Isahluko 59
Kanye Kanye Ungubani UYesu?
XA UMKHOMBE akhwele kuwo uYesu nabafundi bakhe ungena eBhetesayida, abantu bazisa kuye indoda eyimfama baze bambongoze ukuba ayichukumise ukuze ayiphilise. Eyibambe ngesandla uYesu le ndoda uyikhuphela ngaphandle komzi aze, emva kokutshicela emehlweni ayo, ayibuze esithi: ‘Ubona ntoni na?’
Le ndoda iphendula isithi: “Ndiyababona abantu; kuba ndibanakana behamba, ngathi yimithi.” Ezibekile izandla zakhe emehlweni ayo, uYesu uyayiphilisa ukuze ibone kakuhle. UYesu ke uyithumela endlwini yayo eyiyalela ukuba ingangeni esixekweni.
UYesu ngoku uyemka nabafundi bakhe baye kumzi waseKesareya kaFilipu, kwincam yomntla wePalestina. Le yindlela ende enyukayo, enokuba malunga nama-48 eekhilomitha ukuya kwindawo entle yaseKesareya kaFilipu, ekuphakama kungama-350 eemitha ngaphezu komgangatho wolwandle. Mhlawumbi olu hambo luthabatha iintsuku eziliqela.
Endleleni, uYesu uthi gu bucala yedwa ukuze athandaze. Kusele iinyanga ezimalunga nesithoba okanye neshumi kuphela ngaphambi kokuba afe, yaye uxhalabele abafundi bakhe. Abaninzi sebeyekile ukumlandela. Abanye kubonakala ukuba badidekile yaye badanile kuba wayichasayo imigudu yabantu yokumenza ukumkani nangenxa yokuba engazange enze mqondiso uvela ezulwini ukungqina ukuba ungukumkani, xa wacelw’ umngeni ziintshaba zakhe. Abafundi bakhe bakholelwa ukuba ungubani? Xa bewelela kwindawo athandaza kuyo, uYesu uyababuza esithi: “Izihlwele ezi zithi ndingubani na?”
Bamphendula besithi: “Inxenye ithi, unguYohane umbhaptizi; abanye bathi, unguEliya; bambi bathi, unguYeremiya, mhlawumbi ungomnye wakubaprofeti.” Ewe, bacinga ukuba uYesu uyenye yala madoda evuswe kwabafileyo!
UYesu uyababuza esithi: “Ke nina nithi ndingubani na?”
UPetros uphendula msinya esithi: “Wena unguye uKristu, unyana kaThixo ophilileyo.”
Emva kokubonisa ukuyamkela impendulo kaPetros, uYesu uthi: “Ndithi kuwe, UnguPetros wena; ndiya kulakhela phezu kolu lwalwa ibandla lam, namasango elabafileyo akayi kuloyisa.” Apha uYesu okwesihlandlo sokuqala uvakalisa ukuba uza kwakha ibandla yaye nokufa oku akusayi kuwagcina esebukhobokeni amalungu alo emva kwekhondo lawo lokuthembeka emhlabeni. Emva koko uxelela uPetros esithi: “Ndiya kukunika izitshixo zobukumkani bamazulu.”
Ngaloo ndlela uYesu utyhila ukuba uPetros uza kufumana amalungelo akhethekileyo. Hayi, akuthiwa uPetros ungoyena mkhulu phakathi kwabapostile, engenziwa nasiseko salo ibandla. UYesu ngokwakhe uluLwalwa eliza kwakhelwa phezu kwalo ibandla lakhe. Kodwa uPetros uza kunikwa izitshixo ezithathu, ngokungathi kunjalo, aza kuthi ngazo avulele ithuba lokuba amaqela abantu angene kuBukumkani bamazulu.
UPetros wayeza kusisebenzisa isitshixo sokuqala ngePentekoste yowama-33 C.E. ukuze abonise amaYuda aguqukileyo oko ayemele akwenze ukuze asindiswe. Kungekudala emva koko wayeza kusisebenzisa esesibini ukuze avulele amaSamariya akholwayo ithuba lokungena kuBukumkani bukaThixo. Emva koko, ngowama-36 C.E. wayeza kusebenzisa isitshixo sesithathu ngokuvulela iiNtlanga ezingalukanga, uKorneli nabahlobo bakhe, ithuba elifanayo.
UYesu uyaqhubeka nengxoxo yakhe nabapostile bakhe. Ubenza buhlungu ngokubaxelela ngobunzima nokufa aza kuthi kungekudala ajongane nako eYerusalem. Engayiqondanga into yokuba uYesu uza kuvuselwa kubomi basezulwini, uPetros ubizela bucala uYesu. Uthi, “Makube camagu kuwe, Nkosi; oko akuyi kukha kubekho kuwe.” Emnikela umva, uYesu uphendula esithi: “Suka uye emva kwam, Sathana, usisikhubekiso kum; ngokuba ungazinyamekeli ezikaThixo izinto, unyamekela ezabantu.”
Kucacile ukuba, ngaphandle kwabapostile kukho abanye abahamba kunye noYesu, ngoko uyababiza aze abacacisele ukuba ukuba ngumlandeli wakhe akuyi kuba yindlwan’ iyanetha. Uthi kubo: “Osukuba ethanda ukundilandela, makazincame, awuthwale [umthi wakhe wentuthumbo, NW] andilandele ke. Kuba othe wathanda ukuwusindisa umphefumlo wakhe, wolahlekelwa nguwo; ke yena othe wawulahla umphefumlo wakhe ngenxa yam, nangenxa yeendaba ezilungileyo ezi, wowusindisa.”
Ewe, ukuba babeya kungqineka bengabo bakholekileyo kuye, abalandeli bakaYesu babemele bakhaliphe yaye bazinikele ngokupheleleyo. Uthi: “Kuba othe waneentloni ngam nangamazwi am, kwesi sizukulwana sikrexezayo, sonayo, naye uNyana woMntu woba neentloni ngaye, xa athe weza esebuqaqawulini boYise, enezithunywa ezingcwele.” Marko 8:22-38; Mateyu 16:13-28; Luka 9:18-27.
▪ Kutheni uYesu ebaxhalabele nje abafundi bakhe?
▪ Abantu bacinga ukuba ungubani uYesu?
▪ Ziziphi izitshixo ezinikwa uPetros, yaye ziza kusetyenziswa njani?
▪ UPetros ulungiswa entwenini, yaye ngoba?