Yezu yoba vy’ukuri yapfiriye ku musaraba?

IGITABU kimwe c’inkoranyabumenyi kivuga giti: “Umusaraba ni co kimenyetso c’ubukirisu kimenyerewe kuruta ibindi vyose.” Amashusho menshi n’utugenegene twinshi vyo mu madini vyerekana Yezu bamukomereye imisumari ku musaraba. Ni kubera iki none ico kimenyetso gikwiragiye cane mu madini y’abiyita abakirisu? Yezu yoba vy’ukuri yapfiriye ku musaraba?

Abenshi boshobora guca bakoresha Bibiliya mu kwishura ico kibazo. Nk’akarorero, twisunze ibivugwa muri Bibiliya Yera, igihe Yezu yicwa, abariko baravyihweza baramutwengeye mw’ijigo maze bamuhigisha bati: “Imanure ku musaraba.” (Matayo 27:40, 42) Izindi Bibiliya nyinshi na zo nyene zivuga ibisa n’ivyo. Ubwuzure Bushasha buvuga yuko Simoni w’i Sireni ‘bamufashe ngo atwaze [Yezu] umusalaba.’ (Mariko 15:21) Muri iyo mirongo, ijambo “umusaraba” rihindurwa rikuwe mw’ijambo ry’ikigiriki staurosʹ. Hoba hariho imvo zumvikana zotuma iryo jambo rihindurwa gutyo? Mbega iryo jambo ry’ikigiriki risobanura iki?

Woba wari umusaraba?

Twisunze ibivugwa n’incabwenge imwe mu vy’ikigiriki yitwa W. E. Vine, ijambo staurosʹ “risobanura, ubwa mbere na mbere, ikigiga canke igiti kigororotse. Kuri bene ico giti, ni ho bakomera imisumari inkozi z’ikibi mu kuzica. Iryo zina [staurosʹ] hamwe n’irivuga stauroō, irisobanura gukomera ku giti canke ku nkingi, ufatiye ku nkomoko yavyo, biratandukanye na wa musaraba ugizwe n’ibiti bibiri ukoreshwa mu madini.”

Inyizamvugo imwe y’ivya Bibiliya (The Imperial Bible-Dictionary) ivuga yuko ijambo staurosʹ “mu buryo bubereye ryasobanura igiti, ikigiga kigororotse, canke ingegene y’igiti, bashobora kumanikako ikintu ico ari co cose canke bashobora gukoresha mu kuzitira ikibanza kanaka.” Iyo nyizamvugo ibandanya iti: “Mbere no mu Baroma ico bita crux (rikaba ari ijambo ry’ikilatini rikomokamwo rya jambo croix ry’igifaransa) biboneka ko mu ntango wari umugogo w’igiti ugororotse.” Ntibitangaje rero kubona inkoranyabumenyi imwe y’abagatolika (The Catholic Encyclopedia) ivuga iti: “Uko biri kwose, mu ntango nta gukeka ko umusaraba wari ugizwe n’umugogo umwe gusa ushinze, usongoye hejuru.”

Hariho irindi jambo ry’ikigiriki abanditsi ba Bibiliya bakoresheje mu kudondora ikintu Yezu yiciweko, na ryo akaba ari xyʹlon. Igitabu kimwe (A Critical Lexicon and Concordance to the English and Greek New Testament) kivuga ko xyʹlon ari “ingegene y’igiti canke umugogo w’igiti.” Kibandanya kivuga yuko nka kumwe kwa staurosʹ, icitwa xyʹlon “cari gusa ikigiga canke igiti kigororotse Abaroma bakomerako imisumari abantu, abo bantu bagaca rero bitwa ko bamanitswe.”

Muri ubwo buryo nyene, Ubwuzure Bushasha buvuga mu Bikorwa 5:30 buti: “Umukama Imana y’abasokuru bacu yarazuye Yezu mwari mwishe mumubamvye ku giti [xyʹlon].” Izindi Bibiliya naho zihindura ijambo staurosʹ ngo “umusaraba,” na zo nyene zihindura ijambo xyʹlon ngo “igiti.” Mu Vyakozwe 13:29, Bibiliya Yera ivuga ku bijanye na Yezu iti: “Bamaze gushitsa ivyo yandikiwe vyose, bamumanura ku giti [xyʹlon], bamushira mu mva.”

Ca gitabu (Critical Lexicon and Concordance) twamara kuvuga, cisunze insobanuro nyezina y’amajambo y’ikigiriki staurosʹ na xyʹlon, kigira giti: “Ayo majambo yompi ntahuza n’ukuntu dutahura umusaraba muri kino gihe, tukaba dusigaye tuwutahura gutyo bivuye ku mashusho.” Mu yandi majambo, ico abanditsi b’Injili badondoye bakoresheje ijambo staurosʹ nta ho gisa gisana n’ico abantu muri iki gihe bita umusaraba. Birabereye rero kubona Bibiliya y’isi nshasha ikoresha imvugo “igiti co kubabarizwako” muri Matayo 27:40-42 be n’ahandi ijambo staurosʹ riboneka. Mu buryo busa n’ubwo, Bibiliya yitwa Complete Jewish Bible ikoresha imvugo “igiti co kwicirwako.”

Inkomoko y’umusaraba

None nimba Bibiliya itavuga vy’ukuri ko Yezu yiciwe ku musaraba, ni kubera iki amadini yose avuga ko yigisha kandi akurikiza Bibiliya, baba abagatolika, abaporoti canke aborotodogisi, usanga ashariza inyubakwa zayo akoresheje umusaraba akongera akawukoresha bwa kimenyetso kiranga ukwizera kwayo? Vyagenze gute ngo umusaraba ube ikimenyetso kimenyerewe cane gutyo?

Ico womenya ni uko umusaraba utubahwa gusa n’abanyamadini bavuga yuko bisunga Bibiliya ariko kandi usanga wubahwa n’abantu baterekwa Bibiliya, bano uburyo bwabo bwo gusenga bukaba bwabayeho kera cane imbere y’uko amadini yitwa aya gikirisu abaho. Ibitabu bitari bike bivuga ivy’amadini biremera icese yuko abantu batanguye gukoresha imisaraba ifise imero zitandukanye kuva mu bihe vya kera cane imbere y’ubukirisu. Nk’akarorero, inyandiko ikoresha udushusho y’Abanyamisiri ba kera be n’ibishushanyo vy’imana n’imanakazi zabo, usanga akenshi vyerekana umusaraba umeze nka T iriko akazingi hejuru. Uwo musaraba ufise ikintu kimeze nk’ikirindi, vyiyumvirwa ko ari ikimenyetso c’ubuzima. Umusaraba umeze gutyo wahavuye wemerwa wongera urakoreshwa cane n’idini ry’abakobute (Église copte) be n’ayandi madini.

Ya nkoranyabumenyi y’abagatolika (The Catholic Encyclopedia) ivuga ko “umusaraba mu ntango bisa n’uko wari ufise imero ya wa musaraba witwa gama (crux gammata), uwo abatohoza ivya kahise ko muri Aziya be n’abatohoza ubucukuzi bw’ivya kera cane bamenyereye kw’izina ryawo swastika ryo mu rurimi rwa kera rw’Abahindi rwitwa sanskrit.” Ico kimenyetso carakoreshwa cane n’abahindu bo mu Buhindi be n’ababuda bo hirya no hino muri Aziya kandi kiracaboneka mu bisharizo vyo muri utwo turere.

Nta wuzi neza na neza igihe umusaraba watangura kwitwa ko ngo ari ikimenyetso c’abakirisu. Inyizamvugo imwe (Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words) ya Vine ivuga iti: “Nko hagati mu kinjana ca 3 Inyuma ya Kristu, amadini ashobora kuba yari yarataye canke yaragoretse inyigisho zimwezimwe z’ukwizera kwa gikirisu. Kugira ngo amadini yari yahunye yongereze icubahiro cayo, abapagani barakirwa mu madini batarinze guhindura ivyo bemera, kandi baremererwa cane kugumana ibimenyetso n’ibigereranyo vyabo vya gipagani,” ushizemwo n’umusaraba.

Abanditsi bamwebamwe barafatira ku vyo wa mwami Konsitantino yasenga imana-zuba yavuze yuko mu 312 G.C. (G.C. bisobanura mu Gihe Cacu) muri kimwe mu bitero vya gisirikare yagize, ngo yoba yareretswe umusaraba ugeretse ku zuba uri kumwe n’icivugo co mu kilatini kivuga ngo “in hoc vince” (bisobanura ngo “iki ni co kizogufasha gutsinda”). Haciye igihe, ikimenyetso citwa ngo ni ic’abakirisu carashizwe ku mabendera, ku nkinzo no ku mwambaro wo kwikingira ingabo ziwe zakoresha. (Raba ishusho y’ibubamfu.) Konsitantino yavuze yuko ngo yahindukiriye ubukirisu, ariko yagiye kubatizwa inyuma y’imyaka 25, ari ku mpfiro. Imvo zabimutumye hariho abazivyuyeko ibibazo. Igitabu kimwe (The Non-Christian Cross) kivuga giti: “Aho gukora ivyerekana ko yoba yarahindukiriye inyigisho za Yezu w’i Nazareti, yakoze nk’aho yariko arondera guhindura ubukirisu ngo bucike idini yabona ko ryoshobora kwemerwa n’abatwarwa biwe, rikabonwa ko ari idini rya gatolika [rigenewe bose].”

Kuva ico gihe, imisaraba ifise imero zitandukanye yahavuye iza irakoreshwa. Nk’akarorero, inyizamvugo imwe (The Illustrated Bible Dictionary) itubwira yuko icitwa umusaraba wa Antoni mweranda “wari ufise imero ya T nkuru y’imashini, bamwe bakibaza ko iyo T yava ku rudome tau, urwari ikimenyetso c’imana [y’Abanyababiloni] Tamuzi.” Hariho kandi umusaraba wa Andereya mweranda ufise imero y’urudome X, be na wa musaraba umenyerewe ugizwe n’ibiti bibiri, igikitse kikaba kiri hepfo gatoyi y’umutwe w’igishinze. Uwo musaraba w’ibiti bibiri, uwitwa ngo ni umusaraba w’abakirisu, abantu “bamye kuva kera babona ko ari wo musaraba Umukama wacu yapfiriyeko,” ariko akaba ari ukwihenda.

Ivyo abakirisu bo mu kinjana ca mbere bemera

Bibiliya yerekana ko mu kinjana ca mbere benshi mu bumvise Yezu bacitse abizera maze baremera ububasha bwo gucungura urupfu rwiwe rwo kwitangako inkuka rufise. Bibiliya ivuga ko inyuma y’aho intumwa Paulo abwiriye inkuru nziza Abayuda b’i Korinto, akerekana ko Yezu ari Kristu, “Kirisipo umukuru ahagarikiye isinagogi [yaciye] acika uwemera Umukama, n’abo mu rugo rwiwe bose. Benshi mu Bakorinto bavyumvise batangura kwemera, barabatizwa.” (Ivyakozwe 18:5-8) Aho kwinjiza ibimenyetso canke amashusho bijanye n’idini mu gusenga kwabo, Paulo yahimirije abo bakirisu bagenziwe ngo “[ba]hunge ugusenga ibigirwamana” be n’uwundi mugenzo uwo ari wo wose ukomoka mu nsengo y’abapagani.​—1 Abakorinto 10:14.

Abatohozakahise be n’abashakashatsi nta kimenyamenya na kimwe baronse cemeza ko abakirisu bo mu ntango bakoresha umusaraba. Birashimishije kubona igitabu kimwe (History of the Cross) gisubiramwo amajambo y’umwanditsi umwe wo mu mpera z’ikinjana ca 17 yabajije ati: “Ubwo Yezu uwahezagiwe yoba ashobora guhimbarwa no kwitegereza abigishwa biwe bariko baranezererwa ishusho y’ico kintu abantu baronkerako igihano c’urupfu, ari na co ubwiwe [bivugwa ko] yababariyeko yihanganye kandi arenganywa, agasuzugura ivyo bimaramare?” Wewe wokwishura gute?

Ugusenga kwemerwa n’Imana ntigusaba abantu gusenga bakoresheje ibintu canke amashusho. Paulo yabajije ati: “Urusengero rw’Imana ruhuza rute n’ibigirwamana?” (2 Abakorinto 6:14-16) Bibiliya nta na hamwe yerekana ko ugusenga kw’umukirisu gukwiye kujamwo ivyo gukoresha ikintu gisa n’icakoreshejwe mu kumanika Yezu.​—Gereranya na Matayo 15:3; Mariko 7:13.

None ni igiki kiranga abakirisu b’ukuri? Si umusaraba canke ikindi kimenyetso na kimwe, ahubwo ni urukundo. Yezu yabwiye abayoboke biwe ati: “Ndabahaye ibwirizwa rishasha: mukundane. Nk’uko nabakunze, abe ari ko namwe mukundana. Iki ni co bose bazomenyerako yuko muri abigishwa banje: nimwagiriranira urukundo hagati yanyu.”​—Yohani 13:34, 35.

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Ico abanditsi b’Injili badondoye nta ho gisa gisana n’ico abantu muri iki gihe bita umusaraba

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Igicapo co mu kinjana ca 17 cerekana umuntu ariko yicirwa kuri staurosʹ, cakuwe mu gitabu “De Cruce” ca lipsius

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Amashusho yo ku mpome y’abanyamisiri (nko mu kinjana ca 14 B.G.C.) yerekana umusaraba ufise ikirindi ugereranya ubuzima

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© DeA Picture Library / Art Resource, NY

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Umusaraba gama ku rusengero rwa Laxmi Narayan rw’abahindu

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Vyakuwe mu gitabu The Cross in Tradition, History, and Art (1897)