Ngu-St. John Chrysostom
“Uziqhenyelani ngezwe lakho,” kusho yena, lapho ngikuyala ukuba ube isihambi endaweni yonke, ube ungaba ngendlela yokuthi wonke umhlaba ungakufanelekeli? Lapho uvela khona akubalulekile kangangokuthi izazi zefilosofi ezingamaqaba ngokwazo azinaki ukubaluleka kukho, ziyibiza ngokuthi ingaphandle futhi ziyinikeze indawo yokugcina. Nokho, uPawulu uyakuvumela lokhu, uzothi, lapho ethi: “Maqondana nokukhethwa, abathandekayo bakaNkulunkulu ngenxa yawokhokho” (Rom. 11: 28). Kodwa ngitshele, nini, ngobani futhi ubani lona? Abahedeni abaphendukile, ababeziqhenya ngokholo lwawo, bahlubuka kumaJuda, futhi ngalokho abahlukanisa nakakhulu nabo. Ngakho-ke, usho lokhu ukuze ehlise ukuzikhukhumeza kwabanye, futhi ahehe futhi avuse abanye emhawu ofanayo. Lapho ekhuluma ngalawo madoda ahloniphekile nezinkulu, lalela lokho akushoyo: “Labo abakhuluma kanje babonisa ukuthi bafuna izwe labobaba. Futhi uma babenemicabango yabo izwe labo abavela kulo, babeyoba nesikhathi sokubuyela; kodwa bafuna okungcono kakhulu, okungukuthi okwasezulwini.” ( Heb. 11: 14-16). Futhi: “Bonke laba bafela ekukholweni, bengazamukeli izithembiso, kodwa bazibona zikude, bathokoza.” (Heb. 11: 13). Ngendlela efanayo, uJohane wathi kulabo ababeza kuye: “Ningacabangi ukuzitshela ukuthi, ‘Sinobaba u-Abrahama’” ( Mathewu 3:9 ); NoPawulu: “Akusibo bonke labo abangama-Israyeli abangabakwa-Israyeli, abangabantwana benyama, abangabantwana bakaNkulunkulu” (Rom. 9: 6,8). Eqinisweni, ngitshele, abantwana bakwaSamuweli baba nanzuzoni esikhulwini sikayise, kuyilapho bona bengazuzanga ifa lobuhle bakhe? Kusizani kubantwana bakaMose ababengenamona ngempilo yakhe eqinile? Abazange bazuze amandla akhe. Zabhalwa izingane zakhe, kodwa uhulumeni wabantu wadlulela komunye owayeyindodana yakhe ngobuhle. Ngokuphambene, ingabe kwamzwisa ubuhlungu uThimothewu ukuthi wayenobaba ongoweZizwe? Iyiphi inzuzo indodana kaNowa eyaphinda yaba nayo ebuhleni bukayise uma iba isigqila somuntu okhululekile? Uyabona ukuthi kuncane kangakanani ukuvikeleka kwezingane ezikhulwini zikayise? Ukukhohlakala kwentando kwanqoba imithetho yemvelo, futhi kwaphuca uHamu hhayi kuphela izikhulu zabazali bakhe, kodwa futhi nenkululeko ngokwayo. Futhi, wayengeyena yini u-Esawu indodana ka-Isaka, naye owamlamulela? Nakuba uyise wazama futhi wayefuna ukuba abe nengxenye esibusisweni, futhi yena ngokwakhe wafeza yonke imiyalo yakhe ngale njongo, kodwa njengoba wayenomzimba omncane, konke lokhu akuzange kumsize. Naphezu kweqiniso lokuthi ngokwemvelo wayeyizibulo, futhi uyise, kanye naye, wazama ngazo zonke izindlela ukuze alondoloze inzuzo yakhe, kodwa walahlekelwa yikho konke, ngoba wayengenaye uNkulunkulu. Kodwa ngithini ngabantu ngabanye? AmaJuda ayengamadodana kaNkulunkulu, nokho awazuzanga lutho kulesi sithunzi. Ngakho-ke, uma umuntu, ngisho eyindodana kaNkulunkulu, ejeziswa nakakhulu ngokungabonisi ubuqotho obufanele ukuhlonishwa okunjalo, pho-ke kuthiwani ngokubukisa ngezicukuthwane zoyisemkhulu nokhokho bakhe? Futhi hhayi kuphela eTestamenteni Elidala, kodwa naseTestamenteni Elisha umuntu angathola into efanayo. “Futhi labo abamamukelayo,” kuthiwa, “wabanika amandla okuba babe ngabantwana bakaNkulunkulu, labo abakholwa egameni lakhe” ( Johane 1:12 ); Okwamanje, kwabaningi balaba bantwana, ngokukaPawulu, akusizi ngalutho ukuba noBaba onjalo.
Uma uKristu engenamsebenzi walutho kulabo abangafuni ukuzilalela, kusiza ngani ukuncenga komuntu? Ngakho-ke, masingaziqhenyi ngezikhulu noma ngengcebo, kodwa masibadelele labo abakhukhumele ngalezo zinzuzo; Masingadangali ngenxa yobumpofu, kodwa masifune ingcebo elele ezenzweni ezinhle, sibalekele ubumpofu obusiholela esonweni. Ngenxa yalesi sizathu sokugcina, isicebi esidumile sasimpofu ngempela, yingakho sasingakwazi, naphezu kwezicelo ezinzima, ukuthola ngisho neconsi elilodwa lamanzi. Khonamanjalo, ukhona yini umnxibi onjalo phakathi kwethu ongenawo amanzi okuzipholisa? Akekho; futhi labo abancibilika ngenxa yendlala enkulu bangase babe neconsi lamanzi, futhi hhayi nje iconsi lamanzi, kodwa enye, induduzo enkulu kakhulu. Kodwa le ndoda ecebile yayingenakho ngisho lokho - yayimpofu kakhulu, futhi, okubuhlungu kunakho konke, yayingenakuthola induduzo ebumpofu bayo noma kuphi. Pho kungani sifisa imali kodwa ingasingenisi ezulwini? Ake ungitshele, uma kukhona inkosi yasemhlabeni eyayithi umuntu ocebile akanakukhanya ezigodlweni zakhe, noma azuze noma yiluphi udumo, ngeke yini wonke umuntu alahle impahla yakhe ngokudelela? Ngakho-ke, uma sesilungele ukudelela impahla lapho isiphuca udumo enkosini yomhlaba, khona-ke ngezwi leNkosi yezulu, ememeza nsuku zonke futhi ithi akunzima ukungena kulawo ma-vestibule angcwele ngengcebo, asiyikudelela konke, silahle ingcebo? ukungena ngokukhululeka embusweni Wakhe?
Umthombo: St. John Chrysostom, Ukuhunyushwa kweVangeli likaMathewu. Vol. 7. Incwadi 1. Ingxoxo 9.
