In hierdie vierde week na Epifanie, waar ons oor die betekenis van Jesus se verskyning op aarde reflekteer, nooi ons jou uit om saam met ons te reis deur Lukas 4:18-19.
Lukas 4:18-19
18 “Die Gees van die Here is op My, omdat Hy My gesalf het om die goeie boodskap aan arm mense te verkondig. Hy het My gestuur om vir gevangenes aan te kondig dat hulle vrygelaat sal word, en vir blindes dat hulle weer sal sien, om onderdruktes te bevry, 19en om die genadejaar van die Here aan te kondig.”
Refleksie
Ons staan vandag stil by die gedagte: “en vir blindes dat hulle weer sal sien,”
Later in die verhaal van die Evangelies sien ons dat Jesus fisies genees van blindheid en blinde mense weer laat sien. Maar ons sien ook dat dat “blind” en “sien” oor iets dieper as fisiese sig gaan. In die Ou Testament word Israel herhaaldelik gesê dat hulle oë het wat nie sien nie. Jesus haal ook een van hierdie tekste aan in Matteus 13:
15Want hierdie volk se hart is afgestomp – hulle kan beswaarlik met hulle ore hoor; hulle het hulle oë gesluit, sodat hulle nie met hulle oë sien en met hulle ore hoor en met hulle harte verstaan en terugdraai en Ek hulle genees nie.’
Ons kan sien en blind wees, of ons kan blind wees en meer sien. ’n Teoloog met die naam van Peter Rollins vertel ’n weergawe van een van Jesus se wonderwerke wat dit mooi uitbeeld. Ek nooi jou om vandag oor hierdie verhaal te reflekteer
AFTER JESUS HAD DESCENDED FROM THE MOUNT OF OLIVES he came across a man who had been blind from birth. And his disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he cannot see?”
Jesus answered, “It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God might be displayed in him. We must carry out the works of him who sent me while it is day, for night is approaching, when no one can work. As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” Having said these things, he spat on the ground and made mud with the saliva. Then he anointed the man’s eyes with the mud and said to him, “My friend, go, wash in the pool of Siloam.” So the man went and washed and returned in jubilation, shouting, “I can see, I can see!”
The neighbors and those who knew him as a beggar began to grumble, saying, “Has this man lost his mind? for he was born blind.” Some said, “It is the same man who was blind.” Others said, “No, it is not, but he is like him.” In response to this grumbling, the old man kept repeating, “I am the same man. Jesus anointed my eyes and said, ‘Go to Siloam and wash.’ So I went and washed, and now I can see everything.”
To ascertain what had happened, they brought him to the Pharisees. “Give glory to God,” they said. “We know that this man Jesus is a sinner.” But the old man answered, “Whether or not he is a sinner I do not know. One thing I do know, that though I was blind, now I see.”
But the Pharisees began to laugh. “Old man, meeting Jesus has caused you to lose your mind. You had to be carried into this room by friends, you still stumble and fall like a fool. You are as blind today as the day you were born.”
“That may be true,” replied the old man with a long, deep smile, “as I have told you before. All I know is that yesterday I was blind, but today, today I can see.
Hoe help hierdie storie jou vandag oor hoe Jesus blindes laat sien? Vra vandag dat die Here jou oë oopmaak, sodat jy kan sien.
Gebed
Here Jesus, Help ons om te sien. Verwyder enige blindheid in ons harte en laat ons duidelik sien in die lig van U waarheid. Mag ons gesig herstel word deur U genade. Amen.