Umoya KaKhisimusi Uyanda—Kungani?
INGABE uyawulangazelela uKhisimusi? Noma ingabe lapho usondela uyakhathazeka? Izigidi zabantu ziye zizibuze: ‘Ubani engizomthengela isipho? Yini okufanele ngiyithenge? Nginayo yini imali yokuyithenga? Kuzongithatha isikhathi esingakanani ukuyikhokhela?’
Naphezu kwalokho kukhathazeka, uKhisimusi useyinto ethandwa kakhulu. Empeleni, ukugujwa kwawo sekusakazekele nasemazweni angewona awobuKristu. Imikhaya eminingi eJapane isiyawugubha manje uKhisimusi, hhayi ngenxa yesizathu esingokwenkolo kodwa ngenxa nje yokuthi inkathi yokujabula. I-Wall Street Journal ithi, eChina “izithombe ezinobuso obubomvu zikaSanta Claus zinanyathiselwa emafasiteleni ezitolo ezisemadolobheni amakhulu.” Iyanezela: “Isasasa likaKhisimusi likhulu emphakathini omusha wasemadolobheni osezingeni eliphakathi lokuphila, osusebenzisa lokhu njengebhaxa lokuthenga, ukudla nokwenza imicimbi.”
Ezingxenyeni eziningi zomhlaba, uKhisimusi uye wabangela ukuchuma emnothweni wendawo. Lokhu kuyiqiniso nakakhulu ngeChina, manje “osekuyiyona ehamba phambili ngokuthumela kwamanye amazwe izihlahla zikaKhisimusi zepulastiki, izibani nezinye izinhlobo zemihlobiso,” kusho i-Journal.
Nasemazweni ngokuyinhloko angawobuMuslim imikhosi efuze uKhisimusi iyakhuthazwa nakuba ingenziwa ngo-December 25. E-Ankara, eTurkey naseBeirut, eLebanon, akuyona into engavamile ukubona amafasitela ehlotshiswe ngemihlobiso elenga ezihlahleni zikaKhisimusi kanye nezipho ezisongwe kahle. E-Indonesia, amahhotela nezindawo ezinkulu zokuthenga kusekela le nkathi yokujabula, futhi izingane zidla noSanta noma zithwetshulwe izithombe zinaye.
Emazweni aseNtshonalanga, uKhisimusi manje usuyibhizinisi, futhi izikhangiso eziningi “zibhekiswa ngokuqondile ezinganeni,” kusho i-Royal Bank Letter yaseCanada. Kuyavunywa ukuthi abanye abantu basaya ezinkonzweni zikaKhisimusi emasontweni. Kodwa izindawo zokuthenga, ezinanela ngezingoma zikaKhisimusi sezithathe indawo yamasonto. Lubangelwe yini lolu shintsho? Ingabe isizathu sihlobene nomsuka kaKhisimusi? Uyini umsuka wawo?
Ngaphambi kokuba sixoxe ngale mibuzo, kungaba kuhle ukufunda ukulandisa kweBhayibheli okuthiwa uMsuka kaKhisimusi usekelwe kukho.
[Ibhokisi/Isithombe ekhasini 4]
LOKHO OKUSHIWO ABALOBI BAMAVANGELI
Umphostoli uMathewu: “Ngemva kokuba uJesu esezelwe eBhetlehema laseJudiya ezinsukwini zikaHerode inkosi, bheka! kweza eJerusalema ababhula ngezinkanyezi bevela ezingxenyeni ezisempumalanga, bathi: ‘Uphi lowo ozelwe eyinkosi yamaJuda? Ngoba sibone inkanyezi yakhe sisempumalanga, futhi sizé ukuzomkhothamela.’ Lapho izwa lokhu iNkosi uHerode yayaluza.” Ngakho-ke uHerode wabuza “abapristi abakhulu . . . ukuthi uKristu wayeyozalelwaphi.” Lapho ezwa ukuthi “eBhetlehema,” UHerode watshela izazi: “Hambani nimfune ngokucophelela umntwana, uma senimtholile nibuye nizongibikela.”
“Bahamba; futhi, bheka! inkanyezi ababeyibone ngesikhathi besempumalanga yahamba phambi kwabo, yaze yema phezu kwalapho umntwana ekhona. . . . Ekungeneni kwabo endlini bambona umntwana enoMariya unina.” Ngemva kokunika uJesu izipho, ‘baxwayiswa uNkulunkulu ephusheni ukuba bangabuyeli kuHerode, [ngakho] babuyela ezweni lakubo ngenye indlela.’
“Ngemva kokuba sebesukile, bheka! ingelosi kaJehova yabonakala kuJosefa ephusheni, ithi: ‘Vuka, thatha umntwana nonina ubalekele eGibhithe . . . ’ Ngakho wavuka wathatha umntwana nonina ebusuku wasuka . . . Khona-ke uHerode, ebona ukuthi ababhula ngezinkanyezi babemphambile, wafutheka kakhulu, wayesethumela wayala ukuba kubulawe bonke abafana eBhetlehema nakuzo zonke izifunda zakhona, kusukela kwabaneminyaka emibili ubudala nangaphansi.”—Mathewu 2:1-16.
Umfundi uLuka: UJosefa “wakhuphuka eGalile, waphuma emzini waseNazaretha, waya eJudiya, emzini kaDavide, okuthiwa iBhetlehema, . . . ukuze abhaliswe kanye noMariya . . . Ngesikhathi belapho . . . wayibeletha indodana yakhe, izibulo, wayisonga ngemidweshu yendwangu wayibeka emkhombeni, ngoba abayitholanga indawo egumbini lezihambi.”
“Kulo lelo zwe futhi kwakukhona abelusi behlala ngaphandle belinda imihlambi yabo ebusuku. Ngokushesha ingelosi kaJehova yema ngakubo, . . . besaba kakhulu. Kodwa ingelosi yathi kubo: ‘Ningesabi, ngoba, bhekani! Ngimemezela kini izindaba ezinhle zenjabulo enkulu abazoba nayo bonke abantu ngoba namuhla nizalelwe uMsindisi, onguKristu iNkosi, emzini kaDavide.’” Bezwa lokhu, abelusi “bahamba ngokushesha bathola uMariya kanye noJosefa, nosana lulele emkhombeni.”—Luka 2:4-16.