NgoLwesibili weViki lama-31 kweziNqothelo — Izwi Losuku

Ukungena

Igama likaYise, nelikaNdodana, nelikaMoya Oyingcwele. Makube kuxolo nobubele bukaThixo uBawo noNkosi yethu uYesu Kristu phezu kwenu nonke namhlanje.

Ububele

Nkosi, yiba nobubele ngathi. Kristu, yiba nobubele ngathi. Nkosi, yiba nobubele ngathi.

♪ “Nkosi Sihawukele (Piano & Strings)” — A song for Ben

EliLizwi

Isifundo sokuQala · Filipi 2:5-11

Bazalwana, yibani nalo moya ukhoyo kuKristu Yesu, owathi, nakuba ayemile kwimo kaThixo, akazange abone ukulingana noThixo njengempahla yokubanjwa ngamandla; kodwa wazihluba ngokwakhe, wathatha imo yesicaka, waba ngowafana nabantu; kwaye ekufumanekeni emeni njengomuntu, wazithoba ngokwakhe, waba yisiva kude kuse kufeni, ukufa kusemnqamlezweni. Ngenxa yoko uThixo wamphakamisa kakhulu, wamnika igama elingaphezu kwawo onke amagama, ukuba egameni likaYesu onke amadolo agobe, awasezulwini, nawasemhlabeni, nawaphantsi komhlaba; kwaye zonke iilwimi zivume ukuba uYesu Kristu yiNkosi, kube yinkazimlo kaThixo uBawo.

IHubo Lokubuyisela · IHubo 22:26b-27, 28-30ab, 30e, 31-32

Ndiyakudumisa, Nkosi, phakathi kwebandla labantu bakho. Ndiza kuzalisa izibhambathiso zam phambi kwabo abamoyikayo. Abaswelayo baya kudla bahluthe; abo bafuna iNKOSI baya kuyidumisa: “Makube nemihlali ezintliziyweni zenu ngonaphakade!” Ndiyakudumisa, Nkosi, phakathi kwebandla labantu bakho. Zonke the bempela zehlabathi ziya kukhumbula zibuyele eNKOSINI; zonke iintsapho zeentlanga ziya kugoba phambi kwakhe. Ndiyakudumisa, Nkosi, phakathi kwebandla labantu bakho. Kuba ubukumkani yeyeNKOSI, kwaye ulawula iintlanga. Yena yedwa baya kugoba phambi kwakhe bonke abalele emhlabeni. Ndiyakudumisa, Nkosi, phakathi kwebandla labantu bakho. Ku yena umphefumlo wam uya kuphila; inzalo yam iya kumkhonza. Isizukulwane esizayo masixelelwe ngeNKOSI, ukuze bazise kubantu abangazalwanga nokuba yintoni ubulungisa awayibonisayo. Ndiyakudumisa, Nkosi, phakathi kwebandla labantu bakho.

Ivangeli · Luka 14:15-24

Omnye wababehleli naye ekutyeni wathi kuye: “Unoyolo lowo uya kudla isidlo eBukumkanini bukaThixo.” Wathi ke yena kuye: “Umntu wenza isidlo esikhulu, wamema abaninzi. Ngelixa lesidlo wafuna isicaka sakhe ukuba sithi kubamenyiweyo: ‘Zisani, yonke into isilungile ngoku.’ Kodwa bonke ngamnye baqala ukuzithethelela. Owokuqala wathi kuye: ‘Ndithuthe isiza, kufanele ndiye kusihlolisisa; ndiyakucela, ndixolele.’ Omnye wathi: ‘Ndithuthe iinkomo ezintlanu zamajoki, ndisendleleni ndiye kuzivavanya; ndiyakucela, ndixolele.’ Omnye wathi: ‘Ndandisanda kutshata umfazi, ngenxa yoko andinakukwazi ukuza.’ Saza isicaka sabika le nto enkosini yaso. Waza umnini-ndlu waba nombengo, wathi sicakeni sakhe: ‘Phuma msinyane uye ezitratweni nasezindleleni zedolophu, uzise apha amahlwempu, nezibhola, nabaphofu, nezimbabazane.’ Sathi isicaka: ‘Nkosi, oko ukuyaleleyo kwenziwe, kwaye kusekho nendawo.’ Wathi ke umnini-ndlu kwisicaka: ‘Phuma uye ezindleleni nasemiqokweni, uqutywe abantu ukuba beze kuzaliswa indlu yam. Kuba ndithi kuni, akukho namnye kulabo madoda amenyiweyo oya kukha angeneliseke sisidlo sam.’”

Ndiyakudumisa, Nkosi, phakathi kwebandla labantu bakho.

Isifundo

Cinga ngetafile ende elungiselelwe kakuhle ekhaya, apho izitulo zivuliwe, amapleti abekwe ngocwangco, kwaye konke sekulungele ukwamkela abantu. Kodwa xa ixesha lifika lokuhlala, umyezo uhlala ungenamntu ngenxa yokuba abamenyiweyo bexakekile ngezinto zabo. KwiVangeli yanamhlanje, uYesu usibonisa umfanekiso wendoda eyenza isidlo esikhulu, eyandulela abantu ukuba beze. Kodwa lowo uthengiweyo umhlaba, lowo uthenge izinkomo, lowo usand’ ukutshata, bonke bayazibona izizathu zokungaya. Bagcwele zizinto ezincinci zeli hlabathi kangangokuba balibala ubukhulu besidlo esibekwe phambi kwabo.

Kule minyaka yobomi bethu, uBenjamin Vo wayezazi kakuhle izinto ezifana nalezo. Wayengumfana owayenengqondo eqaqambileyo yezibalo nolwazi lwezixhobo zekhompyutha, umntwana owayephila ubomi ngokuzimisela okuphelele, kanye njengaleyo ‘con chim airlines’ awayethanda ukuyihlekisa ngayo nobawo wakhe ngoncumo olumsulwa lwezindiza ezihamba phezulu. Kodwa ngaphezu kwako konke ukufunda nokusebenza, uBen wayeneentliziyo eyayibona ukuba yintoni eyona nto ibalulekileyo. Khumbula indlela awayehlekisa ngayo ngala maxesha omnandi xa ubawo wakhe wayemlumkisa ngezinto ezinye, kodwa yena wayenomdla wokuzama yonke into ngesibindi esithambileyo.

Kodwa ukuthetha ngothando olunjalo kusizisa kwelinye icala lobomi, kwicala eliba nzima ukulithwala ngamanye amaxesha. Alan noThao, nawe Ryan mfowethu omncane, ndiyazi ukuba kule minyane minne idlulileyo ukususela ngowe-13 kuJuni 2026, iintlungu ziza ngamanye amaxesha ngendlela embi kakhulu, zikushiya ungazi nokuba ume ngaphi. Kukho amandla emphefumlo aphelileyo, kukho ubusuku obude lapho ukungabikho kwesitulo sikaBen okanye ukungaphulaphuli kwakhe amabanga ayethethwa nguyise kubangela isikhewu ngaphandle kwesaziso. Kukho amaxesha apho ukuziva usodwa kuhlasela ngaphandle kwesaziso, kwaye umthwalo wokulahlekelwa uba nzima kakhulu ukuba ungathwalwa.

Mamela le nyaniso namhlanje, mhlawumbi ngendlela odinga ngayo ukuyiva ngoku: uThixo akamlibalanga uBen, kwaye akakubalelanga nani. Kwizinto ezenzekayo ebudeni bokugula kwabantwana, abazali abaninzi bazithwala ngokwabo umthwalo onzima kakhulu wokuzisola: 'Ngaba kukhona endinokukwenza ngcono? Ngaba ndiphosile?' Mamele kakuhle, Alan noThao: uThixo akakubeki icala. UBen akakubeki icala. Ezo zifo aziziswanga zizinto owazenzayo okanye ongazenzanga. Kweli hlabathi, kukho izinto ezenzeka ngaphandle kolawulo lomntu, ngaphandle kwempazamo yomzali. Awuphosanga nto. Uthando lwakho lwalucocekile, lwaluphelele, kwaye uBen wayesazi ukuba unothando olungaka kubazali bakhe nakuRyan. Khipha elo litye lokuzisola ezintliziyweni zenu namhlanje. UBen akajongi iziphoso; ujonge phezulu kuThixo, kwaye uqhubeka esithi kuwe: 'Ba, Mama, musani ukukhala kakhulu, ndikhuselekile.'

KwiNcwadi kaPawulos kwabaseFilipi, uPawulos usixelela amazwi kaYesu okuzithoba: 'Owayesefundeni sikaThixo, akazange athathe ukulingana noThixo njengento yokubambelela ngamandla, kodwa waziphoxa, wathatha imilo yesicaka, waba ngowabantu.' Masiyimele kancinci le ndinyana… UYesu akazange aziphakamise phezulu; wazithoba kwade kwaba sekufeni, kwade kwaba sekufeni emnqamlezweni. UBen wayenaleyo mfanekiso entliziyweni yakhe. Khumbula indlela awayezimise ngayo ukuba abe ngumntwana olungileyo, owayezimisela ukunceda abanye ngentliziyo yakhe yonke — njengalowo mzuzu lapho uBen wayefuna ukunikela ngemali yakhe yasebhange encinci ukunceda umalume wakhe uWilliam, ethetha ngothando olungenamkhawulo ngaphandle kokuba akhumbule ukuba yimalini eyayikhona, kodwa efuna nje ukunikela konke okwakhe.

Ryan, mfowethu okhoyo apha, ndifuna uthathe oku nawe. UBen akakushiye. Ukhona ecaleni kwakho, eqhubeka ekusebenza njengesikhokelo sothando. UBen wayengumfana owayenenqgondo enkulu yezibalo, kodwa ikratshi lakhe elikhulu kwakuwukuba ngumntwana omhle owayehlonipha abazali bakhe. UBen uya kuhlala ekukhuthaza, nangona ungamboni ngamehlo, kodwa uya kumva entliziyweni yakho. Uthando lwenu njengabazalwana luyinto engunaphakade. Xa uziva usodwa, khumbula ukuba uBen ukhona, uyaqhubeka, kwaye uya kuhlala ephila kuthando lukaThixo olungapheliyo.

Masithathe oku namhlanje: uBen wasishiya isipho sothando olungapheliyo. Kwisikhumbuzo sesidlo sasezulwini, lapho indlu kaThixo izele khona ngabantu abavela kude nakufi, masime nathi namhlanje siqinisekile ukuba ubomi bukaBen abuphelanga ethuneni. Usemthekweni wasezulwini, apho i-'con chim airlines' yakhe ibhabha ngokuphakamileyo phambi kobuso bukaThixo. Hamba ke namhlanje uphumle, uthembe ukuba uThixo uyakuthanda, kwaye uBen ulinda wena ngoncumo lwakhe oluqhelekileyo. UBen akakho nje kwimbali yenu; ukwikhona apho uThixo enza khona yonke into ibe ntsha. Uthando lwakho, Ben, lusaqhubeka luhamba emhlabeni, lusaqhubeka lukhanya, kwaye lusaqhubeka lukhumbuza wonke umntu okwaziyo ukuba uThixo uyamthanda umntwana wakhe ngaphezu kwayo yonke into. Hlalani neli themba. Hlalani nolu thando. UBen ukhona, uyaqhubeka, kwaye uya kuhlala ephila kuthando lukaThixo olungapheliyo. Amen.

Ukuzindla

♪ “Ubuhle Bendalo (Version B)” — A song for Ben

Izicelo

For the intentions entrusted to Ben on our prayer wall:

“Ngicabanga ngawe mngane wami! Dlula uzosho sawubona noma nini lapho ungakwazi khona, kulungile? Ngiyakuthanda Ben”