Advent UkudumisaIsampula

love.

Luke 1:26-28

In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgin's name was Mary. And he came to her and said, “Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!”

We’ve all gotten bad gifts. And I don’t mean the “you got me this ugly sweater?” kind of bad gift. I mean the kind of gift that feels more like an expectation in festive wrapping paper. These kinds of gifts are, in fact, no gifts at all. They are transactions, and often, manipulative ones.

Mary has obviously gotten bad gifts before too. Her response is telling.

Luke 1:29

“but she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be”

thanda.

ULuka 1: 26-28

Ngenyanga yesithupha ingelosi uGabriyeli yathunyelwa ivela kuNkulunkulu edolobheni laseGalile elibizwa ngokuthi yiNazaretha, entombini eyayithembisene nendoda egama layo linguJosefa wendlu kaDavide. Igama lentombi leyo kwakunguMariya. Wafika kuye wathi, "Sawubona, wena obonisiwe, iNkosi inawe!"

Sonke sithole izipho ezimbi. Futhi angiqondile ukuthi "ungithathele leli juzi elibi?" uhlobo lwesipho esibi. Ngiqonde uhlobo lwesipho esizizwa njengokulindelwe ephepheni lokugoqa lomkhosi. Lezi zinhlobo zezipho empeleni azizona izipho. Kungukuthengiselana, futhi imvamisa, okukhohlisayo.

Ngokusobala uMary uthole izipho ezimbi phambilini. Impendulo yakhe iyasho.

ULuka 1:29

“kepha wakhathazeka kakhulu ngaleli zwi, wazama nokuthola ukuthi kungabingelela kuni”

Kucishe kube sengathi uMary uzibuza yena ukuthi “Luhlobo luni lwesipho lesi? Yini oyifunayo kimi? Yini engilahlekile kulesi simo esingenakuthembela? ”

Impilo isifundisa ukuthi silindele ukubanjwa. Silindele ukuthi “inhlanhla iphele” Sicabanga ukuthi ngesinye isikhathi isheke lizofika, futhi ngeke sikwazi ukulikhokha. Sizwa okulindelwe okusindayo empilweni, futhi, isikhathi esiningi, sinomuzwa wokuthi siyalandelana. Sibeka okulindelwe kwabanye futhi siyadumala lapho bengazifezi.

Lokhu kuyimpilo ekuthengisweni.

Kepha uthando lukaNkulunkulu lwehlukile. Usikhumbuza, kanye noMary, "akukho okubambekayo."

ULuka 1:30

"Onomusa" udinga ukukhunjuzwa ukuthi "uthole umusa kuNkulunkulu." Sonke sidinga ukukhunjuzwa.

CS U-Lewis encwadini yakhe ethi "The Four Loves" uchaza into ebizwa ngesipho-uthando.

Uthando-lwesipho luhlukile kokuthengiselana. Uthando lwezipho luhlobo lothando olungalindeli futhi olungadingi ukubuyiselwa. Kuxhomeke ngokuphelele kulowo onikelayo. Ngalolu hlobo lothando, umamukeli kufanele athole thola kuphela.

Lolu uhlobo lothando uNkulunkulu analo ngathi. Ukuphela kwempendulo efanelekile kulolu hlobo lothando yimpendulo engenzi lutho. Kungukuma kwenhliziyo egobile ekwamukelweni. Akushiwo ukuthi "Ngizokwenza lokhu kwenzeke," kepha kumane nje, "makube njalo."

ULuka 1: 38b

“UMariya wathi,“ Bheka, ngiyincekukazi yeNkosi. Makube kimi ngokwezwi lakho. ”

UMary uzinikela kuNkulunkulu, hhayi ngokucindezelwa, umsebenzi noma ubunzima - kodwa ngothando. Uthando-lwesipho lukaNkulunkulu lukhiqiza uthando kuMariya.

Leli iphuzu eliphikiswa kakhulu kithi sonke abantu abathanda ukuthengiselana (funda: wonke umuntu).

Uthando-lwesipho luyakhiqiza! Idala uthando! Uthando lwezipho lukhiqiza ngokuzenzekelayo futhi lusuka enhliziyweni ukuthi yikuphi ukuthengiselana-uthando, nakho konke ukuthanda kwalo ngaphezu kwe-tit-for-tat, okungaqamba amanga.

Uma ungangikholwa, nansi impendulo kaMariya kusipho-uthando lukaNkulunkulu:

Luke 1:46-55

And Mary said,

“My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant. For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed; for he who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is his name. And his mercy is for those who fear him from generation to generation. He has shown strength with his arm; he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts; he has brought down the mighty from their thrones and exalted those of humble estate; he has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he has sent away empty. He has helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy, as he spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to his offspring forever.”

Mary uses some form of “he has done this!” nine different times in this short vertical focused poem. It’s all about Him and what He has done! When you’re dealing with the God of gift-love, you can’t help but notice the ways He loves. You can’t help but praise. You can’t help but love him.

This Christmas, remember that God’s love is gift-love. Only ever gift-love.

Let it be.

…

ULuka 1: 46-55

UMariya wathi,

“Umphefumulo wami uyayikhulisa iNkosi, nomoya wami uyathokoza ngoNkulunkulu uMsindisi wami, ngokuba ubonile isimo esiphansi senceku yakhe. Ngokuba bheka, kusukela manje izizukulwane zonke ziyakuthi ngibusisiwe; ngoba uSomandla ungenzele izinto ezinkulu, lingcwele igama lakhe. Futhi umusa wakhe ukwalabo abamesabayo ezizukulwaneni ngezizukulwane. Ubonakalisile amandla ngengalo yakhe; uhlakazile abazidlayo emicabangweni yezinhliziyo zabo; wehlise abanamandla ezihlalweni zabo zobukhosi waphakamisa labo abaphansi; usuthise abalambile ngezinto ezinhle, futhi abacebile ubamukise belambatha. Usizile inceku yakhe u-Israyeli, ukukhumbula umusa wakhe, njengoba akhuluma kobaba bethu, ku-Abrahama nasenzalweni yakhe kuze kube phakade. ”

UMary usebenzisa uhlobo oluthile lokuthi “ukwenzile lokhu!” izikhathi eziyisishiyagalolunye ezahlukene kule nkondlo emfushane ebheke phezulu. Konke kungaye futhi wenzeni! Lapho usebenza noNkulunkulu wesipho-uthando, awukwazi ukuzibamba kodwa uqaphele izindlela azithandayo. Awukwazi ukusiza kodwa ukuncoma. Awukwazi ukumthanda.

Lo Khisimusi, khumbula ukuthi uthando lukaNkulunkulu luyisipho-uthando. Uthando lwesipho njalo kuphela.

Makube njalo.

…

Prayer:

Lord, remind me of your gift love. Help me receive. Let it be!

Practice:

Make a list of the ways you feel your relationship with God has been transactional. What are the “be-this-or-else” or “do-this-or-else” habits or ways of thinking that you can confess and repent of?

Once you’ve acknowledged your own transactional-love tendencies, thank God that His love is nothing like yours.

Write out a prayer of praise, a vertical focused prayer, thanking Him for his gift-love.

Umkhuleko:

Nkosi, ngikhumbuze ngothando lwakho lwesipho. Ngisize ngithole. Makube njalo!

Ukuzijwayeza:

Yenza uhlu lwezindlela ozwa ngazo ukuthi ubudlelwano bakho noNkulunkulu bebulokhu busebenza. Yimiphi imikhuba ethi "be-this-or-else" noma "do-this-or-else" noma izindlela zokucabanga ongazivuma futhi uphenduke kuzo?

Uma usuvumile ukuthambekela kwakho kokwenza okwenziwayo, bonga uNkulunkulu ngokuthi uthando Lwakhe alufani nolwakho.

Bhala umthandazo wokudumisa, umthandazo oqonde mpo, umbonge ngothando lwakhe lwesipho.