Isahluko 123

“Bhekani Lomuntu!”

EHLABEKE umxhwele ngokuziphatha kukaJesu futhi eqaphela ukungabi nacala kwakhe, uPilatu uzama enye indlela yokumkhulula. “Ninesiko,” utshela izixuku, “lokuba nginikhululele omunye ngePhasika.”

UBaraba, umbulali onedumela elibi, naye uboshiwe njengesiboshwa, ngakho uPilatu uyabuza: “Nithanda ukuba nginikhululele-bani, uBaraba nokuba uJesu othiwa uKristu, na?”

Beshukunyiswe abapristi abakhulu ababagqugquzele, abantu bacela ukuba uBaraba akhululwe kodwa uJesu abulawe. Engayeki, uPilatu uyaphendula, ecela futhi: “Nithanda ukuba nginikhululele muphi kulaba ababili na?”

“UBaraba,” bememeza.

“Pho-ke, ngimenze-njani uJesu othiwa uKristu na?” kubuza uPilatu edumele.

Ngokuvungama okukodwa okuvimbanisa izindlebe, bayaphendula: “Makabethelwe.” “Mbethele, mbethele.”

Azi ukuthi bafuna ukufa komuntu ongenacala, uPilatu uyancenga: “Kanti lo wenzé-bubi buni na? Angifumananga kuye icala lokufa; ngakho ngiyakumshaya, ngimkhulule.”

Naphezu kwemizamo yakhe, lesixuku esithukuthele, sishoshozelwa abaholi baso benkolo, siyaqhubeka simemeza: “Makabethelwe.” Sikhuthazwa abapristi ukuba sithukuthele, lesixuku somele igazi. Futhi cabanga nje, ezinsukwini ezinhlanu kuphela nje ezidlule, abanye baso ngokunokwenzeka bebephakathi kwalabo abamukela uJesu eJerusalema njengeNkosi! Sonke lesikhathi, abafundi bakaJesu, uma bekhona, bahlala bethule futhi bengabonwa.

UPilatu, ebona ukuthi izicelo zakhe azilungisi lutho, kodwa kunalokho, kuphakama ukuvungama, uthatha amanzi futhi ugeza izandla zakhe phambi kwesixuku, abese ethi: “Anginacala egazini lalomuntu; ziboneleni nina.” Kulokho abantu bayaphendula: “Igazi lakhe malibe-phezu kwethu naphezu kwabantwana bethu.”

Ngakho, evumelana nezicelo zabo—futhi efisa ukwanelisa isixuku kunokuba enze lokho aziyo ukuthi kulungile—uPilatu usikhululela uBaraba. Uthatha uJesu futhi uyala ukuba akhunyulwe abese eshaywa. Lokhu kwakungekhona ukushaywa ngesiswebhu okuvamile. IJournal of the American Medical Association ichaza umkhuba wamaRoma wokushaya:

“Ithuluzi elivamile kwakuyisiswebhu esifushane (iflagrum noma iflagellum) esinemicu yesikhumba embalwa engalukiwe noma elukiwe engalingani ngobude, okwakuboshelwa kuyo ezindaweni ezithile izinsinjana eziyindilinga noma amathambo emvu acijile. . . . Njengoba amasosha amaRoma ayeshaya umhlane wesisulu ngamandla amakhulu, lamabhola ensimbi ayebangela amanxeba ajulile, futhi imicu yesikhumba namathambo emvu kwakungena kujule esikhunjeni nasezicutshini ezingaphansi kwesikhumba. Khona-ke, njengoba ukushaywa kwakuqhubeka, ukusikeka kwamanxeba kwakufinyelela emisipheni engaphansi emathanjeni futhi kubangele imicu evevezelayo yenyama eyophayo.”

Ngemva kwalokhu kushaywa kokuhlushwa, uJesu uyiswa esigodlweni sombusi, futhi kubizelwa ndawonye yonke indikimba yamabutho. Lapho amabutho ayaphinda amphatha kabi ngokweluka umqhele wameva futhi awucindezele ekhanda lakhe. Afaka umhlanga esandleni sakhe sokudla, futhi amembathisa ingubo ebubende, uhlobo olugqokwa abasebukhosini. Khona-ke ngendlela yokumgcona athi kuye: “Bayede, nkosi yabaJuda!” Futhi, ayamkhafulela ammukule ngempama. Ethatha umhlanga oqinile esandleni sakhe, awusebenzisela ukumshaya ngawo ekhanda, ejulisa nakakhulu ekhanda lakhe ameva abukhali “omqhele” wakhe omlulazayo.

Isithunzi namandla kaJesu okuphawulekayo lapho ebhekene nalokhu kuphathwa kabi kuhlaba uPilatu umxhwele kangangokuthi ushukunyiselwa ukuba enze omunye umzamo wokumhlenga. “Bhekani, ngimkhiphela kini, ukuze nazi ukuba angifumani-cala kuye,” etshela izixuku. Cishe ucabanga ukuthi ukubonwa kukaJesu esesimweni sokuhlushwa kuyothambisa izinhliziyo zawo. Njengoba uJesu ema phambi kwesixuku esinezinhliziyo ezilukhuni, ethwele umqhele wameva nengubo yokuphendulela ebubende nobuso bakhe obophayo buswacile ngenxa yobuhlungu, uPilatu uyamemeza: “Bhekani lomuntu!”

Nakuba elinyaziwe futhi eshayiwe, lapha kumi umuntu ophawuleka kakhulu kuwo wonke umlando, ngempela umuntu omkhulu kunabo bonke abake baba khona! Yebo, uJesu ubonisa isithunzi nokuthula okubonisa ubukhulu lobo ngisho noPilatu okumelwe abuvume, ngoba amazwi akhe ngokusobala ayinhlanganisela yakho kokubili inhlonipho nesihawu. Johane 18:39–19:5; Mathewu 27:15-17, 20-30; Marku 15:6-19; Luka 23:18-25.

▪ Kungayiphi indlela uPilatu azama ngayo ukukhulula uJesu?

▪ UPilatu uzama kanjani ukuzikhulula emthwalweni wemfanelo?

▪ Yini ehilelekile ekushayweni?

▪ UJesu uhlekwa kanjani usulu ngemva kokushaywa?

▪ Imuphi omunye umzamo uPilatu awenzayo wokukhulula uJesu?