40—Ubusuku Echibini

[Esi sahluko sisekwe kuMat. 14:22-33; Marko 6:45-52; Yohane 6:14-21.]

Behleli kwibala elinengca, kubuthuzula borhatya lwentlakohlaza, abantu batya ukutya awayebanike kona uKristu. Amazwi abawavayo ngaloo mini afika kubo njengelizwi likaThixo. Imisebenzi yokuphilisa abayibonayo yayiyileyo kuphela enokwenziwa ngamandla ezulu. Wona ummangaliso wezonka wathabatha umdla kumntu wonke kweso sihlwele sikhulu. Bonke babubona ubuhle bawo. Ngemihla kaMoses, uThixo wondla uIsrayeli ngemana entlango; kanti yayingubani lo wayebondla ngaloo mini ingenguYe Lowo uMoses wathetha ngaYe kwangaphambili? Awakho amandla omntu anokudala kwizonka ezihlanu neentlanzi ezincinane ezimbini ukutya okwanele ukutyisa amawaka abantu abalambileyo. Baza bathi omnye komnye, “Lo nguye inyaniso umprofeti lowo uzayo ehlabathini.” ULw 377.1

Imini yonke ukuqiniseka kwaya kusomelela. Esaba sesokugqibela sona isenzo saba kukuqinisekiswa ukuba uMhlanguli owayekade elindelwe uphakathi kwabo. Amathemba abantu aya enyuka ngokunyuka. NguYe lo oza kwenza ukuba elakwaYuda libe yiparadesi yasemhlabeni, ilizwe elibaleka ubisi nobusi. Unako ukwanelisa yonke iminqweno. Unako ukwaphula amandla amaRoma athiyekileyo. Unako ukuhlangula uYuda neYerusalem. Unako ukuphilisa amasoldati awalimala edabini. Unako ukunika yonke imikhosi ukutya. Unako ukoyisa izizwe, amnike uIsrayeli ubukumkani ekukade ebufuna. [377]ULw 377.2

Ekuzondeleleni kwabo abantu, balungele ukumthwesa kwangoku isithsaba abe ngukumkani. Bayabona ukuba akenzi mgudu ukutsalela ingqalelo kuYe okanye ukuzizuzela ukuphakanyiswa. Xa enje, wahluke kakhulu kubabingeleli nabaphathi, kwaye bayoyika ukuba hleze angaze alenze ibango laKhe letrone kaDavide. Bathe ngokuthethathethana bebonke, bavumelana ukuba bamnyanzele, bamenze ukumkani wakwaIsrayeli. Abafundi bazimanya nesihlwele ekuvakaliseni ukuba itrone kaDavide yayilifa elililungelo leNkosi yabo. Kukululama kukaKristu, batsho, okumenza ukuba ayale imbeko enjalo. Abantu mabamphakamise uMhlanguli wabo. Ababingeleli nabaphathi abaziphakamisileyo mabanyanzelwe ukuba bamhloniphe Lowo uza embethiswe igunya likaThixo. ULw 378.1

Ngenzondelelo balungiselela ukuyenza injongo yabo; kodwa uYesu uyakubona oku kuqhubekayo, kwaye uyaqonda, njengokuba bona bengaqondi, ukuba siya kuba yintoni isiphumo sesenzo esinjalo. Nangoku ababingeleli nabaphathi bazingelana nobomi baKhe. Bamtyhola ngokutsalela abantu kude kubo. Ubundlongondlongo novukelo kuya kuwulandela umzamo wokumbeka etroneni, uze umsebenzi wobukumkani basemoyeni ube nokuphazamiseka. Makuthi kungakhange kulityaziswe, le ntshukumo inqandwe. Ebiza abafundi baKhe, uYesu wabathuma ukuba bathabathe iphenyane babuyele kwangoko eKapernahum, bemshiya Yena ukuba abandulule abantu. ULw 378.2

Akukaze ngaphambili umyalelo ophuma kuKristu ungakwazi ukwenzeka. Abafundi kwakukade belindele intshukumo kawonke-wonke yokubeka uYesu etroneni; babengakwazi ukuyicinga into yokuba wonke lo mfutho banawo ungaphelela esithubeni. Izihlwele ezazibuthene ukuza kugcina iPasika, zazingxamele ukubona umprofeti omtsha. Kubalandeli baKhe, oku kwabonakala kulithuba elihle kakhulu lokumisela iNkosi yabo abayithandayo etroneni yakwaIsrayeli. Kubushushu beli bhongo litsha, kwakunzima kubo ukuhamba bodwa bamshiye yedwa uYesu kolo nxweme losizi. Baphikisana nolu lungiselelo; wada uYesu ngoku wathetha ngegunya angazanga waliveza ngakubo ngaphambili. Baya bazi ukuba ukuphikisa kwabo ukudlula apho akusayi kunceda nto, bathi ngokuzola bajika basinga elwandle. ULw 378.3

UYesu ngoku uyalela isihlwele ukuba sihambe; kwaye indlela atsho ngayo igqibile, kungekho unokungathobeli. Amazwi okumdumisa nokumphakamisa aphela emlonyeni. Kwasenzo eso sokuba abanjwe, amanyathelo aso amisiwe, ukubonakala kovuyo nolangazelelo kwinkangeleko yabo kwanyamalala. Kweso sihlwele kukho amadoda anengqondo enamandla nokuzimisela okuqinileyo; kodwa imbonakalo kaYesu eyeyokumkani, namazwi omyalelo waKhe ambalwanazolileyo, asidambisaisiphithiphithi, kwawaphuthisa amacebo awo. Aphawula kuYe igunya elingaphezu kwawo wonke amagunya asemhlabeni, athi, engathethanga, avuma.ULw 378.4

Wathi akuba eshiywe yedwa, uYesu “wenyuka intaba ngasese, ukuba athandaze.” Waba nexesha elide ebongoza uThixo. Kwakungekho ngenxa yaKhe kodwa ngenxa yabantu ukwenziwa kwaloo mithandazo. Wathandazela amandla okuveza ebantwini ubume bezulu bomsebenzi waKhe, ukuze uSathana angamfamekisi ingqiqo yabo ayiguqule imbono yabo. UMsindisi wayesazi ukuba iintsuku zokulungiselela kwaKhe emhlabeni zazisondele ekupheleni, nokuba bambalwa abamamkelayo njengoMhlanguli wabo. Ngokwaphuka kunye nokungcungcutheka komphefumlo, wathandazela abafundi baKhe. Babeza kulingwa kabuhlungu. Amathemba ababekade benawo, emi phezu kolahlekiso oluqhelekileyo, ayeza kudaniswa ngendlela ebuhlungu nephoxayo. Endaweni yokuphakanyiswa kwaKhe ahlale etroneni kaDavide, babeza kubona ukubethelelwa kwaKhe emnqamlezweni. Oku yayiza kuba kuko ke ukubekwa kwaKhe isithsaba kwenene. Bona abazange bakuqonde oku, koko isiphumo saba kukuba kwakuya kuza kubo izilingo ezikhulu, ekwakuza kubanzima kubo ukuziqonda ukuba zizilingo. Engathanga uMoya Oyingcwele akhanyisele ingqondo andise ukuqonda, ukholo lwabafundi lwaluya kusilela. Kwakubuhlungu kuYesu ukuba iimbono zabo zobukumkani baKhe, kakhulukazi, zaziphelele kubuhle nembeko yasemhlabeni. Ngenxa yabo, umthwalo wawunzima entliziyweni yaKhe, waza wayithulula imithandazo yaKhe ngentlungu ekrakra neenyembezi. ULw 379.1

Abafundi abazange basuke kwangoko emhlabeni, njengoko uYesu wayebayalele.Bakhabalindaixesha bethembe ukubauya kuhamba nabo. Bathi bakubona ukuba kubamnyama ngokukhawuleza, “[bangena] emkhombeni, baluwela ulwandle, besiya eKapernahum.” Bamshiya uYesu benganelisekanga ezintliziyweni, bephelelwe ngumonde kakhulu nguYe, kunangaphambili kususela ukuba bamamkela njengeNkosi yabo. Bakhalaza kuba bengazange bavunyelwe ukuba bamenze ukumkani. Bazigxeka ngokuyekela lula kumyalelo waKhe. Bathethana ngelithi, ukuba babekhe baqinisela, ngeyafezeka injongo yabo.ULw 380.1

Ukungakholwa kwakuthabatha indawo ezingqondweni zabo. Ukuthanda ukuthanda ukuhlonitshwa kwakubamfamekisa. Babesazi ukuba uYesu wayethiyiwe ngabaFarisi, kwaye babefuna ukumbona ephakanyiswa njengokucinga kwabo ukuba ube efanele. Ukuzimanya netitshala engakwaziyo ukusebenza imimangaliso emikhulu, kanti kuza kuthiwa bangabakhohlisi, olo yayikukulingwa abangekhe bakwazi ukulunyamezela. Ingaba babeza kusoloko bebonwa njengabalandeli bomprofeti wobuxoki? Ingaba uKristu wayengasokuze alithabathe igunya laKhe lokuba ngukumkani? Kwakutheni ukuba Lowo unamandla angako angazivezi eyona nto ayiyo, ayenze ukuba ingabi nzima kangako indlela yabo? Kwakutheni ukuze angamsindisi uYohane ekufeni okubi? Bacinga njalo abafundi bada bazizisela ubumnyama obukhulu basemoyeni. Baba nombuzo, othi, Angaba uYesu lo ulibhedengu, njengoko besitsho abaFarisi? ULw 380.2

Ngaloo mini abafundi babebone imisebenzi emangalisayo kaKristu. Kwakungathi izulu lihlile leza emhlabeni. Inkumbulo yaloo mini ixabisekileyo nenobuqaqawuli, yabazalisa ngokholo nethemba. Ukuba, kokuninzi okwakusentliziyweni yabo, babethetha kunye ngezi zinto, ngebengazanga bangena ekulingweni. Ukudana kwabo kwaya kwaginywa ziingcamango zabo. Amazwi kaKristu, athi, “Buthani amaqhekeza . . . ukuze kungonakali nto,” awazange athotyelwe. Ezo yayiziyure zentsikelelo enkulu kubafundi, kodwa babekulibele konke. Babesesazulwini samanzi axubayeleyo. Iingcamango zabo zazivuthuza zingasebenzi kakuhle, yaye iNkosi ibanike enye into ukuba ithuthumbise imiphefumlo yabo izalise iingqondo zabo. UThixo uyakholisa ukukwenza oku xa abantu bezidalela imithwalo neenkathazo ngokwabo. Abafundi babengenaso isidingo senkathazo. Kakade yayisele isiza ngokukhawuleza ingozi.ULw 380.3

Isaqhwithi esibi sabafikela ngebhaqo, baye bengasilungelanga. Yayingumahluko okhawulezileyo, kuba imini yayintle; wathi umoya wakubabetha, boyika. Bakulibala ukuxabana kwabo, ukungakholwa, ukungabi namonde kwabo. Elowo wasebenza ukugcina umkhombe ukuba ungatshoni. Kwakungekude ukusuka eBhetesayida ngolwandle ukuza apho babelindele ukuhlangana noYesu, kwaye kwimozulu entlelwalulolwexeshaelifutshaneuhambo;kodwa ngoku baqhutyelwa kude ngakumbi nangakumbi kwindawo ababeyifuna. Kwada kwaba lilixa lesine lobusuku besebenza nzima ukugwexa. La madoda adiniweyo azincama esithi alahlekile. Kwisaqhwithi nobumnyama ulwandle lwabafundisa ngokungabi nakuzinceda kwabo, baza balangazelela ubukho beNkosi yabo. ULw 380.4

UYesu wayengabalibelanga. UMlindi oselunxwemeni wababona abo bazaliswe luloyiko besilwa noqhwithela. Akukho nomzuzwana awayengaboni ngawo abafundi baKhe. Ngovelwano olunzulu kakhulu, wawulandela umkhombe obethwa sisaqhwithi onomthwalo onexabiso; kuba la madoda ayeza kuba kukukhanya kwehlabathi. Njengomama ngothando olunobubele ekhangele umntwana wakhe, yenjenjalo iNkosi enemvesane ukujonga abafundi baYo. Xa iintliziyo zabo zidakumbile, ethulisiwe amabhongo abo angekho nyulu, bathi, ngokuzithoba, bacela uncedo, balunikwa.ULw 381.1

Ngexesha kanye babesithi balahlekile, ukukhanya kwatyhila umbono womntu ongacacanga esiza kubo ephezu kwamanzi. Abazange bazi ukuba nguYesu. Lowo wayeze kubanceda, bambona njengotshaba. Uloyiko lwaboyisa. Izandla ezazibambe imiphini ngeentsinga ezifana nentsimbi zakuyeka ukubamba. Umkhombe wawushukuma ngentando yamaza; onke amehlo ezinze kumbono womntu ohamba phezu kwamaza amhlophe olwandle olunomsindo. ULw 381.2

Bacinga ukuba ngumshologu ohlola intshabalalo yabo, baza bakhala besoyika. UYesu wahamba wangathi uza kubadlula; kodwa bamqonda, bakhwaza, bembongoza ukuba abancede. INkosi yabo ethandekayo yajika, ilizwi layo liphelisa ukoyika kwabo, “Yomelelani, ndim; musani ukoyika.” Ngako nje ukuba bakwazi ukuyibulela le nyaniso imangalisayo, waba ngathi uPetros akakho zingqondweni luvuyo. Ngokungathi akakakholwa ncam, wakhwaza, “Nkosi, ukuba nguwe, yitsho ndize kuwe ndihamba phezu kwamanzi. Wathi ke yena, Yiza.”ULw 381.3

Ekhangele kuYesu, uPetros wahamba ekhuselekile; kodwa njengaxa anelisekile, wathi krwaqu ngasemva kumaqabane akhe emkhombeni, amehlo wakhe asuka kuMsindisi. Umoya uyavuthuza. Amaza ayagebhuza, kwaye eza ngqo phakathi kwakhe neNkosi; yena ngoku uyoyika. Okomzuzwana, uYesu akabonakali kuye, lwaye ukholo lwakhe lubaleka. Uyaqala ukutshona. Athe ngoku xa amaza athetha nokufa, uPetros ususa amehlo akhe kumanzi anomsindo, uwamilisela kuYesu, uyakhala, “Nkosi, ndisindise.” Kwangoko uYesu wasibamba isandla esoluliweyo, wathi, “Ehla wena ulukholo luncinane, uthandabuzelani na?” ULw 381.4

Behamba beyamene, isandla sikaPetros sikweseNkosi yakhe, bangena kunye emkhombeni. UPetros ngoku wathi bozololo wathula.Kwakungekho angaqhayisa ngayo kwabakubo, kuba ngokungakholwa nangokuziphakamisa, waphantsa walahlekana nobomi bakhe. Wathi akuwasusa amehlo akhe kuYesu, walahlekwa yindawo yokunyathela, watshona phakathi kwamaza. ULw 381.5

Xa inkathazo ifika phezu kwethu, indlela esithi sifane ngayo noPetros! Sikhangela amaza, endaweni yokuwagcina amehlo ethu emiliselwe kuMsindisi. Amanyathelo ethu ayatyibilika, athi amanzi azidlayo ayigubungele imiphefumlo yethu. UYesu akazange athi kuPetros makaze kuYe ukuze atshabalale; akasibizi ukuba simlandele, aze asilahle. “Musa ukoyika;” utsho; “ngokuba ndikukhulule ngokukuhlawulela; ndikubizile ngegama lakho, ungowam. Xa uthi uwele emanzini, ndoba nawe: nasemilanjeni, ayisayi kukuntywilisela; xa uthi uhambe emlilweni, akuyi kurhawuka, nelangatye lingakutshisi. Ngokuba mna, Yehova, ndinguThixo wakho, mna, Ngcwele kaIsrayeli, ndingumsindisi wakho.” Isa. 43:1-3.ULw 382.1

UYesu wasifunda isimilo sabafundi baKhe. Wazi ukuba lwaluza kulingwa kabuhlungu kangakanani ukholo lwabo. Kwesi siganeko saselwandle, walangazelela ukutyhila kuPetros obakhe ubuthakathaka,--ukubonisa ukuba ukhuseleko lwakhe lwalusekubeni athi rhoqo ukuxhomekeka kumandla ezulu. Phakathi kweenkqwithela zezihendo wayenako ukuhamba ekhuselekile kuphela xa ethi, ngokungazithembi ngokupheleleyo, asuke axhomekeke kuMsindisi. Kwakukwindawo apho wayezicingela ukuba womelele apho uPetros wayengenawo amandla; kwada kwalilixa lokuba akuqonde ukungabi namandla kwakhe apho wasiqondayo isidingo sakhe sokuxhomekeka kuKristu. Ukuba wayesifundile isifundo uYesu awayefuna ukumfundisa sona ngaloo mava aphezu kolwandle, ngewayengazange asilele xa uvavanyo olukhulu lwalufika phezu kwakhe. ULw 382.2

Imihla ngemihla, uThixo uyabafundisa abantwana baKhe. Ngeziganeko zobomi bemihla ngemihla ubalungisela ukuba bayidlale indawo yabo kwiqonga elibanzi ekuthe ngokubonelela kwaKhe wabanyulela lona. Ngumcimbi wokulingwa yonke imihla owenza isigqibo ngoloyiso lwabo okanye ukoyiswa kwimeko emandundu yobomi. ULw 382.3

Abo basilelayo ukukuqonda ukuxhomekeka kwabo kwamaxesha wonke kuThixo baya koyiswa sisilingo. Singacinga ngoku ukuba iinyawo zethu zimi ziqinile, nokuba asisayi kuze sishukunyiswe. Singatsho ngesibindi ukuthi, “Ndiyamazi endikholiweyo nguYe; akukho nto inokundishukumisa elukholweni lwam kuThixo naselizwini laKhe.” Ngeli xesha kunjalo, uSathana yena uthabatha ithuba ngenxa yemfuza yethu neempawu zesimilo esikhule sisondla, kwakunye nokusimfamekisa ukuba singaziboni izinto esizisweleyo kunye neziphako zethu. Kuphela ngokubuqonda ubuthakathaka bethu nokuhlala sikhangele ngokuzinzileyo kuYesu esinokuthi sihambe sikhuselekile. ULw 382.4

Kuthe ngako nje ukuba uYesu athabathe indawo yaKhe emkhombeni, umoya wadamba, “kwaoko umkhombe waba semhlabeni lowo babesiya kuwo.” Ubusuku boloyiko balandelwa kukukhanya kokusa. Abafundi, kwakunye nabanye ababenabo emkhombeni, bawa ezinyaweni zikaYesu beneentliziyo ezizaliswe ngumbulelo, besithi, “Inyaniso, unguNyana kaThixo!” ULw 382.5