Imibuzo Evela Ebafundini

Ngemva kokubelethwa kwakaJesu, kubayini uJosefa noMariya bahlala eBhetlehema konokobana babuyele eNazaretha?

IBhayibheli alitjho. Kodwana liveza imininingwana ehlathulula ukuthi kubayini bakhetha ukubuyela eNazaretha.

Ingilozi yatjela uMariya bona uzokuba sidisi. Lokha ingilozi nayiletha umlayezo lo, uMariya noJosefa bebahlala eNazaretha, idorobho leGalile lapho uJosefa abelethelwa khona. (Luk. 1:26-31; 2:4) Ngokukhamba kwesikhathi nababuya eGibhide babuyela eNazaretha. UJesu wakhulela lapho waba mNazaretha. (Mat. 2:19-23) Kungebangelo sicabanga ngeNazaretha nakukhulunywa ngoJesu, uJosefa noMariya.

UMariya bekanesihlobo esingu-Elisabethi, obekahlala kwaJuda. U-Elisabethi bekamfazi womphristi uZakariya begodu waba ngunina lakaJwanisi uMbhabhadisi. (Luk. 1:5, 9, 13, 36) UMariya wavakatjhela u-Elisabethi wahlala naye iinyanga ezintathu kwaJuda. Ngemva kwalokho uMariya wabuyela eNazaretha. (Luk. 1:39, 40, 56) Kungebangelo uMariya bekayijayele indawo yakwaJuda.

Ngokukhamba kwesikhathi uJosefa walalela umyalo wokuthi “bayokutloliswa.” Nje-ke uJosefa waya eNazaretha asuka eBhetlehema, ‘ebeyilidorobho uDavida abelethelwa kilo’ begodu yindawo okwaphorofidwa ukuthi uMesiya uzokubelethelwa kiyo. (Luk. 2:3, 4; 1 Sam. 17:15; 20:6; Mik. 5:2) Ngemva kokobana uMariya abelethele uJesu lapho, uJosefa akhenge alindele bona uMariya athathe ikhambo elide lokubuyela eNazaretha nesana. Bahlala eBhetlehema ebelimakhilomitha alithoba ukusuka eJerusalema. Lokhu bekuzokwenza kube bulula ngabo ukuthatha isana labo balise ethempelini benze umnikelo ebewufunwa mThetho.—Lev. 12:2, 6-8; Luk. 2:22-24.

Ingilozi kaZimu yatjela uMariya phambilini ukuthi indodanakhe izokufumana “isihlalo sobukhosi sakaDavida” begodu ‘izokuba yiKosi.’ Kungenzeka uJosefa noMariya bakubona kuqakathekile bona uJesu abelethelwe edorobheni uDavida abelethelwa kilo. (Luk. 1:32, 33; 2:11, 17) Kungenzeka bebacabanga ukuthi kukuhlakanipha bona bahlale lapho balindele bekube kulapho bafumana ukuthi khuyini uZimu afuna bayenze ngokulandelako.

Asazi ukuthi besele banesikhathi esingangani eBhetlehema nakuzakufika amadoda athukula ngeenkwekwezi. Nanyana kunjalo, ngesikhatheso umndeni bewuhlala ngendlini begodu indodanabo ‘beyimntwana,’ ingasi isana. (Mat. 2:11) Kubonakala ngasuthi kunokobana babuyele eNazaretha, bahlala eBhetlehema isikhathi eside balenza laba likhaya labo.

UHerode wakhupha umyalo wokobana kubulawe “boke abantwana babesana eBhetlehema . . . kusukela kwabaneminyaka emibili ukuya phasi.” (Mat. 2:16) Ingilozi yayelelisa uJosefa ngalokho begodu uJosefa wathatha uMariya noJesu babalekela eGibhide, bahlala lapho bekwahlongakala uHerode. Ngokukhamba kwesikhathi uJosefa wathatha umndenakhe waya eNazaretha. Kubayini bangakhenge babuyele eBhetlehema? Ngombana ngesikhatheso indodana kaHerode u-Arikhilawosi obekanehliziyo embi bekabusa eGibhide begodu ngokuvumelana nesiyeleliso esivela kuZimu. INazaretha bekuyindawo ephephileko abangakhulisela kiyo uJesu bona alotjhe uZimu.—Mat. 2:19-22; 13:55; Luk. 2:39, 52.

Kungenzeka uJosefa wahlongakala ngaphambi kobana uJesu ahlongakale enze kukghoneke ngabanye ukuthi baye ezulwini. UJosefa uzokuvuselwa ephasini. Abanengi bazokuhlangana naye bafumane imininingwana eminengi kuye njengokuthi kubayini yena noMariya bahlala eBhetlehema ngemva kokubelethwa kwakaJesu.