CHAPTER ONE
WHAT IS FRIENDSHIP?
Friendship
is a common word, its known and its used every day, by everybody, though in
different ways. Friendship is a word we use everyday in showing and expressing
relationships between us or between people. Friendship can be defined in so
many various ways: and here are some common definitions for what friendship
means:-
Someone
can say;
- Friendship is a good relationship or/and close relationship, between two or more people.
- Friendship is a sharing of one’s life with another or other people/beings, in various aspects of our everyday life; such as interests and hobbies, the pleasures and pains of life, etc.
- Friendship is a relationship of one’s own choice, of whom to be related to and how to be related to from the bases of appreciation and satisfaction of one own heart’s desires.
- Friendship is a agreement to a commitment of one’s life to the other, on the basis of hearts desires, choice and satisfaction, for a particular purpose / direction.
Kwa Mfano; Urafiki wa Jonathan na Daudi. (1Samweli
18:1-4)
Tunaona Jonathan anampenda sana Daudi baada ya kugundua vipawa vilivyo
ndani ya Daudi. Tunasoma kwamba Daudi alikuwa anajua sana kupiga muziki (zeze)
na kuimba zaburi kwa Mungu, kitu kilichofanya Daudi awe karibu sana na Mungu na
kufunikwa na utukufu wa Mungu (upako). Hivyo Jonathan alimpenda sana Daudi kwasababu Daudi ana upako, uliomsaidia
babake (mfalme) Sauli kufunguka kutoka katika nguvu za giza mara kwa mara.
Hivyo Daudi akawa mtu wa msaada sana kwa familia ya Mfalme na katika
serikali yake. Pasipo Daudi kuwepo karibu, mambo yote ya ofisi ya Mfalme na
nyumba yake yanaharibika. Hicho kilimfanya Jonathan kumpenda sana sana Daudi.
Na Daudi naye akampenda sana Jonathan kwasababu Jonathan alimpenda yeye kwanza,
na pia kwasababu Jonathan alikuwa mtoto wa mkuu wan nchi, mtoto wa Mfalme.
Kukajengeka upendo mkubwa sana wa kirafiki kati ya Daudi na Jonathan.
Urafiki wa jinsia tofauti.
Let me
also not forget to say that, casual friendship is not necessarily a friendship
of the same gender or same sex only. No!
A casual friend can be of the opposite sex too. Jesus has Lazarus, Mary and
Martha as his friends! It’s fine and OK to have casual friends of the opposite
sex. In fact, it is psychologically,
socially and spiritually healthy to have friends of the opposite sex, if you
are perfectly and correctly taught the word of God and you understand the will
of God and the plan of God concerning friendship. I will talk about this more
at the end of this topic, because I know it is not very common idea to the
African culture and the doctrines of some of our churches. So, hold your
breath!
Kwa Mfano; Urafiki wa Yesu na Martha, Mariam na
Lazaro. (Yohana 11:5, 35-36)
Japo
biblia haielezi wazi wazi sababu za
urafiki wao, lakini maandiko yanaonyesha wazi kuwa, uhusiano wa Yesu na kina
Lazaro, Martha na Mariam, ulikuwa wa karibu sana
Hebu
jiulize, kwanini Roho Mtakatifu alimwongoza Yohana kutanguliza kumuandika
Martha kwanza, kabla ya Lazaro au Mariam? Hii ni wazi kwamba, Yesu alikuwa na
uhusiano wa kirafiki, tena wa karibu sana na hii familia, na hasa Martha
(nionavyo mimi, kulingana na maandiko). Tuangalie zaidi mazingira haya kama ilivyoandikwa.
Yohana 11:20;
Martha
aliposikia kwamba hatimaye Yesu amefika msibani japo kwa kuchelewa, alikwenda
kumlaki (kumpokea) lakini Mariam hakutoka, alibaki ndani. Unadhani kwanini?
Baada ya kuongea na Yesu kwa muda Fulani, ndipo tunamona Mariam akiamua kwenda
kmwuita na Mariam, atoke ndani kwenda kumsalimia Yesu (mstari wa 28-32) Hii
inaonyesha ukaribu uliokuwepo kati ya Yesu na Martha. Walikuwa na upendo mkubwa sana
Kwa
wale wasomaji wa Biblia, mnakumbuka hata wakati Yesu alipotembelea familia yao
siku moja, ni Martha aliyeonyesha kumjali Yesu sana hata kujituma jikoni ili
kumuandalia chakula, wakati Mariam hakuwa hata na pressure, bali alijiketisha miguuni pa Yesu kusikiliza Neno la
Mungu. Japo badaye Martha alishushuliwa na Yesu, lakini ndiye aliyeonyesha
kumjali (kum-care) Yesu zaidi, ndiye
aliyeonyesha kusumbuka kwa ajili ya Yesu zaidi kuliko Mariam. Soma hii katika
kitabu cha Luka 10:38-42.
Mimi
naamini urafiki wa Martha kwa Yesu alijengeka katika mazingira ya Martha
kuthamini wema na baraka alizotendewa na Yesu, kwasababu utakumbuka kwamba,
Martha ndiye yule mwanamke kahaba, ambaye siku moja alisikia injili katika
mkutano ambao Yesu alikuwa anahubiri na akatubu dhambi zake, akatua mzigo wake
na Yesu akamsamehewa kabisa uovu wake wote. Kwa furaha aliyokuwa nayo, akaenda
nyumbani kwake, akachukua chupa ya perfume
(marhamu) safi
Kwa
utaratibu wa kiyahudi, ni mwiko kabisa mwanamke kuingia katika kikao cha
wanaume wala kumgusa mwanaume bila utaratibu. Lakini kwa jinsi alivyokuwa na
msukumo mkubwa moyoni, alishindwa kujizuia, akapenya mpaka mahali walipokuwa
wamekaa chakulani, akasimama nyuma ya Yesu, akadondosha machozi katika miguu ya
Yesu (kwasababu wayahudi hukaa chini kwenye zulia, na hii ina maana kwamba,
Yesu alikuwa amekunja miguu kwa nyuma, ndio maana machozi yakamwangukia
miguuni).
Biblia
inasema, ndipo alipoinama na kuvunja ile ya marhamu safi, nyumba yote ikajaa
harufu nzuri. Martha akaipaka miguu ya Yesu mafuta yale mazuri, akachukua
nywele zake ndefu na kuipangusa vizuuuri miguu ya Yesu. Mwisho akamalizia kwa
kuibusu sana sana
Pengine
kwa sababu ya unyenyekevu wa Martha, ndipo upendo wa kirafiki (phileo) ulipozaliwa kati ya Yesu na
Martha. Tunasoma hatimaye siku nyingine, Martha akamualika Yesu chakulani
nyumbani kwao (Luka 10:38-42). Kitendo hicho kilimtabulisha
Yesu kwa familia ya Lazaro. Biblia inasema Yesu akawapenda sana Martha, Mariam
na Lazaro kirafiki - phileo (Yoh
11:1-5). Baada ya hapo, ndipo Lazaro alipougua sana hata Martha akatuma watu
kwa Yesu kumwomba aje kumponya kaka yao ambaye pia ni rafiki sana wa Yesu.
Mpaka Lazaro anakufa, Yesu alikuwa hajatokea.
Siku Yesu anafika, walikuwa wameshamzika Lazaro siku nne zilizopita, tayari
ananuka, ameharibika. Habari ziliposikika kwamba Yesu amefika msibani, ni
Martha peke yake aliyetoka kwenda kumlaki Yesu. Baada ya muda Martha kuongea na
Yesu kwa muda, ndipo akrudi ndani kwenda kumwita Mariam atoke kwenda kumsalimia
Yesu kule nje.
Mariam akatoka, naye alipomwona Yesu, alilia kwa uchungu sana na kujibwaga
miguu pa yesu na kulalama ‘Yesu kama ungeuja mapema, kaka yetu asingekufa,
ungemponya’. Yesu alipomwona Mariam analia, na wayahudi waliofuatana naye
wanalia, Yesu akaugua sana moyoni, akafadhaika, na mstari wa 35 unasema “Yesu
akalia machozi”. Hata wayahudi walipomuona Yesu analia, waksema, “angalia jinsi
alivyompenda (Lazaro)”. Hii inaonyesha kwamba, kulikuwa na upendo mkubwa sana
wa kirafiki kati ya Yesu na Lazaro na dada zake. Baada ya hayo, tunasoma Yesu
akaenda kumfufua rafiki yake Lazaro kutoka mautini.
Ndipo katika sura inayofuata (Yoh 12:1-8) baada ya wakati fulani kupita
tangu Yesu amfufue Lazaro, tunaona familia ya Lazaro wanamwandalia Yesu karamu
(sherehe au party), pengine ilikuwa ni ibada ya shukurani ya kufufuka kwa
Lazaro. Siku hiyo, Martha akaanda chakula kizuri, halafu wote wakiwa wameketi
chakulani, Martha akarudia tena kumvunjia Yesu kibweta cha marashi safi na
nyumba yote ikajaa harufu nzuri sana ya manukato. Martha akamvunjia Yesu
kibweta kingine cha marashi (perfume) safi ya bei kubwa; akampaka tena Yesu
marhamu safi kwa nywele zake. Ilikuwa ni ratili ya mafuta safi ya marhamu yenye
thamani nyingi. Safari hii Yuda ndiye aliyekwazika (soma mwenyewe utajua
sababu). Lakini tunamwona Yesu akimtetea tena Martha na kusema ‘mwacheni, kwa
kitendo hiki, ananiandaa kwa maziko yangu’.
Tukio hili la alilolifanya Martha, na ujasiri aliokuwa nao wa kuingia
katika kikao cha wananume, kinyume cha utamaduni na kuishinda hofu yake, liliupendeza
sana moyo wa Bwana Yesu, kwani, aliona upendo wa kweli na urafiki wa kweli
kutoka kwa Martha. Martha alikuwa rafiki wa kweli wa Bwana Yesu. Yaani hawa
wawili, walikuwa real good and serious
friends. Yesu alivyokuwa na urafiki wa Karibu sana na Martha. Martha
alimpenda sana Yesu kwa wema usioelezeka, ambao Yesu alimtendea yeye na familia
yake. Upendo uliokuwa katika yao ni upendo phileo,
Upendo wa kirafiki, upendo wenye sababu. Nitakufundisha hii baadaye kwa kina na
upana wake. Kwahiyo, tulia tu, endelea kusoma.
Kwahiyo, tumeona
kwamba, Friendship is a word we use every day in showing and expressing good
and close relationships between us or between people. Tumesema kwamba,
- Friendship is a good relationship or/and close relationship, between two or more people.
- Friendship is a sharing of one’s life with another or other people/beings, in various aspects of our everyday life; such as interests and hobbies, the pleasures and pains of life, etc.
Pia
tumeona kwamba;
- Friendship is a relationship of one’s own choice, of whom to be related to and how to be related to from the bases of appreciation and satisfaction of one own heart’s desires.
- Friendship is a agreement to a commitment of one’s life to the other, on the basis of hearts desires, choice and satisfaction, for a particular purpose / direction.
Pia
tumeona kwamba, kuna aina mbali mbali za urafiki. Tumeona urafiki wa jinsia
moja, kwa mfano, urafiki wa Jonathan na Daudi. Lakini pia tumeangalia urafiki
wa jinsia tofauti, kwa mfano wa urafiki wa Yesu na Martha. Na kuna aina
nyingine nyingi tu za urafiki au marafiki. Huko mbele, nitakufundisha vizuri na
kwa kina; utaona kwamba, kuna marafiki hata wa umri tofauti. Ngoja
nisikuonjeshe utamu kabla ya saa ya kula. Lakini huko mbeleni, kuna kipengele
kinaitwa, aina za marafiki. Na hapo tutachimba zaidi na kuangalia kwa
upana, aina za urafiki uliopo.
No comments:
Post a Comment