Ama-Easter Noma ISikhumbuzo—Ikuphi Okufanele Ukugubhe?

LAPHO kuntwela ezansi ngo-April 7, izigidi zizobe zamukela usuku lwazo olungcwele kunazo zonke onyakeni—i-Easter. Ngesinye isikhathi leli gama lalisetshenziselwa inkathi yamadili nokuzila eyizinsuku ezingu-120 eyayiqala ngeholide elibizwa ngokuthi iSeptuagesima futhi iphele ngalokho okubizwa ngokuthi iTrinity Day. Namuhla leli gama lisetshenziselwa usuku olulodwa lokukhumbula ukuvuka kukaJesu—i-Easter Sunday.

Nokho, kusihlwa ngolunye usuku ekuqaleni kwalelo sonto ezinye izigidi zizohlangana ukuze zigubhe iSikhumbuzo sokufa kukaKristu, esaziwa nangokuthi iSidlo SeNkosi Sakusihlwa. Siwumkhosi owamiswa uJesu ngokwakhe ngobusuku bakhe bokugcina emhlabeni. Wabe esetshela abafundi bakhe: “Qhubekani nikwenza lokhu ningikhumbula.”—Luka 22:19.

Ikuphi okufanele ukugubhe?

Umsuka Wama-Easter

Igama elithi Easter, elisetshenziswa emazweni amaningi, alitholakali eBhayibhelini.  Incwadi ethi Medieval Holidays and Festivals isitshela ukuthi “leli holide laqanjwa ngoNkulunkulukazi wamaqaba woKuntwela Kokusa noweNtwasahlobo, u-Eostre.” Wayengubani lonkulunkulukazi? I-American Book of Days iyaphendula: “U-Eostre wayeyilowo, ngokwenganekwane ethile, owavula iminyango yeValhalla ukuze amukele uBaldur, owayebizwa ngokuthi uNkulunkulu Omhlophe, ngenxa yobumsulwa bakhe nangokuthi uNkulunkulu Welanga, ngoba ibunzi lakhe lalinikeza ukukhanya esintwini.” Iyanezela: “Akukho kungabaza ngokuthi lapho iSonto lisafufusa lamukela amasiko amadala amaqaba lawanikeza incazelo engokobuKristu. Njengoba ngomkhosi ka-Eostre kwakugujwa ukuvuselelwa kwezinto eziphilayo entwasahlobo, kwakulula ukuwenza ube umkhosi wokuvuka kukaJesu kwabafileyo, okwakushunyayelwa ivangeli lakhe.”

Ukwamukelwa kwalokhu kwenza kucace ukuthi aqala kanjani amasiko ama-Easter, njengama-Easter egg, i-Easter rabbit, nama-hot cross bun, emazweni athile. Ngokuphathelene nesiko lokwenza ama-hot cross bun, “nengxenye yawo engaphezulu ecwebezelayo ensundu enophawu . . . lwesiphambano,” incwadi ethi Easter and Its Customs ithi: “Isiphambano sasiwuphawu lwamaqaba ngaphambili kakhulu kokuba sithole ukubaluleka okuhlala njalo ezenzakalweni zika-Good Friday wokuqala, futhi ngezinye izikhathi isinkwa namakhekhe kwakuba nophawu lwaso ezikhathini zangaphambi kobuKristu.”

Akukho ndawo emBhalweni lapho sithola khona kukhulunywa ngalezi zinto, abukho nobuncane ubufakazi bokuthi abafundi bakaJesu bokuqala babekholelwa kuzo. Empeleni, umphostoli uPetru usitshela ukuba ‘sakhe ukulangazelela ubisi olungonakalisiwe olungolwezwi, ukuze ngalo sikhulele ensindisweni.’ (1 Petru 2:2) Ngakho kungani amasonto eLobukholwa angenisa ezinkolelweni nasemikhubeni yawo izimpawu okusobala kangaka ukuthi zazingezobuqaba?

Incwadi ethi Curiosities of Popular Customs iyaphendula: “Kwakuyisimiso esingaguquki seSonto lokuqala ukunikeza imikhosi yobuqaba evelele kanjalo incazelo engokobuKristu njengoba yayingenakuqedwa. Endabeni yama-Easter ushintsho lwalulula kakhulu. Ukujabulela ukuphuma kwelanga elingokwemvelo, nokuvuka kwemvelo ekufeni kwasebusika, kwashintsha kwaba ukujabulela ukuvuka kweLanga lokulunga, lapho kuvuka uKristu ethuneni. Eminye yemikhosi yobuqaba eyayenziwa cishe ngo-May 1 nayo yashintshwa ukuze iqondane nomkhosi wama-Easter.” Kunokuba bawagweme amasiko nemikhosi yemilingo yobuqaba ethandwayo, abaholi benkolo bayithalalisa futhi bayenza yaba ‘nencazelo engokobuKristu.’

‘Kodwa kukhona yini okungalungile kulokho?’ ungase uzibuze. Abanye abacabangi kanjalo. “Lapho inkolo enjengobuKristu ifika nabantu bangaphandle, yamukela futhi ‘ibhapathize’ amanye amasiko asuka ezinkolweni ezindala,” kusho u-Alan W. Watts, umfundisi weSonto LikaMoya, encwadini yakhe ethi Easter—Its Story and Meaning. “Ikhetha imikhosi ebonakala sengathi isho okufanayo nezimiso ezingaguquki ezifundiswa iSonto futhi iyifake emidatini yokukhulekela.” Kwabaningi iqiniso lokuthi isonto labo lagunyaza lemikhosi futhi layibheka njengengcwele liyisizathu esanele sokuba bayamukele. Kodwa kunemibuzo ebalulekile enganakiwe. UNkulunkulu uzizwa kanjani ngalamasiko? Zikhona yini iziqondiso asinike zona okufanele sizilandele kulendaba?

Ukuthola Umbono KaNkulunkulu

“USuku lwe-Easter, uMkhosi WokuVuka KweNkosi Yethu, luwumkhosi omkhulu kunayo yonke imikhosi yeSonto lobuKristu,” kusho uChristina Hole encwadini yakhe ethi Easter and Its Customs. Abanye abalobi bayavumelana naye. “Akukho suku olungcwele noma umkhosi onyakeni wamaKristu ongaqhathaniswa ne-Easter Sunday ngokubaluleka,” kuphawula uRobert J. Myers encwadini ethi Celebrations. Nokho, lokho kuphakamisa imibuzo ethile. Uma ukugubha ama-Easter kubaluleke kangako, kungani kungekho myalo  oqondile eBhayibhelini wokuba kwenziwe kanjalo? Ukhona yini umbhalo ogciniwe wokugubha kwabafundi bakaJesu bokuqala i-Easter Sunday?

Akukhona ukuthi iBhayibheli alinikezi ziqondiso ngokuphathelene nokuthi yini okufanele noma okungafanele igujwe. UNkulunkulu wakusho ngokucacile lokhu esizweni sasendulo sakwa-Israyeli, futhi njengoba kuphawuliwe ekuqaleni, kwanikezwa iziyalezo ezicacile zokuba amaKristu aqhubeke egubha iSikhumbuzo sokufa kukaKristu. (1 Korinte 11:23-26; Kolose 2:16, 17) Uhlelo lokuqala lwe-Encyclopædia Britannica luyasitshela:  “Akukho lutho olubonisa ukugujwa komkhosi wama-Easter eTestamenteni Elisha, noma emibhalweni yoFata abangabaphostoli. Wawungekho ezingqondweni zamaKristu okuqala umqondo wokuba ngcwele kwezikhathi ezikhethekile. . . . Futhi iNkosi nabaphostoli bayo abazange bayale ukuba kugcinwe lomkhosi nanoma imuphi omunye.”

Abanye banomuzwa wokuthi injabulo ekulemikhosi nentokozo eyilethayo kuyizizathu ezanele zokuba bayigubhe. Nokho, singafunda esenzakalweni lapho ama-Israyeli amukela khona umkhuba ongokwenkolo wabaseGibithe futhi ewuqamba kabusha ngokuthi “umkhosi kaJehova.” Nawo ‘ahlala phansi ukuba adle’ futhi ‘avuka ukuyodlala.’ Kodwa izenzo zawo zamthukuthelisa kakhulu uJehova uNkulunkulu, futhi wawajezisa kanzima.—Eksodusi 32:1-10, 25-28, 35.

IZwi likaNkulunkulu licacile. “Ukukhanya” kwezinkolelo zeqiniso akunakuba nasabelo “nobumnyama” bezwe likaSathane; akunakuba ‘nakuvumelana’ phakathi kukaKristu nokukhulekela kobuqaba. Siyatshelwa: “‘Ngakho-ke phumani phakathi kwabo, nizihlukanise,’ kusho uJehova, ‘futhi niyeke ukuthinta into engahlanzekile’; ‘ngizonamukela.’”—2 Korinte 6:14-18.

Njengoba kuwumkhosi weSikhumbuzo kuphela—hhayi wama-Easter—amaKristu ayalwe ngawo eBhayibhelini, kufanele ugujwe. Ngakho singawugubha kanjani ngendlela efanele?

[Isithombe ekhasini 5]

“Umkhosi kaJehova” wama-Israyeli wamthukuthelisa kakhulu uNkulunkulu

 [Umthombo Wesithombe ekhasini 2]

Cover: M. Thonig/h. Armstrong Roberts