Kungani UJesu Engazange Aphuthume Ayosiza ULazaru?

UJESU wezwa ukuthi umngane wakhe omkhulu, uLazaru, ubangwa nezibi. Lezi zindaba wazizwa ngesithunywa esasithunywe uMariya noMarta sisuka eBhethaniya lapho uLazaru nodadewabo babehlala khona. Laba besifazane ababili babekholelwa ukuthi uJesu angamphulukisa umfowabo, ngisho noma babehlala ngalé koMfula iJordani. Babazi ukuthi kunabantu abahlala kude ayeke wabaphulukisa.—Mathewu 8:5-13; Johane 11:1-3.

Lapho isithunywa sifika kuJesu simtshela lezi zindaba ezibuhlungu, uJesu akenzanga lutho. IBhayibheli lithi: “Wabe esehlala izinsuku ezimbili endaweni ayekuyo.” (Johane 11:6) Ingabe uyazi ukuthi kungani uJesu engaphuthumanga ukuyosiza uLazaru?—a Ake sixoxe ngalokhu.

UJesu wazi ukuthi ukugula kumehlulile uLazaru, ngakho watshela abaphostoli bakhe: “Masingene eJudiya futhi.” Abaphostoli benqaba: “Muva nje abaseJudiya bebefuna ukukukhanda ngamatshe, kodwa uya khona futhi?” UJesu wachaza: “ULazaru umngane wethu uye kophumula, kodwa ngiya khona ukuze ngimvuse ebuthongweni.”

Abaphostoli baphendula: “Nkosi, uma eye kophumula, uzophila.” UJesu waqhubeka wabachazela: “ULazaru ufile.” Ngemva kwalokho, washo into okumelwe ukuba yabamangaza: “Ngiyajabula ngenxa yenu ngokuthi bengingekho, . . . Kodwa masiye kuye.”

Ngesibindi, uTomase wathi: “Masihambe nathi, ukuze sife kanye naye.” UTomase wayazi ukuthi izitha zizophinde zizame ukubulala uJesu nokuthi nabo bangase babulawe. Noma kunjalo, bonke bahamba. Cishe ngemva kwezinsuku ezimbili bafika eBhethaniya kubo kaLazaru. Le ndawo yayingamakhilomitha amathathu ukusuka eJerusalema.—Johane 11:7-18.

Uyazi yini ukuthi kungani uJesu ajabula ngokuthi akayanga masinyane?— UJesu wayeseke wabavusa abantu ngaphambili, kodwa babenamahora ambalwa befile. (Luka 7:11-17, 22; 8:49-56) Kodwa kwase kuyizinsukwana uLazaru angcwatshwa. Akekho owayengabaza ukuthi ngempela wayefile!

Lapho udadewabo kaLazaru, uMarta, ezwa ukuthi uJesu usezofika eBhethaniya, wahamba wayomhlangabeza. Wathi: “Nkosi, ukube ubulapha umfowethu ngabe akafanga.” UJesu wamqinisekisa: “Umfowenu uzovuka.” UMarta wabuyela emuva futhi watshela uMariya ngasese: “UMfundisi ukhona futhi uyakubiza.”

Ngokushesha uMariya waya kuJesu. Nokho, isixuku sacabanga ukuthi wayeya ethuneni, ngakho samlandela. Lapho uJesu ebona uMariya nesixuku bekhala, naye wakhala “izinyembezi.” Bafika ethuneni elivalwe ngetshe elikhulu. UJesu wayala: “Susani itshe.” Kodwa uMarta akahambisananga nalokho. Wathi: “Nkosi, ngalesi sikhathi kumelwe ukuba useyanuka, ngoba sekuyizinsuku ezine.”

Abantu balalela uJesu basusa itshe. Wabe esethandaza wabonga uNkulunkulu kusengaphambili ngamandla okuvusa uLazaru ayazi ukuthi uzomnika wona. Wabe esememeza “ngezwi elikhulu: ‘Lazaru, phuma!’” ULazaru waphuma, ‘eboshwe ngokokusonga.’ Ngakho, uJesu wayala: “Mthukululeni nimyeke ahambe.”—Johane 11:19-44.

Usuyabona yini manje ukuthi kungani uJesu engazange aphuthumele eBhethaniya?— Wayazi ukuthi ngokulinda wayenganikeza ubufakazi obungcono ngoYise, uJehova. Ngokukhetha isikhathi esihle kakhulu, abaningi baba nokholo kuNkulunkulu. (Johane 11:45) Yisiphi isibonelo esingasifunda kuJesu?—

Nawe ungakwazi ukukhetha isikhathi esihle kakhulu sokutshela abanye ngezinto ezinhle uNkulunkulu azenzile nasazozenza. Mhlawumbe ungaxoxela ofunda nabo noma othisha bakho ngazo. Ngisho nasemakilasini, enye intsha iye yakwazi ukusebenzisa amathuba avelayo ukuze ikhulume ngezibusiso ezinkulu uMbuso kaNkulunkulu ozozilethela abantu. Yiqiniso, ngeke ukwazi ukuvusa abafileyo, kodwa ungakwazi ukusiza abanye ukuba bazi uNkulunkulu onamandla okuvusa abantu abafileyo esibathandayo nozobavusa.