Ingabe UNkulunkulu Uyafuna Kuzilwe Ukudla?
UMTHETHO kaNkulunkulu owanikezwa ngoMose wawudinga ukuba kuzilwe ukudla ngesenzakalo esisodwa vó—ngoSuku Lokubuyisana lwaminyaka yonke. UMthetho wawuyala ukuba ngalolo suku ama-Israyeli kwakumelwe ‘athobise imiphefumulo yawo,’ okuqondwa njengokusho ukuthi ayezila. (Levitikusi 16:29-31; 23:27; IHubo 35:13) Nokho, lokhu kuzila kwakungewona nje umkhuba wokugcina icala. Ukugujwa koSuku Lokubuyisana kwakushukumisa abantu bakwa-Israyeli ukuba bakuqaphele ngokwengeziwe ukuba nesono kwabo nesidingo sesihlengo. Babezila ngalolo suku ukuze baveze nokudabuka ngezono zabo futhi babonise ukuphenduka phambi kukaNkulunkulu.
Nakuba lokhu kwakuwukuphela kokuzila okwakuphoqelelwe ngaphansi koMthetho kaMose, ama-Israyeli ayezila ngezinye izikhathi. (Eksodusi 34:28; 1 Samuweli 7:6; 2 IziKronike 20:3; Ezra 8:21; Esteri 4:3, 16) Phakathi kwalokhu kwakukhona ukuzila ukudla ngokuzithandela njengendlela yokubonisa ukuphenduka. UJehova wanxusa abantu abonayo bakwaJuda: “Phendukelani kimi ngenhliziyo yenu yonke, nangokuzila ukudla, nangokukhala, nangokulila.” Kwakungamelwe lokhu kube okokubukisa, ngoba uNkulunkulu uqhubeka athi: “Niklebhule inhliziyo yenu, hayi izingubo zenu.”—Joweli 2:12-15.
Ngokuhamba kwesikhathi, abaningi bazila ukudla ngendlela yokugcina icala yokubukisa. UJehova wayekuzonda ukuzila okunjalo okungeqotho futhi ngenxa yalokho wabuza ama-Israyeli azenzisayo: “Yikhona lokhukuzila engikukhethileyo yini nosuku lokuba umuntu awuhluphe umphefumulo wakhe ukuthi umuntu ugoba ikhanda lakhe njengomhlanga, endlale indwangu yamasaka nomlotha phansi kwakhe, na? Lokhu kambe ungakubiza ngokuthi ukuzila nosuku olwamukelekayo kuJehova na?” (Isaya 58:5) Esikhundleni sokubukisa ngokuzila kwabo ukudla, laba bantu abanhlanhlathayo bacelwa ukuba baveze imisebenzi efanele ukuphenduka.
Okunye ukuzila ukudla okwamiswa amaJuda uNkulunkulu akazange akwamukele zisuka nje. Ngokwesibonelo, ngesinye isikhathi abantu bakwaJuda babezila ukudla kane njalo ngonyaka ukuze bakhumbule izenzakalo eziyinhlekelele ezihlobene nokuvinjezelwa nokuchithwa kweJerusalema ngekhulu lesi-7 B.C.E. (2 AmaKhosi 25:1-4, 8, 9, 22-26; Zakariya 8:19) Ngemva kokuba amaJuda ekhululiwe ekuthunjweni eBabiloni, uJehova, ngomprofethi uZakariya, wathi: “Ekuzileni kwenu . . . , ngenyanga yesihlanu nangeyesikhombisa leminyaka engamashumi ayisikhombisa nangizilela nokungizilela mina na?” UNkulunkulu akakwamukelanga lokhu kuzila ukudla ngoba amaJuda ayezilela futhi alilele izahlulelo ezazivela kuJehova ngokwakhe. Ayezila ukudla ngenxa yosizi olwaluwehlele, hhayi ngenxa yokona okwaletha lolo sizi lwawo. Ngemva kokubuyiselwa kwawo ezweni lawo, kwase kuyisikhathi sokuba athokoze esikhundleni sokukhalela isikhathi esidlule.—Zakariya 7:5.
Ingabe Ukuzila Ukudla KungokwamaKristu?
Nakuba uJesu Kristu engabayalanga abafundi bakhe ukuba bazile ukudla, yena nabalandeli bakhe bazila ngoSuku Lokubuyisana ngoba babengaphansi koMthetho kaMose. Ngaphezu kwalokho, abanye babafundi bakhe bazila ukudla ngokuzithandela ngezinye izikhathi, njengoba uJesu engabatshelanga ukuba bawugweme ngokuphelele lomkhuba. (IzEnzo 13:2, 3; 14:23) Nokho, kwakungafanele ‘bonakalise isimo sobuso babo ukuze babonakale kubantu ukuthi bazilé ukudla.’ (Mathewu 6:16) Ukubukisa ngobungcwele okunjalo kungase kuthandeke futhi kwamukeleke kwabanye abantu. Nakuba kunjalo, uNkulunkulu akakujabuleli ukubukisa okunjalo.—Mathewu 6:17, 18.
UJesu wakhuluma nangokuzila ukudla kwabalandeli bakhe ngesikhathi sokufa kwakhe. Ngalokho wayengeve emisa isiko lokuzila ukudla. Kunalokho, wayebonisa indlela ababeyosabela ngayo osizini olujulile ababeyobhekana nalo. Kwakuyothi angavuswa, aphinde abe nabo, singabe sisabakhona isidingo sokuba bazile ukudla.—Luka 5:34, 35.
UMthetho kaMose waphela lapho ‘uKristu enikelwa kanye kwaba kuphela ukuze athwale izono zabaningi.’ (Heberu 9:24-28) Futhi lapho kuphela uMthetho, umyalo wokuba kuzilwe ukudla ngoSuku Lokubuyisana waphela. Ngaleyo ndlela, okuwukuphela kokuzila ukudla okuyimfuneko okukhulunywa ngakho eBhayibhelini kwaphela.
Kuthiwani Ngomkhosi WeLent?
Nokho-ke, siyini isisekelo somkhuba weLobukholwa wokuzila ukudla phakathi nomkhosi weLent? Amasonto amaKatolika nawamaProthestani ayawugubha umkhosi weLent, nakuba indlela yokuwugubha ihluka kuye ngesonto. Abanye badla kanye nje ngosuku phakathi nenkathi yezinsuku ezingu-40 eyandulela ama-Ista. Abanye bazila ngokuphelele kuphela ngoLwesithathu Lomlotha (usuku lokuqala lomkhosi weLent) nangoGudi. Kwabanye, umkhosi weLent udinga ukuba bangayidli imikhiqizo yenyama, inhlanzi, amaqanda, nobisi.
Kuthiwa umkhosi weLent usekelwe ekuzileni kukaJesu ukudla izinsuku ezingu-40 ngemva kokubhapathizwa kwakhe. Ingabe-ke wayemisa isiko okwakufanele lenziwe minyaka yonke? Akunjalo neze. Lokhu kubonakala ekutheni iBhayibheli alikhulumi nhlobo ngomkhuba onjalo phakathi kwamaKristu akuqala. Umkhosi weLent waqala ukugujwa ngekhulu lesine ngemva kukaKristu. Njengezinye izimfundiso eziningi zeLobukholwa, unomsuka wobuqaba.
Uma umkhosi weLent ulingisa ukuzila kukaJesu ukudla ehlane ngemva kokubhapathizwa kwakhe, kungani pho ugujwa phakathi namasonto andulela ama-Ista—isikhathi okuthiwa wavuswa ngaso? UJesu akazange azile ukudla phakathi nezinsuku ezandulela ukufa kwakhe. Ukulandisa kwamaVangeli kubonisa ukuthi yena nabafundi bakhe bahambela amakhaya futhi badla ukudla eBethaniya ezinsukwini ezimbalwa nje ngaphambi kokuba afe. Futhi wadla ukudla kwePhasika ngobusuku obandulela ukufa kwakhe.—Mathewu 26:6, 7; Luka 22:15; Johane 12:2.
Kunento okufanele ifundwe ekuzileni kukaJesu ukudla ngemva kokubhapathizwa kwakhe. Wayeqala inkonzo ebalulekile. Kwakuhileleke ukulwelwa kobukhosi bukaJehova nekusasa lalo lonke uhlanga lwesintu. Lesi kwakuyisikhathi sokuzindla ngokujulile nesokuphendukela kuJehova ngomthandazo ukuze athole usizo nesiqondiso. Phakathi nalesi sikhathi uJesu wazila ukudla kufanelekile. Lokhu kubonisa ukuthi ukuzila ukudla kungaba yinzuzo uma kwenziwa ngesisusa esihle nangesikhathi esifanele.—Qhathanisa neyabaseKolose 2:20-23.
Lapho Ukuzila Ukudla Kungazuzisa Khona
Ake sicabangele ezinye izikhathi namuhla umkhulekeli kaNkulunkulu angase azile ngazo ukudla. Umuntu owenze isono angase angathandi ukudla isikhathi esithile. Lokhu ngeke kube ngenxa yokufuna ukuhlaba abanye umxhwele noma ukuthukuthelela isiyalo asitholile. Futhi empeleni, ukuzila ukudla kukodwa ngeke kulungise izindaba noNkulunkulu. Nokho, umuntu ophenduke ngempela uyozwa ukudabuka okujulile ngokuzwisa uJehova ubuhlungu futhi mhlawumbe nabangane nomkhaya. Ubuhlungu nomthandazo oqotho wokucela intethelelo kungase kuqede isifiso sokudla.
INkosi yakwa-Israyeli uDavide yabhekana nokufanayo. Lapho ibona ukuthi yayizolahlekelwa indodana yayo ngoBati-Sheba, yagxila ekuthandazeni kuJehova ukuze ithole isihe ngokuqondene nengane. Njengoba imizwelo yayo namandla kwakugxile emthandazweni, yazila ukudla. Ngokufanayo, ukudla ukudla kungase kungabonakali kufanelekile ngaphansi kwezimo ezithile ezicindezelayo namuhla.—2 Samuweli 12:15-17.
Kungenzeka futhi kube nezikhathi lapho umuntu ohlonipha uNkulunkulu efuna ukugxila endabeni ethile ejulile ngokomoya. Kungase kudingeke acwaninge eBhayibhelini nasezincwadini zobuKristu. Kungase kudingeke isikhathi esithile sokuzindla. Phakathi naleso sikhathi sokutadisha esidinga agxilise ingqondo, umuntu angase akhethe ukungaphazanyiswa ukudla ukudla.—Qhathanisa noJeremiya 36:8-10.
Kunezibonelo ezingokomBhalo zezinceku zikaNkulunkulu ezazila ukudla lapho kudingeka kwenziwe izinqumo ezingathi sína. Osukwini lukaNehemiya kwakudingeka kwenziwe isifungo kuJehova, futhi amaJuda ayezothola isiqalekiso uma esiphula. Kwakudingeka athembise ukuxosha abafazi bawo bezinye izizwe futhi angazihlanganisi nezizwe eziwazungezile. Ngaphambi kokwenza lesi sifungo nalapho livuma icala lalo, lonke ibandla lazila ukudla. (Nehemiya 9:1, 38; 10:29, 30) Lapho ebhekene nezinqumo ezinzima, umKristu angase angadli isikhashana esithile.
Ngezinye izikhathi lapho izindikimba zabadala ebandleni lobuKristu lakuqala zenza izinqumo, zazizila. Namuhla, lapho abadala bebandla kumelwe benze izinqumo ezinzima, mhlawumbe ezimayelana necala lokwahlulelwa, bangase bangadli ngesikhathi becabangela indaba.
Ukukhetha ukuzila ukudla ezimweni ezithile kuyisinqumo somuntu siqu. Umuntu akufanele ahlulele omunye kulendaba. Akufanele sifune ‘ukubonakala silungile kubantu’; kungafanele futhi senze ukudla kubaluleke kangangokuba kuze kusiphazamise ekunakekeleni izibopho ezingathi sína. (Mathewu 23:28; Luka 12:22, 23) Futhi iBhayibheli libonisa ukuthi uNkulunkulu akadingi ukuba sizile ukudla futhi akasenqabeli ukuba sikuzile.
[Isithombe ekhasini 7]
Ingabe uyazi ukuthi kungani uJesu azila ukudla izinsuku ezingu-40 ngemva kokubhapathizwa kwakhe?