Umbuso kaNkulunkulu useduze

Lapho uJesu esaphila ezintabeni zaseGalile, ogwadule lwaseJudiya, uJohane uMbhapathizi wabiza ukuguquka okukhulu: “Phendukelani kuNkulunkulu! Ngoba umbuso wezulu ususondele.” ( Mathewu 3,2 Ithemba kubo bonke). Abaningi basola ukuthi uyena indoda umprofethi u-Isaya ayebhekisela kuyo emakhulwini eminyaka ngaphambili. Azi ukuthi ulungiselela uMesiya indlela, uJohane wathi: “Angisiye uKristu, kodwa ngithunywe ngaphambi kwakhe. Onomakoti ungumyeni; kodwa umngane womyeni, emi khona emuzwa, uthokoza kakhulu ngelizwi lomyeni. Injabulo yami isigcwalisekile manje. Yena umelwe ukukhula, kodwa mina nginciphe.” (Joh 3,28-enye).

Ngemva kokuphonswa kukaJohane etilongweni, uJesu wafika eGalile washumayela ivangeli likaNkulunkulu. Inkosi uHerodi Antipasi ngezwa ngakho konke lokhu ngoba ngalesosikhathi ibizo likaJesu lalisemlonyeni wabo bonke abantu. Wayeqiniseka: Impela nguJohannes, engangimnqume ikhanda. Manje ubuyile, uyaphila. Yena ngokwakhe wayala ukuba uJohane aboshwe futhi aboshwe ukuze nje ashweleze uHerodiya, umkaFiliphu umfowabo. UJohane uMbhapathizi wamkhuza obala ngokungena naye emshadweni ongekho emthethweni. UHerodiya, manje owayeshade naye, wayevutha inzondo futhi efuna lutho ngaphandle kokubulala uJohane, kodwa akazange alokothe ​​ngenxa yokuthi uHerode wayemhlonipha kakhulu uJohane. Ekugcineni uHerodiya wayithola
ithuba lokufeza umgomo wabo. UHerode wenza idili elikhulu ngosuku lokuzalwa kwakhe, idili elimnandi kuzo zonke izikhulu, naphezu kwazo zonke izinduna zempi, nazo zonke izikhulu zaseGalile. Kulesi senzakalo, uHerodiya wathumela indodakazi yakhe uSalome enkundleni yebhola ukuze izuze umusa wenkosi ngomdanso wayo. Umdanso wayo ovusa inkanuko wamjabulisa uHerode nababehlezi naye etafuleni, wamenza ukuba enze isithembiso ngokuphamazela: wayemnika noma yini ayifisayo, kuze kube yingxenye yombuso wakhe, afunge kuwo. USalome wabuza umama wakhe ukuthi uzocelani. Indaba iphetha ngomfanekiso onyantisayo wekhanda likaJohane uMbhapathizi oqwembeni (Marku 6,14-enye).

Uma sibhekisisa imininingwane yale ndaba, singabona ukuthi abalingisi balo mcimbi bebevaleleke kangakanani. Kukhona uHerodi, uyinkosi engaphansi kombuso wamaRoma ezama ukubukisa kubavakashi bakhe. Indodakazi yakhe entsha angayizali uSalome wayidansela ngendlela evusa inkanuko futhi uthakathwa yinkanuko. Uyabanjwa - yizifiso zakhe ezingafanele, ngokuziphatha kwakhe okuzidlayo phambi kwezivakashi zakhe, nangalabo abaphethe abamlawulayo ngempela. Akakwazanga ukudela ingxenye yombuso wakhe ngisho noma efuna!

USalome ubanjwe wukushisekela kukanina kwezepolitiki nokufuna izikhundla okugcwele igazi. Ubhajwe ezifisweni zakhe zobulili, azisebenzisa njengesikhali. Ubanjwe usingayise odakiwe omsebenzisela ukujabulisa izivakashi zakhe.

Le ndaba emfushane, ebuhlungu ibonisa indawo yabantu abashiswa ngaphakathi ngesikhathi esifushane ngokuziqhenya, amandla, isifiso kanye nobuqili. Umbukwane wokugcina owesabekayo wokufa kukaJohane uMbhapathizi ubonisa izithelo ezinonya zalo mbuso wezwe owohlokayo.

Ngokuphambene nombuso walelizwe, uJesu washumayela izindaba ezinhle zombuso kaNkulunkulu: “Isikhathi sigcwalisekile, nombuso kaNkulunkulu ususondele. Phendukani (phendukeni kuNkulunkulu) futhi nikholwe evangelini!" (Marku 1,14).

UJesu wakhetha abafundi abayishumi nambili futhi wabathuma ukuba bayoshumayela izindaba ezinhle ezimvini ezilahlekile zendlu ka-Israyeli: “Umbuso wezulu ususondele. Philisani abagulayo, nivuse abafileyo, nihlambulule abanochoko, nikhiphe amademoni. Namukele ngesihle, yiphani ngesihle.” ( Mathewu 10,7-enye).

Njengabayishumi nambili, uJesu usithuma ukuba sishumayele ivangeli ngentokozo nangenkululeko. Sihlanganyela ohlelweni Lwakhe lokwethula ngobumnene uJesu kubantu esiphila nabo ngomoya wothando, ukulalela iZwi likaNkulunkulu nokumkhonza. Ukugcwaliseka kwalo msebenzi kunenani lawo. Masikhulume iqiniso, kunezikhathi lapho sizizwa sivaleleke enkingeni ngenxa yokuthi sifinyelela emicabangweni eyize yalelizwe futhi sisebenza ngokumelene noNkulunkulu wothando. Kodwa sikhuthazwa njalo ukuthi silandele isibonelo sikaJohane loJesu sokutshumayela iqiniso ngokungakhathali?

Noma ubani owamukelayo futhi oyethemba iNdodana wemukela konke kanye nayo - ukuphila okugcwalisekile okungapheli. Inkululeko yeqiniso itholakala ngokuzithoba eNkosini yeqiniso, uJesu Kristu, hhayi kubamemezeli bezikhathi zanamuhla noma ekukhohlisweni kokuzibusa nokuzibona ubalulekile. UMoya oNgcwele makaqhubeke nokukukhumbuza ngenkululeko onayo kuJesu Kristu.

nguGreg Williams