UJosefa wase-Arimathiya Uveza Obala Ukuthi Ungumfundi

UJOSEFA WASE-ARIMATHIYA wayezibuza ukuthi uzakwenelisa yini ukuyakhuluma loPhontiyu Philathu umbusi waseRoma. Phela uPhilathu wayengukhanda limtshela okwakhe. Loba kunjalo, kwakudingeka umuntu ozaqunga isibindi alande uPhilathu ayecela isidumbu sikaJesu ukuze angcwatshwe ngendlela elesithunzi. Lakanye uJosefa waqunga isibindi wayabonana laye njalo kwenzakala into ayengayicabangeli. IBhayibhili libika ukuthi uPhilathu wabiza induna yekhulu wayibuza ukuthi uJesu wayesefile yini, wathi esezwile ukuthi uJesu usefile, wasevumela uJosefa ukuthi ayethatha isidumbu. Ngakho wasuka waya lapho okwakulesidumbu sikaJesu.​—Mak. 15:42-45.

• Wayengubani uJosefa wase-Arimathiya?

• Wayelobudlelwano bani loJesu?

• Kungani kuqakathekile ukuthi ufunde ngodaba lwakhe?

Umlobi weVangeli uMakho ubika ukuthi uJosefa ‘wayeyindoda elesithunzi eNkundleni.’ INkundla okukhulunywa ngayo lapha yiSanihedrini, umthethwandaba omkhulu wamaJuda owawuqondisa izindaba zokuhlalisana kwabantu emphakathini, ukubuswa kwelizwe kanye lezindaba zokukhonza. (Mak. 15:1, 43) Ngakho-ke uJosefa wayengomunye wababusi bamaJuda futhi isikhundla ayelaso sasimvumela ukuthi aye kuPhilathu usibalukhulu weRoma nxa kulodaba afuna baluhlafune. Ngakho kasimangali nxa sisizwa lokuthi indoda le yayinothile.​—Mat. 27:57.

Wonke amalunga eSanihedrini ayemzonda uJesu futhi yiwo abumba iqhinga lokuthi abulawe. Manje kungani kuthiwa uJosefa ‘wayeyindoda elungileyo njalo eqondileyo’? (Luk. 23:50) Wayetshiyene lamanye amalunga eSanihedrini ngoba wayethembekile, eziphethe futhi elalela imithetho kaNkulunkulu. Kubikwa lokuthi ‘wayelindele uMbuso kaNkulunkulu’ njalo lokhu kungaba yikho okwenza waba ngumlandeli kaJesu. (Mak. 15:43; Mat. 27:57) Kanti njalo ukuthanda kwakhe iqiniso kwamenza wakuthanda lokho okwakufundiswa nguJesu.

IBhayibhili lisitshela ukuthi uJosefa “wayengumfundi kaJesu, ekucatshisa ngokuba wayesesaba abaJuda.” (Joh. 19:38) UJosefa wayekwazi ukuthi amaJuda ayemzonda uJesu lokuthi ayexotsha loba ngubani esinagogeni owayekholwa kuye. (Joh. 7:45-49; 9:22) Phela nxa ungaxotshwa esinagogeni wawuthwala nzima ngoba wawuhlala uchothozwa njalo uphathwa njengomhlamuki. Lokhu yikho okwenza uJosefa wesaba ukuveza ukuthi laye uyakholwa kuJesu. Aluba wakuveza lokhu wayezathathelwa isikhundla sakhe futhi alahlekelwe yisithunzi ayelaso.

UJosefa kayisuye yedwa owayesesimeni lesi. UJohane 12:42 uthi: “Abanengi laphakathi kwabakhokheli bakholwa kuye [uJesu]. Kodwa ngenxa yabaFarisi kabalufakazanga ukholo lwabo besesaba ukuthi bazaxotshwa esinagogeni.” Omunye wabo nguNikhodemu laye owayelilunga leSanihedrini.​—Joh. 3:1-10; 7:50-52.

Sesibonile ukuthi lanxa uJosefa wayengumfundi kaJesu kazange akuveze ebantwini. Kwakungaqondanga sibili ukuthi uJosefa akufihle lokhu ngoba uJesu wayeke wathi: “Loba ngubani ongivuma phambi kwabantu lami ngizamvuma phambi kukaBaba osezulwini. Kodwa lowo ongiphikayo phambi kwabantu lami ngizamphika phambi kukaBaba osezulwini.” (Mat. 10:32, 33) UJosefa wamphika yini uJesu? Kasingeke sitsho njalo, kukhanya okwakunzima kuye yikuvuma obala ukuthi ungumfundi wakhe. Wena ke?

IBhayibhili liveza ukuthi uJosefa kazange alisekele icebo lokubulala uJesu elenziwa yiSanihedrini. (Luk. 23:51) Abanye bacabangela ukuthi uJosefa wayengekho ngesikhathi uJesu ethonisiswa. Kungelani ukuthi wayekhona kumbe engekho, kumele ukuthi isinqumo sokuthi uJesu abulawe samzwisa ubuhlungu uJosefa kodwa akulalutho ayengalwenza ukuze akuvimbe lokhu.

UJosefa wacina evuma ukuthi laye ungomunye wabalandeli bakaJesu. Lokhu sikubona kulokho okwenzakala ngesikhathi uJesu esefile. UMakho 15:43 usitshela ukuthi uJosefa ‘waqunga isibindi waya kuPhilathu wacela isidumbu sikaJesu.’

Kukhanya uJosefa wayekhona ngesikhathi uJesu esifa ngoba wahamba wayacela isidumbu sakhe kuPhilathu. UPhilathu ‘wamangala ukuthi [uJesu] wayesefile’ ngoba umbiko lo wawungakafiki endlebeni zakhe. (Mak. 15:44) Kumele ukuthi ukubona uJesu esifa kabuhlungu esigodweni ayebethelwe kuso kwamfuqa uJosefa ukuthi anqobe ukwesaba abantu lokuthi abe lesibindi sokuveza obala ukuthi laye ungumfundi kaJesu. Ngakho wayengasakufihli ukuthi ungumfundi kaJesu.

Umthetho wamaJuda wawusithi abantu abagwetshelwe ukufa kumele bangcwatshwe ilanga lingakatshoni. (Dute. 21:22, 23) Kodwa amaRoma ayeziyekela izidumbu zezigilamkhuba zibolele lapho ezibethelwe khona kumbe aziphosele emangcwabeni abantukazana. Kodwa uJosefa wayengafuni ukuthi lokhu kwenzakale kuJesu. Ngakho wahlela ukuthi isidumbu sikaJesu siyengcwatshwa ethuneni lakhe elaligujwe edwaleni. Ithuna leli lalisendaweni ayesanda kuyithenga eJerusalema okungenzakala ukuthi wayeyithengele ukuthi yena labemuli yakhe bangcwatshelwe khona. Lokhu kutshengisa ukuthi uJosefa wayengabe esethuthile e-Arimathiyaa wazohlala eJerusalema. (Luk. 23:53; Joh. 19:41) Okwenziwa nguJosefa kwatshengisa ukuthi wayelomusa njalo kwagcwalisa isiphrofetho esasiphathelane lokuthi uMesiya uzangcwatshwa ndawonye “labanothileyo.”​—Isaya. 53:5, 8, 9.

AmaVangeli womane ayakuvuma ukuthi uJosefa wathatha isidumbu sikaJesu wasigoqela ngelembu elihlanzekileyo lelineni wayasibeka ethuneni lakhe elitsha. (Mat. 27:59-61; Mak. 15:46, 47; Luk. 23:53, 55; Joh. 19:38-40) Omunye okukhulunywa ngaye ukuthi wancedisa uJosefa nguNikhodemu owafika lamakha. Njengoba uJosefa loNikhodemu babengamadoda anothileyo, kungenzakala ukuthi kayisibo abathwala isidumbu sikaJesu sesisiyangcwatshwa kodwa basebenzisa izinceku zabo. Lanxa bengabe basebenzisa izinceku, abakwenzayo kwatshengisa ukuzinikela sibili. Phela ngokomkhuba wamaJuda wonke umuntu owayethinta isidumbu wayehlala amalanga angu-7 engcolile njalo loba yini ayeyithinta layo yayisiba ngengcolileyo. (Nani. 19:11; Hag. 2:13) Ngakho babengasoze babekhona ngesikhathi kunanzwa iPhasika lakweminye imikhosi ephathelane layo. (Nani. 9:6) Kanti njalo ukungcwaba uJesu ngendlela elesithunzi kwakungenza ukuthi uJosefa ahlaselwe ngabanye abakhokheli. Lanxa kunjalo, wayesezimisele ukwamukela loba yisiphi isijeziso ayengasithola njalo wayesefuna kucace ebantwini bonke ukuthi yena ungumfundi kaKhristu.

Ngemva kokungcwatshwa kukaJesu iMibhalo kayisasitsheli lutho ngoJosefa wase-Arimathiya. Manje saba yini isiphetho sakhe? Ngeke sitsho. Kodwa lokho esesixoxe ngakho ngendoda le kutshengisa ukuthi lanxa yayisesaba ekuqaliseni, ekucineni yavuma obala ukuthi ingumlandeli kaKhristu. Langesikhathi esasingakhanya sinzima kakhulu yona yatshengisa ukuthi yayilesibindi lokholo oluqinileyo. Lesi yisibonelo esihle sibili.

Indaba le ivusa umbuzo oqakathekileyo okumele ngamunye wethu acabangisise ngawo othi: ‘Ngiqakathekisa kakhulu isikhundla engilaso, umsebenzi, inotho, imuli loba inkululeko yami ukwedlula ubuhlobo bami loJehova yini?