Umbono WeBhayibheli
Isizathu Sokuba UKhisimusi Ungabi OwamaKristu
‘UKHISIMUSI awusekho emthethweni! Noma ubani owugubhayo noma ngisho angayi emsebenzini ngoSuku lukaKhisimusi uzojeziswa!’
Nakuba kungase kubonakale kuxaka, lokhu kwaba umthetho ngempela emuva ngekhulu le-17 leminyaka. AmaPuritan akuvala ukugujwa kwalolusuku eNgilandi. Yini eyabangela ukuma okuqine kanjalo ngokumelene noKhisimusi? Futhi kungani kunezigidi namuhla ezinomuzwa wokuthi uKhisimusi awuwona owamaKristu?
UKhisimusi Wavelaphi Ngempela?
Kungase kukumangalise ukwazi ukuthi uKhisimusi awuqaliswanga uJesu Kristu nokuthi yena nabafundi bakhe bekhulu lokuqala babengawugubhi. Eqinisweni, akukho mbhalo ogciniwe wokugujwa kukaKhisimusi kwaze kwaba seminyakeni engu-300 ngemva kokuba uKristu efile.
Abantu abaningi ababephila ngalezozinsuku babekhulekela ilanga, njengoba babezizwa bencike kakhulu ekujikelezeni kwalo kwaminyaka yonke. Imikhosi enemicikilisho eminingi yayihambisana nokukhulekelwa kwelanga eYurophu, eGibithe, nasePheresiya. Isihloko esivelele kulemikhosi sasithi ukubuya kokukhanya. Ilanga, ngenxa yokubukeka kwalo libuthaka ebusika, lalinxuswa ukuba libuye ‘ekuzulazuleni ezindaweni ezikude.’ Imikhosi yayihlanganisa ukwenama, amadili, ukusina, ukuhlobisa amakhaya ngezibani nokokuhlobisa, nokuphana izipho. Ingabe lemikhosi izwakala ijwayelekile?
Abakhulekeli belanga babekholelwa ukuthi ugodo olungashisiwe lohlobo lweyule lwalunamandla emilingo, bekholelwa ukuthi imililo emikhulu ebaswe obala inganika unkulunkulu welanga amandla futhi kumbuyisele ekuphileni, ukuthi izindlu ezihlotshiswe ngezihlahla ezingabuni zaziyothusa amademoni abaleke, ukuthi okungcwele kwakumelwe kukhulekelwe njengesithembiso sokubuya kwelanga, nokuthi amacembe emistletoe angaletha inhlanhla uma efakwe njengeziphandla. Lezizinto zihlotshaniswa namiphi imikhosi namuhla?
UDecember wawuyinyanga yomkhosi omkhulu eRoma lamaqaba esikhathini eside ngaphambi kokuba uKhisimusi waziwe lapho. ISaturnalia ethatha isonto lonke (enikelwe kuSaturn, unkulunkulu wezolimo) neDies Natalis Solis Invicti (Usuku Lokuzalwa Kwelanga Elinganqotshwa) yayenzeka ngalesisikhathi. Futhi, uDecember 25 wawubhekwa njengosuku lokuzalwa kukaMithras, unkulunkulu wokukhanya wasePheresiya.
Ingabe Amaqaba Enziwa AmaKristu?
Ngomzamo wokuguqula lamaqaba, kwahlanganiswa izinkolelo zamaKristu nezamaqaba okungekho ngokombhalo, futhi ngalesosizathu isonto lakhetha usuku lukaKhisimusi olwaluqondana nomkhosi wamaqaba obaluleke kakhulu. Futhi kuthiwani ngamasiko kaKhisimusi? IEncyclopedia of Religion and Ethics iyavuma ukuthi amasiko amaningi kaKhisimusi “akuwona amasiko obuKristu angempela, kodwa angamasiko obuhedeni aye amukelwa noma abekezelelwa iSonto.” Ngokusobala kwaba khona umuzwa wokuthi ukumane kunikwe lamasiko isembozo sobuKristu kwakuzokwenza labo ababewagcina babe amaKristu.
Nokho, esikhundleni sokwenza ubuqaba bube ubuKristu, lamasiko enza ubuKristu baba ubuqaba. Phakathi kwawo-1600, ukuba ubuqaba okusobala kukaKhisimusi kwawaphazamisa amaPuritan kangangokuthi leliholidi lanqatshelwa ngokomthetho eNgilandi nakwezinye izindawo zaseMelika ezazingaphansi kwayo. Babejeziswa abawugubhile noma abavele bangaya nje emsebenzini ngoSuku lukaKhisimusi. ENew England (eU.S.), uKhisimusi wahlala uvaliwe kwaze kwaba ngo-1856 lapho wabuye wavunyelwa khona.
Kodwa kunesici esisodwa ngoKhisimusi esibaluleke kakhulu kunendlela isonto, amaqaba, noma amaPuritan ayewubheka ngayo esikhathini esidlule. Okubaluleke kakhulu kumaKristu eqiniso ukuthi . . .
UJesu Kristu Uwubheka Kanjani UKhisimusi?
Ukuba bekungagujwa umkhosi wokuhlonipha wena, ingabe ukuvumela kwakho uhlobo lwawo bekuyoba okubalulekile? Khona-ke, senza kahle ngokubuza: Ingabe iBhayibheli liyayibonisa indlela uJesu abheka ngayo amasiko athe shí ebuqabeni?
UJesu wabalahla abaholi benkolo abayekethisa ukukhulekela kweqiniso ukuze baguqulele abanye enkolweni yabo. Kubaholi abanjalo wathi: “Ninqamula ulwandle nezwe ukuze nithole oyedwa oguqukile, ngemva kwalokho nimenza avuthwe ngokuphindwe kabili ukuze abhujiswe njengani.”—Mathewu 23:15, Phillips.
Ukuguqula abantu kwakungezukwenziwa ngokuhlanganisa izinkolelo zamaqaba nezamaKristu. UPawulu, umphostoli kaJesu, wabhalela amaKristu ayehlala eKorinte: “Ningesiphuze isitsha seNkosi kanye nesitsha samademoni.” (1 Korinte 10:21) Futhi encwadini yakhe elandelayo ababhalela yona, uPawulu wenezela: “Ningazihlanganisi nabangakholwa futhi nizame ukusebenza nabo. . . . Kungaba khona kanjani ukuzwana phakathi kukaKristu nodeveli?”—2 Korinte 6:14, 15, Phillips.
Uma umama ocophelelayo ebona ingane yakhe icosha uswidi epayipini eligcwele indle, ubeyogcizelela ukuba iwulahle ngokushesha. Ukucabanga ngokuthi ingase iwudle—futhi ngisho iwuthinte—kwenza inhliziyo yakhe icanuzele. UKhisimusi, nakuba umnandi kwabaningi, uye wacoshwa ezindaweni ezingathandeki. Imizwa kaJesu ifana neyomprofethi uIsaya, owanxusa abakhulekeli beqiniso bosuku lwakhe: “Mukani, mukani, niphume lapha, ningathinti okungcolileyo.”—Isaya 52:11.
Khona-ke, amaKristu eqiniso namuhla awawugubhi uKhisimusi. Nakuba ukuma kwawo kungase kubonakale kubaxaka abanye, abheka amasiko ngendlela uJesu awabheka ngayo. Lapho ebuzwa: “Yini ukuba abafundi bakho beqe isiko labadala na?” waphendula: “Nani, yini ukuba neqe umyalo kaNkulunkulu ngenxa yesiko lenu na? Futhi wenezela: “Nilenze laba-yize izwi likaNkulunkulu ngesiko lenu.”—Mathewu 15:2, 3, 6.
AmaKristu eqiniso namuhla abonisa ukuba munye noJesu ‘ngokukhonza okumhlophe nokungenabala,’ okungangcolisiwe amasiko abantu obuqaba.—Jakobe 1:27.
[Amazwi acashunwe esihlokweni ekhasini 13]
“Yini ukuba neqe umyalo kaNkulunkulu ngesiko lenu na?”—Mathewu 15:3