Isahluko 80

Izibaya NoMalusi

UJESU useJerusalema uzele uMkhosi Wokuhlanjululwa Kwethempeli, noma iHanukkah, okuwumkhosi ogubha ukunikezelwa kabusha kwethempeli kuJehova. Ngo-168 B.C.E., cishe eminyakeni engu-200 ngaphambili, uAntiochus IV Epiphanes waphanga iJerusalema futhi wonakalisa ithempeli nealtare lalo. Nokho, eminyakeni emithathu kamuva iJerusalema labuyiselwa futhi ithempeli lanikezelwa kabusha. Ngemva kwalokho, kwakugujwa umkhosi wokunikezela kabusha waminyaka yonke.

LoMkhosi Wokuhlanjululwa Kwethempeli wenzeka ngoChislev 25, inyanga yamaJuda eqondana nengxenye yokugcina kaNovember nengxenye yokuqala kaDecember ekhalendeni lethu lanamuhla. Kanjalo, kusele izinsuku ezingaphezudlwana kwekhulu kuphela ngaphambi kwePhasika elibalulekile lika-33 C.E. Ngenxa yokuthi yinkathi yesimo sezulu esimakhaza, umphostoli uJohane uyibiza ngokuthi “kusebusika.”

UJesu manje usebenzisa umfanekiso akhuluma kuwo ngezibaya ezintathu nendima yakhe njengoMalusi Omuhle. Isibaya sokuqala akhuluma ngaso sihlanganiswa nelungiselelo lesivumelwano soMthetho kaMose. LoMthetho wawunjengothango, uhlukanisa amaJuda nemikhuba eyonakalisayo yalabobantu abangekho kulesivumelwano esikhethekile noNkulunkulu. UJesu uyachaza: “Ngiqinisile, ngiqinisile ngithi kini: Ongangeni ngesango esibayeni sezimvu, kodwa ekhwela ngenye indawo, lowo uyisela nomphangi. Kepha ongena ngesango ungumalusi wezimvu.”

Kwakuye kwafika abanye bathi banguMesiya, noma uKristu, kodwa babengeyena umalusi weqiniso uJesu aqhubeka ekhuluma ngaye: “Umlindisango uyamvulela lowo; nezimvu ziyalizwa izwi lakhe; ubiza ezakhe izimvu ngamagama, aziholele phandle. . . . Umfokazi azisoze zamlandela, kodwa ziyakumbalekela, ngokuba zingalazi izwi labafokazi.”

“Umlindisango” wesibaya sokuqala kwakunguJohane uMbhapathizi. Njengomlindisango, uJohane ‘wavulela’ uJesu ngokumchaza kulezozimvu ezingokomfanekiso ayezoziholela emadlelweni. Lezimvu uJesu azibiza ngamagama naziholela ngaphandle ekugcineni zingeniswa kwesinye isibaya, njengoba echaza: “Ngiqinisile, ngiqinisile, ngithi kini: Mina ngiyisango lezimvu,” okusho ukuthi, isango lesibaya esisha. Lapho uJesu emisa isivumelwano esisha nabafundi bakhe nalapho esezulwini ethululela umoya ongcwele phezu kwabo ngePentekoste elilandelayo, bayangeniswa kulesibaya esisha.

Eqhubeka echaza indima yakhe, uJesu uthi: “Mina ngiyisango; uma umuntu engena ngami, uyakusindiswa, angene, aphume, afumane idlelo. . . . Mina ngingumalusi omuhle; ngiyazazi ezami, nezami ziyangazi, njengalokhu uBaba uyangazi, nami ngiyamazi uBaba; ngidela ukuphila kwami ngenxa yezimvu.”

UJesu ubesanda kududuza abalandeli bakhe, ethi: “Ungesabi, mhlambi omncane; ngokuba kwathandeka kuYihlo ukuninika umbuso.” Lomhlambi omncane, ekugcineni oba yinani elingu-144 000, ungena kulesibaya esisha noma sesibili. Kodwa uJesu uyaqhubeka ephawula: “Nezinye izimvu nginazo ezingesizo ezalesisibaya; nalezo ngimelwe ukuziletha; ziyakuzwa izwi lami, kube-mhlambi munye nomalusi munye.”

Njengoba “ezinye izimvu” “zingesizo ezalesisibaya,” kumelwe ukuba ngezesinye isibaya, esesithathu. Lezibaya ezimbili zokugcina zinezigcino ezingafani. ‘Umhlambi omncane’ esibayeni esisodwa uyobusa noKristu ezulwini, futhi “ezinye izimvu” kwesinye isibaya ziyophila emhlabeni oyiPharadesi. Nokho, naphezu kokuba sezibayeni ezimbili, lezizimvu azinawo umona, noma umuzwa wokuthi zibandlululiwe, ngoba njengoba uJesu esho, ‘ziba mhlambi munye’ ngaphansi ‘kukamalusi oyedwa.’

UMalusi Omuhle, uJesu Kristu, ngokuzithandela unikela ngokuphila kwakhe ngenxa yazo zombili lezibaya. “Ngikudela ngokwami,” esho. “Nginamandla okubuye ngikuthabathe. Lomyalo ngiwamukele kuBaba.” Lapho uJesu esho lokhu, kuba nokwehlukana phakathi kwamaJuda.

Abaningi esixukwini bathi: “Unedemoni, uyahlanya; nimlalelelani na?” Kodwa abanye bayaphendula: “Lawomazwi akusiwo awomuntu onedemoni.” Khona-ke, ngokusobala bebhekisela emuva ezinyangeni ezimbalwa ekuphulukiseni kwakhe indoda eyayizelwe iyimpumputhe, bayanezela: “Imbala idemoni lingavula amehlo ezimpumputhe na?” Johane 10:1-22; 9:1-7; Luka 12:32; IsAmbulo 14:1, 3; 21:3, 4; IHubo 37:29.

▪ Uyini uMkhosi Wokuhlanjululwa Kwethempeli, futhi ugujwa nini?

▪ Siyini isibaya sokuqala, futhi ubani umlindisango waso?

▪ Umlindisango umvulela kanjani uMalusi, futhi ngemva kwalokho izimvu zingeniswa kuphi?

▪ Obani abakha izibaya ezimbili zikaMalusi Omuhle, futhi baba imihlambi emingaki?