1 kaPetruIsampula

Encwadini ka-Eksodusi uNkulunkulu utshela abantu bakhe ukuthi uma bemlalela, bayoba impahla yakhe eyigugu, nombuso wabapristi ohlukaniselwe ukubusisa umhlaba. UPetru uthatha ubizo lukaNkulunkulu lwasendulo futhi alusebenzise, ​​hhayi kuIsrayeli kuphela, kodwa kubo bonke abanokholo kuJesu. Futhi uPetru wengeza ngokuthi akubona kuphela abapristi basebukhosini nempahla eyigugu, futhi singamatshe aphilayo akha ithempeli elisha. Kwa-Israyeli, ithempeli laliyisakhiwo lapho abantu benza khona imihlatshelo futhi behlangana noNkulunkulu. Kodwa manje ithempeli liyiqiniso likamoya lapho sihlukaniselwe khona, njengo-Israyeli, njengabapristi abasha, ukudela izimpilo zethu kanye nezenzo zethu ukuze sibusise abanye.

Leli thempeli elisha elikhulayo nelomhlaba wonke laqala ngoJesu. Uyitshe legumbi. Ngaphandle komhlatshelo wakhe nesibonelo sakhe, icebo elisha likaNkulunkulu lokubusisa umhlaba ngabantu bakhe liyabhidlika. UPetru uthi “singamatshe aphilayo” ahlanganisa indawo entsha yokuhlangana noNkulunkulu elamulela isibusiso njengoba siphila izimpilo ezingcwele.

Kodwa leli thempeli eliphilayo esilakha noNkulunkulu lakhiwe ngokulahlwa. UJesu wayeyithempeli lethu, umpristi, futhi wanikela konke kanyekanye—futhi wabulawa ngenxa yalokho. Njengamathempeli amasha, akhethiwe kanye nabapristi bakaJesu basebukhosini, sizosebenzisa kabi inkolo yethu yamanje. Njengamagugu enani elibizayo kaNkulunkulu ayigugu sibizelwe ekukhanyeni, ubumnyama buyosizonda ngokutshela wonke umuntu ngakho. Ngakho, ukukhethwa nguNkulunkulu kusho ukuba abadingisiwe kanye nezihambi. Ukuba yigugu likaNkulunkulu kusho ukwenqatshwa yizwe, njengoba kwakunjalo itshe lethu legumbi.

Kodwa lokho kunjengoba kufanele kube njalo. Izakhamuzi zoMbuso ongcwele zimelana nezinkanuko nezifiso zezizwe zethu ezindala zasemhlabeni. Futhi nakuba lokho kuyoletha ushushiso ngisho nokufa, uJesu usibonisa ukuthi ukuphila njengezizwe zoMbuso kaNkulunkulu kunezakhamuzi zakithi kuletha ukuphila kwabafileyo.

UPetru ube esenikeza izibonelo ezintathu zokuthi leli qiniso likamoya lidlala kanjani empilweni yangempela. Izibonelo zakhe yisakhamuzi esingumKristu esibhekene neziphathimandla zaseRoma, isigqila esingumKristu esixabana nenkosi yaso engakholwa, nomfazi okholwayo ohlukanisiwe nomyeni wakhe oyiqaba. Njengabapristi, izakhamuzi, namathempeli oMbuso kaNkulunkulu, bayizithunjwa nabafokazi esizweni sabo, emsebenzini nasemishadweni yabo. UPetru uyazi ukuthi ngamunye uzobhekana nokuhlekwa, ukuhlupheka, nokuhlukaniswa. Kodwa uPetru unethemba lokuthi ukuphila komhlatshelo kwabantu abasha bakaNkulunkulu abakhethiwe kuzobusisa umhlaba.

Ukuhlupheka nokwenqatshwa kukaJesu kwaholela ekuvukeni kwakhe nasekusindisweni kwethu. Ukudingiswa kukaJesu njengeThempeli lethu, umPristi, kanye neNdodana kaNkulunkulu eyigugu kusho ukuthi umhlaba wonke ubusisiwe. UPetru uyazi ukuthi imishado izovuka, amakhosi azophenduka ezigqileni zawo, futhi ohulumeni bayokhothama lapho abathunjwa bakaNkulunkulu abakhethiwe benqaba ukwenza njengezakhamuzi zomhlaba, kodwa esikhundleni salokho balandele isibonelo sikaJesu.

Nakuba uJesu ayephila njengesikhonzi saseRoma futhi efa ngokumangalelwa abaFarisi, wavuka kwabafileyo ngoba elalela uNkulunkulu—ngakho wacindezela amandla amaRoma namanga abaFarisi. Futhi lapho uJesu ehlupheka futhi eshaywa njengesigqila, akazange abazonde abashushisi bakhe kodwa wabathethelela njengompristi! Ngokwethembeka nangomhlatshelo wakhe izinceku zenziwa zilungile futhi zelashwe ezibazini zazo. Futhi njengoba nje uJesu afa ukuze asindise futhi ahlanze umlobokazi wakhe, abafazi abakholwayo bangazuza abayeni babo ngobumnene nenhlonipho.

UJesu uyisibonelo sethu. UJesu usibonisa ukuthi lapho abantu bakaNkulunkulu beziphatha ngokuzidela njengabadingiswa abakhethiwe, abapristi bobukhosi, nabantu abayigugu, izwe liyabusiswa, abashushisi bethu bayaguqulwa, futhi nathi siyosukuma ekuthotshisweni kwethu.

Engathi UMoya oNgcwele angawavula amehlo enu ukuze nibone uNkulunkulu osenze ithempeli lakhe eliphilayo. Futhi kwangathi ungabona ukuhlupheka nokuvuka kukaJesu njengethemba eliphilayo, elikwazi ukuguqula thina kuphela kodwa nalabo abasizungezile.