Uthando Lobuzalwane Lunamandla
Amaphuzu Avelele Avela Encwadini KaFilemoni
UJESU KRISTU wanika abalandeli bakhe “umyalo omusha” wokuba bathandane njengoba naye ayebathandile. (Johane 13:34, 35) Ngenxa yalolothando, babengafelana ngisho nokufelana. Yebo, uthando lobuzalwane luqine futhi lunamandla kangako.
Umphostoli uPawulu wayeqiniseka ukuthi uthando lobuzalwane lwaluyoshukumisa uFilemoni, umKristu owahlanganyela nebandla laseKolose, idolobha eliseAsia Minor. Uthando kakade lwase lushukumisele uFilemoni ukuba avule indlu yakhe ukuze isetshenziswe njengendawo yokuhlangana yamaKristu. Isigqila sikaFilemoni uOnesimu sasibalekile, mhlawumbe sintshontshe imali ukuze sikhokhele uhambo lokuya eRoma, lapho kamuva sahlangana khona noPawulu futhi samukela ubuKristu.
Lapho eboshiwe eRoma cishe ngo-60-61 C.E., uPawulu wabhala incwadi eyayibhekiswe ngokuyinhloko kuFilemoni. Yayincenga uFilemoni ukuba amukele uOnesimu obuyayo ngomoya wothando lobuzalwane. Funda lencwadi, futhi uzobona ukuthi iyisibonelo esihle sothando nobuhlakani—lokho abantu bakaJehova abangakulingisa.
Ukutuswa Kothando Nokholo
Ebhekisela kuFilemoni nabanye, uPawulu okokuqala wancoma. (Amavesi 1-7) Umphostoli wayezwa ngothando uFilemoni ayenalo ngoKristu nangabo bonke abangcwele nangokholo lwakhe. Lokhu kwashukumisela uPawulu ukuba abonge uJehova futhi kwamlethela injabulo enkulu nenduduzo. Ingabe thina siqu siyabancoma esikholwa nabo abayisibonelo othandweni nasokholweni? Kufanele senze kanjalo.
Ukuncenga okusekelwe othandweni ngokuvamile kuyafiseleka ekusebenzelaneni namaKristu esikanye nawo, njengoba amazwi kaPawulu ebonisa. (Amavesi 8-14) Ngemva kwesingeniso sakhe sobuhlakani, umphostoli uPawulu wathi nakuba ayengamyala uFilemoni ukuba enze ‘okufaneleyo,’ kunalokho wakhetha ukumncenga. Ukuba enzeni? Phela, ukuba amukele isigqila esinguOnesimu ngendlela enomusa! UPawulu wayengathanda ukuqhubeka esetshenzelwa uOnesimu kodwa wayengenakukwenza lokhu ngaphandle kwemvume kaFilemoni.
Ngokusobala izenzakalo ezingathandeki zivame ukuphumela enzuzweni, njengoba uPawulu abonisa ngokulandelayo. (Amavesi 15-21) Eqinisweni, kwakube nemiphumela emihle ngokubaleka kukaOnesimu. Ngani? Ngoba uFilemoni wayesengaba naye manje njengomzalwane ongumKristu osebenza ngokuzithandela nothembekile, hhayi njengesigqila esingazimisele, ngokunokwenzeka esingathembekile. UPawulu wacela uFilemoni ukuba amukele uOnesimu njengoba ebengamukela uPawulu. Uma uOnesimu ayemonile uFilemoni ngandlela-thile, umphostoli wayeyokhokha. Ukuze enze uFilemoni azimisele ngokwengeziwe ukuvuma, uPawulu umkhumbuza ngokuthi naye uqobo wayesizwe nguye ukuba abe umKristu. Ngakho-ke, uPawulu wayeqiniseka ukuthi uFilemoni wayezokwenza okungaphezu kwalokho ayecelwe ukuba akwenze. Yeka ukuncenga kobuhlakani nokothando! Ngokuqinisekile, yilendlela okufanele sisebenzelane ngayo namaKristu esikanye nawo.
UPawulu waphetha incwadi yakhe ngethemba, imikhonzo, nezifiso ezinhle. (Amavesi 22-25) Wayethemba ukuthi ngokuthandazelwa abanye, wayeyokhululwa ngokushesha etilongweni. (Njengoba incwadi yesibili kaPawulu kuThimothewu ibonisa, leyomikhuleko yaphendulwa.) Ephetha incwadi yakhe, uPawulu wathumela imikhonzo futhi wabonisa isifiso sokuba umusa kaJesu Kristu ongasifanele ube nomoya owaboniswa uFilemoni nabakhulekeli bakaJehova ayekanye nabo.
[Ibhokisi/Isithombe ekhasini 23]
Ongaphezu Kwesigqila: Ngokuqondene nokubuya kwesigqila sikaFilemoni esasibalekile uOnesimu, uPawulu wathi: “Ngokuba mhlawumbe kungenxa yalokho ukuba ahlukaniswe nawe isikhashana, ukuze abe-ngowakho kuze kube-phakade, angabi esaba-njengesigqila, kodwa abe-ngaphezu kwesigqila, engumzalwane othandekayo, kakhulu kimi kepha kakhulu kangakanani kuwe, nasenyameni naseNkosini.” (Filemoni 15, 16) Embusweni wamaRoma ubugqila babuphoqelelwe uhulumeni omkhulu, futhi uPawulu wawaqaphela ‘amandla ombuso’ anjalo. (Roma 13:1-7) Akazange akhuthaze ukuhlubuka kwezigqila kodwa wasiza abantu abanjalo ukuba bathole inkululeko engokomoya njengamaKristu. Ngokuvumelana neseluleko sakhe sokuba izigqila zizithobe kubaninizo, uPawulu wathumela uOnesimu emuva kuFilemoni. (Kolose 3:22-24; Thithu 2:9, 10) UOnesimu manje wayesengaphezu kwesigqila sezwe. Wayengokholwayo okanye naye othandekayo owayezozithoba ngokulinganiselwe kuFilemoni njengesigqila esingcono, esibuswa izimiso zokwesaba uNkulunkulu futhi esibonisa uthando lobuzalwane.