61—UZakeyu

[Esi sahluko sisekwe kuLuka 19:1-10.]

Endleleni esinga eYerusalem, “waye uYesu ecanda eYeriko.” Kwiimayile ezimbalwa ukusuka eYordan, ngakungqameko lwasentshona kwintlambo enabele ethafeni, kwakukho isixeko phakathi kohlaza nobuhle bendalo eqhamileyo. Sinemithi yamasundu nezitiya ezityebileyo ezifumana amanzi aphuma emithonjeni ephilileyo, sasibonakala sibengezela ngokwamatye anqabileyo kwiinduli ezintle nakwimilanjana eyayibaleka phakathi kweYerusalem nesixeko samathafa. ULw 552.1

Yayimininzi imiqodi esendleleni eya esidlweni eyayicanda eYeriko. Ukufika kwayo kwakulithuba elixakekileyo, kodwa ngoku kwakukho umdla omkhulu ophazamisa abantu. Kwakusaziwa ukuba uRabhi waseGalili obesanda kuvusela uLazaro ebomini wayephakathi kwenginginya; kanti ke, nangona ukuhleba kwakukukhulu ngento eyayicetywa ngababingeleli, isihlwele sona sasikufuna ngamandla ukumnika imbeko. ULw 552.2

IYeriko yayisesinye sezixeko zakudala esasibekelwe bucala ababingeleli, kwaye ngeli xesha, babebaninzi kakhulu ababingeleli ababehlala khona. Sona isixeko sasikwanabantu abazimo zabo zahlukene kakhulu. Yayiliziko elikhulu labahambi abaninzi, aye amagosa aseRoma namasoldati, kunye nabasemzini abaphuma kwiindawo ezahlukeneyo, befumaneka apho, lo gama ukuqokelelwa kwerhafu kwayenza ukuba ibe yindawo enababuthi berhafu abaninzi. ULw 552.3

“Intloko yababuthi berhafu,” uZakeyu, wayengumYuda, othiyiweyo ngabantubezwe lakubo. Umgangathowakhenobutyebibakhe babungumvuzo wobizo ababeluthiyile, nolwaluthatyathwa njengelinye igama lokuswela ubulungisa nokucudisa. Kanti ke, eli gosa leziko lerhafu lisisityebi, lalingeyiyo le ndoda iqaqadekileyo yehlabathi ngokupheleleyo, njengoko yayibonakala injalo. Ngaphantsi kwembonakalo yokuthanda ihlabathi kunye nekratshi, kwakukho intliziyo eyayilungele ukwamkela iimpembelelo ezingcwele zezulu. UZakeyu wayevile ngoYesu. Ingxelo yaLowo wayeziphethe ngobubele nembeko ngakudidi olulahlelwe phantsi yaya kufika kuyo yonke indawo. Oku kwavusa ulangazelelo lobomi obungcono kwintloko yababuthi berhafu. Kwiimayile nje ezimbalwa ukusuka apho eYeriko, uYohane umbhaptizi wayeshumayele eYordan, kwaye uZakeyu wayeluvile ubizo lokuba kuguqukwe. Umyalelo owawusithi kubabuthi berhafu, “Ningabizi okungaphezu kwenikumiselweyo,” (Luka 3:13), nangona ngaphandle wayewutyeshele, wawubethelelekile engqondweni yakhe. Wayezazi iziBhalo, kwaye oyisakele ukuba oko wayekwenza kwakungalunganga. Ngoku, xa esiva amazwi athethwayo ephuma kwiTitshala eNkulu, waziva engumoni phambi kukaThixo. Ukanti ke, oko wakuvayo ngoYesu kwaqalisa ithemba entliziyweni yakhe. Inguquko, ukuhlaziyeka kobomi, zizinto ezazinako ukwenzeka, nakuye; kanti omnye wabona bafundi bathenjiweyo beTitshala entsha wayengenguye umbuthi werhafu sini na? UZakeyu waqala kwangoko ukuyilandela inkolo yengqondo yakhe eyamthimbayo, nokwenza imbuyekezo kwabo wayebonile. ULw 553.1

Wayesele eqalile ngoko ukulilanda ikhondo lakhe, ngexesha iindaba zivakala eYeriko ukuba uYesu wayengena esixekweni. UZakeyu wazimisela ukuba ambone. Wayesele eqala ukubuqonda ubukrakra beziphumo zesono, nokuba inzima njani kuye indlela yokubuya kwikhondo elingalunganga. Ukungaqondakali, ukukrokrelwa nokungathenjwa ekuzameni ukulungisa iziphoso zakhe, kwakuyinto enzima ukuyithwala. Intloko yababuthi berhafu yalangazelela ukubona ubuso baLowo umazwi aKhe azisa ithemba entliziyweni yakhe.ULw 553.2

Izitrato zazixinene, abe uZakeyu, owayemfutshane, engakwazi ukubona nto ngaphaya kweentloko zabantu. Kwakungekho unokumvulela indlela; ngoko ke, wabalekela phambili apha esihlweleni, waya kumthi womthombe omasebe awo ayenabele phezu kwendlela, sakhwela apho isityebi sombuthi werhafu, sazenzela isihlalo emasebeni, apho sasiza kuwubona kakuhle umqokozo odlula ngaphantsi. Inkitha iyasondela, iyadlula, uZakeyu ujongisisa ngamehlo anenzondelelo lo anga angambona. ULw 553.3

Ngaphezu kwengxolo yababingeleli noorabhi kunye nemikhwazo yokumamkela ephuma esihlweleni, umnqweno ongavakaliswanga wentloko yababuthi berhafu wathetha entliziyweni kaYesu. Ngequbuliso, kanye apha phantsi komthi womkhiwane, xhungu iqela, iqela elisemva neliphambili limile, kukho Okhangela phezulu, kwathiukukhangela kwaKhe kwanga kufunda umphefumlo. Yaya yangenwa kukuzithandabuza izivo zayo le indoda esemthini xa isiva amazwi, athi, “Zakeyu, khawuleza uhle; kuba namhlanje ndimelwe kukuhlala endlwini yakho.”ULw 554.1

Isihlwele savul’ indlela, uZakeyu, ehamba ngokungathi usephupheni, wayikhokela indlela esinga ekhayeni lakhe. Bona oorabhi bakukhangela oku bejamile, bedumzela ukunganeliseki nokugculela, “Ungene waya kulala kwindoda engumoni.” ULw 554.2

UZakeyu wayoyisakele, ekwankqisiwe, ephelelwe ngamazwi ngenxa yothando nokuhla kukaKristu athobe kuye, engakufanele kangako oko. Ngoku uthando nokunyaniseka kwiNkosi asanda kuyifumana kwayivulaimilebeyakhe.Ukuvuma nenguquko yakhe zizinto aza kuzenza esidlangalaleni.ULw 554.3

Phambi kwesihlwele, “wema ke uZakeyu, wathi kuyo iNkosi, Uyabona, isiqingatha sempahla yam, Nkosi, ndisinika amahlwempu; nokuba ndidle into kabani ngokumtyhola, ndimbuyisela kane.”ULw 555.1

“Uthe ke uYesu kuye, Namhlanje kufike usindiso kule ndlu, ngokuba naye engunyana ka-Abraham.”ULw 555.2

Xa indodana eselula esisityebi yayisimka kuYesu, abafundi bakhwankqiswa yintetho yeNkosi yabo, xa isithi, “Hayi, ukuba ngenkankulu ukuthi abakholose ngobutyebi bangene ebukumkanini bukaThixo!” Bakhuza omnye komnye, besithi, “Ngubani na ongasindiswayo?” Ngoku, babe nomboniso wobunyaniso bamazwi kaKristu, athi, “Izinto ezingenakwenzeka kubantu, zinokwenzeka kuye uThixo.” Marko 10:24, 26; Luka 18:27. Bayibona indlela, ekuthi ngobabalo lukaThixo, indoda esisityebi ibe nokungena ebukumkanini. ULw 555.3

Kwangaphambi kokuba uZakeyu akhangele ebusweni bukaKristu, wayesele ewuqalile umsebenzi owamenza ukuba abonakale enokuzohlwaya kwenene. Phambi kokuba amangalelwe ngumntu, wayesele esivumile isono sakhe. Wayeziyekele ekuthinjweni nguMoya Oyingcwele, waza waqala ukuyenza imfundiso yamazwi awabhalelwa uIsrayeli wakudala, kwakunye nathi ngokwethu. Mandulo, kwamhla mnene, uYehova wayethe, “Xa athe umzalwana wakho wanzonza, isandla sakhe solukela kuwe, somomeleza, aphile nawe engumphambukeli, elundwendwe kuwe. Musa ukuthabatha nzala kuye, nalwando lwemboleko; uze woyike uThixo wakho, aphile umzalwana wakho kuwe. Imali yakho uze ungamniki ngenxa yenzala, ungamniki ukudla kwakho ngenxa yolwando lwemboleko.” “Ize ningabandezelani; uze umoyike uThixo wakho.” Lev. 25:35-37, 17. La mazwi athethwa nguKristu ngexesha wayegqunywe entsikeni yelifu, yaza impendulo yokuqala kaZakeyu kuthando lukaKristu yakukubonakalalisa imfesane ngakumahlwempu nababulalekayo. ULw 555.4

Phakathi kwababuthi berhafu, kwakukho ukuhlangana, khon’ ukuze bakwazi ukucinezela abantu, baxhasane bona kwizenzo zabo zobuqhetseba. Ekucudiseni kwabo babesenza into eyayiphantse ukuba lisiko lezwe lonke. Nababingeleli noorabhi ababebajongele phantsi nabo babe netyala lokuzityebisa ngezenzo ezifihlakeleyo kubizo lwabo olungcwele. Noko kunjalo, ngako nje ukuba uZakeyu aziyekele kwimpembelelo kaMoya Oyingcwele, wakhawuleza wasiyeka sonke isenzo esichasene nobulungisa.ULw 555.5

Ayikho inguquko eyiyo engakusebenziyo ukuhlaziyeka. Ubulungisa bukaKristu abuyiyo inguboyokugquma isonoesingavunywanga sashiywa; ngumthetho-siseko wobomi osenza sibe sitsha isimilo, othi ulawule ukuziphatha. Ubungcwele kukuphelela kuThixo; kukunikelwa ngokupheleleyo kwentliziyo nobomi ukuba bube yindawo yokuhlala imithetho-siseko yezulu.ULw 556.1

UmKristu kubomi bakhe bokusebenza kufuneka abonise ehlabathini indlela iNkosi yethu ebiya kushishina ngayo. Kuko konke okwenziwayo kufuneka enze kucace ukuba uThixo uyititshala yakhe. “Ubungcwele kuThixo” sisaci ekufuneka sibhalwe kuzo zonke iincwadi zocwangciso lokwenziwa imihla ngemihla, apho kufakwa khona iingxelo zemali engenayo nephumayo, namatyala awenziwayo ekuthengeni nasekuthengiseni. Abo bathi bangabalandeli bakaKristu, babe besenza ngendlela engenabo ubulungisa, bathwele ubungqina obuxokayo obuchasene nesimilo esingcwele, esinobulungisa, nesinemfesane sikaThixo. Wonke umphefumlo oguqukileyo, njengoZakeyu, ubonisa ukungena kukaKristu entliziyweni yawo ngokuyeka iindlela okanye izenzo ezikhohlakeleyo eziba ziluphawu lobomi bawo. Njengombuthi werhafu oyintloko, uya kunika ubungqina bokunyaniseka ngokwenza imbuyekezo. UYehova uthi, “. . . [aze] ongendawo asibuyise isibambiso, ayimisele into ehluthwe nguye, ahambe nemimiselo yobomi, angenzi ngobugqwetha: . . . zonke izono zakhe awona ngazo aziyikukhunjulelwa kuye; . . . inene, wophila.” Hez. 33:15, 16.ULw 556.2

Ukuba sithe sabalimaza abanye ngokungabi nabulungisa ekwenzeni kwethu ushishino nabo, ukuba sigqithile emdeni ekurhwebeni, okanye saqhatha nabani, nangona kungaba kungaphakathi komthetho, kufuneka sikuvume ukungalungisi kwethu, size senze imbuyekezo kangangoko sinako. Kusilungele ukuba sibuyisele, kungekuphela oko sikuthabathileyo, kodwa konke oko bekuya kongezeka ukuba bekubekwe ngendlela elungileyo nenobulumko ngexesha bekuza kuba kugcinwe sithi.ULw 556.3

KuZakeyu, uMsindisi wathi, “Namhlanje kufike usindiso kule ndlu.” Akuzange kusikelelwe uZakeyu kuphela, kodwa nendlu yakhe yonke eyayikunye naye. UKristu waya ekhayeni lakhe ukuba amnike izifundo zenyaniso, nokuba afundise indlu yakhe ngezinto zobukumkani. Babevalelwe ngaphandle ezindlwini zesikhungu kukudelela kwabafundisi nabantu abanqulayo; kodwa ngoku, beyeyona ntsapho isikelelwe kakhulu kuyo yonke iYeriko, babuthelana kwelabo ikhaya bengqonge iTitshala yezulu, bazivela ngokwabo amazwi obomi. ULw 556.4

Kungexesha athe uKristu wamkelwa njengoMsindisi oluthi usindiso lufike emphefumlweni. UZakeyu wamamkela uYesu, kungafaniyo nomhambi odlulayo ekhayeni lakhe, kodwa ngokwaLowo uhlala etempileni yomphefumlo. Ababhali nabaFarisi bamtyhola ngokuba ngumoni, baza bamkrokrela [bamkhalazela] uKristu ngokuba lundwendwe lwakhe, kodwa iNkosi yamamkela njengonyana ka-Abraham. Kaloku, “Abaselukholweni, ngabo abo abangoonyana baka-Abraham.” Gal. 3:7.ULw 556.5