U-Elizabethi Uba Lomntwana

UZakhariya lomkakhe u-Elizabethi babehlala eduze leJerusalema. Baphila sekudlule iminyaka edlula 400 imiduli yedolobho lelo yakhiwe kutsha. Basebeleminyaka eminengi betshadile kodwa bengelabantwana. Ngelinye ilanga uZakhariya wathi etshisa impepha ethempelini kwathutsha ingilosi uGabriyeli. UZakhariya wethuka kodwa uGabriyeli wathi kuye: ‘Ungesabi Zakhariya. Ngikuphathele izindaba ezinhle ezivela kuJehova. Umkakho u-Elizabethi uzakuba lomntwana futhi kumele umnike ibizo elithi Johane. UJehova ukhethe uJohane ukuthi enze umsebenzi oqakathekileyo.’ UZakhariya wathi: ‘Kunzima ukuthi ngikukholwe ngoba mina lomkami sesiluphele.’ UGabriyeli wathi: ‘Ngithunywe nguNkulunkulu ukuthi ngizokutshela lokhu kodwa wena kawungikholwa. Uzakuba yisimungulu umntwana aze abelethwe.’

UZakhariya wathatha isikhathi eside esethempelini. Wathi ephuma wafica abantu bemelele befuna ukwazi ukuthi kwakuhambe njani. Kodwa uZakhariya wayengasakhulumi. Wayesekhuluma ngezandla. Abantu bahle bananzelela ukuthi wayethole umlayezo ovela kuNkulunkulu.

Ngokuhamba kwesikhathi u-Elizabethi waba lomntwana njengoba ingilosi yayitshilo. Izihlobo labangane bakhe beza ukuzobona umntwana. Babethabile sibili. U-Elizabethi wathi: ‘Ibizo lakhe nguJohane.’ Bona bathi: ‘Kodwa emulini yenu akulamuntu olebizo elinjalo. Kungcono umnike ibizo likayise elithi Zakhariya.’ Kodwa uZakhariya wabhala phansi wathi: ‘Ibizo lakhe nguJohane.’ UZakhariya wahle waqalisa ukukhuluma. Abantu abanengi bezwa ngokuzalwa kukaJohane njalo babezibuza besithi: ‘Umntwana lo uzakuba yini angakhula?’

UZakhariya waba lomoya ongcwele wasephrofetha wathi: ‘Kadunyiswe uJehova. Wathembisa u-Abrahama ukuthi uzathumela uMesiya azosikhulula. UJohane uzakuba ngumphrofethi futhi uzalungisela uMesiya indlela.’

Kwenzakala into efananayo esihlotsheni sika-Elizabethi okuthiwa nguMariya. Sizafunda ngakho esifundweni esilandelayo.