Isahluko 90
Ithemba Lovuko
EKUGCINENI uJesu ufika emaphandleni aseBethaniya, okuwumuzi ocishe ube ngamakhilomitha amathathu ukusuka eJerusalema. Sekuyizinsukwana uLazaru efile futhi wangcwatshwa. Odadewabo uMariya noMarta basalila, futhi kuye kwafika abaningi ekhaya labo bezobaduduza.
Lapho besalila, othile utshela uMarta ukuthi uJesu uyeza. Ngakho uyahamba uphuthumela ukuyomhlangabeza, ngokusobala engamtshelanga udadewabo. Lapho efika kuJesu, uMarta uphinda lokho yena nodadewabo okumelwe ukuba bakusho izikhathi eziningi phakathi nezinsuku ezine ezidlule: “Uma ubukhona, umnewethu nga engafanga.”
Nokho, uMarta uzwakalisa ukuba nethemba, esikisela ukuthi uJesu usengamenzela okuthile umfowabo. “Ngiyazi nakalokhu ukuthi nokuba yini ongakucela kuNkulunkulu, uNkulunkulu uzakukunika khona,” esho.
“Umnewenu uzakuvuka,” kuthembisa uJesu.
UMarta uqonda uJesu njengokhuluma ngovuko lwesikhathi esizayo lwasemhlabeni, uAbrahama nezinye izinceku zikaNkulunkulu ababheka phambili kulo. Ngakho uyaphendula: “Ngiyazi ukuthi uyakuvuka ekuvukeni ngosuku lokugcina.”
Nokho, uJesu unikeza ithemba lokukhululeka okuseduze, ephendula: “Mina ngingukuvuka nokuphila.” Ukhumbuza uMarta ukuthi uNkulunkulu umnike amandla okunqoba ukufa, ethi: “Okholwa yimi, noma efa, wophila. Nalowo ophila, akholwe yimi, kasoze afa naphakade.”
UJesu akasikiseli kuMarta ukuthi abathembekile ababephila ngalesosikhathi abasoze bafa. Cha, kodwa iphuzu alivezayo liwukuthi ukuba nokholo kuye kungaholela ekuphileni okuphakade. Ukuphila okunjalo kuyojatshulelwa abantu abaningi ngenxa yokuba kwabo abavusiwe ngosuku lokugcina. Kodwa abanye abathembekile bayosinda ekupheleni kwalesimiso sezinto emhlabeni, futhi ngalaba amazwi kaJesu ayoba yiqiniso ngomqondo ongokoqobo ngempela. Abasoze bafa ngokuphelele! Ngemva kwalenkulumo ephawulekayo, uJesu ubuza uMarta, “Uyakholwa yilokho na?”
“Yebo, Nkosi,” ephendula. “Ngiyakholwa ukuthi wena unguKristu, iNdodana kaNkulunkulu, obezakuza ezweni.”
UMarta ube esephuthuma emuva ayobiza udadewabo, emtshela ngasese: “Umfundisi ukhona, uyakubiza.” Ngokushesha uMariya uyaphuma endlini. Lapho abanye bembona ehamba, bayalandela, bethatha ngokuthi uya ethuneni.
Lapho efika kuJesu, uMariya uwa ezinyaweni zakhe ekhala. “Nkosi, uma ubukhona, umnewethu nga engafanga,” esho. UJesu uthinteka kakhulu lapho ebona ukuthi uMariya nezixuku zabantu abamlandelayo bayakhala. “Nimbekephi na?” ebuza.
“Nkosi, woza ubone,” bephendula.
UJesu naye uyakhala, ebangela amaJuda ukuba athi: “Bheka, ukumthanda kwakhe okungaka.”
Abanye bayakhumbula ukuthi uJesu, ngesikhathi soMkhosi Wamadokodo ezinyangeni ezimbalwa ngaphambili, wayephulukise insizwa eyayizelwe iyimpumputhe, futhi bayabuza: “Lo owavula amehlo empumputhe wayengekwenze yini ukuba yena lo angafi na?” Johane 5:21; 6:40; 9:1-7; 11:17-37.
▪ UJesu ufika nini ekugcineni ngaseBethaniya, futhi siyini isimo lapho?
▪ Yisiphi isisekelo uMarta anaso sokukholelwa ovukweni?
▪ UJesu uthinteka kanjani ngokufa kukaLazaru?