Ufumu wa Mulungu uli pafupi

Pamene Yesu anali kukhalabe kumapiri a Galileya, Yohane Mbatizi, m’chipululu cha Yudeya, anapempha kulapa kwakukulu kuti: “Bwererani kwa Mulungu, pakuti Ufumu wa Kumwamba wayandikira” (Mateyu 3:2). Ambiri ankaganiza kuti iye anali munthu amene mneneri Yesaya anamulozera zaka mazana ambiri zapitazo. Yohane ankadziwa kuti anali kukonzekera njira ya Mesiya ndipo anati: “Ine sindine Khristu, koma ndatumidwa patsogolo pake. Iye amene ali ndi mkwatibwi ndiye mkwati. Bwenzi la mkwatibwi, amene amaimirira ndi kumvetsera iye, akondwera kwambiri ndi mawu a mkwati. Chisangalalo changa ichi chakwanira tsopano. Iye ayenera kukula, koma ine ndiyenera kuchepa” (Yohane 3:28-30).

Yohane ataponyedwa m’ndende, Yesu anadza ku Galileya ndi kulalikira Uthenga Wabwino wa Mulungu. Mfumu Herode Antipa ndinamva zonsezi chifukwa pa nthawiyo dzina la Yesu linali pakamwa pa anthu onse. Anatsimikiza kuti: Ndi Johannes amene ndinamudula mutu. Tsopano wabwerera, wamoyo. Iye mwiniyo analamula kuti Yohane amangidwe ndi kuikidwa m’ndende pofuna kusangalatsa Herodiya, mkazi wa m’bale wake Filipo. Yohane M’batizi anam’dzudzula poyera chifukwa choloŵa naye ukwati wosaloledwa. Herodiya, amene tsopano anali wokwatiwa naye, anapsa mtima ndi udani ndipo sanafune china china kuposa kupha Yohane, koma sanachite mantha chifukwa Herode ankalemekeza kwambiri Yohane. Pamapeto pake, Herodiya anapeza imodzi
Mwayi wokwaniritsa cholinga chake. Herode anakonza phwando lalikulu pa tsiku lake lobadwa, chikondwerero chachikulu kwa akuluakulu onse, akuluakulu onse a asilikali, ndi akuluakulu onse ochokera ku Galileya. Herodiya anatumiza mwana wake wamkazi Salome ku holo yochitira phwando pa mwambowu, akuyembekeza kuti mfumu imukonde ndi kuvina kwake. Kuvina kwake kosalala komanso kokopa kunakondweretsa Herode ndi omwe anali naye patebulo, zomwe zinamupangitsa kuti alonjeze mopanda nzeru: adzamupatsa chilichonse chomwe akufuna—mpaka theka la ufumu wake—ndipo analumbira. Salome anafunsa amayi ake zomwe ayenera kupempha. Nkhaniyi ikutha ndi chithunzi choopsa cha mutu wa Yohane Mbatizi m'mbale (Marko 6:14-28).

Tikayang'anitsitsa tsatanetsatane wa nkhaniyi, tikhoza kuona momwe anthu a m'nkhaniyi adatsekeredwa. Pali Herode, iye ndi mfumu yachiŵiri mu Ufumu wa Roma kuyesera kudzionetsera kwa alendo ake. Mwana wake wopeza watsopano Salome adavina momukwiyitsa ndipo amatengeka ndi chilakolakocho. Iye wakodwa mumsampha - ndi zilakolako zake zosayenera, ndi khalidwe lake lodzikuza pamaso pa alendo ake, ndi omwe ali ndi mphamvu omwe amamulamulira. Sakanatha kusiya theka la ufumu wake ngakhale atafuna!

Salome wagwidwa ndi zilakolako za ndale za amayi ake ndi kufuna kuphana ulamuliro. Wakodwa mu zilakolako za kugonana, zomwe amazigwiritsa ntchito ngati chida. Anagwidwa ndi abambo ake opeza omwe adaledzera omwe amamugwiritsa ntchito kusangalatsa alendo ake.

Nkhani yaifupi, yomvetsa chisoniyi imasonyeza malo a anthu omwe amawotchedwa mkati mwa nthawi yochepa ndi kunyada, mphamvu, chikhumbo ndi chiwembu. Chiwonetsero chochititsa mantha chomaliza cha imfa ya Yohane M’batizi chikusonyeza zipatso zankhanza za ufumu wadziko lapansi umene ukuchepa mphamvu.

Mosiyana ndi ufumu wa dziko lino, Yesu analalikira uthenga wabwino wa ufumu wa Mulungu kuti: “Nthawi yafika, ndipo Ufumu wa Mulungu wayandikira; Lapani, khulupirirani Uthenga Wabwino!” (Marko 1:14).

Yesu anasankha ophunzira khumi ndi awiri ndipo anawatuma kukalalikira uthenga wabwino kwa nkhosa zotayika za nyumba ya Israyeli: “Ufumu wakumwamba wayandikira. Chiritsani odwala, ukitsani akufa, yeretsani akhate, tulutsani ziwanda. Munalandira kwaulere; patsani kwaulere” (Mateyu 10:7-8).

Mofanana ndi khumi ndi awiriwo, Yesu amatitumiza kukalalikira uthenga wabwino ndi chisangalalo ndi ufulu. Timagawana nawo dongosolo lake lodziŵikitsa Yesu mokoma mtima kwa anthu anzathu kudzera mu mzimu wa chikondi, kumvera Mawu a Mulungu ndi kumutumikira. Kukwaniritsidwa kwa ntchitoyi kuli ndi mtengo wake. Kunena zoona, pali nthawi zina pamene timaona kuti tili m’mavuto chifukwa chakuti tikufikira pa zonyenga zopanda pake za m’dzikoli ndi kuchita zinthu zotsutsana ndi Mulungu wachikondi. Koma kodi nthawi zonse timalimbikitsidwa kutsatira chitsanzo cha Yohane ndi Yesu cha kulalikira choonadi mosatopa?

Iye amene alandira ndi kukhulupirira Mwana, alandira zonse pamodzi ndi Iye, moyo wokwanitsidwa, wosadziwa mapeto. Ufulu weniweni umapezeka mwa kugonjera Mfumu yowona, Yesu Kristu, osati kwa olengeza a m’nthaŵi zamakono kapena chinyengo cha kudzilamulira ndi kudzikuza. Mzimu Woyera apitirize kukukumbutsani za ufulu umene muli nawo mwa Yesu Khristu.

lolembedwa ndi Greg Williams