Ingabe Impi Iyahambisana NobuKristu?

“Yiziphi izimiso zokuziphatha ezibonisa ukuthi impi yimbi noma iyisono? Le ndaba iyindida ngempela.”—U-Oliver O’Donovan, uprofesa wendlela yokuphila kwamaKristu

ISITHOMBE esibizwa ngokuthi i-Sacrifice, umdwebi waso asidweba ecabanga ngeMpi Yezwe I, sichonywe eCanadian War Museum, futhi sibonisa amasosha abulewe nasinde empini, kanye nemindeni yawo emakhaya. Ngenhla kwaleso sithombe, kulengiswe esikaJesu Kristu ebethelwe esiphambanweni. Ezinye izibukeli zishaqwa ukuthi isithombe sikaJesu “iSikhulu Sokuthula,” sichonywe eduze kwesithombe sempi esinyantisa kangaka. (Isaya 9:6) Abanye abakujabulelayo ukuzidela kwamasosha akubo, banomuzwa wokuthi uNkulunkulu neNdodana yakhe balindele ukuba amaKristu alwe izimpi ezivikela ukulondeka nenkululeko yezizwe zawo.

Sekungamakhulu eminyaka abaholi benkolo beshumayela ivangeli lempi. Ngonyaka ka-417 C.E., isazi semfundiso yenkolo esisontayo, u-Augustine, sabhala: “Akumelwe nicabange ukuthi umuntu oyisosha, ophatha izikhali zempi, ngeke amukeleke kuNkulunkulu. . . . Ngomthandazo, abanye banilwela nezitha, kuyilapho nina nibalwela impi ebonakalayo namaqaba.” Ngekhulu leminyaka le-13, uThomas Aquinas wachaza ukuthi “izimpi zilungile inqobo nje uma zivikela abampofu naso sonke isizwe esitheni.”

Ucabangani wena? Lapho kuthathwa izikhali ngesizathu esibonakala sizwakala—ukuvikela inkululeko yesizwe noma ukukhulula abacindezelwe—ingabe uNkulunkulu uyakubusisa lokho? Yiziphi “izimiso zokuziphatha” ezingase zicatshangelwe amaKristu ukuze aqonde intando kaNkulunkulu kule ndaba?

Isibonelo SikaJesu Kristu

Singakwazi yini ukuthola umbono kaNkulunkulu kule ndaba eyinkimbinkimbi njengezimpi zanamuhla? Umphostoli uPawulu wayezizwa ngendlela esizizwa ngayo. Wabuza: “‘Ngubani osewazi umqondo kaJehova, ukuba angamyala?’ Kodwa sinawo umqondo kaKristu.” (1 Korinte 2:16) Ukuze asisize, uJehova uNkulunkulu wathumela uJesu emhlabeni ukuba abe yiSibonelo sethu. Lokho akusho nakwenza kwembula imicabango kaJehova nezindlela zakhe. Ngakho-ke, uJesu wathini ngempi? Wayezizwa kanjani ngayo?

Abanye bangase bacabange ukuthi ukulwa ukuze uvikele futhi uphephise ukuphila kukaJesu Kristu kuyisizathu esinamandla nesizwakalayo. Omunye wabaphostoli bakhe wazizwa ngaleyo ndlela. Ngesikhathi uJesu ekhashelwa futhi eboshwa ibutho elihlomile phakathi kwamabili, umngane wakhe uPetru “welula isandla sakhe wahosha inkemba yakhe, wagalela inceku yompristi ophakeme wasusa indlebe yayo.” Ingabe wayenesizathu esizwakalayo sokusebenzisa isikhali? UJesu wathi kuye:  “Buyisela inkemba yakho endaweni yayo, ngoba bonke abaphatha inkemba bayobhubha ngenkemba.”—Mathewu 26:47-52.

Indlela uJesu asabela ngayo ayimangazi neze. Eminyakeni emibili ngaphambili, wayethe: “Nizwile ukuthi kwathiwa, ‘Kumelwe uthande umakhelwane wakho futhi uzonde isitha sakho.’ Nokho, mina ngithi kini: Qhubekani nithanda izitha zenu, nithandazela nalabo abanishushisayo; ukuze nizibonakalise ningamadodana kaYihlo osemazulwini, njengoba yena enza ilanga lakhe liphumele abantu ababi nabahle futhi enza imvula ine phezu kwabantu abalungile nabangalungile.” (Mathewu 5:43-45) Ingabe kunengqondo ukuthi umKristu angathanda futhi athandazele izitha zakhe kuyilapho elwa nazo?

Umlando ubonisa ukuthi amaKristu ayenezitha eziningi. Ngokwesibonelo, amaRoma agweba futhi abulala uJesu Kristu. Ngokushesha ngemva kwalokho, ukuzibiza nje ngokuthi ungumKristu kwakunesijeziso sokufa. UJesu waqaphela ukuthi namaKristu ayengase alingeke ukuba athathe izikhali avukele amaRoma acindezelayo, njengoba kwakwenze amanye amaJuda. Yingakho athi ngabalandeli bakhe: “Abayona ingxenye yezwe, njengoba nje nami ngingeyona ingxenye yezwe.” (Johane 17:16) AmaKristu angaleso sikhathi akhetha ukungathathi hlangothi kwezombusazwe. Akukho ukuphathwa kabi noma usongo kubo noma ezweni abahlala kulo okwakungaba yibhaxa lokuhlanganyela empini.

Abasekeli BoMbuso KaNkulunkulu

AmaKristu eqiniso awazange athathe uhlangothi, futhi enza lokho uJesu ayekufuna. Cabangela lokho okwenzeka e-Ikoniyu, umuzi wasendulo wase-Asia Minor. “Manje abantu bezizwe namaJuda kanye nababusi bawo, benza umzamo wobudlova wokuba [beyise uPawulu noBarnaba] futhi babashaye ngamatshe, lapho baziswa ngakho, babalekela emizini yaseLikawoniya, eListra naseDerbe nasezindaweni eziseduze; baqhubeka lapho bememezela izindaba ezinhle.” (IzEnzo 14:5-7) Phawula ukuthi lapho ebhekene nokuphikiswa ngobudlova, amaKristu awazange azivikele ngezikhali noma aziphindiselele. Kunalokho, aqhubeka eshumayela “izindaba ezinhle.” Yiziphi izindaba ezinhle azishumayela?

 Lawo maKristu ashumayela isigijimi esifanayo naleso esasishunyayelwa uJesu. Wathi: “Kumelwe ngishumayele izindaba ezinhle zombuso kaNkulunkulu.” (Luka 4:43) UJesu nabalandeli bakhe basekela uMbuso kaNkulunkulu. UKristu akazange avikele lowo Mbuso ngokusebenzisa umbutho wezempi wezwe. Wathi: “Umbuso wami awuyona ingxenye yaleli zwe. Ukube umbuso wami ubuyingxenye yaleli zwe, izikhonzi zami ngabe zilwile ukuze nginganikelwa kumaJuda. Kodwa, njengoba kunjalo, umbuso wami awuveli kulo mthombo.”—Johane 18:36.

‘Yibani Nothando Phakathi Kwenu’

Abakhulekeli beqiniso babonakala ngokungathathi hlangothi ngesikhathi sempi. UJesu wathi: “Bonke bayokwazi ngalokho ukuthi ningabafundi bami, uma ninothando phakathi kwenu.” (Johane 13:35) Izigidi ziye zajabula ngokuthola iqembu elibonisa uthando olunjalo, ngisho nalapho ukwenqaba kwalo ukuthatha izikhali kulibangela ukuba lidelelwe, liboshwe noma libulawe.

EYurophu eyayibuswa amaNazi, iziphathimandla zagquma ejele oFakazi BakaJehova abalinganiselwa ku-10 000 ngenxa yokungathathi hlangothi kobuKristu, abangaba ngu-3 000 bathunyelwa emakamu okuhlushwa. Kusenjalo, oFakazi abangaphezu kuka-4 300 e-United States bafakwa emajele ngenxa yokwenqaba ukujoyina ibutho lezempi. EJalimane noma eMelika, abekho oFakazi abathatha izikhali balwa namaKristu abakanye nawo noma abanye abantu. Babesazosho kanjani ukuthi bayathandana futhi bathanda nomakhelwane babo?

Abantu abaningi banomuzwa wokuthi siyawadinga amabutho ukuze sivikeleke. Kodwa cabangela lokhu: Nakuba amaKristu ekhulu lokuqala ashushiswa ngonya futhi engazange aziphindiselele, kodwa asinda. UMbuso WaseRoma onamandla wehluleka ukuqeda ubuKristu. AmaKristu eqiniso asachuma nanamuhla, futhi ayaqhubeka engathathi hlangothi. Kunokuba azibambele, ashiyela konke ezandleni zikaNkulunkulu ngoba ayamethemba. IZwi lakhe iBhayibheli lithi: “Ningaziphindiseleli, bathandekayo, kodwa qhelelani ulaka; ngoba kulotshiwe ukuthi: ‘Impindiselo ingeyami; ngizobuyisela mina, kusho uJehova.’”—Roma 12:19.

[Ibhokisi ekhasini 30]

IZIMPI EZABUSISWA UNKULUNKULU

U-Israyeli wasendulo, isizwe esakhethwa uNkulunkulu ngokukhethekile kusasele amakhulu eminyaka ngaphambi kokuba kusungulwe ubuKristu, ngezinye izikhathi wayegunyazwa ukuba ahlome ahlasele. Ngaphambi kokuba angene eKhanani, izwe uNkulunkulu ayelithembise u-Abrahama, ama-Israyeli atshelwa: “UJehova uNkulunkulu wakho ngokuqinisekile uyozinikela kuwe [izizwe eziyisikhombisa], wena kumelwe uzihlule. Kumelwe nakanjani uzinikele ekubhujisweni. Akumelwe wenze isivumelwano nazo futhi ungazibonisi umusa nakancane.” (Duteronomi 7:1, 2) Ngakho-ke, uJenene wakwa-Israyeli, uJoshuwa, wazinqoba lezo zizwe eziyizitha “njengoba nje uJehova uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli ayeyalile.”—Joshuwa 10:40.

Ingabe ama-Israyeli ayeba nonya lapho enqoba izizwe, athathe amazwe ngobugovu? Lutho neze. Ukukhulekelwa kwezithombe, ukuchithwa kwegazi nemikhuba yokuziphatha kobulili enyanyekayo yayithé bhe kulezo zizwe. Ngisho nezingane zazishiswa zenziwe iminikelo. (Numeri 33:52; Jeremiya 7:31) Ubungcwele bukaNkulunkulu, ubulungisa nothando ayenalo ngabantu bakhe yikona okwamshukumisa ukuba asuse konke ukungahlanzeki ezweni. Yize kunjalo, wahlola izinhliziyo zabo bonke—into okungekho mkhuzi wezempi wanamuhla ongakwazi ukuyenza—futhi wabasindisa labo ababezimisele ukushiya izindlela ezimbi ukuze bamkhonze.

[Isithombe ekhasini 31]

Ingabe uJesu wayelindele ukuba abalandeli bakhe balwe ukuze bamvikele noma bavikele amaKristu abakanye nawo?

[Isithombe ekhasini 31]

Iqembu loFakazi BakaJehova ngemva kokukhululwa ekamu lokuhlushwa laseBuchenwald ngo-1945