Imibuzo Evela Kubafundi
OFakazi BakaJehova abaningi bayazigubha izinsuku zokukhumbula imishado yabo. Usuku lokuzalwa luwusuku lokukhumbula isikhathi owazalwa ngaso. Ngakho kungani begubha izinsuku zokukhumbula imishado yabo kodwa bengazigubhi izinsuku zokukhumbula izinsuku zokuzalwa?
Eqinisweni, asikho isidingo sokuba umKristu agubhe noma ikuphi kwalokhu. Noma kunjalo, lokho akusho ukuthi lokhu kokubili kuyefana ngokubaluleka noma ukuthi amaKristu kumelwe abheke lokhu kokuqala (usuku lokukhumbula umshado) ngendlela abheka ngayo ukugujwa kwezinsuku zokuzalwa.
Njengoba kuphawuliwe, kungashiwo ukuthi kokubili kuyizinsuku zokukhumbula okuthile ngoba “usuku lokukhumbula” ‘luwusuku olufika minyaka yonke oluphawula isenzakalo esithile.’ Kungaba usuku lokukhumbula noma isiphi isenzakalo—usuku owahileleka ngalo engozini yemoto, owabona ngalo ukufiphala kwenyanga, owaya ngalo ukuyobhukuda nomkhaya, njalonjalo. Kusobala ukuthi amaKristu awenzi zonke “izinsuku zokukhumbula” zibe ezikhethekile noma enze idili lokuzikhumbula. Kufanele umuntu acabangele izici zesenzakalo abese enquma ukuthi yini efanelekayo.
Ngokwesibonelo, uNkulunkulu wawayala ngokuqondile ama-Israyeli ukuba alugubhe minyaka yonke usuku ingelosi eyadlula ngalo ngaphezu kwezindlu zama-Israyeli eGibithe kanye nokufuduka kwabantu bakhe okwalandela ngo-1513 B.C.E. (Eksodusi 12:14) Lapho amaJuda, kuhlanganise noJesu, esigubha minyaka yonke leso senzakalo ngemva kwalokho, ayelalela isiqondiso sikaNkulunkulu, futhi awazange akwenze ngokuba nedili noma ngokuphana izipho. Futhi amaJuda aluphatha njengolukhethekile usuku lokukhumbula ukunikezelwa kabusha kwethempeli. Nakuba kwakungewona umyalo weBhayibheli ukugubha lesi senzakalo esingokomlando, uJohane 10:22, 23 usikisela ukuthi uJesu akazange akugxeke ukugujwa kwaso. Okokugcina, amaKristu aba nomhlangano okhethekile ngosuku lokukhumbula ukufa kukaJesu. Yiqiniso, lokhu kwenziwa ngenxa yokulalela umyalo ocacile otholakala eZwini likaNkulunkulu.—Luka 22:19, 20.
Kuthiwani ngezinsuku zokukhumbula umshado? Kwamanye amazwe kuyinto evamile ngowesilisa nowesifazane abashadile ukuba baqaphele usuku ababa ngalo abantu abashadile, okuyilungiselelo elasungulwa uNkulunkulu. (Genesise 2:18-24; Mathewu 19:4-6) Ngokuqinisekile, iBhayibheli alibheki umshado njengento embi. UJesu waya edilini lomshado futhi wanikela ukuze sijatshulelwe leso senzakalo.—Johane 2:1-11.
Ngakho, ngeke kube into exakile uma umbhangqwana ungase ngosuku owashada ngalo uziphe isikhathi sokucabanga ngendlela lesi senzakalo esasijabulisa ngayo nangesinqumo sawo sokusebenzela ukuphumelela njengombhangqwana. Yiwo onqumayo ukuthi ucabanga ngalesi senzakalo esijabulisayo uwodwa, njengombhangqwana, noma umema izihlobo ezimbalwa noma abangane abaseduze ukuba babe nawo. Lesi senzakalo akufanele sibe izaba nje zokuba nombuthano omkhulu wokuzijabulisa. Kulesi senzakalo amaKristu ayothanda ukuqondiswa izimiso azisebenzisa nsuku zonke ekuphileni kwawo. Ngakho, kuyindaba yomuntu siqu ukuthi umuntu uyaluqaphela usuku lomshado wakhe noma cha.—Roma 13:13, 14.
Nokho, kuthiwani ngokuluqaphela ngokukhethekile usuku lokuzalwa? Ingabe sinazo iziqondiso ezithile eBhayibhelini ngokuqondene nokukhumbula lolu suku?
Ekuqaleni kwaleli khulu leminyaka, ama-Bible Student, njengoba oFakazi BakaJehova babaziwa kanjalo ngaleso sikhathi, ayeziqaphela izinsuku zokuzalwa. Amaningi awo ayenezincwajana ezazibizwa ngokuthi i-Daily Heavenly Manna. Lezi zincwajana zazinombhalo weBhayibheli wosuku ngalunye, futhi amaKristu amaningi ayefake isithombe esincane emakhasini aqondene nezinsuku zokuzalwa zama-Bible Student akanye nawo. Futhi, INqabayokulinda (yesiNgisi) ka-February 15, 1909, yalandisa ukuthi emhlanganweni owawuseJacksonville, eFlorida, e-U.S.A., uMfoweth’uRussell, owayengumongameli weNhlangano ngaleso sikhathi, wagibela endaweni yesikhulumi ephelezelwa. Ngani? Wanikwa isipho ayengasilindele sosuku lokuzalwa sebhokisi likaphaphamusi (grapefruit), likapayinapu nelamawolintshi. Lokhu kusenza sibone kafushane ukuthi kwakunjani ngesikhathi esidlule. Ukuze sisiqonde kahle isimo, khumbula ukuthi ngaleyo nkathi, ama-Bible Student ayegubha no-December 25, njengosuku lokukhumbula ukuzalwa kukaJesu, noma egubha usuku lokuzalwa kwakhe. Kwakwenziwa umkhuba ngisho nokuba nesidlo sikaKhisimusi endlunkulu yaseBrooklyn.
Yiqiniso, abantu bakaNkulunkulu baye bakhula ngokomoya ezicini eziningi kusukela ngaleso sikhathi. Ngawo-1920 ukukhanya okwandisiwe kweqiniso kwenza babona lokhu okulandelayo:
UJesu akazalwanga ngo-December 25, okuwusuku oluhlobene nenkolo yobuqaba. IBhayibheli lisiqondisa ukuba sigubhe usuku lokufa kukaJesu, hhayi isikhumbuzo sosuku lokuzalwa kwakhe noma lwanoma ubani omunye. Ukwenza kanjalo kuvumelana nomShumayeli 7:1 neqiniso lokuthi lokho ukuphila komuntu othembekile okuba yikho ekugcineni kubaluleke ngaphezu kosuku lokuzalwa kwakhe. Akukho lapho iBhayibheli likhuluma khona ngenceku ethembekile eyagubha usuku lokuzalwa kwayo. Lilandisa ngokugujwa kwezinsuku zokuzalwa zamaqaba, lihlobanisa lezi zenzakalo nezenzo zonya. Ake sithole ukwaziswa okwengeziwe ngalezi zikhumbuzo zezinsuku zokuzalwa.
Esokuqala esosuku lokuzalwa lukaFaro ezinsukwini zikaJosefa. (Genesise 40:20-23) Ngokuphathelene nalokhu, isihloko esikhuluma ngezinsuku zokuzalwa kuyi-Encyclopædia of Religion and Ethics kaHastings siqala ngokuthi: “Umkhuba wokugubha usuku lokuzalwa uhlobene nokuqashelwa kwesikhathi ngesimo sawo, futhi imicikilisho yawo, ihlobene nezimiso ezithile zakuqala zenkolo.” Kamuva, le encyclopedia icaphuna isazi sezinto zaseGibithe uSir J. Gardner Wilkinson, esabhala: “Bonke abantu baseGibithe babebheka usuku, ngisho nehora abazalwa ngalo njengokubaluleke kakhulu; futhi kungenzeka ukuthi, njengasePheresiya, umuntu ngamunye wayegubha usuku lwakhe lokuzalwa ngenjabulo enkulu, amukela abangane bakhe ngakho konke ukuzijabulisa komphakathi, nangezibiliboco zasetafuleni eziningi ngaphezu kokuvamile.”
Elinye idili lokugubha usuku lokuzalwa okukhulunywa ngalo eBhayibhelini elikaHerode, okwanqunywa kulo ikhanda likaJohane uMbhapathizi. (Mathewu 14:6-10) I-International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (uhlelo luka-1979) inikeza lo mbono: “AmaGreki angaphambi kwalawo aguqulwa iSimiso Sokuguqulela Abantu EbuGrekini ayegubha izinsuku zokuzalwa zawonkulunkulu nezamadoda avelele. Igama [lesiGreki] elithi genéthlia lalisho la madili, kuyilapho elithi genésia lisho ukugujwa kosuku lokuzalwa komuntu obalulekile osewafa. Ku-2 Macc[abees] 6:7 sithola amazwi abhekisela kuyi-genéthlia yazinyanga zonke ka-Antiochus IV, lapho amaJuda ayephoqeleke khona ukuba ‘adle emihlatshelweni.’ . . . Lapho uHerode egubha usuku lokuzalwa kwakhe wayenza ngokuvumelana nesiko lalabo abaguqulwe iSimiso Sokuguqulela Abantu EbuGrekini; abukho ubufakazi obubonisa ukugujwa kwezinsuku zokuzalwa kwa-Israyeli ngezikhathi zangaphambi kwenkathi yokuGuqulela Abantu EbuGrekini.”
Kuyavunywa, amaKristu eqiniso namuhla awakhathazeki ngokweqile ngemvelaphi yayo yonke imikhuba noma amasiko kanye nethuba lokuhlobana kwakho nenkolo endulo, kodwa futhi awathambekele ekuzishayeni indiva iziqondiso ezihlobene nakho ezikhona eZwini likaNkulunkulu. Lokhu kuhlanganisa nokuthi ukuphela kwamadili okugujwa kwezinsuku zokuzalwa asembhalweni weBhayibheli awamaqaba futhi ahlobene nezenzakalo zonya. Ngakho, kusobala ukuthi imiBhalo ibeka ukugujwa kwezinsuku zokuzalwa esimweni esingesihle, okuyiqiniso amaKristu aqotho angalishayi indiva.
Khona-ke, nakuba kuyindaba yomuntu siqu ngokuphelele uma amaKristu ekhetha ukuqaphela usuku lomshado wawo, kunezizathu ezinhle zokuba amaKristu angazigubhi izinsuku zokuzalwa.