Isahluko 51
Ukubulawa Komntu Ebudeni Betheko Lomhla Wokuzalwa
EMVA kokuba uYesu ebanike imiyalelo abapostile bakhe, ubathumela ngababini kuwo ummandla. Kunokwenzeka ukuba uPetros uhamba noAndreya umntakwabo, njengoko benzayo uYakobi noYohane, uFilipu noBhartolomeyu, uTomas noMateyu, uYakobi noTadeyu kwanoSimon noYuda Sikariyoti. Aba bashumayeli beendaba ezilungileyo bangamaqela amathandathu bahamba ngababini bashumayela iindaba ezilungileyo zoBukumkani yaye baphilisa ngokumangalisayo naphi na apho bahamba khona.
Ngeli xesha, uYohane uMbhaptizi usavalelwe entolongweni. Ebevalelwe apho phantse kangangeminyaka emibini. Usenokukhumbula ukuba uYohane wayevakalise ngokuphandle ukuba kwakuphosakele ngoHerode Antipas ukuzeka uHerodiya umfazi kaFilipu, umntakwabo. Ekubeni uHerode Antipas wayeme ngelithi wayelandela uMthetho kaMoses, uYohane walubhenca ngokufanelekileyo olu krexezo. Kungenxa yoku awathi uHerode wamphosa entolongweni uYohane, mhlawumbi ngokubongozwa nguHerodiya.
UHerode Antipas uyaqonda ukuba uYohane ulilungisa yaye ude aziphulaphule ngomdla izinto azithethayo. Ngoko ke akazi ukuba makamenze ntoni na. Kwelinye icala, uHerodiya, uyamcaphukela uYohane yaye usoloko efuna ukuba abulawe. Ekugqibeleni, uyalifumana ithuba abesoloko elizingela.
Kanye ngaphambi kwePasika yowama-32 C.E., uHerode uthi alungiselele ingxikela yetheko lokukhumbula umhla wakhe wokuzalwa. Kweli theko kumenywa zonke izidwangube namagosa omkhosi kaHerode, kunye nabanye abemi ababalulekileyo baseGalili. Njengoko kuya kusihlwa ngokuhlwa, uSalome, intombi encinane kaHerodiya awayifumana ngendoda yakhe yokuqala uFilipu, ithunyelwa ukuba ize kungqungqa phambi kweendwendwe. Ababukeli abangamadoda bayathabatheka yindlela engqungqa ngayo le ntombi.
UHerode ukholiswa kakhulu yile nto yenziwa nguSalome. Uthi ke avakalise oku, “Ndicele into osukuba uyithanda; ndokupha.” Ude afunge athi: “Into othe wayicela kum ndokupha, kude kube kwisiqingatha sobukumkani bam.”
Ngaphambi kokuba uSalome aphendule, uhamba aye kubhunga nonina. “Ndicele ntoni, na?” umbuza njalo unina.
Ekugqibeleni lavela ithuba! Ngaphandle kokuthandabuza uHerodiya uphendula athi, “Intloko kaYohane umbhaptizi.”
Ngokukhawuleza uSalome ubuyela kuHerode aze amcele esithi: “Ndithanda ukuba undinike kalokunje ngesitya intloko kaYohane umbhaptizi.”
UHerode ukhathazeka kakhulu. Kanti ngenxa yokuba iindwendwe zakhe zisivile isifungo asenzileyo, uziva eneentloni ukuba angangasizalisi, nakubeni oku kuthetha ukubulawa komntu omsulwa. Kungaphoziswanga maseko umxhomi uthunyelwa entolongweni ukuya kwenza loo miyalelo ixhomis’ amehlo. Ngephanyazo ubuya ephethe ngesitya intloko kaYohane aze ayinike uSalome. Uthi ke uSalome naye ayidlulisele kunina. Xa abafundi bakaYohane besiva oko kwenzekileyo, bayeza bawuthabathe umzimba wakhe bawungcwabe, baze ke babikele uYesu ngale nto.
Kamva, xa uHerode esiva ngokuphilisa kukaYesu abantu nokukhupha kwakhe iidemon, uyothuka, esoyika ukuba uYesu eneneni unguYohane ovusiweyo. Emva koko, ufuna kakhulu ukumbona uYesu, kungengakuba efuna ukuva intshumayelo yakhe, kodwa ukuze aqiniseke enoba uxhalele into ekhoyo na okanye akunjalo. Mateyu 10:1-5; 11:1; 14:1-12; Marko 6:14-29; Luka 9:7-9.
▪ Kutheni uYohane evalelwe entolongweni nje, yaye kutheni le nto uHerode engafuni kumbulala?
▪ Ekugqibeleni uHerodiya uyifumana njani indlela yokuba kubulawe uYohane?
▪ Emva kokufa kukaYohane, kutheni uHerode efuna ukubona uYesu?