Isahluko 17
Fumana Unqabiseko Phakathi Kwabantu BakaThixo
1, 2. Imeko yoluntu ifana njani naleyo yabantu abakwindawo eyonakaliswe sisichotho?
KHAWUTHELEKELELE ummandla ohlala kuwo wonakaliswe sisichotho esinamandla. Ikhaya lakho litshatyalalisiwe, yaye ulahlekelwe yiyo yonke into obunayo. Ukutya kunqabile. Kubonakala kungekho themba. Kwandula ke, ngokungalindelekanga kufike izinto zoncedo. Kulungiselelwa ukutya nempahla eninzi. Wakhelwa indlu entsha. Ngokuqinisekileyo ubuya kuba nombulelo kumntu owenze ezi zinto zafumaneka.
2 Kwenzeka okufanayo namhlanje. Njengeso sichotho, imvukelo ka-Adam noEva yabangela umonakalo omkhulu kuhlanga lwabantu. Uluntu lwaphulukana nekhaya lalo eliyiParadisi. Ukususela ngoko, oorhulumente babantu baye basilela ukukhusela abantu kwimfazwe, ulwaphulo-mthetho nokungabikho kokusesikweni. Unqulo luye lwashiya izihlwele zabantu zilambele ukutya okwakhayo kokomoya. Noko ke, ngoku uYehova uThixo ulungiselela ukutya, impahla nekhusi ngokomoya. Ukwenza njani oko?
‘UMKHONZI OTHEMBEKILEYO NOQONDAYO’
3. UYehova uludlulisela njani uncedo kuluntu, njengoko kuboniswa yiyiphi imizekelo?
3 Izinto zokunceda ngokuqhelekileyo zidluliselwa ngejelo elilungeleleneyo, yaye ngokufanayo uYehova ubenzele ilungiselelo lokomoya abantu bakhe. Ngokomzekelo, amaSirayeli ‘ayelibandla likaYehova’ kangangeminyaka emalunga ne-1 500. Phakathi kwawo kwakukho lawo ayekhonza njengejelo likaThixo lokufundisa uMthetho wakhe. (1 Kronike 28:8; 2 Kronike 17:7-9) Ngenkulungwane yokuqala yeXesha lethu Eliqhelekileyo, uYehova wavelisa intlangano yamaKristu. Kwasekwa amabandla, yaye ayesebenza ngaphantsi kolwalathiso lwequmrhu elilawulayo elalibunjwe ngabapostile namadoda amakhulu. (IZenzo 15:22-31) Ngokufanayo namhlanje, uYehova uqhubana nabantu bakhe esebenzisa iqumrhu elilungelelanisiweyo. Sikwazi njani oku?
4. ‘Umkhonzi othembekileyo noqondayo’ ungqineke engubani kula maxesha anamhlanje, yaye amalungiselelo kaThixo okomoya afumaneka njani?
4 UYesu wathi ngexesha lobukho bakhe esemandleni oBukumkani, ‘umkhonzi othembekileyo noqondayo’ wayeya kufunyanwa elungiselela abalandeli Bakhe “ukudla ngexesha elifanelekileyo.” (Mateyu 24:45-47) Xa uYesu wamiselwa njengoKumkani wasezulwini ngowe-1914, wangqineka engubani lo “mkhonzi”? Ngokuqinisekileyo wayengengabo abefundisi beNgqobhoko. Kuba ubukhulu becala, babesondla imihlambi yabo ngobuxoki obabuxhasa oorhulumente bamazwe abo kwiMfazwe Yehlabathi I. Kodwa ukudla okufanelekileyo nokufike ngexesha elifanelekileyo kwakusasazwa liqela lamaKristu okwenyaniso elalithanjiswe ngomoya oyingcwele kaThixo nelaliyinxalenye yoko uYesu wakubiza ngokuba ‘ngumhlambi omncinane.’ (Luka 12:32) La maKristu athanjisiweyo ayeshumayela uBukumkani bukaThixo kunoorhulumente babantu. Ngenxa yoko, ukutyhubela iminyaka izigidi ‘zezinye izimvu’ ezityekele ebulungiseni ziye zathelela ‘umkhonzi’ othanjisiweyo kunqulo lokwenyaniso. (Yohane 10:16) Esebenzisa ‘umkhonzi othembekileyo’ neQumrhu lakhe Elilawulayo lanamhlanje, uThixo walathisa abantu bakhe abalungeleleneyo ukuba balungiselele ukutya, iimpahla, nekhusi lokomoya ukwenzela bonke abo banqwenela la malungiselelo.
“UKUDLA NGEXESHA ELIFANELEKILEYO”
5. Yiyiphi imeko yokomoya ekhoyo ehlabathini namhlanje, kodwa uYehova wenza ntoni ngoku?
5 UYesu wathi: “Akaphili ngasonka sodwa umntu, uphila ngamazwi onke aphuma emlonyeni kaThixo.” (Mateyu 4:4) Noko ke, okulusizi kukuba inkoliso yabantu ayinikeli ngqalelo kumazwi kaThixo. Njengoko kwaxelwa kwangaphambili ngumprofeti kaYehova uAmosi, kukho ‘ukulamba, okungekuko ukulambela isonka, nokunxanwa okungekuko ukunxanelwa amanzi; okukukulambela ukuva amazwi kaYehova.’ (Amosi 8:11) Kwanabantu abaluthanda kakhulu unqulo balambile ngokomoya. Sekunjalo, ukuthanda kukaYehova kukuba “bangasindiswa bonke abantu, bafikelele ekuyazini inyaniso.” (1 Timoti 2:3, 4) Ngokuvisisana noko, ulungiselela ukutya kokomoya okuyintabalala. Kodwa kunokufunyanwa phi?
6. UYehova ubondle njani abantu bakhe ngokomoya kumaxesha angaphambili?
6 Kuyo yonke imbali, uYehova ebebalungiselela ukutya kokomoya njengeqela abantu bakhe. (Isaya 65:13) Ngokomzekelo, ababingeleli bakwaSirayeli babebuthela ndawonye amadoda, abafazi nabantwana ukuze bafundiswe njengeqela uMthetho kaThixo. (Duteronomi 31:9, 12) Ngaphantsi kolwalathiso lwequmrhu elilawulayo, amaKristu enkulungwane yokuqala alungelelanisa amabandla aza aqhuba iintlanganiso zokufundisa nokukhuthaza bonke. (Roma 16:5; Filemon 1, 2) AmaNgqina kaYehova alandela lo mzekelo. Umenywa ngokufudumeleyo ukuba ubekho kuzo zonke iintlanganiso zawo.
7. Ukubakho rhoqo kwiintlanganiso zamaKristu kuhlobene njani nolwazi nokholo?
7 Kakade ke, usenokuba sele ufunde lukhulu kufundisiso lwakho lobuqu lweBhayibhile. Mhlawumbi kukho umntu okuncedileyo. (IZenzo 8:30-35) Kodwa ukholo lwakho lunokufaniswa nesityalo esiya kubuna size sife ukuba asinyanyekelwa ngokufanelekileyo. Ngenxa yoko, umele ufumane ukondliwa okufanelekileyo ngokomoya. (1 Timoti 4:6) Iintlanganiso zamaKristu zilungiselela inkqubo yokufundiswa eqhubekayo elungiselelwe ukukondla ngokomoya nokukunceda uhlale ukhula elukholweni njengoko ulwazi lwakho ngoThixo lusanda.—Kolose 1:9, 10.
8. Kutheni sikhuthazwa ukuba sibekho kwiintlanganiso zamaNgqina kaYehova?
8 Iintlanganiso zifeza enye injongo ebalulekileyo. UPawulos wabhala: “Masinyamekelane, ukuba silolane eluthandweni nasemisebenzini emihle; singakuhilizeli ukuhlanganisana kwethu.” (Hebhere 10:24, 25) Igama lesiGrike eliguqulelwe ngokuthi “silolane” likwanokuthetha “ukwenza bukhali.” Umzekeliso weBhayibhile uthi: “Isinyithi silola isinyithi, indoda ilola ubuso bowayo.” (IMizekeliso 27:17) Sonke kufuneka ‘silolwe’ ngokuqhubekayo. Iingcinezelo zamihla le zeli hlabathi zinokulwenza buthuntu ukholo lwethu. Xa sisibakho kwiintlanganiso zamaKristu, siyakhuthazana. (Roma 1:11, 12) Amalungu ebandla alandela isiluleko sompostile uPawulos ‘sokuthuthuzelana nokwakhana,’ yaye ezo zinto ziyalulola ukholo lwethu. (1 Tesalonika 5:11) Ukubakho rhoqo kwiintlanganiso zamaKristu kukwabonisa ukuba siyamthanda uThixo yaye kusinika ithuba lokumdumisa.—INdumiso 35:18.
“YALEKANI UTHANDO”
9. UYehova uwumisele njani umzekelo ekuboniseni uthando?
9 UPawulos wabhala: “Yalekani uthando, oluyintambo yogqibelelo.” (Kolose 3:14) Ngesisa uYehova usilungiselele esi sinxibo. Ngayiphi indlela? AmaKristu anokubonisa uthando ngenxa yokuba lolunye lweziqhamo ezivela kuThixo zomoya oyingcwele kaYehova. (Galati 5:22, 23) UYehova uye wabonisa olona thando lubalaseleyo ngokuthumela uNyana wakhe okuphela kwamzeleyo ukuze sifumane ubomi obungunaphakade. (Yohane 3:16) Le mbonakaliso ibalaseleyo yothando yalungiselela umzekelo kuthi sonke ekuboniseni olu phawu. Umpostile uYohane wabhala: “Ukuba wenjenjalo uThixo ukusithanda, nathi sifanele ukuthandana.”—1 Yohane 4:11.
10. Sinokungenelwa njani kulo “lonke umanyano lwabazalwana”?
10 Ukubakho kwiintlanganiso ezikwiHolo yoBukumkani kuya kukunika ithuba elihle lokubonisa uthando. Apho uya kudibana nabantu abahlukahlukeneyo. Ngokungathandabuzekiyo uya kuziva utsaleleka kwabaninzi babo zisuka nje. Kakade ke, ubuntu buyahluka naphakathi kwabo bakhonza uYehova. Mhlawumbi ngaphambili wawubaphepha abantu abanezilangazelelo okanye iimpawu ezingafaniyo nezakho. Noko ke, amaKristu amele “abe nothando ngalo lonke umanyano lwabazalwana.” (1 Petros 2:17, NW) Ngoko ke, zibekele usukelo lokuqhelana nabo baseHolweni yoBukumkani—kwanabo baneminyaka, ubuntu, uhlanga, okanye umgangatho wemfundo owahlukileyo kowakho. Kusenokwenzeka ukuba uya kufumanisa ukuba ngamnye ubalasele ngophawu oluthile oluthandekayo.
11. Kutheni ungafanele uphazanyiswe kukwahluka kweempawu zobuntu phakathi kwabantu bakaYehova?
11 Ukwahluka kobuntu babo basebandleni akumele kukuphazamise. Ngokomzekelo, khawube nomfanekiso-ngqondweni wezithuthi eziliqela zihamba ecaleni kwesakho endleleni. Asizizo zonke ezihamba ngesantya esifanayo, yaye azikho kwimeko efanayo zonke. Ezinye zihambe iikhilomitha ezininzi, kodwa njengawe, ezinye zisandul’ ukusuka. Noko ke, phezu kwako nje oku kwahluka, zonke zihamba endleleni. Kuyafana nangabantu abayila ibandla. Asingabo bonke abavelisa iimpawu zobuKristu ngesantya esifanayo. Ngaphezu koko, asingabo bonke abakwimeko efanayo emzimbeni nangokweemvakalelo. Abanye baneminyaka emininzi benqula uYehova; abanye basandul’ ukuqala. Sekunjalo, bonke bahamba endleleni esa kubomi obungunaphakade, ‘begqibelele ngqiqweni-nye, nasicamangweni sinye.’ (1 Korinte 1:10) Ngoko ke, khangela iimpawu ababalasele ngazo kunokukhangela apho babuthathaka khona abo basebandleni. Ukwenjenjalo kuya kuyivuyisa intliziyo yakho, kuba uya kuqonda ukuba uThixo ukho ngokwenene phakathi kwaba bantu. Yaye ngokuqinisekileyo ufuna ukuba phakathi kwabo.—1 Korinte 14:25.
12, 13. (a) Ukuba umntu othile ebandleni uyakuphazamisa, unokwenza ntoni? (b) Kutheni kubalulekile ukungafukami inzondo?
12 Ekubeni bonke abantu bengafezekanga, maxa wambi uthile ebandleni usenokuthetha okanye enze into ekuphazamisayo. (Roma 3:23) Ngokusengqiqweni umfundi uYakobi wabhala: “Siyakhubeka kaninzi sonke. Ukuba umntu akakhubeki zwini, lowo uyindoda egqibeleleyo.” (Yakobi 3:2) Uya kusabela njani ukuba umntu othile uyakucaphukisa? Umzekeliso weBhayibhile uthi: “Ingqiqo yomntu imenza azeke kade umsindo; sisihombo sakhe ukulugqitha ukreqo.” (IMizekeliso 19:11) Ukuba nengqiqo kuthetha ukubona ngaphaya kwemeko leyo iphambi kwakho, ukuqonda oothunywashe ababangela umntu athethe okanye enze ngendlela ethile. Inkoliso yethu isebenzisa ingqiqo kakhulu ekuthetheleleni ezethu iimpazamo. Kutheni ungayisebenzisi ekuqondeni nasekugubungeleni ukungafezeki kwabanye?—Mateyu 7:1-5; Kolose 3:13.
13 Ungalibali ukuba simele sibaxolele abanye ukuba nathi siza kuxolelwa nguYehova. (Mateyu 6:9, 12, 14, 15) Ukuba siphila ngendlela yenyaniso, siya kubaphatha ngothando abanye. (1 Yohane 1:6, 7; 3:14-16; 4:20, 21) Ngoko ke, ukuba kuyenzeka ube nengxaki nomntu othile ebandleni, yilwa nokufukama inzondo. Ukuba waleke uthando, uya kuzabalazela ukuyicombulula ingxaki, ibe akuyi kulibazisa ekuceleni uxolo ukuba nguwe owonileyo.—Mateyu 5:23, 24; 18:15-17.
14. Sifanele sambathe ziphi iimpawu?
14 Isinxibo sethu sokomoya sifanele siquke ezinye iimpawu ezihlobeneyo nothando. UPawulos wabhala: “Yambathani . . . iimfesane zeemfefe, ububele, ukuthobeka kwentliziyo, ubulali, ukuzeka kade umsindo.” Ezi mpawu, ziqukwa luthando, ziyinxalanye ‘yobuntu obutsha’ bokuhlonela uThixo. (Kolose 3:10, 12) Ngaba uya kuwenza umgudu wokwambatha esi sinxibo? Ngokukodwa ukuba wambatha uthando lobuzalwana uya kuba nophawu olufanisa abafundi bakaYesu, kuba wathi: “Ngayo le nto baya kwazi bonke, ukuba ningabafundi bam, ukuba nithe nathandana.”—Yohane 13:35.
INDAWO YONQABISEKO
15. Ibandla lifana njani nekhusi?
15 Ibandla likwalikhusi, indawo yokuzimela ekhuselekileyo onokuziva unqabisekile kuyo. Kuyo uya kufumana abantu abanyanisekileyo abazabalazela ukwenza okulungileyo emehlweni kaThixo. Abaninzi kubo bahlukene nezenzo nezimo zengqondo ezibi ekusenokwenzeka ukuba usalwela ukuzoyisa. (Tito 3:3) Banokukunceda, kuba sixelelwa ukuba ‘sithwalisane ubunzima.’ (Galati 6:2) Ngokuzenzekelayo, ukusukela ikhondo elikhokelela kubomi obungunaphakade ekugqibeleni yimbopheleleko yakho. (Galati 6:5; Filipi 2:12) Sekunjalo, uYehova ulungiselele ibandla lamaKristu njengendlela ebalaseleyo yokunikela uncedo nenkxaso. Kungakhathaliseki ukuba zinxunguphalisa kangakanani na iingxaki zakho, unomthombo woncedo oxabisekileyo—ibandla elinothando eliya kukuxhasa xa ujongene nobunzima okanye ukuswela.—Thelekisa uLuka 10:29-37; IZenzo 20:35.
16. Abadala bebandla banikela luphi uncedo?
16 Phakathi kwabo baya kukuxhasa ‘zizipho ezingabantu’—abadala abamiselweyo bebandla, okanye abaveleli, abalusa umhlambi ngokuzithandela nangokuvumayo. (Efese 4:8, 11, 12; IZenzo 20:28; 1 Petros 5:2, 3) Ngabo, uIsaya waprofeta wenjenje: “Umntu abe njengendawo yokuzimela umoya, neyokusithela esiphangweni; abe njengemijelo yamanzi emqwebedwini, njengomthunzi wengxondorha enkulu ezweni elibharhileyo.”—Isaya 32:2.
17. (a) Luluphi uncedo uYesu awayefuna ukulunikela ngokukhethekileyo? (b) Liliphi ilungiselelo uThixo awathembisa ukulenzela abantu bakhe?
17 Xa uYesu wayesemhlabeni, ukuvelela ngothando kwakunqabe kalusizi kwiinkokeli zonqulo. Wayechukumiseke ngokunzulu yimeko yabantu, yaye wayefuna ukubanceda ngokukhethekileyo ngokomoya. UYesu wasikwa yimfesane ngabo kuba ‘babetyhafile, bechithakele ngokwezimvu ezingenamalusi.’ (Mateyu 9:36) Hayi indlela oku okuyichaza kakuhle ngayo imeko yabaninzi namhlanje abanyamezela iingxaki ezibangela intliziyo ebuhlungu kungekho mntu bangabalekela kuye ukuze bafumane uncedo nentuthuzelo ngokomoya! Kodwa abantu bakaYehova banalo uncedo lokomoya, kuba wabathembisa wathi: “Ndiwamisele abalusi bawaluse, angabi soyika, angaqhiphuki umbilini, kungabikho ulahlekayo.”—Yeremiya 23:4.
18. Kutheni sifanele sithethe nomdala ukuba sifuna uncedo lokomoya?
18 Zama ukuqhelana nabadala abamiselweyo ebandleni. Banamava kakhulu ekusebenziseni ulwazi ngoThixo, kuba baye bafikelela iimfaneleko zabaveleli ezichazwe eBhayibhileni. (1 Timoti 3:1-7; Tito 1:5-9) Musa ukuba madolw’ anzima ukuya kubo ukuba ufuna uncedo ngokomoya lokoyisa umkhwa okanye utyekelo olungqubanayo noko kufunwa nguThixo. Uya kufumanisa ukuba abadala balandela isiluleko sikaPawulos: “Nibakhuthaze abatyhafileyo, nibasekele ababuthathaka, nibaphathe ngomonde xa bebonke.”—1 Tesalonika 2:7, 8; 5:14, TE.
NANDIPHA UNQABISEKO NABANTU BAKAYEHOVA
19. Ziziphi iintsikelelo uYehova azithe jize kwabo bafuna unqabiseko ngaphakathi entlanganweni yakhe?
19 Nangona ngoku siphila phakathi kweemeko zokungafezeki, uYehova usilungiselela ukutya, isinxibo nekhusi ngokomoya. Kambe ke, simele silinde ihlabathi elitsha elithenjisiweyo likaThixo ukuze sinandiphe iingenelo zeparadisi yokoqobo. Kodwa abo bayinxalenye yentlangano kaYehova ngoku banandipha unqabiseko lweparadisi yokomoya. Ngabo, uHezekile waprofeta: “Bahlale bekholosile, kungabikho ubothusayo.”—Hezekile 34:28; INdumiso 4:8.
20. UYehova uya kusibuyekeza njani ngayo nantoni na esisenokuyincama ngenxa yonqulo lwakhe?
20 Hayi indlela esinokuba nombulelo ngayo kuba uYehova esenza amalungiselelo okomoya othando ngeLizwi nangentlangano yakhe! Sondela kubantu bakaThixo. Musa ukuthingaza usoyika oko abahlobo okanye izalamane ziya kukucinga ngawe kuba ungenisa ulwazi ngoThixo. Ezinye aziyi kukuthanda ukunxulumana kwakho namaNgqina kaYehova nokuya kwakho kwiintlanganiso ezikwiHolo yoBukumkani. Kodwa uThixo uya kukubuyekeza ngokugqithiseleyo ngayo nantoni na oyincamayo ngenxa yonqulo lwakhe. (Malaki 3:10) Ngaphezu koko, uYesu wathi: “Akukho namnye ushiye indlu, nokuba ngabazalwana, nokuba ngoodade, nokuba nguyise, nokuba ngunina, nokuba ngumfazi, nokuba ngabantwana, nokuba ngamasimi, ngenxa yam nangenxa yeendaba ezilungileyo ezi, ongayi kuthi amkeliswe kalikhulu: ngoku ngeli xesha, izindlu, nabazalwana, noodade, noonina, nabantwana, namasimi, ndawonye neentshutshiso; nakwelizayo iphakade, ubomi obungunaphakade.” (Marko 10:29, 30) Ewe, kungakhathaliseki ukuba yintoni na oyishiye ngasemva okanye omele uyinyamezele, unokufumana ubuqabane obuvuyisayo nonqabiseko ngokomoya phakathi kwabantu bakaThixo.
HLOLA ULWAZI LWAKHO
Ngubani ‘umkhonzi othembekileyo noqondayo’?
UYehova wenze liphi ilungiselelo lokusondla ngokomoya?
Abo basebandleni lamaKristu banokusinceda njani?
[Umfanekiso ozalise iphepha, kwiphepha 165]