U-Ruthe: Indaba Yothando LukaNkulunkulu OluhlengayoIsampula

Ubudlelwane bethu nabanye buyinkomba yobudlelwane bethu noKristu. UBhowazi wabonisa umusa wothando kaKristu ekusebenzelaneni kwakhe nezisebenzi emasimini akhe, indlela aphatha ngayo uRuthe, nangokulungiselela kwakhe uNawomi. Ukukhumbula ukuthi ubuqotho nokumesaba uNkulunkulu kwakuyivelakancane kwa-Israyeli ngalezo zinsuku kwenza isimilo sikaBhowazi simangaze kakhulu. Amazwi kaBhowazi okuqala encwadini kaRuthe ayeyisibusiso egameni likaJehova. Ingqondo yakhe yayigxile kakhulu kuNkulunkulu kangangokuthi isifiso sakhe esikhulu ngabanye kwaba ukuthi bathole izibusiso zeNkosi. Kukho konke lokhu, uBhowazi ufanekisela uKristu.

UBhowazi wayengakhuluma nezisebenzi zakhe ngokuzidla. Kodwa wayebaphatha njengabalinganayo, njengabafowabo. Ukusabela kwabavuni bakhe kwaba kuhle ngokufanayo, kwambusisa uBhowazi. Isifundo kithi yilesi: Ukushintshana ngezibusiso nalabo abasizungezile kuwukumesaba uNkulunkulu.

URuthe wayeze emasimini kaBhowazi ezokhothoza ngemva kwabavuni bakhe. (Ukucosha okusanhlamvu okwakushiywe ngesikhathi sokuvuna kwakuyindlela yama-Israyeli yokondla abampofu.) UBhowazi wabuza induna yakhe ngoRuthe. Engxoxweni emfushane, induna yasho kabili ukuthi ungowakwaMowabi. Mhlawumbe engakuqapheli lokho, wagcizelela isikhundla sakhe njengesifiki esiyiqaba esivela esitheni esaziwayo sikaIsrayeli. Ngakolunye uhlangothi, uBhowazi wabonisa ukuthi uyamthanda futhi wabiza uRuthe indodakazi yakhe. Wamnikeza ukunakekela ngenxa yelungu lomndeni, kuhlanganise namanzi ngokuvamile abekelwe izisebenzi zesilisa, futhi wamema ukuba adle naye isidlo sasemini. Wamnika okusanhlamvu okwanele ukuba akuse ekhaya kuNawomi ukuze abaphe ukudla, okwakulingana nomholo wamasonto amabili! Wamcela ukuba abuthe emasimini akhe kuphela kuze kube sekupheleni kwenkathi yokuvuna, wayala abavuni bakhe ukuba bamshiyele okusanhlamvu okwengeziwe, futhi watshela izisebenzi zakhe ukuba zingamhluphi noma zingamthinti. Wabheka ngalé kokucwaswa kwakhe esikhathini esidlule futhi wambona eyigugu futhi ebalulekile, ekufanelekela ukuhlonishwa nesivikelo sakhe.

Indlela uBhowazi aphatha ngayo labo ababesemasimini akhe yayibonisa ukuphana nenhlonipho. Wayebakhathalela ngempela, ikakhulukazi uRuthe, indodakazi kaNkulunkulu yakwaMowabi. Kungani uBhowazi abonisa ukukhathalela okunjalo kuRuthe? Njengalo lonke idolobha, wayezwile ngendlela ayephatha ngayo uninazala uNawomi. Ngenxa yalokho, uBhowazi wabonisa umusa wothando ofanayo kuRuthe. UBhowazi wayeyindoda ehloniphekile eyayiqaphela ukuziphatha okuhle kwabanye. Wayenguye ngempela!

Ukusebenzelana kukaBhowazi nabanye kufanekisela ukusebenzelana kukaKristu nabanye. Njengoba uBhowazi ebusisa izisebenzi zakhe, uKristu wabusisa labo ababemzungezile ngesikhathi Sakhe emhlabeni—ebamukela, ebaphulukisa, futhi ekhipha amademoni. Njengoba uBhowazi edla futhi edla nezisebenzi zakhe, uKristu waphakela futhi wadla nabalandeli Bakhe. Njengoba uBhowazi aphatha abanye njengabafowabo nodadewabo, noKristu wenze okufanayo nakithi. Njengoba uBhowazi eba nesithakazelo somuntu siqu futhi ethatha umthwalo wemfanelo wabanye, uKristu waba nesithakazelo somuntu siqu futhi waba nomthwalo wemfanelo walabo Ababizile.

Enye yezinto ezinhle ngokukhonza uNkulunkulu ukuthi ubamba iqhaza elikhulu ezimpilweni zethu. UNkulunkulu akawudalanga umhlaba wabe esethatha isihlalo esingemuva. “Ubukhulu” bukaNkulunkulu busho ukuthi ufuna ukwaziwa, abonakale, noma asibambe. Eqonda igebe elimangalisayo phakathi kukaNkulunkulu onamandla onke wendawo yonke kanye nathi, uNkulunkulu wathumela iNdodana Yakhe esesimweni somuntu, uJesu Kristu, ukuze simazi futhi sihlobane Naye mathupha. Lokhu wukuba senyameni kukaKristu, lapho uNkulunkulu eba umuntu futhi waphila phakathi futhi waxhumana nendalo Yakhe.

Umusa wothando owafanekiselwa uBhowazi wagcwaliseka ngokufa kukaKristu esiphambanweni. Ngomhlatshelo wakhe wokuzidela, uJesu uye wasibusisa ukuze sikwazi ukuchitha ingunaphakade Naye. Asikho isibusiso esidlula lesi.

UBhowazi wabonisa ukholo lwakhe ngokubonisa uthando lukaKristu kulabo ababemzungezile, ngisho nalabo ababebandlululwa isiko lakhe. Ukuphatha kwakhe izisebenzi zakhe, uRuthe noNawomi, “kwakuphambene namasiko” ngempela futhi kwakufanekisela uthando olushintsha umhlaba uKristu ayezosilethela lona. Ulubonisa kanjani uthando lukaNkulunkulu kulabo abaseduze nawe?