Isahluko 117
Usizi Ensimini
LAPHO uJesu eqeda ukuthandaza, yena nabaphostoli bakhe abathembekile abangu-11 bahlabelela izingoma zokudumisa uJehova. Khona-ke bayehla ekamelweni eliphezulu, baphumele ebumnyameni obubandayo bobusuku, babuyele ngaphesheya koMfudlana iKedroni ngaseBethaniya. Kodwa endleleni, bama endaweni abayithandayo, insimu yaseGetsemane. Lensimu iseNtabeni yemiNqumo noma eduze kwayo. UJesu uvame ukuhlangana nabaphostoli bakhe lapha phakathi kwemithi yeminqumo.
Eshiya abayisishiyagalombili babaphostoli—mhlawumbe ngasekungeneni kwensimu—uyabayala: “Hlalani lapha, ngisaya kukhuleka laphaya.” Khona-ke uthatha abanye abathathu—uPetru, uJakobe, noJohane—aqhubekele phambidlana ensimini. UJesu uba lusizi futhi ukhathazeka kakhulu. “Umphefumulo wami ulusizi kakhulu kuze kube-sekufeni,” ebatshela. “Hlalani lapha, nilinde kanye nami.”
Eqhubeka kancane, uJesu uwela phansi futhi ebhekisé ubuso bakhe phansi uqala ukuthandaza ngobuqotho: “Baba, uma kungenzeka, akudlule kimi lesisitsha; nokho kungabi-njengokuba ngithanda mina, kodwa njengokuba uthanda wena.” Usho ukuthini? Kungani ‘elusizi, kuze kube sekufeni?’ Ingabe uyahoxa esinqumweni sakhe sokufa abe isihlengo?
Lutho neze! UJesu akaceli ukuba asindiswe ekufeni. Ngisho nomcabango wokugwema ukufa okuwumhlatshelo, owake wasikiselwa uPetru, awamukeleki kuyena. Kunalokho, ulusizi ngoba wesaba ukuthi indlela azofa ngayo ngokushesha—njengesigebengu esidelelekile—izoletha isihlamba egameni likaYise. Manje uyezwa ukuthi emahoreni ambalwa uzobethelwa esigxotsheni njengohlobo lomuntu olubi kunabo bonke—umhlambalazi kaNkulunkulu! Yikho lokhu okumkhathaza kakhulu.
Ngemva kokuthandaza isikhathi eside, uJesu uphindela kubaphostoli abathathu abafica belele. Ebhekisela kuPetru, uthi: “Beningelinde nami ihora libe-linye na? Lindani, nikhuleke ukuba ningangeni ekulingweni.” Nokho, ebona ubunzima abebengaphansi kwabo nokuthi kusebusuku kakhulu, uthi: “Umoya uyavuma, kepha inyama ibuthakathaka.”
Khona-ke uJesu uyahamba okwesibili futhi ucela ukuba uNkulunkulu asuse kuye “lesisitsha,” okungukuthi, ingxenye ayabelwe uJehova, noma intando yakhe ngaye. Uma ebuya, uphinda ufumana laba abathathu belele kuyilapho bekufanele ngabe bathandazela ukuba bangangeni ekulingweni. Lapho uJesu ekhuluma nabo, abazi ukuthi baphendule bathini.
Ekugcineni, okwesithathu, uJesu uya buqamamana, futhi eguqe ngamadolo nangokudazuluka okukhulu nezinyembezi, uyathandaza: “Baba, uma uthanda, susa lesisitsha kimi.” UJesu ngempela uzwa ubuhlungu obukhulu ngenxa yesihlamba ukufa kwakhe njengesigebengu okuzosiletha egameni likaYise. Phela, ukumangalelwa njengohlambalazayo—othuka uNkulunkulu—cishe akubekezeleleki!
Noma kunjalo, uJesu uyaqhubeka ethandaza: “Makungenziwa intando yami kodwa eyakho.” Ngokulalela uJesu uzithoba entandweni kaNkulunkulu. Kulokhu, kuqhamuka ingelosi ivela ezulwini imqinise ngamazwi akhuthazayo. Cishe, lengelosi itshela uJesu ukuthi uYise uyathokoza ngaye.
Nokho, yeka ubunzima obusemahlombe kaJesu! Ukuphila kwakhe okuphakade nokwalo lonke uhlanga lwesintu kusengozini. Ubunzima obungokomzwelo bukhulu kakhulu. Ngakho uJesu uyaqhubeka ethandaza ngobuqotho ngokwengeziwe, izithukuthuku zakhe zize ziba njengamathonsi egazi njengoba econsela emhlabathini. “Nakuba lokhu kungavamile,” kuphawula i Journal of the American Medical Association, “izithukuthuku eziyigazi . . . zingase zivele ezimweni ezinzima kakhulu ngokomzwelo.”
Ngemva kwalokho, uJesu ubuyela kubaphostoli bakhe ngokwesithathu, abafumane futhi belele. Bakhathele ngenxa yokudabuka ngobuqotho. “Nisalele namanje niphumula,” ebabaza. “Kwanele, ihora lifikile; bhekani, iNdodana yomuntu isiyakhashelwa ezandleni zezoni. Sukumani sihambe. Bhekani, ongikhaphelayo usesondele.”
Esakhuluma, uJuda Iskariyothe uyasondela, enesixuku esikhulu siphethe izihlanti nezibani nezikhali. Mathewu 26:30, 36-47; 16:21-23; Marku 14:26, 32-43; Luka 22:39-47; Johane 18:1-3; Heberu 5:7.
▪ Ngemva kokuphuma ekamelweni elingenhla, uJesu ubaholelaphi abaphostoli, futhi wenzani lapho?
▪ Lapho uJesu esathandaza, abaphostoli benzani?
▪ Kungani uJesu esosizini, futhi yisiphi isicelo asenzayo kuNkulunkulu?
▪ Yini eboniswa ukuba kwezithukuthuku zikaJesu njengamathonsi egazi?