander woorde wat al ooit gespreek is nie, beïnvloed – van Mahatma Gandhi tot Martin Luther King jr tot Nelson Mandela. Petrus skryf: ‘…As julle nie dan self lelik begin optree nie, maar die onbillike optrede van julle werkgewer met goeie dade te bowe kom, doen julle iets waarop God trots sal wees. As Christene word daar van julle verwag om soos Jesus te leef… Hy het mense wat lelike dinge vir Hom gesê het, nie terugbeledig nie. Toe hulle Hom seergemaak het, het Hy nie gesê dat Hy hulle gaan terugkry nie. Hy was tevrede om alles in God se hande te los. God sal daarvoor sorg dat wat moet gebeur, sal gebeur’ (verse 21-23 DB). Jy is geroepe om sy voorbeeld te volg.
Sielskos: Deut 18-21; Luk 12:1-12; Ps 119:17-24; Spr 17:7-10
1 Peter 2:23 NLT
We read about Jesus showing His anger in difficult situations yesterday; however, we have to remember that He also dealt with a lot of testing people with patience and calm. In Matthew 27 we see Jesus talking to officials who have the power to torture and kill Him, and He still reacts in a Spirit-filled way. Mostly, He keeps quiet. When He does speak, He says only what is necessary to answer, with no need to try to hurt them or prove His own very real righteousness. He could have defended Himself, shouted everyone down, and proven His Godliness. But being in tune with His Father’s plans, He remained calm and dealt with the situation with dignity. About all of this, Peter writes: ‘If you suffer for doing good and endure it patiently, God is pleased with you. For God called you to do good, even if it means suffering, just as Christ suffered for you. He is your example, and you must follow in his steps… He did not retaliate when he was insulted, nor threaten revenge when he suffered. He left his case in the hands of God, who always judges fairly’ (1 Peter 2:20-23 NLT). What more could we want than to know that God is pleased with us, and that we’re following in Jesus’ steps. We can consider difficult people as an opportunity to bring more of God’s light into this world. Consider that people who are hurting in their own hearts are often the ones to lash out and hurt others. Our responses to difficult people could be a chance to share God’s grace and patience with someone who, deep down, desperately needs Him.
Deut 18-21; Luke 12:1-12; Ps 119:17-24; Prov 17:7-10
