IT ingenye yemiBhalo ekhathaza kakhulu uma ingadikibali yonke:
Yibani ngabaphelele, njengoba nje noYihlo osezulwini ephelele. ( Mathewu 5:48 )
Ukuhlola unembeza nsuku zonke kwembula noma yini kodwa ukuphelela kwabaningi bethu. Kodwa lokho kungenxa yokuthi incazelo yethu yokuphelela ihlukile kweyeNkosi. Okungukuthi, angeke sihlukanise lowo mBhalo kwezinye izingxenye zeVangeli ngaphambi kwawo, lapho uJesu asitshela khona Kanjani ukuze uphelele:
Kepha mina ngithi kini, thandani izitha zenu, nibakhulekele abanizingelayo… (Mathewu 5:44)
Ngaphandle uma sibekela eceleni incazelo yethu “yokuphelela” futhi sithathe uJesu ezwini Lakhe, siyodumazeka phakade. Ake sibone ukuthi ukuthanda izitha zethu kusiphelelisa kanjani, naphezu kwamaphutha ethu.
Isilinganiso sothando lweqiniso akukona ukuthi sikhonza kanjani abathandekayo bethu, kodwa labo “abayizitha” zethu. UmBhalo uthi:
Kodwa kini enizwayo ngithi thandani izitha zenu, yenzani okuhle kwabanizondayo, nibusise abaniqalekisayo, nibakhulekele abaniphatha kabi. Kulowo okushaya esihlathini esisodwa, mnike nesinye futhi… (Luka 6:27-29)
Kodwa ubani isitha sami?
Bambalwa kithi abanezitha, kodwa sonke sinabo abasilimaza ngandlela thize, futhi singabe senqaba uthando lwethu kulaba. —Sr. URuth Burrows, Ukukholwa kuJesu, (Paulist Press); I-Magnificat, Februwari 2018, p. 357
Bangobani? Abasigxekile, bangenzeleli noma cha. Abakade bezehlisa. Labo abangazange baqaphele izidingo zethu noma ubuhlungu. Labo abekade bengaqondile futhi abangenaluzwela, abangenazwelo futhi abaxoshayo. Yebo, abukho ushevu emhlabeni obungena ngaphezu kwalokho enhliziyweni ukungabi nabulungisa. Yilaba bantu abahlola isilinganiso sothando lwethu—labo esibanika ihlombe elibandayo, noma esingase sibe mnandi kubo obala, kodwa ngasese, siwakha amaphutha abo. Siwanciphisa emiqondweni yethu ukuze sizizwe singcono. Futhi uma sithembekile, sijabulela amaphutha kanye nokushiyeka kwabo ukuze sinciphise udosi iqiniso—ngisho neqiniso elincane—okuwukuthi amazwi abo asilethele.
Bambalwa kithi “abanezitha” zangempela. Bafana nezinyosi esingavamile ukuhlangana nazo. Kodwa omiyane abasicasula kakhulu—labo abakwazi ukudalula izindawo zokuphila kwethu lapho singengcwele khona. Futhi kulokhu, uSt. Paul uyabhala:
Ningaphindiseli muntu okubi ngokubi; khathalelani lokho okuhle emehlweni abo bonke. Uma kungenzeka, ngokwenu, hlalani ngokuthula nabantu bonke. Bathandekayo, ningafuni ukuphindisela, kodwa shiyani ulaka; ngoba kulotshiwe ukuthi: “Ngeyami impindiselo, mina ngiyakubuyisela,” isho iNkosi. Kunalokho, “uma isitha sakho silambile, siphe ukudla; uma somile, siphuzise; ngokuba ngokwenza lokho uyakubuthela amalahle avuthayo ekhanda laso.” Unganqotshwa ngokubi kodwa nqoba okubi ngokuhle. ( Roma 12:16-21 )
Uma sithanda kanje, siyoba ngabaphelele ngempela. Kanjani?
Uthando lwenu ngomunye nomunye malukhule, ngokuba uthando lusibekela inqwaba yezono. (I-1 Peter 4: 8)
UJesu uchaza indlela Ubulungisa Baphezulu “obuyomboza” ngayo amaphutha ethu:
Thandani izitha zenu, nenze okuhle kuzo… niyakuba ngabantwana boPhezukonke… Niyeke ukwahlulela khona aniyikwahlulelwa. Yekani ukusola, futhi aniyikulahlwa. Thethelela uzothethelelwa. ( Luka 6:35, 37 )
Niyabona manje ukuthi nithanda kanjani abanye, njengalokhu uKristu wasithanda, ingabe “ukuphelela” emehlweni kaNkulunkulu? Ngokusibekela ubuningi bezono zethu. Indlela eninikela ngayo iyokwamukela kuBaba.
Yiphani futhi niyophiwa izipho; nesilinganiso esihle, esipakishiwe, esigxishiwe, esichichimayo, siyakuthululwa esifubeni senu. Ngokuba isilinganiso enilinganisa ngaso nani niyakulinganiselwa ngaso. ( Luka 6:38 )
Ukuphelela kuhlanganisa uthando njengalokhu uKristu wasithanda. Futhi…
Uthando luyabekezela, uthando lunomusa. Alunamhawu, [uthando] aluzikhukhumezi, alukhukhumali, aludeleli, aluzifuneli okwalo, alusheshi ukucasuka, aluzindla ngokubi, aluthokozi ngobubi. kodwa uthokoza kanye leqiniso. Lubekezelela zonke izinto. (Funda eyoku-1 Korinte 13:4-7.)
Eqinisweni, asigxeki yini, silulaza, asinazwelo futhi asinazwelo? Noma nini lapho othile ekulimaza, vele ukhumbule izono zakho nobuwula bakho nokuthi uJehova ukuthethelele kaningi kangakanani. Ngale ndlela, uyothola isihe enhliziyweni yakho sokunganaki amaphutha abanye futhi uthwale imithwalo yomunye.
Futhi ukuba ophelele.
Joyina uMarku kumishini yeLenten!
I-Toronto, Canada
February 25-27
Chofoza lapha ukuze uthole imininingwane
Akubusise futhi ngiyabonga!
Ukuhamba noMark in The Manje iZwi,
chofoza isibhengezo esingezansi ukuze ubhalise.
I-imeyili yakho ngeke yabiwe nanoma ngubani.
