Bible Society of South Africa
Frank Retief

Remember his strength – Day 16

Dereliction

Se(di)ngolwa (t)sa Bibele

MAREKA 15

34Yaba ka hora ya boraro Jesu o meketsa ka lentswe le phahameng, o re: “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabakthani?” e leng ho re: “Modimo wa ka, Modimo wa ka, o ntahletseng na?”

MAREKA 15:34SSO89SOBula ka mmadi wa Bibele

Pesalema 22

Modimo wa ka, Modimo wa ka, o ntahletseng?

1Pesalema ya Davida. Taelo ho motsamaisi wa dibini: E binwe ka modumo wa “Kgama ya meso”.

2Modimo wa ka, Modimo wa ka,

o ntahletseng?

O hole le ho mpholosa,

ha o utlwe ho dumaela ha ka.

3Modimo wa ka,

ke ipiletsa le motsheare,

empa ha o nkarabe;

ke howa le bosiu, ha ke kgutse.

4Athe wena o a halelela,

wena eo Iseraele

a o binelang dithoko.

5Bo-ntata rona ba nnile ba o tshepa;

ba o tshepa, mme wa ba namolela.

6Ba nnile ba o llela,

mme ba phonyoha;

ba o tshepa,

mme ha ba a ka ba hlajwa ke dihlong.

7Empa nna ke seboko, ha ke motho;

ke sekgobo ho bohle,

ke nyediswa ke setjhaba.

8Bohle ba mponang ba a ntshoma,

ba nnyekoletsa melomo,

ba ntshisinyetsa dihlooho, ba re:

9“O tshepile Morena!

A ke a mo lopolle,

a mo pholose haeba a mo rata!”

10Athe ke wena

ya nntshitseng popelong ya mme,

wa etsa hore mme

a ntshike sefubeng sa hae;

11ke abetswe wena

ho tloha tswalong ya ka,

o bile Modimo wa ka

ke sa le popelong ya mme.

12Se be hole le nna,

hobane matshwenyeho a haufi,

mme ha ho ya ka nthusang.

13Dipohwana tse ngata di ntikile,

dipoho tsa ditonana tsa Bashane

di mpokanetse;

14dira di mpetletse meno,

jwaloka tau tse purumang,

tse harolang.

15Ke jwaloka metsi a tsholohang,

masapo a ka a tswenehile;

pelo ya ka e jwaloka tshotso,

e qhibidiha ka sefubeng sa ka;

16mmetso wa ka

o omeletse jwaloka lengetana,

leleme la ka

le kgomaretse mahalapeng a ka.

O nthobaditse leroleng la lefu.

17Dintja tse ngata di ntikile,

sehlopha sa dinokwane

se ntikanetse,

tsena di ntlepotse maoto le matsoho.

18Nka bala masapo a ka kaofela.

Batho ba ntjhebile, ba mmakaletse;

19ba arolelana diaparo tsa ka,

ba laola aparo sa ka ka lotho.

20Empa wena Morena,

o se be hole le nna;

wena, matla a ka,

potlakela ho nthusa.

21Pholosa bophelo ba ka saboleng;

ke bona feela,

bo pholose marong a ntja.

22Mpholose ditleneng tsa tau;

nna ya fokolang

mpholose nakeng tsa dinare.

23Ke tla tumisa lebitso la hao

hara bana beso,

ke o rorise hara phutheho, ke re:

24“Lona ba hlomphang Morena,

mo roriseng;

lona ditloholo tsohle tsa Jakobo,

mo tlotliseng;

lona ditloholo tsohle tsa Israele,

mo tshabeng.

25“Ha a a ka a nyedisa ya hlophehileng,

leha e le ho se tsotelle

bohlophehi ba hae;

ha a a ka a mo patela fahleho sa hae,

empa o ile a utlwa ha a mo llela.”

26Ke tla o rorisa phuthehong e kgolo,

kapele ho ba o hlomphang,

ke phethe dikano tsa ka.

27Ba eisehang ba tla ja, ba kgore,

ba batlang Morena ba tla mo rorisa;

pelo tsa bona

di ke di thabe kamehla.

28Lefatshe ka bophara ba lona

le hopole Morena,

le ke le kgutlele ho yena;

merabe yohle ya lefatshe e itihele,

e ke e itihele maotong a hae;

29hobane puso ke ya Morena,

mme o rena hodima ditjhaba.

30Bohle ba nang le matla lefatsheng

ba tla itihela maotong a hae;

bohle ba fellang leroleng

ba tla mo kgumamela.

Nna ke tla phelela yena;

31ditloholo tsa ka di tla mo sebeletsa.

Meloko e tlang

e tla tsebiswa Morena,

32setjhaba se esong ho tswalwe

se tla senolelwa ho loka ha hae:

Ona ke mosebetsi wa Morena.

Pesalema 22SSO89SOBula ka mmadi wa Bibele

Many people have felt utterly forsaken by God at different times in their lives. King David certainly did, during one of the courses in his life. He wrote a psalm about it, Psalm 22. It is the opening verse of this psalm that Jesus quotes on the cross.

Did I say, “quotes on the cross”? This is hardly a description for what happened there, that Good Friday. It was more likely a shout, a shriek, a howl of deep anguish. In this verse alone, correctly understood, we have the whole gospel story. Everything culminates in Christ and his death on the cross. It is here on the cross that something so deep and profound is happening, that no human mind can adequately conceive of it. “Forsaken by God”? Is it possible? Dear reader, what you are confronted with here is the mystery of Christ suffering for our sins. Who can tell what that suffering entails? Here is a man facing judgement for us. The final banishment, which we should face, is now being visited upon him. He is bearing our sins so that we might be forgiven.

Please do not take this lightly. What is happening here is more than words can describe. We all need to bow in wonder and amazement that such a thing should happen. God punishes his own Son on our behalf, so that we might go free! Has the world ever heard of such a thing!

Nevertheless, the truth is, it happened. This means that there is hope for everyone who comes to him. The scandal of the cross is that even the most undeserving of human beings, who turn to Jesus in true repentance, find forgiveness, acceptance and hope for the future. This scandalises the sense of those who live decently and uprightly, and whose ideas of justice demands that evil people should be punished. However, what they do not understand is that evil people have indeed been punished. The One who stood in for them has borne their punishment. A fair exchange has been made. He who knew no sin became sin for them, so that they could become the righteousness of God in him.

Is there a name for this kind of action? Yes, it is grace! Grace, undeserved mercy to the world of sinners, provided they turn to the best of men – indeed, the God/Man, who became this redeemer on the cross.

Let no one despair. All sin may be forgiven. All sinners may be accepted. There is room at the cross for you – only come! Come, even today!

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