Imibuzo Evela Kubafundi

AmaNgqina kaYehova amaninzi ayasenza isikhumbuzo semitshato yawo. Umhla wokuzalwa luhlobo oluthile lwesikhumbuzo somhla owazalwa ngawo. Ngoko kutheni le nto ezibhiyozela nje izikhumbuzo zemitshato kungekhona ezemihla yokuzalwa?

Ngamafutshane, akukho mfuneko yokuba umKristu azibhiyozele xa zizombini. Sekunjalo, loo nto ayithethi kuthi ziyalingana ngokubaluleka okanye amaKristu amele ayijonge (imihla yezikhumbuzo zomtshato) njengokuba esenjenjalo kwimihla yokuzalwa.

Njengokuba sekubonisiwe, kusenokutshiwo ukuba ezi zombini zizikhumbuzo ngenxa yokuba “isikhumbuzo” ‘ngumhla waminyaka le ophawula isiganeko esithile.’ Isenokuba sisikhumbuzo saso nasiphi na isiganeko—umhla owafumana ngawo ingozi yenqwelo-mafutha, umhla owabona ngawo ukusithwa kwelanga yinyanga, xa waya kudada nentsapho yakho, njalo njalo. Ngokucacileyo amaKristu akenzi nasiphi na “isikhumbuzo” sibe ngumhla okhethekileyo okanye sibe ngumbhiyozo. Ubani ufanele ahlolisise iinkalo zesiganeko ngasinye aze agqibe ngoko avakalelwa kukuba kufanelekile.

Ngokomzekelo, uThixo wawayalela ngokungqalileyo amaSirayeli ukuba kanye ngonyaka abhiyozele ukugqitha kwengelosi yakhe phezu kwezindlu zamaSirayeli eYiputa nemfuduko yabantu bakhe ngowama-1513 B.C.E. (Eksodus 12:14) Xa amaYuda, kuquka uYesu, kamva ayebhiyozela isikhumbuzo seso siganeko, ayethobela ulwalathiso lukaThixo, yaye akazange enjenjalo ngokwenza umgidi okanye anikane izipho. Kwakhona amaYuda akugqala njengesikhumbuzo esikhethekileyo ukunikezelwa ngokutsha kwetempile. Nangona ukubhiyozela esi siganeko sembali kwakungayalelwanga eBhayibhileni, uYohane 10:22, 23 ubonisa ukuba uYesu wayengakuchasanga oko. Okokugqibela, amaKristu anentlanganiso ekhethekileyo yesikhumbuzo sokufa kukaYesu. Kakade ke, oku kwenziwa ngenxa yokuthobela umyalelo ocacileyo okwiLizwi likaThixo.—Luka 22:19, 20.

Kuthekani ngezikhumbuzo zemitshato? Kumazwe athile kuyinto eqhelekileyo ukuba indoda nomfazi wayo bagcine isikhumbuzo somtshato wabo, ilungiselelo elaqalwa nguThixo. (Genesis 2:18-24; Mateyu 19:4-6) Ngokuqinisekileyo, iBhayibhile ayithethi kakubi ngomtshato. UYesu waya kumsitho womtshato waza wafak’ isandla kulonwabo lweso sihlandlo.—Yohane 2:1-11.

Ngoko ke bekungayi kuba yinto engumnqa ukuba isibini ngesikhumbuzo somtshato waso sizibekele ixesha ukuze sizikhumbuze ngovuyo lweso sihlandlo size sihlaziye isigqibo saso sokusebenzela impumelelo njengesibini. Enoba siba sodwa kwesi siganeko sivuyisayo, njengesibini, okanye sikunye nezalamane okanye abahlobo abasenyongweni abambalwa siso esifanele senze isigqibo. Eso sihlandlo asifanele sibe sisingxengxezo sembutho enkulu. Ngaloo mini amaKristu aya kuzabalazela ukugcina imigaqo esebenza kubomi bethu bemihla ngemihla. Ngoko enoba ubani uyasigcina isikhumbuzo somtshato okanye akunjalo lowo ngumbandela wobuqu.—Roma 13:13, 14.

Kuthekani ke phofu, ngokugcina ngokukhethekileyo usuku lomhla wokuzalwa? Ngaba ikho nayiphi na into esiyixelelwa yiBhayibhile ngesikhumbuzo esinjalo?

Kaloku, ekuqaleni kwale nkulungwane, aBafundi BeBhayibhile, njengokuba ayesaziwa njalo amaNgqina kaYehova, babeyigcina imihla yokuzalwa. Uninzi lwabo lwaluneencwadana ezibizwa ngokuba ziiDaily Heavenly Manna. Ezi zaziqulethe indinyana yeBhayibhile yomhla ngamnye, yaye amaKristu amaninzi ayefaka ifoto encinane kumaphepha angqamana nemihla yokuzalwa yabanye aBafundi BeBhayibhile. Kwakhona, IMboniselo (yesiNgesi) kaFebruwari 15, 1909, yabalisa isithi kwindibano eyayiseJacksonville, eFlorida, eUnited States, uMzalwan’ uRussell, owayengumongameli woMbutho ngelo xesha, wabizelwa eqongeni. Ngoba? Engalindelanga wanikwa iibhokisi zembambusi (grapefruit), amapayina neeorenji njengesipho somhla wokuzalwa kwakhe. Oko kusibek’ ekukhanyeni ngokwakusenzeka kwixa elidluleyo. Enye into esinokuyiphawula kukuba, ngelo xesha, aBafundi BeBhayibhile babebhiyozela kwanomhla kaDisemba 25 njengesikhumbuzo sokuzalwa kukaYesu, okanye umhla wokuzalwa kwakhe. Babede bakwenze isiko ukuba nesidlo sangokuhlwa seKrisimesi kwikomkhulu laseBrooklyn.

Kambe ke, ukususela ngelo xesha abantu bakaThixo baye bakhula ngokomoya kwiinkalo ezininzi. Kwiminyaka yee-1920 ukukhanya okwandisiweyo kwenyaniso kwabavul’ amehlo batsho babona ukuba:

UYesu akazange azalwe ngoDisemba 25, umhla ohlobene nonqulo lwabahedeni. IBhayibhile ithi masikhumbule umhla wokufa kukaYesu, kungekhona isikhumbuzo sokuzalwa kwakhe okanye ukuzalwa kwakhe nabani na. Ukwenjenjalo kuvisisana kanye neNtshumayeli 7:1 nesibakala sokuba ukuphila kukabani ubomi bokuthembeka kubaluleke ngaphezulu lee kumhla wokuzalwa kwakhe. IBhayibhile ayinangxelo yakhe nawuphi na umkhonzi othembekileyo owenza isikhumbuzo somhla wokuzalwa kwakhe. Ichaza izikhumbuzo zemihla yokuzalwa kwabahedeni, ezinxulumene nezenzo zenkohlakalo. Makhe sifumane imvelaphi yezo zikhumbuzo zokuzalwa.

Esokuqala sisikhumbuzo sikaFaro ngexesha likaYosefu. (Genesis 40:20-23) Ngokuphathelele oku, inqaku elingemihla yokuzalwa kwiEncyclopædia of Religion and Ethics kaHastings lithi xa liqala: “Isiko lokukhumbuza usuku lokuzalwa luyangqamana, lona ngokwalo, nokuhamba kwexesha, yaye umongo walo uhambisana nemigaqo ethile yonqulo lwamandulo.” Kamva, le ntyila-lazwi ikhankanya ingcali ngemicimbi yaseYiputa uMhlekazi J. Gardner Wilkinson, owabhala wathi: “MYiputa ngamnye wayelugqala lubalulekile olu suku, kwaneyure yokuzalwa kwakhe; yaye kunokwenzeka ukuba, njengasePersia, wonke umntu wayelubhiyozela usuku lwakhe lokuzalwa ngovuyo, esamkela abahlobo bakhe ngokubonwabisa ngendlela yasekuhlaleni, yaye alungiselele kwanentabalala yezimuncumuncu.”

Omnye umbhiyozo wosuku lokuzalwa okhankanywe eBhayibhileni ngokaHerode, xa uYohane umBhaptizi wanqunyulwa intloko. (Mateyu 14:6-10) IThe International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (uhlelo lowe-1979) inikela le nkcazelo: “AmaGrike amandulo ayebhiyozela usuku lokuzalwa lwezithixo namadoda adumileyo. Igenéthlia yama[Grike] yayimisela le mibhiyozo, ngoxa igenésia yayibhiyozela isikhumbuzo sosuku lokuzalwa somntu obalulekileyo ofileyo. Kweyesi-2 Macc[abees] 6:7 kuthethwa ngegenéthlia yenyanga nganye ka-Antiochus IV, apho kwakunyanzelwa amaYuda ukuba ‘atye kumadini awayenikelwa.’ . . . Xa uHerode wabhiyozela usuku lwakhe lokuzalwa wayelandela isiko lamaGrike; akukho bungqina bokubhiyozela usuku lokuzalwa kwaSirayeli ngaphambi kwexesha lamaGrike amandulo.”

Liyinyaniso elokuba, amaKristu okwenyaniso akazikhathazi kakhulu ngeemvelaphi noqheliselo okanye isiko elidibene nonqulo, kodwa akafuni kulutyeshela ulwalathiso olufumaneka kwiLizwi likaThixo. Oku kuquka ukuba imibhiyozo yemihla yokuzalwa ebhalwe eBhayibhileni yeyabahedeni yaye inxulumene nezenzo zenkohlakalo. Ngenxa yoko, iZibhalo ngokucacileyo zithetha kakubi ngemibhiyozo yemihla yokuzalwa, inyaniso amaKristu okwenyaniso angenakuyityeshela.

Ngenxa yoko, ngoxa kungumbandela oxhomekeke kumaKristu ukukhetha ukugcina ngokukhethekileyo umhla wawo womtshato, kukho izizathu ezihle zokuba umKristu oqolileyo azinxweme ekubhiyozeleni imihla yokuzalwa.