Umbono WeBhayibheli
Ingabe Ukuphila Ngokuzila Kuyisihluthulelo Sokuzuza Ukuhlakanipha?
“ONKOM’IDLA yodwa babefaka ozankosi bensimbi, amaketanga, amabhande anezinsimbi ezicijile neziphika ezinameva . . . Abanye bezigingqa emeveni nasembatini, bazifake ezinambuzaneni ezilumayo ngamabomu, bezishisa ngomlilo futhi bezithunuka amanxeba kuze kuphume ubomvu. Ukuzibulala ngendlala kwakuvamile, abanye babeqisa ngokudla ukudla okubolile kuphela noma ukudla okunyanyekayo.”—The Saints, ka-Edith Simon.
Laba kwakungabantu ababephila ngokuzila. Kungani babeziphatha ngesihluku kanje? Encwadini ethi For the Sake of the World—The Spirit of Buddhist and Christian Monasticism, abalobi bayachaza ukuthi “okungenani kusukela esikhathini sikaSocrates (ngekhulu lesihlanu B.C.E.), bekuqondakala kabanzi ukuthi ukuphila okuphansi, okungathiywa ukuzijabulisa ngokobulili nobukhazikhazi bezinto ezibonakalayo, kwakuyinto efunekayo ukuze uthole ukuhlakanipha kwangempela.” Laba bantu ababephila ngokuzila babecabanga ukuthi ukuncisha umzimba kwakuyothuthukisa ingokomoya labo futhi kuholele ekukhanyiselweni kweqiniso.
Kunzima ukukuchaza ngokunembile ukuphila ngokuzila. Kwabanye, kumane kusho ukuzithiba noma ukuzidela. AmaKristu okuqala ayebazisa ubuhle obunjalo. (Galathiya 5:22, 23; Kolose 3:5) UJesu Kristu ngokwakhe wakutusa ukuphila okulula okungathiywa izinkathazo ezingalethwa indlela yokuphila yokuthanda izinto ezibonakalayo. (Mathewu 6:19-33) Nokho, ezikhathini eziningi, ukuphila ngokuzila kuhlangene kakhulu nezenzo zonya nezokweqisa, njengalezi ezichazwe ngenhla. Ingabe lemikhuba yokuphila ngokuzila, ikakhulukazi lapho yeqiswa, iyisihluthulelo sokuzuza ukuhlakanipha ngempela?
Isekelwe Ekucabangeleni Okungamanga
Phakathi kwamafilosofi aye abangela ukwanda kokuphila ngokuzila kunomqondo wokuthi izinto ezibonakalayo nezinjabulo ezingokomzimba zimbi ngokwemvelo futhi ngenxa yalokho ziyisithiyo ekuthuthukeni okungokomoya. Omunye umbono oholela ekuphileni ngokuzila inkolelo evamile yokuthi umuntu wakhiwa umzimba nomphefumulo. Abantu abaphila ngokuzila bakholelwa ukuthi umzimba wenyama uyijele lomphefumulo nokuthi inyama iyisitha sawo.
Lithini iBhayibheli? ImiBhalo ibonisa ukuthi lapho uNkulunkulu eqeda ukudala umhlaba, wathi konke ayekwenzile—yonke indalo yakhe ephathekayo, ebonakalayo—‘yayiyinhle kakhulu.’ (Genesise 1:31) UNkulunkulu wayehlose ukuba owesilisa nowesifazane bajabulele izinto ezibonakalayo ensimini yase-Edene. Lona kanye igama elithi Edene lisho “Injabulo” noma “Intokozo.” (Genesise 2:8, 9) U-Adamu no-Eva babephelele futhi bejabulela ubuhlobo obuhle noMdali wabo kwaze kwaba yilapho bona. Kusukela lapho kuqhubeke, ukungapheleli kwaba umgoqo phakathi kukaNkulunkulu nabantu. Nokho, ukwanelisa izifiso zobuntu ezifanelekile noma ukuthola injabulo engokwenyama evela kuNkulunkulu akusoze kwakha umgoqo ovimbela ukukhulumisana phakathi kukaNkulunkulu nabakhulekeli bakhe lapho kwenziwa ngokuvumelana nemithetho kaNkulunkulu yokuziphatha!—IHubo 145:16.
Ngaphezu kwalokho, iBhayibheli lifundisa ngokusobala ukuthi umuntu, owadalwa ngomhlabathi futhi oyinyama, ungumphefumulo. ImiBhalo ayiwusekeli umqondo wokuthi umphefumulo ungokuthile okungabonakali futhi okungafi okuvaleleke emzimbeni wenyama noma umqondo wokuthi ngandlela-thile inyama iyamvimbela umuntu ukuba abe nobuhlobo obuseduze noNkulunkulu.—Genesise 2:7.
Ngokusobala, umqondo wokuphila ngokuzila unikeza umbono ophendukezelwe wobuhlobo bomuntu noNkulunkulu. Umphostoli uPawulu waxwayisa ngokuthi abanye abazibiza ngamaKristu babeyokhetha amafilosofi abantu akhohlisayo kunamaqiniso ayisisekelo eBhayibheli. (1 Thimothewu 4:1-5) Ngokuqondene nabanye ababenalombono, isazi-mlando senkolo sithi: “Inkolelo yokuthi izinto ezikhona zazizimbi . . . nokuthi umphefumulo womuntu kumelwe ukhululwe ekuxhumaneni nezinto ezikhona, yaba imbangela yokuphila ngokuzila okukhulu okwenqabela ukudla inyama, ukuba nobuhlobo bobulili njalonjalo, okungenziwa abakhethiwe ‘abaphelele’ noma ama-perfecti kuphela abaye bathwasiswa ngokukhethekile.” Lendlela yokucabanga ayisekelwa ngokweBhayibheli futhi yayingeyona inkolelo yamaKristu okuqala.—IzAga 5:15-19; 1 Korinte 7:4, 5; Heberu 13:4.
Akudingeki Ukuphila Ngokuzila
UJesu nabaphostoli bakhe babengebona abantu ababephila ukuphila kokuzila. Bakhuthazelela izilingo nokuhlupheka okuhlukahlukene, kodwa lokhu kuhlupheka babengazibangelanga kona neze. Umphostoli uPawulu waxwayisa amaKristu ukuba aqaphele funa amafilosofi abantu akhohlisayo awayengele kude neqiniso leZwi likaNkulunkulu futhi awaholele emikhubeni engenangqondo, eyeqisayo. UPawulu wakhuluma ngokukhethekile ‘ngokuphatha umzimba kanzima.’ Wathi: “Ngempela, zona kanye lezozinto zinokubonakala kokuhlakanipha ngendlela yokukhulekela abazimisele yona nokuthobeka-mbumbulu, ukuphatha umzimba kanzima; kodwa azisizi ngalutho ekulwisaneni nokwanelisa inyama.” (Kolose 2:8, 23) Ukuphila ngokuzila akuholeli ebungcweleni obukhethekile noma ekukhanyiselweni kwangempela.
Yiqiniso, inkambo yomKristu yokulalela isho ukuzikhandla nokuzithiba. (Luka 13:24; 1 Korinte 9:27) Umuntu kumelwe asebenze kanzima ukuze azuze ulwazi lukaNkulunkulu. (IzAga 2:1-6) Futhi iBhayibheli lisiyala ngokuqinile ngokumelene nokugqilazwa ‘izifiso nezinjabulo,’ nokuba “abathandi bezinjabulo kunokuba abathandi bakaNkulunkulu.” (Thithu 3:3; 2 Thimothewu 3:4, 5) Nokho, lezi zindima zemiBhalo azikhuthazi umkhuba wokuphila kokuzila. UJesu Kristu, indoda ephelele, wajabulela izikhathi ezimnandi ezazinokudla, iziphuzo, umculo, nomdanso.—Luka 5:29; Johane 2:1-10.
Ukuhlakanipha kweqiniso kuyalinganisela, akweqisi. (Jakobe 3:17) UJehova uNkulunkulu wadala imizimba yethu yenyama ekwazi ukujabulela izinjabulo eziningi ekuphileni. Ufuna ukuba sijabule. IZwi lakhe liyasitshela: “Ngiyazi ukuthi akukho okuhle kubo kunokuba bathokoze, bazenzele okumnandi besekhona. Kepha futhi ukuba abantu bonke badle, baphuze, babone okuhle kuwo wonke umshikashika wabo kuyisipho sikaNkulunkulu nalokho.”—UmShumayeli 3:12, 13.
[Umthombo Wesithombe ekhasini 20]
Saint Jerome in the Cavern/The Complete Woodcuts of Albrecht Dürer/Dover Publications, Inc.