Ngaba UThixo Ufuna Kuzilwe Ukutya?
UMTHETHO kaThixo owadluliselwa ngoMoses wawufuna kuzilwe ukutya ngesihlandlo esinye kuphela—ngoMhla Wocamagushelo owawubakho minyaka le. UMthetho wayalela ukuba ngaloo mhla amaSirayeli kwakufuneka ‘ayithobe imiphefumlo yawo,’ nto leyo eqondwa njengethetha ukuzila ukutya. (Levitikus 16:29-31; 23:27; INdumiso 35:13) Noko ke, oku kuzila ukutya kwakungenziwa njengesithethe. Ukugcinwa koMhla Wocamagusho kwabangela abantu bakwaSirayeli bakuqonda ngakumbi ukuba nesono kwabo nemfuneko yokuhlawulelwa. Kwakhona babezila ukutya ngolo suku ukuze babonakalise ukuba buhlungu ngenxa yezono zabo nokuguquka emehlweni kaThixo.
Nangona esi yayikuphela kwesihlandlo awayenyanzelekile ukuba azile ukutya ngaso kuMthetho kaMoses, amaSirayeli ayezila ukutya nangezinye izihlandlo. (Eksodus 34:28; 1 Samuweli 7:6; 2 Kronike 20:3; Ezra 8:21; Estere 4:3, 16) Phakathi kwezi kwakukho nokuzila ukutya kokuzithandela okwakubonakalisa inguquko. UYehova wabongoza abantu abanxaxhayo bakwaYuda esithi: “Buyelani kum ngentliziyo yenu yonke, nangokuzila, nangokulila nangokumbambazela.” Oku kwakungamele kube yimbonakaliso yangaphandle, kuba uThixo uhlabela mgama esithi: “Nikrazule intliziyo yenu, ingabi ziingubo zenu.”—Yoweli 2:12-15.
Ekuhambeni kwexesha, abaninzi babezila ukutya ukuze babonwe ngabanye. UYehova wayekucekisa oko kuzila ukutya kokunganyaniseki ibe wawabuza oku loo maSirayeli ahanahanisayo: “Into enjalo ingaba kukuzila endikunyulileyo na? Ingaba ngumhla wokuba umntu awuthobe umphefumlo wakhe na? Ukuthokombisa intloko yakhe njengomzi andlale ezirhwexayo nothuthu, oko ukubiza ngokuthi kukuzila na? Ngumhla okholekileyo na kuYehova?” (Isaya 58:5) Kunokuba bacel’ injezu ngokuzila kwabo ukutya, aba bantu banxaxhayo babecelwe ukuba bavelise imisebenzi efanele inguquko.
UThixo akazange akholiswe kwasekuqaleni zezinye iindidi zokuzila ukutya ezasekwa ngamaYuda. Ngokomzekelo, ngaxa lithile abantu bakwaYuda babezila ukutya kane ngonyaka ukuze bazikhumbuze ngeziganeko eziyintlekele ezazinxulumene nokungqingwa nokutshatyalaliswa kweYerusalem ngenkulungwane yesixhenxe ngaphambi kweXesha lethu Eliqhelekileyo. (2 Kumkani 25:1-4, 8, 9, 22-26; Zekariya 8:19) Emva kokuba amaYuda ekhululwe ekuthinjweni eBhabhiloni, esebenzisa umprofeti uZekariya uYehova wathi: “Oko benizila ukudla . . . , iminyaka ke engamashumi asixhenxe, ukuzila oko benizilela mna na?” UThixo wayengakholiswa zezo ndidi zokuzila ukutya kuba amaYuda ayezila ukutya yaye ezila ngenxa yomgwebo owawuvela kuYehova ngokwakhe. Ayezila ukutya ngenxa yentlekele eyayiwahlele, kungekhona ngenxa yezono zawo ezazingunobangela wayo. Emva kokuba ebuyiselwe kwilizwe lawo, kwakulixesha lokuba avuye kunokuba akhalele ixesha elidlulileyo.—Zekariya 7:5.
Ngaba AmaKristu Afanele Azile Ukutya?
Nangona uYesu Kristu engazange ayalele abafundi bakhe ukuba bazile ukutya, wazila ukutya nabalandeli bakhe ngoMhla Wocamagushelo ngenxa yokuba babephantsi koMthetho kaMoses. Ngaphezu koko, bambi kubafundi bakhe bazila ukutya ngokuzithandela nangezinye izihlandlo, ekubeni uYesu engazange abayalele ukuba baluphephe ngokupheleleyo olo qheliselo. (IZenzo 13:2, 3; 14:23) Sekunjalo, babengamele ‘bajike imbonakalo yobuso babo ukuze babonakale bezile ukutya ebantwini.’ (Mateyu 6:16) Imbonakaliso yangaphandle enjalo yokuzinikela yayinokucel’ injezu ize ibangele nokunconywa ngabanye abantu. Noko ke, uThixo akakholiswa yiloo mbonakaliso yangaphandle.—Mateyu 6:17, 18.
Kwakhona uYesu wathetha ngokuzila ukutya kwabafundi bakhe ngexesha lokufa kwakhe. Ngokwenjenjalo wayengamiseli sithethe sakuzila ukutya. Kunoko, wayebonisa intsabelo yabo kwintlungu ababeza kujamelana nayo. Akuba evusiwe, wayeza kuba nabo kwakhona, ibe kwakungayi kubakho sizathu sokuba bazile ukutya.—Luka 5:34, 35.
UMthetho kaMoses waphela xa ‘uKristu wanikelwa kwaba kanye okwexesha lonke ukuze athwale izono zabaninzi.’ (Hebhere 9:24-28) Yaye ekupheleni koMthetho, umyalelo wokuzila ukutya ngoMhla Wocamagushelo waphela. Ngaloo ndlela, ekuphela kokuzila ukutya okwakunyanzelekile eBhayibhileni kwashenxiswa.
Kuthekani NgeLent?
Ngoko ke, lusekelwe phi uqheliselo lweNgqobhoko lokuzila ukutya ebudeni beLent? Iicawa zamaKatolika nezamaProtestanti ziyayamkela iLent, nangona iindlela zokuyigcina zisahluka kwiicawa ngeecawa. Bambi batya isidlo esinye kuphela ngosuku ebudeni beentsuku ezingama-40 ezingaphambi kweIsta. Bambi bazila ngokupheleleyo ngeAsh Wednesday nangoLwesihlanu Olungileyo kuphela. Kwabanye, iLent ithetha ukungayityi inyama, intlanzi, amaqanda neemveliso zobisi.
Kucingelwa ukuba iLent isekelwe ekuzileni ukutya kukaYesu iintsuku ezingama-40 emva kokubhaptizwa kwakhe. Ngoko ngaba wayemisela isithethe esasimele silandelwe minyaka le? Akunjalo konke konke. Oku kuboniswa sisibakala sokuba iBhayibhile ayinikeli ngxelo ngoqheliselo olunjalo kumaKristu okuqala. ILent yaqalisa ukugcinwa ngenkulungwane yesine emva koKristu. Njengentaphane yezinye iimfundiso zeNgqobhoko, yabolekwa kubahedeni.
Ukuba ukugcinwa kweLent kukuxeliswa kokuzila ukutya kukaYesu entlango emva kokubhaptizwa kwakhe, kutheni igcinwa ebudeni beeveki ezingaphambi kweIsta—ekukholelwa ukuba yayilixesha lokuvuswa kwakhe? UYesu akazange azile ukutya ebudeni beentsuku zangaphambi kokufa kwakhe. Ingxelo yeencwadi zeVangeli ibonisa ukuba yena nabafundi bakhe babetyelela amakhaya yaye besitya izidlo eBhethani kwiintsuku nje ezimbalwa ngaphambi kokufa kwakhe. Kwaye watya isidlo sePasika ngobusuku bangaphambi kokufa kwakhe.—Mateyu 26:6, 7; Luka 22:15; Yohane 12:2.
Kukho enye into esimele siyifunde ngokuzila ukutya kukaYesu emva kokubhaptizwa kwakhe. Wayephumeza ubulungiseleli obubalulekileyo. Kwakubandakanyeke ukuthethelelwa kolongamo lukaYehova nekamva lalo lonke uhlanga lwabantu. Eli yayilixesha lokucamngca nzulu nokusondela kuYehova ngomthandazo ukuze afumane uncedo nolwalathiso. Ebudeni belo xesha uYesu wazila ukutya ngendlela efanelekileyo. Oku kubonisa ukuba ukuzila ukutya kunokuba yingenelo xa kusenziwa ngesizathu esilungileyo nangexesha elifanelekileyo.—Thelekisa eyabaseKolose 2:20-23.
Xa Ukuzila Ukutya Kunokuba Yingenelo
Makhe siqwalasele ezinye zezihlandlo umnquli kaThixo anokuzila ukutya ngazo kule mihla. Umntu owonileyo usenokuziva engafuni kutya kangangexesha elithile. Oku ebengayi kukwenza ukuze abonwe ngabanye okanye kuba ecaphukela uqeqesho alufumeneyo. Yaye, kakade ke, ukuzila ukutya bekungayi kuyilungisa imicimbi noThixo. Noko ke, umntu oguquke ngokwenene unokuziva ebuhlungu gqitha ngenxa yokumenza buhlungu uYehova mhlawumbi nabahlobo kunye nentsapho. Ukubandezeleka nomthandazo osuk’ entliziyweni wokucela uxolo zisenokuwuvala umnqweno wokutya.
UKumkani wakwaSirayeli uDavide wahlelwa yinto efanayo. Xa wayejamelene nokulahlekelwa ngunyana wakhe awayemzalelwe nguBhatshebha, wajolisa yonke imigudu yakhe ekuthandazeni kuYehova ukuba abe nenceba ngaloo mntwana. Njengoko iimvakalelo namandla akhe wayezinikele kumthandazo wakhe, wazila ukutya. Ngokufanayo, ukutya xa siphantsi kweemeko ezicinezelayo kunokubonakala kungafanelekanga kule mihla.—2 Samuweli 12:15-17.
Kwakhona kusenokubakho amaxesha okuba umntu owoyika uThixo afune ukunikela ingqalelo kumbandela othile onzulu ongokomoya. Kunokuba yimfuneko ukwenza uphando eBhayibhileni nakwiimpapasho zamaKristu. Kunokufuneka ixesha elithile ukuze acamngce. Ebudeni belo xesha lokufundisisa nzulu, ubani unokukhetha ukungaphazanyiswa kukutya izidlo.—Thelekisa uYeremiya 36:8-10.
Kukho imizekelo engokweZibhalo yabakhonzi bakaThixo abazila ukutya xa kwakufuneka benze izigqibo ezinzulu. Ngomhla kaNehemiya kwakufuneka kwenziwe isifungo esithile kuYehova, ibe amaYuda ayeya kuqalekiswa ukuba ayenokusaphula. Kwakufuneka athembise ukuba ayeya kwahlukana nabafazi bawo awayebathabathe kwezinye iintlanga aze azahlule kwiintlanga ezaziwajikelezile. Ngaphambi kokuba enze esi sifungo nasebudeni bokuchazwa kwezono zawo, lonke ibandla lazila ukutya. (Nehemiya 9:1, 38; 10:29, 30) Ngoko ke, xa ejamelene nezigqibo ezinzima, umKristu unokungatyi kangangexesha elingephi.
Ukwenziwa kwezigqibo ngamaqumrhu abadala bebandla lamaKristu lokuqala maxa wambi kwakuphelekwa kukuzila ukutya. Namhlanje, abadala bebandla abajamelene nezigqibo ezinzima, mhlawumbi eziphathelele ukugweba, basenokungatyi ngoxa becinga ngalo mbandela.
Ukukhetha ukuzila ukutya kwiimeko ezithile kusisigqibo sobuqu sikabani. Akukho mntu ufanele agwebe omnye ngokuphathelele lo mbandela. Asifanele sifune ‘ukubonakala singamalungisa ebantwini’; singafanele senze ukutya kubaluleke kangangokuba kuchaphazele ukunyamekela kwethu iimbopheleleko ezinzulu. (Mateyu 23:28; Luka 12:22, 23) Kwaye iBhayibhile ibonisa ukuba uThixo akathi sizile ukutya kwaye akasaleli nokuba sizile ukutya.
[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 7]
Ngaba uyasazi isizathu sokuba uYesu azile ukutya iintsuku ezingama-40 emva kokubhaptizwa kwakhe?