Isahluko 98
Abafundi Bayaphikisana Njengoba Ukufa KukaJesu Kusondela
UJESU nabafundi bakhe baseduze koMfula iJordani, lapho bewela khona besuka esifundeni sasePhereya beya eJudiya. Abanye abaningi bahamba nabo baya ePhasikeni lika-33 C.E., osekusele cishe isonto ngaphambi kokuba ligujwe.
UJesu uhamba phambi kwabafundi bakhe, futhi bayamangala ngokuzimisela kwakhe kwesibindi. Khumbula ukuthi emasontweni ambalwa ngaphambili lapho uLazaru efa futhi uJesu esezosuka ePhereya aye eJudiya, uTomase wakhuthaza abanye: “Asihambe nathi, ukuze sife kanye naye.” Khumbula futhi ukuthi ngemva kokuba uJesu evuse uLazaru, iSanhedrin yenza amacebo okuba abulawe. Akumangalisi ukuthi abafundi bangenwa ukwesaba njengoba manje bephinda bengena eJudiya.
Ukuze abalungiselele okungaphambili, uJesu uthatha abangu-12 uya nabo ngasese abese ebatshela: “Bhekani, sikhuphukela eJerusalema; iNdodana yomuntu izakukhashelwa kubapristi abakhulu nababhali; bazakuyinqumela ukuba ife, bayikhaphele kwabezizwe; bazakuyiklolodela, bayikhafulele ngamathe, bayishaye, bayibulale; kepha emva kwezinsuku ezintathu izakuvuka.”
Lokhu kungokwesithathu ezinyangeni zamuva uJesu etshela abafundi bakhe ngokufa nangokuvuka kwakhe. Futhi nakuba bemlalela, bayahluleka ukuqonda. Mhlawumbe kungenxa yokuthi bakholelwa ekubuyiselweni kombuso wakwaIsrayeli emhlabeni, futhi babheke phambili ekujabuleleni inkazimulo nodumo embusweni wasemhlabeni kanye noKristu.
Phakathi kwabantu abaya ePhasikeni kukhona uSalome, unina wabaphostoli uJakobe noJohane. UJesu uye wabiza lamadoda ngokuthi “amadodana okuduma,” ngokungangabazeki ngenxa yesimo sawo sentshiseko evuthayo. Sekuyisikhathi esithile laba ababili benesifiso sokuvelela eMbusweni kaKristu, futhi baye batshela unina ngezifiso zabo. Manje uya kuJesu uyobakhulumela, uyakhothama phambi kwakhe, abese ecela ukuboniswa umusa.
“Ufunani na?” kubuza uJesu.
Uyaphendula: “Yisho ukuba lawamadodana ami amabili ahlale, enye ngakwesokunene sakho, enye ngakwesokhohlo sakho embusweni wakho.”
Ephawula ukuthi lesicelo sivelaphi, uJesu uthi kuJakobe noJohane: “Anikwazi enikucelayo. Ningasiphuza yini isitsha engizakusiphuza na?”
“Singakwenza,” bephendula. Nakuba uJesu esanda kubatshela ukuthi ubhekene nokushushiswa okunzima nokubulawa ekugcineni, ngokusobala abaqondi ukuthi yilokhu akushoyo ‘ngesitsha’ asezosiphuza.
Nakuba kunjalo, uJesu uyabatshela: “Yebo, nizakusiphuza isitsha sami, kepha ukuhlala ngakwesokunene sami nangakwesokhohlo akusikho okwami ukuphana ngakho, kodwa kungokwalabo abakulungiselwe nguBaba.”
Ngemva kwesikhathi abanye abaphostoli abayishumi bayezwa ngalokho uJakobe noJohane abakucelile, futhi bathukuthele. Mhlawumbe uJakobe noJohane babevelele empikiswaneni yabaphostoli yangaphambili ngokuthi ubani omkhulu kunabo bonke. Isicelo sabo samanje sembula ukuthi abasisebenzisanga iseluleko uJesu asinikezile ngalendaba. Ngokudabukisayo, isifiso sabo sokuvelela sisenamandla.
Ngakho ukuze asingathe lempikiswano entsha nenzondo esiyidalile, uJesu ubizela laba abangu-12 ndawonye. Ebeluleka ngothando, uthi: “Niyazi ukuthi ababusi bezizwe bazenza amakhosi phezu kwazo, nezikhulu zazo ziphethe amandla phezu kwazo. Akunjalo phakathi kwenu, kodwa yilowo nalowo ofuna ukuba-mkhulu phakathi kwenu makabe-yisikhonzi senu.”
UJesu usibekile isibonelo okufanele basilingise, njengoba echaza: “Njengalokho iNdodana yomuntu ingezelanga ukukhonzwa kepha ukukhonza nokunikela ukuphila kwayo, kube-yisihlengo sabaningi.” UJesu akabakhonzanga nje kuphela abanye kodwa futhi uyokwenza kanjalo kuze kube seqophelweni lokufela isintu! Abafundi badinga lesosimo esifanayo esinjengesikaKristu sokufisa ukukhonza kunokukhonzwa nokuba ngomncinyane kunokuba sesikhundleni sokuvelela. Mathewu 20:17-28; Marku 3:17; 9:33-37; 10:32-45; Luka 18:31-34; Johane 11:16.
▪ Kungani manje abafundi bengenwa ingebhe?
▪ UJesu ubalungiselela kanjani abafundi bakhe lokho okungaphambili?
▪ Isiphi isicelo esenziwa kuJesu, futhi abanye abaphostoli bathinteka kanjani?
▪ UJesu uyisingatha kanjani inkinga ephakathi kwabaphostoli bakhe?