2021-09-10
Spreuke 3:3 NLV
Voor die Paasmaal, het al die dissipels vergeet om Jesus se voete te was. Nadat Jesus verduidelik het hoe die brood en wyn sy komende kruisiging simboliseer, het hulle begin stry oor wie van hulle die belangrikste in die Koninkryk sou wees. Jesus het ook geweet dat hulle binne ure saam met Hom in die Tuin van Getsemane aan die slaap sou raak. Hy het geweet dat Petrus Hom sou verloën. Hoe het Hy dus hierdie verkeerde optredes van hulle veroordeel? Hy het nie! Hy veroordeel nie mense nie.
Jy hoef dit ook nie te doen nie. Jy sal wonderlike rus in jou siel vind wanneer jy ophou om mense te veroordeel en hulle eerder begin liefhê. Eerder as om die dissipels tereg te wys, komplimenteer, beloon en bevorder Jesus hulle en plaas hulle op die hemel se ererol. Selfs nadat hulle nie sy voete gewas het nie, wou Hy steeds graag saam met hulle die Paasmaal geniet (sien Lukas 22:15).
Gevoed deur hul liefde, het Hy gesê: ‘Maar julle is die mense wat deur dik en dun in my swaarkry by My gebly het… Ek [bemaak] dit ook aan julle sodat julle gedurende my koningsheerskappy kan eet en drink aan my tafel en kan sit op trone…’ (Lukas 22:28-30 NLV). In sy oë was hulle almal belangrik. Hy het hulle nie volgens optrede veroordeel nie, maar op hulle liefde wat hulle aangespoor het om alles anders agter te laat en Hom deur dik en dun te volg.
Reiman Schultze sê: ‘Moenie standaarde vir jouself stel nie. Dit kan jou doodmaak. Net soos Jesus toe sy dissipels liefgehad het, so het Hy hulle nou ook lief. Hou dus op om jouself en ander te veroordeel!’
Sielskos: Eseg 37:1-40:9; Luk 20:41-47; Ps 78:9-16; Spr 20:11-14
Proverbs 3:3 NCV
During a driving test, the examiner makes a note of every fault the driver makes to determine if they should pass or fail. We might worry that God works in a similar way, keeping a record of everything we do wrong, and telling us we’ve failed if we clock up too many. But that’s not how His kingdom operates.
Before the Passover meal, all the disciples forgot to wash Jesus’ feet. Fault. And after Jesus explained how the bread and wine symbolised His upcoming crucifixion, they started arguing about who would be the greatest in the Kingdom. Another fault. Jesus also knew that within hours they’d fall asleep when they were supposed to be keeping watch in the Garden of Gethsemane. Another fault. And He knew Peter would deny Him. Another fault.
So did Jesus give them a fail grade? No, because He doesn’t grade people. And we don’t have to either. Instead of judging people based on every mistake they’ve ever made, we should try to start loving them where they are, and support them in their journey to where they need to be. Rather than condemning the disciples, Jesus complimented, rewarded, and encouraged them. Nourished by their love, He said, ‘You have stayed with me through my struggles. Just as my Father has given me a kingdom, I also give you a kingdom so you may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom’ (Luke 22:28-30 NCV). In His eyes they were all great. He didn’t grade them on their performance, but on their love that motivated them to set everything else aside and stick with Him through the bad times as well as the good.
Eze 37:1-40:9; Luke 20:41-47; Ps 78:9-16; Prov 20:11-14
Proverbs 3:3 ESV
Before the Passover meal, all the disciples forgot to wash Jesus’ feet. Bad performance! And after Jesus explained how the bread and wine symbolized his upcoming crucifixion, they started arguing about who would be the greatest in the Kingdom. Bad performance! Jesus also knew that within hours they’d fall asleep on him in the Garden of Gethsemane. Bad performance! And He knew Peter would deny him. Bad performance!
So how did Jesus grade them? He didn’t! He doesn’t grade people. And you don’t have to either. You’ll find wonderful rest in your soul once you stop grading people, and instead start loving them from where they are to where they need to be.
Rather than rebuking the disciples, Jesus compliments, rewards, promotes, and puts them on heaven’s honour roll. Even after they failed to wash his feet He still desired to eat Passover with them (See Luke 22:15). Nourished by their love, He said, “Ye are they which…continued with me in my temptations. And I appoint unto you a kingdom…that ye may eat and drink at my table…and sit on thrones” (Luke 22:28-30 KJV).
On his most agonizing night He passed out Christmas gifts, and gave his very young disciples more than He ever gave anybody in terms of honour and glory. In His eyes they were all great. He didn’t grade them on their performance, but on their love that motivated them to forsake all and stick with Him through thick and thin.
Reimar Schultze says, “Don’t set up standards for yourself. That can kill you. As Jesus loved His disciples then, so He loves them now. So stop fussing and nitpicking at yourself and others!”
Soul food: Eze 37:1-40:9; Luke 20:41-47; Ps 78:9-16; Prov 20:11-14
2021-09-09
Hebrews 12:11 NLT
Many of the frustrating things that our children do, are best ignored or minimized because they’re just being kids. But there’s a defiant attitude which if ignored, may lead your child to a lifetime of trouble or tragedy. And training their will won’t happen quickly or easily. The old line, “Son, this is going to hurt me more than it’ll hurt you,” is often true. Doing what’s easiest for them now, sets your child up for a lifetime of misery.
Chuck Swindoll tells the story of a defiant youngster who needed dental treatment. When asked to sit in the dentist’s chair the boy said, “If you make me get in that chair I’ll take off all my clothes and embarrass you and your assistant.” “It’s your decision,” the dentist said, “go ahead!” Stripped down to his underwear, he got into the chair. “Take them all off, if you insist,” the dentist said.
After his treatment, the boy, looking much more sheepish than defiant, asked for his clothes. “Oh, no! I’ll return them to your mother tomorrow.” The savvy mom caught the dentist’s intention and, pink with embarrassment herself, led her blushing boy through the office, down the public elevator, and across the parking lot into the car. Next day the mom called the dentist and thanked him for his wisdom and courage. “For the first time in years, we’ve had twenty-four hours without angry, defiant stand-offs!”
The Bible says, “No discipline is enjoyable while it is happening – it’s painful! But afterward there will be a peaceful harvest of right living for those who are trained in this way.”
Soul food: Eze 34-36; Luke 20:27-40; Ps 78:1-8; Prov 20:7-10
1 Thessalonians 5:14 NIV
The Bible says we should ‘warn those who are idle and disruptive, encourage the disheartened, help the weak, be patient with everyone.’ But often, we’d rather stay quiet and avoid confrontation than speak difficult truth into the lives of others.
One Bible teacher wrote: ‘A church isn’t a group of individuals who happen to meet in the same place every week; it’s a spiritual body…a loving family. It’s far easier to comfort and encourage than to warn or exhort, but both are necessary. Ephesians 4:15 tells us to speak the truth in love so that the whole body may “grow up in all things”. If we don’t take the time to exhort, encourage, warn, comfort, uphold and be patient…we [all] suffer in the end. Your body doesn’t function properly when one part is hurting or performing poorly. And the church suffers when one of its members is unruly, fainthearted, weak, or falls into bad doctrine. Letting a body part fester, or not supporting a part that’s hurt, can lead to irrecoverable damage’.
As our loving Father, God loves us too much to let us get away with bad behaviour. And we should try to share this attitude. We should love and care enough about others to correct and guide them if we can see them taking the wrong path or doing something that could be harmful in the long run. But that doesn’t give us a free rein to be critical and judgmental. Paul wrote, ‘If another believer is overcome by some sin, you who are godly should gently and humbly help that person back onto the right path’ (Galatians 6:1 NLT). We should speak only the truth, and our goal should be to speak it in love and compassion.
Eze 34-36; Luke 20:27-40; Ps 78:1-8; Prov 20:7-10
