Isahluko 3
Ukuzalwa Komlungiseleli Wendlela
UELISABETHE cishe usekulungele ukuthola umntwana wakhe. Kulezinyanga ezintathu ezidlule, uMariya ubehlala naye. Kodwa manje sekuyisikhathi sokuba uMariya avalelise futhi athathe uhambo olude lokubuyela ekhaya eNazaretha. Cishe ezinyangeni eziyisithupha naye uzoba nomntwana.
Ngokushesha ngemva kokuhamba kukaMariya, uElisabethe uyabeletha. Yeka injabulo okuyiyo lapho ukubeletha kuphumelela futhi uElisabethe nomntwana bephile kahle! Lapho uElisabethe ebonisa omakhelwane bakhe nezihlobo umntwana, bonke bajabula naye.
Ngosuku lwesishiyagalombili ngemva kokuzalwa komntwana, ngokoMthetho kaNkulunkulu, umntwana womfana kwaIsrayeli kumelwe asokwe. Ukuze babe kulesenzakalo abangane nezihlobo bayavakasha. Bathi umfana kumelwe ethiwe ngegama likayise, uZakariya. Kodwa uElisabethe uyamemeza. “Qhabo,” esho, “uzakuthiwa uJohane.” Khumbula, lelo yigama ingelosi uGabriyeli eyathi umntwana kumelwe ethiwe ngalo.
Nokho, abangane babo bayaphikisa: “Akakho noyedwa emndenini wakini obizwa ngalelogama.” Khona-ke, bekhuluma ngezandla, babuza uyise ukuthi ufuna ukumetha kanjani umfana. Okubamangaza bonke ukuthi, ecela isileti, uZakariya uyabhala: “NguJohane igama lakhe.”
Ngaso lesosikhathi, ukukhuluma kukaZakariya kubuyela kuye ngokuyisimangaliso. Uzokhumbula ukuthi walahlekelwa ukukwazi ukukhuluma lapho engakholelwa isimemezelo sengelosi sokuthi uElisabethe wayezoba nomntwana. Nokho, lapho uZakariya ekhuluma, bonke abahlala kulendawo bayamangala futhi bathi phakathi kwabo: “Kodwa lomntwana uyakuba-yini na?”
Manje uZakariya ugcwala umoya ongcwele, futhi ujabula kakhulu: “Mayibongwe iNkosi, uNkulunkulu kaIsrayeli, ngokuba ibahambele abantu bayo, yabenzela inkululeko. Yasivusela uphondo lwensindiso endlini kaDavide inceku yayo.” Yebo, ‘loluphondo lwensindiso’ luyiNkosi uJesu, esazozalwa. Ngaye, uZakariya uthi, uNkulunkulu ‘uyosinika ukuba sithi sikhululiwe esandleni sezitha zethu, siyikhonze singenakwesaba ngobungcwele nangokulunga phambi kwayo zonke izinsuku zethu.’
Khona-ke uZakariya uyabikezela ngokuqondene nendodana yakhe, uJohane: “Nawe-ke mntwana, uyakuthiwa umprofethi woPhezukonke, ngokuba uyakuhamba phambi kweNkosi ukulungisa izindlela zayo ukunika abantu bayo ukuyazi insindiso ngokuthethelelwa kwezono zabo, ngemisesane yesihawu sikaNkulunkulu wethu esizakuhanjelwa ngayo ngukusa kwaphezulu, ukubakhanyisela abahlezi ebumnyameni nasethunzini lokufa nokuqondisa izinyawo zethu endleleni yokuthula.”
Ngalesikhathi uMariya, ngokusobala osengowesifazane ongakashadi, usefikile ekhaya eNazaretha. Yini ezokwenzeka kuye lapho kuba sobala ukuthi ukhulelwe? Luka 1:56-80; Levitikusi 12:2, 3.
▪ Mdala kangakanani uJohane kuJesu?
▪ Iziphi izinto ezenzekayo lapho uJohane enezinsuku eziyisishiyagalombili ubudala?
▪ UNkulunkulu uye wakuphendulela kanjani ukunakekela kwakhe kubantu bakhe?
▪ Yimuphi umsebenzi okubikezelwa ukuthi uJohane uzowenza?