Shofar Durbanville

Wie verdien 'n plek aan Jesus se tafel?

In Lukas 19:1–10 ontmoet ons Saggeus, die gehate hooftollenaar wat deur sy gemeenskap verwerp is. Maar Jesus het hom nie vermy of gewag dat hy eers sy lewe regmaak nie. Jesus het hom op sy naam geroep en hom uitgenooi na 'n verhouding.

Deur Saggeus se verhaal herinner Ross van Niekerk ons dat God se genade nie verdien word nie. Ons word nie deur ons goeie werke aan God se tafel verwelkom nie, maar deur Jesus se liefde en genade.

En wanneer ons hierdie genade beleef, verander dit ons harte, ons optrede en ons verhoudings met ander.

Die uitdaging vir ons as Christene is om mense nie bloot te beoordeel of na die kerk te probeer bring nie, maar om opregte vriendskappe te bou. Om ons tafels oop te maak. Om mense raak te sien. Om met geduld, liefde en gasvryheid te wys dat hulle welkom is.

“Mense voel hulle is deel van die familie as hulle deel van jou familie is.”

Jesus het gekom om die verlorenes te soek en te red. Mag ons ook mense verwelkom wat die wêreld – en soms ons eie gemeenskappe – verwerp.

📖 Skrifgedeelte: Lukas 19:1–10

In Luke 14, Jesus tells a story about a great banquet where the invited guests make excuses—but the poor, the blind, the lame and the overlooked are welcomed to the table.

Melissa le Roux challenges us to see ourselves in that story. We are not simply the people who invite the “destitute” to Jesus’ table. We are the people who desperately need the invitation.

The world places labels on us: enemy, sinner, failure, heretic, immoral, weak, rejected, orphan, deserter. But Jesus does something different. He points to the cross and says that those labels no longer define us.

At his table, shame is replaced with sonship. Rejection is replaced with belonging. Lies are replaced with truth. And our weakness becomes a place where we discover his grace.

What label is God asking you to surrender?

Jesus welcomes the destitute—and when we realize that we are among them, we can finally receive the grace that allows us to welcome others too.

Wie kry 'n plek aan Jesus se tafel?

In Lukas 14 vertel Jesus van 'n groot maaltyd waar die mense wat aanvanklik genooi is, verskonings maak. Die eienaar stuur sy mense toe om die armes, kreupeles, blindes en verlamdes te gaan haal — want sy huis moet vol wees.

Melissa le Roux herinner ons daaraan dat Jesus se tafel nie 'n plek is waar ons ons waarde moet bewys nie. Dit is 'n tafel van genade.

Ons hoef nie eers ryk genoeg, suksesvol genoeg, goed genoeg of “reg” genoeg te wees voordat ons welkom is nie. Jesus ontmoet ons juis in ons behoeftigheid en gee vir ons 'n nuwe identiteit: vergewe, geliefd, gereinig, waardig en deel van God se familie.

Miskien is dit tyd om vanoggend die etikette wat jy dra neer te lê — die trots, skaamte, skuld, prestasie, vrees en verskonings — en weer te onthou:

Jy is welkom aan die tafel.
Jy behoort.
Dit is genade.

In a world where children were often overlooked and undervalued, Jesus placed them at the centre of His community. He challenged the disciples' understanding of greatness and taught them that God's kingdom belongs to those who receive it with humility and childlike faith.

Children are not a burden to tolerate. They are a blessing to celebrate, people made in the image of God and worthy of love, dignity and protection.

As a church, we are called to welcome children, invest in their spiritual growth, support their families and create a community where they can flourish.

May we become a people who reflect the Father's heart and make room for every child.

“Let the children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God.” — Luke 18:16

“Laat die kindertjies na My toe kom en moet hulle nie keer nie...” – Lukas 18

In 'n wêreld waar kinders dikwels as gering en onbelangrik beskou is, het Jesus die waardes van sy tyd omgedraai. Hy het kinders verwelkom, hulle waarde bevestig en hulle as volwaardige lede van God se koninkryk beskou.

In hierdie boodskap herinner Mari-Louise Conradie ons daaraan dat kinders nie eers waardevol word wanneer hulle groot is nie. Hulle is nou reeds gemaak na die beeld van God.

As geloofsgemeenskap word ons geroep om ruimte vir kinders te maak, hulle lief te hê, te beskerm en hulle in geloof te begelei. Ons word ook uitgenooi om met die nederigheid en geloof van 'n kind na ons Hemelse Vader te kom.

Kinders is nie net die kerk van môre nie. Hulle is deel van die kerk van vandag.

What does it mean to see women as Jesus sees them?

In Luke's Gospel, women are not merely recipients of Jesus' compassion. They are disciples, witnesses, supporters and participants in His mission.

Jesus welcomed women to sit at His feet and learn. He included them in His ministry. He entrusted them with the news of His resurrection. And He treated their lives, faith, sacrifice and testimony as significant.

In a culture where women were often excluded from education, leadership and public testimony, Jesus demonstrated something radically different: women belong at the table.

The challenge for us is to examine the lenses through which we see others—and ourselves.

Do you see women as Jesus sees them?
And do you see yourself as someone welcomed to participate in God's kingdom?

Jesus welcomes us to the table—and invites us to make room for others too.

In Lukas se evangelie sien ons ’n Jesus wat mense wat deur kultuur, status, sonde en sosiale strukture uitgesluit is, na Sy tafel nooi.

Dit sluit vroue in.

Jesus het vroue nie net genees en bedien nie — Hy het hulle raakgesien, geëer, geleer en as dissipels verwelkom. Vroue het saam met Hom gereis, Sy bediening ondersteun en was selfs die eerste mense wat die goeie nuus van Sy opstanding verkondig het.

Dit was ’n radikale boodskap in ’n wêreld waarin vroue se stemme en getuienis dikwels geminimaliseer is.

Die uitnodiging vir ons vandag is om onsself en mekaar te sien soos God ons sien: as mense wat in Sy beeld gemaak is en welkom is aan Sy tafel.

Hoe sien jy jouself?
En hoe sien jy die vrou langs jou?

Jesus se tafel het plek vir almal.

What happens when you become disappointed with God? When your prayers seem unanswered, your expectations collapse, and you simply don't have the strength to keep going?

In Luke 24, two disciples walk away from Jerusalem after Jesus' death. They are disappointed, disillusioned and without hope. But as they walk away, Jesus walks with them.

He listens to their story. He meets them in their confusion. He opens the Scriptures. He breaks bread with them. And slowly, their hope begins to burn again.

The beautiful truth of this story is that Jesus does not give up on those who give up on Him. When we walk away, He walks with us. When we lose hope, He remains full of hope.

And this becomes our invitation too: notice the people around you who have lost hope. Don't judge them. Walk with them. Listen to them. Share Scripture with them. Break bread with them. Help them discover that Jesus has not walked away from them.

Sometimes the person who needs Jesus most is the person who has stopped looking for Him.

Die twee dissipels op pad na Emmaus was teleurgesteld, verward en moedeloos. Hulle het gehoop Jesus sou Israel verlos, maar toe Hy gekruisig word, het hulle hoop ineengestort.

En tog het Jesus hulle nie gelos nie.

Hy het hulle gevolg. Hy het saam met hulle gestap. Hy het geluister. Hy het die Skrif vir hulle oopgemaak. En uiteindelik het hulle Hom herken toe Hy saam met hulle aan tafel was.

Miskien stap jy vandag ook met ’n teleurstelling wat jy nie kan verklaar nie. Miskien het jy moed verloor of selfs gewonder of jy moet wegstap.

Jesus stap steeds saam met jou.

En wanneer Hy ons bemoedig het, stuur Hy ons terug om ander te bemoedig.

Wie is die persoon wat jy hierdie week kan gaan soek, saam met wie jy kan stap en wie jy kan bemoedig?

“Here, maak ons nie net mense wat bemoedig word nie, maar bemoedigers.”

Who is your neighbour?

In Luke 10, Jesus answers this question with a story that would have shocked His original audience. The hero is a Samaritan—the very kind of person many Jews regarded as a heretic and enemy.

The Good Samaritan reminds us that following Jesus means more than loving the people who look like us, think like us, worship like us or agree with us.

Godliness is known by love.

Jesus calls us to show mercy, extend dignity, forgive, care for those who are different from us and even love those we consider our enemies.

And perhaps the challenge begins closer to home than we think.

Do you know your neighbour?

Not the person far away. Not the person on the other side of the world. The person living next door.

We don't love our neighbours because we hope to convert them. We love them because Jesus loves them—and because we follow Jesus.

Love your neighbour because you're a Christian.