Imbono YeBhayibhile

Ngaba AmaKristu Afanele Abe Nenxaxheba Kwimibhiyozo Yonyaka Omtsha?

UFERNANDO, ugqirha waseBrazil uthi: “Imva kwemini ngaphambi koBusuku boNyaka Omtsha iba yezole ngendlela engaqhelekanga. Kuthi malunga neye-11, bafike bethontelana—abantu abanamanxeba okuhlatywa okanye okudutyulwa, abaselula abenzakele kwiingozi zeenqwelo-mafutha kunye nabafazi ababethiweyo. Phantse kuzo zonke ezi meko unobangela butywala.”

Xa uqwalasela oku kungasentla, uya kubona ukuba ayingomnqa into yokuba omnye ulindixesha waseBrazil uthi umhla wokuqala enyakeni lusuku lwebhabhalaza kumntu wonke. Ijelo leendaba laseYurophu lithi “umbhiyozo woNyaka Omtsha ngowabantu abathanda iziyolo,” lize longezelele ngelithi eli “lelinye idabi nxamnye notywala umntu amele alilwe.”

Kuyavunywa ukuba, asingabo bonke abantu ababhiyozela uNyaka Omtsha ngokusela ngokugqith’ emgceni nangokuba nogonyamelo. Enyanisweni, abaninzi bathi xa bekhumbula ezo mini, bancumele ecaleni. UFernando ocatshulwe ngaphambili uthi: “Xa sasingabantwana, sasibulinda ngamehlo abomvu uBusuku boNyaka Omtsha. Sasidlala imidlalo emininzi, kubekho nentabalala yokutya neziselo. Ezinzulwini zobusuku sasisangana, sincamisane size sinqwenelele omnye nomnye ‘uNyaka Omtsha Ozele Ngamathamsanqa.’”

Ngokufanayo, uninzi namhlanje luvakalelwa kukuba alwenzi zinto zixhomis’ amehlo xa lubhiyozela uNyaka Omtsha. Sekunjalo, kuhle ukuba amaKristu ahlolisise imvelaphi nenjongo yalo mbhiyozo udumileyo. Ngaba imibhiyozo yoNyaka Omtsha iyangqubana neemfundiso zeBhayibhile?

Inyaniso Yamandulo

Imibhiyozo yoNyaka Omtsha asinto intsha. Imibhalo ekroliweyo yamandulo ibonisa ukuba yayikho eBhabhiloni ukususela ngenkulungwane yesithathu ngaphambi kweXesha Eliqhelekileyo. Lo mbhiyozo, owawusenziwa phakathi kuMatshi, wawubaluleke gqitha. IThe World Book Encyclopedia ithi: “Ngelo xesha uthixo uMarduk wayesenza isigqibo ngekamva lelizwe kunyaka ozayo.” Ukubhiyozelwa konyaka omtsha eBhabhiloni kwakuthabatha iintsuku ezili-11 yaye kwakubandakanya ukwenza imibingelelo, umngcelele nemisitho yokuchuma.

Kangangexesha elithile nawo amaRoma ayeqalisa unyaka wawo ngoMatshi. Kodwa ngowama-46 B.C.E., uMlawuli uJulius Caesar wayalela ukuba uqale ngomhla wokuqala kaJanuwari. Olo suku yayisele ilusuku lokunikela imbeko kuJanus, uthixo weziqalo, yaye ngoku lwaluza kuphawula usuku lokuqala lonyaka wamaRoma. Umhla watshintsha, kodwa umoya wokubhiyoza awuzange utshintshe. Ngokutsho kweCyclopedia kaMcClintock noStrong ngomhla wokuqala kaJanuwari, abantu “babezilahlela nofele besenza isiphithiphithi yaye besenza izinto ezihambisana neenkolelo ezahlukahlukeneyo zobuhedeni.”

Nanamhlanje, iinkolelo ezisekelwe kwizithethe zinendima yazo kwimibhiyozo yoNyaka Omtsha. Ngokomzekelo, kweminye imimandla ekuMzantsi Merika, abaninzi bamkela uNyaka Omtsha ngokuma ngonyawo lwasekunene. Abanye bakhalisa amaxilongo baze baqhushumbise iifirecrackers. Ngokuvisisana nesithethe saseCzech, uBusuku boNyaka Omtsha lixesha lokudla isuphu yeentlumayo, ngoxa ngokwesiko laseSlovakia abantu babeka imali okanye uxolo lwesikhumba sentlanzi phantsi kwelaphu letafile. Izithethe ezifana nezi, ezenzelwe ukugxotha ishwangusha neziqinisekisa impumelelo, zixhasa inkolelo yamandulo yokuba ukutshintsha konyaka lixesha lokugqiba ngekamva.

Imbono YeBhayibhile

IBhayibhile ibongoza amaKristu ukuba ‘ahambe ngokundilisekileyo, kungekhona kwiziyunguma nasezindywaleni.’a (Roma 13:12-14; Galati 5:19-21; 1 Petros 4:3) Ekubeni imibhiyozo yoNyaka Omtsha idla ngokuba lixesha lokwenza izinto iBhayibhile ezalelayo, amaKristu akananxaxheba kuyo. Oku akuthethi kuthi amaKristu akafuni nokulubona ulonwabo. Ngokwahlukileyo koko, ayazi ukuba iBhayibhile itsho ngokuphindaphindiweyo ukuba abanquli boThixo oyinyaniso bamele bonwabe—yaye anezizathu ezininzi zokwenjenjalo. (Duteronomi 26:10, 11; INdumiso 32:11; IMizekeliso 5:15-19; INtshumayeli 3:22; 11:9) Kwakhona iBhayibhile iyavuma ukuba ukutya nokusela zidla ngokuhambisana nokuzonwabisa.—INdumiso 104:15; INtshumayeli 9:7a.

Noko ke, njengoko sele sibonile, imibhiyozo yoNyaka Omtsha isekelwe kumasiko obuhedeni. Unqulo lobuxoki aluhlambulukanga yaye luyinto ecekisekayo emehlweni kaYehova uThixo, yaye amaKristu akabandakanyeki kwimikhwa enemvelaphi elolo hlobo. (Duteronomi 18:9-12; Hezekile 22:3, 4) Umpostile uPawulos wabhala: “Bunabudlelane buni na ubulungisa nokuchas’ umthetho? Okanye kunakwabelana kuni na ukukhanya nobumnyama? Ngokubhekele phaya, unakuvumelana kuni na uKristu noBheliyali?” Ngesizathu esivakalayo, uPawulos walek’ umsundulu wenjenje: “nento engahlambulukanga ningayichukumisi.”—2 Korinte 6:14-17a.

Kwakhona amaKristu ayaqonda ukuba ukuba nenxaxheba kwimibhiyozo esekelwe kwiinkolelo akusosiqinisekiso solonwabo nempumelelo—ingakumbi ngenxa yokuba ukuba nenxaxheba kwimibhiyozo enjalo kunokubangela ukuba ubani angamkeleki kuThixo. (INtshumayeli 9:11; Isaya 65:11, 12) Ngaphezu koko, iBhayibhile ibongoza amaKristu ukuba alungelelane aze abe ngcathu kwihambo yawo. (1 Timoti 3:2, 11) Ngokucacileyo, bekungayi kuba yinto efanelekileyo ukuba umntu ozibanga elandela iimfundiso zikaKristu abe yinxalenye yemibhiyozo eyaziwa ngenjongo yokuzonwabisa okugqith’ emgceni.

Inomtsalane injalo le mibhiyozo yoNyaka Omtsha, iBhayibhile isixelela ukuba ‘singayichukumisi into engahlambulukanga’ size ‘sizihlambulule kuko konke ukudyobheka kwenyama nokomoya.’ Kwabo bathobela esi sibongozo, uYehova wenza esi siqinisekiso sikhuthazayo: “Ndiya kunamkela. . . . Ndiya kuba nguyihlo kuni, nina nibe ngoonyana neentombi kum.” (2 Korinte 6:17b–7:1) Enyanisweni, uthembisa iintsikelelo ezingunaphakade nendyebo kwabo banyanisekileyo kuye.—INdumiso 37:18, 28; ISityhilelo 21:3, 4, 7.

[Umbhalo osemazantsi]