Isahluko 59
UJesu Ungubani Ngempela?
LAPHO umkhumbi othwele uJesu nabafundi bakhe ungena eBetsayida, abantu baletha kuye indoda eyimpumputhe futhi bamcela ukuba ayithinte ayiphulukise. UJesu uyibamba ngesandla ayiholele ngaphandle komuzi, futhi ngemva kokufela amathe emehlweni ayo, uyabuza: “Ubona utho na?”
“Ngibona abantu,” kuphendula lendoda, “ngibabona behamba; kungathi yizihlahla.” Ebeka izandla zakhe emehlweni alendoda, uJesu ubuyisela ukubona kwayo ukuze ibone ngokucacile. Khona-ke uJesu uthumela lendoda ekhaya nesiyalezo sokuba ingangeni emzini.
UJesu manje uhamba nabafundi bakhe baya emizini yaseKesariya Filipi, enyakatho impela yePalestina. Kuyindlela ende enyukelayo, ehlanganisa cishe amakhilomitha angu-48, ukuya kulomuzi omuhle waseKesariya Filipi, ongamamitha angaba ngu-350 ngaphezu kogu lolwandle. Loluhambo cishe luthatha izinsukwana.
Endleleni, uJesu uphambuka yedwa ukuba ayothandaza. Kusele cishe izinyanga eziyisishiyagalolunye noma eziyishumi kuphela ngaphambi kokufa kwakhe, futhi ukhathazekile ngabafundi bakhe. Abaningi kakade sebeyekile ukumlandela. Abanye ngokusobala badidekile futhi badumele ngoba wenqaba imizamo yabantu yokumenza inkosi nangenxa yokuthi lapho izitha zimbekela inselele, akazange asenze isibonakaliso esivela ezulwini ukuze abonise ukuba kwakhe inkosi. Yini abaphostoli bakhe abayikholelwayo ngokuthi ungubani? Lapho befika lapho ethandaza khona, uJesu uyabuza: “Abantu bathi ngingubani na?”
“Abanye basho uJohane uMbhapathizi,” bephendula, “abanye basho uEliya; abanye basho uJeremiya noma omunye wabaprofethi.” Yebo, abantu bacabanga ukuthi uJesu ungomunye walamadoda ovuswe kwabafileyo!
“Nina-ke nithi ngingubani na?” kubuza uJesu.
UPetru uphendula ngokushesha: “Wena unguKristu, iNdodana kaNkulunkulu ophilayo.”
Ngemva kokuzwakalisa ukuvumelana nempendulo kaPetru, uJesu uthi: “Ngithi kuwe: Wena unguPetru; phezu kwalelidwala ngiyakulakha ibandla lami; amasango eHayidese awayikulahlula.” Lapha uJesu uqala ngokumemezela ukuthi uyokwakha ibandla nokuthi ngisho nokufa ngeke kuwathumbe amalungu alo ngemva kwenkambo yawo yokwethembeka emhlabeni. Khona-ke utshela uPetru: “Ngiyakukunika izihluthulelo zombuso wezulu.”
Kanjalo uJesu wembula ukuthi uPetru uyokwamukela amalungelo akhethekile. Cha, uPetru akanikwa indawo yokuqala phakathi kwabaphostoli, futhi akenziwa isisekelo sebandla. UJesu ngokwakhe uyiDwala ibandla lakhe eliyokwakhelwa phezu kwalo. Kodwa uPetru uyonikwa izihluthulelo ezintathu ayovula ngazo, ngomqondo ongokomfanekiso, ithuba ngamaqembu abantu ukuba angene eMbusweni wamazulu.
UPetru wayeyosebenzisa isihluthulelo sokuqala ngePentekoste lika-33 C.E. ukuze abonise amaJuda aphendukile lokho okumelwe akwenze ukuze asindiswe. Wayeyosebenzisa esesibili ngokushesha ngemva kwalokho ukuze avulele amaSamariya akholwayo ithuba lokungena eMbusweni kaNkulunkulu. Khona-ke, ngo-36 C.E. wayeyosebenzisa isihluthulelo sesithathu ukuze avulele abeZizwe abangasokile, uKorneliyu nabangane bakhe, ithuba elifanayo.
UJesu uqhuba ingxoxo yakhe nabaphostoli bakhe. Uyabadumaza ngokubatshela ngokuhlupheka nokufa azobhekana nakho ngokushesha eJerusalema. Ehluleka ukuqonda ukuthi uJesu uzovuselwa ekuphileni kwasezulwini, uPetru ubizela uJesu eceleni. “Musa, Nkosi,” esho. “Lokho akusoze kwenziwa kuwe.” Efulathela, uJesu uyaphendula: “Buyela emva kwami, Sathane; uyisikhubekiso kimi, ngokuba awuqondi okukaNkulunkulu kepha okwabantu.”
Ngokusobala, abanye ngaphandle kwabaphostoli bahamba noJesu, ngakho manje uyababiza abese ebachazela ukuthi ngeke kube lula ukuba umlandeli wakhe. “Uma umuntu ethanda ukuza emva kwami,” esho, “makazidele, athabathe isiphambano sakhe, angilandele. Ngokuba yilowo nalowo othanda ukusindisa ukuphila kwakhe uyakulahlekelwa yikho; kepha olahlekelwa ngukuphila kwakhe ngenxa yami nangenxa yevangeli uyakukusindisa.”
Yebo, ukuze bazibonakalise befanelekela ukuthandwa nguye, abalandeli bakaJesu kumelwe babe nesibindi futhi bazidele. Uyalandisa: “Ngokuba yilowo nalowo onezinhloni ngami nangamazwi ami kulesisizukulwane esiphingayo nesonakeleyo, neNdodana yomuntu iyakuba-nezinhloni ngaye, lapho iza ngenkazimulo kaYise kanye nezingelosi ezingcwele.” Marku 8:22-38; Mathewu 16:13-28; Luka 9:18-27.
▪ Kungani uJesu ekhathazekile ngabafundi bakhe?
▪ Yimiphi imibono abantu abanayo mayelana nokuthi uJesu ungubani?
▪ Ziyini izihluthulelo ezinikezwa uPetru, futhi kumelwe zisetshenziswe kanjani?
▪ Yikuphi ukuqondiswa uPetru akutholayo, futhi ngani?