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Uthando olukhulu
Uthando lukaNkulunkulu luwubuwula. Akumina okhuluma lokhu, kodwa umphostoli uPawulu. Encwadini yakhe ayibhalela ibandla laseKorinte, uPawulu ubhala ukuthi akezanga ukuzoletha isibonakaliso kumaJuda noma ukuhlakanipha kumaGreki, kodwa ukushumayela ngoJesu owayebethelwe esiphambanweni. “Kepha thina sishumayela uKristu obethelwe esiphambanweni, uyisikhubekiso kubaJuda nobuwula kwabezizwe.”1. AbaseKorinte 1,23).
Ngokombono womuntu, uthando lukaNkulunkulu alunangqondo. “Ngokuba izwi lesiphambano li. Kwabanye kuwubuwula, kwabanye ubuciko besimanje buwubuwula kulabo abalahlekile” (1. AbaseKorinte 1,18). Kulabo abangazi ukuthi izwi lesiphambano liyizwi lothando lukaNkulunkulu, kuwubuwula ukukholelwa ukuthi uNkulunkulu wasisindisa ngokufa kwakhe. Ngempela, uthando lukaNkulunkulu kithi lubonakala lungaqondakali, lungenangqondo, luwubuwula, lujulile.
Kusukela enkazimulweni kuye ekungcoleni
Zibone ngeso lengqondo uphila ngokuphelela. Bayisibonelo sobunye nenhlanganyelo noNkulunkulu. Impilo yakho iwukubonakaliswa kothando, injabulo nokuthula futhi unquma ukuyishintsha kakhulu.
Ngisanda kuchaza isiqalo sendalo, lapho uYise, iNdodana, noMoya oNgcwele behlala ngokuzwana okuphelele nenhlanganyelo omunye nomunye. Banomoya owodwa, umgomo owodwa kanye nentshiseko eyodwa futhi ubukhona babo bubonakaliswa ngothando, injabulo nokuthula.
Bese benquma ukwandisa umphakathi wabo ngokuthi bakwazi ukwabelana ngalokho abayikho nomuntu ongakabi khona. Ngakho badala isintu futhi bababize ngabantwana bakaNkulunkulu. Abesilisa nabesifazane, mina nawe, ukuze sibe nobudlelwane nabo phakade. Nokho, basidale nge-caveat. Babengafuni ukusitshela ukuthi kufanele siziphathe kanjani ukuze sihlale ebudlelwaneni naye, kodwa babefuna sikhethe ubuhlobo bethu nabo. Ngakho-ke, basinikeze eyethu intando ukuze sizikhethele ukuba nobuhlobo nabo. Ngenxa yokuthi basinika lesi sinqumo, babazi ukuthi abantu abaningi babeyokwenza ukukhetha okubi. Ngakho benza icebo. Alikho icebo B, kodwa icebo elilodwa. Lelisu liwukuthi iNdodana kaNkulunkulu yayiyoba umuntu futhi iNdodana kaNkulunkulu izofa njengomuntu esiphambanweni ngenxa yesintu. Kubantu abaningi lokhu kuwubuwula. Uthando olukhulu.
Ngisanda kuvakashela izwe lase-Asia lapho abantu bakhulekela onkulunkulu abangamakhulu. Amakholwa achitha impilo yawo yonke eqinisekisa ukuthi labonkulunkulu basemoyeni omuhle. Balwela ukugcina laba nkulunkulu besesimweni esihle funa baqalekiswe. Bachitha impilo yabo yonke besaba ukuthi abalungile ngokwanele. Umqondo wokuthi omunye wonkulunkulu babo wayeyoba umuntu futhi abasize ngothando uwumbono owubuwula kubo.
Nokho uNkulunkulu akakubheki njengomqondo oyisiwula. Isinqumo sakhe sisekelwe othandweni, ngoba usithanda kakhulu kangangokuthi washiya inkazimulo yakhe futhi waba indoda ensizwa engumJuda: “Futhi uLizwi waba yinyama futhi wakha phakathi kwethu” ( Joh. 1,14). Kubonakala sengathi ukuziphatha okunjalo kukaNkulunkulu kungaba ubuwula. Uthando olukhulu.
Umngane wezoni
Njengomuntu, uNkulunkulu wayehlala nabadobi nabathelisi, abantu abavamile nalabo abaxoshwa emphakathini. Wachitha isikhathi sakhe nabantu abanochoko, abakhwelwe amademoni, nezoni. Izazi zenkolo zambiza ngokuthi uyisiwula. Uthando olukhulu.
Esahlukweni sesishiyagalombili seVangeli likaJohane kukhona indaba yowesifazane owabanjwa ekhohlisa futhi walethwa phambi kukaJesu. Izazi zenkolo zazifuna ukubakhanda ngamatshe, kodwa uJesu wathi ongasoleki makajikijele itshe kuqala. Iqembu labantu ababebuthene kulo mbukiso lanyamalala futhi uJesu, ukuphela komuntu owayengasoleki ngempela, wamtshela ukuthi wayengamahluleli futhi wamnxusa ukuba angabe esona kusukela manje. Lokhu kuziphatha kuwubuwula kubantu abaningi. Uthando olukhulu.
UJesu wayejatshuliswa endlini yezoni. Izazi zenkolo zathi kuwubuwula ukuhlala etafuleni nabantu abanecala ngoba wayengeke ahlanzeke futhi ahlanzeke. Izono zabo zaziyomthinta futhi afane nabo. Kodwa uthando olukhulu luyawuphikisa lo mbono. UJesu, iNdodana kaNkulunkulu neNdodana yomuntu, wavuma ukuba aboshwe, ahlushwe futhi abulawe ukuze thina senziwe basha, sithethelelwe futhi silethwe ebunyeni noNkulunkulu ngegazi elaphuma kuye. Wathatha konke ukungcola kwethu nobuwula futhi wasihlanza phambi kukaBaba wethu osezulwini. Uthando olukhulu.
Wembelwa futhi wavuswa kwabafileyo ngosuku lwesithathu ukuze sibe nokuthethelelwa, ukwenziwa kabusha, nokuhlangana Naye, ukuphila ngokuchichimayo. Watshela abafundi bakhe: “Ngalolo suku niyokwazi nina ukuthi ngikuBaba, nani nikimi, nami ngikini.” ( Johane 14,20). Lokho kubonakala kuyisitatimende esiwubuwula, kodwa uthando oluqinile, impilo eqinile. Wabe esenyukela ezulwini, ngoba unguNkulunkulu ocebile ngesihawu futhi wasithanda ngothando lwakhe olukhulu, “yebo thina esafa ngezono, senziwe saphiliswa kanye noKristu—ngomusa nisindisiwe—; futhi wasivusa kanye naye, wasimisa kanye naye ezulwini kuKristu Jesu.” ( Efe 2,4-enye).
Ngenkathi siseyizoni—ngaphambi kokuba sibe nethuba lokubona nokuphenduka ezonweni zethu—uNkulunkulu wasithatha futhi wasithanda.
Uthando olukhulu lolu. NgoJesu, iNdodana kaNkulunkulu, siyingxenye yothando lwaphezulu. UNkulunkulu uBaba usibeke eceleni kukaJesu futhi usimema ukuba sibe nengxenye kulokho akwenzayo. Usikhuthaza ukuba sabelane nabanye abantu ngalolu thando olukhulu kanye nempilo ehambisana noJesu futhi esiphila ngayo ngaye. Icebo likaNkulunkulu liwubuwula kwabaningi. Kuwuhlelo olukhuluma ngothando olukhulu.
ukulalela okukhulu
Inguqulo ye-New Life (iBhayibheli) isho lokhu okulandelayo: “Phatha omunye komunye njengoba uKristu anifundisa ukuba nibe njalo. Nakuba ayenguNkulunkulu, akazange agcizelele emalungelweni akhe aphezulu. Wadela konke; wathatha isikhundla esiphansi senceku futhi wazalwa futhi waqashelwa njengomuntu. Wazithoba futhi walalela kwaze kwaba sekufeni, efa njengesigebengu esiphambanweni. Yingakho uNkulunkulu wamyisa ezulwini futhi wamnika igama elingaphezu kwawo wonke amanye amagama. Ngaphambi kwaleli gama kuyakuguqa amadolo abo bonke abasezulwini nabasemhlabeni nabangaphansi komhlaba. Futhi kube yinkazimulo kaNkulunkulu uBaba wonke umuntu oyovuma ukuthi uJesu Kristu uyiNkosi.” (Filipi 2,5-11). Uthando olukhulu.
Isibonelo esiphilayo
UJesu wafela sonke isintu ngenxa yothando olubonakala luwubuwula. Wasimema ukuba sihlanganyele kulolo thando ngezinye izikhathi olungabonakali lunengqondo, kodwa olusiza abanye baqonde uthando lukaNkulunkulu. Ngithanda ukukunikeza isibonelo esifushane salolu thando olukhulu. Sinomngane ongumfundisi eNepal: uDeben Sam. Cishe njalo ngesonto, ngemva kwenkonzo, uDeben uya esigodini lapho kunomtholampilo wabantu abampofu kakhulu eKathmandu nalapho belashwa khona mahhala. UDeben usezakhele ipulazi eduze kwesonto nezintandane futhi yilapho eshumayela khona ivangeli. UDeben usanda kugetshengwa esendleleni egodukayo, eshaywa ngesihluku futhi esolwa ngokuletha ithemba elingamanga kubantu bakule ndawo. Wayesolwa ngokubangela ukungcola kwenkolo - amazwi akhe ayewubuwula kulabo abangazazi izindaba ezinhle zesiphambano.
UDeben, oseluleme kakade kulokhu kuhlasela, ubathanda kakhulu abantu, ebatshela ngothando uNkulunkulu asicela ukuba siluhlanganyele nabo bonke abantu, ngisho nezitha zethu. Ngale ndlela sinikela ngezimpilo zethu ngenxa yezimpilo zabanye.
Ukwabelana ngezindaba ezinhle zesiphambano kuhlanganisa nokuhlanganyela ekuhlangenwe nakho kokuthi lolu thando lukaJesu Kristu lunamandla futhi luyashintsha. UbuKristu busekelwe kulolu thando olunikeza ukuphila lukaJesu nabalandeli bakhe. Uthando oluwubuwula kwesinye isikhathi alwenzi mqondo womuntu. Uthando esingeke saluqonda ngezingqondo zethu kuphela ngezinhliziyo zethu. Uthando olukhulu.
I-Easter ikhuluma ngothando lukababa ngezingane zakhe zonke, kuhlanganise nalabo abangazi ukuthi bangabantwana bakaNkulunkulu. Ubaba wanikela ngeyakhe indodana. Indodana yanikela ngokuphila kwayo. Wafela bonke abantu. Wavuka kwabafileyo ngenxa yabo bonke abantu. Uthando lwakhe ngolwabo bonke abantu - labo abamaziyo nalabo abangakamazi. Uthando olukhulu.
nguRick Schallenberger
