Ese koko Yesu yapfiriye ku musaraba?

HARI igitabo cyavuze ko “umusaraba ari cyo kimenyetso kizwi cyane kiranga Ubukristo.” Amashusho menshi n’ibihangano by’amadini bigaragaza Yesu abambye ku musaraba. Kuki icyo kimenyetso gikoreshwa cyane mu madini yiyita aya gikristo? Ese koko Yesu yapfiriye ku musaraba?

Abantu benshi bavuga ko Bibiliya ari yo yatanga igisubizo. Urugero, dukurikije Bibiliya Ntagatifu, igihe Yesu yicwaga, abamwitegerezaga baramunnyeze, maze bamushinyagurira bamubwira bati ‘manuka ku musaraba’ (Matayo 27:40, 42). Izindi Bibiliya nyinshi na zo ni ko zivuga. Urugero, Bibiliya Yera ivuga ko abasirikare ‘bahase’ Simoni w’Umunyakurene ‘ngo yikorere umusaraba wa Yesu’ (Mariko 15:21). Muri iyo mirongo, ijambo “umusaraba” ryahinduwe rivanywe ku ijambo ry’ikigiriki staurosʹ. Ese haba hari impamvu zifatika zatumye bahindura iyo mirongo batyo? None se, iryo jambo ry’umwimerere risobanura iki?

Ese koko wari umusaraba?

Intiti mu rurimi rw’ikigiriki yitwa W. E. Vine yavuze ko ijambo staurosʹ “ryumvikanisha mbere na mbere ingiga cyangwa igiti gihagaze. Abagizi ba nabi bicirwaga ku giti nk’icyo batewe imisumari. Urebye ukuntu iryo zina ndetse n’inshinga stauroō isobanura guhambira ku giti cyangwa ku ngeri byakoreshwaga mu mizo ya mbere, nta wagombye kubyitiranya n’umusaraba w’abanyamadini ugizwe n’ibiti bibiri.”

Hari inkoranyamagambo yavuze ko ijambo staurosʹ “ubundi ryasobanuraga inkingi y’igiti, igiti gihagaze, cyangwa igiti wakubakisha uruzitiro gishobora kumanikwaho ikintu icyo ari cyo cyose, cyangwa gushingwa mu butaka” (The Imperial Bible-Dictionary). Iyo nkoranyamagambo ikomeza igira iti “yemwe n’ijambo Abaroma bakoresha ari ryo crux (ijambo ry’ikilatini risobanura umusaraba), mu mizo ya mbere rigomba kuba ryarasobanuraga igiti gihagaze.” Ku bw’ibyo, ntibitangaje kuba hari igitabo cy’Abagatolika cyagize kiti “uko biri kose, nta washidikanya ko mu mizo ya mbere, umusaraba wari igiti kimwe gihagaze gisongoye hejuru.”—The Catholic Encyclopedia.

Nanone, abanditsi ba Bibiliya bakoresheje ijambo ry’ikigiriki xyʹlon, bashaka gusobanura ikintu Yesu yiciweho. Hari igitabo gisobanura ijambo xyʹlon kivuga ko ari “ingeri cyangwa inkingi y’igiti” (A Critical Lexicon and Concordance to the English and Greek New Testament). Gikomeza kivuga ko kimwe na staurosʹ, ijambo xyʹlon “ryumvikanishaga igiti gihagaze cyangwa inkingi Abaroma bamanikagaho ababaga bagomba kwicwa.”

Mu buryo buhuje n’ibyo bisobanuro, Bibiliya Ntagatifu yahinduye umurongo wo mu Byakozwe 5:30, igira iti “Imana y’abasekuruza bacu yazuye Yezu, uwo mwishe mumumanitse ku giti [xyʹlon].” Nubwo izindi Bibiliya zafashe ijambo staurosʹ zikarihinduramo umusaraba, na zo ijambo xyʹlon zarihinduyemo “igiti.” Mu Byakozwe 13:29, Bibiliya Yera yavuze ibirebana na Yesu igira iti “bamaze gusohoza ibyanditswe kuri we byose, bamumanura ku giti [xyʹlon] bamushyira mu mva.”

Cya gitabo twigeze kuvuga kimaze gushingira kuri ibyo bisobanuro by’ibanze by’ayo magambo y’ikigiriki, ari yo staurosʹ na xyʹlon, cyaravuze kiti “ayo magambo yombi nta ho ahuriye n’umusaraba wo muri iki gihe dukunze kubona ku mashusho” (Critical Lexicon and Concordance). Mu yandi magambo, icyo abanditsi b’Amavanjiri bashakaga kuvuga bakoresha ijambo staurosʹ, nta ho gihuriye n’icyo abantu bo muri iki gihe bita umusaraba. Ku bw’ibyo, birakwiriye ko Bibiliya y’Ubuhinduzi bw’isi nshya ikoresha imvugo ngo ‘igiti cy’umubabaro’ muri Matayo 27:40-42 no mu yindi mirongo ibonekamo ijambo staurosʹ. Hari n’indi Bibiliya yakoresheje imvugo ngo “igiti cyo kwicirwaho.”—The Complete Jewish Bible.

Inkomoko y’umusaraba

None se niba Bibiliya itigisha ko Yesu yapfiriye ku musaraba, kuki amadini yose avuga ko yigisha Bibiliya kandi akayikurikiza, baba Abagatolika, Abaporotesitanti n’Aborutodogisi, bataka umusaraba ku mazu yabo kandi bakawukoresha nk’ikimenyetso kiranga ukwizera kwabo? Byagenze bite kugira ngo umusaraba ube ikimenyetso gikoreshwa n’abantu benshi?

Igisubizo ni uko umusaraba utubahwa gusa n’abayoboke b’amadini avuga ko akurikiza Bibiliya, ahubwo wubahwa nanone n’abantu batemera Bibiliya na gato, kandi batangiye gusenga kera cyane mbere y’uko amadini yiyita aya gikristo abaho. Ibitabo byinshi by’amadini byemeza ko imisaraba y’ubwoko butandukanye yabanje gukoreshwa n’abantu bo mu bihe bya kera cyane. Urugero, inyandiko za kera z’Abanyegiputa hamwe n’amashusho y’imana n’imanakazi zabo, bikunze kugaragaza umusaraba umeze nk’inyuguti ya T, ifite uruziga hejuru yawo. Bakunze kuwitirira inyuguti ya T ifite umukondo hejuru, kandi bavuga ko ari ikimenyetso cy’ubuzima. Uko igihe cyagiye gihita, uwo musaraba umeze utyo waje kwemerwa kandi ukoreshwa cyane n’idini rya gikristo ryo muri Egiputa, hamwe n’abandi bantu.

Hari inkoranyamagambo yavuze iti “umusaraba wa kera kurusha indi ushobora kuba ari uwitwaga umusaraba wa ‘gama’ (crux gammata), uzwi cyane n’abantu bize amateka y’ibihugu byo mu Burasirazuba bwa Aziya n’abanyeshuri biga ibirebana n’ubushakashatsi ku byataburuwe mu matongo ya kera cyane. Abo bantu bawitaga swastika, rikaba ari izina rikoreshwa mu rurimi rwo mu Buhinde rw’igisansikiriti” (The Catholic Encyclopedia). Uwo musaraba wakoreshwaga cyane n’Abahindu bo mu Buhindi hamwe n’Ababuda bo mu duce two hirya no hino muri Aziya, kandi na n’ubu uracyaboneka mu mitako n’imirimbo yo muri utwo duce.

Nta wuzi neza igihe umusaraba watangiriye gukoreshwa nk’ikimenyetso kiranga “Ubukristo.” Inkoranyamagambo yanditswe na Vine yaravuze iti “mu kinyejana cya gatatu rwagati, amatorero yari yaratandukiriye inyigisho zimwe na zimwe z’Ubukristo cyangwa yarazigoretse. Kugira ngo amatorero arusheho gushimangira icyubahiro cy’abakuru b’idini b’abahakanyi, yakiraga abapagani bitabaye ngombwa ko babanza kwizera inyigisho za Kristo, kandi muri rusange bemererwaga kugumana ibimenyetso byabo bya gipagani,” harimo n’umusaraba.—Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words.

Nanone hari abanditsi bamwe na bamwe batunga agatoki ibyavuzwe na Konsitantino wasengaga imana y’izuba, aho yavuze ko mu mwaka wa 312 ubwo yari ku rugamba, yagize atya akerekwa umusaraba uri hejuru y’izuba, wanditseho amagambo y’ikilatini agira ati “in hoc vince” (iki ni ikimenyetso cyo gutsinda). Nyuma yaho gato, icyo kimenyetso cy’“Ubukristo” cyaje gushyirwa ku birango, ku ngabo no ku ntwaro z’abasirikare. (Reba ifoto iri ibumoso.) Bavuga ko Konsitantino yaje kuba Umukristo nubwo yabatijwe nyuma y’imyaka 25, ari hafi gupfa. Icyakora, hari abashidikanyije ku mpamvu yamuteye kuba Umukristo. Hari igitabo cyagize kiti “aho kugira ngo akurikize inyigisho za Yesu w’i Nazareti, yabaye nk’uhindura Ubukristo, ngo abuhuze n’icyo yatekerezaga ko cyari kurushaho kunogera abaturage be, bakemera ko ari idini gatolika [ry’isi yose].”—The Non-Christian Cross.

Kuva icyo gihe, abantu batangiye gukoresha imisaraba y’ubwoko butandukanye. Urugero, hari inkoranyamagambo yavuze ko icyo bita umusaraba wa Mutagatifu Antoine “cyari kimeze nk’inyuguti ya T nkuru, bamwe bakaba batekereza ko wakomotse ku kimenyetso cy’imana [y’Abanyababuloni] yitwaga Tamuzi, yarangwaga n’inyuguti ya tau” (The Illustrated Bible Dictionary). Nanone hari umusaraba wa Mutagatifu André, umeze nk’inyuguti ya X, hamwe n’undi musaraba uzwi cyane w’ibiti bibiri, umutambiko wawo ukaba umanuyeho gato. Dukurikije icyo gitabo, uwo musaraba tumaze kuvuga ni wo witwa umusaraba wa kilatini, abantu bibeshyaho “bavuga ko ari wo Umwami wacu yapfiriyeho.”

Abakristo bo mu kinyejana cya mbere babibonaga bate?

Bibiliya igaragaza ko mu kinyejana cya mbere, abenshi mu bumvise ubutumwa bwa Yesu bizeye maze bakemera ko urupfu rwe rw’igitambo ruzatuma bacungurwa. Nanone, Bibiliya ivuga ko igihe intumwa Pawulo yari amaze kubwiriza Abayahudi b’i Korinto akabahamiriza ko Yesu ari we Kristo, ‘umutware w’isinagogi witwaga Kirisipo yizeye Umwami, n’abo mu rugo rwe bose bakizera. Abakorinto benshi bumvise ubutumwa, na bo barizeye barabatizwa’ (Ibyakozwe 18:5-8). Aho kugira ngo Pawulo yinjize ibimenyetso cyangwa ibishushanyo by’amadini mu Bukristo, yasabye Abakristo bagenzi be ‘guhunga ibikorwa byo gusenga ibigirwamana,’ n’ikindi gikorwa icyo ari cyo cyose gikomoka mu bapagani.—1 Abakorinto 10:14.

Abahanga mu by’amateka n’abashakashatsi nta gihamya babonye bashingiraho bemeza ko Abakristo bo mu kinyejana cya mbere bakoreshaga umusaraba. Birashishikaje kuba hari igitabo cyasubiyemo ibyavuzwe n’umwanditsi wo mu mpera z’ikinyejana cya 17. Uwo mwanditsi yarabajije ati “ese Yesu wahawe umugisha, ashobora gushimishwa no kubona abigishwa be baha ikuzo ishusho y’ikintu biciragaho abantu babaga bakatiwe urwo gupfa, ari na cyo [yitwa ko] yababarijweho arengana, ntiyite ku isoni zacyo” (History of the Cross)? None se ari wowe, icyo kibazo wagisubiza ute?

Gusenga Imana mu buryo yemera ntibisaba gukoresha ibishushanyo. Pawulo yarabajije ati “urusengero rw’Imana rwahuza rute n’ibigirwamana” (2 Abakorinto 6:14-16)? Nta na hamwe mu Byanditswe havuga ko Umukristo yagombye gusenga akoresheje ishusho y’ikintu bamanitseho Yesu.—Gereranya na Matayo 15:3; Mariko 7:13.

None se ni ikihe kimenyetso kiranga Abakristo b’ukuri? Icyo kimenyetso si umusaraba cyangwa ikindi kimenyetso icyo ari cyo cyose, ahubwo ni urukundo. Yesu yabwiye abigishwa be ati “ndabaha itegeko rishya ngo mukundane nk’uko nabakunze, mube ari ko namwe mukundana. Ibyo ni byo bose bazabamenyeraho ko muri abigishwa banjye, nimukundana.”—Yohana 13:34, 35.

[Amagambo yatsindagirijwe yo ku ipaji ya 19]

Icyo abanditsi b’Amavanjiri bashakaga kuvuga, nta ho gihuriye n’icyo abantu bo muri iki gihe bita umusaraba

[Ifoto yo ku ipaji ya 18]

Igishushanyo cyo mu kinyejana cya 17, kigaragaza umuntu bamanitse kuri staurosʹ, mu gitabo “de cruce” cya lipsius

[Ifoto yo ku ipaji ya 19]

Igishushanyo cyo ku rukuta cyo muri egiputa (ahagana mu kinyejana cya 14 mbere ya yesu), kigaragaza umusaraba ufite umukondo, ikimenyetso cy’ubuzima

[Aho ifoto yavuye]

© DeA Picture Library/Art Resource, NY

[Ifoto yo ku ipaji ya 19]

Umusaraba wa gama, mu rusengero rw’abahindu rwa Laxmi Narayan

[Aho ifoto yo ku ipaji ya 20 yavuye]

Byavuye mu gitabo The Cross in Tradition, History, and Art (1897)