UJesu izolo, namuhla naphakade

Kwesinye isikhathi sisondela emgubhweni kaKhisimusi wokuzalwa kweNdodana kaNkulunkulu ngesasasa elikhulu kangangokuthi sivumela i-Advent, isikhathi lapho kuqala unyaka webandla lobuKristu, sifiphele ngemuva. Isikhathi se-Advent, esihlanganisa amaSonto amane, siqala kulo nyaka ngoNovemba 29 futhi simemezela uKhisimusi, ukugujwa kokuzalwa kukaJesu Kristu. Igama elithi "Advent" lisuselwa kwelesiLatini elithi adventus futhi lisho into efana "nokuza" noma "ukufika". Ngesikhathi se-Advent, "ukuza" kukaJesu okuthathu kuyagujwa (imvamisa ngokulandelana): ikusasa (ukubuya kukaJesu), okwamanje (ngoMoya oNgcwele) kanye nesikhathi esedlule (ukuzalwa kukaJesu enyameni/ukuzalwa).

Siyiqonda kangcono incazelo ye-Advent uma sibheka ukuthi lokhu kuza okuthathu kuhlobana kanjani. Njengoba umbhali wamaHeberu asho: “UJesu Kristu unguye izolo, nanamuhla, naphakade” (KumaHeberu 1 Kor.3,8). UJesu weza njengomuntu (izolo), ukhona kithi ngoMoya oNgcwele (namuhla) futhi uzobuya (phakade) njengeNkosi yamakhosi noMbusi wababusi. Omunye umbono esingakubheka ngawo lokhu utholakala maqondana nombuso kaNkulunkulu. Ukuba senyameni kukaJesu kulethe umbuso kaNkulunkulu kumuntu (izolo); yena uqobo umema abakholwayo ukuba bangene bahlanganyele kulowo mbuso (namuhla); futhi lapho ebuya, uyokwembulela sonke isintu umbuso kaNkulunkulu osuvele ukhona (phakade).

UJesu wasebenzisa imifanekiso eminingana ukuchaza umbuso ayezowumisa: umfanekiso wembewu emila ingabonakali futhi ithule (Marku. 4,26-29), emila embewini yesinaphi, ephuma embewini encane ikhule ibe isihlahla esikhulu ( Marku 4,30-32), kanye naleyo yemvubelo, ebilisa inhlama yonke (Mathewu 13,33). Le mifanekiso ikhombisa ukuthi umbuso kaNkulunkulu walethwa emhlabeni ngokuthatha isimo somuntu kukaJesu futhi usamile ngempela nanamuhla. UJesu wabuye wathi, “Uma ngikhipha omoya ababi ngoMoya kaNkulunkulu [lokho akwenza], umbuso kaNkulunkulu usufikile phezu kwenu” ( Mathewu 12,28; Luka 11,20). Wathi umbuso kaNkulunkulu ukhona, futhi ubufakazi bawo bubhalwe ekukhipheni kwakhe imimoya neminye imisebenzi emihle yebandla.
 
Amandla kaNkulunkulu ahlala ebonakaliswa ngamandla amakholwa aphila eqinisweni lombuso kaNkulunkulu. UJesu Kristu uyinhloko yebandla, wayenjalo izolo, namuhla futhi uyoba phakade. Njengoba umbuso kaNkulunkulu wawukhona enkonzweni kaJesu, manje usukhona (nakuba ungakapheleli) enkonzweni yebandla lakhe. UJesu iNkosi uphakathi kwethu; amandla akhe omoya ahlezi kithi, noma umbuso wakhe ungakafiki ngokugcwele. UMartin Luther waqhathanisa ukuthi uJesu wabopha uSathane, nakuba ngeketanga elide: “[...] [uSathane] akanakwenza okungaphezu kwenja embi eketangweni; angase akhonkothe, agijimele ngapha nangapha, adabule iketanga.

Umbuso kaNkulunkulu uyoba khona kukho konke ukuphelela kwawo—lokho “into yaphakade” esiyithembayo. Siyazi ukuthi ngeke sikwazi ukushintsha umhlaba wonke lapha namanje, noma singazama kangakanani ukukhombisa uJesu ezimpilweni zethu. UJesu kuphela ongenza lokho, futhi uyokwenza ngenkazimulo yonke lapho ebuya. Uma umbuso kaNkulunkulu usuvele ungokoqobo esikhathini samanje, uyoba ngokoqobo kuphela kukho konke ukupheleliswa kwawo esikhathini esizayo. Uma lisafihliwe kakhulu namuhla, luyovezwa ngokugcwele lapho uJesu ebuya.

UPawulu wayevame ukukhuluma ngombuso kaNkulunkulu ngomqondo wawo wesikhathi esizayo. Waxwayisa nganoma yini engasivimbela “ekudleni ifa lombuso kaNkulunkulu” (1. AbaseKorinte 6,9-10 futhi 15,50; KwabaseGalathiya 5,21; Kwabase-Efesu 5,5). Njengoba kubonakala ngokuvamile ekukhetheni kwakhe amazwi, wayehlale ekholelwa ukuthi umbuso kaNkulunkulu wawuyogcwaliseka ekupheleni kwesikhathi (1 Thes. 2,12; 2Thes 1,5; AbaseKolose 4,11; 2. UThimothi 4,2 futhi 18). Kodwa futhi wayazi ukuthi nomaphi lapho uJesu ekhona, umbuso wakhe usukhona kakade, ngisho nakulokho akubiza ngokuthi ‘leli zwe elibi lamanje. Njengoba uJesu ehlala kithi lapha namanje, umbuso kaNkulunkulu usuvele ukhona, futhi ngokukaPawulu sesivele sinabo ubuzwe embusweni wezulu (KwabaseFiliphi 3,20).

I-Advent nayo kukhulunywa ngayo maqondana nensindiso yethu, okukhulunywa ngayo eTestamenteni Elisha ngezikhathi ezintathu: ezedlule, ezamanje nezekusasa. Insindiso esivele siyitholile imele okwedlule. Yalethwa nguJesu ekufikeni kwakhe kokuqala - ngempilo yakhe, ukufa, ukuvuka nokukhuphuka kwakhe. Sithola okukhona manje lapho uJesu ehlala kithi futhi esibiza ukuthi sihlanganyele emsebenzini wakhe embusweni kaNkulunkulu (umbuso wezulu). Ikusasa limele ukugcwaliseka okuphelele kokuhlengwa okuza kithi lapho uJesu ebuyela kubo bonke futhi uNkulunkulu uyoba yikho konke kubo bonke.

Kuyathakazelisa ukuphawula ukuthi iBhayibheli ligcizelela ukubonakala kukaJesu okubonakalayo ekufikeni kwakhe kokuqala nokokugcina. Phakathi ‘koizolo’ ‘nengunaphakade,’ ukuza kukaJesu kwamanje akubonakali ngoba simbona ehamba, ngokungafani nabaphilayo bekhulu lokuqala. Kodwa njengoba manje singamanxusa kaKristu (2. AbaseKorinte 5,20), sibizelwe ukumela ubuqiniso bukaKristu nombuso wakhe. Ngisho noma uJesu engabonakali, siyazi ukuthi unathi futhi akasoze asilahla noma asilahle. Abantu esiphila nabo bangambona kithi. Siphonselwa inselelo yokukhombisa inkazimulo yombuso ngezicucu ngokuvumela indawo yesithelo sikaMoya oNgcwele ukuba singene kithi futhi silalele umyalo omusha kaJesu wokuba sithandane (Johane 1)3,34-enye).
 
Lapho siqonda ukuthi i-Advent isenkabeni, ukuthi uJesu uyizolo, namuhla, naphakade, sikwazi kangcono ukuqonda isisekelo sendabuko esimweni samakhandlela amane andulela isikhathi sokuza kweNkosi: ithemba, ukuthula, injabulo kanye uthando. NjengoMesiya abaprofethi ababekhuluma ngaye, uJesu uyisibonelo sangempela sethemba elanika abantu bakaNkulunkulu amandla. Akazange eze njengeqhawe noma inkosi ebusayo, kodwa njengeNkosana Yokuthula ukukhombisa ukuthi uhlelo lukaNkulunkulu lokuletha ukuthula. Isizathu senjabulo sikhombisa ukulindela okujabulisayo kokuzalwa nokubuyela koMsindisi wethu. Uthando luyikho konke uNkulunkulu ayikho. Lowo onguLuthando usithande izolo (ngaphambi kokusekwa komhlaba) futhi uyaqhubeka nokwenza njalo (ngawodwana nangendlela esondelene) namuhla naphakade.

Ngithandazela ukuthi inkathi ye-Advent igcwaliswe ngethemba likaJesu, ukuthula nenjabulo nokuthi ngamandla kaMoya oNgcwele uzokhunjuzwa nsuku zonke ukuthi ukuthanda kangakanani.

Ukuthembela kuJesu izolo, namuhla naphakade,

UJoseph Tkach

umongameli
UMUSA WOKUXHUMANA NOMHLABA WONKE

I-Advent: UJesu izolo, namuhla naphakade