60—Umthetho Wobukumkani Obutsha

[Esi sahluko sisekwe kuMat. 20:20-28; Marko 10:32-45; Luka 18:31-34.]

Ixesha lepasika lalisondele, waza uYesu waphinda wabheka ngaseYerusalem. Entliziyweni yaKhe kwakukho uxolo nokuba emnye nentando kaYise, waza wathi, ngamanyathelo anolangazelelo, wahamba waya kwindawo yombingelelo. Uvo lwemfihlakalo, lwentandabuzo noloyiko, lwabafikela abafundi. UMsindisi “ehamba phambi kwabo; baye bethe qhiphu umbilini, belandela besoyika.”ULw 547.1

UYesu waphinda wababizela kuYe abalishumi elinambini, wathi, ngokucace ngaphezulu kunangaphambili, wandlala phambi kwabo ukungcatshwa kwaKhe kunye nentlungu yaKhe. “Niyabona,” watsho, “siyenyuka, siya eYerusalem; zaye ziya kuphelela zonke izinto ezibhaliweyo ngabaprofeti, kuye uNyana woMntu. Kuba uya kunikelwa kuzo iintlanga, kudlalwe ngaye, aphathwe kakubi, atshicelwe; zimtyakatye, zimbulale; athi ngomhla wesithathu abuye avuke. Bona abaqondanga nento kwezi zinto; laye neli lizwi lifihlakele kubo, bebengazazi izinto ezithethwayo.” ULw 547.2

Bebengathanga ngaphambi koku bavakalisa kuyo yonke indawo, ukuba “Ubukumkani bamazulu busondele”? Ebengathanga uKristu ngokwaKhe wathembisa ukuba abaninzi baya kuhlala noAbraham noIsake noYakobi ebukumkanini bukaThixo? Ebengathembisanga kubo bonke abathe bashiya konke ngenxa yaKhe okuphindwe kalikhulu kobu bomi, nendawo ebukumkanini baKhe? Ebengabanikanga abalishumi elinambini isithembiso esisodwa sezikhundla eziphezulu ebukumkanini baKhe,--ukuhlala ezitroneni begweba izizwe ezilishumi elinambini zakwaIsrayeli? Nangoku ebethe izinto zonke ezibhalwe ngabaprofeti ngaYe zimele ukuzaliseka. Bona abaprofeti babengaxelanga kwangaphambili ngolawulo lukaMesiya? Ngenxa yezi ngcamango, amazwi aKhe ngokubhekiselele ekungcatshweni, ekutshutshisweni, nasekufeni abonakala ephum’ ecaleni engacacanga kakuhle. Nokuba ziingxaki ezinjani ezinokungenelela, babekholelwa ukuba ubukumkani babusele buza kumiswa.ULw 547.3

UYohane, unyana kaZebhedi, wayengomnye wabafundi ababini bokuqala abalandela uYesu. Yena nomntakwabo, uYakobi, babephakathi kweqela lokuqala elashiya konke ngenxa yomsebenzi waKhe. Ngovuyo, balishiya ikhaya nabahlobo ukuze babe kunye naYe; babehamba bencokola naYe; babe kunye naYe ngasese ekhaya, nakwimihlangano yasesidlangalaleni. Wayedambise uloyiko lwabo, wabahlangula engozini, waphilisa izigulo zabo, wathuthuzela iintlungu zabo, ngomonde nobubele, wabafundisa, zada iintliziyo zabo zaqhagamshelana neyaKhe, kwathi nakwincasa yothando lwabo balangazelela ukuba bayame kufuphi kuYe ebukumkanini baKhe. Ngalo lonke ithuba elifumanekayo, uYohane wathabatha indawo yakhe ecaleni loMsindisi, waza uYakobi wanga angaphakanyiselwa kolona luqhagamshelo lusondeleyo kuYe.ULw 548.1

Unina wayengumlandeli kaKristu, kwaye wayemlungiselela ngezinto anazo ngokukhululekileyo. Ngothando lukamama kunye nebhongo ngoonyana bakhe, wabawela ukuba bafumane eyona ndawo iphezlu ebukumkanini obutsha. Kungoko ke wathi wakhuthazeka ukuba enze esi sicelo.ULw 548.2

Bekunye, umama noonyana bakhe, beza kuYesu, becela ukuba asive isicelo sabo esasizinze kwiintliziyo zabo. ULw 548.3

“Nithanda ukuba ndinenzele ntoni na?” wabuza. ULw 548.4

Umama waphendula, “Yitsho baze aba nyana bam bobabini bahlale, omnye ngasekunene kwakho, omnye ngasekhohlo, ebukumkanini bakho.” ULw 548.5

UYesu wabanyamezela ngobubele, engakukhalimeli ukutsalela kwabo kubo ngokuhlonelwa ngaphezu kwabazalwana babo. Ufunda iintliziyo zabo, uyabazi ubunzulu bokunamathela kwabo kuYe. Uthando lwabo asikokuthanda nje komntu; nangona kungcolisiwe kukuthanda ihlabathi ijelo lwalo [uthando] elingumntu, lukukuphuphuma okuphuma kuthando lwaKhe, uthando oluhlangulayo. Akangxolisi, kodwa uhla nzulu ekuhlambululeni. Wathi, “Ninako na ukuyisela indebe endiza kuyisela mna, nibhaptizwe ngobhaptizo endibhaptizwa ngalo mna?” Bakhumbula amazwi aKhe ayimfihlakalo, awalatha ekulingweni nasentlungwini, kodwa kunjalo, baphendula ngesibindi, bathi, “Sinako.” Babeza kukubalela ekuthini kokona kuphakanyiselwa phezulu okukhulu ukubonisa ukunyaniseka kwabo ngokwaba nenxaxheba kuko konke okwakuza kuhla phezu kweNkosi yabo. ULw 548.6

“Okunene indebe yam niya kuyisela, nobhaptizo endibhaptizwa ngalo mnaniya kubhaptizwa kwangalo,” watsho;phambi kwaKhe kukho umnqamlezo endaweni yetrone, amabhada amabini angamaqabane aKhe, ekunene nangakwesasekhohlo. UYohane noYakobi babeza kwabelana neNkosi ekuphathekeni kakubi; omnye, waba ngowokuqala kubazalwana ukubulawa ngekrele; omnye, waba ngoyena wanyamezela ukusebenza nzima ixesha elide, ukugculelwa, nokutshutshiswa. ULw 549.1

“Kodwa kona ukuhlala ngasekunene kum, nangasekhohlo kum,” waqhubeka, “asikwam ukupha ngako; kophiwa abo kulungiselwe bona nguBawo.” Ebukumkanini bukaThixo, isikhundla asizuzwa ngamkhethe. Asizuswa ngakuthandwa, saye singazuzwa ngokunikwa ngomkhethe. Siba sisiphumo sesimilo. Isithsaba kunye netrone zizimpawu zemeko efikelelweyo; zizimpawu zokuzoyisa ngeNkosi uYesu Kristu. ULw 549.2

Kwithuba elide emva koko, xa abafundi babesele benziwa banovelwano noKristu ngokuqhelana neentlungu zaKhe, iNkosi yamtyhilela uYohane ukuba iyintoni imeko yokuba kufuphi ebukumkanini baKhe. “Lowo weyisayo,” wathi uKristu, “ndiya kumvumela ukuba ahlale nam etroneni yam, njengokuba nam ndeyisayo, ndaza ndahlala phantsi noBawo etroneni yakhe.” “Lowo weyisayo ndiya kumenza intsika etempileni yoThixo wam. Akayi kuba saphuma phandle; ndiya kulibhalela phezu kwakhe igama loThixo wam, . . . negama lam elitsha.” IsiTy. 3:21, 12. Kungoko uPawulos umpostile abhale, wathi, “Kuba mna sendithuluwa ngokomnikelo; nalo ixesha lokunduluka kwam likufuphi. Umzamo omhle ndiwuzamile, ugqatso ndilufezile, ukholo ndilugcinile. Okokugqibela ndibekelwe isithsaba sobulungisa, eya kundibuyisela ngaso ngaloo mini iNkosi, umgwebi olilungisa.” 2 Tim. 4:6-8.ULw 549.3

Lowo wayame kuKristu uya kuba ngulowo othe emhlabeni wasela ngokukhulu kumoya waKhe wothando lokuzincama,--uthando [ekuthiwa] “alugwagwisi; alukhukhumali, . . . alufuni okukokwalo kodwa; alucaphuki, alunanzondo” (1 Kor. 13:4-6),--uthando oluqhuba umfundi njengoko lwayiqhubayo iNkosi yethu, ukuba inikele konke, iphile, isebenze, kude kuse ekufeni, ukuze kusindiswe uluntu. Lo moya wabonakalaliswa ebomini bukaPawulos. Wathi, “Kuba kum mna, ukudla ubomi kunguKristu;” kuba ubomi bakhe babumtyhila uKristu ebantwini; “ukufa kuyinzuzo,“—inzuzo kuKristu; ukufa ngokwako kwakuza kubonakalalisa amandla obabalo lwaKhe, luze luhlanganisele imiphefumlo kuYe. “Enziwe mkhulu uKristu emzimbeni wam,” watsho, “nokuba na kungobomi, nokuba kungokufa.” Filipu 1:21, 20.ULw 549.4

Xa aba balishumi babesiva isicelo sikaYakobi noYohane, abazange baneliseke. Eyona ndawo iphezulu ebukumkanini yile, wonke umntu kubo wayezifunela yona, baza banomsindo kuba aba bafundi babini bengathi bafumene ithuba elihle ngaphezu kwabo.ULw 549.5

Kwabonakala ukuba ingxwabangxwaba engokuba, ngubani oya kuba ngoyena mkhulu, yayiza kuphinda ivuke kwakhona, xa uYesu, ebabizela kuYe, wathi kubafundi baKhe abacaphukileyo, “Niyazi ukuba abaphathi beentlanga bayazigagamela, nabo bazizikhulu benza ngegunya kuzo. Ze kungabi njalo ke phakathi kwenu nina.”ULw 550.1

Kubukumkani behlabathi, isikhundla sasithetha ukuzanelisa. Abantu kwakufuneka babekho ukuxhasa amaqela alawulayo. Impembelelo, ubutyebi, imfundo, yayizindlela ezininzi zokuzuza ulawulo kwizihlwele ukuba zisetyenziswe ziinkokeli zazo. Abakudidi oluphezulu kwakufuneka becingile, benze izigqibo, bonwabe, balawule; abasezantsi kwakufuneka bathobele, bakhonze. Inkolo, njengazo zonke ezinye izinto, yayingumcimbi wegunya. Kwakulindeleke ukuba abantu bakholwe benze ngokomyalelo wabaphezulu. Ilungelo lomntu njengomntu, lokucinga nokwenza ngokwakhe, lalingaziwa kwaphela. ULw 550.2

UKristu wayemisela ubukumkani kwimithetho-siseko eyahlukileyo. Wabiza abantu, bangezi egunyeni, kodwa ekukhonzeni, abanamandla ukuba bathwale ubuthakathaka babangenawo amandla. Amandla, isikhundla, italente, nemfundo, zazimbeka lowo onazo phantsi komthwalo omkhulu kakhulu wokukhonza abantu bakubo. Nakoyena uphantsi kubafundi bakaKristu, kuthiwa, “Konke oko kungenxa yenu.” 2 Kor. 4:15.ULw 550.3

“[Kuba] noNyana woMntu engezanga kulungiselelwa; weza kulungiselela, nokuncama ubomi bakhe, bube yintlawulelo yokukhulula abaninzi.” Phakathi kwabafundi baKhe, uKristu wayengumgcini wabo nomthwali wemithwalo yabo ngazo zonke iindlela. Wabelana nabo ngobuhlwempu, wazilandula ngenxa yabo, wahamba phambi kwabo ukulungisa ezona ndawo zinzima, kwaye kungekudala wayeza kuwugqibezela umsebenzi waKhe emhlabeni ngokububeka phantsi ubomi baKhe. Umthetho-siseko awayesebenza phantsi kwawo uKristu kukukhuthaza amalungu ebandla elingumzimba waKhe. Icebo nomhlaba wosindiso luthando. Ebukumkanini bukaKristu, bangabona bakhulu abo balandela umzekelo athe wawunika, baza basebenza njengabalusi bomhlambi waKhe.ULw 550.4

Amazwi kaPawulos atyhile indiliseko yenene nokubaluleka kobomi bobuKristu: “Kuba ndikhululekile nje kubo bonke, ndizikhonzisile kubo bonke,” “ndingafuni okwam ukulungelwa, ndifuna okwabaninzi, ukuze basindiswe.” 1 Kor. 9:19; 10:33.ULw 550.5

Kwimicimbi yesazela, umphefumlo kufuneka ushiywe ungaxakekiswanga. Akakho omnye ekufuneka alawule ingqondo yomnye, agwebe omnye, okanye amabele uxanduva lwakhe. UThixo unika yonke imiphefumlo inkululeko yokucinga nokulandela eyazo ingcinga. “Elowo kuthi uya kuziphendulela kuThixo.” Akakho onelungelo lokubandakanya ubuntu bakhe nobomnye. Yonke imicimbi, apho kubandakanyeka umthetho-siseko, “elowo nalowo makaqinisekekweyakhe ingqiqo.” Roma 14:12, 5. Ebukumkanini bukaKristu akukho kunyanzelwa ligunya nangayiphi indlela. Iingelosi zezulu azizi emhlabeni ukuza kulawula, nokunyanzelisa ukunikwa imbeko, kodwa njengabathunywa benceba, ukuba zisebenzisane nabantu ekuphakamiseni uluntu.ULw 551.1

Imithetho-siseko kunye namazwi emfundiso yoMsindisi, ngobuhle bobungcwele bawo, ahlala enkumbulweni yomfundi othandekayo. Kwada kwaba kwimihla yakhe yokugqibela, umthwalo yobungqina bukaYohane oya emabandleni, wathi, “Le yintshumayelo enayivayo kwasekuqalekeni, ukuba sithandane.” “Ngale nto silwazile uthando [lukaThixo], kuba yena wasincamela ubomi bakhe; nathi sifanele ukubancamela abazalwana ubomi bethu. 1 Yohane 3:11, 16.ULw 551.2

Yayingumoya lo owangena ebandleni lokuqala. Emva kokuthululwa kukaMoya Oyingcwele “inkitha yababekholiwe yayintliziyo-nye, imphefumlo mnye; kwaye kungekho namnye ubesithi kukho nto iyeyakhe empahleni yakhe.” “Kuba kwakungekho namnye phakathi kwabo, wayeswele.” “Baye abapostile bekungqinela ngamandla amakhulu ukuvuka kweNkosi uYesu; kwaye kukho ukubabalwa okukhulu kubo bonke.” Izenzo 4:32, 34, 33.ULw 551.3