Isahluko 62

Isifundo Sokuthobeka

NGEMVA kokuphulukisa umfana onedemoni esifundeni esingaseKesariya Filipi, uJesu ufisa ukubuyela ekhaya eKapernawume. Nokho, ufuna ukuba nabafundi bakhe kuphela kuloluhambo ukuze aqhubeke ebalungiselela ukufa kwakhe nemithwalo yabo yemfanelo ngemva kwakho. “INdodana yomuntu ikhashelwa ezandleni zabantu,” ebachazela, “bazakuyibulala; kuthi isibulewe, izakuvuka emva kwezinsuku ezintathu.”

Ngisho nakuba uJesu akhuluma ngaphambili ngalokhu, futhi abaphostoli abathathu bakubona ngokoqobo ukuphenduka kwakhe esinye isimo lapho kwakuxoxwa khona “ngokumuka” kwakhe, namanje abalandeli bakhe abayiqondi lendaba. Nakuba kungekho phakathi kwabo ozama ukuphika ukuthi uyobulawa, njengoba kwenza uPetru ngaphambili, bayesaba ukuqhubeka bembuza ngakho.

Ekugcineni bafika eKapernawume, ebifana nekhaya likaJesu phakathi nenkonzo yakhe. Futhi iyindawo uPetru nabanye abafundi abaningana abahlala kuyo. Lapho, amadoda aqoqa intela yasethempelini asondela kuPetru. Mhlawumbe ezama ukuhilela uJesu ekweqeni isiko elamukelwayo, ayabuza: “Umfundisi wenu akayitheli imali yethempeli [“amadrachma amabili,” NW] na?”

“Uyayithela,” kuphendula uPetru.

UJesu, okungenzeka ukuthi ufiké endlini ngokushesha ngemva kwalokho, uyakwazi okwenzekile. Ngakho ngisho nangaphambi kokuba uPetru akhulume ngalendaba, uJesu uyabuza: “Usho ukuthini, Simoni? Amakhosi omhlaba athatha kubaphi intela nenkokhiso, kumadodana awo noma kubafo, na?”

“Kubafo,” kuphendula uPetru.

“Ngakho-ke amadodana akhululekile,” kuphawula uJesu. Njengoba uYise kaJesu eyiNkosi yendawo yonke, Lowo okhulekelwa ethempelini, eqinisweni akuyona imfuneko engokomthetho ukuba iNdodana kaNkulunkulu ikhokhe intela yethempeli. “Kodwa-ke ukuba singabakhubekisi,” kusho uJesu, “yana elwandle, uphose udobo, ubambe inhlanzi ephuma kuqala; wothi ukuba uyivule umlomo, uzakufumana imali [amadrachma amane]; yithathe, ubanike, usithelele mina nawe.”

Lapho abafundi behlangana ngemva kokubuyela kwabo eKapernawume, mhlawumbe endlini kaPetru, bayabuza: “Ngubani omkhulu embusweni wezulu na?” UJesu uyazi ukuthi yini ebenza babuze, ngoba uyakwazi obekwenzeka phakathi kwabo njengoba bebemlandela ekubuyeni kwabo eKesariya Filipi. Ngakho uyabuza: “Beniphendulana ngantoni endleleni na?” Benamahloni, abafundi bayathula, ngoba bebephikisene ngokuthi ngubani oyoba mkhulu.

Ngemva kweminyaka ecishe ibe mithathu yokufundisa kukaJesu, ingabe kubonakala kumangaza ukuthi abafundi bangaba nempikiswano enjalo? Nokho, kwembula ithonya elinamandla lokungapheleli kobuntu, kanye nelesizinda esingokwenkolo. Inkolo yamaJuda abafundi ababekhuliselwe kuyo yayigcizelela isikhundla noma ubukhulu kunoma yini abayenzayo. Ngaphezu kwalokho, mhlawumbe uPetru, ngenxa yesithembiso sikaJesu sokwamukela “izihluthulelo” ezithile zoMbuso, wazizwa emkhulu. UJakobe noJohane, kungenzeka babenemiqondo efanayo ngenxa yokuboniswa umusa wokuba babone ukuphenduka kukaJesu esinye isimo.

Kungakhathaliseki ukuthi yikuphi, uJesu wenza umboniso oshukumisayo ukuba azame ukulungisa izimo zabo zengqondo. Ubiza umntwana, ummisa phakathi kwabo, amgone, abese ethi: “Uma ningaphenduki, nibe-njengabantwana, anisoze nangena embusweni wezulu. Ngakho-ke yilowo nalowo oyakuzithoba njengalomntwana nguyena omkhulu embusweni wezulu. Nalowo oyakwamukela umntwana onje abe-munye ngegama lami uyangamukela mina.”

Yeka indlela enhle yokuqondisa abafundi bakhe! UJesu akabathukutheleli ababize ngokuthi abazidlayo, abanobugovu, noma abanesifiso sokuvelela. Cha, kodwa ufanekisa ukufundisa kwakhe okuqondisayo ngokusebenzisa isibonelo sabantwana abancane, abaphawuleka ngokuba nesizotha nokungabi nesifiso sokuvelela futhi ngokuvamile abangenawo umqondo wokuba mkhulu phakathi kwabo. Ngalendlela uJesu ubonisa ukuthi abafundi bakhe kudingeka bahlakulele lezimfanelo ezifanayo ezenza abantwana abathobekile baphawuleke. Kunjengoba uJesu ephetha: “Omncinyane kini nonke nguye omkhulu.” Mathewu 17:22-27; 18:1-5; Marku 9:30-37; Luka 9:43-48.

▪ Lapho bebuyela eKapernawume, iyiphi imfundiso uJesu ayiphindayo, futhi yamukelwa kanjani?

▪ Kungani uJesu engabophekile ukuba akhokhe intela yethempeli, kodwa kungani eyikhokha?

▪ Yini mhlawumbe eyaholela empikiswaneni yabafundi, futhi uJesu ubaqondisa kanjani?