Ingcwele yosuku lukaDisemba 26: ibali likaStephen uStephen
Ingcwele yosuku lwe-26 kuDisemba
(Dc 36)
Ibali likaSanto Stefano
“Njengokuba inani labafundi laliqhubeka lisanda, amaKristu athetha isiGrike akhalaza ngamaKristu athetha isiHebhere, esithi abahlolokazi babo abahoywanga kulwabiwo lwemihla ngemihla. Abalishumi elinesibini babizela ndawonye abafundi baza bathi: 'Ayilunganga into yokuba silityeshele ilizwi likaThixo lokukhonza etafileni. Bazalwana, khetha phakathi kwenu amadoda asixhenxe ahloniphekileyo, azele nguMoya nobulumko, esiza kuwunikela kulo msebenzi, ngelixa sizinikezela emthandazweni nakubulungiseleli belizwi ”. Isindululo samkeleka kuluntu luphela, ngoko ke bakhetha uStefano, indoda ezele lukholo nanguMoya oyiNgcwele… ”(Izenzo 6: 1-5).
IZenzo Zabapostile zithi uStefano wayeyindoda ezele lubabalo namandla, wayesenza izimanga ezinkulu phakathi kwabantu. Amanye amaYuda, amalungu endlu yesikhungu yabakhululekileyo baseRoma, aphikisana noStefano, kodwa awazange aphile ngokuvisisana nobulumko nomoya awayethetha ngawo. Bacenga abanye ukuba benze izityholo zokunyelisa. Wathathwa wasiwa phambi kweSanhedrin.
Kwintetho yakhe, uStefano wakhumbula ukhokelo lukaThixo ngembali kaSirayeli, kunye nokunqula izithixo nokungathobeli. Kamva wathi abo babemtshutshisa babebonisa umoya ofanayo. “… Usoloko uchasa uMoya oyiNgcwele; ninjengokhokho benu ”(Izenzo 7: 51b).
Intetho kaStefano yaxhokonxa isihlwele. “Ke yena ezele nguMoya oyiNgcwele, wajonga ezulwini, wabona ubuqaqawuli bukaThixo, noYesu emi ngasekunene kukaThixo, wathi, Yabonani, ndiwabona amazulu evulekile, ndimbona uNyana woMntu emi ngasekunene kaThixo.… Bamkhuphela ngaphandle kwesixeko, baqala ukumxuluba ngamatye. Njengokuba babemxuluba ngamatye uStefano, wakhala esithi, "Nkosi Yesu, wamkele umoya wam." … 'Nkosi, musa ukusibalelela kubo esi sono' ”(Izenzo 7: 55-56, 58a, 59, 60b).
Ukucingisisa
UStefano wasweleka njengoYesu: watyholwa ngokungekho sikweni, wakhokelela ekugwetyweni ngokungekho sikweni kuba wayethetha inyani engenaloyiko. Usweleke ejonge kuThixo ethembele ngomthandazo. Ukufa "kokonwaba" kusifumana sikumoya omnye, nokuba ukufa kwethu kunoxolo okukaYosefu okanye kubundlobongela njengoStefano: ukufa ngenkalipho, ukuthembela okupheleleyo nothando oluxolelayo.