Lingisa Ukholo Lwabo
“Bheka! Incekukazi KaJehova!”
UMARIYA waphakamisa ikhanda ehlahle amehlo, njengoba ayebona isihambi singena kubo. Asizange sibuze ukuthi ukuphi uyise noma unina. Sasivakashele yena! Wayeqiniseka ngokuthi sasingaveli eNazaretha. Emzaneni onjengowakubo, isihambi sasisheshe sibonakale. Lesi sasiyophawuleka noma kuphi. Sabiza uMariya ngendlela ayeqala ukuyizwa, sathi: “Sawubona, wena oboniswe umusa omkhulu, uJehova unawe.”—Luka 1:28.
Yileyo ndlela iBhayibheli elisethulela ngayo uMariya, indodakazi kaHeli, wasemzaneni waseNazaretha eGalile. Simthola esenhlukana-ndlela ngomqondo othile. Wayethembisene umshado nombazi uJosefa—owayengeyona indoda ecebile kodwa ethembekile. Ngakho-ke kungase kubonakale sengathi ukuphila kwakhe wayesekunqunyelwe kakade—ukuphila okulula kokusekela uJosefa njengomkakhe, bakhulise umkhaya ndawonye. Kodwa ngokungazelelwe, wazithola ephambi kwalesi sihambi esasizomnika isabelo esivela kuNkulunkulu wakhe, umthwalo wemfanelo owawuzoshintsha ukuphila kwakhe.
Ungase umangale ukuzwa ukuthi iBhayibheli alisitsheli okuningi ngoMariya. Kuncane elikushoyo ngesizinda sakhe, ingasaphathwa eyobuntu bakhe, futhi alisho lutho ngendlela ayebukeka ngayo. Kodwa, lokho iZwi likaNkulunkulu elikushoyo ngaye kwembula lukhulu ngempela.
Ukuze simazi kangcono uMariya, kudingeka sibheke ngalé kwemibono eminingi abantu abanayo ngaye esakazwa izinkolo ezihlukahlukene. Ngakho masiyibeke eceleni “imifanekiso” eminingi edwetshiwe, yemabula noma kakhonkolo. Masizibeke eceleni nezimfundiso zenkolo eziyinkimbinkimbi ezinika lona wesifazane othobekile iziqu ezinjengesithi “uNina kaNkulunkulu” nesithi “iNdlovukazi yezulu.” Kunalokho, masigxile kulokho iBhayibheli elikwembulayo ngempela. Lisinika ulwazi oluyigugu ngokholo lwakhe nendlela esingalulingisa ngayo.
Ukuvakashelwa Yingelosi
Njengoba kungenzeka uyazi, isivakashi sikaMariya sasingeyena nje umuntu ovamile. Kwakuyingelosi uGabriyeli. Lapho imbiza ngokuthi ‘ungoboniswe umusa omkhulu, amphazamisa kakhulu’ la mazwi futhi wazibuza ngalolu hlobo lokubingelela olungavamile. (Luka 1:29) Ngubani owayembonise umusa omkhulu? UMariya wayengalindele ukuba phakathi kwabantu ababoniswe umusa. Kodwa ingelosi yayikhuluma ngomusa kaJehova uNkulunkulu. Kwakubalulekile kuye lokho. Noma kunjalo, akazange aqhoshe aphethe ngokuthi wayethole umusa kaNkulunkulu. Uma sisebenzela ukuthola umusa kaNkulunkulu, futhi singaqhoshi siphethe ngokuthi sesiwutholile kakade, siyofunda isifundo esibalulekile uMariya osemusha ayesiqonda ngokuphelele. UNkulunkulu umelene nabazidlayo, kodwa uyabathanda futhi uyabasekela abathobekile.—Jakobe 4:6.
UMariya kwakuzodingeka athobeke ngaleyo ndlela, ngoba ingelosi yamnika ilungelo elimangalisayo. Yachaza ukuthi wayezobeletha umntwana owayezoba umuntu obaluleke kunabo bonke abanye. UGabriyeli wathi: “UJehova uNkulunkulu uyoyinika isihlalo sobukhosi sikaDavide uyise, futhi iyobusa njengenkosi phezu kwendlu kaJakobe kuze kube phakade, nombuso wayo ngeke uphele.” (Luka 1:32, 33) Ngokuqinisekile uMariya wayesazi isithembiso sikaNkulunkulu ayesenze kuDavide eminyakeni engaphezu kwenkulungwane ngaphambili—esiwukuthi, othile enzalweni yakhe wayeyobusa kuze kube phakade. (2 Samuweli 7:12, 13) Ngakho indodana yakhe yayizoba uMesiya okwase kungamakhulu eminyaka abantu bakaNkulunkulu bemlindele!
Ngaphezu kwalokho, ingelosi yamtshela ukuthi indodana yakhe ‘yayiyobizwa ngokuthi iNdodana YoPhezukonke.’ Owesifazane ongumuntu wayengayizala kanjani iNdodana kaNkulunkulu? Empeleni, uMariya wayengayizala kanjani nje indodana? Wayesethembisene umshado noJosefa kodwa bengakashadi. UMariya wabuza ngokungagunci: “Kuyokwenzeka kanjani, njengoba ngingayazi indoda na?” (Luka 1:34) Phawula ukuthi uMariya wayengenawo namancane amahloni lapho ekhuluma ngobuntombi bakhe. Kunalokho, wayeziqhenya ngokuziphatha kwakhe okuhle. Namuhla, intsha eningi ilangazelela ukulahla ubuntombi bayo futhi iyashesha ukubagxeka labo abangenzi kanjalo. Izwe selishintshe ngempela. Kodwa, uJehova akakashintshi. (Malaki 3:6) Njengasosukwini lukaMariya, usabazisa labo abanamathela ezimisweni zakhe zokuziphatha.—Hebheru 13:4.
Nakuba ayeyinceku kaNkulunkulu ethembekile, uMariya wayengumuntu ongaphelele. Pho, wayengamzala kanjani umntwana ophelele oyiNdodana kaNkulunkulu? UGabriyeli wachaza: “Umoya ongcwele uzokwehlela phezu kwakho, amandla oPhezukonke akusibekele. Ngenxa yaleso sizathu, lokho okuzelwe kuyobizwa ngokuthi kungcwele, iNdodana kaNkulunkulu.” (Luka 1:35) Ubungcwele busho “ukuhlanzeka” “nobumsulwa.” Ngokuvamile abantu badlulisela isimo sabo sokungahlanzeki nesinesono enzalweni yabo. Nokho, kulokhu uJehova weyezokwenza isimangaliso esingavamile. Wayezodlulisela ukuphila kweNdodana yakhe kusuka ezulwini akufake esibelethweni sikaMariya abese esebenzisa amandla akhe asebenzayo, noma umoya ongcwele, ukuze ‘amsibekele,’ avikele ingane kunoma imiphi iminonjana yesono. Ingabe uMariya wasikholwa isithembiso sengelosi? Wasabela kanjani?
Indlela UMariya Asabela Ngayo KuGabriyeli
Abagxeki, kuhlanganise nezazi ezithile zenkolo zeLobukholwa, bakuthola kunzima ukukholwa ukuthi intombi nto ingazala kanjani. Nakuba befundile, abaliqondi iqiniso elilula. Njengoba uGabriyeli asho, “kuNkulunkulu akukho simemezelo esiyoba yinto engenakwenzeka.” (Luka 1:37) UMariya wawamukela njengeqiniso amazwi kaGabriyeli, ngoba wayengowesifazane osemusha onokholo. Kodwa, lolo kholo lwalungekona ukuthatheka. Njenganoma imuphi umuntu ocabanga kahle, uMariya wayedinga ubufakazi ayengasekela kubo ukholo lwakhe. UGabriyeli wamtshela ngesihlobo sakhe esase sikhulile u-Elizabethe, okwase kuyisikhathi eside kwaziwa ukuthi uyinyumba. UNkulunkulu wayemenze wakhulelwa ngokuyisimangaliso!
Manje, yini uMariya ayezoyenza? Wayenesabelo okwakufanele asifeze futhi enobufakazi bokuthi uNkulunkulu wayezokwenza konke uGabriyeli ayekushilo. Akufanele sivele siphethe ngokuthi leli lungelo lalingabangeli ukwesaba nobunzima. Okokuqala, kwakufanele acabange ngokuthembisana kwakhe noJosefa. Wawuzoqhubeka yini umshado lapho esethola ukuthi ukhulelwe? Okunye ukuthi kungenzeka lesi sabelo sasibonakala siwumthwalo owesabisayo. Wayezothwala ukuphila kwesidalwa sikaNkulunkulu esibaluleke kunazo zonke—iNdodana yaKhe siqu ethandekayo! Kwakuyofanele ayinakekele lapho isewusana olungenakuzisiza futhi ayivikele ezweni elibi. Ngempela, kwakuwumthwalo omkhulu!
IBhayibheli libonisa ukuthi ngisho namadoda anamandla nathembekile ngezinye izikhathi ayenqikaza ukwamukela izabelo eziyinselele ezivela kuNkulunkulu. UMose wakhala ngokuthi akasona isikhulumi esihle ngokwanele ukuba abe umkhulumeli kaNkulunkulu. (Eksodusi 4:10) UJeremiya wathi ‘ungumfana nje,’ futhi usemncane ukuba afeze isabelo uNkulunkulu ayemnika sona. (Jeremiya 1:6) Kanti uJona wasibalekela isabelo sakhe! (Jona 1:3) Kuthiwani ngoMariya?
Sekuyisikhathi eside amazwi akhe abonisa ukuzithoba nokulalela enanelwa. UMariya wathi kuGabriyeli: “Bheka! Incekukazi kaJehova! Kwangathi kungenzeka kimi njengokwesimemezelo sakho.” (Luka 1:38) Intombazane eyisigqila yayiyisikhonzi esiphansi kunazo zonke; ukuphila kwayo konke kwakusezandleni zomniniyo. Yile ndlela uMariya azizwa ngayo ngoMnikazi wakhe uJehova. Wayazi ukuthi wayelondekile ezandleni zakhe, nokuthi wayethembekile kulabo abathembekile kuye, futhi wayezombusisa njengoba ayenza konke okusemandleni akhe ukufeza lesi sabelo esiyinselele.—IHubo 18:25.
Ngezinye izikhathi uNkulunkulu usicela ukuba senze okuthile esingase sikubone kunzima, mhlawumbe okuyinto engenakwenzeka emehlweni ethu. Kodwa, eZwini lakhe usinikeza izizathu eziningi zokumethemba, sibeke ukuphila kwethu ezandleni zakhe njengoMariya. (IzAga 3:5, 6) Ingabe siyokwenza lokho? Uma siyokwenza, uyosivuza, asinike izizathu zokwakha ukholo oluqine nakakhulu kuye.
Ukuvakashela U-Elizabethe
Amazwi kaGabriyeli ngo-Elizabethe ayebaluleke kakhulu kuMariya. Kubo bonke abesifazane emhlabeni, imuphi owayengasiqonda kangcono isimo sakhe? UMariya waphuthuma waya ezweni lakwaJuda elinezintaba, mhlawumbe uhambo olwathatha izinsuku ezintathu noma ezine. Lapho engena emzini ka-Elizabethe noZakariya umpristi, uJehova wabusisa uMariya ngobunye ubufakazi obuqinile ukuze aqinise ukholo lwakhe. Lapho u-Elizabethe ezwa uMariya ebingelela, ngokushesha wezwa usana lugxuma ngenjabulo esibelethweni sakhe. Wagcwala umoya ongcwele futhi wabiza uMariya ngokuthi “unina weNkosi yami.” UNkulunkulu wembulela u-Elizabethe ukuthi indodana kaMariya yayiyoba iNkosi yakhe, uMesiya. Ngaphezu kwalokho waphefumulelwa ukuba ancome uMariya ngokulalela kwakhe ngokwethembeka, ethi: “Uyajabula futhi owesifazane oye wakholwa.” (Luka 1:39-45) Yebo, konke uJehova ayekuthembise uMariya kwakuzogcwaliseka!
Kwase kuyithuba lokuba uMariya naye aphefumule. Amazwi akhe alondolozwe ngokucophelela kuLuka 1:46-55. Lena inkulumo kaMariya ende kunazo zonke elotshwe eBhayibhelini, futhi yembula okuningi ngaye. Ibonisa ukubonga kwakhe, umoya wokwazisa, njengoba edumisa uJehova ngokumbusisa ngelungelo lokuba umama kaMesiya. Ibonisa ukujula kokholo lwakhe, ngoba wakhuluma ngoJehova njengowehlisa abazidlayo nabanamandla aphakamise abaphansi nabampofu abafuna ukumkhonza. Iphinde iveze ukuthi wayenolwazi olungakanani. Okunye ukulinganisela kuthi wabhekisela emiBhalweni YesiHebheru izikhathi ezingaphezu kwezingu-20!
Kuyacaca ukuthi uMariya wayecabangisisa ngeZwi likaNkulunkulu. Noma kunjalo, waqhubeka ethobekile, wakhetha ukuvumela imiBhalo ukuba ichaze kunokuba akhulume okuvela kuye. Indodana eyayikhula esibelethweni sakhe ngelinye ilanga yayiyobonisa umoya ofanayo, ithi: “Engikufundisayo akukhona okwami, kodwa kungokwalowo ongithumile.” (Johane 7:16) Senza kahle uma sizibuza: ‘Ingabe ngibonisa inhlonipho enjalo ngeZwi likaNkulunkulu? Noma ingabe ngikhetha imibono nezimfundiso zami? Impendulo kaMariya icacile.
UMariya wahlala no-Elizabethe izinyanga ezintathu, futhi akungabazeki ukuthi bakhuthazana kakhulu. (Luka 1:56) Bobabili laba besifazane basikhumbuza ukubaluleka kobungane. Uma sifuna abangane abamthanda ngempela uNkulunkulu wethu uJehova, nakanjani siyokhula ngokomoya futhi sisondele kuye. (IzAga 13:20) Kodwa, ekugcineni kwase kuyisikhathi sokuba uMariya aphindele ekhaya. Wayezothini uJosefa lapho ezwa ngesimo sakhe?
UMariya NoJosefa
Cishe uMariya akalindanga kwaze kwabonakala ukuthi ukhulelwe. Akungabazeki ukuthi kwakudingeka ukuba akhulume noJosefa. Ngaphambi kwalokho kungenzeka wayezibuza ukuthi le ndoda ehloniphekile eyesaba uNkulunkulu yayizosabela kanjani kulokho ayezoyitshela khona. Noma kunjalo, waya kuyo wayitshela konke okwakwenzekile. Njengoba ungase ucabange, uJosefa wakhathazeka kakhulu. Wayefuna ukuyikholwa le ntombi ayithandayo, kodwa eyamtshela khona kwakuyinto ayengakaze ayizwe ngaphambili. IBhayibheli alisho ukuthi yini ayeyicabanga. Kodwa liyasho ukuthi wanquma ukuhlukanisa naye, ngoba ngaleso sikhathi imibhangqwana ethembisene umshado yayibhekwa njengesishadile. Nokho, wayengafuni ukumhlaza emphakathini noma ukumjezisa, ngakho wakhetha ukuhlukanisa naye ngasese. (Mathewu 1:18, 19) Kumelwe ukuba kwamphatha kabuhlungu uMariya ukubona le ndoda enomusa ihlushwa yilesi simo eyayingasilindele. Kodwa uMariya akazange ayithukuthelele.
UJehova akazange avumele uJosefa ukuba aqhubeke nalokho okwakubonakala kuyinkambo enhle kuye. Ephusheni, ingelosi kaNkulunkulu yamtshela ukuthi uMariya wayekhulelwe ngokuyisimangaliso ngempela. Kumelwe ukuthi kwamkhulula ngempela lokho! UJosefa manje wenza lokho uMariya ayekwenzile kusukela ekuqaleni—wenza ngokuvumelana nesiqondiso sikaJehova. Wathatha uMariya njengomkakhe, futhi wazilungiselela ukuthwala umthwalo oyingqayizivele wokunakekela iNdodana kaJehova.—Mathewu 1:20-24.
Abantu abashadile—nalabo abacabangela umshado—benza kahle ukufunda kulo mbhangqwana osemusha owaphila eminyakeni engu-2 000 edlule. Njengoba uJosefa ebona umkakhe osemusha efeza izabelo nemithwalo yakhe yokuba umama, ngokuqinisekile wayejabula ngokuthi uJehova wamqondisa. Kumelwe ukuba wakubona ukubaluleka kokuncika kuJehova lapho enza izinqumo ezibalulekile. (IHubo 37:5; IzAga 18:13) Akungabazeki ukuthi waqhubeka ecophelela futhi ebonisa umusa lapho enza izinqumo njengenhloko yomkhaya.
Ngakolunye uhlangothi, singaphetha ngokuthini ngokuzimisela kukaMariya ukushada noJosefa? Nakuba kungenzeka ukuthi ekuqaleni uJosefa wakuthola kunzima ukukholwa indaba kaMariya, uMariya wamlinda njengendoda eyayizoba inhloko yomkhaya. Ngokuqinisekile lokho kwaba isifundo esihle kuMariya, njengoba kunjalo nakwabesifazane abangamaKristu namuhla. Ekugcineni, lezi zenzakalo cishe zafundisa uJosefa noMariya okukhulu ngokubaluleka kokuthembeka nokukhulumisana ngokukhululekile.
Ngokuqinisekile lowo mbhangqwana osemusha waqala umshado wawo ngesisekelo esihle kakhulu. Ngaphezu kwakho konke, bobabili babethanda uJehova uNkulunkulu futhi belangazelela ukumthokozisa njengabazali abakhathalelayo nabanokwethenjelwa. Yiqiniso, babelindelwe izibusiso ezinkulu—kanye nezinselele ezinkulu. Kwakufanele bakhulise uJesu, owayeyokhula abe umuntu omkhulu kunabo bonke abake baba khona emhlabeni.
[Isithombe ekhasini 17]
Ukuthanda uNkulunkulu kuyisisekelo esihle kakhulu somshado