Walathiswa eBandleni

Impendulo embuzweni kaSaule ithi, “Vuka, uye kungena emzini lowo; woyixelelwa into omelwe kukuyenza.” UYesu wamthumela umJuda obuzayo ebandleni lakhe, ukuba afumane kulo ulwazi ngomsebenzi wakhe. UKristu weenza umsebenzi wentyilelo nowokohlwaya; ngoku ke ozidaneleyo waye kulungele ukufunda kwaabo uThixo abamisele ukuba bafundise inyaniso yakhe. Ngalendlela ke uYesu waqinisela igunya lebandla lakhe elimiselweyo, wamnikela uSaule kubameli bakhe emhlabeni. Ukukhanya kwenkanyiso yasezulwini kwamphanga uSaule ukubona, kodwa uYesu, umPhilisi omkhulu, akakubuyiselanga kwa oko. Zonke iintsikelelo zivela kuKristu kodwa ngoku wayemisele ibandla njengommeli wakhe emhlabeni, wawulunge kulo ke umsebenzi wokwalathisa umooni oguqukayo indlela yobomi. Kanye lawo madoda uSaule wayegqibe ukuwatshabalalisa ayeza kuba ngabaqeqeshi bakhe kwinkolo awaye yidelile wayitshutshisa.IL 245.1

Ukholo lukaSaule lwacikidwa kalukhuni ngaloo mihla mithathu yokuzila ukudla nokuthandaza endlwini kaJuda, eDamasko. Waye yimfama kwaphela, kumnyama mpela nasengqondweni ngento ekwakufunwa ukuba ayenze. Waye yalelwe ukuba aye eDamasko, apho wayeza kuxelelwa into amakayenze. Ekungaqinisekini nasekubandezelekeni kwakhe wakhalela kuThixo ngokunyamekileyo. “Ke kaloku be kukho mfundi uthile eDamasko, ugama linguHananiya; yathi iNkosi kuye embonweni, Hanaiya. Uthe ke yena, Ndilapha Nkosi. Ithe iNkosi kuye, Phakama, uye esitratweni ekuthiwa sesithe Tye, ubuzise endlwini kaJuda umntu ogama linguSaule wa- seTarso; kuba naanko ethandaza; waye ebone emboweni indoda egama linguHananiya ingena, ibeka izandla zayo phezu kwakhe, ukuze abuye abone.”IL 245.2

UHananiya wakholelwa nzima ngamazwi esithunywa sezulu, kuba ukubatshutshisa okukrakra kukaSaule abangcwele eJerusalem kwa kutyhutyhe kwaya kude nakufuphi. Weenza ngathi uyazilandulela; wathi, “Nkosi, ndivile kwabaninzi ngalendoda, ukuba zinkulu kwazo izinto ezimbhi ezenze kwabangcwele bakho eJerusalem; nalapha, ikho nje, inegunya kubabingeleli abakhulu lokukhonkxa bonke aabo balinqulayo igama lakho.” Kodwa umyalelo kuHananiya wawunegunya: “Yiya; ngokuba lowo usisitya esinyuliweyo ndim, sokuphatha igama lam emehlweni eenTlanga, nookumkani, kwa noonyana bakaSirayeli.”IL 246.1

Umfundi, ngokuthobela umyalelo wesithunywa sezulu, wayifuna indoda eyayi sandula ukuvakalisa izisongelo ngakubo bonke abakholelwa egameni likaYesu. Wathetha naye wathi: “Saule, mzalwana indithumile iNkosi uYesu, ebonakele kuwe endleleni oze ngayo, ukuze ubuye ubone, uzaliswe nguMoya oyiNgcwele. Kwa oko kwawa emehlweni akhe izinto ezingathi ziinkwethu; wabuya wabona kwa oko, wavuka wabaptizwa.”IL 246.2

UKristu apha unika umzekelo wendlela yokusebenza kwakhe ngenxa yosindiso lwabantu. Nge amenzela ngokwakhe uSaule lomsebenzi wonke; kodwa oku kwa kunganqhinelani necebo lakhe. Iintsikelelo zakhe zaziza kuza ngamajelo awamiseleyo. Kwa kukho imvumo ekwa kufuneka eyenzile uSaule kwaabo awayecebe intshabalalo yabo; noThixo waye nomsebenzi obalulekileyo wokwenziwa ngalamadoda awawagunyazisa ukuba enze wona esikhundleni sakhe.IL 246.3

USaule waba ngumfundi kubafundi. Ekukhanyeni komthetho wazibona engumooni. Wabona ukuba uYesu, awathi ebudengeni bakhe wamkhangela ukuba ngumlahlekisi, uyimbhangi nesiseko sonqulo lwabantu bakaThixo ukususela kwimihla kaAdam, kwa nomgqibelelisi wokholo olwalucace kangaka ngoku ezimbhonweni zakhe ezikhanyiselweyo; umthetheleli wenyaniso, nomzalisi weziprofeto. Wayembalele uYesu ukuba ungulowo uwenza into engento umthetho kaThixo; kodwa kwakuba ukubona kwakhe kwasemoyeni kuchukunyisiwe ngumnwe kaThixo, wafunda ukuba uKristu usisiqalo salo lonke ulungiselelo lwamadini amaJuda; nokuba weza apha emhlabeni ngenjongo kanye yokugwebela umthetho kaYise; nokuba ekufeni kwakhe umthetho wemifuziselo wahlangana nesiqu sawo. Ngokukhanya komthetho wesimilo, awayezicingela ukuba uwugcine ngenyameko, uSaule wazibona engumooni wabooni.IL 246.4