📖 1 Petro — Somo la Kina — Sehemu ya 12: Wachungaji na Simba Angurumaye📖 1 Peter Intensive — Unit 12: Shepherds and the Roaring Lion

Andiko: 1 Petro 5:1-14Text: 1 Peter 5:1-14

Lichungeni Kundi la MunguShepherd the Flock of God

Petro anapoifikisha barua yake mwisho, anawageukia kwanza viongozi wa kanisa. "Basi nawasihi wazee walio kwenu, mimi niliye mzee mwenzao, na shahidi wa mateso ya Kristo...Lichungeni kundi la Mungu lililo kwenu, na kulisimamia; si kwa kulazimishwa, bali kwa hiari; si kwa kupenda mapato ya aibu, bali kwa moyo; wala si kama wajifanyao mabwana juu ya wale walio chini ya uangalizi wenu, bali kama mlivyo vielelezo kwa lile kundi. Na Mchungaji Mkuu atakapofunuliwa, mtaipokea taji ya utukufu, isiyokauka" (1 Petro 5:1-4). Petro hajivuni kwa cheo chake cha mtume; anajiita tu mzee mwenzao, mmoja ambaye pia ameshuhudia mateso ya Kristo. Agizo lake kwa wazee ni kulichunga kundi la Mungu — si kundi lao wenyewe, bali la Mungu. Mchungaji huongoza, hulisha, na hulinda kondoo, naye hufanya hivyo kwa roho fulani: kwa hiari, si kwa sababu analazimishwa; kwa moyo, si kwa ajili ya faida ya aibu; na zaidi ya yote kama kielelezo, si kama mtawala dhalimu anayewatawala watu kwa mabavu. Picha ya awali ya Kristo kama Mchungaji wa roho zetu sasa inakuwa kielelezo kwa kila mchungaji msaidizi. Na kuna thawabu iliyo na thamani kuliko faida yoyote ya duniani: Mchungaji Mkuu, Kristo mwenyewe, atakapofunuliwa, mchungaji mwaminifu atapokea taji ya utukufu isiyokauka kamwe.As Peter brings his letter to a close, he turns first to the leaders of the church. "The elders who are among you I exhort, I who am a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ...Shepherd the flock of God which is among you, serving as overseers, not by compulsion but willingly, not for dishonest gain but eagerly; nor as being lords over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock; and when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that does not fade away" (1 Peter 5:1-4). Peter does not pull rank as an apostle; he calls himself simply a fellow elder, one who has also witnessed Christ's sufferings. His charge to the elders is to shepherd God's flock — not their own flock, but God's. A shepherd leads, feeds, and protects the sheep, and he does it in a certain spirit: willingly, not because he is forced; eagerly, not for shameful profit; and above all as an example, not as a tyrant lording it over the people. The earlier picture of Christ as the Shepherd of our souls now becomes the pattern for every undershepherd. And there is a reward worth more than any earthly gain: when the Chief Shepherd, Christ Himself, appears, the faithful shepherd will receive a crown of glory that never fades.

Kumpelekea Adui RisasiSending Ammunition to the Enemy

Kabla ya Vita vya Pili vya Dunia, Marekani ilifanya mapatano ya kusafirisha kiasi kikubwa cha vyuma chakavu kwenda kwa taifa lingine — vyuma ambavyo inasemekana vilitumika kujenga baadhi ya ndege zile zile zilizoshambulia kwa mabomu Bandari ya Pearl baadaye. Kamwe si busara kumkabidhi adui yako malighafi ambayo siku moja anaweza kuitumia kukuzamisha. Hata hivyo hili ndilo kosa hasa ambalo waamini hulifanya tena na tena kwa adui wa roho zao, yaani Ibilisi. Onyo la Petro katika sura hii linadhihirisha njia tatu ambazo Mkristo anaweza kumkabidhi adui yake risasi ambazo kwazo atamshambulia baadaye. Njia hizo tatu ni kiburi, wasiwasi, na mateso, nazo zina mkakati mmoja: kila moja inamfanya mwamini aelekeze macho yake kwa kitu kingine kisicho Yesu — kwake mwenyewe, kwa wasiwasi wake, au kwa maumivu yake. Ibilisi anaweza kumshinda mwamini anayevitazama vitu hivyo; hawezi kumshinda Yesu. Kwa hiyo njia ya busara ni kumkabidhi Kristo kila kimoja na kukataa kumpelekea adui risasi.Before the Second World War, the United States made a deal to ship great quantities of scrap metal to another nation — metal that was reportedly used to build some of the very airplanes that later bombed Pearl Harbor. It is never wise to hand your enemy the raw material he can one day use to sink you. Yet this is the very mistake believers make again and again with the enemy of their souls, the devil. Peter's warning in this chapter reveals three ways a Christian can hand his enemy the ammunition with which to bomb him later. The three are pride, anxiety, and suffering, and they share a single strategy: each one gets the believer to focus on something other than Jesus — on himself, on his worries, or on his pain. The devil can defeat a believer who looks at those things; he cannot defeat Jesus. The wise course, then, is to surrender each one to Christ and refuse to send ammunition to the enemy.

Kiburi: Jifungeni UnyenyekevuPride: Clothe Yourselves with Humility

"Vivyo hivyo ninyi vijana, watiini wazee. Naam, ninyi nyote jifungeni unyenyekevu, mpate kuhudumiana; kwa sababu 'Mungu huwapinga wenye kiburi, bali huwapa neema wanyenyekevu.' Basi nyenyekeeni chini ya mkono wa Mungu ulio hodari, ili awakweze kwa wakati wake" (1 Petro 5:5-6). Risasi ya kwanza ni kiburi. Mafarisayo walikuwa na wazo potofu la ukuu; walitaka viti bora, cheo cha Rabi, na sifa za wanadamu. Lakini Yesu alifundisha kwamba ukuu unakuja kupitia huduma, si kupitia kutambuliwa, na kwamba yeyote anayejikweza atashushwa. Kiburi si kosa dogo, kwa maana ndiyo dhambi yenyewe iliyosababisha anguko la Ibilisi mwenyewe kutoka mbinguni. Maisha yote ya mtu yanapoanza kujizungusha kwake mwenyewe, akizidi kujitafutia na kujitangaza, Ibilisi anakuwa amemweka mahali hasa anapotaka. Mfanyabiashara Mkristo Howard Butt alikiri kwamba ni kiburi chake kinachomfanya ajione hamhitaji Mungu, na kwamba kiburi hatimaye ni "ibada ya sanamu ya kujiabudu mimi mwenyewe" — ambayo, aliongeza, ni "dini ya taifa ya Jehanamu." Dawa ni kujifunga unyenyekevu, kwa maana Mungu hujiweka kinyume cha wenye kiburi lakini huwamwagia neema wanyenyekevu. Wale wanaonyenyekea chini ya mkono wa Mungu ulio hodari ndio atakaowainua kwa wakati wake mwenyewe ulio mwema."Likewise you younger people, submit yourselves to your elders. Yes, all of you be submissive to one another, and be clothed with humility, for 'God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.' Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time" (1 Peter 5:5-6). The first piece of ammunition is pride. The Pharisees had a wrong idea of greatness; they wanted the best seats, the title of Rabbi, the praise of men. But Jesus taught that greatness comes through service, not recognition, and that whoever exalts himself will be humbled. Pride is no small fault, for it was the very sin behind the devil's own fall from heaven. When a man's whole life begins to revolve around himself, growing more self-seeking and self-promoting, the devil has him exactly where he wants him. The Christian businessman Howard Butt confessed that it is his pride that makes him feel independent of God, and that pride is finally "the idolatrous worship of myself" — which, he added, is "the national religion of Hell." The remedy is to be clothed with humility, for God sets Himself against the proud but pours grace on the humble. Those who humble themselves under God's mighty hand are the ones He will lift up in His own good time.

Historia inatoa mahubiri ya wazi juu ya jambo hili. Louis wa Kumi na Nne (Louis XIV) wa Ufaransa, aliyejiita "Mkuu" na aliyewahi kutangaza "Mimi ndimi Dola," alipozikwa, mazishi yake yalikuwa ya fahari kuliko yote barani Ulaya. Mwili wake ulilala katika jeneza la dhahabu, na kwa amri yake kanisa kuu lile kubwa lilifanywa giza, likiangazwa na mshumaa mmoja tu juu ya jeneza ili kuonyesha utukufu wake kwa namna ya kuvutia. Maelfu walisubiri katika ukimya mkuu. Kisha askofu alisimama kusema, akainama, akauzima mshumaa, na akasema maneno manne tu: "Mungu peke yake ni mkuu." Kila utukufu wa kibinadamu ni mshumaa unaozimwa upesi; Mungu peke yake ni mkuu, na wanyenyekevu wanaolijua hilo ndio anaowaheshimu.History offers a vivid sermon on this. When Louis XIV of France, who had called himself "the Great" and once declared "I am the State," was buried, his funeral was the most magnificent in Europe. His body lay in a golden coffin, and by his orders the great cathedral was darkened, lit by a single candle above the casket to dramatize his glory. Thousands waited in hushed silence. Then the bishop rose to speak, reached down, snuffed out the candle, and said only four words: "Only God is great." Every human glory is a candle soon snuffed; God alone is great, and the humble who know it are the ones He honors.

Wasiwasi: Mtwikeni Yeye Fadhaa Zenu ZoteAnxiety: Cast All Your Care on Him

"Huku mkimtwika yeye fadhaa zenu zote, kwa maana yeye hujishughulisha sana kwa mambo yenu" (1 Petro 5:7). Risasi ya pili ni wasiwasi. Wasiwasi humruhusu Shetani kujipenyeza kati ya mwamini na Bwana wake, akimsukuma aishi kwa hofu badala ya imani. Amri ya Petro ni kumtwika Mungu fadhaa zetu zote, na sababu ni ya upole: kwa sababu Yeye anatujali. Hata hivyo hapa waamini wengi hujikwaa kwa namna ya ajabu. Wanaomba juu ya mizigo yao, kisha wanainuka kutoka magotini mwao huku mzigo bado umekaa imara mabegani mwao wenyewe. Kumtwika Mungu fadhaa ni kuiachilia kwake na kuiacha pale, si kuinyakua tena mara tu sala inapokwisha. Fikiria mtoto mdogo anayekaribia kudungwa sindano yenye maumivu. Sindano inapokaribia anageuza macho yake kwa baba yake, ambaye anamshika mkono na kukaza macho yake kwake, na utulivu unakuja usoni mwake. Hafarijiwi na jibu lolote la maneno bali tu na uwepo wa baba yake pamoja naye katika jaribu. Ndivyo ilivyo kwa mwamini. Mungu anayejali yupo, na roho inayokaza macho yake kwake inapata amani, inakabidhi wasiwasi wake, na inapumzika."Casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you" (1 Peter 5:7). The second piece of ammunition is anxiety. Worry lets Satan slip in between the believer and his Lord, pressing him to live in fear instead of faith. Peter's command is to cast all our care upon God, and the reason is tender: because He cares for us. Yet here many believers stumble in a curious way. They pray about their burdens, and then they get up from their knees with the burden still sitting squarely on their own shoulders. To cast a care upon God is to release it to Him and to leave it there, not to snatch it back the moment prayer is over. Consider a small child about to receive a painful injection. As the needle approaches she turns her eyes to her father, who takes her hand and fixes his gaze on hers, and a calm comes over her face. She is comforted not by any spoken answer but simply by his presence with her in the trial. So it is with the believer. The God who cares is present, and the soul that fixes its eyes on Him finds peace, hands over its anxieties, and rests.

Simba Angurumaye: Kesheni na MpingeniThe Roaring Lion: Be Vigilant and Resist

"Mwe na kiasi na kukesha; kwa kuwa mshitaki wenu Ibilisi, kama simba angurumaye, huzunguka-zunguka akitafuta mtu ammeze. Mpingeni huyo, mkiwa thabiti katika imani, mkijua kwamba mateso yale yale yanatimizwa katika ndugu zenu walioko duniani" (1 Petro 5:8-9). Risasi ya tatu ni mateso, na hapa Petro anamtaja adui moja kwa moja. Ibilisi ni halisi na wa hatari, akizunguka-zunguka kama simba angurumaye akitafuta mawindo, kwa hiyo mwamini lazima awe na kiasi na awe macho, kamwe asiwe mzembe. Hata hivyo Ibilisi pia ni adui aliyeshindwa, na hapaswi kuogopwa. Amri ni kumpinga, kusimama thabiti katika imani na kukataa kurudi nyuma. Petro anamtia nguvu mwamini kwa kumkumbusha kwamba yeye hateseki peke yake: mateso yale yale yanachukuliwa na undugu wote wa waamini ulimwenguni kote."Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world" (1 Peter 5:8-9). The third piece of ammunition is suffering, and here Peter names the enemy directly. The devil is real and dangerous, prowling like a roaring lion in search of prey, so the believer must be sober and alert, never careless. Yet the devil is also a defeated foe, and he is not to be feared. The command is to resist him, standing steadfast in the faith and refusing to give way. Peter strengthens the believer with the reminder that he does not suffer alone: the very same sufferings are being borne by the whole brotherhood of believers across the world.

Historia ya undugu huo imejaa watu waliompinga simba na hawakusalimu amri. Mzee Polikarpo, alipoletwa uwanjani ili achomwe moto akiwa hai, alihimizwa kuyaokoa maisha yake kwa kumtukana Kristo. Alijibu, "Miaka themanini na sita nimemtumikia, wala hajawahi hata mara moja kunitendea mabaya; basi ninawezaje kumkufuru Mfalme wangu, aliyeniokoa?" Katika zama zetu wenyewe, wanaume watatu waliohukumiwa kifo nchini Uganda walikwenda mbele ya kikosi cha kupiga risasi nyuso zao zikiwa zinang'aa, wakiwa wamempata Kristo gerezani, na wakawapungia mkono umati uliokuwa ukitazama kabla risasi hazijafyatuliwa, kiasi kwamba hata wauaji wao walibaki wameduwaa. Mmisionari Adoniram Judson, baada ya mateso makali katika gereza la Burma, alimwomba mfalme ruhusa ya kuhubiri; mfalme alikataa, akisema watu wake hawangeyasikiliza maneno ya Judson, lakini kwa hakika wangeiona mikono yake yenye makovu. Katika kila karne simba amenguruma, na katika kila karne imani imesimama imara. Simba anaweza kunguruma, lakini hawezi kuwameza walio wa Kristo wanaompinga wakiwa thabiti katika imani.The history of that brotherhood is full of those who resisted the lion and did not yield. The aged Polycarp, brought into the arena to be burned alive, was urged to save his life by reviling Christ. He answered, "Eighty-six years have I served Him, and He never once did me wrong; how then can I blaspheme my King, who has saved me?" In our own age, three condemned men in Uganda went before a firing squad with their faces shining, having found Christ in prison, and waved to the watching crowd before the shots were fired, so that even their executioners were left bewildered. The missionary Adoniram Judson, after terrible sufferings in a Burmese prison, asked a king for permission to preach; the king refused, saying his people would not heed Judson's words, but they would surely take notice of his scarred hands. In every century the lion has roared, and in every century faith has stood firm. The lion can roar, but he cannot devour those who belong to Christ and resist him steadfast in the faith.

Mungu wa Neema YoteThe God of All Grace

Sasa Petro anageuka kutoka kwenye vita kwenda kwenye mwisho wake ulio hakika. "Na Mungu wa neema yote, aliyewaita mpate utukufu wake wa milele katika Kristo Yesu, mkiisha kuteswa kwa muda mchache, yeye mwenyewe atawatengeneza, atawathibitisha, atawatia nguvu, na kuwapa msingi imara. Utukufu na uweza una yeye hata milele na milele. Amina" (1 Petro 5:10-11). Hii ndiyo ahadi iliyowabeba watakatifu wanaoteseka katika kila jaribu. Angalia mizani: mateso ni ya "muda mchache" tu, lakini utukufu ni wa milele. Na angalia ni nani anayefanya kazi — Mungu mwenyewe. Mungu wa neema yote, aliyewaita watu wake kwanza kwenye utukufu, mwenyewe atakamilisha kile kinachopungua ndani yao, atathibitisha kile kinachoyumba, atatia nguvu kile kilicho dhaifu, na atawasimika juu ya msingi imara. Moto ule ule ambao adui aliukusudia kwa maangamizi yao, Mungu anautumia kuwafanya kamili na wasiotikisika. Kwa Mungu huyu wa neema yote, Petro anampa utukufu na uweza milele.Now Peter turns from the battle to the certain end of it. "But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you. To Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen" (1 Peter 5:10-11). Here is the promise that has carried suffering saints through every trial. Notice the balance: the suffering is only "a while," but the glory is eternal. And notice who does the work — God Himself. The God of all grace, who first called His people to glory, will personally perfect what is lacking in them, establish what is shaky, strengthen what is weak, and settle them on a firm foundation. The same fire that the enemy meant for their ruin, God uses to make them complete and unshakable. To this God of all grace, Peter ascribes the glory and the dominion forever.

Salamu za MwishoFinal Greetings

Petro anamaliza kwa maneno ya upendo na ya kibinafsi. "Kwa mkono wa Silwano, ndugu mwaminifu, kama vile ninavyomwona, nimewaandikia kwa maneno machache...Kanisa lililoko Babeli, lililochaguliwa pamoja nanyi, lawasalimu; na Marko, mwanangu. Salimianeni kwa busu la upendo. Amani na iwe kwenu nyote mlio katika Kristo. Amina" (1 Petro 5:12-14). Anasema aliandika kwa mkono wa Silwano, akituma salamu kutoka kwa kanisa alipokuwa (analoliita Babeli) na kutoka kwa Marko, aliyempenda kama mwana. Anawaomba wasalimiane kwa busu la upendo, upendo wa joto wa familia ya Mungu. Na anaifunga barua yote kwa neno moja linalofaa kwa watu walio katika moto: amani — amani kwa wote walio katika Kristo Yesu. Mungu wa neema yote, Mchungaji Mkuu, na amani ya Kristo ndiyo maneno ya mwisho na bora zaidi ya barua hii kwa kanisa linaloteseka.Peter ends with warm and personal words. "By Silvanus, our faithful brother as I consider him, I have written to you briefly...She who is in Babylon, elect together with you, greets you; and so does Mark my son. Greet one another with a kiss of love. Peace to you all who are in Christ Jesus. Amen" (1 Peter 5:12-14). He wrote, he says, through the hand of Silvanus, sending greetings from the church where he was (which he calls Babylon) and from Mark, whom he loved as a son. He asks them to greet one another with the kiss of love, the warm affection of the family of God. And he closes the whole letter with a single, fitting word for people in the fire: peace — peace to all who are in Christ Jesus. The God of all grace, the Chief Shepherd, and the peace of Christ are the last and best words of this letter to a suffering church.

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