Ukuphila Kwamakristu Ekhulu Lokuqala

“Abasebenzayo Ekhaya”

“Manje njengoba behamba, wangena emzaneni othile. Lapha owesifazane othile ogama lakhe linguMarta wamamukela njengesivakashi endlini. Lona wesifazane wayenodadewabo futhi, obizwa ngokuthi uMariya, lowo, nokho, yena wahlala phansi ezinyaweni zeNkosi walalela izwi layo. Ngakolunye uhlangothi, uMarta wayethikanyezwa ukunakekela imisebenzi eminingi. Ngakho, wasondela wathi: ‘Nkosi, akunandaba yini kuwe ukuthi udadewethu ungishiye ngedwa ukuba nginakekele izinto? Ngakho-ke, mtshele ukuba angisize.’ INkosi iphendula yathi kuye: ‘Marta, Marta, ukhathazwa futhi uphazanyiswa izinto eziningi. Nokho, kudingeka izinto ezimbalwa, noma eyodwa kuphela. UMariya yena ukhethe isabelo esihle, ngeke aphucwe sona.’” —LUKA 10:38-42.

KUSOBALA ukuthi uMarta wayengowesifazane okhuthele. Akungabazeki ukuthi abanye abantu babemhlonipha kakhulu. Ngokwesiko lamaJuda ekhulu lokuqala, umuntu wesifazane wayebonisa ubufazi bakhe ngokukhuthala emisebenzini yasekhaya nangokuba nekhono lokuwunakekela kahle umndeni wakhe.

Abesifazane abangamaKristu bangekhulu lokuqala nabo babekhuthazwa ukuba babe “abasebenzayo ekhaya.” (Thithu 2:5) Kodwa babenelinye ilungelo nomthwalo wemfanelo wokufundisa abanye ngokholo lwabo njengamaKristu. (Mathewu 28:19, 20; IzEnzo 2:18) Imiphi eminye ‘yemisebenzi eminingi’ owesifazane ongumJuda wangekhulu lokuqala okwakudingeka ayenze? Yisiphi isifundo esingasifunda emazwini uJesu awasho ngoMariya?

“Ukunakekela Imisebenzi Eminingi” Inkosikazi engumJuda yayivuka kusempondozankomo. (IzAga 31:15) Ngemva kokuphekela umndeni wayo iphalishi lasekuseni, yayingase iphelezele amadodana ayo lapho eya esikoleni sasesinagogeni. Amadodakazi ayo ayehlala ekhaya ukuze afundiswe amakhono okuba amakhosikazi akahle esikhathini esizayo.

Umama namadodakazi akhe babeqala usuku ngokwenza imisebenzi yasekhaya evamile—ukugcwalisa ngamafutha izibani zokukhanyisa (1), ukushanela (2) nokusenga izimbuzi (3). Ngemva kwalokho, babebhaka isinkwa esizodliwa ngalolo suku. Ukuze kuphume okungcolile, amantombazane ayeqala ngokusefa okusanhlamvu (4) abese ekugaya ngetshe lokugaya (5). Umama wayebe esexova inhlama esebenzisa ufulawa, amanzi nemvubelo. (6) Ngemva kwalokho, wayeyibeka ukuze ikhukhumale ngesikhathi esaqhubeka neminye imisebenzi. Phakathi nalesi sikhathi, amantombazane ayejiyisa ubisi lwembuzi olusanda kusengwa enze ushizi (7).

Uma kuphakama ilanga, umama namadodakazi akhe babengase baye emakethe. Lapho umama esefikile, umoya onuka izinongo wawumjabulisa kodwa acasulwe umsindo wemfuyo nabantu abaphikisana ngamanani ezinto ezithengiswayo. Wayebe esethenga izinto azozidinga ngalolo suku (8). Kusihlwa, umndeni wakhe wawungase udle imifino nenhlanzi eyomisiwe. Uma engumKristu, wayesebenzisa leli thuba ukuze akhulume ngokholo lwakhe kwabanye emakethe.—IzEnzo 17:17.

Umama okhuthele wayengase asisebenzise kahle isikhathi njengoba ehamba emgwaqweni eya noma ebuya emakethe, esiza izingane zakhe ukuba zazi izimiso zemiBhalo futhi zizazise. (Duteronomi 6:6, 7) Wayengase futhi axoxe namadodakazi akhe ngezimiso ezingase ziwasize ukuba onge lapho ethenga.—IzAga 31:14, 18.

Omunye umsebenzi wansuku zonke wabesifazane kwakuwukuya emthonjeni (9). Emthonjeni, babekha amanzi azosetshenziswa umndeni, mhlawumbe baxoxe nabanye abesifazane abazokukha amanzi. Uma sebebuyile, umama namadodakazi akhe babeqala ukubhaka. Okokuqala, babebulunga inhlama ibe izindilinga eziyizicaba, bese beyifaka kuhhavini osuke usushisa kakade (10), ngokuvamile owawuba ngaphandle. Njengoba belinde lezo zinkwa ukuba zivuthwe babejabulela iphunga elimnandi lesinkwa bebe bezidlela ingevu kamnandi.

Ngemva kwalokho, babengase baye emfuleni oseduze ukuze bayohlanza izingubo (11). Okokuqala, abesifazane babezihlanza ngokucophelela izingubo ngensipho ye-lye, i-sodium noma ye-potassium carbonate ababeyenza ngomlotha wezitshalo ezithile. Ngemva kokuyakaza izingubo nokuzivoma, babezineka ezihlahleni noma emadwaleni aseduze.

Ngemva kokubuya ekhaya nezingubo esezihlanzekile, umama namadodakazi akhe babeya ophahleni lwendlu bahlale khona ukuze (12) bachibiyele noma bathunge izingubo ezidinga ukulungiswa ngaphambi kokuzibeka lapho zihlala khona. Kamuva wayengase afundise amadodakazi akhe ukufekethisa izindwangu nokuluka (13). Kusenjalo, kwakudingeka ukuba abesifazane baqale ukupheka ukudla kwakusihlwa (14). Njengoba izivakashi zazithandwa, umama wayepheka ukudla okuningi ukuze bakwazi ukupha isivakashi isinkwa, imifino, ushizi, inhlanzi eyomisiwe namanzi abandayo.

Ebusuku lapho sekuyisikhathi sokuba izingane zilale, umama wayengase anakekele ingane okungenzeka ilimale idolo ngokuyigcobisa ngamafutha. Ngemva kwalokho, abazali babengase bafundele izingane zabo indaba esemiBhalweni bekhanyise ngelambu elilokozayo futhi bathandaze nazo. Njengoba sekuthulekile futhi behlezi endlini yabo engadle ngabukhazikhazi, umyeni wayezizwa eneqholo lokutshela umkakhe la mazwi adumile: “Ngubani ongathola umfazi onekhono? Inani lakhe lilidlula kude elamakhorali.”—IzAga 31:10.

Ukukhetha “Isabelo Esihle” Akungatshazwa ukuthi abesifazane bekhulu lokuqala abakhuthele ‘babenemisebenzi eminingi’ eyayibagcina bematasa. (Luka 10:40) Nanamuhla, abesifazane, ikakhulukazi abanezingane, banokuphila okumatasa. Imishini yobuchwepheshe seyenze ukuba eminye imisebenzi yasekhaya ibe lula. Kodwa omama abaningi baphoqwa izimo ukuba banakekele imindeni yabo baphinde baye emisebenzini.

Naphezu kwezinselele ababhekana nazo, abesifazane abaningi abangamaKristu namuhla balingisa isibonelo sikaMariya, okukhulunywe ngaye ekuqaleni. Izinto ezingokomoya yizona ezibaluleke kakhulu kubo. (Mathewu 5:3) Bayinakekela kahle imindeni yabo, njengoba imiBhalo ibakhuthaza. (IzAga 31:11-31) Kodwa futhi baphila ngezimiso uJesu azitshela uMarta. Njengowesifazane othanda uNkulunkulu, walalela isikhumbuzo esinomusa. Abesifazane abangamaKristu abavumeli ukuba imisebenzi yabo yasekhaya iphazamise amathuba okufunda ngoNkulunkulu (15) noma okukhuluma nabanye ngokholo lwabo. (Mathewu 24:14; Hebheru 10:24, 25) Ngokwenza kanjalo, bakhetha “isabelo esihle.” (Luka 10:42) Lokhu kubenza bathandeke kakhulu kuNkulunkulu, kuKristu nasemindenini yabo.—IzAga 18:22.