Kuxhathise Ukuphenjelelwa Ziimbono Zabantu

IIMBONO ngokuphathelele oko kufanelekileyo okanye okungafanelekanga, into eyamkelekileyo okanye elihlazo, ziyahluka ngokweendawo. Ekuhambeni kwexesha ziyatshintsha. Ngoko ke, xa sifunda iZibhalo ezithetha ngeziganeko ezenzeka kudala, sifanele sihlolisise indlela eyayigqalwa ngayo imilinganiselo yokuphila ngamaxesha okubhalwa kweBhayibhile kunokuba sisebenzise eyethu imilinganiselo.

Ngokomzekelo, cinga ngamabinzana amabini adla ngokusetyenziswa kwiZibhalo ZamaKristu ZesiGrike—uzuko nehlazo. Ukuze sikwazi ukuqonda kakuhle iindinyana ezithetha ngozuko nehlazo, sifanele sihlole indlela ababewaqonda ngayo la magama abantu ababephila ngelo xesha.

Imilinganiselo Yokuphila Ngenkulungwane Yokuqala

Omnye umphengululi uthi, “AmaGrike, amaRoma namaYuda ayezikhathaza kakhulu ngozuko nehlazo. Abantu babekulungele nokuphulukana nobomi kuba nje befuna uzuko, udumo, ukwamkeleka kwabanye nokuhlonelwa.” Ekubeni babefuna olo dumo, babephenjelelwa lula ziimbono zabanye.

Akukho nto yayibaluleke njengesikhundla, isigxina nozuko kwaba bantu, kuba babejonga enoba umntu ukudidi oluphezulu okanye ulikhoboka kusina na. Ukuzukiswa komntu kwakuxhomekeke nakwindlela ajongwa ngayo ngabanye abantu. Umntu wayenikwa imbeko xa ebonisa ekuhleni ukuba uziphatha ngendlela ekulindeleke ukuba aziphathe ngayo. Abantu ababebonakala bezizityebi, bekwizikhundla eziphezulu okanye udidi oluphezulu, nabo babezukiswa. Isenzo sobulungisa okanye ukugqwesa kunabanye kwakubangela ukuba umntu anconywe. Ngokwahlukileyo koko, ihlazo lalihambisana nokuthotywa esidlangalaleni okanye ukugculelwa. Umntu wayengahlazeki kuba egwetywa sisazela sakhe koko wayegwetywa ngabantu.

Xa uYesu wayethetha ngokubekwa komntu “kweyona ndawo iphambili” okanye “kweyona ndawo iphantsi” ethekweni, ngokwesithethe selo xesha, oko yayikukuzukiswa okanye ukuhlaziswa. (Luka 14:8-10) Abafundi bakaYesu baphikisana kangangezihlandlo ezibini ngokuba “nguwuphi na kubo obonakala engoyena mkhulu.” (Luka 9:46; 22:24) Ukucinga kwabo kwakuphenjelelwa ziimbono zabantu ababephila phakathi kwabo. Kwangaxeshanye, iinkokeli zonqulo ezingamaYuda ezazinekratshi nomoya wokhuphiswano zazivakalelwa kukuba ukushumayela kukaYesu kusingela phantsi izikhundla zazo negunya lazo. Noko ke, imizamo yazo yokuphikisana naye phakathi kwezihlwele yayisitsho phantsi.—Luka 13:11-17.

Enye into eyayigqalwa njengehlazo ngamaYuda, amaGrike namaRoma enkulungwane yokuqala, ‘yayikukubanjwa uze ugwetywe phambi kwesihlwele ngesenzo esiphosakeleyo.’ Ukubanjwa komntu aze avalelwe kwakujongwa njengento ethob’ isidima. Oko kwakubangela ukuba loo mntu ahlazeke kubahlobo, intsapho nasekuhlaleni—enoba ubanjelwe ukwaphul’ umthetho okanye akunjalo. Ngenxa yoko, umntu wayephelelwa sisidima baze nabantu abasondeleyo kuye bamlahle. Enye into eyayibangela iintloni kukuba wayekhululiswa ahambe ze, okanye akatswe. Loo nto yayibangela ukuba agculelwe, yaye oko kwakumhlutha isidima sakhe umntu.

Elona hlazo lalilibi kakhulu, yayikukuxhonywa komntu esibondeni sentuthumbo. Umphengululi uMartin Hengel uthi, eso “yayisisigwebo esasifunyanwa ngamakhoboka. Yayiyeyona ndlela yokuhlazisa nokuthuthumbisa umntu.” Iintsapho nabahlobo bomntu ohlaziswe ngokubulawelwa kumthi wentuthumbo zazinyanzelwa ukuba zimlahle. Ekubeni noKristu wabulawa ngale ndlela, bonke abantu ababefuna ukuba ngamaKristu ngenkulungwane yokuqala yeXesha Eliqhelekileyo babegculelwa. Kusenokwenzeka ukuba abantu abaninzi babecinga ukuba umntu ozichaza njengomlandeli womntu owafela esibondeni, ushiywa ziingqondo. Umpostile uPawulos wathi: “Sishumayela uKristu ebethelelwe, nto leyo esisikhubekiso kumaYuda nebubudenge kwiintlanga.” (1 Kor. 1:23) AmaKristu okuqala ahlangabezana njani nale ngxaki?

Imilinganiselo Yokuphila Eyahlukileyo

AmaKristu enkulungwane yokuqala ayethobela umthetho yaye ayekuphepha ukuhlaziswa ngenxa yokwaphula umthetho. Umpostile uPetros wathi: “Makungabikho namnye kuni obandezeleka ngenxa yokuba engumbulali okanye isela okanye umenzi-bubi okanye ugqada-mbekweni kwimicimbi yabanye abantu.” (1 Pet. 4:15) Noko ke, uYesu wathi abalandeli bakhe babeya kutshutshiswa ngenxa yegama lakhe. (Yoh. 15:20) UPetros wathi: “Ukuba [umntu] ubandezeleka njengomKristu, makangaziva eneentloni, kodwa makaqhubeke ezukisa uThixo.” (1 Pet. 4:16) Ukungaziva uneentloni xa ubandezeleka njengomlandeli kaKristu, kwakuthetha ukugatya imilinganiselo yokuphila eyayamkelekile ngelo xesha.

AmaKristu ayengavumeli ukulawulwa yimilinganiselo yabanye abantu. Abantu benkulungwane yokuqala babecinga ukuba kububudenge ukumgqala njengoMesiya umntu owayebethelelwe esibondeni. Ngenxa yoko, namaKristu ayenokuphenjelelwa ukuba acinge ngaloo ndlela. Noko ke, ukuba ayekholelwa ukuba uYesu unguMesiya, kwakufuneka amlandele enoba ayagculelwa. UYesu wathi: “Nabani na oba neentloni ngam nangamazwi am kwesi sizukulwana sikrexezayo nesinesono, noNyana womntu uya kuba neentloni ngaye xa efika esebuqaqawulini bukaYise kunye neengelosi ezingcwele.”—Marko 8:38.

Namhlanje sisenokujamelana nengcinezelo enokusenza sikhanyele ubuKristu. Le ngcinezelo inokuvela kubantu esifunda nabo, abamelwane okanye kubantu esisebenza nabo, abazama ukusiphembelela ukuba siziphathe kakubi, singanyaniseki okanye senze nantoni na engafanelekanga. Aba bantu banokuzama ukusenza sizive sineentloni kuba siphila ngemilinganiselo efanelekileyo. Sifanele sisabele njani?

Xelisa Abo Babelidelile Ihlazo

Ukuze ahlale ethembekile kuYehova, uYesu wabulawa ngeyona ndlela ilihlazo. “Wasinyamezela isibonda sentuthumbo, elidela ihlazo.” (Heb. 12:2) Iintshaba zikaYesu zammpakaza, zamtshicela, zamkhululisa, zamkatsa, zambethelela esibondeni zaza zamgculela. (Marko 14:65; 15:29-32) Sekunjalo, uYesu walidela ihlazo ababezama ukumthwalisa lona. Njani? Akazange anikezele. UYesu wayesazi ukuba akaphelelwanga sisidima phambi kukaYehova, yaye ngokuqinisekileyo wayengafuni uzuko oluvela ebantwini. Nangona uYesu wabulawa njengekhoboka, uYehova wamzukisa ngokumvusa waza wambeka kwesona sikhundla sixabisekileyo, ecaleni kwakhe. EyabaseFilipi 2:8-11 ithi: “[UKristu Yesu] wazithoba kwada kwasa ekufeni, ewe, ukufa kwisibonda sentuthumbo. Ngenxa kanye yesi sizathu uThixo wamphakamisela kwisigxina esongamileyo waza ngobubele wamnika igama elingaphezu kwawo onke amanye amagama, ukuze egameni likaYesu agobe onke amadolo abo basezulwini nawabo basemhlabeni nawabo baphantsi komhlaba, zize zonke iilwimi zivume ekuhleni ukuba uYesu Kristu uyiNkosi nto leyo eluzuko kuThixo uYise.”

Kwakubuhlungu kuYesu ukubulawa ngokulihlazo ngolo hlobo. UYesu, uNyana kaThixo yayimkhathaza nento yokuba ukugwetywa kwakhe njengomnyelisi kwakunokuzisa ugculelo kuYise. UYesu wacela uYehova ukuba amkhusele kwelo hlazo. Wathandaza wathi: “Yishenxise le ndebe kum.” Kodwa uYesu wakwenza ukuthanda kukaThixo. (Marko 14:36) UYesu wamelana nengcinezelo waza walidela ihlazo. Ngapha koko, elo hlazo lalinokuviwa kuphela ngumntu owayeyamkela imilinganiselo yokuphila yezo mini. UYesu akazange ayamkele loo milinganiselo.

Nabafundi bakaYesu babanjwa baza bakatswa. Loo nto yabangela ukuba bahlazeke kwabaninzi. Bajongelwa phantsi baza bagculelwa. Sekunjalo, abazange baphel’ amandla. Abafundi bokwenyaniso bamelana nengcinezelo baza balidela ihlazo. (Mat. 10:17; IZe. 5:40; 2 Kor. 11:23-25) Babesazi ukuba kufuneka ‘bathabathe izibonda zabo zentuthumbo baze baqhubeke belandela uYesu.’—Luka 9:23, 26.

Kuthekani ngathi namhlanje? Izinto ihlabathi elizigqala njengezibubudenge, ezibuthathaka nezingafanelekanga, uThixo uzigqala njengezibubulumko, ezomeleleyo nezibekekileyo. (1 Kor. 1:25-28) Ngaba bekungayi kuba bubudenge ngathi ukuphenjelelwa ziimbono zabanye abantu?

Abantu abathanda uzuko bafuna ukwamkeleka ehlabathini. Kwelinye icala, njengoYesu nabalandeli bakhe benkulungwane yokuqala, thina sifuna uYehova abe nguMhlobo wethu. Ngoko ke, siya kuzukisa izinto azibona njengezifanele uzuko size sizijonge njengehlazo izinto azibona zilihlazo.

[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 4]

UYesu akazange aphenjelelwe yimbono yabanye ngokuphathelele ihlazo