UKhisimusi—Ingabe Uyindlela Yokwamukela UJesu?

UKUZALWA koMsindisi, uMesiya owayesenesikhathi eside elindelwe, ngempela kwakuyisikhathi sokujabula. “Bhekani,” kumemezela ingelosi kubelusi baseBetlehema, “nginibikela izindaba ezinhle zokuthokoza okukhulu okuzakuba-kubantu bonke ukuthi nizalelwe namuhla uMsindisi onguKristu iNkosi.” Isixuku sezingelosi sahlanganyela, sidumisa uNkulunkulu: “Udumo kuNkulunkulu kweliphezulu, nokuthula emhlabeni kubantu abathokozelwa nguye.” (Luka 2:10-14) Abanye bangase baphethe ngokuthi amaKristu kufanele alingise izingelosi ekuboniseni injabulo ngokuza kukaKristu emhlabeni emuva ngalesosikhathi.

Lokhu kwakungesona isenzakalo sokuqala esilotshwe eBhayibhelini lapho izingelosi zikhamuluka khona ngezingoma zokudumisa. Ngenkathi kubekwa isisekelo somhlaba, “izinkanyezi zokusa zahlabelela kanyekanye, nawo onke amadodana kaNkulunkulu ajabula.” (Jobe 38:4-7) Usuku lwangempela lwalesisenzakalo alulotshiwe eBhayibheli. (Genesise 1:1, 14-18) Kungakhathaliseki ukuthi kwakuyisenzakalo esijabulisa kangakanani, amaKristu awazange athi ngoba kwenzeka izingelosi zajabula, kufanele minyaka yonke agubhe isikhathi sokudalwa komhlaba futhi mhlawumbe amukele umkhosi othile wobuqaba ukuze agubhe lesisenzakalo.

Nokho lokho yikho kanye abantu abagubha uKhisimusi abakwenzayo ngokuzalwa kukaJesu Kristu. Ukuhlola cishe noma iyiphi iencyclopedia enokwethenjelwa ngaphansi kwesihloko esithi “uKhisimusi” kufakazela ukuthi usuku lokuzalwa kukaJesu alwaziwa. IBhayibheli alisho lutho ngokuqondene nalolosuku.

“Uma Icilongo Likhala Ngezwi Elingaqondakaliyo”

“UNkulunkulu kasiye owesiyaluyalu kepha ngowokuthula,” kubhala umphostoli uPawulu, elungisa ukungahleleki kwebandla laseKorinte lasendulo. Emongweni ofanayo, wabuza: “Uma icilongo likhala ngezwi elingaqondakaliyo, ngubani oyakuzilungiselela ukulwa na?” (1 Korinte 14:8, 33) Manje, uma uNkulunkulu wokuhleleka ayehlose ukuba amaKristu agubhe ukuzalwa kweNdodana yakhe emhlabeni, ingabe wayeyokushiyela kubantu abangaphelele ukuba bazikhethele ngokubona kwabo usuku oluvela emikhosini yobuqaba futhi bamukele imikhuba yokungamesabi uNkulunkulu?

Ukuhlola izibonelo ezimbalwa eziseBhayibhelini kucacisa ukuthi uJehova uNkulunkulu akasebenzelani nabantu bakhe ngaleyondlela. Lapho enikeza amaIsrayeli imfuneko yokugcine imikhosi yaminyaka yonke ngaphansi koMthetho kaMose, uNkulunkulu wamisa izinsuku eziqondile futhi wawatshela indlela ayezoyigcina ngayo leyomikhosi. (Eksodusi 23:14-17; Levitikusi 23:34-43) UJesu Kristu, nakuba engazange ayale ukuba kugujwe ukuzalwa kwakhe, wabayala abalandeli bakhe ukuba bagcine usuku olulodwa olukhethekile. “Ngalobobusuku akhashelwa ngabo,” uNisan 14, 33 C.E., uJesu waqalisa umkhosi weSidlo SeNkosi Sakusihlwa, esebenzisa isinkwa esingenamvubelo newayini. Wayala: “Lokhu kwenzeni ukuba ningikhumbule.” (1 Korinte 11:23, 24) Izwi lecilongo ngokuqondene nesikhathi nendlela yokugcina iSidlo SeNkosi Sakusihlwa lizwakala ngokucacile nangokunembile. Khona-ke kuthiwani ngoKhisimusi? Akukho eBhayibhelini lapho sithola khona umyalo wokuba sigubhe ukuzalwa kukaKristu, futhi alisitsheli ukuthi kwenziwe nini noma kanjani.

‘Ukuze Kuzuzwe Abantu’

“Oh, vele ngiyazi ukuthi uKhisimusi uvela ebuqabeni,” kusho umfundisi weSonto lamaZion laseTokyo, “kodwa uma nje abantu abavamile benesithakazelo ebuKristwini ngoDecember 25 futhi beza ukuzofunda ngezimfundiso zikaJesu Ohloniphekile, uKhisimusi unendawo yawo ebuKristwini.” Abaningi bayavumelana nendlela acabanga ngayo. Ingabe ukholelwa ukuthi ukuyekethisa okunjalo kufanelekile?

Abanye bathi ngisho noPawulu wayekethisa ukuze azuze abakholwayo. Wabhala: “Ngizenza isigqila sawo wonke umuntu ukuze ngizuze abantu abaningi ngangokunokwenzeka . . . Lapho ngisebenza nabeZizwe, ngiphila njengoweZizwe, ongaphandle koMthetho wamaJuda, ukuze ngizuze abeZizwe. . . . Konke lokhu ngikwenza ngenxa yevangeli, ukuze ngihlanganyele ezibusisweni zalo.” (1 Korinte 9:19-23, Today’s English Version) Ingabe lamazwi athethelela ukwamukela umkhosi wobuqaba ukuze kudonselwe abeZizwe ebuKristwini?

Cabangela ngokucophelela ummongo wenkulumo kaPawulu. Evesini 21, wathi: “Lokhu akusho ukuthi angiwulaleli umthetho kaNkulunkulu; empeleni ngingaphansi komthetho kaKristu.” (TEV) Ngakho akazange ayekethise ezindabeni ezazeqa umthetho kaKristu, kodwa ‘waphila njengoweZizwe’ ngokuhlonipha amasiko nemikhuba yendawo uma nje yayingashayisani nemiyalo yobuKristu.a

Unalokhu engqondweni, cabanga ngokuthi ukwamukela imikhosi yobuqaba “ebuKristwini” ngegama likaKhisimusi kungabonakala kunjani uma kuqhathaniswa nomyalo weBhayibheli olandelayo: “Maningaboshelwa ejokeni linye nabangakholwayo, ngokuba kunakuhlanganyela kuni ukulunga nokungalungi na? . . . Unasabelo sini okholwayo nongakholwayo na? . . . Ngakho-ke phumani phakathi kwabo, nahlukane nabo, isho iNkosi; ningathinti okungcolileyo; khona ngiyakunamukela.” (2 Korinte 6:14-17) Kungakhathaliseki ukuthi kubekwa ziphi izaba, ukungcolisa ubuKristu ngemikhosi yobuqaba akuyona neze indlela yokwamukela uJesu njengoMsindisi. Kwakuyoba okungafanelekile ekhulwini lokuqala leminyaka lapho uJesu eza enyameni, futhi kusekungokungafanelekile nanamuhla noma esikhathini esizayo, lapho uKristu eza njengeNkosi ukuze akhiphe izahlulelo zikaNkulunkulu. (IsAmbulo 19:11-16) Eqinisweni, labo abakhetha ukugubha imikhosi yobuqaba ngaphansi kwesigubuzelo “sobuKristu” bayamphika uJesu Kristu.

“AmaKristu Afihlakele” Awazange Abuyiselwe

Funda kulokho okwenzeka kumaKatolika eJapane phakathi nenkathi yokubusa kwabaphathi bezempi. Lapho kuqala ukucindezelwa kobuKatolika ngo-1614, amaJapane abangamaKatolika acishe abe ngu-300 000 kwadingeka akhethe phakathi kwezinto ezintathu: ukuba abafel’ ukholo, ukulahla ukholo lwawo, noma ukuqhubeka ngomshoshaphansi. Lawo aqhubeka ngomshoshaphansi abizwa ngokuthi amaKristu afihlakele. Ukuze afihle ukholo lwawo, avumelana namasiko ahlukahlukene obuBuddha nobuShinto. Ezinkonzweni zawo, asebenzisa uMaria Kannon, okwakunguMariya owayesethathe isimo sikabodhisattva wobuBuddha ongumama ogone umntwana. Imikhosi yawo yayixube ubuBuddha, ubuKatolika, nenkolo yamasiko obuShinto. Nokho, lapho ephoqeleka ukuba aye emingcwabeni yamaBuddha, ayehlabelela imithandazo yobuKristu futhi enze imodoshi, umcikilisho wokwenza inkonzo yamaBuddha ibe yize. Kwenzekani ‘ngalawomaKristu’?

“Iningi lamaKirishitans [amaKristu],” kuchaza incwadi ethi The Hidden Christians, “licabanga ukuthi ukunamathela enkolweni okwakhula kuwona kwenza kwaba nzima ukuba alahle ukukhulekelwa konkulunkulu bobuShinto nabobuBuddha.” Lapho ukuvinjelwa kuphela futhi abavangeli abangamaKatolika bephindela eJapane, iningi ‘lalawomaKristu afihlakele’ lanamathela ohlotsheni lwawo lwenkolo eyinhlanganisela.

Nokho, ingabe iSonto lamaKatolika lingawagxeka ngokufanelekile ‘lawomaKristu afihlakele’ enqaba ukubuyela kubuRoma Katolika? ISonto lamaKatolika nalo liye lamukela izimfundiso zobuqaba eziningi nemikhosi, kuhlanganise noKhisimusi. Uma amaKatolika namaProthestani, nakuba ezisholo ukuthi angamaKristu, eye enza “ubuKristu” bawo baba obobuqaba ngemikhosi yobuhedeni, ingabe akunakuba ukuthi nawo enqaba uJesu Kristu?

Wabuyiselwa EbuKristwini Beqiniso

USetsuko, owayesebe umKatolika oshisekayo iminyaka engu-36, ekugcineni wakuqaphela lokho. Ngemva kweMpi Yezwe II, wayezame ukwanelisa isidingo sakhe esingokomoya ngokuya esontweni lamaKatolika. ‘Yeka indlela okwanelisa ngayo!’ ecabanga njengoba ayeseMiseni likaKhisimusi futhi ebona izihlahla zikaKhisimusi ezinhle ngaphakathi nangaphandle esontweni lakhe. “Ngazizwa ngiziqhenya ngemihlobiso yethu emihle, eyayiyidlula kude eyamasonto esakhelene nawo,” kusho yena. Nakuba kunjalo, uSetsuko empeleni wayengaziqondi izimfundiso zamaKatolika, nakuba ayefundisa ngisho nakuSonto-sikole ngesikhathi esithile. Ngakho lapho efuna ukuhileleka ngokwengeziwe emsebenzini wesonto, wabuza umfundisi wakhe imibuzo embalwa. Kunokuba aphendule imibuzo yakhe, umfundisi wavele wamlulaza. Edumele, wanquma ukuzifundela iBhayibheli ngokwakhe. Emasontweni amabili kamuva, oFakazi BakaJehova bamvakashela, futhi wamukela isifundo seBhayibheli sasekhaya.

Uyachaza: “Kwakubuhlungu ukubhekana namaqiniso eBhayibheli ayelahla izinkolelo zami zangaphambili. Ngaze ngaba nealopecia neurotica, ukuqothuka kwezinwele okubangelwa ukukhathazeka. Nokho, kancane kancane ukukhanya kweqiniso kwakhanya enhliziyweni yami. Kwangishaqisa ukuthola ukuthi uJesu akunakwenzeka ukuba wazalwa ngenyanga kaDecember ebandayo nenezimvula, lapho abelusi babengeke beluse khona izimvu zabo ngaphandle ebusuku. (Luka 2:8-12) Kwaqeda umbono enganginawo ngesikhathi sokuzalwa kukaKristu, ngoba sasisebenzise uvolo waba njengeqhwa ukuze sihlobise imifanekiso yezimvu nabelusi.”

Ngemva kokuziqinisekisa ngalokho iBhayibheli elikufundisayo ngempela, uSetsuko wanquma ukuyeka ukugubha uKhisimusi. Akasabi ‘nomoya kaKhisimusi’ kanye ngonyaka kuphela kodwa ubonisa umoya wobuKristu wokupha ngenjabulo nsuku zonke.

Uma ukholelwa ngobuqotho kuKristu, ungacasuki uma ubona amaqaba engcolisa uKhisimusi. Amane nje aphinda lokho owawuyikho kwasekuqaleni—umkhosi wobuqaba. UKhisimusi awuholeli muntu ekwamukeleni uJesu Kristu, osebuyile ngokungabonakali njengeNkosi yasezulwini. (Mathewu, izahluko 24 no-25; Marku, isahluko 13; Luka, isahluko 21) Kunalokho, amaKristu eqiniso abonisa umoya onjengokaKristu unyaka wonke, futhi amemezela izindaba ezinhle zoMbuso, uJesu aye waba iNkosi yawo. Yileyondlela uNkulunkulu afuna ukuba simamukele ngayo uJesu Kristu njengoMsindisi wethu neNkosi yoMbuso.—IHubo 2:6-12.

[Umbhalo waphansi]

[Isithombe ekhasini 7]

AmaKristu eqiniso adumisa uJesu unyaka wonke