Sishisa Ngokushukumisayo, Sibanda Ngokuqabulayo
UKUNGABI namuzwa, ukungakhathali, ukunganaki. Kubonakala kunjalo, abanye abantu ngeke nje bashukunyiswe. Ibandla lokuqala lamaKristu eLawodikeya lalikhathazwa inkinga enjalo, eyaphakamisa lamazwi okusola avela kuJesu Kristu okhazinyulisiwe: “Ngiyayazi imisebenzi yakho ukuthi kawubandi, kawushisi. Sengathi ngabe uyabanda noma ushise. Ngakho-ke, njengalokhu uyisivivi, ungashisi ungabandi ngiyakukuhlanza uphume emlonyeni wami.” (IsAmbulo 3:15, 16) Kungani ibandla lalikulesisimo esidabukisayo ngokomoya?
Umuzi waseFrigiya iLawodikeya wawuphakathi nezwe kusuka e-Efesu eAsiya Minor. Indlela ebalulekile yokuhweba yayidlula eLawodikeya bese iba ibhaxa. Omunye umgwaqo wawuya e-Efesu; omunye unqamula izintaba uye eFiladelfiya, eSardesi, eThiyathira, futhi ekugcineni, uye ePhergamu. ILawodikeya ecebile yaba nodumo ngokusebenza kwayo ngezimali. Eyayikuthumela kwamanye amazwe kwakuhlanganisa uvolo omnyama, ocolisakele, ontofontofo owawutholakala ezimvini zakhona. Isikole sezokwelapha sakhiwa eduze nakhona, futhi impushana yamehlo yaseFrigiya, okwakuthiwa yelapha ngokukhethekile, yayikhiqizwa kuleyondawo. ILawodikeya yaziwa kahle ngokhaphethi bayo baseFrigiya. Ubuciko bokufekethisa kucatshangelwa ukuthi baqala khona, futhi igama lesiLatini elithi “umfekethisi” (phrygio) libonakala liwusekela lombono. ILawodikeya futhi yaba iziko lomculo futhi ubuciko obuphawulekayo baseFrigiya bakha lokho okunemiklamo engokwezibalo—amaswastika, imeanders nelozenges.
Ngokucabangela ukuchuma kwaseLawodikeya, kungenzeka yini ukuthi amanye amaKristu lapho azivumela ukuba ahileleke emisebenzini yezentengiselwano kangangokuthi aba nesikhathi esincane esisele sokuhlanganyela izindaba ezinhle nabanye? Ingabe amanye awo aqala ukubeka umsebenzi wezwe kuqala ekuphileni ngoba ayefuna ‘okuthile okuthakazelisa kakhulu’ kunezimiso zobuKristu ezinengqondo?
Akukho kungabaza ukuthi izimo ezinjalo zazingase zibangele ukuphola kothando lwabaseLawodikeya, ngoJehova, iNkosi uJesu Kristu, nomakhelwane babo. (Mathewu 24:12; 22:37-39) Ngokufanayo, uma nathi namuhla sivumela izinto ezibonakalayo ukuba zidle isikhathi sethu futhi sibeke ukulandelela umsebenzi wezwe kuqala ekuphileni kwethu, sisengozini yokuba “sivivi” ekuzinikeleni kwethu, simane sigcine icala nje njengokungathi sifakela “umshwalense,” wokugada ingozi uma ‘usizi olukhulu’ lungafika esikhathini sokuphila kwethu.’—IsAmbulo 7:14.
Yeka ukuthi kungcono kanjani ukuba abashisa ngokushukumisayo kulabo abanomuzwa wokuthi izwe liyindawo “ebandayo” ngoba abanye bayahluleka ukubonisa isithakazelo soqobo ezinkingeni zabo! Yeka ukuthi kungcono kanjani ukubonakala ubanda ngokuqabulayo kulabo izinto ezenziwe “zashisa” ngenxa yokungaphathwa kahle!
Namanye amaKristu, ngokufanayo, angashukunyiswa isibonelo sentshiseko ngokubeka izithakazelo zoMbuso kuqala. (Mathewu 6:33) Angapholiswa noma aqatshulwe ngamazwi aduduzayo nezenzo zothando lapho egula noma ebhekene nezimo ezivivinyayo. Ngokukhethekile amaKristu amasha angabe enza kahle ngokuzindla ngokusebenzisa kahle isikhathi sawo namandla.
Indlela Okungagwenywa Ngayo Ukuba Sivivi
Kungani uJesu ovusiwe asebenzisa amazwi awasebenzisa lapho ekhuluma nebandla laseLawodikeya? Kungenzeka ukuthi wayebhekisela emanzini ayesetshenziswa kulowomuzi. Ngokungafani neHiyerapholi neKolose imizi eyayiseduze, iLawodikeya yayingenawo umthombo wayo wamanzi. IHiyerapholi yayaziwa ngemithombo yayo yamanzi ashisayo, eyayishukumisa kakhulu esihambini esikhathele ebusika. IKolose yayinamanzi abandayo, ayeqabula kakhulu ekushiseni kwasehlobo. Kodwa amanzi aseLawodikeya kwakumelwe adonselwe emzini ibanga elithile, okokuqala ngomsele wokuhola amanzi nangamatshe angonxa-ntathu abhotshoziwe ahlanganiswa ngosimende. Kungenzeka ukuthi amanzi ayesivivi lapho efinyelela izakhamuzi.
UJesu Kristu futhi wabhekisela kwezinye izindaba ezazingaba ezivamile kumaKristu aseLawodikeya. (IsAmbulo 3:17, 18) Esikhundleni sezingubo ezimnyama, ezintofontofo, ezicwebezelayo ezazinentengo ephakeme kuleyondawo, abaseLawodikeya babedinga ukuthola izingubo ezimhlophe zokubabonakalisa njengamaKristu ayizikhonzi zikaJehova. (IsAmbulo 16:15) Esikhundleni se“golide” laseLawodikeya lentengo ephakeme, ayalwa ukuba abonakalise izimfanelo ezinjengokholo nokubekezela lezo ezazingaqiniswa ngovivinyo futhi ezazinenani eliphakeme kakhulu nelihlala njalo kunanoma iyiphi ingcebo yezinto ezibonakalayo. (1 Korinte 3:10-15; 1 Petru 1:6, 7) “Umuthi wamehlo” ongokomoya wawuzobonakala unamandla kakhulu kunempushana yeso yaseFrigiya. AbaseLawodikeya babedinga ukuqaphela ithemba lokuphila okuphakade futhi bahlele ukuphila kwabo benalokho engqondweni.—Roma 12:12; 1 Thimothewu 4:7; Filipi 3:13, 14.
Kukhona isifundo lapha ngomKristu namuhla. Esikhundleni sokuzama ukwanelisa izifiso zakhe ngezitayela zamuva nezambatho nokudla okungcono, ikhaya nokokuhamba, ngokuhlakanipha ufuna uku“thenga” kuJesu “izingubo” ezingokomoya, “igolide” “nomuthi wamehlo.” Yebo, uJesu wathi “kuthenge.” Kuzosho okuthile—isikhathi sokuhlangana nabantu bakaNkulunkulu, isikhathi sokutadisha iZwi likaNkulunkulu nezincwadi zokusiza ekufundeni iBhayibheli; isikhathi sokuzindla ngalokho esikufundayo nokuxoxa ngamaphuzu amasha ngalokho esesikwazi kakade, ukulungisa ukucabanga kwethu; isikhathi nomzamo wokuhlanganyela lokho esikufundayo nabanye. Lokhu kungasho ukuphumelela ngezinto ezibonakalayo ezimbalwa ukuze sinikele isikhathi esengeziwe ekutadisheni imiBhalo nokusiza abanye ngokomoya. Inkambo enjalo nakanjani iyogcina ithemba lobuKristu liphilile.
Izithiyo Ezivela Ekuzilibaziseni Nokuziphatha Okubi
Ezinye izithiyo zasongela amaKristu aseLawodikeya futhi kungenzeka zanezela ekubeni kwawo “sivivi.” Imivubukulo yezinto zasendulo iye yembula amanxiwa enkundla yemidlalo, amathiyetha nezindawo zokuvivinya umzimba. Kungenzeka yini ukuthi amanye amaKristu aye avumela ukuthanda injabulo kunyelele ekuphileni kwawo? Izikhonzi zikaNkulunkulu namuhla kumelwe ziqaphele isifiso sendlela embi noma eyeqile yokuzilibazisa. AmaKristu amasha ngokukhethekile angaba nomuzwa wokuthi kukhona okuthile okungalungile ngawo uma engayi emabhayisikobho noma emidlalweni, noma abe nemicimbi masonto onke, ikakhulukazi ngeMigqibelo ebusuku lapho abanye kubonakala bezijabulisa. LamaKristu amasha angazizwa edumele uma engeke axoxe ngokuzilibazisa kwezwe nabanye abantwana besikole noma abasebenza nabo ngoMsombuluko olandelayo ekuseni. Kodwa kungani ningahleli ukuzilibazisa nabanye abantu abasha abaqinile ngokomoya kanye nabadala? Yeka ukuthi kungcono kanjani ukuthola ukuqatshulwa ngokuba “nabakhulela eNkosini ngenhliziyo ehlambulukileyo”!—2 Thimothewu 2:22.
Ukuziphatha okubi nokuzitika kwaphakamisa ukusongela okwengeziwe enhlalakahleni engokomoya yamaKristu aseLawodikeya. Abantu babekhulekela uDionysus, unkulunkulu wamaGreki wewayini. Abakhulekeli bakhe babefuna ukuzifanelisa naye ngokudansa kobuhlanya. Umphambili wawuvelele ekukhulekelweni kwakhe.
Namuhla sizungezwe izwe elizimiso zokuziphatha okuhle zincipha njalo. Ukuziphatha okubi kuvamile ezindaweni eziningi. Umdanso omningi wedisco yanamuhla uyafana nemicimbi yo“buhlanya” yokudumisa uDionysus noma uBacchus. Abantu bakaJehova kumelwe bamelane nokucindezeleka kokuba bahlanganyele ezintweni ezinjalo uma bezogwema ukuba ‘bahlanzwe emlonyeni kaJesu.’ Ngempela kubalulekile ukuba siqondise ukuphila kwethu ngokuvumelana nobungcwele nobumsulwa bukaJehova.—1 Petru 1:16.
Ukuzigcina “Ushisa” Noma “Ubanda” Namuhla
UJesu Kristu wakhumbuza abaseLawodikeya ukuthi ukusola nokuqeqesha kwakhe kwakuwubufakazi bothando lwakhe ngabo. (IsAmbulo 3:19) Wabakhuthaza ukuba baqhubeke bethola amandla angokomoya. Njengoba babezindla indlela uJesu aziveza ngayo njengo“Amen,” “ufakazi othembekileyo noqinisileyo, ukuqala kokudaliweyo kukaNkulunkulu,” amaKristu akuqala kumelwe ukuba aqinisekiswa ngokuthembeka kweNdodana kaNkulunkulu nokuqiniseka kwalokho eyayiwathembise khona. (IsAmbulo 3:14) Njengoba nje uJesu engu“kuqala” kwendalo ehlakaniphile, khona-ke ungu“kuqala” kwendalo ya“mazulu amasha nomhlaba omusha,” lawo amaKristu awalindile. (2 Petru 3:13) Ukuthola umvuzo kwakumane nje kuyindaba yesikhathi ngawo.
Ngokufanayo namuhla, kumane nje kuyindaba yesikhathi, futhi bonke ubufakazi bubonisa ukuthi kuhileleke isikhathi esifushane. (IsAmbulo 12:12) Khona-ke, gwema ukuvumela ithonya lezwe ukuba likubangele ube “sivivi.” Qaphela ukuhileleka ekulandeleleni izinto ezibonakalayo. Cabangisisa ngokuhlakanipha kokufaka ukuphila kwakho emsebenzini wezwe wokuziphilisa. Qaphela isilinganiso nohlobo lokuzilibazisa ohlanganyela kukho, ngokufanayo nabangane bakho. Zigcine uqinile ngokomoya futhi uphapheme ngokusebenzisa ngokuhlakanipha isikhathi sakho ekutadisheni iBhayibheli, emihlanganweni nabantu bakaJehova nenkonzo yentshiseko kuNkulunkulu wakho.—1 Korinte 15:58.
UJesu Kristu wayenesimo nobuntu kokubili okwakushisa ngokushukumisayo emehlweni alabo ababethanda uJehova futhi okwakubanda ngokuqabulayo, kududuza, kulabo ababesindwa yisono nemithwalo yokuphila. (Mathewu 11:28, 29; Johane 2:17) AmaKristu namuhla angalandela isibonelo sikaKristu ngokusebenza ngokuvumelana nencazelo yesigijimi sakhe ebandleni labaseLawodikeya.
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Umsele waseRoma owawuyisa amanzi eLawodikeya