Ithemba Eliqinisekile
EMINYAKENI engaba ngu-2 000 edlule, uJesu, ovame ukubizwa ngokuthi umuntu omkhulu kunabo bonke owake waphila, wathola isigwebo sokufa ngokungafanele. Lapho elenga esigxotsheni sokuhlushwa, umenzi wobubi owayelengiswe eceleni kwakhe wakloloda ethi: “UnguKristu, akunjalo? Zisindise wena kanye nathi.”
Khona-ke, omunye umenzi wobubi, naye owayegwetshiwe, wakhuza le ndoda, ethi: “Ingabe awumesabi nhlobo uNkulunkulu, njengoba usesahlulelweni esifanayo? Futhi thina, ngempela, sikuso ngokufanelekile, ngoba samukela ngokugcwele okusifanele ngenxa yezinto esazenza; kodwa lomuntu akenzanga lutho oluphume endleleni.” Wabe esephendukela kuJesu enxusa: “Ngikhumbule lapho ungena embusweni wakho.”
UJesu waphendula: “Ngiqinisile ngiyakutshela namuhla, Uyoba nami ePharadesi.”—Luka 23:39-43.
UJesu wayenethemba elimangalisayo phambi kwakhe. Umphostoli uPawulu waphawula umphumela leli themba elaba nawo kuJesu, ethi: “Ngenxa yenjabulo eyayibekwe phambi kwakhe wakhuthazelela isigxobo sokuhlushwa, edelela ihlazo.”—Heberu 12:2.
‘Injabulo’ eyayibekwe phambi kukaJesu yayihlanganisa nokuphila noYise ezulwini futhi, ekugcineni abe uMbusi woMbuso kaNkulunkulu. Ngaphezu kwalokho, wayeyoba nenjabulo yokwamukela ezulwini abalandeli bakhe abaqotho nabathembekile ababeyobusa kanye naye njengamakhosi phezu komhlaba. (Johane 14:2, 3; Filipi 2:7-11; IsAmbulo 20:5, 6) Wayesho ukuthini-ke uJesu lapho ethembisa umenzi wobubi ophendukile ukuthi wayeyoba sePharadesi?
Liyini Ithemba Ngomenzi Wobubi?
Leya ndoda yayingakufanelekele ukubusa noJesu ezulwini. Ayibalwa phakathi kwalabo uJesu athi kubo: “Nina ningabanamathele kimi ekulingweni kwami; futhi ngenza isivumelwano nani, njengoba nje uBaba enze isivumelwano nami, sombuso.” (Luka 22:28, 29) Nokho, uJesu wathembisa ukuthi lo menzi wobubi wayeyoba naye ePharadesi. Leso sithembiso siyogcwaliseka kanjani?
Indoda nowesifazane bokuqala, u-Adamu no-Eva, babekwa uJehova uNkulunkulu ePharadesi, insimu yenjabulo okuthiwa i-Edene. (Genesise 2:8, 15) I-Edene yayisemhlabeni, futhi uNkulunkulu wayenenjongo yokuba umhlaba wonke ube ipharadesi. Nokho, u-Adamu no-Eva abazange bamlalele uNkulunkulu futhi baxoshwa ekhaya labo elihle. (Genesise 3:23, 24) Kodwa uJesu wembula ukuthi iPharadesi laliyobuyiselwa nokuthi laliyohlanganisa wonke umhlaba.
Lapho umphostoli uPetru ebuza uJesu ukuthi yini yena nabanye abaphostoli ababezoyithola ngenxa yokumlandela, uJesu wathembisa: “Ekudalweni kabusha, lapho iNdodana yomuntu ihlala phansi esihlalweni sayo sobukhosi esikhazimulayo, nina eniye nangilandela niyohlala nani ngokwenu ezihlalweni zobukhosi eziyishumi nambili.” (Mathewu 19:27, 28) Ngokuphawulekayo, lapho uLuka elandisa ingxoxo efanayo, kunokuba athi “ekudalweni kabusha,” ucaphuna uJesu ethi “esimisweni sezinto esizayo.”—Luka 18:28-30.
Ngakho, lapho uJesu Kristu ehlala phansi ezulwini esihlalweni sakhe sobukhosi esikhazimulayo, kanye nalabo abayobusa naye, uyomisa isimiso esisha sezinto sokulunga. (2 Thimothewu 2:11, 12; IsAmbulo 5:10; 14:1, 3) Ngokubusa kukaKristu kwasezulwini, injongo kaNkulunkulu yokuqala yokuba umhlaba wonke ube yipharadesi iyogcwaliseka!
Phakathi nalokhu kubusa koMbuso, uJesu uyogcwalisa isithembiso asenza eselelesini esafela eceleni kwakhe. Uyosivusa, futhi leyo ndoda iyoba isikhonzi sasemhlabeni sikaJesu. Khona-ke, lo menzi wobubi uyonikezwa ithuba lokuhlangabezana nezimfuneko zikaNkulunkulu futhi aphile phakade ngaphansi kokubusa koMbuso. Ngokuqinisekile singajabula ngethemba elisekelwe eBhayibhelini lokuphila phakade ePharadesi emhlabeni!
Ukuphila Kungaba Nenjongo
Cabanga ukuthi ithemba elimangalisa kangaka lingenza ukuphila kwethu kube nenjongo kangakanani. Lingavikela izingqondo zethu emiphumeleni eyinhlekelele yokucabanga okuphambene. Umphostoli uPawulu wafanisa lelo themba nengxenye ebalulekile yezikhali ezingokomoya. Wathi kumelwe sifake “nethemba lensindiso njengesigqoko sokuzivikela.”—1 Thesalonika 5:8; IHubo 37:29; IsAmbulo 21:3, 4.
Lelo themba lisekela ukuphila. EPharadesi elizayo, isizungu siyothathelwa indawo yizinyembezi zenjabulo lapho “uNkulunkulu ovusa abafileyo” ebuyisela abathandekayo ekuphileni. (2 Korinte 1:9) Khona-ke, ukukhungatheka ngenxa yobuthakathaka bomzimba, ubuhlungu nokuxhwala kuyolibaleka, ngoba “unyonga luyakutshekula njengendluzele.” ‘Inyama yomuntu iyoba yintsha kuneyomntwana,’ futhi ‘uyobuyela emihleni yobusha bakhe.’—Isaya 35:6; Jobe 33:25.
Ngaleso sikhathi, lapho ‘abakhé khona bengasayikusho ukuthi: “Ngiyagula,”’ ukuphelelwa yithemba okubangelwa yisifo esiphikelelayo kuyoba yinkumbulo eshabalalayo. (Isaya 33:24) Ukukhungatheka ngenxa yokucindezeleka okungamahlalakhona kuyophenduka “intokozo engunaphakade.” (Isaya 35:10) Ukudangala okubangelwa yisifo esibulalayo kuyonyamalala kanye nakho ukufa, isitha sesintu esidala.—1 Korinte 15:26.
[Izithombe ekhasini 8, 9]
Gcina ithemba elimangalisayo lezwe elisha likaNkulunkulu lisengqondweni