Umbono WeBhayibheli
Ubani Oyisikhonzi?
NGOBUSUKU obandulela ukufa kukaJesu komhlatshelo, abangane bakhe abaseduze bahileleka empikiswaneni evuthayo. NgokukaLuka 22:24, “kwavela futhi impikiswano evuthayo phakathi kwabo ngokuthi ubani kubo owayebonakala emkhulu kunabo bonke.” Abaphostoli bakaJesu babengaqali ukuphikisana ngalokhu. Okungenani izikhathi ezimbili ngaphambili, kwakuye kwadingeka ukuba uJesu alungise ukucabanga kwabo.
Yeka ukuthi kwakudabukisa kanjani ukuthi ngalobu busuku obunzima kangaka, uJesu wazithola kufanele aphinde abakhumbuze ukuthi isikhonzi esingumKristu kufanele sibe njani ngempela. Wathi: “Lowo omkhulu kunani nonke makabe njengomncane kunani nonke, futhi lowo osebenza njengenduna abe njengokhonzayo.”—Luka 22:26.
Akufanele kusimangaze ukuthi abaphostoli babenombono oyiphutha ngokubaluleka kwesikhundla nokuvelela. Ngaphambi kokuba kufike uJesu, ababhali nabaFarisi ababebabekelé isibonelo esiyinhloko endabeni yobuholi kwezenkolo. Esikhundleni sokuyala futhi ziqondise abantu ngokomoya, lezi zikhonzi zamanga zazibeka amasiko nemithetho eqinile, ‘zivala umbuso wamazulu phambi kwabantu.’ Zazithanda izikhundla eziphakeme, zifuna ukuvelela, zingabantu abanobugovu ababenza imisebenzi yabo beyenzela “ukuba babonwe abantu.”—Mathewu 23:4, 5, 13.
Uhlobo Olusha Lwesikhonzi
Nokho, uJesu wethula isici esisha senkonzo engokomoya kubafundi bakhe. Wafundisa: “Kodwa nina, maningabizwa ngokuthi Rabi, ngoba munye ongumfundisi wenu, kanti nonke nina ningabafowabo bomunye nomunye. Ngaphezu kwalokho, ningabizi muntu emhlabeni ngokuthi uyihlo, ngoba munye onguYihlo, yiLowo osezulwini. . . . Kodwa omkhulu kakhulu phakathi kwenu kumelwe abe isikhonzi senu.” (Mathewu 23:8-11) Abafundi bakaJesu kwakungafanele balingise abaholi benkolo bosuku lwabo. Uma babefuna ukuba yizikhonzi ngempela, kwakufanele balingise uJesu. Wabeka isibonelo esinjani?
IBhayibheli livame ukusebenzisa igama lesiGreki elithi di·aʹko·nos lapho likhuluma “ngesikhonzi.” I-Encyclopedia of Religion iyachaza ukuthi leli gama “alimeleli isikhundla kodwa ubuhlobo phakathi kwesikhonzi nalowo okhonzwayo: ukulandela isibonelo sikaKristu . . . yikho okubalulekile ekuqondeni kwamaKristu inkonzo.”
Ngokuvumelana nencazelo efanele yegama elithi “isikhonzi,” wazinikela ekusizeni abanye. Wachaza ngesineke: ‘INdodana yomuntu ayizelanga ukukhonzwa, kodwa ukukhonza nokunikela umphefumulo wayo ube isihlengo esenana abaningi.’ (Mathewu 20:28) UJesu wasebenzisa ngokungenabugovu isikhathi, amandla nekhono lakhe ukuze asize abanye ngokomzimba nangokomoya. Ngani? Ngoba wayefikelwa isihawu ngenxa yezixuku ezazixhashazwa ngokomoya ezazithutheleka zizombona. Wayefuna ukuzisiza. Inkonzo wayeyenza ngenxa yothando oluchichimayo ayenalo, futhi wayefuna ukuba abafundi bakhe babonise umoya wokupha ofanayo.—Mathewu 9:36.
Phakathi nokuphila kwakhe, uJesu wabekela izikhonzi zesikhathi esizayo isibonelo. Wathi: “Ukuvuna kukhulu, kodwa izisebenzi zimbalwa. Ngakho-ke, ncengani iNkosi yokuvuna ukuba ithumele izisebenzi ekuvuneni kwayo.” (Mathewu 9:37, 38) Yebo, izikhonzi zikaKristu kwakufanele zibe yizisebenzi emsebenzini omkhulu kunayo yonke izwe elake layibona—ukududuza ngokomoya sonke isintu ngokushumayela nangokufundisa izindaba ezinhle zoMbuso kaNkulunkulu.—Mathewu 28:19, 20.
Lokhu kugxila ekupheni nasekukhonzeni izidingo zabanye yikho okwenza indlela kaKristu yokukhonza ibe ehluke kangaka. Wafundisa izikhonzi zakhe ukuba zibe izisebenzi ezizikhandlayo, abadobi nabelusi abangokomoya, hhayi izifundiswa ezingaqondakali ezigqoka imijiva ephambili.—Mathewu 4:19; 23:5; Johane 21:15-17.
Umbono WeBhayibheli
Ngokudabukisayo, phakathi namakhulu eminyaka lo mbono omuhle nowokungabi nabugovu wokuba izikhonzi zizinikele njengabashumayeli nabafundisi abazidelayo wasonteka. Lokho okwaqala njengenkonzo yobuKristu kwaphenduka isikhungo semfundo esinochungechunge lwezikhundla. Kwaba khona abasezikhundleni nabangaphansi kwabo, futhi kwaba nodumo namandla, futhi ngokuvamile kwakuqokelelwa ingcebo enkulu. Lokhu kwabangela ukuhlukana. Kwakheka iqembu labefundisi elalizinikele kakhulu ekukhipheni amasakramente enkolo nasekwelulekeni abaphuma endleleni. Emakhulwini eminyaka alandela, ubuKristu bangekhulu lokuqala bashintsha ekubeni yinkolo ekhuthele lapho wonke umuntu ayeyisikhonzi khona, baba inkolo evilaphayo lapho kwakushumayela futhi kufundise khona abantu abambalwa abaqeqeshiwe nabagunyaziwe.
Nokho, iBhayibheli lichaza isikhonzi esingumKristu, hhayi ngemijiva ephambili, isiko eliyinkimbinkimbi, umholo, noma umyalo kahulumeni, kodwa ngokusebenza kwakhe ngokungenabugovu. Umphostoli uPawulu waveza isimo sengqondo izikhonzi ezingamaKristu okufanele zibe naso. Wazikhuthaza ukuba ‘zingenzi lutho ngokuzazisa kodwa zenze ngokuthobeka kwengqondo.’—Filipi 2:3.
Ngokuqinisekile uPawulu wayekwenza lokho ayekushumayela. Enamathela ngokuseduze endleleni kaKristu, akazange afune ‘inzuzo yakhe siqu kodwa eyabaningi, ukuze basindiswe.’ Wawuqonda futhi wawuzwa ngokujulile umthwalo wemfanelo ‘wokunikeza izindaba ezinhle ngaphandle kwenkokhiso,’ njengoba athi, “ukuze ngingalisebenzisi kabi igunya lami ezindabeni ezinhle.” Wayengafuni “inkazimulo evela kubantu.”—1 Korinte 9:16-18; 10:33; 1 Thesalonika 2:6.
Yeka isibonelo esivelele sesikhonzi esingumKristu weqiniso! Labo abalingisa isibonelo sakhe esihle futhi bahambe endleleni yokuzidela eyabekwa uJesu Kristu, bezinikela ngokuzithandela ekunikezeni usizo olungokomoya nenduduzo yezindaba ezinhle kwabanye, bazibonakalisa beyizikhonzi zikaNkulunkulu zeqiniso.—1 Petru 2:21.