USanta wosuku lwangoDisemba 26: Indaba kaSaint Stephen
Ongcwele wosuku lwangoDisemba 26
(A.d. 36)
Indaba kaSanto Stefano
“Ngenkathi inani labafundi liqhubeka nokukhula, amaKristu akhuluma isiGreki akhononda ngamaKristu akhuluma isiHeberu, ethi abafelokazi bawo abanakwa esabelweni sansuku zonke. Ngakho-ke abayishumi nambili babizela ndawonye umphakathi wabafundi bathi: 'Akulungile ukuthi singalinaki izwi likaNkulunkulu ukuze sikhonze etafuleni. Bazalwane, khetha phakathi kwenu amadoda ayisikhombisa ahloniphekile, agcwele uMoya nokuhlakanipha, esizobabeka kulo msebenzi, ngenkathi sizinikezela emthandazweni nasenkonzweni yezwi ”. Lesi siphakamiso samukeleka emphakathini wonke, ngakho bakhetha uStephen, indoda egcwele ukholo noMoya oNgcwele… ”(Izenzo 6: 1-5).
IZenzo zabaPhostoli zithi uStefanu wayeyindoda egcwele umusa namandla, owenza izimangaliso ezinkulu phakathi kwabantu. Amanye amaJuda, amalungu esinagoge labakhululekile baseRoma, baphikisana noStefanu, kepha abakwenzi ngokuvumelana nomoya nomoya ayekhuluma ngawo. Banxenxa abanye ukuba benze icala lokumhlambalaza. Wathathwa wayiswa phambi kweSanhedrini.
Enkulumweni yakhe, uStefanu ukhumbule ukuholwa nguNkulunkulu ngomlando wakwa-Israyeli, kanye nokukhonza izithixo nokungalaleli kuka-Israyeli. Kamuva wathi abashushisi bakhe babekhombisa umoya ofanayo. “… Uhlala njalo umelana noMoya oNgcwele; ninjengokhokho benu ”(Izenzo 7: 51b).
Inkulumo kaStefanu yaqubula intukuthelo esixukwini. “Kepha yena egcwele uMoya oNgcwele wagqolozela ezulwini, wabona inkazimulo kaNkulunkulu noJesu imi ngakwesokunene sikaNkulunkulu, wathi: 'Bheka, ngibona amazulu evulekile neNdodana yomuntu imi ngakwesokunene UNkulunkulu.… Bamkhiphela ngaphandle komuzi baqala ukumkhanda ngamatshe. … Ngesikhathi bekhanda uStefanu ngamatshe, wamemeza wathi, "Nkosi Jesu, yamukela umoya wami." … 'Nkosi, ungababaleli lesi sono' ”(Izenzo 7: 55-56, 58a, 59, 60b).
Ukuzindla
UStefanu wafa njengoJesu: wamangalelwa ngokungafanele, waholelwa ekulahlweni ngokungafanele ngoba wayekhuluma iqiniso ngaphandle kokwesaba. Ushone ngamehlo anokuzethemba ebheke kuNkulunkulu futhi enomkhuleko wokuthethelela ezindebeni zakhe. Ukufa "okujabulisayo" yilokho okusithola sikumoya ofanayo, noma ngabe ukufa kwethu kunokuthula njengokukaJoseph noma kunodlame njengoStephen: ukufa ngesibindi, ukwethemba okuphelele nothando oluxolelayo.