Isahluko 101

EBethaniya, Endlini KaSimoni

LAPHO uJesu ephuma eJeriko, ulibangisa eBethaniya. Loluhambo luthatha ingxenye enkulu yosuku, njengoba lwenyuka endaweni embi engamakhilomitha angu-19. IJeriko iyindawo ecishe yehle ngamamitha angu-250 kusuka ogwini lolwandle, kanti iBethaniya iphakeme ngamamitha angu-760 kusuka ogwini lolwandle. Ungase ukhumbule ukuthi iBethaniya iyikhaya likaLazaru nodadewabo. Lomuzana uqhele cishe ngamakhilomitha amathathu ukusuka eJerusalema, njengoba usemthambekeni ongasempumalanga weNtaba yemiNqumo.

Abaningi sebefikile kakade eJerusalema bezogubha iPhasika. Bafike kusenesikhathi ukuze bazihlambulule ngokomthetho. Mhlawumbe baye bathinta isidumbu noma benza okunye okubenza babe abangcolile. Ngakho balandela imicikilisho yokuzihlambulula ukuze bagubhe iPhasika ngendlela eyamukelekayo. Njengoba laba abafike kusenesikhathi behlangana ethempelini, abaningi bayazibuza ukuthi kazi uJesu uzofika yini ePhasikeni.

IJerusalema seligcwele impikiswano ngoJesu. Cishe bonke bayazi ukuthi abaholi benkolo bafuna ukumbamba bambulale. Eqinisweni, banikeze iziyalezo zokuthi uma kukhona ongase azi ukuthi ukuphi, kumelwe abike kubo. Kathathu ezinyangeni zamuva—eMkhosini Wamadokodo, eMkhosini Wokuhlanjululwa Kwethempeli, nangemva kokuba evuse uLazaru—labaholi baye bazama ukumbulala. Ngakho, abantu bayazibuza, kazi uJesu uzoziveza yini obala nakulokhu? “Nithini na?” bebuzana.

Kusenjalo, uJesu ufika eBethaniya izinsuku eziyisithupha ngaphambi kwePhasika, elingoNisan 14 ngokwekhalenda lamaJuda. UJesu ufinyelela eBethaniya cishe ngoLwesihlanu kusihlwa, olusekuqaleni kukaNisan 8. Wayengenakuluthatha loluhambo lokuya eBethaniya ngoMgqibelo ngoba ukuhamba ngeSabatha—kusukela ekushoneni kwelanga ngoLwesihlanu kuya ekushoneni kwelanga ngoMgqibelo—kuyenqatshelwa umthetho wamaJuda. Cishe uJesu uya kubo kaLazaru, njengoba eye wenza ngaphambili, futhi uhlala lapho ubusuku bangoLwesihlanu.

Nokho, esinye isakhamuzi saseBethaniya simemela uJesu nabangane bakhe ekudleni ngoMgqibelo kusihlwa. Lendoda inguSimoni, owayekade enochoko, lowo mhlawumbe owayephulukiswe uJesu ngaphambili. Ngokuvumelana nobuntu bakhe bokukhuthala, uMarta ukhonza izivakashi. Kodwa, njengenhlala-yenza, uMariya unake uJesu, kulokhu ngendlela evusa impikiswano.

UMariya uvula umfuma wamafutha wealabaste, noma ifulaski encane, ephatha cishe ingxenye yekhilogremu yamafutha anamakha, “enadi [yoqobo, NW].” Lamafutha ayigugu kakhulu. Eqinisweni, inani lawo lilingana cishe nomholo wonyaka! Lapho uMariya ethela lamafutha ekhanda likaJesu nasezinyaweni zakhe futhi esula izinyawo zikaJesu ngezinwele zakhe, leliphunga elimnandi ligcwala indlu yonke.

Abafundi bathukuthele futhi bayabuza: “Kwenzelwani lokhokuchitha na?” Khona-ke uJuda Iskariyothe uthi: “Yini ukuba lawamafutha engathengiswanga ngawodenariyu abangamakhulu amathathu, kwaphiwa abampofu, na?” Kodwa akukhona ngempela ukuthi uJuda uyabakhathalela abampofu, ngoba ubelokhu eba esikhwameni semali esigcinwa abafundi.

UJesu uvikela uMariya. “Myekeni,” eyala. “Nimhluphelani na? Usebenzile umsebenzi omuhle kimi. Ngokuba abampofu ninabo njalo; nanini, uma nithanda, ningabenzela okuhle; kepha mina aninami njalo. Wenzile abengakwenza; wandulele ukuwugcobela umzimba wami ukumbelwa. Ngiqinisile ngithi kini: Nomaphi lapho liyakushunyayelwa khona ivangeli ezweni lonke, kuyakukhulunywa nangalokho akwenzileyo, kube-yisikhumbuzo ngaye.”

Manje sekuyisikhathi esingaphezu kwamahora angu-24 uJesu eseBethaniya, futhi izwi lokuthi ukhona selisakazekile. Ngakho-ke, abaningi beza endlini kaSimoni ukuze babone uJesu, kodwa futhi bazobona noLazaru, naye okhona. Ngakho abapristi abakhulu bathatha iseluleko sokungabulali uJesu kuphela kodwa noLazaru. Lokhu kungenxa yokuthi abantu abaningi bakholelwa kuJesu ngoba bembona ephila lowo amvuse kwabafileyo! Ngempela, yeka ukuthi labaholi benkolo bakhohlakele kanjani! Johane 11:55–12:11; Mathewu 26:6-13; Marku 14:3-9; IzEnzo 1:12.

▪ Iyiphi ingxoxo eqhubekayo ethempelini eJerusalema, futhi ngani?

▪ Kungani kumelwe ukuba uJesu ufike eBethaniya ngoLwesihlanu kunokuba afike ngoMgqibelo?

▪ Lapho uJesu efika eBethaniya, cishe ukuphi ngeSabatha?

▪ Isiphi isenzo sikaMariya esivusa impikiswano, futhi uJesu umvikela kanjani?

▪ Yini ebonisa ukukhohlakala okukhulu kwabapristi abakhulu?