Isahluko 62

Isifundo Ngokuthobeka

EMVA kokuphilisa inkwenkwe ephethwe yidemon kummandla okufuphi neKesareya yakwaFilipu, uYesu unqwenela ukubuyela kokwabo eKapernahum. Phofu ke, ufuna ukuba yedwa nabafundi bakhe kolu hambo ukuze abaxhobise ngakumbi kuba eza kufa aze abalungiselele neembopheleleko abaza kuba nazo emva koko. Ubacacisela esithi: “UNyana woMntu uza kunikelwa ezandleni zabantu; baya kumbulala; uya kuthi ebulewe, abuye avuke ngomhla wesithathu.”

Nakubeni uYesu wathethayo ngako oku ngaphambilana, yaye nabapostile abathathu bambona ngokoqobo xa wayesenziwa kumila kumbi ekwathi ngelo xesha kwaxutyushwa ‘ngophumo’ lwakhe, sekunjalo abalandeli bakhe abakawuqondi lo mbandela. Nakuba kungekho namnye kubo ozama ukuphika ukuba uza kubulawa, njengoko wenjenjalo uPetros ngaphambilana, bayoyika ukumbuza okungakumbi ngalo mbandela.

Ekugqibeleni bafika eKapernahum, ngandlel’ ithile ebilikhaya likaYesu ngexesha lobulungiseleli bakhe. Ikwayidolophu yakuloPetros nabanye abapostile abaliqela. Apha, amadoda aqokelela irhafu yetempile eza kuPetros. Mhlawumbi ezama ukubandakanya uYesu ukuze atyeshele isiko elamkelekileyo, ayabuza esithi: “Umfundisi wenu akayirholi na imali yetempile [irhafu yetempile]?”

UPetros uphendula esithi, “Ewe, uyayirhola.”

UYesu osenokuba ukhe wafika apho kuloo ndlu ngaphambilana, uyayazi into eyenzekileyo. Ngoko nangaphambi kokuba uPetros awuthethe lo mcimbi, uYesu uyabuza esithi: “Uthini na wena, Simon? Ookumkani behlabathi bamkela kubaphi irhafu nomnikelo? Koonyana babo, kwabasemzini, kusini na?”

UPetros uphendula esithi: “Kwabasemzini.”

UYesu uthi: “Bakhululekile ngoko bona oonyana.” Ekubeni uYise kaYesu enguKumkani wendalo iphela, Lowo unqulwayo etempileni, ngokwenene akuyomfuneko ngokwasemthethweni ukuba uNyana kaThixo ahlawule irhafu yetempile. “Kodwa ukuze singabakhubekisi, hamba uye elwandle, uphose umlobothi wakho, uthabathe loo ntlanzi ithe yevela tanci. Wothi wakuwunqika mlomo wayo, ufumane ishekele [iidrarhima ezine]; thabatha yona leyo ubanike, usenzelelela mna nawe,” utsho njalo uYesu.

Xa abafundi behlanganisana emva kokubuya kwabo eKapernahum, mhlawumbi besendlwini kaPetros, bayabuza besithi: “Ngubani na ke omkhulu kunabanye, ebukumkanini bamazulu?” UYesu uyayazi into exhokonxa lo mbuzo wabo ekubeni eyiqonda into ebiqhubeka phakathi kwabo njengoko bebehamba emva kwakhe endleleni evela eKesareya kaFilipu. Ngoko uyababuza esithi: “Nibe nicamanga ntoni na phakathi kwenu endleleni?” Beneentloni, abafundi bathi tu, kuba babephikisene ngelokuba ngubani na oya kuba ngoyena mkhulu kunabanye.

Ekubeni sekudlule iminyaka emalunga nesithathu uYesu ebafundisa, ngaba ibonakala ingakholeleki into yokuba aba bafundi babe nempikiswano enjengale? Kaloku, oko kubonisa impembelelo enamandla yokungafezeki komntu, kuquka nemvelaphi engokonqulo. Unqulo lwamaYuda ababekhuliselwe kulo abafundi lwalubalaselisa isikhundla okanye isigxina akuso umntu kuyo yonke imicimbi. Ngaphezu koko, mhlawumbi uPetros, ngenxa yokuthenjiswa nguYesu ukuba wayeza kufumana “izitshixo” ezithile zoBukumkani, wazibon’ ubukhulu. UYakobi noYohane kusenokuba babeneengcinga ezifanayo ngenxa yokubabalwa ngokubona ukwenziwa kumila kumbi kukaYesu.

Enoba siyintoni na isizathu, uYesu wenza umboniso ochukumisayo ezama ukulungisa isimo sabo sengqondo. Ubiza umntwana, ammise phakathi kwabo, amwole, aze athi: “Ukuba anithanga niguquke, nibe njengabantwana aba, aniyi kukha ningene ebukumkanini bamazulu. Osukuba ngoko ethe wazithoba njengalo mntwana nguye omkhulu kunabanye ebukumkanini bamazulu. Kanjalo othe wamkela umntwana onje, noko amnye, egameni lam, wamkela mna.”

Enjani yona ukumangalisa indlela abalungisa ngayo abafundi bakhe! UYesu akathethi nabo ngomsindo aze athi banekratshi, bangamabawa, okanye banamabhongo. Akunjalo, kodwa uyizekelisa imfundiso yakhe yokubalungisa ngokusebenzisa umzekelo wabantwana abancinane, abanophawu lokuthozama nabangenamabhongo nabathi ngokuqhelekileyo bangacingi ngesikhundla phakathi kwabo. Ngaloo ndlela, uYesu ubonisa ukuba abafundi bakhe kufuneka bahlakulele ezi mpawu ziluphawu lwabantwana lokuthobeka. Kunjengokuba uYesu equkumbela ngokuthi: “Lowo umncinane phakathi kwenu nonke, ngoyena mkhulu.” Mateyu 17:22-27; 18:1-5; Marko 9:30-37; Luka 9:43-48.

▪ Ekubuyeleni kwakhe eKapernahum, yiyiphi imfundiso uYesu ayiphindayo, ibe yamkelwa njani?

▪ Kutheni uYesu enganyanzelekanga ukuba ahlawule irhafu yetempile, kodwa kutheni eyihlawula nje?

▪ Mhlawumbi yintoni eyafak’ isandla kwimpikiswano yabafundi, yaye uYesu ubalungisa njani?