Isahluko 101

EBhetani, Endlwini KaSimon

AKUNDULUKA uYesu eYeriko, usinga eBhetani. Uhambo luthabatha phantse imini yonke, ekubeni ingummandla onyukayo oziikhilomitha ezili-19 ekunzima ukuhamba kuwo. IYeriko imalunga nama-250 eemitha ngaphantsi komphakamo wolwandle, yaye iBhetani ikwisithuba sama-760 eemitha ngaphezu komphakamo wolwandle. Usenokukhumbula ukuba iBhetani, likhaya likaLazaro noodade wabo. Le dolophana imalunga neekhilomitha ezintathu ukusuka eYerusalem, yaye imi kwithambeka elikwimpuma yeNtaba yemiNquma.

Abaninzi sele befikile eYerusalem ukuza ePasikeni. Bafike kwangaphambili ukuze bazihlambulule ukulungiselela imicimbi yonqulo. Mhlawumbi baye bachukumisa isidumbu okanye benza enye into ebenza bangacoceki. Ngoko ke balandela inkqubo emiselweyo ukuze bazihlambulule ukwenzela ukuba bakwazi ukubhiyozela iPasika ngendlela eyamkelekileyo. Njengokuba aba bafike kwangethuba behlanganisana etempileni, abaninzi bayazibuza enoba uYesu uza kuza ePasikeni kusini na.

IYerusalem isisazulu sempikiswano eshushu ngokumayela noYesu. Kuyinto eyazekayo ukuba iinkokeli zonqulo zifuna ukumbamba ukuze zimbulale. Enyanisweni, zinikele imiyalelo yokuba nabani na othe weva apho akhoyo, ufanele azixelele. Kwiinyanga zakutshanje kangangezihlandlo ezithathu—kuMthendeleko wemiNquba, kuMthendeleko Wokuhlaziywa kweTempile, nasemva kokuvusa kwakhe uLazaro—ezi nkokeli ziye zazama ukumbulala. Ngoko, abantu bayazibuza, ngaba uYesu uza kuphinda abonakale esidlangalaleni nangeli xesha? Babuzana besithi, “Nithini na?”

Ngeli thuba, uYesu ufika eBhetani iintsuku ezintandathu ngaphambi kwePasika, ebakho ngoNisan 14 ngokwekhalenda yamaYuda. UYesu ufika eBhetani ngaxa lithile ngoLwesihlanu emva kwemini, ekulithuba lokuqalisa kukaNisan 8. Wayengenako ukuthabatha uhambo oluya eBhetani ngoMgqibelo ngenxa yokuba ukuhamba ngeSabatha—ukususela ekutshoneni kwelanga ngoLwesihlanu ukusa ekutshoneni kwelanga ngoMgqibelo—akuvunyelwa ngumthetho wamaYuda. Kunokwenzeka ukuba uYesu uya kwikhaya likaLazaro, njengoko wenjenjalo ngaphambili, aze achithe ubusuku bangoLwesihlanu apho.

Noko ke, omnye ummi waseBhetani umema uYesu namaqabane akhe ukuza kufumana isidlo sangokuhlwa ngengokuhlwa yangoMgqibelo. Le ndoda nguSimon, owayesakuba neqhenqa, owathi ngaphambilana mhlawumbi waphiliswa nguYesu. Ngenxa yokukhuthala kwakhe, uMarta ulungiselela ezi ndwendwe. Kodwa njengesiqhelo, uMariya unikela ingqalelo kuYesu, ngeli thuba ngendlela ethi ivuse imbambano.

UMariya uvula ihlala okanye ingqayi encinane yelabhastile, ephethe malunga nesiqingatha sekhilogram yamafutha aqholiweyo, “enadusi engangxengwanga.” La mafutha anexabiso elikhulu. Eneneni, ixabiso lawo lilingana nomvuzo wonyaka! Xa uMariya egalela la mafutha phezu kwentloko kaYesu nasezinyaweni zakhe aze azosule iinyawo zikaYesu ngeenwele zakhe, ivumba elimnandi lizalisa indlu yonke.

Abafundi bayacaphuka baze babuze ukuba: “Yeyani na le nkcitho?” Wandula ke uYuda Sikariyoti athi: “Bekungani na ukuba la mafutha aqholiweyo angathengiswa ngeedenariyo ezimakhulu mathathu, kuphiwe amahlwempu?” Kodwa uYuda akaxhalabelanga mahlwempu ngokwenene, kuba ubeyiba imali ekwingxowa egcinwa ngabafundi.

UYesu uyamthethelela uMariya. Uyalela esithi: “Myekeni; nimaphulelani na? Usebenze umsebenzi omhle kum; kuba amahlwempu lawo nihleli ninawo, nize xa sukuba nithanda, nibe nako ukuwenzela okulungileyo; ke mna anihleli ninam. Yena ukwenzile abenako; uphange weza wawuthambisela ukungcwatywa umzimba wam. Inene ndithi kuni, Apho zithe zavakaliswa khona ezi ndaba zilungileyo kulo lonke ihlabathi, iya kuxelwa nayo le nto ayenzileyo yena, ibe sisikhumbuzo ngaye.”

UYesu ngoku ebeseBhetani ngaphezu kweeyure ezingama-24, yaye iindaba zokuba ukho ziyanwenwa. Ngenxa yoko, abaninzi beza kwaSimon ukuza kubona uYesu, kodwa beza ukuze babone noLazaro okwalapho naye. Ngoko ababingeleli abakhulu babhunga ukubulala kungekuphela nje uYesu koko kwanoLazaro. Oku kungenxa yokuba abantu abaninzi bayakholwa kuYesu kuba bebona ephilile lowo wayemvuse kwelabafileyo! Enyanisweni, hayi indlela ezingendawo ngayo ezi nkokeli zonqulo! Yohane 11:55–12:11; Mateyu 26:6-13; Marko 14:3-9; IZenzo 1:12.

▪ Yiyiphi ingxubusho eqhutyelwa etempileni eYerusalem, yaye ngoba?

▪ Kutheni uYesu emele ukuba wafika eBhetani ngoLwesihlanu kunangoMgqibelo?

▪ Xa uYesu efika eBhetani, ngokunokwenzeka uyichithela phi iSabatha?

▪ Yintoni eyenziwa nguMariya evusa imbambano, ibe uYesu umthethelela njani?

▪ Yintoni ebonisa ubungendawo obugqithiseleyo bababingeleli abakhulu?