Isahluko 103

Ukuvakashela Ethempelini Futhi

UJESU nabafundi bakhe basanda kuchitha ubusuku babo besithathu eBethaniya selokhu babuya eJeriko. Manje ukukhanya kwasekuseni ngoMsombuluko, ngoNisan 10, kubafica sebesendleleni eya eJerusalema. UJesu ulambile. Ngakho lapho ebona umkhiwane unamaqabunga, uya kuwo ukuze abone ukuthi kungenzeka yini ube namakhiwane.

Amaqabunga alomuthi ahlume ngaphambi kwesikhathi, njengoba kungeyona inkathi yamakhiwane kuze kube uJune, kanti manje yima kuzophela uMarch. Nokho, uJesu ngokusobala unomuzwa wokuthi njengoba amaqabunga esheshile, kungenzeka ukuthi namakhiwane asheshile. Kodwa uyadumala. Amaqabunga aye enza lomuthi waba nokubukeka okukhohlisayo. Khona-ke uJesu uyawuqalekisa lomuthi, ethi: “Akungabe kusadla noyedwa isithelo kuwe kuze kube-phakade.” Imiphumela yesenzo sikaJesu nalokho esikushoyo kutholakala ngosuku olulandelayo ekuseni.

Beqhubeka, uJesu nabafundi bakhe ngokushesha bafika eJerusalema. Uya ethempelini, ayekade elihlola ntambama ngayizolo. Nokho, namuhla uthatha isinyathelo, njengoba nje enza eminyakeni emithathu ngaphambili lapho eze ePhasikeni ngo-30 C.E. UJesu uxosha labo abathengisayo nabathengayo ethempelini futhi ugumbuqela amatafula abashintsha imali namabhentshi alabo abathengisa amajuba. Akavumeli ngisho nanoma ubani ukuba aphathe isitsha ethempelini.

Elahla labo abashintsha imali nabathengisa izilwane ethempelini, uthi: “Akulotshiwe yini ukuthi indlu yami iyakubizwa ngokuthi indlu yokukhuleka yezizwe zonke na? Kepha nina niyenzé umhume wabaphangi.” Bangabaphangi ngoba bafuna ngenkani amanani eqile kulabo abangenakwenza ngokunye ngaphandle kokuba bathenge kubo izilwane ezidingekayo zomhlatshelo. Ngakho uJesu ubheka lokhu kuhweba njengokuwuhlobo oluthile lokukhohlisa noma ukuphanga.

Lapho abapristi abakhulu, ababhali, nalabo abaphethe abantu bezwa ngalokho uJesu akwenzile, bayaphinda bafuna indlela yokuba abulawe. Ngalendlela babonisa ukuthi abanakuguquka. Nokho, abazi ukuthi bangambulala kanjani uJesu, ngoba bonke abantu balokhu benamathela kuye ukuze bezwe akushoyo.

Ngaphandle kwamaJuda emvelo, abeZizwe nabo bezile ePhasikeni. Laba bangamaproselithe, okusho ukuthi baguqukele enkolweni yamaJuda. AmaGreki athile, ngokusobala angamaproselithe, manje aya kuFiliphu futhi acela ukubona uJesu. UFiliphu uya kuAndreya, mhlawumbe ukuze abuze ukuthi ukubonana okunjalo kufanelekile yini. UJesu ngokusobala usesethempelini, lapho amaGreki ekwazi ukumbona khona.

UJesu uyazi ukuthi usesalelwe izinsuku ezimbalwa nje zokuphila, ngakho usibonisa kahle isimo sakhe: “Sesifikile isikhathi sokuba ikhazimuliswe iNdodana yomuntu. Ngiqinisile, ngiqinisile ngithi kini: Uma inhlamvu kakolweni iwela emhlabathini ingafi, ihlala yodwa; kepha uma ifa, ithela izithelo eziningi.”

Uhlamvu olulodwa lukakolweni alubalulekile kangako. Kodwa, kuthiwani uma lufakwa emhlabathini bese ‘lufa,’ ukuphila kwalo kokuba imbewu kuphele? Khona-ke luyahluma bese kuthi ngesikhathi esifanele lukhule lube ugaba olukhiqiza izinhlamvu zikakolweni eziningi kakhulu. Ngokufanayo, uJesu ungumuntu oyedwa nje ophelele. Kodwa uma efa ethembekile kuNkulunkulu, uba indlela yokudlulisela ukuphila okuphakade kwabathembekileyo abanomoya ofanayo wokuzidela anawo. Kanjalo, uJesu uthi: “Othanda ukuphila kwakhe ulahlekelwa yikho, nozonda ukuphila kwakhe kulelizwe uyakukulondela ukuphila okuphakade.”

Ngokusobala uJesu akazicabangeli yena yedwa, ngoba ngokulandelayo uyachaza: “Uma umuntu engikhonza, akangilandele; nalapha ngikhona mina, soba-khona nesikhonzi sami. Uma umuntu engikhonza, uBaba uyakumazisa lowo.” Yeka umvuzo omuhle wokulandela uJesu nokumkhonza! Kuwumvuzo wokwaziswa nguBaba wokuba kanye noKristu eMbusweni.

Ecabanga ngokuhlupheka okukhulu nokufa okubuhlungu okumlindele, uJesu uyaqhubeka: “Kalokhu umphefumulo wami ulusizi, ngizakuthini na? Baba, ngisindise kulomzuzu.” Ukuba nje ubengakugwema lokho okuzomehlela! Kodwa cha, njengoba esho: “Ngenxa yalokhu ngizé kulomzuzu.” UJesu uyavumelana nalo lonke ilungiselelo likaNkulunkulu, kuhlanganise nokufa kwakhe siqu okuwumhlatshelo. Mathewu 21:12, 13, 18, 19; Marku 11:12-18; Luka 19:45-48; Johane 12:20-27.

▪ Kungani uJesu elindele ukuthola amakhiwane ngisho nakuba kungeyona inkathi yawo?

▪ Kungani uJesu ebiza abathengisa ethempelini ngokuthi “abaphangi”?

▪ Kungayiphi indlela uJesu efana nohlamvu lukakolweni olufayo?

▪ UJesu uzizwa kanjani ngokuhlupheka nangokufa okumlindele?