Kutheni Besiba Baninzi Abantu Ababhiyozela IKrismesi?
NGABA uye uvakalelwe kukuba ingathi ayisafiki iKrismesi? Okanye ngaba uba nexhala njengoko isiya isondela? Izigidi zabantu zidla ngokuzibuza ukuba: ‘Ngoobani endiza kubathengela izipho? Yintoni endiza kubathengela yona? Ngaba ndinemali eyaneleyo yokuyithenga? Ukuba ndiza kuyithatha ngetyala, kuza kuthatha ixesha elingakanani ukulihlawula?’
Phezu kwazo nje ezo zinto, iKrismesi isathandwa. Eneneni ide yanwenwela nakumazwe angengowamaKristu. Inkoliso yeentsapho zaseJapan ibhiyozela iKrismesi, kungekhona ngenxa yokubaluleka kwayo ngokonqulo kodwa ngenxa yokuba isisihlandlo sokuzonwabisa. IThe Wall Street Journal ithi, “kwiifestile zeevenkile ezininzi zezixeko ezikhulu zaseTshayina kukho ubuso obubomvu bukaFather Christmas.” Yalek’ umsundulu isithi: “Abantu abaninzi baseTshayina abafumileyo nabahlala ezidolophini basebenzisa eli xesha njengesingxengxezo sokuthenga, ukutya nokuzonwabisa.”
Kwiindawo ezininzi ehlabathini, iKrismesi iye yasetyenziswa ukuxhasa ezoshishino. Eli phephancwadi lithi, oko kuye kwenziwa ngamazwe anjengeTshayina “eyenza imithi yeplastiki, izinto zokuhombisa, izibane nezinye izinto ezisetyenziswa ngeKrismesi ize izithumele kwamanye amazwe.”
Nakumazwe ekugquba ubuSilamsi kuwo kwenziwa imisitho efanayo naleyo yenziwa ngeKrismesi nangona ingenziwa ngoDisemba 25. EAnkara, eTurkey, naseBeirut, yaseLebanon kuqhelekile ukubona iifestile zihonjisiwe kubekwe nezipho ezisongelweyo. Iihotele neevenkile zaseIndonesia zixhasa amatheko okubhiyoza yaye abantwana batya noFather Christmas okanye bafote naye.
IRoyal Bank Letter yaseKhanada yathi, kumazwe amaninzi aseNtshona iKrismesi sisixhobo sokurhweba, kangangokuba izibhengezo zentengiso ezininzi “zijoliswe kakhulu ebantwaneni.” Ewe kona basekho abantu abaya ecaweni ngeKrismesi. Kodwa ke ngoku iicawa ziye zathatyathelw’ indawo ziivenkile. Yintoni ebangela ukuba izinto zitshintshe? Ngaba isizathu sinento yokwenza nemvelaphi yeKrismesi? Ivela phi iKrismesi?
Ngaphambi kokuba siphendule le mibuzo kuya kuba kuhle ukuqale sifunde ngamabali eBhayibhile ekuthiwa iKrismesi isekelwe kuwo.
[Ibhokisi/Umfanekiso okwiphepha 4]
OKO KUTHETHWA NGABABHALI BEENCWADI ZEVANGELI
Umpostile uMateyu: “Emva kokuba uYesu ezelwe eBhetelehem yelakwaYuda ngemihla kaHerode ukumkani, khangela! abavumisi ngeenkwenkwezi abavela kwimimandla yasempumalanga beza eYerusalem, besithi: ‘Uphi na lowo uzelweyo ukumkani wamaYuda? Kuba sibone inkwenkwezi yakhe xa besisempuma, yaye size kuqubuda kuye.’ Akukuva oku uKumkani uHerode waphazamiseka.” Ngoko, uHerode wabuza “ababingeleli abaziintloko . . . apho wayeza kuzalelwa khona uKristu.” Emva kokuva ukuba wayeza kuzalelwa “eBhetelehem,” uHerode wathi kubavumisi ngeenkwenkwezi: “Hambani niye kumfuna ngokucokisekileyo umntwana lowo uselula, yaye xa nimfumene ze nindixelele.”
“Bahamba; yaye, khangela! inkwenkwezi ababeyibonile xa babesempuma yahamba phambi kwabo, de yaya kuma phezu kwalapho umntwana oselula wayekhona. . . . Xa bangena endlwini bambona umntwana oselula ekunye noMariya unina.” Emva kokuba benike uYesu izipho, ‘banikwa isilumkiso sobuthixo ephupheni ukuba bangabuyeli kuHerode, [ngenxa yoko] bemka ngandlela yimbi ukuya elizweni labo.’
“Emva kokuba bemkile, khangela! ingelosi kaYehova yabonakala ephupheni kuYosefu, isithi: ‘Vuka, thabatha umntwana oselula nonina, usabele eYiputa . . . ’ Wavuka ke, wamthabatha umntwana oselula nonina ngobusuku wemka . . . Ngoko uHerode, ebona ukuba woyiswe ngobuqili ngabavumisi ngeenkwenkwezi, waba nomsindo omkhulu, waza wathumela ukuba kubulawe onke amakhwenkwe aseBhetelehem nakuzo zonke izithili zayo, ukususela kwiminyaka emibini ubudala nangaphantsi.”—Mateyu 2:1-16.
Umfundi uLuka: UYosefu “wenyuka evela eGalili, ephuma kwisixeko saseNazarete, esiya kwelakwaYuda, kwisixeko sikaDavide, esibizwa ngokuba yiBhetelehem, . . . ukuya kubhaliswa kunye noMariya, . . . Ngoxa babelapho, . . . wazala unyana wakhe, izibulo, yaye wamsongela ngezithandelo zelaphu waza wambeka emkhumbini, ngenxa yokuba kwakungekho ndawo yabo kwigumbi lokulalisa.”
“Kwakukwakho kwelo lizwe likwalinye abalusi ababehlala ezindle yaye belinde imihlambi yabo ebusuku. Kwaza ngequbuliso kwema ngakubo ingelosi kaYehova, . . .yaye boyika kakhulu. Kodwa ingelosi yathi kubo: ‘Musani ukoyika, kuba, khangelani! ndivakalisa kuni iindaba ezilungileyo zovuyo olukhulu olo bonke abantu baya kuba nalo, kuba nizalelwe namhlanje uMsindisi, onguKristu iNkosi, kwisixeko sikaDavide.’” Ngoko abelusi “bahamba ngokungxama baza bamfumana uMariya kwakunye noYosefu, nosana lulele emkhumbini.”—Luka 2:4-16.