Imbono YeBhayibhile
Ngaba Yonke Imisitho Yonqulo Iyamkholisa UThixo?
Amakholwa, angama-20 000, abhiyozela idini leMisa elikhethekileyo kwibala lesixeko. Ekupheleni kwaloo nkonzo, kuqalisa ungcelele. Eso sihlwele sabanquli ngoku siyanda ukuya kufikelela kuma-60 000 abantu, abenjenjeya ukugoduka betyhubela izitrato, bonke belandela umfanekiso oqingqiweyo kaNossa Senhora Aparecida, “ingcwele” ekhusela elaseBrazil. Emin’ emaqanda, kuvakala isithonga ngakwingcwele njengoko abahambi ngezonqulo bedubula izitaka-ntlantsi ezidanyazayo.
IMISITHO enjalo yonqulo nemingcelele yayo iqhelekile kumazwe amaninzi. Kodwa yintoni eshukumisela izihlwele ukuba zithelele kule mingcelele? Isithethe nokuzinikela ziintshukumisa ezimbini ezisisiseko kumaKatolika, kumaBhuda nakwezinye iindidi zonqulo. Ukongezelela, njengokuba kwakunjalo ngaphambili, ukuzonwabisa kusenokuba kuyeyona nto iphambili. IThe World Book Encyclopedia ithi kumaxesha aphakathi “imisitho emininzi yonqulo yayigxininisa ukuzihlaziya. Yayisenzelwa ukuba abantu balibale ubunzima ababufumanayo kubomi bemihla ngemihla.” Ngokufuthi oko kuyinyaniso namhlanje. Ngokomzekelo, iSalvador, eBrazil, idume ngemisitho yayo yonqulo nethandwayo, ixuba iimfundiso ezingenasiseko nemigcobo kwimisitho neminyhadala eyahlukahlukeneyo eye ibalasele kuloo misitho. Noko ke, ngoxa eminye imingcelele yonqulo isenokuba yeyolonwabo, eminye isenokuba yeyobuhlungu.
Umtyeleli othile uthi ngemingcelele eqhelekileyo kwelaseBrazil: “Belandela umfanekiso oqingqiweyo nabefundisi, abambalwa babecula iculo lecawa ngoxa abanye babelandela bethe cwaka. Kodwa eyona nto yayibalasele apho kukundileka, okanye ubuhlungu, ngokungathi eso sihlwele sasisemngcwabeni.” Yaye uLúcio, wakummandla ongasentla welaseBrazil, uthi: “Njengokuba nam ndandinjalo, abantu ngenxa yokuphelelwa lithemba bafuna uncedo okanye isicombululo kwiingxaki zentsapho okanye zemali. Ngokufuthi ukuzinikela ‘kwingcwele’ ekhusela ilizwe kuquka ukwanga umfanekiso oqingqiweyo, ukunyuka izinyuko ngamadolo, okanye ukuhamba umgama omde uthwele ilitye entloko.”
Ukuzinikela okulolo hlobo kusenokubonakala kungaqhelekanga kwabangengomakholwa. Noko ke, abo bakwenzayo bavakalelwa kukuba bakholisa uThixo. Kodwa ngaba kunjalo? IBhayibhile iyasinceda sibone enoba imisitho nemingcelele elolo hlobo yonqulo iyamkholisa uThixo kusini na.
Ngaba Izisa Uncedo LukaThixo?
Imbali isixelela ukuba uSirayeli wamandulo wayebhiyozela imisitho yaminyaka le neyamathuba athile evuya. Loo misitho yayimvuyisa uYehova uThixo. (Duteronomi 16:14, 15) Ithetha ngemithendeleko yeBhayibhile, iThe Illustrated Bible Dictionary ithi: “Kwakubonakaliswa uvuyo lokwenyaniso. Izinto zonqulo zazingahlukaniswa nokuvuyela izinto zokwexeshana ezigqalwa njengezipho ezivela kuThixo.” Phezu kwayo nje loo misitho yonqulo, ababingeleli nabantu bakwaSirayeli babutyeshela ubumoya babo. (Isaya 1:15-17; Mateyu 23:23) Noko ke, umbuzo ngoku ngulo, Ngaba imingcelele yonqulo yayiyinxalenye yobuKristu benkulungwane yokuqala?
Nangona uYesu Kristu wayeyigcina eminye imisitho yamaYuda, uYesu nabafundi bakhe abazange bamisele imingcelele yonqulo. IThe Encyclopædia Britannica ithi: “Kubonakala ukuba imingcelele yaqala ukuba yinto ethandwayo kanye emva kokuba ubuKristu baqala ukugqalwa njengonqulo lwasebukhosini nguConstantine ngenkulungwane yesine.” Yaye iThe World Book Encyclopedia ithi: “Imisitho yecawa [ndawonye nemingcelele yayo] yathabathel’ indawo amasiko amaninzi obuhedeni, iwanika iintsingiselo ezintsha.”
AmaKristu awanambopheleleko yokuthelela imisitho nemingcelele elolo hlobo yonqulo. Ebhekisela kwimisitho eyayifuneka phantsi koMthetho kaThixo kuSirayeli wamandulo, umpostile uPawulos wabhala: “Makungabikho mntu ngoko unigwebayo ngento edliwayo, ngento eselwayo, nangendawo yomthendeleko, nangenyanga ethwasileyo, nangeesabatha; ezisisithunzi sezinto eziza kuza; ke sona isiqu sesikaKristu.” (Kolose 2:16, 17) AmaKristu aseKolose kwakufuneka angavumeli mntu ukuba agwebe ukuma kwawo phambi koThixo ngokusekelwe ekugcineni imisitho yoMthetho kaMoses.
Into Elunge Ngakumbi Kunemingcelele
Ukuze amaKolose ahlukanise inkolo yawo yobuKristu kwimisitho engcwele kwakuya kufuneka abuyele kukholo lwawo. Ingongoma kaPawulos yayiyile, Kutheni elandela isithunzi senyaniso kuphela? Inyaniso yokwenene ikuKristu. Ngoko ke, ukubambelela kwisithunzi sento ezayo kuyayigquma loo nto yokwenene yokomoya ezo zinto zalatha kuyo. Kutheni? Kungenxa yokuba, njengokuba uPawulos watshoyo, “ke sona isiqu sesikaKristu.” Ngaloo ndlela, ukugcinwa kwezo zinto zonqulo namhlanje akuyonxalenye yonqulo lobuKristu lokwenyaniso.
Ngoko, amaKristu akuseyomfuneko ukuba agcine la masiko anemvelaphi yobuthixo, yaye ngokuqinisekileyo afanele ayiphephe imisitho enemvelaphi yobuhedeni, esenokubandakanya ukusetyenziswa kwemifanekiso eqingqiweyo neminyhadala. (INdumiso 115:4-8) Umpostile uPawulos walumkisa wathi: “Musani ukunxulumana nabolunye uhlobo, abangakholwayo ke; kuba kunakwabelana kuni na ubulungisa nokuchasa umthetho? Kunabudlelane buni na ukukhanya nobumnyama? Unakuvumelana kuni na ke uKristu noBheliyali?” (2 Korinte 6:14, 15) Ngamanye amazwi, ukuba sifuna ukukholisa uThixo, asinakuxuba unqulo lokwenyaniso nolobuxoki. Singakutyeshela njani ukuthanda kukaThixo size sekunjalo simkholise?—Mateyu 7:21.
Asinako, uThixo akakholiswa yimisitho yonqulo yobuhedeni nemigcelele yayo. Enyanisweni, iya kupheliswa nawo onke amasiko ayo angamzukisiyo uYehova, njengokuba iLizwi likaThixo laxela kwangaphambili. KwiSityhilelo 18:21, 22, unqulo lobuxoki nezenzo zalo zinxulunyaniswa nesixeko sabahedeni saseBhabhiloni. Sifundeka ngolu hlobo: “Isithunywa esithile esinamandla safunqula ilitye, langa lilitye lokusila, ukuba likhulu kwalo; saliphosa elwandle, sisithi: Iya kwenjiwa nje ke ukugadlelwa kwayo iBhabheli, umzi omkhulu, ingabi saba safunyanwa. Isandi sababethi beehadi, neseemvumi, nesabagwali, nesabavutheli maxilongo, asisayi kuba saviwa kuwe.” Xa uqonda ukuba imisitho yonqulo lweBhabhiloni ayimkholisi uThixo, yintoni oya kuyenza?
Khawucinge nje ukuba ubunohambo oluya kwindawo ebalulekileyo yaye ulahlekile. Ukuba ubani othile ngobubele ukubonisa indlela onokufika ngayo apho ngendlela ekhuselekileyo, ngaba ubungayi kuba nombulelo kuba uye wayifumana indlela echanileyo? Ngokufanayo, ekubeni ufundile ngendlela uThixo ayijonga ngayo imingcelele yonqulo, kutheni ungakhangeli ngokubhekele phaya eLizwini lakhe ukuze ufumanise oko kumkholisayo? Ukwenza oko ukufunde eBhayibhileni kuya kufaka isandla kulwalamano lwakho oluhle noThixo—olubaluleke kakhulu kunokugcina imisitho nemingcelele yonqulo.—Yohane 17:3.
[Inkcazelo Ngomfanekiso okwiphepha 20]
Dutch Easter procession, Harper’s, 19th century