Lydenstyd-oordenkings - 25 Maart 2010

Terwyl die mense na Jesus geluister het, het Hy nog 'n gelykenis vertel, aangesien Hy naby Jerusalem was en hulle gedink het die koninkryk van God sou nou enige oomblik kom. Hy het gesê: "'n Man van adellike afkoms het na 'n ver land toe op reis gegaan om as koning aangestel te word en dan terug te kom.
Vooraf het hy tien van sy slawe geroep en aan hulle tien goue muntstukke gegee en gesê: ‘Dryf handel daarmee totdat ek terugkom.' Sy landgenote het hom egter gehaat en 'n afvaardiging agterna gestuur om te sê: ‘Ons wil nie hierdie man as koning hê nie.' Maar hy het tog die koningskap ontvang.

Nadat hy teruggekom het, het hy die slawe aan wie hy die geld gegee het, na hom toe laat roep, sodat hy kon verneem wat hulle met die handeldryf verdien het. Die eerste het vorentoe gekom en gesê: ‘Meneer, u muntstuk het tien muntstukke opgelewer.' Daarop antwoord hy: ‘Mooi so, jy is 'n goeie slaaf. Omdat jy in 'n saak van min belang getrou was, kry jy nou die bestuur oor tien stede.' Toe kom die tweede slaaf en sê: ‘Meneer, u muntstuk het vyf muntstukke opgelewer.' Aan hierdie een sê hy: ‘En jy kry die bestuur oor vyf stede.' Nog 'n ander het gekom en gesê: ‘Meneer, hier is u muntstuk. Ek het dit in 'n doek gebêre. Ek was bang vir u, want u is 'n harde man. U eis op wat u nie belê het nie, en oes wat u nie gesaai het nie.' Toe sê hy vir hom: ‘Met jou eie woorde sal ek jou veroordeel. Jy is 'n slegte slaaf! As jy geweet het ek is 'n harde man wat opeis wat ek nie belê het nie, en oes wat ek nie gesaai het nie, waarom het jy dan nie my geld in die bank gesit nie? Dan sou ek dit by my terugkoms darem met rente kon getrek het.' Daarop sê hy vir dié wat daar staan: ‘Vat die muntstuk van hom af weg en gee dit vir die een wat die tien muntstukke het.' Hulle sê vir hom: ‘Meneer, hy het dan al tien muntstukke.' Maar hy antwoord: Ek sê vir julle: Aan elkeen wat het, sal meer gegee word, en van hom wat nie het nie, sal ook die bietjie wat hy het, weggevat word.

Luk 19:11-26 (NAV)

While they were listening to this, he went on to tell them a parable, because he was near Jerusalem and the people thought that the kingdom of God was going to appear at once. He said: "A man of noble birth went to a distant country to have himself appointed king and then to return. So he called ten of his servants and gave them ten minas. 'Put this money to work,' he said, 'until I come back.'
"But his subjects hated him and sent a delegation after him to say, 'We don't want this man to be our king.' "He was made king, however, and returned home.

Then he sent for the servants to whom he had given the money, in order to find out what they had gained with it. "The first one came and said, 'Sir, your mina has earned ten more.' "'Well done, my good servant!' his master replied. 'Because you have been trustworthy in a very small matter, take charge of ten cities.' "The second came and said, 'Sir, your mina has earned five more.' "His master answered, 'You take charge of five cities.' "Then another servant came and said, 'Sir, here is your mina; I have kept it laid away in a piece of cloth. I was afraid of you, because you are a hard man. You take out what you did not put in and reap what you did not sow.' "His master replied, 'I will judge you by your own words, you wicked servant! You knew, did you, that I am a hard man, taking out what I did not put in, and reaping what I did not sow? Why then didn't you put my money on deposit, so that when I came back, I could have collected it with interest?' "Then he said to those standing by, 'Take his mina away from him and give it to the one who has ten minas.' "'Sir,' they said, 'he already has ten!' "He replied, 'I tell you that to everyone who has, more will be given, but as for the one who has nothing, even what he has will be taken away.

Luke 19:11-26 (NIV)

The kingdom of God life

This kingdom of God life is not a matter of waking up each morning with a list of chores or an agenda to be tended to, left on our bedside table by the Holy Spirit for us while we slept. We wake up already immersed in a large story of creation and covenant, of Israel and Jesus, the story of Jesus and the stories that Jesus told. We let ourselves be formed by these formative stories, and especially as we listen to the stories that Jesus tells , get a feel for the way He does it, the way He talks, the way He treats people, the Jesus way. This final story is a sobering word: non-participation is not a casual matter.

Eugene H. Peterson