Ingabe Amaqiniso KaKhisimusi Noma Izinganekwane?

“uma ubuza amaKatolika aqotho ukuthi kungani uKhisimusi ugujwa ngoDecember 25, okungenani ayisishiyagalolunye kwayishumi, amanye emangele futhi amanye ehleka, ayophendula: ‘Phela, lolo usuku uJesu azalwa ngalo!’ Nokho, uma ubuza omunye woFakazi BakaJehova isizathu sokuba angawugubhi lomkhosi, uyophendula ngokungananazi: ‘Ngenxa yokuthi akukhulunywa ngawo emaVangelini.’”

Lena indlela isihloko esiphathelene noKhisimusi esethulwa ngayo ephephandabeni eliphuma nsuku zonke iMattino, yaseNaples, eItaly. Kodwa imuphi umbono oqondile? “Okumelwe nje ukwenze,” kwenezela leliphepha, “ukuphenya yonke incwadi kaMathewu nekaLuka (abavangeli okuyibo bobabili kuphela abalandisa ngokuzalwa kukaJesu) ukuze uthole ukuthi impendulo yesibili iyona eqondile.”

Lezozihloko azisezona ezingavamile. Imizila yezezindaba ngokuvamile idalula izinkolelo ezivamile ngokuphathelene noKhisimusi njengeziyizinganekwane. Ngokwesibonelo, ngoDecember 1990, iPress, yaseChristchurch, eNew Zealand, yaqokomisa isihloko esithi “Izinganekwane Eziyisithupha ZikaKhisimusi.” Yaphawula:

“INGANEKWANE 1. USanta Claus, ohlala eNorth Pole, uyantweza azungeze umhlaba ngoSuku Olwandulela uKhisimusi ukuze alethele amantombazanyane nabafanyana abalungile izipho. Nokho, akekho ofuna ukona injabulo, kodwa kumane nje akulona iqiniso, akunjalo? Amakhaya amaningi kangaka ngobusuku obubodwa vó, amakhekhe kanye notshwala okuningi kangaka? Futhi kuthiwani uma ungekho ushimula? Cha, lensumansumane imane nje ingamanga. . . .

“INGANEKWANE 2. UDecember 25 uwusuku lokuzalwa kukaKristu. Lutho neze. Ivangeli likaLuka lithi lapho uJesu ezalwa eBetlehema, abelusi babehlala ngaphandle futhi balinde imihlambi yabo ebusuku. Kulesosifunda sasePalestina izinga lokushisa ngoDecember lilinganiselwa ku-7° C emini futhi kuphole kakhudlwana ebusuku. Ngokuvamile kuba nezimvula ezibandayo, ngesinye isikhathi likhithike ezinkangala. Abelusi babeyoba lapho izimvu zabo ezazihlala zikhona ngalesosikhathi sonyaka​—⁠endaweni enophahla. . . .

“INGANEKWANE 3. UKhisimusi wokuqala wawuseBetlehema, lapho uKristu ezalwa. Empeleni kubonakala sengathi waqala eRoma, njengoba kunombhalo ogciniwe wokugujwa kwawo ngo-336. Wasakazekela eMpumalanga naseNtshonalanga kwaze kwaba yilapho wamukelwa iSonto laseJerusalema maphakathi nekhulu lesihlanu leminyaka.

“Ngandlela-thile, ukuqala kukaKhisimusi empeleni kwafika ngamazinga ahlukahlukene futhi wawumane nje uyindaba yokushintshwa kwegama lomkhosi: ukuzitika kanye namadili afanayo obuqaba kwakulokhu kwenziwa njalo ngasekupheleni kukaDecember emakhulwini amaningi eminyaka ngaphambi kukaKristu njengengxenye yemikhosi egujwa ngesikhathi sokuqala kobusika enhla nenkabazwe . . .

“Ukungeniswa kokuzalwa kukaKristu kulamadili okudakwa asekelwe ebuqabeni ngokusobala akuzange kuphikiswe abaholi besonto, ababonakala bengenasithakazelo eqinisweni noma ebumsulweni bemfundiso engokwenkolo kunasethubeni lokwandisa umhlambi wabo futhi ngokomphumela namandla abo siqu. . . .

“Akumangalisi ukuthi amaPuritan aseScotland, eNgilandi naseNew England azimisela ukuqeda uKhisimusi phakathi nekhulu le-17 leminyaka, ewulahla njengowukuqhutshekiselwa phambili ‘kwezinto eziyize neziwukweqisa amaqaba azitika kuzo.’

“Ngakho lezozimemezelo zaminyaka yonke ‘zokuphindisela uKristu kuKhisimusi’ azinangqongo ngempela: iqiniso liwukuthi, akakaze abe ingxenye yawo ngokuzithandela.

“INGANEKWANE 4. Isiko lokuphana izipho ngoKhisimusi lilandela umkhuba wokupha uJesu izipho zegolide, amakha kanye nenhlaka. Empeleni abantu babelokhu bephana izipho ngoDecember 25 no-26 emakhulwini amaningi eminyaka ngaphambi kukaKristu njengengxenye yaleyomikhosi yokuqalisa kobusika. AmaRoma asendulo ayephana izipho njengengxenye yemikhosi yawo yokukhulekela ilanga, uSaturnalia.

“Kungakhathaliseki ukuthi ikuphi izazi zanika uJesu izipho, azizange ziphane zona, ngokuvumelana nalokho okwakuyisiko ngalesosikhathi, lapho kuvakashelwa abantu abavelele. Phela, ivangeli likaMathewu libonisa ukuthi isithakazelo sabo sasikuJesu njengenkosi yamaJuda yesikhathi esizayo.

“INGANEKWANE 5. ‘Izazi ezintathu’ kanye nabelusi bonke bakhothama kuJesu njengoba ayelele emkhombeni wakhe. Noma ubani odweba lezozenzakalo ezinhle zokuzalwa kukaJesu ebonisa abelusi kanye nezazi bendawonye esitebeleni akalifundi kahle iBhayibheli lakhe.

“Ivangeli likaMathewu libonisa ngokucacile ukuthi lapho ‘izazi’ zimthola uJesu, ngalesikhathi wayesesendlini​—⁠futhi kwakufaneleka, njengoba ngokunokwenzeka kwakuphele iminyaka emibili egcwele ngemva kokuzalwa kwakhe.

“Ngaphezu kwalokho, lapho uMathewu echaza ngokuvakasha kwezazi, wabhekisela kuJesu njengosana, hhayi ingane. Wayesedlulile kakade esigabeni sokusongwa ngezingubo futhi abelusi kwase kukudala bephindele emihlambini yabo.

“Cabanga futhi ukuthi lapho uHerode efuna ukubulala uMesiya, wasebenzisa usuku ayelunikezwe izazi futhi wayala ukuba zonke izingane zesilisa ezifinyelela eminyakeni emibili ubudala zibulawe.

“Ingabe wayeyokhipha umyalo wonya olungaka​—⁠ingasaphathwa eyokungathandeki kwawo⁠—​uma ayazi ukuthi isisulu sakhe sasisenamasonto ambalwa nje ubudala? . . .

“Akukho lapho iBhayibheli lisikisela khona ukuthi zazizingaki izazi. Igama lesiGreki elisevangelini elithi magoi, okususelwa kulo elithi ‘magic [umlingo].’ . . .

“INGANEKWANE 6. UKhisimusi uyisikhathi sokuthula emhlabeni nokuba nomusa kubo bonke abantu. Umqondo omuhle ngempela, kodwa akukhona lokho iBhayibheli elikushoyo. . . .

“Izinguqulo zeinterlinear zevangeli likaLuka esiGrekini sokuqala zibonisa ukuthi lokho izixuku zezingelosi ezabonakala kubelusi ezakusho ngempela kwakuwukuthi: ‘futhi emhlabeni kube khona ukuthula phakathi kwabantu abanomusa’.

“Futhi yilowo umehluko. Usuku olulodwa ngonyaka olunokuxokozela, olweqisayo, lokwenza imali ngokweqile alwenzi isimo sobuKristu; iBhayibheli lithi, ukuthula akuzi kulabo abagubha usuku lokuzalwa kukaJesu olungamanga, kuza kulabo abalandela izimfundiso zakhe​—⁠unyaka wonke.”