Melana Nokucindezela Kombono Weningi

IMIBONO yabantu ngokuthi yini efanelekayo noma engamukeleki nokuthi yini enhle noma eyihlazo, iyehluka kuye ngezindawo. Iphinde ishintshe ngokuhamba kwesikhathi. Ngakho-ke, lapho sifunda ukulandisa okusemiBhalweni kwezenzakalo zasendulo, kudingeka sicabangele umbono owawuvamile nezindinganiso zangezikhathi zeBhayibheli kunokusebenzisa izindinganiso zethu kulokho esikufundayo.

Ngokwesibonelo, ake sithathe imiqondo emibili okukhulunywa ngayo ngokuphindaphindiwe emiBhalweni YamaKristu YesiGreki—udumo nehlazo. Ukuze siqonde kahle amavesi akhuluma ngako, kufanele sicabange ngendlela abantu bangaleso sikhathi ababebheka ngayo udumo nehlazo.

Izindinganiso Zangekhulu Lokuqala

Esinye isazi sithi: “AmaGreki, amaRoma nabaseJudiya ayebheka udumo noma ihlazo njengezinto ezisho lukhulu. Amadoda ayeluphishekela futhi elufela udumo, idumela elihle, ukwamukeleka nokuhlonishwa.” Lokho kwakuwenza athonywe kalula imibono yabanye.

Ukuvelela, isikhundla nodumo kwakubaluleke kakhulu emphakathini owawuqaphelisisa ukuthi unasikhundla sini, uyisicukuthwane noma uyisigqila. Udumo lwaluxhomeke endleleni umuntu ayezibheka ngayo nasendleleni abanye abambheka ngayo. Uma unika umuntu udumo, kwakusho ukuthi uvuma obala ukuthi uphila ngendlela elindeleke kuye. Ukumnikeza udumo kwakusho nokubonisa obala ukuthi uqaphela ingcebo, isikhundla nesithunzi sakhe, ngaleyo ndlela umnika inhlonipho efanele. Umuntu wayengathola udumo ngokwenza izenzo ezinhle noma ngokuqwaqwada abanye emakhanda. Ngakolunye uhlangothi, ihlazo noma ukungahlonipheki kwakuhambisana nokudelelwa nokuhlekwa abantu. Lowo muzwa wawungabangelwa umuntu ngokwakhe noma ukudliwa isazela kuphela kodwa wawubangelwa ikakhulu ukulahlwa umphakathi.

Lapho uJesu ekhuluma ngomuntu onikezwa ‘indawo evelele kunazo zonke’ noma ‘indawo ephansi kunazo zonke’ edilini, wayekhuluma ngodumo noma ngehlazo ngokwesiko langaleso sikhathi. (Luka 14:8-10) Abafundi bakaJesu bake baphikisana okungenani izikhathi ezimbili ngokuthi “ubani kubo owayebonakala emkhulu kunabo bonke.” (Luka 9:46; 22:24) Babebonakalisa into umphakathi ababephila kuwo owawukhathazeka kakhulu ngayo. Ngesikhathi esifanayo, abaholi benkolo yamaJuda abaqhoshayo nabanomoya wokuncintisana babebheka ukushumayela kukaJesu njengokusongela udumo negunya labo. Imizamo yabo yokuzibonakalisa bengcono kunaye ngokumhilela ezimpikiswaneni zasobala, yayehluleka njalo.—Luka 13:11-17.

Omunye umqondo owawuvamile kumaJuda, amaGreki nakumaRoma ekhulu lokuqala owokuthi kwakuyihlazo “ukubanjwa nokumangalelwa phambi kwabantu.” Ukuboshwa noma ukugqunywa etilongweni kwakubhekwa njengento emlulazayo umuntu. Leso senzo sasenza umuntu ahlazeke phambi kwabangane, abomndeni nasemphakathini wonkana—kungakhathaliseki ukuthi utholakele enecala noma cha. Isigcwagcwa ayeba naso sasingakuqeda ukuzethemba kwakhe silimaze nobudlelwane bakhe nabanye. Into eyayiyihlazo ngaphezu kokuboshwa kwakuwukwehliswa isithunzi ngokuhlutshulwa izingubo noma ukubhaxabulwa. Ukuphathwa ngaleyo ndlela kwakwenza umuntu adeleleke, ahlekwe futhi aphelelwe isithunzi.

Ukubulawa ngokubethelwa esigxotsheni sokuhlushwa kwakusiqeda nyá isithunzi salowo obulawayo. Ukufa ngaleyo ndlela “kwakuyisijeziso sezigqila,” kusho isazi, uMartin Hengel. “Ngenxa yalokho kwakumelela ukululazwa, ukuhlazeka nokuhlushwa ngokwedlulele.” Umphakathi wawucindezela umndeni nabangane ukuba bamhlamuke lowo muntu. Njengoba uKristu afa ngale ndlela, bonke ababefuna ukuba amaKristu ekhulwini lokuqala C.E. babebhekana nokuhlekwa umphakathi. Abantu abaningi kungenzeka babekubheka njengokungaphusile ukuzibiza ngomlandeli womuntu owabethelwa. Umphostoli uPawulu wabhala: “Sishumayela ngoKristu owabethelwa, oyimbangela yokukhubeka kumaJuda kodwa owubuwula ezizweni.” (1 Kor. 1:23) AmaKristu ekhulu lokuqala abhekana kanjani nale nselele?

Izindinganiso Ezihlukile

AmaKristu ekhulu lokuqala ayewulalela umthetho futhi ezama ukugwema ihlazo lokwenza okubi. Umphostoli uPetru waloba: “Makungabikho noyedwa kini ohlupheka ngoba engumbulali noma eyisela noma engumenzi wokubi noma ngoba engugaxekile ezindabeni zabanye abantu.” (1 Pet. 4:15) Nokho, uJesu wabikezela ukuthi abafundi bakhe babeyoshushiswa ngenxa yegama lakhe. (Joh. 15:20) UPetru wathi: “Uma [umuntu] ehlupheka ngoba engumKristu, makangabi namahloni, kodwa makaqhubeke ekhazimulisa uNkulunkulu.” (1 Pet. 4:16) Ukungabi namahloni lapho uhlushelwa ukuba umlandeli kaKristu kwakubhekwa njengokuthi wenqaba izindinganiso zomphakathi wangaleso sikhathi.

AmaKristu ayengenakuvumela izindinganiso zabanye zilawule ukuziphatha kwawo. Emphakathini wangekhulu lokuqala kwakuwubuwula ukubheka umuntu obethelwe njengoMesiya. Lowo mbono wawungase ucindezele amaKristu ukuba nawo athambekele kuleyo ndlela yokucabanga eyayamukeleka ngaleso sikhathi. Nokho, njengoba ayekholelwa ukuthi uJesu unguMesiya, kwakudingeka amlandele ngisho noma egconwa. UJesu wathi: “Noma ubani oba namahloni ngami nangamazwi ami kulesi sizukulwane esiphingayo nesinesono, neNdodana yomuntu iyoba namahloni ngaye lapho ifika ngenkazimulo kaYise ikanye nezingelosi ezingcwele.”—Marku 8:38.

Nanamuhla, singase sibhekane nengcindezi ehloselwe ukusenza siyeke ukuba amaKristu. Ingase ivele kubantu esifunda nabo esikoleni, komakhelwane noma kulabo esisebenza nabo abazama ukusenza sihlanganyele ezenzweni zokuziphatha okubi, zokungathembeki noma kwezinye izinto ezingabazisayo. Abantu abanjalo bangazama ukusenza sizizwe sinamahloni ngokumelela izimiso ezilungile. Kufanele sisabele kanjani?

Lingisa Labo Abadelela Ihlazo

UJesu wagcina ubuqotho bakhe kuJehova nakuba abulawa ngendlela eyihlazo kunazo zonke. “Wakhuthazelela isigxobo sokuhlushwa, edelela ihlazo.” (Heb. 12:2) Izitha zikaJesu zamshaya ngempama, zamkhafulela, zamhlubula, zambhaxabula, zambethela futhi zamthuka. (Marku 14:65; 15:29-32) Kodwa, uJesu walidelela lelo hlazo ezazizama ukumthela ngalo. Kanjani? Akazange ayekethise lapho ephathwa ngale ndlela. UJesu wayazi ukuthi uJehova wayesamhlonipha futhi ngokuqinisekile wayengafuni inkazimulo yabantu. Ngisho noma abulawa njengesigqila, uJehova wamhlonipha ngokumvusa nangokumnika isikhundla esihlonipheke kunazo zonke esilandela esaKhe. KweyabaseFilipi 2:8-11, sifunda lokhu: “[UKristu Jesu] wazithoba futhi walalela kwaze kwaba sekufeni, yebo, ekufeni esigxotsheni sokuhlushwa. Ngenxa yalesi sizathu, noNkulunkulu wamphakamisela esikhundleni esiphakeme futhi ngomusa wamnika igama elingaphezu kwawo wonke amanye amagama, ukuze egameni likaJesu wonke amadolo aguqe, awabasezulwini nawabasemhlabeni nawabangaphansi komhlaba, futhi zonke izilimi zivume obala ukuthi uJesu Kristu uyiNkosi kube inkazimulo kaNkulunkulu uBaba.”

UJesu wakhathazeka ngehlazo elalihambisana nokubulawa kwakhe. Kwayikhathaza iNdodana kaNkulunkulu ukwazi ukuthi ukulahlwa kwayo ngecala lokuhlambalaza kwakungase kulethe isihlamba kuYise. UJesu wacela kuJehova ukuba lingenzeki leli hlazo. Wathandaza: “Susa le ndebe kimi.” Kodwa wazithoba entandweni kaNkulunkulu. (Marku 14:36) Noma kunjalo, wabhekana ngokuphumelelayo nalezo zimo ezicindezelayo futhi walidelela ihlazo. Kakade, ihlazo elinjalo laliyozwiwa kuphela yilabo ababezamukela ngokugcwele izindinganiso ezazivamile osukwini lwakhe. Kusobala ukuthi uJesu wayengazamukeli ngokuphelele.

Abafundi bakaJesu nabo baboshwa futhi babhaxabulwa. Ukuphathwa kanjalo kwabalulaza kwabaningi. Babukelwa phansi futhi badelelwa. Noma kunjalo, abazange badikibale. Abafundi beqiniso bamelana nokucindezelwa umbono weningi futhi badelela ihlazo. (Math. 10:17; IzE. 5:40; 2 Kor. 11:23-25) Babazi ukuthi kwakumelwe ‘bathathe isigxobo sabo sokuhlushwa balandele uJesu njalo.’—Luka 9:23, 26.

Thina-ke sinamuphi umbono namuhla? Izinto izwe elizibheka njengeziwubuwula, ezibuthaka nezingahloniphekile, kuNkulunkulu zihlakaniphile, zinamandla futhi zihloniphekile. (1 Kor. 1:25-28) Ngeke yini kube ubuwula nokuba nomqondo omfushane uma sithonywa ngokuphelele umbono weningi?

Noma ubani ofuna udumo kumelwe akhathazeke kakhulu ngalokho izwe elikucabangayo ngaye. Ngakolunye uhlangothi, njengoJesu nabalandeli bakhe bangekhulu lokuqala, thina sifisa ukuba uJehova abe uMngane wethu. Ngakho-ke, siyobheka lokho okuhloniphekayo emehlweni akhe njengokuhloniphekile futhi sibheke njengehlazo izinto azibheka njengeziyihlazo.

[Isithombe ekhasini 4]

UJesu akazange athonywe imibono yezwe ngehlazo