Izazi Ezintathu—Iqiniso Noma Indaba Eqanjiwe?

“C + M + B”

Ingabe lezinhlamvu zisho okuthile kuwe? Uma uhlala engxenyeni yamaRoma Katolika yeFederal Republic of Germany, zingasho okuthile. Lapho uyozibona njalo lezinhlamvu kanye nonyaka zilotshwe ezinsikeni zeminyango. Kungani kunjalo?

Inganekwane edumile ithi lezinhlamvu ziyizinhlamvu zokuqala ngesiJalimane zalabo ababizwa ngokuthi iZazi ezintathu, noma “amadoda ahlakaniphile,” uGaspar (ngesiJalimane Caspar), uMelchior, noBalthasar.a Kuthiwa, amathambo eZazi athuthelwa eCologne ngonyaka ka-1164 futhi kamuva abekwa esontweni lalelidolobha, kanjalo iCologne yenziwa isikhungo sokukhulekelwa kwazo. Minyaka yonke, ngoJanuary 6—owaziwa ngokuthi uMkhosi wamaKhosi Amathathu Angcwele—amaqembu entsha egqokise okwamakhosi asendulo angena endlini ngendlu abhale lezinhlamvu ezinsikeni zeminyango. Ngokwesiko, lokhu kunikeza abaninikhaya isivikelo eshweni.

Ubuciko benkolo nesiko kubonisa ukuthi leziZazi ezintathu, noma “amakhosi” zaholwa “inkanyezi” zaya lapho uJesu azalelwa khona. Ngokucabangela inhlonipho, ngisho nokukhulekela, okunikezwa “lamakhosi,” umbuzo uyaphakama wokuthi ingabe lenkolelo isekelwe emiBhalweni.

UMathewu uwukuphela kweVangeli elibhekisela kulezivakashi. (2:1-12) Kodwa ingabe uMathewu uyasho ukuthi zazintathu nokuthi zazingamakhosi, futhi ingabe uyawasho amagama azo? Iphephandaba lamaKatolika iKirchenzeitung für das Bistum Aachen liyavuma: “Amakhosi Amathathu Angcwele akubhekiselwa kuwo kanjalo eBhayibhelini. Kusukela ekhulwini lesithupha leminyaka, amadoda ahlakaniphile ayeqondakala ngokuthi . . . amakhosi amathathu. . . . Maqondana nenani lezazi zezinkanyezi, . . . uMathewu akanikezi mininingwane. . . . Ngekhulu lesishiyagalolunye leminyaka zavela okokuqala ngamagama uGaspar, Melchior, noBalthasar.” Ngaphezu kwalokho, incwadi yezikhombo yamaKatolika iLexikon für Theologie and Kirche iphawula ukuthi igama lesiGreki elithi maʹgoi alisho amakhosi, kodwa kunalokho lisho “abanolwazi olufihlakele lokufundwa kwezinkanyezi.” UJustin Martyr, uOrigen, noTertullian ngamunye leligama wayeliqonda njengelisho “isazi sezinkanyezi.” Izinguqulo zeBhayibheli zanamuhla nazo zisebenzisa elithi “izazi zezinkanyezi” kuMathewu 2:1, 7.—The Living Bible; An American Translation.

Nakuba izehlakalo eziphathelene nokuZalwa kukaJesu njengomntwana njalo zifaka “amakhosi amathathu,” ingabe ayekhona lapho ezalwa? Isichazamazwi siyanezela: “UMathewu 2:16 ubonisa ukuthi ukuvakasha kwenzeka mhlawumbe ngonyaka owodwa noma ngaphezulu ngemva kokuzalwa kukaJesu.” Yebo, ivesi 11 likhuluma “ngendlu,” hhayi ngesitebele, lapho “abona khona umntwana omncane.”b

Kuthiwani ngegama elithi “Amakhosi Angcwele”? Izivakashi zingabizwa yini ngokufanelekile ngokuthi zingcwele? UmBhalo awuzichazi neze njengezinjalo. Eqinisweni, zazingabaphuhi besimiso saphezulu. KuIsaya 47:13, 14, uNkulunkulu uyabalahla “abakhulekeli [“izazi zezinkanyezi,” ngokweSeptuagint] bamazulu, ababheka izinkanyezi.” (Qhathanisa noDuteronomi 18:10.) Lezizazi zezinkanyezi zazivela “empumalanga,” ngokunokwenzeka okwakuyisikhungo sangalesosikhathi sokukhulekela kwemilingo, iBabiloni elingengcwele, lapho zazikhulekela khona onkulunkulu bamanga. Kanjalo, zaqondiswa yilokho ezazicabanga ukuthi “inkanyezi” ehambayo, okungekho noyedwa okubikwa ukuthi wayibona. Futhi, uMathewu ubonisa ukuthi okokuqala “inkanyezi” yaziholela eNkosini uHerode, leyo eyabe isizama ukubulala uJesu.—Mathewu 2:1, 2.

Cha, uNkulunkulu akazange athumele “inkanyezi” ukuba iziqondise kuJesu. Akunakwenzeka yini ukuthi ‘lenkanyezi’ yayithunyelwe othile owayefuna ukubhubhisa uJesu ngaphambi kokuba agcwalise isabelo sakhe asinikezwa uNkulunkulu?—Qhathanisa noGenesise 3:15.

UJesu waxwayisa ngokuthi iZwi likaNkulunkulu lingenziwa ‘libe-yize’ ngokuhhIanganisa ‘nesiko.’ (Mathewu 15:6) Amasiko azungeze labantu ngokusobala awekho ngokomBhalo. Khona-ke, awuvumi yini ukuthi kungaba okungafanele ukudumisa izazi zezinkanyezi noma ukuzibheka njengezingcwele?

[Imibhalo yaphansi]