Kwa ife amene tili ndi “MASO AMAONA” NDI “MAkutu Akumva” ( Mat. 13:16 ), uthenga umene Yesu anauza otsatira ake , uthenga wa “uthenga wabwino wachimwemwe chachikulu umene udzakhala kwa anthu onse. ” ( Luka 2:10, 11 ) Kuphatikizapo kudzipereka kosakhulupiririka kwa kumutsatira Iye , kutengera chitsanzo Chake, ndi kukhala membala wa Mkwatibwi Wake ndi Unsembe Wake, zimakuvutabe kukhulupirira kuti kuperekedwa koteroko kwaperekedwa kwa ife.

Mwina ndicho chifukwa chake timapatsidwa chitsimikizo cha malonjezo amenewa ndi atumwi m’zolemba zawo. Onani 2 Akorinto 15:51-54; 2 Petulo 1:4; Chivumbulutso 5:9, 10; 14:1-5, ndi zina zotero.

Popeza kuti chiitanochi chaperekedwa kwa ife, tiyeni tionenso zimene zikuyembekezeka kwa ife zimene Mphunzitsi, Mtsogoleri ndi Mbuye wathu wapereka monga malangizo Ake omveka bwino. Pa Mateyu 10:37-39 Yesu anati:

“Iye wakukonda atate wake kapena amake koposa Ine, sayenera Ine; iye amene akonda mwana wake wamwamuna, kapena wamkazi koposa Ine, sayenera Ine; ndipo iye amene sasenza mtanda wake ndi kunditsata Ine, sayenera Ine. Iye amene apeza moyo wake adzautaya, ndipo iye amene ataya moyo wake chifukwa cha Ine adzaupeza.

Mtumwi Paulo anati, “Ndinapachikidwa pamodzi ndi Khristu, ndipo sindinenso ndi moyo, koma Khristu ali ndi moyo mwa ine” (Agalatiya 2:20). Chimenecho chiyenera kukhala cholinga chathu. “Khristu mwa inu, chiyembekezo (chokha) cha ulemerero” (Akolose 1:27). Kodi izi zimachitika bwanji? Yesu akutipatsa yankho mu Yohane 14:23, “Ngati wina akonda Ine, adzasunga chiphunzitso Changa;

Ndiyeno, kodi “chiphunzitso” chimene Yesu anatipatsa n’chiyani? Pamene anafunsidwa kuti, “Lamulo lalikulu kuposa onse ndi liti?” tikudziwa kuti yankho lake likupezeka pa Mat. 22:37-40 ndi Marko 12:28-31 . Kenako, pa mgonero womaliza anawapatsa lamulo lina, “Lamulo latsopano ndikupatsani inu! Kondanani wina ndi mzake, monga ndakonda inu, momwemo mukondane wina ndi mzake. Mwa ichi adzazindikira onse kuti muli akuphunzira anga, ngati muli nacho chikondano wina ndi mnzake.” ( Yoh. Pofuna kutsindika mfundo imeneyi, iye anabwerezanso zimenezi pa Yohane 15:12, 13 kuti: “Lamulo langa ndi ili: Mukondane wina ndi mnzake, monga ndakonda inu. Palibe amene ali ndi chikondi choposa ichi chakuti munthu wataya moyo wake chifukwa cha abwenzi ake.

Imeneyi iyenera kukhala mfundo yotsogolera pa moyo wathu ngati tikufuna kukhala otsatira oona a Yesu. CHIKONDI, sichimangokhala dzina; iyenera kukhala mneni, m'miyoyo yathu, yowonetsedwa muzochita zathu!

Mvetserani kwa Mtumwi Yohane m’Kalata yake yoyamba: “Tidziŵa kuti tachoka mu imfa kulowa m’moyo, chifukwa tikonda abale athu. Aliyense wosakonda amakhala mu imfa. Umu ndi m'mene timadziwira kuti chikondi ndi chiyani. Yesu Khristu anapereka moyo wake chifukwa cha ife ndipo ife tiyenera kupereka moyo wathu chifukwa cha abale athu. Ngati wina ali ndi chuma naona mbale wake ali wosowa, koma osamchitira chifundo, nanga chikondi cha Mulungu chingakhale mwa iye bwanji? Ana okondedwa, tisakonde ndi mawu, kapena ndi lilime, komatu ndi zochita ndi m’choonadi, ndi kuti tikhazikitse mitima yathu m’malo mwa Iye.” 1 Yohane 3:14, 16-19

Pa Yakobe 2:8, 14, ndi 17 akuti, “Ngati musungadi lamulo lachifumu lopezeka m’Malemba lakuti, Uzikonda mnzako monga udzikonda iwe mwini, mukuchita bwino.” Kenako akufunsa kuti: “Pali phindu lanji, abale anga, ngati munthu anena kuti ali ndi chikhulupiriro koma alibe ntchito? Kodi chikhulupiriro choterocho chingamupulumutse? Ngati mbale kapena mlongo akusowa chofunda, ndi chakudya chatsiku ndi tsiku, ngati wina wa inu anena kwa iwo, Mukani, ndikufunirani zabwino; fundani ndi kukhuta. Koma palibe chilichonse chokhudza zosowa zawo zakuthupi, zili ndi phindu lanji? Momwemonso chikhulupiriro pachokha, ngati sichikhala ndi machitidwe, ndi chakufa.”

M’zaka zoyambilira za mpingo, abale ku Yerusalemu anakumana ndi zovuta m’zachuma ndi kuzunzidwa (Machitidwe 8). Mu kalata yake yoyamba yopita ku mpingo wa ku Korinto (cha m'ma 55 AD) Paulo akulimbikitsa kutenga chopereka cha mpingo wa ku Yerusalemu (1 Akorinto 16:1-4). Iye amatsatira pempho limeneli m’kalata yake yachiŵiri. Onani 2 Akor. 8 :7-9 .

Chotero, tiri ndi zitsanzo zomveka bwino za mmene tiyenera kuperekera miyoyo yathu chifukwa cha abale athu, aliyense payekha ndi mipingo. Sitikufa chifukwa chochita zimenezi, koma tikupachikidwa ngati nsembe yamoyo (Aroma 12:1).

“Potero, mwa Yesu, tiyeni tipereke chiperekere kwa Mulungu nsembe yakuyamika, chipatso cha milomo yovomereza dzina lake, ndipo musaiwale kuchita zabwino ndi kugawana ndi ena; pakuti nsembe zotere Mulungu akondwera nazo.” ( Aheb. 13:15, 16).

Pomaliza, “tisaleme pakuchita zabwino; pakuti pa nthawi yake tidzatuta tikapanda kufooka. Chifukwa chake, monga tili ndi mwayi, tichite zabwino kwa anthu onse, makamaka iwo a m’banja la okhulupirira.” ( Agalatiya 6:9, 10 ) Chotero, tingachite bwino kuchitira anthu onse zabwino.

To those of us who have “EYES THAT SEE” AND “EARS THAT HEAR” (Matt. 13:16), the message that Jesus brought to His followers, a message of “good news of great joy that will be for all the people” (Luke 2:10, 11), plus an unbelievable offer to follow Him, copying His pattern, and becoming a member of His Bride and Priesthood, still find it difficult to believe such an offer is made to us.

Perhaps that is why we are given assurance of these promises by the apostles in their writings. See 2 Corinthians 15:51-54; 2 Peter 1:4; Revelation 5:9, 10; 14:1-5, etc.

Since this invitation has been extended to us, let us review what is expected of us that our Teacher, Guide and Master has given as His clear instructions.  In Matthew 10:37-39 Jesus said:

“Anyone who loves his father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me; and anyone who does not take up his cross and follow Me is not worthy of Me.  Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.”

The Apostle Paul said, “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me” (Galatians 2:20).  That must be our goal.  “Christ in you, the (only) hope of glory” (Colossians 1:27). How does this take place?  Jesus gives us the answer in John 14:23, “If anyone loves Me, he will obey My teaching, My Father will love him and We will come to him and make our home with him.”

So then, what is this “teaching” that Jesus gave us?  When He was asked, “What is the greatest commandment of all?” we know His reply is found in Matt. 22:37-40 and Mark 12:28-31. Then, at the last supper He gave them another commandment, “A new commandment I give you!  Love one another, as I have loved you, so you must love one another.  By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:34, 35). To emphasize this point, He repeated it in John 15:12, 13 saying, “My command is this:  Love each other as I have loved you.  Greater love has no one than this that he lay down his life for his friends.”

This must be our life’s guiding principle if we would be true followers of Jesus.  LOVE, is not merely a noun; it must be a verb, in our lives, shown forth in our actions!

Listen to the Apostle John in his first Epistle: “We know we have passed from death to life because we love our brothers.  Anyone who does not love remains in death. This is how we know what love is. Jesus Christ laid down His life for us and we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers.  If anyone has material possessions and see his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him?  Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth and how we set our hearts at rest in His presence.” 1 John 3:14, 16-19

In James 2:8, 14, and 17 he states, “If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, “Love your neighbor as yourself” you are doing right.”  Then he asks, “What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds?  Can such faith save him?  Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food, if one of you says to them, ‘Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed.’ But does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it?  In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.”

During the early years of the church, the brethren in Jerusalem fell upon hard times, both financially and with persecution (Acts 8). In his first letter to the Corinthian church (about AD 55) Paul encourages taking a collection for the Jerusalem congregation (1 Cor. 16:1-4).  He follows up on this request in his second letter.  See 2 Cor. 8: 7-9.

We, therefore, have clear examples of how we are to lay down our lives for our brethren, both individually and to congregations.  We are not actually dying by so doing, but we are being crucified as living sacrifices (Romans 12:1).

“Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of Praise, the fruit of lips that confess His Name, and do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is well pleased”  (Hebrews 13:15, 16).

Finally, “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.  Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers” (Galatians 6:9, 10).

D. Anas  ©CDMI