“Uyafuna Na Ukuba Uphile?”

“Ke kaloku kukho eYerusalem apho, ngakwelezimvu isango, ichibi, ekuthiwa ukubizwa yiBhetesda ngesiHebhere, lineevaranda ezintlanu. Kwakulele kuzo inkitha eninze yemilwelwe: iimfama, iziqhwala, abome umzimba, belinde ukuzanyazanyiswa kwamanzi.” Yohane 5:2, 3.UL 52.2

Ngamaxesha athile, amanzi eli chibi ayezanyazanyiswa, yaye iyinto ekholelwayo ukuba oku kwakusisiphumo samandla angaphezu kwendalo, nokuba, othe wangowokuqala ukungena emva kokuba ezanyazanyisiwe amanzi, uya kuphiliswa nakwesiphi isifo anaso. Amakhulu abantu abagulayo bahambela le ndawo; kodwa isihlwele sasisikhulu kakhulu xa amanzi egxojwa-gxojwa kangangokuba babetyhalana, benyathelana. Babexushwa ngeenyawo--amadoda nabafazi, nabantwana, abangenawo amandla kunabo. Baninzi ababengakwazi ukusondela equleni. Abaninzi abaphumelelayo ekufikeni kulo bafa phezu kodonga lwalo. Iindawo ezikhuselekileyo zazakhiwe zijikeleze le ndawo, ukuze abagulayo bakhuseleke kubushushu emini nakwingqele ebusuku. Bakho ababechitha kwezi potshi, berhubuluzela ukuba babe selungqamekweni lwechibi imihla ngemihla, ngethemba elize lokuphiliswa.UL 52.3

UYesu waeseeYerusalem. Wathi ehamba yedwa kubonakala ukuba uyacamngca ethandaza, wafika equleni. Wabona abagulayo abazintsizana belindele oko babecinga ukuba kuphela kwethuba labo lokuphiliswa. Wanga angasebenzisa amandla waKhe okuphilisa aphilise wonke ogulayo. Phofu ke, yayiyimini yeSabatha. Izihlwele zazisiya etempileni ukuya kunqula, waza wazi ukuba isenzo esinjalo sokuphilisa sasiya kuvusa intiyo kumaYuda kuze oko kuwenze uphele esithubeni umsebenzi waKhe.UL 53.1

Noko kunjalo, uMsindisi wabona enye imeko eyayilusizi kakhulu. Yaye yindoda eyayingumlwelwe ongenako ukuzinceda iminyaka engamashumi amathathu anesibhozo. Ubukhulu becala, isifo sayo saye sisisiphumo semikhwa yayo emibi, saza sathatyathwa njengesohlwayo esivela kuThixo. Lo mfo, eyedwa engenaye nomhlobo, eziva evalelwe ngaphandle kwenceba kaThixo, kwadlula iminyaka emide ekwintlupheko. Ngexesha ekwakulindeleke ukuba amanzi agxojwa-gxojwe, abo babenosizi yimeko yakhe yokungakwazi ukuzinceda, babemthwale bamsa ezipotshini. Wawusithi kodwa wakufika umzuzu ofanelekileyo, angabi namntu wokumphosa ngaphakathi. Wayewabona amanzi eshukuma, kodwa angaze akwazi ukudlula elungqamekweni lequla. Abanye abanamandla kunaye babeziphosa bangene ngaphambi kwakhe. Olu sizi lugulayo lungenako ukuzinceda, lwalungenako ukuzama luphumelele kweso sihlwele sityhudisayo, sinomona. Ukuzingisakwamalinge wakhe okuya kungena, ukulangazelela kwakhe nokuphoxeka okwenzeka njalo, kwakuthabatha naloo ntwana iseleyo yamandla wakhe.UL 53.2

Le ndoda igulayo yayilele elukhukweni lwayo ikrwaqula rhoqo equleni, kwathi kunjalo, kwathoba phezu kwayo ubuso obunovelwano, yatsalwa ngamazwi athi, “Uyafuna na ukuba uphile?” Yafikelwa lithemba entliziyweni. Yaziva ukuba ngandlela ithile iza kufumana uncedo. Phofu ke, yakhawuleza yathi shwaka loo ntlantsana yethemba. Yakhumbula ukuba kukade izama ukufikelela equleni, kwaye ngoku laye lilincinane kakhulu ithemba lokuba lingaphinda ligxojwa-gxojwe isaphila. Yasuka yadineka, yajonga le, yathi, “Nkosi, andinamntu wokuthi, xa athe agxojwa-gxojwa amanzi, andiphose echibini. Kuthi ke, ndakubon’ ukuba mna ndiyaya, ndiphangelwe ngomnye ukuhla.” UYesu wathi kuye, “Vuka, uthabathe ukhuko lwakho, uhambe.” Iindima 6-8. Inethemba elitsha, le ndoda igulayo yamjonga uYesu. Imbonakalo yobusho baKhe, imvakalo yezwi laKhe, azifani nalizwi yakha yaliva. Uthando namandla aba ngathi akho ngobukho baKhe nje bodwa. Ukholo logulayo lwalibamba ilizwi likaKristu. Akazange athandabuze, wazimisela ukuba uza kuthobela, wathi, akukwenza oko, wasabela wonke umzimba wakhe.UL 53.3

Imithambo-luvo nezihlunu zonke zashukuma zinobomi obutsha, kwabakho ukwenza okuzaliswe yimpilo kumalungu wakhe akade engakwazi ukwenza nto. Waxhuma wema ngeenyawo, wahamba wemka eqinile, enyathela ngokukhululekileyo, wamdumisa uThixo enovuyo ngamandla amatsha awafumeneyo.UL 54.1

UYesu wayengayinikanga indoda eaayo ingqiniseko yoncedo lwezulu. Yayinako ukuthi le ndoda, “Nkosi, ukuba unganako ukundiphilisa, ndiya kulithobela ilizwi laKho.” Yayinako ukuziyekela ekuthandabuzeni, ibe ilahlekene nethuba layo elinye lokuphiliswa. Yona yasuka yakholwa kwilizwi likaKristu, yakholwa ukuba uza kuyiphilisa; kwangoko, yenza inzame, waza uThixo wayinika amandla; yayifuna ukuhamba, yaza yahamba. Ngokwenza ilizwi likaKristu, yaphiliswa.UL 54.2

Isono siye sasahlula kubomi bukaThixo. Imiphefumlo yethu inedumbe. Thina ngokwethu asinako ukubuphila ubomi kanye njengoko yayingakwazi indoda engumlwelwe ukuhamba. Abaninzi bayakuqonda ukungabinako ukuzinceda kwabo; balangazelela obo bomi basemoyeni obuya kubazisa kwintsebenziswano noThixo, kwaye baya kuzama oko. Ngokuphelelwa lithemba, bayakhala, “Athi ke mna! mntu uludwayi, Azi, ngubani oya kundihlangula kulo mzimba wokufa?” Roma 7:24. Aba baphelelwe lithemba, balwayo, mabakhangele phezulu. UMsindisi uthobe phezu kwabathengwa begazi laKhe, ngobubele nemfesane ezingathethekiyo, esithi, “Uyafuna na ukuba uphile?” Uthi kuwe, phakama uphilile, unoxolo. Musa ukulindela ukuba uzive ukuba uphilile. Kholwa lilizwi loMsindisi. Beka ingqondo yakho kwicala likaKristu. Ingqondo yokukhonza Yena, kuba ngokwenza oko uya kuzuza ukomelela. Nokuba kunjani okubi okwenzayo, inkanuko ekulawulayo othe wayenza ixesha elide yakubopha umphefumlo nomzimba, uKristu unako kwaye efuna ukukuhlangula. Uya kuwudlisa ubomi umphefumlo “ofileyo ziziphoso.” Efese 2:1. Uya kumkhulula umthinjwa obanjwe bubuthakathaka, lilishwa namatyathanga esono.UL 54.3

Ingqondo yesono iyityhefile imithombo yobomi. Noko kunjalo, uKristu uthi, “Ndiya kuzithabatha izono zenu; ndiya kuninika uxolo. Ndinithengile ngegazi lam. Ningabam. Ubabalo lwam luya kuyomeleza ingqiqo yenu ebuthakathaka. Ndiya kukususa ukuzisola kwenu ngenxa yesono.” Xa izihendo zinihlasela, xa ixhala nokudideka kunirhangqile; xa, ngokuxinzeleka nokuphelelwa ngamandla, nilungele ukuziyekela ekuphelelweni lithemba, khangelani kuYesu, ubumnyama obunigubungeleyo buya kugxothwa kukubengezela okukhanyayo bobukho baKhe. Xa isono silwela ukulawula emiphefumlweni yenu, ubabalo lwaKhe lwanele ukusoyisa isono. Intlizyo yenu enombulelo, engcangcazelayo kukungaqiniseki, mayijike iye kuYe. Bambelelani kwithemba elibekwe phambi kwenu. UKristu ulindele ukunamkelela kusapho lwaKhe. Amandla waKhe aya kuninceda kubuthakathaka benu; uya kunikhokela kwinyathelo ngalinye. Sibekeni isandla senu kwesakhe, nimvumele ukuba anikhokele.UL 55.1

Maningaze nizive nikwimeko engathi uKristu ukude kakhulu kuni. uhleli ekufuphi ngamaxesha onke. Ubukho baKhe obunothando bunijikelezile. Mfuneni enguLowo unqwenela ukufunyanwa nini. Akalangazeleli ukuba nanele nje kukuchukumisa kuphela ingubo yaKhe, kodwa ukuba nihambe naYe kubudlelane obuzingisileyo.UL 55.2