A news reporter attended to a scene where a woman murdered her husband because he once again walked over the wet floor. The reporter turned to a police officer and asked, “When will you arrest the woman?” He responded, “When the floor is dry!”
Often, when people sin or do something wrong, we are reluctant to address them. Sometimes, we fear that they will do to us what they’ve done to others. At other times, we may feel that it can wait or that we will wait until they come to us.
But while waiting for the floor to dry, people are carrying on in their wicked ways and they may even feel that they can get away with things.
Luke 17:3 says, “If another believer sins, rebuke that person; then if there is repentance, forgive.” (New living translation) The amplified Bible tells us to “Pay attention and always be on guard [looking out for one another]! If your brother sins and disregards God’s precepts, solemnly warn him; and if he repents and changes, forgive him.”
Let us not allow the sinner to continue a life of sin or to get comfortable in their life of sin but let us “Preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching.” (See 2 Timothy 4:2)
‘n Nuusverslaggewer het aandag gegee aan ‘n toneel waar ‘n vrou haar man vermoor het omdat hy weer eens oor die nat vloer geloop het. Die verslaggewer het na ‘n polisiebeampte gedraai en gevra: “Wanneer gaan julle die vrou arresteer?” Hy het geantwoord: “Wanneer die vloer droog is!”
Dikwels, wanneer mense sondig of iets verkeerd doen, is ons huiwerig om hulle aan te spreek. Soms vrees ons dat hulle aan ons sal doen wat hulle aan ander gedoen het. Ander kere voel ons dalk dat dit kan wag of dat ons sal wag totdat hulle na ons toe kom.
Maar terwyl hulle wag dat die vloer droog word, gaan mense voort in hul goddelose weë en voel hulle selfs dat hulle met dinge kan wegkom.
Lukas 17:3 sê: “As ‘n ander gelowige sondig, bestraf hom; en as daar berou is, vergeef.” (Nuwe lewende vertaling) Die uitgebreide Bybel sê vir ons: “Gee aandag en wees altyd op jou hoede [kyk na mekaar]! As jou broer sondig en God se voorskrifte verontagsaam, waarsku hom plegtig; en as hy berou het en verander, vergeef hom.”
Laat ons nie toelaat dat die sondaar ‘n lewe van sonde voortsit of gemaklik raak in hul lewe van sonde nie, maar laat ons “verkondig die woord; wees gereed in tyd en ontydig; weerlê, bestraf en vermaan, met alle geduld en lering.” (Sien 2 Timoteus 4:2)
