KWINTLANGANISO ebiseNagoya, eJapan, ngoAprili 28, 2013, uAnthony Morris weQumrhu Elilawulayo wenze isaziso esibangele imincili: ukukhululwa kwencwadi entsha yesiJapan enomxholo othi IBhayibhile—IVangeli NgokukaMateyu. Bangaphezu kwe-210 000 abebekho nabebephulaphule bekwezinye iindawo. Emva kwesi saziso, abaphulaphuli batsho ngentswahla yezandla kangangexesha elide, bevuya.

Le Vangeli kaMateyu ithathwe kwiNguqulelo Yehlabathi Elitsha. Noko ke, le ncwadi enamaphepha ayi-128 yahlukile. UMzalwan’ uMorris uye wachaza ukuba ibhalelwe ukunceda abantu abakwintsimi yaseJapan. Yahluke ngantoni le ncwadi? Bekutheni ukuze ifuneke? Kwaye abantu baye basabela njani?

Abantu abaninzi baye bothuswa yindlela ebhalwe ngayo incwadi ethi UMateyu. Oonobumba besiJapan babhalwa behle okanye baye emacaleni ephepheni, kwaye izinto ezininzi eziprintiweyo, kuquka nezi zethu, zibhalwa ngale ndlela yesibini. Noko ke, amagama ale ncwadi abhalwe ehla, njengamaphephandaba nezinye iincwadi zesiJapan. AmaJapan amaninzi akufumanisa kulula ukufunda into ebhalwe ngale ndlela. Nemixholo edla ngokuba phezulu ephepheni iye yatshintshwa yafakwa phakathi njengemixholwana ukuze abafundi bazibone lula iingongoma eziphambili.

Abazalwana noodade baseJapan baqalise ukufunda incwadi ethi UMateyu ngoko nangoko. Omnye udade osele edlule kwiminyaka eyi-80 ubudala uthe: “Sendiyifunde ndayigqiba kaninzi incwadi kaMateyu, kodwa le ndlela yokubhala amagama ehle, neyokufaka imixholwana, indincede ndacacelwa nangakumbi yiNtshumayelo yaseNtabeni.” Kanti omnye udade oselula yena ubhale wathi: “Incwadi ethi UMateyu ndiyifunde ndayigqiba ndingakhange ndiyibeke phantsi. Ndiyiqhelile indlela yokubhala amagama aye emacaleni, kodwa abantu abaninzi baseJapan bakhetha umbhalo owehlayo.”

Kutheni le ncwadi yeBhayibhile iluncedo ngokukhethekileyo kwintsimi yaseJapan? Nangona abantu abaninzi baseJapan bengayazi kangako iBhayibhile, abanangxaki nokuyifunda. Abaninzi kwabo bebengazange bayibone kwaukuyibona iBhayibhile, ngoku bafumene ithuba lokuyiphatha ngesandla nokufunda inxalenye yayo.

Kutheni kukhethwe incwadi kaMateyu? Uninzi lwamaJapan xa lusiva igama elithi “iBhayibhile,” lucinga ngoYesu Kristu. Ngoko incwadi kaMateyu ikhethwe ngenxa yokuba iquka umnombo nokuzalwa kukaYesu, iNtshumayelo yaseNtabeni edumileyo, kunye neziprofeto zakhe zemihla yokugqibela. Zonke ezi zizinto abanomdla kuzo abantu abaninzi baseJapan.

 Abavakalisi baseJapan baqalise ukuyihambisa le ncwadi intsha kwindlu ngendlu nakumabuyelo abo. Omnye udade ubhale wathi: “Ngoku nditsho ndakwazi ukuhambisa iLizwi likaThixo ngakumbi kubantu abakwintsimi yethu. Phofu, le ncwadi ethi UMateyu ndiyihambise kwangala mvakwemini yentlanganiso ekhethekileyo!”

Abavakalisi bayihambisa njani le ncwadi intsha? AmaJapan amaninzi aqhelile ukuva kuthethwa “ngesango elimxinwa,” ‘iiperile eziphambi kweehagu,’ ‘nangokungaxhaleli ingomso.’ (Mateyu 6:34; 7:6, 13) Ayothuka xa efumanisa ukuba la mazwi athethwa nguYesu Kristu. Xa ebona la mazwi kwincwadi ethi UMateyu, amaninzi aye athi: “Kudala ndibawela ukufunda iBhayibhile noba kukanye nje.”

Xa abavakalisi bebuyela kubantu abathathe incwadi ethi UMateyu, umninimzi udla ngokuchaza ukuba ufunde inxalenye yayo okanye wayigqiba ngoko nangoko. Enye indoda esele idlule kwiminyaka eyi-60 ubudala iye yathi kumvakalisi: “Ndiyiphinde kaliqela le ncwadi, kwaye indithuthuzele. Ndicela uqhubeke undifundisa iBhayibhile.”

Incwadi ethi UMateyu iyahanjiswa naxa kushunyayelwa kwiindawo zikawonke-wonke. Xa elinye iNgqina belishumayela, liye lanikisa ngeimeyili yalo kwintwazana ebithathe le ncwadi. Emva kweyure, lo sisi uye wathumela i-imeyili kulo dade esithi ufunde inxalenye yale ncwadi kwaye angathanda ukwazi okungakumbi. Emva kweveki, uye waqhutyelwa isifundo seBhayibhile okokuqala, waza waqalisa ukuya kwiintlanganiso kungekudala.

Zingaphezu kwe-1 600 000 iikopi zencwadi ethi UMateyu ezithunyelwe kumabandla aseJapan. AmaNgqina ahambisa amawaka ezi kopi nyanga nganye. Intshayelelo yale ncwadi ichaza iimvakalelo zabapapashi bayo ngokuthi: “Sinethemba lokuba xa ufunde lo mqulu uya kutsho ube nomdla eBhayibhileni.”