Ukuphila NeNkonzo KaJesu

Ukubulala Phakathi Nomkhosi Wosuku Lokuzalwa

NGEMVA kokunikeza abaphostoli bakhe imiyalo, uJesu ubathumela ensimini ngababili. Mhlawumbe uPetru wahamba noAndreya umfowabo, ngokufanayo noJakobe noJohane, uFiliphu noBartolomewu, uTomase noMathewu, uJakobe noThadewu, futhi uSimoni noJuda Iskariyothe. Lamaqembu ayisithupha abashumayeli ashumayela izindaba ezinhle zoMbuso futhi enza iZImangaliso zokuphulukisa abagulayo yonke indawo ahamba kuyo.

Ngalesikhathi, uJohane uMbhapathizi usesetilongweni. Cishe useneminyaka emibili elapho. Ungase ukhumbule ukuthi uJohane wayememezele obala ukuthi kwakungalungile ukuba uHerode Antipase athathe uHerodiya, umkaFiliphu umfowabo, amenze umkakhe. Njengoba uHerode Antipase ayezisholo ukuthi ulandela uMthetho kaMose, uJohane wabudalula ngokufanelekile lobu hlobo bokuphinga. Kungakho uHerode afaka uJohane etilongweni, mhlawumbe ngenxa yokushoshozela kukaHerodiya.

UHerode Antipase uyaqaphela ukuthi uJohane uyindoda elungile futhi umlalela ngenjabulo. Ngakho akazi ukuthi yini okumelwe ayenze ngaye. Ngakolunye uhlangothi, uHerodiya uyamzonda uJohane futhi uyaqhubeka efuna indlela yokumbulala. Ekugcineni, ithuba abelilindile liyafika.

Ngokushesha ngemva kwePhasika lika-33 C.E., uHerode uhlela umkhosi omkhulu wokugujwa kosuku lokuzalwa kwakhe. Kukhona zonke izikhulu zikaHerode nezinduna zempi kuhlanganise nezakhamuzi ezihlonishwayo zaseGalile. Njengoba ubusuku buqhubeka, uSalome, indodakazi encane kaHerodiya kumyeni wakhe wokuqala uFiliphu, iyalethwa ukuzosinela izivakashi. Izibukeli zesilisa ziyayijabulela indlela esina ngayo, ngoku ngangabazekiekhangayo.

UHerode ujabula kakhulu ngoSalome. Uthi: “Cela kimi noma yini okuthandayo, ngizokukunika.” Uyafunga ngisho nokufunga: “Noma yini ongakucela kimi ngizokukunika, nakuba kungaze kube-yingxenye yombuso wami.”

Ngaphambi kokuba aphendule, uSalome uyaphuma ayokhuluma nonina. “Ngizakucelani na?” uyabuza.

Laze lafika ithuba! “Ikhanda likaJohane uMbhapathizi,” kuphendula uHerodiya ngokungangabazi.

USalome uphindela ngokushesha kuHerode futhi uyacela: “Ngithanda ukuba ungiphe khona-manje ngoqwembe ikhanda likaJohane uMbhapathizi.”

UHerode udabuka kakhulu. Kepha ngenxa yokuthi izivakashi zakhe zimzwile efunga, uyadumala ngokuthi akanakukwenqaba, nakuba lokhu kusho ukubulala indoda engenacala. Ngokushesha kuthunywa umbulali etilongweni nemiyalo yakhe ethusayo. Ngokushesha ubuya nekhanda likaJohane libekwe oqwembeni, futhi ulinika uSalome. Yena uliyisa kunina. Lapho abafundi bakaJohane bezwa okwenzekile, bafika basusa isidumbu sakhe futhi bayasingcwaba, bese bebika indaba kuJesu.

Kamuva, lapho uHerode ezwa ngokuphulukisa kukaJesu abantu nokukhipha amademoni, uyathuka, esaba ukuthi empeleni uJesu unguJohane ovuswe kwabafileyo. Ngemva kwalokho, uba nesifiso esikhulu sokubona uJesu, hhayi ukuba ezwe ukushumayela kwakhe, kodwa ukuze aqiniseke ngokuthi ukwesaba kwakhe kunezisekelo noma cha. Mathewu 10:1-5; 11:1; 14:1-12; Marku 6:14-29; Luka 9:7-9.

◆ Kungani ujohane esetilongweni, futhi kungani uHerode engafuni ukumbulala?

◆ Kukanjani ekugcineni uHerodiya ekwazi ukwenza ukuba ujohane abulawe?

◆ Ngemva kokufa kukajohane, kungani uHerode efuna ukubona uJesu?

[Isithombe esigcwele ikhasi ekhasini 9]