Ubomi Nobulungiseleli BukaYesu

Kanye Kanye Ungubani UYesu?

XA IPHENYANE elikhwelise uYesu nabafundi bakhe lingena eBhetesayida, abantu bazisa indoda eyimfama kuye baze bambongoze ukuba ayichukumise ukuze ayiphilise. Eyibambe ngesandla uYesu le ndoda uyikhuphela ngaphandle komzi aze, emva kokutshica emehlweni ayo, ayibuze esithi: ‘Ubona ntoni na?’

Le ndoda iphendula isithi: “Ndiyababona abantu: kuba ndibanakana behamba, ngathi yimithi.” Ezibekile izandla zakhe emehlweni ale ndoda, uYesu uyayiphilisa ukuze ibone kakuhle. UYesu ke uyithumela endiwini yayo eyiyalela ukuba ingangeni esixekweni.

UYesu ngoku uyemka nabafundi bakhe baya kumzi waseKesareya kaFilipu, kanye kumantla ePalestina. 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 malunga neenyanga ezilithoba okanye ezilishumi kuphela ngaphambi kokuba afe, yaye uxhalabile ngenxa yabafundi bakhe. Abaninzi sebeyekile ukumlandela. Abanye kubonakala ukuba badidekile ibe badanile kuba engazange ayivumele imigudu yabantu yokumenza ukumkani nokuba engazange enze umqondiso ovela ezulwini ukungqina ukuba ungukumkani, xa iintshaba zakhe zathi zawufuna. Abafundi bakhe bakholelwa ukuba ungubani uYesu? 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 kwenkonzo yawo yokuthembeka yasemhiabeni. Emva koko uxelela uPetros esithi: “Ndiya kukunika izitshixo zobukumkani bamazulu.”

Ngaloo ndlela uYesu utyhila ukuba uPetros uza kufumana amalungelo akhethekileyo. Hayi, akuthiwa uPetros ungobalulekileyo phakathi kwabapostile, engenziwa nasiseko salo ibandla. UYesu ngokwakhe uluLwalwa eliya kwakhelwa phezu kwalo ibandla lakhe. Kodwa uPetros uza kunikwa izitshixo ezithathu, ngokungathi kunjalo, aza kuthi ngazo avulele ithuba lokuba iintlanga zabantu zingene kuBukumkani bamazulu.

UPetros wasisebenzisa isitshixo sokuqala ngePentekoste yowama-33 C.E. xa wabonisa amaYuda aguqukileyo oko ayemele akwenze ukuze asindiswe. Kungekudala emva koko wasebenzisa esesibini xa wathi wavulela amaSamariya akholwayo ithuba lokungena kuBukumkani bukaThixo. Kwathi ke, ngowama-36 C.E. wasebenzisa isitshixo sesithathu ngokuvulela iiNtlanga ezingolukanga, uKorneli nabahlobo bakhe, ithuba elifanayo.

UYesu uyaqhubeka nengxoxo yakhe nabapostile bakhe. Ubenza buhlungu ngokubaxelela ngobunzima nokufa aza kuthi kamsinya ajongane nako eYerusalem. Engayiqondanga into yokuba uYesu uza kuvuselwa kubomi basezulwini, uPetros umbizela bucala. Uthi kuye: “Makube camagu kuwe, Nkosi; oko akuyi kukha kubekho kuwe.” Emnikela umva ke 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 akuyi kuba yindlwan’ iyanetha ukuba ngumlandeli wakhe. Uthi kubo: “Osukuba ethanda ukundilandela, makazincame, awuthwale umnqamlezo wakhe, andilandele ke. Kuba othe wathanda ukuwusindisa umphefumlo wakhe, wolahlekelwa nguwo; ke yena othe wawulahla umphefumlo wakhe ngenxa yam, nangenxa yeendaba ezilungileyo ezi, wowusindisa.”

Ewe, abalandeli bakaYesu bamele bakhaliphe yaye bazinikele ngokupheleleyo ukuze akholiswe ngabo, njengoko esithi: “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 ezanikwa uPetros, yaye zasetyenziswa njani?

◆ UPetros wafumana siphi isiluleko, yaye ngoba?