Isahluko 105

Ukuqala Kosuku Olubucayi

LAPHO uJesu ephuma eJerusalema ngoMsombuluko kusihlwa, uphindela eBethaniya emthambekeni ongasempumalanga weNtaba yemiNqumo. Sekuphele izinsuku ezimbili zenkonzo yakhe yokugcina eJerusalema. Akungabazeki ukuthi uJesu uphinde achithe ubusuku enomngane wakhe uLazaru. Kusukela efikile evela eJeriko ngoLwesihlanu, lobu ubusuku bakhe besine eseBethaniya.

Manje, ngoLwesibili ekuseni, ngoNisan 11, yena nabafundi bakhe basendleleni futhi. Lolu luba usuku olubucayi lwenkonzo kaJesu, olumatasa kunazo zonke kuze kube manje. Usuku lokugcina ebonakala ethempelini. Futhi usuku lokugcina lwenkonzo yakhe yasobala ngaphambi kokuvivinywa nokubulawa kwakhe.

UJesu nabafundi bakhe bathatha indlela efanayo phezu kweNtaba yemiNqumo belibangise eJerusalema. Ngakuleyondlela esuka eBethaniya, uPetru ubona umuthi oqalekiswe uJesu ngosuku olwandulelayo ekuseni. “Rabi, bheka,” ebabaza, “umkhiwane owuqalekisileyo ubunile.”

Kodwa kungani uJesu abulala lomuthi? Uyabonisa ukuthi kungani lapho eqhubeka ethi: “Ngiqinisile ngithi kini: Uma ninokukholwa, ningangabazi, aniyikwenza okomkhiwane kuphela, kodwa noma nithi kulentaba [iNtaba yemiNqumo abami kuyo]: Nqukuleka, uphonseke elwandle, kuyakwenzeka; nakho konke eningakucela ngokukhuleka nikholwa niyakukwamukeliswa.”

Ngakho ngokubunisa umuthi, uJesu unikeza abafundi bakhe isifundo ngesibonelo esiphilayo sokudinga kwabo ukuba nokholo kuNkulunkulu. Njengoba esho: “Konke enikukhulekelayo nenikucelayo, kholwani ukuthi nikwamukele, nizakuba-nakho.” Yeka isifundo esibalulekile abangasifunda, ikakhulukazi uma kubhekwa izilingo ezisabisayo ezizobehlela ngokushesha! Nokho, kunokunye ukuhlangana phakathi kokubuna komkhiwane nezinga lokholo.

Isizwe sakwaIsrayeli, njengalomkhiwane, sinokubukeka okukhohlisayo. Nakuba lesizwe sisebuhlotsheni besivumelwano noNkulunkulu futhi ngaphandle singase sibonakale silalela imiyalo yakhe, siye sazibonakalisa singenalukholo, singenazo izithelo ezinhle. Ngenxa yokuntula ukholo, sisenqubweni yokwenqaba ngisho neNdodana kaNkulunkulu siqu! Ngakho-ke, ngokubunisa umkhiwane ongatheli, uJesu ubonisa ngokucacile ukuthi uyoba yini umphumela walesizwe esingenazithelo, esingenalukholo.

Ngokushesha, uJesu nabafundi bakhe bangena eJerusalema, futhi njengoba kuwumkhuba wabo, baya ethempelini, lapho uJesu eqala khona ukufundisa. Abapristi abakhulu namalunga abantu, ngokungangabazeki becabanga ngesenzo sikaJesu ngosuku olwandulelayo ngokumelene nabashintsha imali, bambekela inselele: “Lokhu ukwenza ngagunya lini na? Ngubani okuniké leligunya ukuze wenze lokhu na?”

Ephendula uJesu uthi: “Ngizakunibuza izwi libe-linye, nize ningiphendule; yikhona ngizakunitshela ukuthi ngenza lokhu ngagunya lini. Ukubhapathiza kukaJohane kwavela ezulwini noma kubantu na?”

Abapristi namalunga baqala ukubonisana ngokuthi bazophendula kanjani. “Uma sithi: Ezulwini, uzakuthi: Pho, anikholwanga nguye ngani na? Kepha uma sithi: Kubantu​—⁠besaba isixuku, ngokuba bonke bathi uJohane ungumprofethi impela.”

Labaholi abazi ukuthi kumelwe baphendule bathini. Ngakho baphendula uJesu: “Asazi.”

UJesu, naye, uthi: “Nami anginitsheli ukuthi ngenza lokhu ngagunya lini.” Mathewu 21:19-27; Marku 11:19-33; Luka 20:1-8.

▪ Yini ephawulekayo ngoLwesibili, ngoNisan 11?

▪ Iziphi izifundo uJesu azinikezayo lapho ebunisa umkhiwane?

▪ UJesu ubaphendula kanjani labo ababuza ukuthi akwenzayo ukwenza ngagunya lini?