Brenda de Wet bring die volgende pittige voorbeeld onder my aandag. Sy vertel:
In the Linns’ book Good Goats: Healing our image of God, they recount the story of
their presenting a seminar about healing our image of God as a strict, unloving
judge to a group of elderly retired nuns.
Right
at the end one sister raised her hand and asked, “But what about the story of
the sheep and the goats?” Dennis Linn responded by asking the group, “How many
of you, even once in your life, have done what Jesus asks at the beginning of
that passage and fed a hungry person, clothed a naked person or visited a
person in prison?” All the sisters raised their hands. Dennis said, “That’s
wonderful! You’re all sheep.” Then he asked, “How many of you, even once in
your life, have walked by a hungry person, failed to clothe a naked person, or
not visited someone in prison?” slowly, all the sisters raised their hands.
Dennis said, “That’s too bad. You’re all goats.’
The
sisters looked worried and perplexed. Then, suddenly one very old sister
exclaimed, “I get it! We’re all good goats!”
And so we are, by the grace of God.
Dus, besef ek by die lees hiervan, moet 'n mens maar altyd daardie vinger wat so rondswaai en bokke om ons raaksien - almal op pad hel toe, nederig laat sak en hande vou, biddend.
Dit is hoe die verhaal van die laaste oordeel werk: Matteus vestig die aandag daarop dat 'n mens, wanneer jy jouself teen die lig van die genade toets, met skok jou eie harteloosheid, en, dan, jou lewe sonder God, sal ontdek. Toets jouself gedurig, vra Matteus. of jy nog in God se wil leef. Onderskei die teenwoordigheid van Christus in jou lewe. Sonder dat 'n mens dit weet, kan 'n mens buite God se wil leef. Deur self-ondersoek ontdek 'n mens hoe skeef dinge geloop het en watter hartelose magte loskom - en dit is 'n oordeel wat 'n mens oor jouself bring. Daardie oordeel kan, sonder dat jy dit besef, allervernietigends wees.
