“Khumbulani Abakhokhelayo Phakathi Kwenu”

KUSUKELA ngePhentekhosti ka-33 C.E., abaphostoli bakaKhristu ababethembekile yibo ababeliqula elibusayo elalikhokhela ibandla lobuKhristu. (ImiSeb. 6:2-4; Heb. 13:7) Kwathi kusiyafika umnyaka ka-49 C.E., iqula leli laselihlanganisa lamanye amadoda ayengayisiwo baphostoli. Ngokwesibonelo, kwathi kulungisiswa indaba yokusoka, iqula elibusayo laselibunjwa ‘ngabaphostoli labadala ababeseJerusalema.’ (ImiSeb. 15:1, 2) Amadoda la ayekhangela izindaba ezaziphathelane lawo wonke amaKhristu ayekhona ngalesosikhathi. Ayethumela izincwadi lemilayezo emabandleni njalo lokhu kwawaqinisa amaKhristu futhi kwawanceda lokuthi amanyane kukho konke ayekwenza. Abazalwane emabandleni babezehlisa futhi belalela konke ababekutshelwa liqula elibusayo. UJehova wababusisa kakhulu futhi baphumelela ekukhonzeni.—ImiSeb. 8:1, 14, 15; 15:22-31; 16:4, 5; Heb. 13:17.

² Abaphostoli bathi sebefile kwaba labahlamuki ebandleni. (2 Thes. 2:3-12) UJesu wayevele ekhulumile ukuthi kuzakwenzakala lokhu ngesikhathi elandisa umzekeliso wengqoloyi (emela amaKhristu agcotshiweyo) lokhula (olumela labo abazenza amaKhristu). Amaqembu la amabili ayezaqhubeka ekhula ndawonye okwesikhathi eside kuze kube yisikhathi sokuvuna, okutsho ‘isiphetho somumo wezinto.’ (Mat. 13:24-30, 36-43) AmaKhristu agcotshiweyo ayelokhu ekhona lanxa iqula elibusayo lalingasekho, yikho kwakungaselandlela eyaziwayo eyayisetshenziswa nguJesu ukukhokhela abantu. (Mat. 28:20) Kodwa uJesu waphinda wathi konke lokhu kwakuzatshintsha ngesikhathi sokuvuna.

³ “Ngubani sibili oyinceku ethembekileyo lehlakaniphileyo?” UJesu wabuza umbuzo lo lapho ekhuluma ‘ngesibonakaliso’ esimayelana ‘lesiphetho somumo wezinto.’ (Mat. 24:3, 42-47) Wakwenza kwacaca ukuthi inceku le ethembekileyo yiyo eyayizanika abantu bakaNkulunkulu ukudla “ngesikhathi esifaneleyo.” Ngesikhathi sabaphostoli uJesu wasebenzisa amadoda athile ukuthi akhokhele ibandla, yikho lakulezinsuku zokucina usebenzisa inceku ethembekileyo ebunjwa liqembu lamadoda hatshi umuntu oyedwa.

NGUBANI ‘INCEKU ETHEMBEKILEYO LEHLAKANIPHILEYO?’

⁴ UJesu wawuphathisa bani umsebenzi wokunika abalandeli bakhe ukudla? IBhayibhili litshengisa ukuthi wawuzakwenziwa ngamaKhristu agcotshiweyo asemhlabeni. Liwabiza ngokuthi ‘ngabaphristi abangamakhosi,’ abaphiwe umsebenzi “‘wokumemezela yonke indawo ngobuntu obumangalisayo’ baLowo owababiza besebumnyameni wabaletha ekukhanyeni kwakhe okukhazimulayo.” (1 Phet. 2:9; Mal. 2:7; Isam. 12:17) Kodwa yibo bonke yini abagcotshiweyo ababumba inceku ethembekileyo? Hatshi. Ngesikhathi uJesu enika abantu abedlula 5 000 ukudla, waqala wakunika abafundi bakhe, bona basebekudlulisela ebantwini. (Mat. 14:19) Wasebenzisa abantu abalutshwane ukupha abanengi ukudla. Lalamuhla yikho akwenzayo, usebenzisa abantu abalutshwane ukuthi anike abantu bakaNkulunkulu ukudla.

⁵ Ngakho “umphathi othembekileyo futhi ohlakaniphileyo” liqembu elincane lamadoda agcotshiweyo aphiwe umsebenzi wokunika abantu bakaNkulunkulu ukudla ngesikhathi esifaneleyo. (Luk. 12:42) Kulezinsuku zokucina, iqembu leli ‘eliyinceku ethembekileyo lehlakaniphileyo’ lisebenzela emawofisini ethu amakhulu. Libizwa ngokuthi liQula Elibusayo LaboFakazi BakaJehova.

⁶ UKhristu usebenzisa iqula leli ukuze akhanyise ukugcwaliseka kweziphrofetho eziseBhayibhilini lokuthi singazisebenzisa njani izimiso ezikulo. Imfundo le eqinisa ukholo idluliselwa emabandleni aboFakazi bakaJehova ukuze abantu bayithole. (Isaya. 43:10; Gal. 6:16) Ngezikhathi zeBhayibhili inceku loba umphathi owayethembekile wayephiwa umsebenzi wokukhangela indlu yonke. Inceku ethembekileyo lehlakaniphileyo layo iphiwe umsebenzi wokunakekela bonke abendlu yeNkosi. Iphinda ikhangele impahla yenhlanganiso, umsebenzi wokutshumayela, ukuhlela imihlangano yeziqinti leyezabelo, ukubekwa kwabadala abenza imisebenzi etshiyeneyo enhlanganisweni kanye lokudindwa kwamabhuku asekelwe eBhayibhilini. Konke lokhu kunceda “izisebenzi zalapha ekhaya.”—Mat. 24:45.

⁷ Ngobani “izisebenzi zalapha ekhaya”? Yibo bonke abadla ukudla okuphekwa yinceku ethembekileyo. Ekuqaliseni kwakungabagcotshiweyo kuphela ababeyizisebenzi zalapha ekhaya kodwa ngokuya kwesikhathi kwasekusiba ‘lezinye izimvu.’ (Joh. 10:16) Amaqembu la womabili adla ukudla okuvela encekwini ethembekileyo.

⁸ Lapho uJesu esezosusa umumo lo wezinto ngesikhathi sokuhlupheka okukhulu, uzabeka inceku ethembekileyo ‘ukuthi ikhangele konke okungokwakhe.’ (Mat. 24:46, 47) Ngalesosikhathi labo ababumba inceku ethembekileyo bazaphiwa umvuzo wokuyabusa loKhristu ezulwini. Sebendawonye labanye abagcotshiweyo bazabe sebengu-144 000. Lanxa ngalesosikhathi kuyabe kungaselanceku ethembekileyo lehlakaniphileyo emhlabeni, uJehova loJesu bazasebenzisa ‘amakhosana’ ukukhokhela labo abazabe behlala emhlabeni.—Hubo. 45:16.

KUNGANI KUMELE ‘SIKHUMBULE ABAKHOKHELAYO’?

⁹ Zinengi izizatho ezenza kuqakatheke ukuthi ‘sikhumbule abakhokhelayo’ futhi sibathembe. Umphostoli uPhawuli wabhala wathi: “Lalelani abakhokhelayo phakathi kwenu, lizehlise kubo, ngoba bayalilinda futhi bazalandisa. Lingenza njalo, umsebenzi wabo bazawenza bethokoza hatshi bekhonona ngenxa yokuthi lokhu kungalilimaza.” (Heb. 13:17) Kuqakathekile ukuthi sizehlise kulabo abasikhokhelayo futhi sibalalele ngoba bayasilinda futhi basivikele ekukhonzeni.

¹⁰ Ku-1 Khorinte 16:14 uPhawuli wathi: “Konke elikwenzayo kwenzeni ngothando.” Zonke izinqumo ezenziwa enhlanganisweni zenziwa ngothando. Uthando lolu luyachazwa ku-1 Khorinte 13:4-8 othi: “Uthando luyabekezela njalo lulomusa. Uthando kalulamhawu. Kaluzitshayi isifuba, kaluzikhukhumezi, kaluziphathi ngendlela engafanelanga, kaluzifuneli okwalo, kalucaphuki. Kalugcini izikhwili. Kaluthokoziswa ngokungalunganga kodwa luthokoziswa liqiniso. Lubekezelela zonke izinto, lukholwa zonke izinto, luthemba zonke izinto, luqinisela ezintweni zonke. Uthando kalupheli.” Silesizatho esiqinileyo sokuyithemba inhlanganiso kaJehova ngoba zonke izinqumo ezenziwayo zisekelwe ethandweni njalo ziyasinceda. Lobu yibufakazi bokuthi uJehova uyasithanda.

¹¹ Lamuhla, uJehova usebenzisa amadoda alesono ukuthi akhokhele abantu bakhe njengoba kwakunjalo ngesikhathi sabaphostoli. Lasendulo wayevele esebenzisa abantu abalesono ukuze agcwalise injongo yakhe. Ngokwesibonelo, wathuma uNowa ukuthi akhe umkhumbi lokuthi axwayise abantu ngokwakuzakwenzakala. (Gen. 6:13, 14, 22; 2 Phet. 2:5) Wasebenzisa uMosi ukuthi akhiphe abantu bakhe eGibhithe. (Eks. 3:10) Waphefumulela lamanye amadoda alesono ukuthi abhale iBhayibhili. (2 Tim. 3:16; 2 Phet. 1:21) Lanxa uJehova esebenzisa abantu abalesono ekuqondiseni umsebenzi wokutshumayela, akumelanga siyikhangelele phansi inhlanganiso yakhe. Kodwa kufanele kusiqinise ngoba ukuphumelela kwayo kutshengisa ukuthi uJehova nguye oyiqondisayo. Konke okwenziwe yinceku ethembekileyo lehlakaniphileyo langezikhathi ezinzima kutshengisa ukuthi amadoda la akhokhelwa ngumoya kaJehova. UJehova uyibusisile sibili ingxenye esemhlabeni yenhlanganiso yakhe. Yikho-ke kumele siqhubeke siyisekela ngenhliziyo yonke futhi siyithemba.

SINGATSHENGISA NJANI UKUTHI SIYABATHEMBA ABAKHOKHELAYO?

¹² Labo abaphiwe umsebenzi wokukhokhela emabandleni batshengisa ukuthi bayayithemba inceku ethembekileyo ngokwenza yonke imisebenzi abayinikwayo. (ImiSeb. 20:28) Kanti njalo sonke kumele sikhuthale emsebenzini wokutshumayela endlini ngendlu, siphindele ebantwini abalesifiso sokufunda njalo siqhube lezifundo zeBhayibhili. (Mat. 24:14; 28:19, 20) Kufanele silungiselele yonke imihlangano yebandla njalo siyingene ukuze ukudla okuphekwa yinceku ethembekileyo kusincede ekuphileni kwethu. Lokhu kuhlanganisa lemihlangano yeziqinti leyezabelo esiba layo. Ukuba ndawonye labazalwane emihlanganweni le kuyasikhuthaza kakhulu njalo kusiqinisa ukholo.—Heb. 10:24, 25.

¹³ Nxa sisekela inhlanganiso ngalokho esilakho siyabe sitshengisa ukuthi siyayithemba. (Zaga. 3:9, 10) Singananzelela ukuthi abafowethu badinga uncedo, kumele sisukumele phezulu sibasize ngabakudingayo. (Gal. 6:10; 1 Tim. 6:18) Konke lokhu kufanele sikwenze ngenxa yokuthi siyabathanda abafowethu. Kanti njalo kumele sihlale sikulungele ukutshengisa ukuthi siyambonga uJehova lenhlanganiso yakhe ngakho konke abasenzela khona.—Joh. 13:35.

¹⁴ Siphinda sitshengise ukuthi siyayithemba inhlanganiso kaJehova ngokusekela zonke izinqumo ezenziwayo. Lokhu kutsho ukulandela esikutshelwa ngabazalwane abasikhokhelayo, kungaba ngabadala emabandleni kumbe ababonisi beziqinti. Abazalwane laba ngabanye balabo “abakhokhelayo” okukhangelelwe ukuthi sizehlise kubo futhi sibalalele. (Heb. 13:7, 17) Lanxa singazwisisi ukuthi kungani kwenziwe izinqumo ezithile, kuhle ukuthi sizilandele ngoba ukwenza njalo kuyasinceda. UJehova uzasibusisa nxa singazimisela ukulandela iLizwi lakhe lalokho esikutshelwa yinhlanganiso yakhe. Ngokwenza njalo siyabe sitshengisa lokuthi siyazithoba kuMkhokheli wethu uJesu Khristu.

¹⁵ Zinengi sibili izizatho ezenza siyithembe inceku ethembekileyo lehlakaniphileyo. Kodwa khumbula ukuthi uSathane, unkulunkulu womumo lo wezinto uzama ngamandla wonke ukungcolisa ibizo likaJehova lelenhlanganiso yakhe. (2 Khor. 4:4) Ungavumi ukuthi akuqile. (2 Khor. 2:11) USathane ukwazi mhlophe ukuthi usesalelwe yisikhathi esincane ukuthi aphoselwe emgodini ongelamkhawulo, yikho uzimisele ukuphambula abantu abanengi ekukhonzeni uJehova. (Isam. 12:12) Kasizimiseleni-ke ukuhlala simthemba uJehova njalo sisondela kuye, silandele indlela ayisebenzisayo ukuze aqondise abantu bakhe. Singenza njalo sizakuba yinhlanganiso emanyeneyo.