ULuka—Isisebenzi Esithandekayo

KWAKUNGU-65 C.E. KuseRoma. ULuka wayeyiqaphela ingozi ayezifaka kuyo ngokwenza abanye babone ukuthi ungumngane womphostoli uPawulu owayebekwe icala ngenxa yokholo lwakhe. Kwakubonakala sengathi uPawulu wayezothola isigwebo sentambo. Kodwa phakathi naleso sikhathi esibucayi, nguLuka yedwa owayenalo mphostoli.—2 Thimothewu 4:6, 11.

Abafundi beBhayibheli balijwayele igama likaLuka ngoba iVangeli aliloba libizwa ngegama lakhe. ULuka wahamba amabanga amade noPawulu, owambiza ngokuthi “udokotela othandekayo” ‘nesisebenzi akanye naso.’ (Kolose 4:14; Filemoni 24) Kuncane okushiwo imiBhalo ngoLuka, futhi iphatha igama lakhe kathathu nje kuphela. Nokho, uma uhlola lokho ucwaningo olukushoyo ngoLuka, cishe nawe uyomazisa njengoPawulu lo mKristu othembekile.

Umlobi Nesithunywa Sevangeli

IVangeli likaLuka nencwadi yezEnzo Zabaphostoli zibhekiswe kuTheyofilu, okubonisa ukuthi uLuka waziloba zombili lezi zincwadi eziphefumulelwe uNkulunkulu. (Luka 1:3; IzEnzo 1:1) ULuka akasho ukuthi wayekhona phakathi nenkonzo kaJesu Kristu. Kunalokho, uthi wathola ukwaziswa kofakazi bokuzibonela futhi ‘wazilandela ngokunembile zonke izinto kusukela ekuqaleni.’ (Luka 1:1-3) Ngakho kungenzeka ukuthi kwadlula isikhathi esithile ngemva kwePhentekoste lika-33 C.E. ngaphambi kokuba uLuka abe umlandeli kaKristu.

Abanye bathi uLuka wayengowase-Antiyokiya, eSiriya. Baphawula ukuthi izEnzo zinikeza imininingwane yezenzakalo ezenzeka kulowo muzi nokuthi le ncwadi ibalula oyedwa ‘wamadoda ayisikhombisa afakazelwa kahle’ ngokuthi “umproselithe wase-Antiyokiya,” kanti ayishiwo imizi lawa amanye ayisithupha avela kuyo. Yebo, asinakugomela ngokuthi lokhu kubonisa ukuthi uLuka wayenesithakazelo esikhethekile kuyi-Antiyokiya njengomuzi azalelwa kuwo.—IzEnzo 6:3-6.

Nakuba uLuka engagagulwa ngegama encwadini yezEnzo, izindinyana ezithile zisebenzisa isabizwana esithi, “thina,” “-ethu,” “nathi” kanye nesivumelwano saso, okubonisa ukuthi waba nengxenye kwezinye zezenzakalo ezichazwe kule ncwadi. Lapho uLuka elandelela indlela edabula i-Asia Minor eyathathwa uPawulu nabangane bakhe, uthi: “Badlula eMisiya behlela eTrowa.” UPawulu wawubona eTrowa umbono wendoda yaseMakedoniya eyamncenga: “Welela eMakedoniya usisize.” ULuka uyanezela: “Manje ngokushesha lapho esebone lowo mbono, safuna ukuya eMakedoniya.” (IzEnzo 16:8-10) Ukushintsha kwakhe isivumelwano sesabizwana somuntu okukhulunywa ngaye asebenzise esomuntu okhulumayo esisebuningini kusikisela ukuthi uLuka wahlangana nethimba likaPawulu eTrowa. Ngemva kwalokho uLuka wasebenzisa leso sivumelwano lapho echaza umsebenzi wokushumayela owenziwa eFilipi, okubonisa ukuthi wahlanganyela kuwo. Uyabhala: “Ngosuku lwesabatha saphumela ngaphandle kwesango saya eceleni komfula, lapho sasicabanga ukuthi kukhona indawo yokuthandaza; futhi sahlala phansi sakhuluma nabesifazane ababehlangene.” Ngenxa yalokho, uLidiya, nayo yonke indlu yakhe bamukela izindaba ezinhle futhi babhapathizwa.—IzEnzo 16:11-15.

Baphikiswa eFilipi, lapho uPawulu aphulukisa khona intombazane eyinceku eyayinobuciko bokubikezela isetshenziswa “idemoni lokubhula.” Lapho abanikazi bayo bebona ukuthi yayingasekho indlela yokuba bathole imali, babamba oPawulu noSila, babashaya futhi babafaka etilongweni. Kubonakala uLuka engazange aboshwe nabo, ngoba usebenzisa isabizwana somuntu okukhulunywa ngaye lapho echaza lokho okwehlela abangane bakhe. Lapho bekhululwa, uPawulu noSila ‘bakhuthaza abazalwane base bemuka.’ ULuka waphinde wasebenzisa isabizwana sokhulumayo lapho uPawulu esebuyele eFilipi esikhathini esithile kamuva. (IzEnzo 16:16-40; 20:5, 6) Mhlawumbe uLuka wayesale eFilipi ukuze engamele umsebenzi lapho.

Ukuqoqa Ukwaziswa

ULuka wakuthola kanjani ukwaziswa akusebenzisa eVangelini lakhe nasencwadini yezEnzo? Izingxenye zencwadi yezEnzo asebenzisa kuzo isabizwana somuntu okhulumayo—lezo uLuka azihlanganisa kuzo lapho elandisa—zibonisa ukuthi wahambisana noPawulu ukusuka eFilipi ukuya eJerusalema, lapho umphostoli aphinde aboshwa khona. Endleleni eya khona, ithimba likaPawulu lahlala noFiliphu umvangeli owayeshumayela eKhesariya. (IzEnzo 20:6; 21:1-17) Kungenzeka ukuthi ukwaziswa kokulandisa kwakhe ngemisebenzi yokuqala yezithunywa zevangeli eSamariya wakuthola kuFiliphu owahola emsebenzini wokushumayela owenziwa lapho. (IzEnzo 8:4-25) Kodwa uLuka wakuthola nakobani ukwaziswa kwakhe?

Iminyaka emibili uPawulu ayichitha esejele eKhesariya cishe yanikeza uLuka ithuba lokwenza ucwaningo alusebenzisa eVangelini lakhe. Njengoba iJerusalema lalingekude, wayengase akwazi ukuyohlola imibhalo egciniwe yohlu lozalo lukaJesu. ULuka wabhala izenzakalo eziningi zokuphila nenkonzo kaJesu ezitholakala eVangelini lakhe kuphela. Esinye isazi siye sathola izindinyana ezingu-82 ezinjalo ezingaveli kwamanye amaVangeli.

Kungenzeka ukuthi uLuka wathola imininingwane yokuzalwa kukaJohane ku-Elizabethe, unina kaJohane uMbhapathizi. Eyokuzalwa kukaJesu nokuphila kwakhe esemncane kungenzeka wayithola kuMariya, unina kaJesu. (Luka 1:5-80) Mhlawumbe uPetru, uJakobe, noma uJohane bamtshela ngokubamba kwabo izinhlanzi eziningi ngokuyisimangaliso. (Luka 5:4-10) KuseVangelini likaLuka kuphela lapho sifunda khona ngeminye yemizekeliso kaJesu enjengowomSamariya owaba umakhelwane omuhle, owomnyango omncinyane, owohlamvu lwedrakma olulahlekile, owendodana yolahleko nowesicebi noLazaru.—Luka 10:29-37; 13:23, 24; 15:8-32; 16:19-31.

ULuka wayenesithakazelo esijulile kubantu. Waloba ngomnikelo kaMariya wokuhlanzwa, ukuvuswa kwendodana yomfelokazi nokugcoba kowesifazane othile izinyawo zikaJesu. NguLuka okhuluma ngabesifazane ababekhonza uKristu futhi ositshela ukuthi uMarta noMariya bambungaza. IVangeli likaLuka lilandisa ngokuphulukiswa kowesifazane othile owayeseqhothile, ngendoda eyayinesifo sokuvuvuka nangokuhlanzwa kwamadoda ayishumi ayenochoko. NguLuka ositshela ngoZakewu, indoda encane, owakhwela emthini ukuze abone uJesu. Nguye futhi ositshela ngesimo sengqondo sokuphenduka somenzi wobubi owabethelwa eceleni kukaKristu.—Luka 2:24; 7:11-17, 36-50; 8:2, 3; 10:38-42; 13:10-17; 14:1-6; 17:11-19; 19:1-10; 23:39-43.

Kuyaphawuleka ukuthi iVangeli likaLuka lichaza indlela umSamariya ongumakhelwane omuhle emfanekisweni kaJesu elapha ngayo amanxeba endoda eyayishayiwe. Kusobala ukuthi njengodokotela, uLuka uloba incazelo kaJesu yosizo olwanikezwa le ndoda, oluhlanganisa ukusetshenziswa kwewayini njengesibulala-magciwane, amafutha ngenxa yamandla awo okuthoba kanye nokubopha lawo manxeba.—Luka 10:30-37.

Umngane Wesiboshwa

ULuka wayemkhathalela umphostoli uPawulu. Ngesikhathi uPawulu eboshiwe eKhesariya, umbusi ongumRoma uFeliksi wayala ukuba ‘kungabikho muntu kwabakubo kaPawulu’ owenqatshelwa “ukuba amkhonze.” (IzEnzo 24:23) Cishe uLuka wayephakathi kwalabo ababemkhonza. Njengoba uPawulu ayeke ahlushwe impilo, kungenzeka ukuthi ukumnakekela kwakungenye yezinkonzo ezazenziwa yilo “dokotela othandekayo.”—Kolose 4:14; Galathiya 4:13.

Ngesikhathi uPawulu edlulisela icala kuKhesari, umbusi ongumRoma uFestu wathumela lo mphostoli eRoma. Ngobuqotho, uLuka wahambisana nalesi siboshwa ohambweni olude oluya e-Italiya futhi waloba ngokucacile ngesigigaba esabehlela sokuphahlazekelwa umkhumbi. (IzEnzo 24:27; 25:9-12; 27:1, 9-44) Lapho eboshelwe endlini eRoma, uPawulu waloba izincwadi eziningana eziphefumulelwe, kwezimbili zazo wakhuluma ngoLuka. (IzEnzo 28:30; Kolose 4:14; Filemoni 24) Cishe uLuka wayiloba ngale nkathi yeminyaka emibili incwadi yezEnzo.

Kumelwe ukuba miningi imisebenzi engokomoya eyenziwa endlini uPawulu ayehlala kuyo eRoma. ULuka wayengabonana lapho nezinye zezisebenzi uPawulu ayekanye nazo—uThikhiku, u-Aristarku, uMarku, uJustu, u-Ephafra no-Onesimu uma sibala abambalwa nje.—Kolose 4:7-14.

Phakathi nokuboshwa kukaPawulu kwesibili, lapho ezwa ukuthi ukufa kwakhe kwase kuseduze, uLuka oqotho nonesibindi wayenaye, ngisho noma abanye base bemshiyile lo mphostoli. Kungenzeka ukuthi ukuhlala kwakhe kwakumfaka engozini yokuboshwa naye. Kungenzeka ukuthi uLuka, mhlawumbe esebenza njengombhali, wabhala la mazwi kaPawulu: “NguLuka yedwa onami.” Umbono owamukelwa iningi ubonisa ukuthi uPawulu wanqunywa ikhanda ngemva nje kwalokho.—2 Thimothewu 4:6-8, 11, 16.

ULuka wayezidela futhi enesizotha. Akazange aqhakambise imfundo yakhe noma afune ukuvelela. Yebo, wayengaqhubeka esebenza njengodokotela, kodwa wakhetha ukuthuthukisa izithakazelo zoMbuso. NjengoLuka, kwangathi singazidela simemezele izindaba ezinhle futhi sikhonze ngokuthobeka kube inkazimulo kuJehova.—Luka 12:31.

[Ibhokisi ekhasini 19]

WAYENGUBANI UTHEYOFILU?

ULuka wazibhalela uTheyofilu izincwadi zakhe zombili, iVangeli lakhe nezEnzo Zabaphostoli. EVangelini likaLuka, lo muntu ubizwa ngokuthi “Theyofilu ohlonipheka kakhulu.” (Luka 1:3) Inkulumo ethi “ohlonipheka kakhulu” yayiyindlela yokubiza umuntu ovelele futhi oyinjinga kanye nezikhulu eziphakeme kuhulumeni waseRoma. Umphostoli uPawulu wambiza kanjalo uFestu, umbusi ongumRoma wesifundazwe saseJudiya.—IzEnzo 26:25.

Kusobala ukuthi uTheyofilu wayesezwile ngesigijimi sikaJesu futhi enesithakazelo kuso. ULuka wayenethemba lokuthi ukulandisa kweVangeli lakhe kwakuyokwenza uTheyofilu “azi ngokugcwele ubuqiniso bezinto [ayezifundiswe] ngomlomo.”—Luka 1:4.

Isazi sesiGreki, uRichard Lenski, sithi akunakwenzeka ukuthi uTheyofilu wayeseyikholwa ngesikhathi uLuka embiza ngokuthi “ohlonipheka kakhulu,” ngoba “kuzo zonke izincwadi zobuKristu, . . . akekho umzalwane ongumKristu obizwa ngesiqu esinjalo sokuhlonishwa sasezweni.” Kamuva, lapho uLuka ebhala incwadi yezEnzo, akazange asisebenzise isiqu esithi, “ohlonipheka kakhulu” kodwa wamane wathi: “Theyofilu.” (IzEnzo 1:1) ULenski uyaphetha: “Lapho uLuka ebhalela uTheyofilu iVangeli, le ndoda evelele yayingakabi umKristu kodwa yayinesithakazelo esikhulu ezintweni zobuKristu; kodwa lapho emthumelela izEnzo, uTheyofilu wayeseguqukile.”