Isahluko 117

Intlungu Engcungcuthekisayo Emyezweni

XA UYESU egqiba ukuthandaza, yena nabapostile bakhe abathembekileyo abali-11 bavuma iingoma zokudumisa uYehova. Emva koku bayehla kwigumbi eliphezulu, baphumele phandle kubumnyama bobusuku obupholileyo, baze banduluke ukubuyela ngaphesheya kweNtlambo iKidron kwindlela eya eBhetani. Kodwa besendleleni, bamisa kwindawo abayithandayo, umyezo waseGetsemane. Lo myezo ukwiNtaba yemiNquma okanye kwindawo ekufuphi nayo. Ngokufuthi uYesu ebehlanganisana apha nabapostile bakhe phakathi kwemithi yeminquma.

Eshiya abasibhozo kubapostile—mhlawumbi kufuphi nesango lomyezo—uyabayalela: “Hlalani phantsi apha, ndikhe ndiye kuthandaza phaya.” Wandula ke athabathe abanye abathathu—uPetros, uYakobi noYohane—aze ahambe umganyana emyezweni. UYesu uba buhlungu aze akhathazeke kakhulu. Ubaxelela oku: “Umphefumlo wam ubuhlungu kakhulu, ngokokude ube sekufeni; hlalani apha nilinde nam.”

Ehambe umganyana, uYesu uwa emhlabeni aze athi ubuso bakhe busemhlabeni aqalise ukuthandaza ngokunyanisekileyo athi: “Bawo, ukuba kunokwenzeka, mayidlule kum le ndebe; noko makungabi njengokuthanda kwam, makube njengokuthanda kwakho.” Uthetha ukuthini? Kutheni ‘ebuhlungu kakhulu, ngokokude abe sekufeni’? Ngaba uyarhoxa kwisigqibo sakhe sokufa aze alungiselele intlawulelo?

Akunjalo! UYesu akaceli ukuba asindiswe ekufeni. Kwanengcamango yokuphepha ukufa okulidini, eyakhe yacetyiswa nguPetros, inezothe kuye. Kunoko, ubuhlungu kuba esoyikela ukuba indlela aza kuthi kungekudala afe ngayo—njengesaphuli-mthetho esithiyekileyo—iza kuzisa ugculelo kwigama likaYise. Ngoku uyaqonda ukuba kwiiyure ezimbalwa uza kuxhonywa emthini njengoyena mntu ungendawo—umntu onyelisa uThixo! Oku koko kumkhathaza kakhulu.

Emva kokuthandaza ixesha elide, uYesu uyabuya aze afumane abapostile abathathu belele. Ethetha noPetros, uthi: “Ninje na ukungabi nako ukulinda nam nexa elinye? Lindani nithandaze, ukuze ningangeni ekuhendweni.” Noko ke, eqonda uxinezeleko abakulo nokuba ubusuku sebuhambile, uthi: “Umoya wona okunene unentumekelelo, ke yona inyama ithambile.”

Ngoko uYesu uyahamba okwesibini yaye ucela ukuba uThixo ayidlulise “le ndebe” kuye, oko kukuthi, isabelo uYehova amnike sona, okanye ukuthanda kwakhe, ngaye. Xa ebuya, kwakhona ufumana abapostile abathathu belele ngoxa bebefanele ukuba bayathandaza ukuze bangangeni ekuhendweni. Xa uYesu ethetha nabo, abazi ukuba mabathini ukuphendula.

Ekugqibeleni, okwesithathu, uYesu uhamba umganyana, yaye eguqile, edanduluka eneenyembezi, uthandaza athi: “Bawo, ukuba uyavuma, mayidlule le ndebe kum.” UYesu ubuhlungu ngokugqithiseleyo ngenxa yogculelo ukufa kwakhe njengesaphuli-mthetho okuza kuluzisa kwigama likaYise. Kaloku, ukutyholwa njengomnyelisi—lowo uqalekisa uThixo—kuphantse kube nzima kakhulu ukukuthwala!

Sekunjalo, uYesu uqhubeka ethandaza esithi: “Makungabi kokuthandwa ndim, makube kokuthandwa nguwe.” UYesu ngokuthobeka uvisisanisa ukuthanda kwakhe nokukaThixo. Ngeli xesha, isithunywa sezulu siyeza size simomeleze ngamazwi athile akhuthazayo. Kunokwenzeka ukuba, isithunywa sezulu sixelela uYesu ukuba uYise ukholisiwe nguye.

Kanti, onjani wona ukuba mkhulu umthwalo osemagxeni kaYesu! Ubomi bakhe obungunaphakade nobo besizwe esingabantu siphela busemngciphekweni. Ucinezeleke kakhulu ngokweemvakalelo. Ngoku uYesu uqhubeka ethandaza ngokunyaniseka okungakumbi, yaye ukubila kwakhe kuba njengamathontsi egazi njengoko kusiwela emhlabeni. IThe Journal of the American Medical Association ithi, “Nangona oku kuyinto engafane yenzeke, ukubila okuligazi . . . kusenokwenzeka kwiimeko ezicinezela gqitha ngokweemvakalelo.”

Emva koko, uYesu ubuyela okwesithathu kubapostile bakhe, yaye kwakhona ubafumana belele. Badinwe kakhulu ngenxa yokunxunguphala ngokugqithiseleyo. Udanduluka esithi: “Ngexesha elinje nilele yaye niphumle! Kwanele! Lifikile ilixa! Yabonani! UNyana woMntu uyanikelwa ezandleni zaboni. Vukani, sihambe. Yabonani! Lowo undinikelayo usondele.” (NW)

Ngoxa esathetha, uYuda Sikariyoti uyeza, ephelekwa sisihlwele esikhulu esiphethe izikhanyiso nezibane nezixhobo. Mateyu 26:30, 36-47; 16:21-23; Marko 14:26, 32-43; Luka 22:39-47; Yohane 18:1-3; Hebhere 5:7.

▪ Emva kokuphuma kwigumbi eliphezulu, uYesu ubakhokelela phi abapostile, yaye yintoni ayenzayo apho?

▪ Ngoxa uYesu athandazayo, benza ntoni abapostile?

▪ Kutheni uYesu ebuhlungu nje, yaye yintoni ayicelayo kuThixo?

▪ Yintoni eboniswa kukubila kukaYesu okuba njengamathontsi egazi?