UNyuko—Ngaba Luyimfundiso Etyhilwe NguThixo?

UNYUKO—imfundiso yokuba uMariya, unina kaYesu, wanyukela emazulwini esenyameni—luxabiseke kakhulu kwizigidi zamaRoma Katolika. Umbhali-mbali uGeorge William Douglas uthi: “UNyuko, okanye ukuthatyathelwa ezulwini, kweNtombi Enyulu uMariya [kudala] luhlonelwa njengowona mkhulu kwimisitho yakhe nanjengesinye sezona zihlandlo zindilekileyo eCaweni ngonyaka.”

Noko ke, abafundi ngezakwalizwi bamaKatolika bayavuma ukuba iBhayibhile ayithethi nto ngokunyukela kukaMariya ezulwini okunjalo. Eneneni, ambalwa amaKatolika aqondayo ukuba le mfundiso ithandwayo sele kuziinkulungwane ingumbandela wempikiswano neengxoxo ezishushu. Ngoko kwenzeka njani ukuba icawa yamkele uNyuko lukaMariya njengemfundiso?a Ngaba sikho isizathu sokuyigqala njengetyhilwe nguThixo? Iimpendulo zale mibuzo azibalulekanga kubafundi nje kuphela. Zinentsingiselo enzulu kubo bonke abathandi benyaniso.

Ukuvela Kwale Mfundiso

Usenokumangaliswa kukwazi ukuba ngenkulungwane yokuqala emva kokufa kukaYesu, ingcamango yokuNyukela kukaMariya ezulwini akazange ayicinge nokuyicinga amaKristu. Umfundi ngezakwalizwi womKatolika uJean Galot kwincwadi ethi L’Osservatore Romano ubhala athi: “Ekuqaleni, amaKristu ayengenaso isikhumbuzo sokufa kukaMariya.”

Noko ke, emva kokuba imfundiso kaBathathu Emnye iye yaba yimfundiso yecawa esemthethweni, uMariya waqalisa ukunikwa indima ebaluleke ngakumbi. Waqalisa ukubizwa ngamagama aphakamileyo, anjengokuthi “UMama kaThixo,” “owakhawulwa engenasono,” “Mediatrix [uMlamli olibhinqa],” nelithi “uKumkanikazi weZulu.” Ethubeni, umfundi ngezakwalizwi uGalot uqiqa ngelithi, “ukungabalaseliswa kokufa kukaMariya kwisithethe samandulo akuzange kuwanelise ngokupheleleyo loo maKristu ayemgqala uMariya njengofezekileyo yaye efuna ukumnqula. Ngaloo ndlela, kwaqalisa ukuchazwa koNyuko, okwakubangelwa kukucingwa kwezinto ezithandwayo.”

Malunga nenkulungwane yesine yeXesha Eliqhelekileyo, kwaqaliswa ukusasazwa koko kufane kubizwe ngokuba yiapocrypha (iincwadi ezingafakwanga eBhayibhileni) yonyuko. Le mibhalo yanikela iingxelo ezibangel’ umdla ngoko kuthiwa kukunyukela kukaMariya ezulwini. Ngokomzekelo, khawuqwalasele umbhalo obizwa ngokuthi “Ukulala KukaMama ONgcwele KaThixo.” Kuthiwa wabhalwa ngumpostile uYohane, kodwa umele ukuba waqulunqwa phantse kwiminyaka engama-400 emva kokufa kukaYohane. Ngokutsho kwale ngxelo yobuxoki, abapostile bakaKristu bahlanganiselwa kuMariya ngokungummangaliso, apho bambona ephilisa iimfama, izithulu, nezilima. Ekugqibeleni, ngokutsho kwale ngxelo, abapostile beva iNkosi isithi kuMariya: “Khangela, ukususela ngoku umzimba wakho oxabisekileyo uza kudluliselwa eparadisi, yaye umphefumlo wakho ongcwele uya kuba sezulwini ezindlwini ezinqabileyo zikaBawo kubuqaqawuli obugqithiseleyo, apho izithunywa zezulu ezingcwele ziseluxolweni yaye zivuyayo, yaye ziya kuqhubeka zisenjenjalo.”

Amakholwa asabela njani kwimibhalo enjalo? Umfundi ngeemfundiso ezihlobene noMariya uRené Laurentin uyacacisa: “Intsabelo yayisahlukahlukana gqitha. Abo bafane bakholwe bathabatheka bubumnandi beli bali, ngaphandle kokwenza uhlolisiso olubhekele phaya. Abanye bayazicekisa ezi ngxelo zingqubanayo, ngokufuthi eziphikisanayo yaye ezingenagunya.” Ngaloo ndlela imfundiso yoNyuko ayizange yamkelwe lula ngokusemthethweni. Okwakusongezelela kulo mbhodamo sisibakala sokuba kwakukho izinto ekwakusithiwa ziintsalela (relics) zomzimba kaMariya ezazinqulwa kwiindawo ezithile. Oku kwakunzima ukukuvisisanisa nenkolelo yokuba umzimba wakhe wenyama wasiwa ezulwini.

Ngenkulungwane ye-13, uThomas Aquinas, njengabanye abafundi ngezakwalizwi abaninzi, wema ngelokuba kwakuyinto engenakwenzeka ukuchaza uNyuko njengemfundiso, ekubeni “iZibhalo zingalufundisi.” Sekunjalo, le mfundiso yaqhubeka ithandwa, yaye imizobo yoko kuthiwa kukunyuka kukaMariya eyayisenziwa ngabazobi bodumo abafana noRaphael, uCorreggio, uTitian, uCarracci, noRubens yanda.

Le mbambano yahlala ingazinziswanga de kwaba kutshanje. Ngokutsho komJesuit uGiuseppe Filograssi, de kwaba yiminyaka engamashumi amahlanu yokuqala yale nkulungwane yethu, abaphengululi bamaKatolika bebeqhubeka bepapasha “uhlolisiso neengxubusho ebezingasoloko zamkelekile” kwimfundiso yoNyuko. Kwanoopopu, abafana noLeo XIII, uPius X, noBenedict XV, “bebengathethi kangako ngalo mbandela.” Kodwa ngoNovemba 1, 1950, ekugqibeleni icawa yafikelela kwisigqibo. UPopu Pius XII wenza esi saziso: “Siyichaza ngokuba yimfundiso etyhilwe nguThixo yokuba uMama oMsulwa kaThixo, uMariya owahlala eyiNtombi eNyulu, xa waligqibayo ikhondo lakhe lobomi basemhlabeni, umzimba nomphefumlo wakhe wanyuselwa kubuqaqawuli basemazulwini.”—Munificentissimus Deus.

Inkolelo yokuba umzimba kaMariya waya ezulwini yayingaseyiyo eyokhetho lobuqu kumaKatolika—ngoku yayiyimfundiso yeCawa. UPopu Pius XII wathi “ukuba nabani na . . . unobuganga bokuyikhanyela okanye ngabom ahlwayele amathandabuzo koko Thina sikuchazileyo, ufanele azi ukuba usilele kuKholo lukaThixo nolwamaKatolika.”

Oko IZibhalo Zikutshoyo Ngokwenene

Kodwa icawa yayilusekele kwintoni olu luvo? UPopu Pius XII wathi imfundiso yoNyuko “xa uyijonga nzulu isekelwe eZibhalweni eziNgcwele.” Phakathi kwezibhalo ngokufuthi ezicatshulwayo njengobungqina bokuba uMariya wenyuka nguLuka 1:28, 42. Ezi ndinyana zithi ngoMariya: “Bhota, wena uzaliswe luzuko, iNkosi inawe: usikelelwe wena phakathi kwabafazi . . . , sinentsikelelo nesiqhamo sesizalo sakho.” (Douay) Abo bakholelwa kunyuko baqiqa ngelithi ngenxa yokuba uMariya ‘wayezaliswe luzuko,’ akanakuba wafa. Yaye ekubeni ‘esikelelwe’ ngokufanayo ‘nesiqhamo sesizalo sakhe,’ umele abe namalungelo alinganayo nalawo kaYesu—kuquka ukunyukela kwakhe ezulwini. Ngaba ucinga ukuba le ndlela yokuqiqa isengqiqweni?

Phakathi kwezinye izinto, abaphengululi bolwimi bathi ibinzana elithi “uzaliswe luzuko” yinguqulelo engachananga yaye ibinzana lesiGrike lantlandlolo elasetyenziswa nguLuka ngokuchanileyo liguqulelwa ngokuthi “wena ubabalweyo nguThixo.” Ngaloo ndlela iJerusalem Bible yamaKatolika imguqulela uLuka 1:28 ngokuthi: “Vuya, wena ubabalwe kangaka!” Asinasizathu sakukholelwa ukuba uMariya wanyuswa ekumzimba wakhe wasiwa ezulwini ngenxa nje yokuba ‘wayebabalwe’ nguThixo. Umfeli-nkolo wokuqala ongumKristu, uStefano, naye kuthethwa ngaye kwiBhayibhile yamaKatolika iDouay njengalowo ubabalweyo, okanye “uzaliswe luzuko”—yaye akukho nto ithi wavuswa ekumzimba wakhe.—IZenzo 6:8.

Ukanti, ngaba uMariya wayengasikelelekanga okanye ebabalwe? Kunjalo, kodwa okubangel’ umdla kukuba umfazi obizwa ngokuba nguYaheli emva phayaa ngemihla yabagwebi bakwaSirayeli kwathiwa “usikelelwe phakathi kwabafazi.” (ABagwebi 5:24, Dy) Ngokuqinisekileyo akukho mntu unokuthi noYaheli wathatyathelwa ezulwini ekumzimba wakhe. Ngaphezu koko, iyonke ingcamango yoNyuko isekelwe kwingcamango yokuba uYesu naye wanyukela emazulwini esenyameni. Noko ke, iBhayibhile ithi uYesu ‘wadliswa ubomi,’ okanye wavuswa, “ekuwo umoya.” (1 Petros 3:18, Dy; thelekisa eyoku-1 kwabaseKorinte 15:45.) Ngokubhekele phaya umpostile uPawulos uthi “inyama negazi azinakubudla ilifa ubukumkani bukaThixo.”—1 Korinte 15:42-50, Dy.

Liyinyaniso elokuba iBhayibhile iyathetha ngovuko lwasezulwini kumaKristu athembekileyo athanjiswe ngomoya. Noko ke, eyoku-1 kwabaseTesalonika 4:13-17 ikwenza kucace ukuba olu vuko lwalungayi kuqala de ibe lixesha ‘lobukho beNkosi’ (NW), ebudeni bemihla yokugqibela yesi sizukulwana singendawo. De kube ngoko, uMariya wayeya kulala ekufeni, kunye namawaka amanye amaKristu athembekileyo.—1 Korinte 15:51, 52.

UMariya—Umfazi Wokholo

Qiniseka ukuba xa sithetha oku kwandulelayo asibonisi kungamhloneli uMariya. Ngokungathandabuzekiyo, uMariya wayengumfazi ongumzekelo—lowo ukholo lwakhe sifanele siluxelise. Wayamkela ngokukhawuleza imbopheleleko elilungelo yokuba ngunina kaYesu, kunye nazo zonke izilingo nokuzincama okwakuya kubandakanyeka. (Luka 1:38; 2:34, 35) Ekunye noYosefu, wakhulisa uYesu ngobulumko bokuhlonel’ uThixo. (Luka 2:51, 52) Wahlala noYesu ebudeni bokuthuthunjelwa kwakhe emthini wentuthumbo. (Yohane 19:25-27) Yaye njengomfundi othembekileyo, ngokuthobeka wahlala eYerusalem waza waba namava okuthululwa komoya kaThixo ngePentekoste.—IZenzo 1:13, 14; 2:1-4.

Imbono egqwethekileyo ngoMariya ayinikeli mbeko kuMdali ingenjinjalo nakuMariya. Imfundiso yoNyuko iyaliqinisa ibango elingenasiseko lokuba uMariya ungumthetheleli phambi koThixo. Kodwa ngaba uYesu Kristu wakha wayikhuthaza imfundiso enjalo? Ngokwahlukileyo koko, wathi: “Ndim indlela, ndim inyaniso, ndim ubomi; akukho namnye uzayo kuBawo, engezi ngam. Ukuba nithe nacela into ngegama lam, ndoyenza mna.” (Yohane 14:6, 14; thelekisa IZenzo 4:12.) Ewe, nguYesu Kristu kuphela, kungekhona uMariya, ongumthetheleli kuMdali. KungoYesu—kungekhona uMariya—esifanele sisondele kuMniki-bomi wethu ukuze sifumane “uncedo ngexesha esilufuna ngalo.”—Hebhere 4:16, Revised Standard Version, Catholic Edition.

Kwabanye kusenokuba nzima ukuyamkela inyaniso engoMariya. Ubuncinane, kusenokuthetha ukwahlukana nezinye zeenkolelo ekudala bebambelele kuzo neengcamango abazixabisayo. Noko ke, nangona isenokuba buhlungu maxa wambi, ekugqibeleni inyaniso ‘iyakhulula.’ (Yohane 8:32) UYesu wathi uYise wayefuna abo babeya kumnqula “ngomoya nangenyaniso.” (Yohane 4:24, Dy) KumaKatolika okwenyaniso, la mazwi alucelomngeni.

[Umbhalo osemazantsi]

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NGABA UMARIYA WAFA?

Ngaba uMariya wafa ngaphambi kokuba anyukele ezulwini njengokuba kusitshiwo? Abafundi ngezakwalizwi bamaKatolika bazifumana bekwantlaba-zahlukane xa befikelela kulo mbandela. INuovo dizionario di teologia ibonisa ukuba “bekuya kuba nzima ukuthi uMariya akazange afe, nto leyo engazange yenzeke nakuKristu.” Kwelinye icala, ukuthi uMariya wafa kuphakamisa omnye umbandela onobuzaza ngokufanayo. Umfundi ngezakwalizwi uKari Børresen uphawula ukuba “ukufa sisohlwayo sesono sokuqala, eso, ngokutsho [kwemfundiso yokuba “waKhawulwa Engenasono”], singazange simchaphazele uMariya.” Ngoko ke, yintoni eyayinokubangela ukuba afe? Akumangalisi ke ngoko ukuba uPopu Pius XII ngobuchule wayiphephayo imbambano engokufa kukaMariya xa wayechaza imfundiso yoNyuko.

Ngethamsanqa, imfundiso yeBhayibhile ayinako ukudideka okunjalo. Akukho ndawo efundisa—okanye ebonisa nangendlela engacacanga—kuyo ukuba uMariya “wakhawulwa engenasono.” Ngokwahlukileyo koko, ibonisa ukuba uMariya wayengumntu ongafezekanga owayefuna ukukhululwa. Ngenxa yesi sizathu, emva kokuzalwa kukaYesu, waya etempileni waza wenza idini lesono kuThixo. (Levitikus 12:1-8; Luka 2:22-24) Njengabo bonke abanye abantu abangafezekanga, ekugqibeleni uMariya wafa.—Roma 3:23; 6:23.

Le nyaniso ilula yahluke ngokupheleleyo kwimibuzo engaphendulekiyo ephakanyiswa yimfundiso yoNyuko.

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‘UNyuko lweNtombi Enyulu,’ ngokuzotywa nguTitian (malunga nowe-1488-1576)

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Giraudon/Art Resource, N.Y.

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Ngokuza nomnikelo wesono etempileni emva kokuzalwa kukaYesu, uMariya wavuma ukuba ungumoni ofuna ukukhululwa