Ingabe uNkulunkulu uhlala emhlabeni?

Izingoma ezimbili zevangeli ezindala ezaziwayo zithi: “Indlu engahlali muntu ingilindile” kanye nokuthi “Impahla yami ingaphezu kwentaba”. Lezi zosha zisekelwe emazwini kaJesu: “Endlini kaBaba kukhona izindawo zokuhlala eziningi. Ukuba bekungenjalo, bengizakuthi kini: Ngiya ukulilungisela indawo? (Johane 14,2).

La mavesi avame ukucashunwa emingcwabeni ngoba athembisa ukuthi uJesu uyolungiselela abantu bakaNkulunkulu ezulwini umvuzo olindele abantu ngemva kokufa. Kodwa ingabe yilokho uJesu ayefuna ukukusho? Kungaba iphutha uma singazama ukuhlobanisa wonke amazwi awasho ezimpilweni zethu ngaphandle kokucabangela lokho ayefuna ukukusho kulabo ababekhuluma ngaleso sikhathi. Ngobusuku bangaphambi kokufa kwakhe, uJesu wayehlezi nabafundi bakhe endaweni eyaziwa ngokuthi iGumbi Lesidlo Sakusihlwa Sokugcina. Abafundi bamangala ngabakubona nabakuzwayo. UJesu wageza izinyawo zabo futhi wamemezela ukuthi kwakukhona imbuka phakathi kwabo. Wamemezela ukuthi uPetru wayengeke amkhaphele kanye kuphela, kodwa kathathu. Ungacabanga ukuthi baphila kanjani abaphostoli? Wakhuluma ngokuhlupheka, ukukhashelwa nokufa. Bacabanga futhi bafisa sengathi ngabe wayengumanduleli wombuso omusha nokuthi babeyobusa naye! Ukudideka, ukuphelelwa ithemba, okungafezeki ebesikulindele, ukwesaba kanye nemizwa esijwayeleke kakhulu nathi. Futhi uJesu wakuphikisa konke lokhu: “Ningesabi izinhliziyo zenu! Kholwani kuNkulunkulu futhi nikholwe kimi!” (Johane 14,1). UJesu wayefuna ukwakha abafundi bakhe ngokomoya naphezu kwalesi simo esisabekayo esasiza.

Yini uJesu ayefuna ukuyisho kubafundi bakhe lapho ethi: “Ekhaya likaBaba kukhona izindawo zokuhlala eziningi”? Igama lendlu kababa libhekisela ethempelini laseJerusalema: “Beningifunelani na? Beningazi yini ukuthi ngimelwe ukuba sezweni likaBaba na? (Luka 2,49). Ithempeli lalithathe indawo yetabernakele, itende elithwalekayo elalisetshenziswa ama-Israyeli ekukhulekeleni uNkulunkulu. Ngaphakathi kwetabernakele (kusukela kwelesiLatini itabernaculum = itende noma iqhugwane) kwakukhona ikamelo, elihlukaniswe yisihenqo esiwugqinsi, esasibizwa ngokuthi ingcwele kangcwele. Lena kwakuyindawo yokuhlala kaNkulunkulu (itabernakele ngesiHeberu lisho «mishkan» = indawo yokuhlala noma indawo yokuhlala) phakathi kwabantu bakhe. Kanye ngonyaka kwakugcinelwe umpristi omkhulu yedwa ukungena kuleli gumbi ukuze azi ngobukhona bukaNkulunkulu. Igama elithi indawo yokuhlala noma indawo yokuhlala lisho indawo lapho umuntu ehlala khona, kodwa kwakungeyona indawo yokuhlala unomphela, kodwa ukuma ohambweni olwalumholele kwenye indawo ngokuhamba kwesikhathi. Lokhu-ke bekuyosho okunye ngaphandle kokuba noNkulunkulu ezulwini ngemva kokufa; ngoba izulu livame ukuthathwa njengendawo yokugcina neyokugcina yomuntu.

UJesu wakhuluma ngokulungiselela abafundi bakhe indawo yokuhlala. Kufanele aye kuphi? Indlela yakhe ayimholelanga ngqo ezulwini ukuyokwakha izindawo zokuhlala lapho, kodwa isuka eGumbini Elingenhla iya esiphambanweni. Ngokufa nokuvuka kwakhe kwakufanele alungisele eyakhe indawo endlini kayise. Bekungathi ngithi yonke into isilawulwa. Okuzokwenzeka kungase kubonakale kubi, kodwa konke kuyingxenye yesu lensindiso. Wabe esethembisa ukuthi uzobuya. Kulo mongo akabonakali ekhuluma ngokubuya kwakhe kwesibili, nakuba sibheke phambili ekubonakaleni kukaKristu okukhazimulayo ngosuku lokugcina. Siyazi ukuthi indlela kaJesu yayizomholela esiphambanweni nokuthi wayezobuya ngemva kwezinsuku ezintathu, evukile kwabafileyo. Wabuya futhi esesimweni sikaMoya oNgcwele ngosuku lwePhentekoste.

UJesu wathi: “Lapho ngiya ngiyonilungisela indawo, ngobuye ngize futhi nginithathe, ukuze lapho ngikhona nani nibe khona.” ( Johane 14,3). Ake sihlale kancane emagameni athi "thatha kimi" asetshenziswe lapha. Kufanele ziqondwe ngomqondo ofanayo namazwi asitshela ukuthi iNdodana (uLizwi) yayinoNkulunkulu: “Ekuqaleni wayekhona uLizwi, uLizwi wayenoNkulunkulu, futhi uLizwi wayenguNkulunkulu. Kwakunjalo ngoNkulunkulu ekuqaleni.” (Joh 1,1-enye).

Ukukhethwa kwala magama kuchaza ubuhlobo phakathi kukababa nendodana futhi kukhomba ubuhlobo babo obuseduze omunye nomunye. Imayelana nobudlelwano obuseduze nobujulile bobuso nobuso. Kodwa lokho kusihlanganisa ngani mina nawe namuhla? Ngaphambi kokuba ngiphendule lowo mbuzo, ake ngibukeze kafushane ithempeli.

Lapho uJesu efa, iveli lethempeli ladabuka kabili. Lokhu ufa ufanekisela ukufinyelela okusha ebukhoneni bukaNkulunkulu okwavuleka ngakho. Ithempeli lalingaselona ikhaya likaNkulunkulu kulo mhlaba. Ubuhlobo obusha ngokuphelele noNkulunkulu base buvuleleke kuwo wonke umuntu oyedwa. Sifundile : Ziningi izithabathaba emzini kababa. ENgcwelengcwele kwakukhona indawo yomuntu oyedwa kuphela, kanye ngonyaka ngoSuku Lokuhlawulelwa komPristi Omkhulu. Manje sekube noshintsho olukhulu. Ngempela uNkulunkulu wayebenzele indawo bonke abantu kuye, endlini yakhe! Lokhu kwenzeka ngoba iNdodana yaba inyama futhi yasihlenga emandleni abhubhisayo esono nasekufeni. Wabuyela kuBaba futhi wadonsela sonke isintu kuye phambi kukaNkulunkulu: «Futhi mina, lapho ngiphakanyiswa emhlabeni, ngizodonsela bonke kimi. Kodwa wakusho lokhu ukuze abonise ukufa okungakanani ayakufa.” ( Johane 12,32-enye).

Ngabo lobo busuku uJesu wathi: “Ongithandayo uyogcina izwi lami; nobaba uzomthanda, futhi siyoza kuye futhi sihlale naye.”— Johane 14,23). Uyabona ukuthi kusho ukuthini lokho? Kuleli vesi sifunda futhi ngezithabathaba. Imiphi imibono oyihlobanisa nekhaya elihle? Mhlawumbe: ukuthula, ukuphumula, injabulo, ukuvikelwa, ukufundisa, intethelelo, ukuhlinzekwa, uthando olungenamibandela, ukwamukelwa kanye nethemba ukubala okumbalwa. UJesu akezanga nje emhlabeni ukuzosihlawulela. Kodwa futhi weza ukuzohlanganyela nathi yonke le mibono mayelana nekhaya elihle futhi asivumele ukuba sizwe impilo ayeyiphila noyise kanye noMoya oNgcwele. Lobo budlelwane obumangalisayo, obuyingqayizivele nobuseduze obahlanganisa uJesu ngokwakhe yedwa noYise manje buvulekele nathi: “Ngiyonithatha nibe kimi, ukuze lapho ngikhona nani nibe khona” ( Johane 14,3). uphi uJesu UJesu usesifubeni sikaYise ekuhlanganyeleni okuseduze kakhulu: «Akakho owake wabona uNkulunkulu; ozelwe yedwa onguNkulunkulu osesifubeni sikaYise ukucacisile.” (Joh 1,18).

Kuze kuthiwe: “Ukuphumula emathangeni omuntu kuwukucambalala ezingalweni zakhe, ukukwazisa njengento yothando lwakhe olujulile, noma, njengoba kusho, ukuba umngane wakhe wesifuba”. Kulapho uJesu ahlala khona. Sikuphi manje? Siyingxenye yombuso wezulu kaJesu: “Kepha uNkulunkulu ocebile ngesihawu, othandweni lwakhe olukhulu asithanda ngalo, wasiphilisa kanye noKristu, nalapho sasifile ezonweni – nisindisiwe ngomusa. ; futhi wasivusa kanye naye, wasimisa kanye naye ezulwini kuKristu Jesu.” ( Efe 2,4-enye).

Ingabe usesimweni esinzima, esidumazayo, noma esicindezelayo njengamanje? Qiniseka: Amazwi kaJesu enduduzo uwabhekise kuwe. Njengoba nje ake afuna ukuqinisa, ukukhuthaza nokuqinisa abafundi bakhe, wenza okufanayo nakuwe ngamazwi afanayo: «Ungesabi inhliziyo yakho! Kholwani kuNkulunkulu futhi nikholwe kimi!” (Johane 14,1). Ungavumeli ukukhathazeka kwakho kukuthene amandla, thembela kuJesu futhi uzindle ngalokho akushoyo—nakushiya kungashiwo! Akasho nje ukuthi kumele babe nesibindi konke kuzolunga. Akakuqinisekisi izinyathelo ezine eziya enjabulweni nasekuchumeni. Akakuthembisi ukuthi uzokunika ikhaya ezulwini ongeke ukwazi ukulihlala kuze kube usufile, elenze likufanelekele konke ukuhlupheka kwakho. Kunalokho, ubeka ngokusobala ukuthi wafa esiphambanweni ukuze athathe zonke izono zethu, azibethele kanye naye esiphambanweni ukuze kwesulwe konke okungasehlukanisa noNkulunkulu nokuphila endlini yakhe. Umphostoli uPawulu ukuchaza ngale ndlela: “Siseyizitha zakhe, sabuyisana noNkulunkulu ngokufa kweNdodana yakhe. Khona-ke ngeke kube ngenye indlela ngaphandle kokuthi nathi siyothola insindiso ngoKristu manje—njengoba sesibuyiselwe futhi uKristu uvusiwe futhi uyaphila.” 5,10 NGU).

Udonselwa empilweni yobuthathu bukaNkulunkulu ngokukholwa othandweni ukuze uhlanganyele ekuhlanganyeleni noYise, neNdodana noMoya oNgcwele - empilweni kaNkulunkulu - ubuso nobuso. Isifiso senhliziyo kaDavide siyogcwaliseka kuwe: “Izinto ezinhle nomusa ziyakungilandela zonke izinsuku zokuphila kwami, futhi ngiyohlala endlini kaJehova kuze kube phakade” ( IHubo 2 )3,6).

UNkulunkulu ufuna ube yingxenye yakhe nakho konke akumelelayo njengamanje. Ukudale ukuthi uhlale endlini Yakhe manje naphakade.

nguGordon Green