Kodi Nchiti Chomwe Chiri Chowonadi Ponena za Betelehemu ndi Krisimasi?

“PAMENE tiganizira za Chinsinsi cha Betelehemu sitingathe kupeŵa mafunso ndi zikaiko zobwera m’maganizo mwathu.”​—Bethlehem, lolembedwa ndi Maria Teresa Petrozzi.

Inu mungafunse kuti, ‘Kodi nchifukwa ninji pamakhala mafunso ndi zikaiko?’ Ndiiko komwe, zikhulupiriro zosiyanasiyana zokhudza Krisimasi, ndi malo ogwirizanitsidwa ndi zikhulupiriro zimenezi, nzozikidwa pa zenizeni. Kapena kodi ziridi tero?

Kodi Iye Anabadwa Liti?

Ponena za deti lakubadwa kwa Yesu, Maria Teresa Petrozzi akufunsa kuti: “Kodi ndiliti kwenikweni pamene Momboliyo anabadwa? Tingakonde kudziŵa osati chaka chokha komanso mwezi, tsiku, ndi ola. Kutsimikizirika kwa masamu sikutipatsa kanthu.” New Catholic Encyclopedia ikuchilikiza izi: “Deti lakubadwa kwa Yesu Kristu lingapezedwe mwakungoyerekezera.” Iyo ikunena motere ponena za deti lonenedwa kukhala lakubadwa kwa Kristu: “Deti la December 25 siligwirizana ndi kubadwa kwa Kristu koma phwando la Natalis Solis Invicti, phwando Lachiroma lokumbukira dzuŵa lochitika pachimake pa dzuŵa.”

Chotero mungafunse kuti, ‘Ngati Yesu sanabadwe pa December 25, kodi iye anabadwa liti?’ Pa Mateyu mitu 26 ndi 27, tikumvetsetsa kuti Yesu anamwalira panthaŵi ya Paskha Yachiyuda, imene inkayamba pa April 1, 33 C.E. Kuwonjezerapo, Luka 3:21-23 akutidziŵitsa kuti Yesu anali pafupifupi zaka 30 zakubadwa pamene anayamba uminisitala wake. Popeza kuti uminisitala wake wapadziko lapansi unatenga zaka zitatu ndi theka, iye anali ndi zaka zakubadwa pafupifupi 33 1/2 pamene anamwalira. Kristu akanakhala ndi zaka zokwanira 34 miyezi isanu ndi umodzi pambuyo pa, pamene pakanakhala pafupifupi pa October 1. Titaŵerenga chafutambuyo kuwona pamene Yesu anabadwa, timafika, osati pafupifupi December 25 kapena January 6, koma pafupifupi October 1 wa chaka cha 2 B.C.E.

Nchodziŵikanso kuti m’mwezi wa December, Betelehemu ndi malo oizungulira amakhala m’nyengo yozizira yachisanu, mvula yozizira, ndipo nthaŵi zina chipale chofeŵa. Munthu samapeza abusa ali panja ndi zoŵeta zawo usiku nthaŵi imeneyo. Kusintha kwanyengo kumeneku sikuli chochitika chaposachedwapa. Malemba amasimba kuti Yehoyakimu, mfumu Yachiyuda ‘anakhala m’nyumba ya nyengo yachisanu mwezi wachisanu ndi chinayi [Kisilevi, wolingana ndi November-December], ndipo munali moto m’nkhumbaliro pamaso pake.’ (Yeremiya 36:22) Iye anafunikira motowo kuti amve kutentha. Kuwonjezerapo, pa Ezara 10:9, 13 tikupezapo umboni womvekera bwino wakuti mwezi wa Kisilevi unali ‘nyengo . . . ya mvula ndipo panalibe mphamvu yakuima pabwalo.’ Zonsezi zikusonyeza kuti mikhalidwe ya nyengo m’Betelehemu m’December simayenerana ndi kulongosola kwa Baibulo kwa zochitika zogwirizanitsidwa ndi kubadwa kwa Yesu Kristu.​—Luka 2:8-11.

Mpamalo Otani?

Kodi ndiliti limene liri lingaliro lolondola la malo amene anali chimodzi cha zifukwa zoyambitsa nkhondo ya ku Crimea (1853-56), ‘kulimbana kwamwazi’ kumene kunaphetsa asilikali Achifalansa oposa zikwi zana limodzi? Kodi malo amenewo alidi malo obadwira a Yesu?

Choyamba, Baibulo lenilenilo silimatchula malo enieni obadwira Yesu. Mateyu ndi Luka akutsimikizira kuti kubadwa kwa Yesu kunakwaniritsa ulosi wa Mesiya wa pa Mika 5:2, umene unaneneratu kuti ‘woweruza m’Israyeli; matulukiro ake ndiwo a kale lomwe,’ akachokera ku Betelehemu. (Mateyu 2:1, 5; Luka 2:4) Zolembedwa za Mauthenga Abwino aŵiri onsewo zimatchula kokha zinthu zofunika, ndizo, kuti Yesu anabadwira m’Betelehemu, ndipo mogwirizana ndi Luka, khandalo linakulungidwa m’nsalu niligonekedwa modyera ng’ombe.​—Luka 2:7.

Kodi nchifukwa ninji olemba Uthenga Wabwinowo sanawonjezere tsatanetsatane wowonjezereka? Maria Teresa Petrozzi akulongosola kuti: “Alengeziwo amanyalanyaza tsatanetsataneyu, mwachiwonekere chifukwa chakuti amamulingalira kukhala wopanda tanthauzo.” Kwenikwenidi, nchachiwonekere kuti Yesu iyemwini sanalingalire tsatanetsatane wa kubadwa kwake kukhala watanthauzo kwenikweni, popeza kuti sanagwidwepo mawu kukhala akutchula deti lake lobadwa kapena malo enieni obadwira. Chinkana kuti anabadwira m’Betelehemu, Yesu sanawalingalire malowo kukhala mudzi wake, koma dera la Galileya linatchedwa ‘dziko la kwawo.’​—Marko 6:1, 3, 4; Mateyu 2:4, 5; 13:54.

Kuŵerenga Yohane 7:40-42 kumasonyeza kuti anthu mwachisawawa sankadziŵa kumene anabadwira, akumaganiza kuti anabadwira m’Galileya: ‘Ena ananena, Kodi Kristu adza kutuluka m’Galileya?’ Kudalira pa zimene zinalembedwa pa Yohane 7:41, The Church of the Nativity, Bethlehem ikutsimikizira motere: “Chenicheni chakuti kukambitsirana koteroko kunabuka mwa iko kokha sikukutsutsa mfundo yakuti Kristu anabadwira m’Betelehemu; koma kukusonyeza kuti mabwenzi Ake ambiri sankadziŵa zimenezo.”

Nkwachiwonekere kuti m’nthaŵi yamoyo wa Yesu wapadziko lapansi, iye sanabukitse tsatanetsatane wa kubadwa kwake. Sanagogomezere malo ake obadwira. Nangano, kodi nchiyani chomwe chiri maziko okhulupirira kuti Phanga la Nativity ndilo malo amene Yosefe anabweretsako Maria kuti iye abale?

Petrozzi akuvomereza mosabisa mawu motere: “Nzosatheka kudziŵa motsimikizirika kuti kaya phangalo linali limodzi la mapanga achilengedwe osaŵerengeka omwe anali m’midzi yoyandikana ndi Betelehemu, kapena phanga logwiritsiridwa ntchito monga mogona zinyama pamalo a alendo. Komabe, mwambowu umene umabwerera kumbuyoko kufika ku theka loyamba la zaka za zana lachiŵiri, ngwotsimikizirika; ndiphanga logona zinyama.”​—Kanyenye ngwathu.

Mwambo Wamba

Maria Teresa Petrozzi ndi R. W. Hamilton, limodzi ndi ophunzira ena osiyanasiyana a mbiri ya Betelehemu, amasonyeza kuti Justin Martyr, wa m’zaka za zana lachiŵiri C.E., anali woyambirira kunena kuti Yesu anabadwira m’phanga, popanda kulisonya mwachindunji kuti ndi liti. Hamilton akutsimikizira motere ponena za ndemanga ya Justin Martyr: “Ichi ndi chilozero chabe, ndipo kulingalira kuti St. Justin ankaganiza za phanga lakutilakuti, ndikutinso ankalozera ku Phanga lamakomo la Nativity, kukakhala kulimbikira umboni wa liwu limodzi lokha.”

M’mawu amtsinde Hamilton akulemba kuti: “Nkhani ya Nativity imene imapezeka mu ‘Bukhu la Yakobo’ kapena ‘Protevangelium’ lamakedzana losatsimikizirika, lolembedwa pafupifupi nyengo imodzimodziyo, limatchulanso phanga, koma limailongosola kuti linali pafupi ndi Betelehemu. Pakali pano popeza kuti nkhaniyo njofunika m’mbiri ikupereka lingaliro lakuti mwambowo sudali wogwirizanitsidwa ndi malo amodzi aliwonse, ndithudi osati ndi Phanga la Nativity.”

Olemba nkhani zachipembedzo a m’zaka za zana lachitatu Origen ndi Eusebius akugwirizanitsa mwambowo kukhala udali wodziwika ku malo akutiakuti. Hamilton akupereka zifukwa izi: “Pamene nkhaniyo inagwirizanitsidwa ndi phanga lakutilakuti sikunali kotheka kuti ikaikiridwe; ndipo nkotsimikizirika kulingalira kuti phanga losonyezedwa kwa alendo mwamsanga pambuyo pa A.D. 200 linali lolingana ndi Phanga la Nativity lamakono.”

W. H. Bartlett, m’bukhu lake lakuti Walks About the City and Environs of Jerusalem (1842), analongosola motere ponena za phangalo: “Ngakhale kuti mwambo wakuti ameneŵa ndimalo obadwira Mpulumutsi wathu ngwolemekezeka, pokhala utatchulidwa ndi St. Jerome, yemwe anakhalako ndi kumwalira m’lumande lapafupipo, malowo ngosemphana ndi zothekera, ngakhale kuti zingachitike ku Palestina kuti mapanga amagwiritsidwa ntchito monga mogona zoŵeta, malowo ngakuya kwakuti sangakhale oyenerera chifuno chimenecho; ndipo pamene tilingalira, kuwonjezera apa, chizoloŵezi cha amuna odzipereka mwachipembedzo chakuika zochitika zapadera zam’malemba m’phanga, mwinamwake chifukwa cha kusangalatsa kwa malowo, lingaliro lotsutsana ndi malowo limawoneka kukhala lotsimikizirika.”

Kodi tingatsimikizirenji kuumboni wam’mbiri yakale umene tiri nawo, ndipo chofunika kwambiri, kuchokera kumfundo za Malemba zakuti Yesu ngakhale ophunzira ake sanagogomezere konse kufunika kwa malo ake obadwira? Nkwachidziŵikire kuti pamene Mfumukazi Helena, amayi a Constantine Wamkulu, anaika malo a Tchalitchi cha Nativity m’chaka cha 326 C.E., iye anatero pamaziko a chimene Hamilton akuchitcha ‘kuyanja ndi mwambo wa nthaŵi yaitali.’ Sizinachitidwe pamaziko a mbiri kapena umboni wa Baibulo.

Ichi chimatsogolera ku chitsimikizo chowonjezereka chakuti malo enieni obadwira Kristu sadziŵika. Chotero, kodi nkwanzeru kuti okhulupirika ayenera kupanga maulendo achipembedzo kunka ku malo oterowo onga ngati Phanga la Nativity ndikukawapembedza? Ndithudi, ngati zimenezo zidali zofunikira kwa Akristu, kodi Yesu iyemwini sakadawadziŵitsa ophunzira ake za thayo limenelo kapena ngakhale chifuno chake chamtunduwo? Kodi sizikadalembedwa m’Mawu a Mulungu, Baibulo, kuti anthu onse padziko aŵerenge? Popezadi kuti maumboni oterowo mulibemo m’Malemba Opatulika, tingachite bwino kufunsa zimene Yesu anazilingalira kukhala zoyenera kukumbukiridwa.

Tingasanthule apa ndi apo, tidzapeza kuti chochitika chokha chimene ophunzira a Yesu anayenera kuchikumbukira m’mibadwo yonse chinali imfa yake yansembe. Iye anamwalira m’ngululu, mwamsanga pambuyo pokondwerera Paskha wake womalizira ndi ophunzira ake. Pachochitika chimenecho iye analangiza ophunzira ake okhulupirika kukhala ndi chakudya chophiphiritsira mwakugwiritsira ntchito mkate wopanda chotupitsa, monga ngati matzoth, ndi vinyo wofiira. Ponena za phwando lopepuka limeneli, limene linayamba kuchitika pa April 1, 33 C.E., iye analamula kuti: ‘Chitani ichi chikumbukiro changa.’​—Luka 22:19, 20.

Pomvera lamulo Lamalemba lochokera kwa Yesu limeneli, Mboni za Yehova padziko lonse zimakondwerera chaka ndi chaka Chikumbutso cha imfa yansembe ya Kristu. Iwo samachitira msonkhano Wachikristu umenewu pamalo apadera m’chipinda chosanja m’Yerusalemu, popeza kuti Yesu sanatchule zimenezo mwachindunji. Koma padziko lonse, iwo amasonkhana m’Nyumba zawo Zaufumu ndi pamalo ena oyenerera osonkhanira m’dera lawo. Phwando lotsatira lidzachitika pa March 30, 1991, dzuŵa litaloŵa. Mukuitanidwa kukapezekapo pa Nyumba Yaufumu ya Mboni za Yehova yokhala pafupi ndi kwanuko.

Kuti mupezekepo pa phwando lofunika limeneli momvera lamulo la Yesu, simutofunikira kunka ku Yerusalemu kapena ku Betelehemu. Yesu ngakhale ophunzira ake sanaike kufunika ku malo monga maziko a kulambira Kwachikristu. Mosiyana, Yesu anauza mkazi Wachisamariya, amene kulambira kwake kunali kozikidwa pa Gerazimu, phiri lokhala m’Samariya, kumpoto kwa Yerusalemu kuti: ‘Tamvera ine, mkazi iwe, kuti ikudza nthaŵi, imene simudzalambira Atate kapena m’phiri ili, kapena m’Yerusalemu. Koma ikudza nthaŵi, ndipo tsopano iripo, imene olambira owona adzalambira Atate mumzimu ndi m’chowonadi; pakuti Atate afuna otere akhale olambira ake.’​—Yohane 4:21, 23.

Awo amene amalambira Atate mumzimu ndi m’chowonadi samadalira pa malo apadera, monga ngati Betelehemu, kapena zinthu, monga ngati mafano, m’kulambira kwawo. Mtumwi Paulo anati: ‘Podziwa kuti pamene tiri kwathu m’thupi, sitiri kwa Ambuye. Pakuti tiyendayenda mwa chikhulupiriro si mwa chionekedwe.’​—2 Akorinto 5:6, 7.

Komabe, inu mungalingalire kuti, kodi munthu angalambire bwanji Mulungu m’njira imene iri yovomerezeka kwa iye? Nthaŵi yotsatira pamene mmodzi wa Mboni za Yehova adzafika panyumba panu, chonde dzamfunseni.

[Chithunzi patsamba 5]

M’nyengo yachisanu, chipale chofeŵa chingakute nthaka pafupi ndi Betelehemu. Kodi abusa angagone kunja ndi nkhosa zawo?

[Mawu a Chithunzi]

Pictorial Archive (Near Eastern History) Est.

[Chithunzi patsamba 7]

Tchalitchi cha Nativity m’Betelehemu ndi phanga lake lapansi panthaka

[Mawu a Chithunzi]

Pictorial Archive (Near Eastern History) Est.

[Mawu a Chithunzi]

Garo Nalbandian