Isahluko 42
UJesu Ukhuza AbaFarisi
UMA kungamandla kaSathane akhipha ngawo amademoni, uJesu uthi, khona-ke uSathane uhlukene yedwa. “Yenzani umuthi ube-muhle, nesithelo sawo sibe-sihle,” uyaqhubeka, “noma nenze umuthi ube-mubi, nesithelo sawo sibe-sibi; ngokuba umuthi waziwa ngesithelo sawo.”
Kuwubuwula ukumangalela ngokuthi isithelo esihle sokukhipha amademoni siwumphumela wokukhonza kukaJesu uSathane. Uma isithelo sisihle, umuthi akunakwenzeka ukuthi ubolile. Ngakolunye uhlangothi, isithelo esibolile sabaFarisi sokumangalela okungenangqondo nokuphikisa uJesu ngokungenasisekelo siwubufakazi bokuthi bona ngokwabo babolile. “Nzalo yezinyoka,” kusho uJesu, “ningakhuluma kanjani okuhle nibabi na? Ngokuba umlomo ukhuluma ngokuchichima kwenhliziyo.”
Njengoba amazwi ethu ebonakalisa isimo sezinhliziyo zethu, lokho esikushoyo kuba isisekelo sokwahlulelwa. “Kepha ngithi kini,” kusho uJesu, “amazwi onke ayize abawakhulumayo abantu bayakuzilanda ngawo ngosuku lokwahlulelwa. Ngokuba ngamazwi akho uyakuthethwa, nangamazwi akho uyakulahlwa.”
Naphezu kwayo yonke imisebenzi kaJesu yamandla, ababhali nabaFarisi bayacela: “Mfundisi, sithanda ukubona isibonakaliso esenziwa nguwe.” Nakuba kungenzeka ukuthi lamadoda avela eJerusalema awakaze azibonele ngawawo izimangaliso zakhe, kunobufakazi bokuzibonela obungenakuphikiswa ngokuphathelene nazo. Ngakho uJesu utshela labaholi abangamaJuda: “Isizukulwane esibi nesiphingayo sifuna isibonakaliso; kepha asiyikunikwa-sibonakaliso, kuphela isibonakaliso sikaJona umprofethi.”
Echaza ukuthi usho ukuthini, uJesu uyaqhubeka: “Njengalokho uJona wayesesiswini somkhomo izinsuku ezintathu nobusuku obuthathu, kanjalo-ke neNdodana yomuntu iyakuba-sebuthunjini bomhlaba izinsuku ezintathu nobusuku obuthathu.” Ngemva kokugwinywa inhlanzi, uJona waphuma njengokungathi uvusiwe, ngakho uJesu ubikezela ukuthi uyokufa futhi ngosuku lwesithathu avuselwe ekuphileni. Nokho abaholi abangamaJuda, ngisho nalapho kamuva uJesu esevusiwe, bayasenqaba “isibonakaliso sikaJona.”
Ngakho-ke uJesu uthi amadoda aseNineve aphenduka ngokushumayela kukaJona ayokuma ekwahlulelweni ukuze alahle amaJuda enqaba uJesu. Ngokufanayo, wenza ukuqhathanisa nenkosikazi yaseSheba, eyavela emikhawulweni yomhlaba izokuzwa ukuhlakanipha kukaSolomoni futhi yamangala ngalokho eyakuzwa neyakubona. “Bhekani,” kuphawula uJesu, “lapha kukhona okukhulu kunoSolomoni.”
UJesu ube esenikeza umfanekiso womuntu okuphuma kuye umoya ongcolile. Nokho, lomuntu akasigcwalisi lesosikhala ngezinto ezinhle, kanjalo ungenwa eminye imimoya emibi eyisikhombisa. “Kuyakuba-njalo nakulesisizukulwane esibi,” kusho uJesu. Isizwe samaIsrayeli siye sahlanzwa futhi saba nezinguquko—njengokuhamba kwesikhashana komoya ongcolile. Kodwa ukwenqaba kwalesizwe abaprofethi bakaNkulunkulu, okufinyelela umvuthwandaba ekuphikiseni kwaso uKristu ngokwakhe, kubonakalisa isimo saso sisibi kakhulu kunokuqala kwaso.
Lapho uJesu esakhuluma, kufika unina nabafowabo futhi bama ngemva kwesixuku. Ngakho omunye uthi: “Bheka, unyoko nabafowenu bemi ngaphandle befuna ukukhuluma nawe.”
“Ngubani umame, nabafowethu ngobani na?” kubuza uJesu. Elulela isandla sakhe kubafundi bakhe, uthi: “Bhekani nangu umame nabafowethu. Ngokuba yilowo nalowo owenza intando kaBaba osezulwini nguye ongumfowethu nodadewethu nomame.” Ngalendlela uJesu ubonisa ukuthi kungakhathaliseki ukuthi ziyigugu kangakanani izibopho ezimhlanganisa nezihlobo zakhe, ubuhlobo bakhe nabafundi bakhe buyigugu kakhulu. Mathewu 12:33-50; Marku 3:31-35; Luka 8:19-21.
▪ AbaFarisi bahluleka kanjani ukwenza kokubili “umuthi” “nesithelo” sawo kube kuhle?
▪ Siyini “isibonakaliso sikaJona,” futhi senqatshwa kanjani kamuva?
▪ Isizwe samaIsrayeli sekhulu lokuqala leminyaka sifana kanjani nomuntu okwaphuma kuye umoya ongcolile?
▪ UJesu ubugcizelela kanjani ubuhlobo bakhe obuseduze nabafundi bakhe?