Ingabe Ulandela “Indlela Ezidlula Zonke” Yothando?

“UNKULUNKULU uluthando.” La mazwi omphostoli uJohane achaza imfanelo kaNkulunkulu evelele kunazo zonke. (1 Joh. 4:8) Wuthando lukaNkulunkulu ngesintu olusenza sisondele kuye nolwenza ngamunye wethu akwazi ukuba nobuhlobo naye. Iyiphi enye indlela uthando lukaNkulunkulu olusithinta ngayo? Kuye kwathiwa: “Silolongwa izinto esizithandayo.” Lokhu kuyiqiniso. Nokho, kuyiqiniso nokuthi silolongwa nayilabo esibathandayo nabasithandayo. Njengoba sidalwe ngomfanekiso kaNkulunkulu, sinekhono lokubonakalisa uthando lukaNkulunkulu ekuphileni kwethu. (Gen. 1:27) Ngakho, umphostoli uJohane wabhala ukuthi siyamthanda uNkulunkulu “ngoba yena wasithanda kuqala.”—1 Joh. 4:19.

Amagama Amane Achaza Uthando

Umphostoli uPawulu wabiza uthando ngokuthi “indlela ezidlula zonke.” (1 Kor. 12:31) Kungani aluchaza ngale ndlela? Hlobo luni lothando uPawulu ayekhuluma ngalo? Ukuze sithole izimpendulo, ake silihlolisise igama elithi “uthando.”

AmaGreki asendulo ayenamagama amane ayisisekelo achaza uthando, ayesetshenziswa ngezindlela ezihlukahlukene: Elithi stor·geʹ, eʹros, phi·liʹa, nelithi a·gaʹpe. Kulawa, elithi a·gaʹpe lisetshenziselwa ukuchaza uNkulunkulu ‘oluthando.’a Ngokuphathelene nalolu thando, uProfesa William Barclay encwadini yakhe ethi New Testament Words uthi: “I-agapē ihlobene nengqondo: ayiwona nje umzwelo omane uzifikele ezinhliziyweni zethu; iyisimiso esiphila ngaso ngokuzithandela. I-agapē ihlobene kakhulu nentando.” Kulo mongo, elithi a·gaʹpe lisho uthando olulawulwa noma oluqondiswa izimiso, kodwa luvame ukuhambisana nomuzwa ojulile. Njengoba kunezimiso ezinhle nezimbi, kusobala ukuthi amaKristu kufanele aqondiswe izimiso ezinhle, ezibekwe uJehova uNkulunkulu ngokwakhe eBhayibhelini. Lapho siqhathanisa lokho okushiwo iBhayibheli ngelithi a·gaʹpe namanye amagama eliwasebenzisile achaza uthando, siyoluqonda kangcono uthando okufanele silubonise.

Uthando Emkhayeni

Yeka ukuthi kujabulisa kangakanani ukuba yingxenye yomkhaya ofudumele nonobunye! Elithi stor·geʹ igama lesiGreki elalivame ukusetshenziswa lapho kubhekiselwe othandweni oluphakathi kwamalungu omkhaya owodwa. AmaKristu alwela ukubonisa amalungu emikhaya yawo uthando. UPawulu waprofetha ukuthi ezinsukwini zokugcina, abantu babeyoba “abangenalo uthando.”b—2 Thim. 3:1, 3.

Kuyadabukisa ukuthi alusekho namuhla uthando obekufanele lube phakathi kwamalungu omkhaya. Kungani abesifazane abaningi kangaka bekhipha izisu? Kungani izingane eziningi kangaka zingabakhathaleli abazali bazo asebekhulile? Kungani inani lezehlukaniso lilokhu linyuka njalo? Impendulo yile: Ukuntuleka kothando.

Ngaphezu kwalokho, iBhayibheli lifundisa ukuthi “inhliziyo ikhohlisa ngaphezu kwanoma yini enye.” (Jer. 17:9) Uthando oluphakathi kwamalungu omkhaya luhilela inhliziyo nemizwa yethu. Nokho, kuyathakazelisa ukuthi uPawulu wasebenzisa elithi a·gaʹpe, lapho echaza uthando indoda okufanele ilubonise umkayo. Wafanisa lolu thando nalolo uKristu alubonisa ibandla. (Efe. 5:28, 29) Lolu thando lusekelwe ezimisweni zikaJehova, uMsunguli womkhaya.

Uthando lweqiniso oluphakathi kwamalungu omkhaya lusishukumisela ukuba sikhathalele abazali bethu asebekhulile noma lusishukumisela ukuba sifeze umthwalo wemfanelo esinawo kubantwana bethu. Lushukumisa nabazali ukuba banike abantwana babo isiyalo sothando lapho sidingeka futhi lubavimbele ukuba bangabonisi uzwela kakhulu, into ngokuvamile eholela esimweni sengqondo sokutotosa abantwana.—Efe. 6:1-4.

Uthando Oluphakathi Kwezithandani Nezimiso ZeBhayibheli

Uthando oluphakathi kowesilisa nowesifazane abashadile luyisipho esivela kuNkulunkulu ngempela. (IzAga 5:15-17) Nokho, abalobi abaphefumulelwe beBhayibheli abazange balisebenzise igama elithi eʹros elibhekisele othandweni lwezithandani. Kungani? Eminyakeni ethile edlule, INqabayokulinda yathi: “Namuhla izwe lonke libonakala lenza iphutha elifanayo nelamaGreki asendulo. Ayekhulekela u-Eros, akhothamele i-altare lakhe futhi amenzele imihlatshelo. . . . Kodwa umlando ubonisa ukuthi lokho kukhulekela uthando lobulili kwaletha ihlazo, ukuzitika ngamanyala nokonakala kuphela. Mhlawumbe yingakho abalobi beBhayibheli bengazange balisebenzise lelo gama.” Ukuze sigweme ukuhileleka ebuhlotsheni obusekelwe ekukhanganeni nje, imizwa yothando ngowobulili obuhlukile kumelwe idanjiswe noma ilawulwe izimiso zeBhayibheli. Ngakho, zibuze, ‘Ingabe imizwa yami yothando isekelwe othandweni lweqiniso ngomuntu engithandana naye?’

Phakathi ‘nokuqhuma kobusha’ lapho imizwa yobulili isuke inamandla kakhulu, intsha enamathela ezimisweni zeBhayibheli iyohlala ihlanzekile ngokokuziphatha. (1 Kor. 7:36; Kol. 3:5) Sibheka umshado njengesipho esingcwele esivela kuJehova. UJesu wathi ngabantu abashadile: “Lokho uNkulunkulu akubophele ndawonye makungahlukaniswa muntu.” (Math. 19:6) Kunokuba sihlale ndawonye uma nje sisakhangana, sizibophezele emshadweni wethu. Lapho kuphakama izinkinga emshadweni, asifuni indlela elula yokuphuma kuwo kodwa silwela ngobuqotho ukubonisa izimfanelo zikaNkulunkulu ukuze ukuphila komkhaya kujabulise. Leyo mizamo iyoletha injabulo yaphakade.—Efe. 5:33; Heb. 13:4.

Uthando Oluphakathi Kwabangane

Ukuphila kwakungeke kujabulise ngaphandle kwabangane! Isaga seBhayibheli sithi: “Kukhona umngane onamathela ngaphezu komfowenu.” (IzAga 18:24) UJehova ufuna sibe nabangane abaqotho. Sonke siyazi ukuthi uDavide noJonathani babengamathe nolimi. (1 Sam. 18:1) IBhayibheli lithi uJesu ‘wayemthanda’ umphostoli uJohane. (Joh. 20:2) Igama lesiGreki elisho “uthando lomzwelo” noma “ubungane” lithi phi·liʹa. Akukho lutho olungalungile ngokuba nomngane omkhulu ebandleni. Nokho, kweyesi-2 Petru 1:7, sikhuthazwa ukuba senezele uthando (a·gaʹpe) ‘othandweni lwethu lobuzalwane’ (phi·la·del·phiʹa, igama eliyibizo-ngxube elakhiwa elithi phiʹlos, igama lesiGreki elisho “umngane” nelithi a·del·phosʹ, elisho “umfowethu”). Ukuze silondoloze ubungane, kudingeka sisisebenzise lesi seluleko. Senza kahle ngokuzibuza, ‘Ingabe imizwa yami yobungane isekelwe ezimisweni zeBhayibheli?’

IZwi likaNkulunkulu lisisiza ukuba sigweme ukukhetha lapho sisebenzelana nabangane bethu. Asisebenzisi izimiso ezikabili: siyekelele kakhudlwana kulabo abangabangane bethu bese siqina kakhudlwana kulabo abangebona abangane bethu. Ngaphezu kwalokho, asisebenzisi ukuthopha okuyize ukuze sibe nabangane. Okubaluleke kunakho konke, ukusebenzisa izimiso zeBhayibheli kusenza sibe nokuqonda okudingekayo lapho sikhetha abangane futhi kusenza sigweme ‘ukuzihlanganisa nababi okonakalisa imikhuba emihle.’—1 Kor. 15:33.

Isibopho Esiyingqayizivele Sothando!

Isibopho esihlanganisa amaKristu siyingqayizivele ngempela! Umphostoli uPawulu wabhala: “Uthando lwenu malungabi nabuzenzisi. . . . Othandweni lobuzalwane thandanani omunye nomunye.” (Roma 12:9, 10) Ngempela, amaKristu ‘anothando (a·gaʹpe) olungenabuzenzisi.’ Lolu thando aluwona nje umzwelo osuka ezinhliziyweni zethu. Kunalokho, lusekelwe ngokujulile ezimisweni zeBhayibheli. Nokho, uPawulu ukhuluma ‘nangothando lobuzalwane’ (phi·la·del·phiʹa) ‘nangothando lomzwelo’ (phi·loʹstor·gos, ibizo-ngxube elakhiwa elithi phiʹlos nelithi stor·geʹ). Ngokwesinye isazi, ‘uthando lobuzalwane’ lusho ‘uthando lomzwelo, ukubonisa umusa, uzwela nokufuna ukusiza.’ Uma luhlangene ne-a·gaʹpe, lwenza abakhulekeli bakaJehova babe abangane abakhulu. (1 Thes. 4:9, 10) Leli elinye elihunyushwe ngokuthi ‘uthando lomzwelo’ livela kanye kuphela eBhayibhelini futhi libhekisela ebuhlotsheni obufudumele, njengasemkhayeni.c

Isibopho esihlanganisa amaKristu eqiniso siyinhlanganisela yothando oluphakathi kwamalungu omkhaya noluphakathi kwabangane beqiniso, futhi lobo buhlobo buqondiswe izimiso zeBhayibheli. Ibandla lobuKristu alilona iqembu likaqedisizungu noma inhlangano yezwe, kodwa liwumkhaya obumbene, okhulekela uJehova uNkulunkulu ngobunye. Sibiza amanye amaKristu ngokuthi abafowethu nodadewethu, futhi ayibo isibili. Ayingxenye yomkhaya wethu ongokomoya, siwathanda njengabangane, futhi siwaphatha ngendlela evumelana nezimiso zeBhayibheli. Kwangathi sonke singaba nesandla kulesi sibopho sothando esihlanganisa nesibonakalisa ibandla lobuKristu beqiniso.—Joh. 13:35.

[Imibhalo yaphansi]

[Amazwi acashunwe esihlokweni ekhasini 12]

Unayiphi ingxenye esibophweni sothando esisenza sibe nobunye?