Isahluko 110
Inkonzo Ethempelini Ifeziwe
UJESU ubonakala okokugcina ethempelini. Eqinisweni, uphetha inkonzo yakhe yasobala emhlabeni ngaphandle kwezenzakalo zokuthethwa kwecala lakhe nokubulawa, osekusele izinsuku ezintathu kufike. Manje uyaqhubeka elahla ababhali nabaFarisi.
Kathathu uyababaza: “Maye kinina-babhali nabaFarisi, bazenzisi.” Okokuqala, umemezela umaye kubo ngoba bahlanza “ingaphandle lenkezo nesitsha, kepha ngaphakathi kugcwele impango nokuhuheka.” Ngakho uyayala: “Hlanza kuqala ingaphakathi lenkezo [nelesitsha], ukuze kuhlanzeke nengaphandle layo.”
Ngokulandelayo umemezela umaye kubabhali nabaFarisi ngenxa yokubola nokungcola ngaphakathi abazama ukukufihla ngokubonakala bengcwele ngaphandle. “Nifana namaliba acakiweyo,” esho, “abonakala emahle ngaphandle, kanti ngaphakathi agcwele amathambo abafileyo nokungcola konke.”
Ekugcineni, ubuzenzisi babo bubonakala ekuzimiseleni kwabo ukwakhela abaprofethi amathuna futhi bawahlobise ukuze badonsele ukunakekela ezenzweni zabo siqu zomusa. Kodwa, njengoba uJesu embula, ‘bangamadodana alabo ababulala abaprofethi.’ Ngempela, noma ubani ongalokotha aveze ubuzenzisi babo usengozini!
Eqhubeka, uJesu usho amazwi akhe aqine kakhulu okubalahla. “Zinyoka, nzalo yamabululu,” esho, “niyakukubalekela kanjani ukulahlwa [“kwaseGehena,” NW] na?” IGehena liyisigodi esasisetshenziswa njengendawo yokulahla izibi yaseJerusalema. Ngakho uJesu uthi ngenxa yokuphishekela inkambo yabo yokonakala, ababhali nabaFarisi bayobhujiswa phakade.
Ngokuqondene nalabo abathuma njengabameleli bakhe, uJesu uthi: “Abanye kubo niyakubabulala, nibabethele; abanye niyakubashaya emasinagogeni enu, nibaxoshe imizi ngemizi ukuba kufike phezu kwenu igazi lonke elilungileyo elachithwa emhlabeni, kusukela egazini lika-Abela olungileyo kuze kube-segazini likaZakariya indodana kaBarakiya [obizwa ngokuthi uJehoyada kweyesiBili YeziKronike] enambulala phakathi kwethempeli nealtare. Ngiqinisile ngithi kini: Konke lokhu kuyakufika phezu kwalesisizukulwane.”
Ngenxa yokuthi uZakariya walahla abaholi bakwaIsrayeli, “bamenzela ugobe, bamkhanda ngamatshe ngesiyalezo senkosi egcekeni lendlu kaJehova.” Kodwa, njengoba uJesu ebikezela, uIsrayeli uyokhokha ngalo lonke igazi elinjalo elilungile elachithwa. Uyakhokha eminyakeni engama-37 kamuva, ngo-70 C.E., lapho amabutho amaRoma ebhubhisa iJerusalema futhi kufa amaJuda angaphezu kwesigidi.
Njengoba uJesu ebheka lesimo esisabisayo, uyakhathazeka. “Jerusalema, Jerusalema,” ememeza futhi, “kukangaki ngithanda ukubuthela ndawonye abantwana bakho njengesikhukhukazi sibuthela amazinyane aso phansi kwamaphiko aso, kepha anivumanga. Bhekani, indlu yenu isisala nani.”
Khona-ke uJesu uyanezela: “Anisayikungibona nize nithi: Ubusisiwe ozayo egameni leNkosi.” Lolosuku luyoba sebukhoneni bukaKristu lapho eza eMbusweni wakhe wasezulwini futhi abantu bembona ngamehlo okholo.
Manje uJesu uya endaweni angabona kuyo imiphongolo yeminikelo ethempelini nezixuku zifaka imali kuyo. Abacebile bafaka izinhlamvu eziningi zemali. Kodwa kufika umfelokazi ompofu abese efaka izinhlamvu zemali ezincane ezimbili ezinenani eliphansi kakhulu.
Ebiza abafundi bakhe, uJesu uthi: “Ngiqinisile ngithi kini: Lomfelokazi ompofu ubekile kakhulu kunabo bonke ababeké emphongolweni.” Kumelwe ukuba bayazibuza ukuthi lokhu kungaba kanjani. Ngakho uJesu uyachaza: “Ngokuba bonke babeka kokuchichimileyo kwabo, kepha yena ebumpofini bakhe ubeké konke anakho, konke abephila ngakho.” Ngemva kokusho lezizinto, uJesu usuka okokugcina ethempelini.
Bemangazwe ubukhulu nobuhle bethempeli, omunye wabafundi bakhe uyamemeza: “Mfundisi, bheka amatshe anjani nezakhiwo ezinjani!” Eqinisweni, kubikwa ukuthi lamatshe angaphezu kwamamitha ayishumi nanye ubude, angaphezu kwamamitha ayisihlanu ububanzi, futhi angaphezu kwamamitha amathathu ukuphakama!
“Uyabona lezizakhiwo ezinkulu na?” kubuza uJesu. “Akuyikushiywa itshe phezu kwetshe elingayikudilizelwa phansi.”
Ngemva kokusho lezizinto, uJesu nabaphostoli bakhe bawela uMfudlana iKidroni bese benyukela eNtabeni yeMinqumo. Belapho bangalibona bengasenhla lelithempeli elihle. Mathewu 23:25–24:3; Marku 12:41–13:3; Luka 21:1-6; 2 IziKronike 24:20-22.
▪ Yini uJesu ayenzayo phakathi nokuhambela kwakhe kokugcina ethempelini?
▪ Ubuzenzisi bababhali nabaFarisi bubonakaliswa kanjani?
▪ “Ukulahlwa [kwaseGehena]” kusho ukuthini?
▪ Kungani uJesu ethi umfelokazi unikele kakhulu kunabacebileyo?