Imibuzo Evela Kubafundi

Asho ukuthini amazwi akumaHeberu 12:4, athi: “Anikaze nizabalaze kuze kube seqophelweni legazi”?

Inkulumo ethi “nizabalaze kuze kube seqophelweni legazi” isikisela ukufika ezingeni elidlulele lokufa, kuze kuchitheke igazi lomuntu ngokoqobo.

Umphostoli uPawulu wayazi ukuthi ngenxa yokholo lwawo, amanye amaKristu angamaHeberu kakade ‘ayesekhuthazelele umncintiswano omkhulu ngaphansi kwezinhlupheko.’ (Heberu 10:32, 33) Lapho eveza lokho, kubonakala sengathi uPawulu wayesebenzisa isingathekiso somshuduliswano womncintiswano wamaGreki, owawungahlanganisa ukugijima, ukuzwana amandla, ukushaya isibhakela ukuphonsa i-discus noma ukuciba i-javelin. Yingakho kumaHeberu 12:1 anxusa amaKristu ayekanye nawo: “Masilahleni konke okusindayo nesono esisithandela kalula, futhi masiwugijimeni ngokukhuthazela umncintiswano obekwe phambi kwethu.”

Emavesini amathathu kamuva, kumaHeberu 12:4, kungenzeka uPawulu wayesesuka emfanekisweni womncintiswano wokugijima eseya kowesibhakela. (Ivela yomibili le mifanekiso kweyoku-1 Korinte 9:26.) Abashayi-sibhakela basendulo babeboshwa izibhakela nezihlakala ngemichilo yesikhumba. Kule michilo kwakungase kufakwe “umthofu, insimbi noma izinkinobho zensimbi ukuze ibe nesisindo . . . okwakwenza abashayi-sibhakela balimale kabi kakhulu.” Leyo midlalo enonya yayibangela ukopha, ngezinye izikhathi nokufa imbala.

Kunoma yikuphi, amaKristu angamaHeberu ayenezibonelo ezanele zezinceku zikaNkulunkulu ezithembekile ezazibhekane noshushiso futhi zahlukunyezwa ngesihluku, kwaze kwaba sekufeni, “eqophelweni legazi.” Qaphela umongo uPawulu aphawula kuwo lokho abathembekile basendulo ababeye babhekana nakho:

“Bakhandwa ngamatshe, baquliswa, banqunywa ngokusahwa, bafa ngokubulawa ngenkemba, bazulazula bembethe izikhumba zezimvu, izikhumba zezimbuzi, kuyilapho beswela, besosizini, bengaphansi kokuphathwa kabi.” Ngemva kwalokho, uPawulu waqokomisa uMphelelisi wokholo lwethu, uJesu, wathi: “Wakhuthazelela isigxobo sokuhlushwa, edelela ihlazo, futhi useye wahlala phansi ngakwesokunene sesihlalo sobukhosi sikaNkulunkulu.”—Heberu 11:37; 12:2.

Yebo, abaningi ‘babezabalaze kwaze kwaba seqophelweni legazi,’ okungukuthi, ezingeni lokufa. Okwabo ukuzabalaza kwakungaphezu nje kokuba okwangaphakathi, kokulwa nesono sokuntula ukholo. Baba qotho naphezu kokuhlukunyezwa ngonya emzimbeni, balondoloza ukwethembeka kwabo kwaze kwaba sekufeni.

Ababesanda kuhlanganyela ebandleni laseJerusalema, mhlawumbe bebe ngamaKristu seludambile ushushiso olunzima lwesikhathi esidlule, babengakaze babhekane novivinyo olwedlulele njengalolo. (IzEnzo 7:54-60; 12:1, 2; Heberu 13:7) Nokho, ngisho nokulingwa okungenzima kangako kwakubadikibalisa abanye babo ekuqhubekeni nomncintiswano; ‘babekhathala futhi bephela amandla emiphefumulweni yabo.’ (Heberu 12:3) Kwakudingeka bathuthukele ekuvuthweni. Lokho kwakuzokwakha kubo amandla okukhuthazelela noma yini eyayingase ifike, ngisho noma lokho kwakuhlanganisa ukuhlukunyezwa ngokomzimba kuze kube seqophelweni lokuba kuchitheke igazi labo.—Heberu 6:1; 12:7-11.

AmaKristu amaningi ezikhathini zanamuhla aye ‘azabalaza kwaze kwaba seqophelweni legazi,’ ebulawa ngoba engavumi ukulahla ubuKristu bawo. Kunokuba sivumele ukuba amazwi kaPawulu akumaHeberu 12:4 asesabise, singawathatha njengabonisa izinga esizimisele ukufika kulo ukuze sihlale siqotho kuNkulunkulu. Kamuva, kuyo le ncwadi eya kumaHeberu, uPawulu wabhala: “Masiqhubekeni siba nomusa ongafanelwe, esinganikela ngawo inkonzo engcwele ngokwamukelekayo kuNkulunkulu ngokwesaba kokuhlonipha uNkulunkulu nangovalo.”—Heberu 12:28.