Bible Society of South Africa

Hope through the cross – 15 January 2020

Neville Turley

Um(Imi)bhalo weBhayibheli

NgokukaMarku 8

34Wayesebiza isixuku nabafundi bakhe, wathi kubo: “Uma umuntu ethanda ukuza emva kwami, makazidele, athabathe isiphambano sakhe, angilandele. 35Ngokuba yilowo nalowo othanda ukusindisa ukuphila kwakhe uyakulahlekelwa yikho; kepha olahlekelwa ngukuphila kwakhe ngenxa yami nangenxa yevangeli uyakukusindisa.

NgokukaMarku 8:34-35ZUL59NOVula kumfundi weBhayibheli

IzEnzo 6

Amadoda ayisikhombisa akhethwa ukuba aphathe abampofu

1Kwathi ngaleyo mihla abafundi sebanda, kwavela ukukhonona kubaJuda abakhuluma isiGreki ngamaHeberu ngokuthi abafelokazi bakubo bayancishwa ekwabelweni kwemihla ngemihla.

IzEnzo 7

Ukuziphendulela kukaStefanu

1Umpristi omkhulu wayesethi: “Nembala lokhu kunjalo na?”

2Yena wathi: “Madoda, bazalwane, nani bobaba, lalelani. UNkulunkulu wenkazimulo wabonakala kubaba u-Abrahama eseMesopotamiya, engakakhi eHarana, 3wathi kuye: ‘Phuma ezweni lakini nasezihlotsheni zakho, uye ezweni engizakukukhombisa lona.’

4“Khona waphuma ezweni lamaKaledi, waya wakha eHarana. Kwathi esefile uyise, uNkulunkulu wamsusa lapho, wamhlalisa kuleli zwe enakhe kulo nina manje. 5Kepha akamnikanga ifa kulo, ngisho nelingangonyawo, wathembisa kodwa ukuthi uzakumnika lona libe ngelakhe nelenzalo yakhe emva kwakhe, engakabi namntwana. 6UNkulunkulu wakhuluma kanje, wathi: ‘Inzalo yakhe izakuba ngumfokazi ezweni lezizwe; bayakuyenza izigqila, bayiphathe kabi iminyaka engamakhulu amane. 7Kepha leso sizwe abayakuba yizigqila kuso ngiyakusahlulela mina, washo uNkulunkulu, andukuba baphume, bangikhonze kule ndawo.’ 8Wayesemnika isivumelwano sokusoka; kanjalo-ke wazala u-Isaka, wamsoka ngosuku lwesishiyagalombili; u-Isaka wazala uJakobe, uJakobe wazala okhokho abayishumi nambili.

9“Okhokho baba nomhawu ngoJosefa, bathengisa ngaye, wasiwa eGibithe; kodwa uNkulunkulu wayenaye, 10wamkhipha kuzo zonke izinhlupheko zakhe, wamupha umusa nokuhlakanipha phambi kukaFaro inkosi yaseGibithe; yena wammisa abe ngumbusi eGibithe nakuyo yonke indlu yakhe.

11“Kepha kwafika indlala kulo lonke iGibithe nakwaKhanani, nokuhlupheka okukhulu; obaba kabafumana ukudla. 12UJakobe esezwile ukuthi kukhona ukudla eGibithe, wathuma obaba ngokokuqala; 13kwathi ngokwesibili uJosefa waziwa ngabafowabo; kwabonakala kuFaro isizwe sakubo kaJosefa. 14UJosefa wayesethumela wabiza uJakobe uyise nabakubo bonke, abantu abangamashumi ayisikhombisa nanhlanu. 15UJakobe wehlela eGibithe; wafa yena nawobaba. 16Bayiswa eSikemi, babekwa ethuneni alithenga u-Abrahama ngenani lesiliva kumadodana kaHamori eSikemi.

17“Kepha sesisondele isikhathi sesithembiso uNkulunkulu asisho ku-Abrahama, banda abantu, baba baningi eGibithe, 18kwaze kwavela enye inkosi eGibithe ebingamazi uJosefa. 19Yona yasiphatha ngobuqili isizwe sakithi, yabahlupha obaba ngokubalahlisa izingane zabo zingaphili.

20“Ngaleso sikhathi kwazalwa uMose, waba muhle kuNkulunkulu; wondliwa izinyanga ezintathu endlini kayise; 21eselahliwe, indodakazi kaFaro yamthola, yazondlela yena ukuba abe yindodana yayo. 22UMose wafundiswa ukuhlakanipha konke kwabaseGibithe; waba namandla ngamazwi nangemisebenzi yakhe.

23“Kuthe eseneminyaka engamashumi amane ezelwe, kwafika enhliziyweni yakhe ukuba abamele abafowabo, abantwana bakwa-Israyeli. 24Wabona umuntu ephathwa kabi, wamvikela, wamphindisela ohlushwayo, wambulala owaseGibithe. 25Ubethemba ukuthi abafowabo bayakuqonda ukuthi uNkulunkulu ubanika ukusindiswa ngesandla sakhe; kepha abakuqondanga. 26Nangangomuso wafika kubo belwa, wazama ukubalamula, babuyisane, wathi: ‘Madoda, ningabazalwane; niphathanelani kabi na?’

27“Kepha lowo owayemona umakhelwane wakhe wamhlohloloza wathi: ‘Ubekwe ngubani ube ngumbusi nomahluleli phezu kwethu na? 28Usufuna ukungibulala nami, njengalokho ubulele owaseGibithe izolo na?’ 29Khona uMose wabaleka ngenxa yalelo zwi, waba ngumfokazi ezweni lakwaMidiyani, lapho azala khona amadodana amabili.

30“Kwathi sekuphelele iminyaka engamashumi amane, kwabonakala kuye ehlane lentaba yaseSinayi ingelosi iselangabini lomlilo esihlahleni. 31UMose ekubona wamangala ngalowo mbono; esasondela ukuba abhekisise, kwafika izwi leNkosi, lathi: 32‘NginguNkulunkulu wawoyihlo, uNkulunkulu ka-Abrahama noka-Isaka nokaJakobe.’ UMose wathuthumela, akaba nasibindi sokubhekisisa.

33“INkosi yayisithi kuye: ‘Khumula izicathulo ezinyaweni zakho, ngokuba indawo omi kuyo ingumhlabathi ongcwele. 34Ngikubonile nokukubona ukuhlushwa kwesizwe sami esiseGibithe, ngizwile ukububula kwaso; sengehlile ukuba ngibakhiphe. Woza kalokhu, ngizakukuthumela eGibithe.’

35“UMose lowo abamalayo bethi: ‘Ubekwe ngubani ube ngumbusi nomahluleli na?’ nguyena amthumayo uNkulunkulu ngesandla sengelosi eyabonakala kuye esihlahleni, abe ngumbusi nomhlengi. 36Yena lowo wabakhipha enza izimangaliso nezibonakaliso ezweni laseGibithe, naseLwandle Olubomvu, nasehlane iminyaka engamashumi amane.

37“Nguye uMose lowo owathi kubantwana bakwa-Israyeli: ‘UNkulunkulu uyakunivusela umprofethi kubafowenu onjengami.’ 38Nguye lowo owayesebandleni ehlane kanye nengelosi eyakhuluma naye entabeni yaseSinayi kanye nawobaba, nowamukela amazwi okuphila, ukuze aninike wona.

39“Kepha obaba abavumanga ukumlalela, kodwa bamhlohloloza, babuyela emuva eGibithe ngezinhliziyo zabo, 40bathi ku-Aroni: ‘Senzele onkulunkulu abazakuhamba phambi kwethu; ngokuba uMose lowo owasikhipha ezweni laseGibithe, asazi ukuba wehlelwe yini.’ 41Benza ithole ngaleyo mihla, baletha umhlatshelo esithombeni, bajabula ngemisebenzi yezandla zabo. 42Kepha uNkulunkulu wabafulathela, wabadedela ukuba bakhonze ibandla lezulu, njengokuba kulotshiwe encwadini yabaprofethi ukuthi:

“ ‘Naningilethela iminikelo nemihlatshelo

iminyaka engamashumi amane ehlane

nina ndlu ka-Israyeli na?

43Qha, nathatha itende likaMoloki

nenkanyezi kankulunkulu uRemfani,

imifanekiso enayenza ukuba nikhuleke kuyo.

Ngiyakunimukisela ngaphambili kweBabiloni.’

44“Kwakukhona itende lobufakazi kobaba ehlane njengalokho akuyalayo yena owakhuluma noMose ukuba alenze ngomfanekiso abewubonile; 45obaba benoJoshuwa balamukela, balingenisa ezweni lezizwe azixoshayo uNkulunkulu ebusweni bawobaba, kwaze kwaba semihleni kaDavide 46owathola umusa ebusweni bukaNkulunkulu, wacela ukufunela uNkulunkulu kaJakobe idokodo. 47Kepha nguSolomoni owamakhela indlu.

48“Kodwa oPhezukonke akahlali ezindlini ezenziwe ngezandla njengokusho komprofethi ukuthi:

49“ ‘Izulu liyisihlalo sami sobukhosi,

nomhlaba uyisenabelo sezinyawo zami;

ngenjani indlu eniyakungakhela yona,’ isho iNkosi,

‘noma yiyiphi indawo yami

yokuphumula na?

50Isandla sami asikwenzanga

konke lokho na?’

51“Nina bantamo zilukhuni, abangasokile ezinhliziyweni nasezindlebeni, nimelana njalo noMoya oNgcwele; njengoyihlo ninjalo nani. 52Ngumuphi kubaprofethi oyihlo abangamzingelanga na? Bababulala ababememezela ngaphambili ukuza koLungileyo, eseningabakhapheli nababulali bakhe, 53nina enamukela umthetho ngokuyala kwezingelosi, kepha aniwugcinanga.”

Ukufa kukaStefanu

54Kwathi bekuzwa lokho, bahlabeka ezinhliziyweni, bamgugudela amazinyo. 55Kepha yena egcwele uMoya oNgcwele wagqolozela ezulwini, wabona inkazimulo kaNkulunkulu, noJesu emi ngakwesokunene sikaNkulunkulu, 56wathi: “Bheka, ngibona izulu livuliwe, neNdodana yomuntu imi ngakwesokunene sikaNkulunkulu.”

57Base bekhamuluka ngezwi elikhulu, bavala izindlebe, batheleka kuye kanyekanye, 58bamkhiphela ngaphandle komuzi, bamkhanda ngamatshe. Ofakazi babeka izingubo zabo ngasezinyaweni zensizwa egama layo linguSawulu.

59UStefanu bamkhanda ngamatshe ekhuleka ethi: “Nkosi Jesu, yamukela umoya wami.” 60Wayeseguqa phansi, wamemeza ngezwi elikhulu, wathi: “Nkosi, ungababaleli lesi sono.” Eseshilo lokho walala ubuthongo.

IzEnzo 8

USawulu uzingela amakholwa

1Kepha uSawulu wayevumelene nabo ngokubulawa kwakhe.

Ngalolo suku kwavela ukuzingelwa okukhulu kwebandla laseJerusalema; bahlakazeka bonke emazweni aseJudiya naseSamariya; kwasala abaphostoli bodwa.

IzEnzo 6:1ZUL59NOVula kumfundi weBhayibheli

“Then Jesus called the crowd and his disciples to him. “If any of you want to come with me,” he told them, “you must forget yourself, carry your cross, and follow me.  For if you want to save your own life, you will lose it; but if you lose your life for me and for the gospel, you will save it.” Mark 8:34-35 (GNT)

In the passage incorporating our verse for the day, the Lord was talking about his impending suffering and death. We could well have been in that crowd, for his message is binding on every one of us.

The first mention in the Gospel of Mark of the “cross” is here. If you were in that crowd, living under the rule of Rome, it would have sent a chill up your spine.

The word “cross” does not have the same stark impact on our ears today. But the meaning of what our Lord is saying is precisely the same. If you want to follow Jesus you must be prepared to place him first and foremost in your life. There is no other way. Nothing and no-one, must outrank the importance of your relationship with your Saviour. You must be prepared to deny yourself, take up your cross and follow him.

Thank God for the witness first given to us by Stephen (Acts 6-8:1). In every generation there have been martyrs who have endured suffering to the point of death and by so doing, brought glory to God’s name.

The persecution of Christians continues to this day. One needs only to follow the media reports to perceive how shockingly believers are treated and often ruthlessly slaughtered, because of their Christian faith.

Not all of us are called by God to make the supreme sacrifice, but all of us are called by God to lead a Christ-centred lifestyle. That means being resolute in carrying out God’s will for our life. The Holy Spirit enables us to do just that.

Prayer: We give thanks, O God, for the witness of all those who live and die for the faith. And above all else, we thank you Father for the Lord Jesus the author and finisher of our faith. We vest our hope in the one Triune God – Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen

Bible Society of South Africav.4.26.9
SITHOLE KU