Louise Gevers
Because of the crowd, however, they could find no way to take him in. So they carried him up on the roof, made an opening in the tiles, and let him down on his bed into the middle of the group in front of Jesus. Luke 5:19, GNT
Recently, when I was asked to share, in a group, about a book that had impacted me significantly in my life it was one from childhood that stood out to me. I had been so delighted by it that even now, written emphatically in my childish handwriting, “I have a heavenly FATHER!” remains written on the inside cover.
It wasn’t a Bible but a small, grey, insignificant-looking book of stories of Jesus with hand-drawn, monochrome illustrations – not something you’d think would attract a child’s attention at all – and yet it was my treasure trove at that time – my first personal encounter with Jesus, and the verse highlighted today.
The illustration of the paralysed man being lowered down on ropes from a hole in the roof to bring him to Jesus fascinated me and also awakened my awareness of Jesus’ power at work – power his friends clearly thought worth pursuing.
Luke describes what he experienced there: “The power of the Lord was present for Jesus to heal the sick” (Luke 5:17b); “When Jesus saw how much faith they had, he said to the man, ‘Your sins are forgiven, my friend’” (Luke 5:20), He also said, “I tell you, get up, pick up your bed, and go home!” (Luke 5:24) Would we have been as amazed as everyone there was when, “At once the man got up in front of them all, took the bed he had been lying on, and went home praising God.”? (Luke 5:25)
How those men must have rejoiced seeing their friend healed! Their compassion for a friend, combined with active faith in Jesus’ power to heal, led to physical healing, forgiveness of sins, and a man carrying his bed home rejoicing. Without his friends the paralysed man would still be paralysed, but their love, determination and faith turned his hopeless situation around because they persevered.
Paralysis is not only physical; fear, indecision, depression – in fact anything that makes us unable to act – can immobilise us. We need friends who can see our need, but we also need to be friends who show selfless love to others, prepared to pray and go the extra mile for those suffering physically, emotionally or spiritually, and persevere despite any obstacle, until they reach Jesus.
Jesus has told his followers “Love your neighbour as yourself.”(Matthew 22:39) What better way could we obey his command except to put our love and faith in action? What more could we want of our friends for ourselves?
Prayer: Dearest Father, thank you for the loyal, caring friends in my life who carry me into Jesus’ presence when I am paralysed and too weak to help myself. Help me to do the same for others and not to look at my limitations, but at Jesus’ power to heal, forgive and transform us all when we come to yim in love and faith. Amen
Louise Gevers
maar as gevolg van die skare, kon hulle geen manier vind om hom in te dra nie, en het toe op die dakstoep geklim en hom en sy slaapmat tussen die dakteëls deur laat afsak, tot tussen die mense, reg voor Jesus. Lukas 5:19. 2020-vertaling
Onlangs, toe ek in 'n groep gevra is oor 'n boek wat 'n beduidende invloed op my lewe gehad het, was dit een uit my kinderjare wat uitgestaan het. Die boek het my soveel vreugde verskaf dat daar vandag steeds in die binneomslag in my kinderlike handskrif geskryf staan: "Ek het 'n hemelse VADER!"
Dit was nie 'n Bybel nie, maar 'n klein, grys, onbeduidende boekie met stories oor Jesus en swart en wit handgetekende illustrasies – nie juis iets wat 'n mens dink 'n kind se aandag sou trek nie – en tog was dit daardie tyd my skatkis – my eerste persoonlike ontmoeting met Jesus asook met ons vers vir vandag.
Die illustrasie van die verlamde man wat met toue deur 'n opening in die dak neergelaat is om hom na Jesus toe te bring, het my gefassineer. Dit het my ook vir die eerste keer bewus gemaak van Jesus se krag aan die werk – krag wat sy vriende duidelik gedink het werd was om na te volg.
Lukas beskryf die gebeure soos volg: "Die krag van die Here het in Hom gewerk om mense te genees." (Lukas 5:17b); "Toe Hy hulle geloof sien, sê Hy: “Vriend, jou sondes is jou vergewe" (Lukas 5:20b) en ook " “Ek sê vir jou, staan op, tel jou slaapmat op en gaan na jou huis.”(Lukas 5:24b) Is ons so verbaas soos daardie skare was wanneer ons verder in vers 25 lees: "Onmiddellik het hy daar voor hulle opgestaan, die slaapmat waarop hy gelê het, gevat en huis toe gegaan terwyl hy God prys"?
Hoe groot moes daardie manne se blydskap nie gewees het toe hulle sien hulle vriend is genees nie! Hulle deernis met 'n vriend gekombineer met aktiewe geloof in Jesus se krag om te kan genees, het gelei tot fisiese genesing, vergifnis van sonde en 'n man wat sy slaapmat vol vreugde huis toe dra. Sonder sy vriende sou die verlamde man steeds verlam gewees het, maar hulle liefde, vasberadenheid, deurstettingsvermoë en geloof het sy hopelose situasie heeltemal verander.
Verlamming is nie net 'n fisiese toestand nie. Angs, besluitloosheid, depressie – eintlik enigiets wat maak dat ons nie kan reageer nie – kan ons immobiliseer. Ons benodig vriende wat ons behoeftes kan raaksien, maar ons moet ook vriende wees wat onselfsugtige liefde aan ander bewys, bereid om te bid en die ekstra myl te loop vir diegene wat fisies, emosioneel of geestelik ly, en daarmee volhou totdat hulle Jesus bereik.
Jesus het aan sy volgelinge gesê: "Jy moet jou naaste liefhê soos jouself." (Matteus 22:39) Daar is geen beter manier om sy opdrag te gehoorsaam as om ons liefde en geloof aktief uit te le nie. Wat meer kan ons vir onsself van ons vriende vra?
Gebed: Dierbare Vader, dankie vir die lojale, omgee vriende in my lewe wat wanneer ek verlam en te swak is om myself te help, my tot in Jesus se teenwoordigheid dra. Help my om dieselfde vir ander te doen en nie teen my beperkinge vas te kyk nie, maar wel na Jesus se genesende krag en vergifnis wat ons almal kan verander wanneer ons in liefde en geloof na Hom toe gaan. Amen
Louise Gevers
And should I not have concern for the great city of Nineveh, in which there are more than a hundred and twenty thousand people who cannot tell their right hand from their left – and also many animals?’ Jonah 4:11, NIV
Have you ever tried to run away from God? Jonah did. Have you ever been in the belly of an oversized fish? Jonah had. When Jonah received God’s call to go to “preach against the city of Nineveh” because of its wickedness, he ran in the opposite direction “to ran away from the Lord” (Jonah 1:3) because he had no desire to see them given an opportunity to repent and be saved.
But nobody can flee from God, and in trying, Jonah found himself at sea – in a mighty storm – confessing to foreign sailors that it was his fault, because he was running away from his God, “the God of heaven, who made the sea and the dry land”. (Jonah 1:9) When, unwillingly, they threw him overboard, God “provided a huge fish to swallow Jonah, and Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights”. (Jonah 1:17)
In his darkest moment, in “the very heart of the seas” (Jonah 2:3), a penitent Jonah confessed: “In my distress I called to the Lord, and he answered me. From deep in the realm of the dead, I called for help, and [he] listened to my cry … [he] brought my life up from the pit … When my life was ebbing away … my prayer rose to [him]… What I have vowed I will make good. Salvation comes from the Lord.” (Jonah 2:2,6b-7,9b)
God heard and commanded the fish to vomit him onto dry land, and this time Jonah obeyed God. He preached repentance to the Ninevites, but when God compassionately relented when he saw their sincere repentance, Jonah again became furious and prayed petulantly, scolding God for his mercy: “Is'nt this wat I said, Lord, when I was still at home? That is what I tried to forestall by fleeing to Tarshish. I knew that you are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love, a God who relents from sending calamity. Now Lord, take away my life, for it is better for me to die than to live.” (Jonah 4:2-3)
But Jonah couldn’t see what God could see.
It started with the king who got off his throne, exchanged his royal clothes for sackcloth and sat down in the dust. Then, he commanded his people to “o not let people or animals, herds or flocks, taste anything; do not let them eat or drink. But let every man and beast be covered with sackcloth. Let everyone call urgently on God. Let them give up their evil ways and their violence ... God may yet relent and with compassion turn from his fierce anger so that we will not perish.” (Jonah 3:7-9)
The Ninevites’ repentance was exemplary; they didn’t know God, but they believed his message, owned their guilt and seriously repented, whereas Jonah, who consistently showed a callous heart, and rebellious defiance towards God – naturally nothing we’d ever do (!) – wanted God to punish this whole city. He couldn't see the parallel between his own sinfulness and theirs; that God was being consistent and gracious, answering his prayer for help first.
Our verse today encompasses God’s final words to Jonah, which reveal his unique heart of compassion for a lost people – and their animals. He in no way overlooks wrongdoing but is forgiving toward each repentant heart. I love the touching detail God captures about how childlike they are in their inability to differentiate between right and left and showed them the same compassion he showed the rebellious Jonah. This allows us to perceive how God sees all people – those who know him and those who don’t.
Aren’t you comforted to know that everyone is equal in God’s sight and his compassion is for all?
Prayer: Gracious Father, you are patient, kind, “slow to anger and abounding in love”; (Jonah 4:2) you are love personified. Thank you for your gracious compassion and mercy to us all, despite our unworthy attitudes and sinfulness. Help me to be humble and repentant and to grow more like you every day. Amen
Louise Gevers
Maar Ek, Ek mag nie besorg wees oor Nineve nie, die groot stad waarin daar meer as honderd-en-twintigduisend mense is wat die verskil tussen regs en links nie ken nie, en ook nog baie diere? Jona 4:11, 2020-vertaling
Het jy al probeer om weg te hardloop van God af? Jona het. Was jy al ooit in die maag van 'n baie groot vis? Jona was. Toe Jona deur God geroep is om na die groot stad, Nineve, te gaan en hulle aan te spreek oor die kwaad wat hulle doen, het hy in die teenoorgestelde rigting gevlug, "weg van die teenwoordigheid van die Here af" (Jona 1:3) want hy het geen begeerte gehad om te sien hoe hulle 'n geleentheid gegee word om hulle sonde te bely en gered te word nie.
Maar niemand kan van die Here af wegvlug nie. In sy poging om dit te doen het Jona homself op see –in 'n kragtige storm – bevind waar hy aan die matrose bely het dat dit sy skuld was want hy was besig om weg te hardloop van sy God, "die God van die hemel wat die see en die droë grond gemaak het". (Jona 1:9) Hulle het hom oorboord gegooi en "die Here het dit so beskik dat 'n groot vis Jona insluk, en hy was drie dae en drie nagte lank in die vis se maag." (Jona 1:17)
In sy donkerste uur van nood, "in die hart van die oseane" (Jona 2:3) het 'n boetvaardige Jona bely: "In my nood het ek na die Here geroep, en Hy het my geantwoord. Uit die ingewande van die doderyk het ek om hulp geroep, en U het my stem gehoor. ... Maar tog het U my lewe uit die grafkuil opgetrek, Here my God! Terwyl die lewe uit my vloei, het ek net aan die Here gedink ... My gebed het U in u heilige tempel bereik. ... wat ek beloof het, sal ek betaal. Dit is die Here wat redding bring." (Jona 2:2,6b-7,9b)
God het hom gehoor en die vis beveel om Jona op droë land uit te spoeg. Hierdie keer het Jona God gehoorsaam en hy het verlossing in Nineve gaan preek. Toe God sien dat hulle opreg jammer was het Hy vol barmhartigheid besluit om hulle nie te straf nie. Dit het Jona ontstel, hy was woedend en hy het God aangespreek oor sy genade: “Ag, Here, is dit nie wat ek gesê het toe ek nog in my land was nie? Daarom het ek vroegtydig na Tarsis gevlug, want ek het geweet dat U 'n genadige en barmhartige God is, geduldig en oorvloedig in troue liefde, 'n God wat berou het oor die onheil. Here, neem dan nou maar my lewe van my weg, want dit is vir my beter om te sterf as om te leef.” (Jona 4:2-3)
Jona kon egter nie sien wat God kon sien nie.
Dit het begin met die koning wat van sy troon af opgestaan, sy koningsmantel vir 'n roukleed verruil en in die stof gaan sit het. Toe het hy sy mense beveel dat "niemand ... aan enigiets [mag] proe nie – nie mens of dier, beeste of kleinvee nie. Hulle mag nie eet of water drink nie. Mens en dier moet met 'n roukleed bedek wees. Die mense moet God ernstig aanroep en elkeen moet hom bekeer van sy slegte gedrag en van die geweld wat aan sy hande kleef ... dalk draai God terug ... dalk draai Hy om, weg van sy brandende toorn, sodat ons nie vergaan nie.” (Jona 3:7-9)
Die mense van Nineve se bekering is 'n voorbeeld vir ons; hulle het God nie geken nie, maar hulle het sy boodskap geglo, hulle skuld ernstig bely en hulle bekeer, terwyl Jona, met sy gevoellose hart en opstandige verset teenoor God – natuurlik nie iets wat ons ooit sal doen nie (!) – wou hê dat God die hele stad moes vernietig. Hy kon nie die parallel tussen sy eie sondigheid en hulle s'n sien nie; omdat God konsekwent en genadig is, het Hy Jona se gebed om hulp ook beantwoord.
God se woorde aan Jona in vandag se teks openbaar God se unieke hart vol barmhartigheid vir verlore mense – en vir hulle diere. Dit is nie dat Hy die verkeerde dinge nie raaksien nie, maar Hy vergewe elkeen wat hulle sonde bely en hulle bekeer. Ek hou baie van die beskrywing dat, alhoewel hulle (die mense van Nineve) nie eers die verskil tussen regs en links ken nie, hy dieselfde besorgdheid en deernis aan hulle sou bewys as aan die rebelse Jona. Dit leer ons hoe God alle mense sien – diegene wat Hom ken asook die wat Hom nie ken nie.
Voel jy nie ook getroos in die wete dat almal gelyk is voor God en dat sy barmhartigheid vir almal is nie?
Gebed: Genadige Vader, U is barmhartig, "geduldig en oorvloedig in troue liefde" (Jona 4:2). U is liefde. Dankie vir u genade en barmhartigheid wat U aan ons almal bewys, ten spyte van ons onwaardige houdings en sonde. Help my om nederig en berouvol te wees en elke dag meer soos U te word. Amen