Kodi Munadyapo Mkate Wamoyo?

ALENDO ocezela malo anamva njala. Pamene anafika kumalo kocezela mu mzinda wakale wa Betelehemu, anamva njala kwambili ndipo anali ofunitsitsa kudyako zakudya za kumeneko. Mmodzi wa io anapeza lesitilanti kumene amaphika cakudya cocedwa falafel. Pophika cakudya cimeneci anali kuikako nandolo, tomato, anyenzi ndi zinthu zina zokometsela. Ndipo anali kucidya limodzi ndi mkate wocedwa pita. Alendowo atadya cakudya cokoma cimeneci anakhalanso ndi mphamvu ndipo anapitiliza ulendo wao.

Alendowo atadya mkatewo zimenezo zinali zosaiŵalika pa umoyo wao. Dzina lakuti Betelehemu limatanthauza “Nyumba ya Mkate,” ndipo kwa zaka zambili, mkatewu unali kupangidwa mumzinda umenewu. (Rute 1:22; 2:14) Masiku ano, mkate wa pita umapangidwa kwambili ku Betelehemu.

Zaka pafupifupi 4000 zapitazo, Sara, mkazi wa Abulahamu anali kukhala kumwela kwa Betelehemu. Mwadzidzidzi, iye analandila alendo atatu ndipo anawaphikila “mkate” umenewu. (Genesis 18:6) “Ufa wosalala” umene Sara anagwilitsila nchito uyenela kuti unapangidwa ndi tiligu wocedwa emmer kapena unapangidwa ndi barele. Sara anakonza mkate umenewu mofulumila ndipo mwina anauphikila pamiyala yotentha.—1 Mafumu 19:6.

Nkhaniyi ionetsa kuti banja la Abulahamu linali kupanga lokha mkate. Cifukwa cosamukasamuka, Sara ndi anchito ake sanali kuphikila mkate wao mu mauvuni amene anali kugwilitsila nchito kwao ku Uri. Ndipo anali kugwilitsila nchito ufa wosalala wa ku dela kumene anali kukhala panthawiyo. Imeneyi inali nchito yovuta, cifukwa kuti agaye mbeu anali kupela pamphelo. Ndipo mwina anali kusinja mu mtondo.

Patapita zaka 400, Cilamulo ca Mose cinanena kuti munthu asalande mphelo kukhala monga cikole cifukwa kucita zimenezo kunali ngati “kumulanda moyo.” (Deuteronomo 24:6) Mulungu anaona kuti mphelo inali yofunika kwambili cifukwa popanda iyo, banja silikanapanga mkate wao wa tsiku ndi tsiku.—Onani kabokosi kakuti “Kupela ufa ndi Kuphika Mkate wa Tsiku ndi Tsiku m’Nthawi za m’Baibulo.”

MKATE WOKHUTILITSA MTIMA WA MUNTHU

Malemba amachula mkate nthawi 350, ndipo olemba Baibulo nthawi zambili akamakamba za mkate anali kunena za cakudya. Yesu anaonetsa kuti atumiki a Mulungu angapemphele ndi mtima wonse kuti: “Mutipatse ife lelo cakudya cathu calelo.” (Mateyu 6:11) Yesu palembali anaonetsa kuti tiyenela kudalila Mulungu kuti atipatse cakudya ca tsiku ndi tsiku.—Salimo 37:25.

Komabe, pali cina cake cofunika kwambili kuposa mkate kapena cakudya. Yesu anati: “Munthu sangakhale ndi moyo ndi cakudya cokha, koma ndi mau onse otuluka pakamwa pa Yehova.” (Mateyu 4:4) Palembali Yesu anali kunena za nthawi pamene Aisiraeli anali kudalila Mulungu kuti awapatse zofuna zao, atangocoka mu Iguputo. Patapita pafupifupi mwezi umodzi ataloŵa m’Cipululu ca Sinai, cakudya cao cinayamba kucepa. Poopela kuti adzafa ndi njala m’cipululu, io anayamba kung’ung’udza kuti: “Tinali kudya mkate ndi kukhuta” mu Iguputo.—Ekisodo 16:1-3.

Mosakaikila, mkate wa ku Iguputo unali wokoma. Mu nthawi ya Mose, akatswili ophika mkate anali kuphikila Aiguputo mikate ndi makeke osiyanasiyana. Koma Yehova sanafune kumana anthu ake mkate. Iye anawalonjeza kuti: “Ndikuvumbitsilani mkate kucokela kumwamba.” Zimenezi zinacitikadi, mkatewu wocokela kumwamba wooneka ngati ‘tunthu topyapyala ndi tolimba koma tosalala’ ngati mame, unali kugwa m’mawa mulimonse. Pamene Aisiraeli anaona tunthu tumenetu kwa nthawi yoyamba anafunsa kuti: “N’ciani ici?” Mose anawauza kuti: “Ndi cakudya cimene Yehova wakupatsani.” Iwo anacha mkate umenewu mana,a ndipo anaudya kwa zaka 40.—Ekisodo 16:4, 13-15.

Poyamba Aisiraeli ayenela kuti anakondwela kwambili ndi cakudya cozizwitsa cimeneci. Cinali kumveka monga “makeke opyapyala othila uci,” ndipo cinali cokwanila kwa onse. (Ekisodo 16:18, 31) Koma m’kupita kwa nthawi, io anayamba kuganizila zakudya zosiyanasiyana zimene anali kudya ku Iguputo. Iwo anadandaula kuti: “Maso athu sakuonanso kanthu kena, koma mana basi.” (Numeri 11:6) Pambuyo pake io anakamba mokwiya kuti: “Cakudya conyansaci cafika potikola.” (Numeri 21:5) Potsilizila pake, mkatewu wocokela kumwamba unakhala wonyansa kwa io.—Salimo 105:40.

MKATE WAMOYO

Mofanana ndi zinthu zina zambili, mkate tingaziuona monga ndi cinthu cosafunika kwambili. Koma Baibulo limanena za mkate wapadela kwambili umene sitiyenela kunyalanyaza. Mkatewo, umene Yesu anayelekezela ndi mana amene Aisiraeli anakana, ungatibweletsele madalitso osatha.

Yesu anauza omvela ake kuti: “Ine ndine cakudya copatsa moyo. Makolo anu anadya mana m’cipululu koma anamwalilabe. Ici ndi cakudya cocokela kumwamba, coti aliyense adyeko kuti asamwalile. Ine ndine cakudya camoyo cotsika kumwamba. Ngati wina adyako cakudya cimeneci adzakhala ndi moyo kosatha. Ndipotu cakudya cimene ndidzapeleke kuti dzikoli lipeze moyo, ndico mnofu wangawu.”—Yohane 6:48-51.

Omvela a Yesu ambili sanamvetsetse pamene iye anagwilitsila nchito mau ophiphilitsa akuti “mkate” ndi “mnofu.” Komabe, fanizo limenelo linali lomveka kwambili. Mkate weniweni unali cakudya ca tsiku ndi tsiku ca Ayuda monga mmene mana analili cakudya ca Aisiraeli kwa zaka 40 m’cipululu. Ngakhale kuti mana anali mphatso yocokela kwa Mulungu, sanali kupeleka moyo wosatha. Koma, nsembe ya Yesu imapeleka moyo kwa onse omukhulupilila. Iye ndiye “mkate wamoyo” weniweni.

Tikamva njala, mwina timatenga mkate ndi kudya. Ndipo timayamikilanso Mulungu kaamba ka “cakudya calelo.” (Mateyu 6:11) Pamene tiyamikila cakudya cokoma, sitiyenela kuiŵala kuti Yesu ndi “mkate wamoyo.”

Mosiyana ndi Aisiraeli osayamika a m’nthawi ya Mose, tingaonetse bwanji kuti timayamikila mkate umenewo wamtengo wapatali? Yesu anati: “Ngati mumandikonda, mudzasunga malamulo anga.” (Yohane 14:15) Ngati titsatila malamulo a Yesu, tidzadya mkate umenewu kwamuyaya.—Deuteronomo 12:7.