Ukubuyekeswa kukaHerode

Yakuba ingxelo yezizinto izisiwe kuHerode, wabindeka, wababeka ityala lokungathembheki abalindi bentolongo. Babulawa ke ngetyala ekuthiwa balenzile lokulala endaweni yokusebenza. Kwa ngeloxesha linye uHerode wayesazi ukuba akukho mandla amntu awaye nokumhlangula uPetros. Kodwa wazimisela ukuba angavumi ukuba amandla kaThixo ngawo asebenzileyo ukuthintela iinjongo zakhe ezikhohlakeleyo. Wayengaz’ ukuzithoba ngolohlobo, kodwa wazimisela ngesibindi ukumnxwala uThixo.IL 268.1

UHerode, kungabanga kudala emva kokuhlangulwa kukaPetros entolongweni, wehla kwelakwaJuda, waya eKesareya, walibala khona. Wenza ke khona apho isidlo esikhulu, ngenjongo yokuphembhelela ukubukwa nokudunyiswa kwakhe ngabantu. Abathandi beziyolo abavela kwiindawo zonke bahlanganiselana ndawonye, kwabakho ukudla nokusela iwayini okukhulu. U-Herode waye sesona sicocombhela ngenkangeleko phambhi kwabantu. Wayambhethe ingubo yokwaleka, egqagqelwe ngesilivere negolide, eyatsalela imitha yelanga emasondweni ayo abengezelayo, yawaphandla amehlo ababukeli. Ngokukhukhumala nangenkonzo eyodwa wema phambhi kwesihlwele, wathetha naso ngentetho yobuciko obukhulu.IL 268.2

Ubungangamela benkangeleko yakhe namandla entetho yakhe elungiselelwe ngocoselelo yasitsala isihlwele ngempembhelelo enamandla amakhulu. Iingqondo zabo zazi sezigqwethekile kukudla newayini; baphandlwa zizihombho zakhe ezibengezelayo bayotywa kukukhangeleka kakuhle kwakhe nangamazwi akhe obuciko; baza bathi, bephambhene luluvo olushushu, bamtyokela ngokumncoma, bamenza isithixo, besithi umntu onokufa akanako ukubonakala ngalendlela oka- nye abe nobuciko bentetho evuselela kangaka. Bahambhisa ngokuthi bebesoloko bemxabise njengomphathi, kodwa ukususela ngoku baza kumnqula njengothixo.IL 268.3

U-Herode wayesazi ukuba akafanelwe nakancinane kokukudunyiswa nokubekwa; kodwa akakukhalimela ukunqulwa kwakhe ngabantu, usuke wakwamkela njengokumfaneleyo. Ukukhazimla kwekratshi elanelisiwayo kwa kusebusweni bakhe xa wayeyiva inyuka indanduluko ethi: “Lilizwi lothixo elo, asilamntu.” Kwa wona lamazwi awayedumisa ngoku umooni oncholileyo, ayethe, nje iminyaka embalwa ngaphambhi koku, aphakamisa indanduluko yokuphambhana ethi, “Msuse uYesu. Mbethelele emnqamlezweni! mbethelele emnqamlezweni!” U-Herode wakwamkela okukunconywa nokukubuswa ngovuyo olukhulu, yaza intliziyo yakhe yaxhuma kukuziqhayisa ; kodwa ngesiquphe kwabakho inguqulelo ekhaulezileyo neyoyikekayo kuye. Ubuso bakhe bamatsheka okokufa bashwabana yintlungu ; amathontsi amakhulu okubila aphuma ezintunjaneni zakhe. Wema okomzuzwana ngokungathi uhlatyiwe ziintlungu nokoyika ; waza, wathi ebubhekisa ubuso bakhe obuluthuthu nobumbhatshileyo kubahlobo bakhe abaqhiphuke umbilini, wakhala ngelizwi elithe tshoxe elincamileyo esithi, Lowo benimphakamisa namenza isithixo ubethwe ngokufa!IL 269.1

Bamthwala ekweyona meko yentlungu ethuthumbhisayo ukumsusa kulombono ukhohlakeleyo wokuziyolisa, nemihlali, nokukhukhumala, nokuziqhayisa awayekuthiyile ngoku emphefumlweni wakhe. Umzuzwana nje ngaphambhi koku, waye ngumamkeli onekratshi wokudunyiswa nokunqulwa sesosihlwele sikhulu—ngoku waziva esezandleni zomLauli ongaphezu kwakhe. Wangenelwa kukuzohlwaya ; wakhumbhula umyalelo wakhe okhohlakeleyo wokuba kubulawe uYakobi omsulwa; wakukhumbhula ukutshutshisa kwakhe okungenanceba abalandeli bakaKristu, nenjongo yakhe yokumbulala umpostile uPetros, awamhlangulayo uThixo esandleni sakhe; wakhumbhula ngendlela awathi, ekutshabisekeni kwakhe nasemsindweni wakhe odanisiweyo, wathululela impindezelo yakhe engekho ngqondweni phezu kwabalindi-ntolongo wababulala ngaphandle kwenceba. Weva ukuba uThixo, lowo wayehlangule umpostile ekufeni, usebenza naye ngoku, yena mtshutshisi ungenanceba. Akazuzanga kuphumla entlungwini yomzimbha, okanye entlungwini yengqondo, waye engakulindele. U-Herode wayewazi umthetho kaThixo othi, “Uze ungabi nathixo bambhi ngaphandle kwam,” esazi ukuba ngokwamkela ukunqulwa ngabantu waye wuzalisile umlinganiselo wenkohlakalo yakhe wazizisela umsindo ofanelekileyo kaThixo.IL 269.2

Kwa sona eso sithunywa sasizishiyile iinkundla zekomkhulu lasezulwini ukuza kuhlangula uPetros egunyeni lomtshutshisi wakhe, saba sisithunywa sengqumbho nesomgwebo kuHerode. Isithunywa sambetha uPetros ukuba avuke ekulaleni; kodwa yaba yindlela eyahlukileyo esambetha ngayo ukumkani okhohlakeleyo, sazisa kuye isifo esibulalayo. UThixo wathululela ucukucezo phezu kwekratshi likaHerode, saza isiqu sakhe, eso wayesibonise sihonjiswe ngeengubo ezikhazimlayo ngaphambhi kwamehlo ambukayo abantu, sadliwa ziimpethu, sabola esahleli. UHerode wafa esezintlungwini ezinkulu engqondweni nasemzimbheni, phantsi kwesohlwayo sobulungisa sikaThixo.IL 270.1

Okukubonakalaliswa kwesigwebo sikaThixo kwaba nempembhelelo enkulu ebantwini. Ekubeni umpostile kaKristu ebehlangulwe entolongweni nasekufeni ngendlela engummangaliso, umtshutshisi wakhe wabethwa wawa ngesiqalekiso sikaThixo. Ezindaba zathwalelwa kuwo onke amazwe, zaba yindlela yokuzisa abaninzi ekukholweni kuKristu.IL 270.2