Mar 2016 – NG Gemeente Pinelands
Posted on 24 Mar, 2016 12 Apr, 2016
Johannes 18:28 –19:22 – 2016
24 Maart 2016 Pinelands – Goeie Vrydag
Dat die kerk vandag nie vol is nie, is nie ‘n verrassing nie. 2000 jaar na die werklike gebeure is ons vandag hier om ‘n gedenkdiens te hou vir Jesus. Die dag van sy begrafnis was somber en verlate. Net twee mense het dit bygewoon – die geheime dissipels Josef van Arimatea en Nikodemus wat destyds stilletjies in die nag vir Jesus opgesoek het. Die wegkruipers, die wat skaam was om met Jesus (en/of sy volgelinge?) geassosieer te word – dit is hierdie twee wat vir Pilatus gaan toestemming vra of hulle maar sy liggaam mag wegneem. Dit is hierdie twee manne wat met 100 litra mirre en aalwyn sy liggaam gebalsem het, dit met geurige speserye in linnedoeke toegedraai het en in ‘n nuwe graf neergelê het.
Dit doen hulle terwyl die res van die volk besig is om hulle voor te berei vir die Sabbatsviering wat Vrydagaand teen sononder begin. Hierdie jaar se Sabbatsviering val saam met die Pasgafees. Josef en Nikodemus sou nie hierdie Sabbat of fees saam met die res van die volk kon vier nie, aangesien hulle aan ‘n lyk gevat het en daarom onrein was.
Dis nie dat Jesus geen ander vriende of volgelinge gehad het wat sy begrafnis sou kon bywoon nie. Maar meeste van hierdie volgelinge het amper te laat besef dat Jesus hulle ‘n rat voor die oë gedraai het, dat Hy nie is wie Hy voorgegee het om te wees nie. Tot op die laaste was hulle getrou aan Hom, het hulle selfs agter Hom bly aanstap toe Hy dae tevore ‘n openbare statement maak en op ‘n donkie Jerusalem binnery. Selfs hulle klere in eerbetoon voor Hom oopgegooi omdat hulle gedink het dat Hy hul nuwe koning is. Maar toe word Hy deur die godsdiensleiers en die land se regering ontbloot vir wat Hy regtig was – ‘n boosdoener en ‘n Godslasteraar. Toe die wagte kom om Hom weg te neem, toe praat Hy nie teë nie, maar loop vrywilliglik in die boeie in. En hulle het so gehoop dat Hy die een is waarvan die geskrifte gepraat het…
Daar was nog mense wat vir Jesus lief was – vriende, familie, volgelinge – ons sou hulle op een hand kon tel – wat braaf genoeg was om naby te bly totdat Hy sy laaste asem uitgeblaas het. Interessant genoeg vertel Johannes vir ons dat dit meestal vroue was: sy moeder en sy tannie en Maria die vrou van Klopas en Maria Magdalena. Saam met hulle die dissipel vir wie Jesus baie lief was.
Tot so ver die gebeure rondom Jesus se dood en sy begrafnis.
Welkom vanoggend, familie en vriende en ook diegene wat van ver af gereis het by die begrafnis van Jesus van Nasaret, die man wat gesê het dat Hy die koning van die Jode is… Dit is dapper van julle om vanoggend hier te wees. Veral in ‘n al meer sekulêre wêreld waar godsdiens, en juis ook die Christelike godsdiens, nie baie positief bejeën word nie. Die getuienis wat ons na buite uitdra help ons ongelukkig dikwels ook nie in die verband nie. Julle mag julle dalk net ‘n bietjie spot op die lyf haal omdat julle hierheen gekom het.
Ons gaan vandag terug na die gebeure rondom Jesus se verhoor deur die Romeinse goewerneur Pontius Pilatus.
Teks (Joh 18:28 – 19:22)
Die ironie is skryend – die Jode kan nie in die Romeinse goewerneur se woning ingaan nie, want dan sal hulle onrein wees en nie meer aan die Paasfees kan deelneem nie. So hulle bly buite staan. Maar Jesus word in die woning van die goewerneur ingestuur. Wat sy mense aanbetref mag Hy maar voor die Paasfees besmet word. Hy verdien elk geval nie om deel te hê aan die fees nie. Hy’s tog net ‘n verleentheid vir hulle.
9:6 Pilatus se frustrasie: “Kruisig júlle Hom dan!”
Wanneer die Joodse hoëpriester Kajafas vir Jesus na die Romeinse goewerneur Pilatus toe bring, dan bevind Pilatus homself in ‘n groot verknorsing. Hy is tans in Jerusalem, nie omdat hy daar wil wees nie, maar omdat hy die vrede moet handhaaf in ‘n tyd en oor ‘n naweek van groot oproerigheid. Sy grootste begeerte is waarskynlik dat die Joodse verrigtinge oor die naweek vlot sal verloop, dat hy nie te veel betrek sal word by ‘n ander volk se godsdiens of politiek nie, en dat die gebruiklike vrylating van ‘n gevangene wat die Jode self mag kies, sonder enige hick-ups sal geskied.
Maar nog voordat die naweek begin is daar reeds ‘n klop aan Pilatus se ampswoning se deur. En word Jesus aan hom uitgelewer. Pilatus gaan buitentoe om te hoor wat aangaan. Hy hoor by die Jode dat Jesus ‘n boosdoener is, ‘n goddelose. Dis die rede waarom hulle Hom na Pilatus toe bring. Om veroordeel te word. Maar Pilatus is nie lus om hierby betrek te word nie: “Vat julle Hom en veroordeel Hom vlgs julle wet. (Maar hou my hier uit.)”
Pilatus is verbouereerd. Hy wil nie ‘n vonnis vel nie. Hy wil dit in die Jode se eie hande oorlaat. Maar die Jode weet dat hulle dit nie mag doen nie. Pilatus, as Romeinse goewerneur en in diens van die keiser, is die enigste een in Jerusalem wat vir Jesus mag vonnis. Dit is duidelik dat Pilatus niks met Jesus se dood te doen sou gehad het as dit nie vir die Joodse godsdienstige leiers was wat druk op hom geplaas het nie. Hulle is diegene wat primêr verantwoordelik gehou moet word vir wat hierna gebeur. Want Pilatus probeer alles om uit die situasie te kom en Jesus se lewe te spaar.
Die res van die teregstelling ken julle. Hoedat Pilatus elke keer vir oulaas en maar weer vir oulaas en maar wéér vir oulaas probeer om Jesus kwyt te skeld van die vonnis, maar wanneer die Jode dan vir Pilatus met sy eie posisie en lewe dreig, dan gooi hy handdoek in. Hy gaan sit op die regbank by Gabbata, moeg geredeneer. Hy weet hy doen die verkeerde ding. “Kyk, daar is julle koning.” Maar die Jode skreeu: “Vat Hom weg! Vat Hom weg! Kruisig Hom!”
Die verhoor van Jesus word voorafgegaan deur die verraad van Judas en die verloëning van Petrus. Dis is juis Judas se verraad wat die bal aan die rol sit. Verraad wat beteken om iemand oor te gee in iemand anders se hande, om iemand toe te vertrou aan iemand anders, maar met ‘n doelbewuste kwaadwilligheid wat daaragter steek. Die Griekse woord vir verraad, daai woord wat in verband met Judas gebruik word – presies dieselfde woord kom 5 keer in vandag se teks voor!
Julle sien, Judas was nie die enigste verraaier in die gebeure van Jesus se kruisverhaal nie. Die eerste, maar nie die enigste nie. Die res van die verhaal is deurtrek van verraaiers. Die Joodse volk. Die priesterhoofde by name. Die hoëpriester Kajafas. En ja, heel aan die einde ook Pilatus. Teen sy beterwete in, ter wille van sy eie veiligheid speel hy reg in die hande van die Joodse godsdiensleiers en verraai ook hy vir Jesus. Pilatus wat hier reg aan die einde van Jesus se lewe dalk die naaste aan ‘n vriend was wat hy gehad het. (Ons Nederlandse Geloofsbelydenis pleeg ‘n onreg teen Pilatus, deurdat dit ons leer om te bely dat Jesus “onder Pontius Pilatus gekruisig is”. Pontuis Pilatus is die énigste persoon betrokke in die verhoor wat tot die einde bly skop het teen die teregstelling van Jesus.)
En asof hierdie herhaaldelike verraad nie genoeg is nie: Toe Pilatus ‘n opskrif bo-aan Jesus se kruis laat vasheg: “Jesus van Nasaret, die Koning van die Jode”; toe sê die priesterhoofde vir hom hy moet dit verander: “Moenie skrywe: ‘Die Koning van die Jode’ nie, maar skrywe: Hy het gesê: Ek is die Koning van die Jode.” Op hierdie punt het die Romeinse goewerneur egter sy voet neergesit: “Wat ek geskrywe het, het ek geskrywe.” Dit is so dat die opskrif bo ‘n kruis gewoonlik spottenderwys bedoel is. Maar dis tog asof Pilatus met die opskrif wou sê: “Ek glo hierdie man. Hy is julle koning. Hy gaan onskuldig sterwe. Maar gun Hom dan ten minste die naam wat Hom toekom.” (19:19-22)
Toe Jesus se volgelinge terwyl Hy nog gelewe het (die wat Hom gevolg het terwyl Hy nog gelewe het) ná die kruisiging in hul gate in kruip en hulself agter slot en grendel gaan beveilig, het Josef van Arimatea en Nikodemus, toe Jesus dit nie meer sou weet nie, hulself verontreinig deur sy liggaam te gaan haal en te versorg. Ja, hulle het waarskynlik nie saam met die skares Hosanna gesing toe Hy op die donkie Jerusalem binnegery het nie. Maar hulle is die twee mense wat die laaste eer aan Hom betoon het. Húlle was getrou tot die einde toe. Toe identifikasie met Jesus en geloof in Hom nie meer voordelig was in die samelewing waarin hulle hul bevind het nie, toe eertydse volgelinge en volksgenote rond en bont begin het om Hom te verloën en te verraai, toe die vyande rede had om vinger te wys met die smalende woorde: “Ons het julle mos gesê hy was die enigste een wat geglo het dat hy die koning van die Jode is. Waar is julle koning nou?!”… toe is dit die onbekende Josef en Nikodemus wat sorg dat hierdie Koning ‘n begrafnis het.
Vandag sluit ons groepie aan by die twee manne. En ons sou Liedboek 389: 1 kon sing:
Is dit, is dít ons Koning
kyk daar, aanskou die Mens!
Is dit, is dít sy kroning –
wie het dit só gewens?
Is dit sy koningshulde,
díe riet, díe kleed, díe kroon?
Is dit dan sy begrafnis,
word só Gods Seun vertoon?
Hier is vanoggend niks. Geen versierings nie. Geen blomme nie. Geen kers nie. Geen begrafnisblaadjie nie. Geen Powerpoint met momente uit die lewe van Jesus nie. Niks om te vier nie. Net maar ‘n kruis.
Where you there when they laid Him the tomb? Nee, niemand was nie. (Die twee wat wel daar was se naam was ook Niemand.) Maar ons is nou hier om te onthou. Nevermind waar ons môre of oormôre of vlg maand of jaar gaan wees. Ons is nóú hier. En vir Hom is dit genoeg…
Posted on 20 Mar, 2016 12 Apr, 2016
Posted on 13 Mar, 2016 12 Apr, 2016
Johannes 12:1-8 (11:55 – 12:11) – 2016
13 Maart 2016 Pinelands – Sondag voor Palmsondag en Doopdiens
It is almost time for the Jewish Passover Feast. Jesus’s life is in danger – because of everything that He has taught and done, recently also calling a dead Lazarus from the grave to life again. The chief priests and Pharisees ordered his arrest and people where not so sure whether Jesus would indeed attend the feast since the chances of being arrested and killed was so high. However, this does not stop Him from going.
Bethany was a town located 2 miles outside of Jerusalem. Many of the Jewish pilgrims found lodgings there since Jerusalem could not cater for all the people. Jesus and his disciples also went to Bethany where they were acquainted with Lazarus (whom Jesus called back to life) and his two sisters Martha and Mary.
We’ve met these siblings in Luke 10:38-42, where Jesus was a guest in their house. There Martha was working hard at preparing a meal and serving Jesus, but she was unhappy since, instead of helping her, Mary went and sat at Jesus’ feet to listen to and learn from Him. When Martha complained about this Jesus answered her: “Martha, Martha… Mary has chosen the best part; it will not be taken away from her”. It is noteworthy that, having positioned herself at Jesus’ feet to learn from Him, Mary identified with the disciples. In history there have been and still are many theologians who believe that Jesus had a very special place in his heart for Mary, loving her as much as He did the disciple Simon Peter.
Now, a week before the commencement of the Passover Feast, Jesus goes to the house of Lazarus and his sisters yet again. And everyone is in his or her expected roles. Jesus was amongst the men who reclined at the table with Lazarus, ready to be served and enjoy a meal together. (People did not sit at a table on chairs during that time and in their culture.) Martha was where she was supposed to be according to society’s customs – in the kitchen cooking and around the table serving the men. Then Mary appeared, and as previously she was completely out of tune as to where she should be (in the kitchen) and what she should do (helping Martha). But Martha has probably learned her lesson and this time around she does not complain about Mary’s lack of help. However, Judas has got some complaining to do. And if we read the same story in the other gospels, the rest of the disciples where also very upset by Mary’s behaviour.
She entered the room, took 1 litra (between 350 and 500 ml) of very expensive nard ointment (only available in the Himalayas north of India, so it has travelled a significant way to the vicinity of Jerusalem), she opens the flask (breaks it open according to Mark) and anoints the feet of Jesus with the most lovely aromatic oil, not leaving a drop to spare. All-in-all strange and unexpected behaviour. Not only did Mary disrupt the men’s meal and conversation, she also made them very uncomfortable by doing something completely out of the ordinary. People did not go around anointing each other every day. This custom was usually kept for the inauguration of a king, and then it would have been a man anointing – not the feet, but the head of the upcoming king! (Eg Samuel anointing first Saul and then David).
As if that was not enough, Mary untied her long hair and dried Jesus’ anointed feet with it. Now the men are really shifting around uncomfortably. In the Jewish custom a woman was never allowed to untie her hair in public. Only in the presence of her husband, behind closed doors, she could let her hair loose, since this gesture signified a very deep intimacy – not to be put on display in the presence of others. But Jesus does not object. On the contrary.
Why would Mary do such a thing? The text does not provide us with many answers. Mary, for one, does not speak at all. (At least there she seems to know her place.) We can only speculate. A few good guesses as to the practicality of her deed (anointing Jesus’ feet instead of his head) could be that perhaps Mary did recognize the Messiah, the king in Jesus since she would be familiar with his teachings. Maybe she understood it better than the rest of the disciples? But being a mere humble woman and not a man of stature in the community (like Samuel), she does not see it fit to anoint Jesus’ head, she rather kneels down by his feet – there where she belongs (if anywhere at all). Or – perhaps she knelt down by his feet because that was the part of his body furthest away from the table.
Judas complains that this flask of oil is way too expensive to go to waste in this way. It cost 300 denarii, equal to a day laborer’s annual income! Being the bearer of the purse he reasons that the oil could have been sold and the money used to feed the poor. True, off course, but John informs us as readers that Judas was a thieve using his very good and proper reasoning (taking care of the poor) as a lie to get his hands on the money and take some for himself. He did not care for the needs of the poor at all, only for his own greed.
Jesus, however, sees the gratitude in Mary and defends her. Even if one should consider that Judas reasoning was all above board with no hidden motives, his argument does not hold, since, says Jesus, “you will always have the poor with you, but you will not always have me!” Prior to saying this, Jesus gives meaning to what Mary did. Whether she knew it or not, whether she acted on impulse or within her own reasoning, the meaning that Jesus attaches to the anointment of his feet is significant: “Leave her alone,” He says, “she has kept it for the day of my burial.”
In the understanding of Jesus Mary did not anoint Him as king, she prepared Him for his death. She honored Him before He died. She started to care for his corpse, while He was still alive. For – and this both she and He knew – she was grateful to Him and she loved Him very much, fighting against the laws of society to be his disciple instead of one of the woman who cooked Him a meal every once in a while. Every time we read of Mary in the presence of Jesus, we find her at his feet. He truly saw her and treated her with dignity, defended her when it came to it, consoled her when she was grieving – being moved so much by her tears that He called her brother back to life.
And on her part, Mary did not stand back in giving Jesus the honor that He deserved. She was prepared to put her reputation as a “good woman” on the line in her act of endless kindness towards Him. She gave all that she had – the ointment probably being her most expensive possession, and her hair being a part of her body that should be kept for the person closest to her. No one was closer to her than Jesus.
The intimacy is too much to bear for the disciples who immediately do the math in their minds. The calculations do not make sense. It does not add up – a moment on the feet and the smell of it an hour in the nose does not equal all the hungry mouths to be fed. True all-encompassing love often does not make sense, it might often seem like a waste to onlookers who do not understand, but didn’t Jesus display the same radical love, even more of it, a week or two later when He died on the cross? Not only for Mary or the Mary’s in the world, but also for the rest? Even for the Judas’s… What a waste, we might often say. Never a waste, Jesus would reply. Never a waste, rather a choice of selfless love and giving.
That is also what happens in the christening – God so loves Nathan Peter Rosenstein, that He selflessly gave his son, and Jesus so loves Nathan that He selflessly gave his life for him… and for each and every one of us. What would we give if we had/have the chance?
Mother Teresa walked through the streets of Calcutta. She saw a man – dirty and diseased on the side of the road. She walked toward him, knelt down beside him, touched his body, touched his feet, starting to clean him (we could also say anoint – perhaps for live but probably at that stage for death – I do not know since I don’t know the outcome of the story), and a proper, strong, well-kept man looked on from the other side of the road and called to her: “I would not do that for a million dollars!”
“Neither would I,” she replied…