Isahluko 124
Ukunikelwa Nokuthathwa
LAPHO uPilatu, eshukunyiswa isithunzi sokuthula sikaJesu ohlushwayo, ephinda ezama ukumkhulula, abapristi abakhulu bathukuthela ngisho nangokwengeziwe. Bazimisele ukungavumeli lutho ukuba luphazamise injongo yabo embi. Ngakho bayaqalisa futhi bayamemeza: “Mbethele, mbethele.”
“Mthatheni nina, nimbethele,” kuphendula uPilatu. (Ngokuphambene nezinsolo zawo zangaphambili, amaJuda angaba negunya lokubulala izigebengu ngenxa yamacala angokwenkolo anesisindo esanele.) Khona-ke, okungenani ngokwesihlanu, uPilatu ubonisa ukuthi uJesu akanacala, ethi: “Angifumani-cala kuye.”
AmaJuda, ebona ukuthi ukumangalela kwawo kokuhlambalaza okungokombangazwe kuye kwahluleka ukuveza izithelo, abuyela ekumangaleleni kokuhlambalaza okungokwenkolo okusetshenziswe emahoreni ngaphambili ekuthethweni kwecala likaJesu phambi kweSanhedrin. “Sinomthetho thina,” esho, “ngalomthetho ufanele ukufa, ngokuba ezenzile iNdodana kaNkulunkulu.”
Lokhu kumangalela kusha kuPilatu, futhi kumenza esabe kakhulu. Manje useyaqaphela ukuthi uJesu akayena umuntu ovamile, ngisho nanjengoba kuboniswa yiphupho lomkakhe namandla kaJesu obuntu aphawulekayo. Kodwa ‘uyindodana kaNkulunkulu’? UPilatu uyazi ukuthi uJesu uvela eGalile. Nokho, kungenzeka yini ukuthi wake waphila ngaphambili? Embuyisela esigodlweni futhi, uPilatu uyabuza: “Ungowaphi wena na?”
UJesu uyazithulela. Ngaphambidlana ubetshele uPilatu ukuthi uyinkosi, kodwa uMbuso wakhe awuyona ingxenye yalelizwe. Ayikho enye incazelo manje ezofeza injongo ewusizo. Nokho, lokhu kwenqaba ukuphendula kulimaza ukuzazisa kukaPilatu, futhi uthukuthelela uJesu ngamazwi athi: “Awukhulumi kimi na? Awazi ukuthi nginamandla okukukhulula, nginamandla futhi okukubethela?”
“Ngabe awunamandla neze phezu kwami, ukuba awuwanikwanga ngaphezulu,” kuphendula uJesu ngenhlonipho. Ubhekisela egunyeni elivunyelwe uNkulunkulu lababusi abangabantu lokusingatha izindaba zasemhlabeni. UJesu uyanezela: “Ngalokho-ke onginikele kuwe unesono esikhulu.” Ngempela, umpristi omkhulu uKayafase nakanye nabo noJuda Iskariyothe bonke banecala elikhulu kunoPilatu ngokuphatha uJesu ngokungalungi.
Ehlatshwe umxhwele ngisho nangokwengeziwe nguJesu futhi esaba ukuthi kungenzeka uvela phezulu, uPilatu uyaphinda futhi uqinisa imizamo yakhe yokumkhulula. Nokho, amaJuda asola uPilatu. Aphinda ukumangalela kwawo okungokombangazwe, esongela ngobuqili: “Uma ukhulula lona, awusiye umhlobo kaKesari; osuka ezenza inkosi, umelene noKesari.”
Naphezu kwalokhu kusikisela okubucayi, uPilatu uyaphinda futhi ukhiphela uJesu ngaphandle. “Bhekani inkosi yenu,” enxusa futhi.
“Susa, susa, mbethele.”
“Ngibethele inkosi yenu na?” kubuza uPilatu ngokudumala.
AmaJuda aye acasuka ngaphansi kokubusa kwamaRoma. Eqinisweni, ayakuzonda ukubusa kweRoma! Kodwa, ngokuzenzisa, abapristi abakhulu bathi: “Asinankosi, uKesari kuphela.”
Esaba ngenxa yesikhundla sakhe sezombangazwe nedumela, ekugcineni uPilatu uvumela ukufuna ngenkani kwamaJuda okunonya. Uyamnikela uJesu. Amasosha akhumula uJesu ingubo ebubende futhi amembathisa izingubo zakhe zangaphandle. Njengoba uJesu kuhanjwa naye eyobethelwa, uyekwa azithwalele isigxobo sakhe sokuhlushwa.
Manje sekuphakathi nasemini yasekuseni ngoLwesihlanu, ngoNisan 14; mhlawumbe sekuzoba semini. UJesu ubelokhu engalele kusukela ngoLwesine ekuseni kakhulu, futhi ubelokhu ezwa ubuhlungu ngokuphindaphindiwe. Ngokuqondakalayo, uphelelwa amandla ngokushesha ngenxa yokusindwa yisigxobo. Ngakho umuntu odlulayo, indoda ethile enguSimoni waseKhurene eAfrika, iphoqelelwa ukuba imthwalele sona. Njengoba beqhubeka behamba, abantu abaningi bayalandela, kuhlanganise nabesifazane, abakhala kalusizi belilela uJesu.
Ephendukela kwabesifazane, uJesu uthi: “Madodakazi aseJerusalema, ningangikhaleli mina, kodwa zikhaleleni nina nabantwana benu. Ngokuba bhekani, kuyeza izinsuku abayakusho ngazo ukuthi: Zibusisiwe izinyumba nezizalo ezingazalanga namabele angancelisanga. Khona bayakuqala ukuthi ezintabeni: Welani phezu kwethu, nasemagangeni: Sisibekeleni. Ngokuba uma benza lokho emthini oluhlaza, kuyakwenziwani kowomileyo na?”
UJesu ubhekisela emthini oyisizwe samaJuda, osenomswakama wokuphila kuwo ngenxa yokuba khona kukaJesu nokuba khona kwensali ekholelwa kuye. Kodwa lapho laba besuswa kulesizwe, kuyosala kuphela umuthi ofile ngokomoya, yebo, inhlangano yesizwe ebunile. Yeka ukuthi kuyoba nembangela yokukhala enjani lapho amabutho amaRoma, esebenza njengabakhiphi besahlulelo sikaNkulunkulu, ebhubhisa isizwe samaJuda! Johane 19:6-17; 18:31; Luka 23:24-31; Mathewu 27:31, 32; Marku 15:20, 21.
▪ Ikuphi ukumangalela uJesu abaholi benkolo abakwenzayo lapho ukumangalela kwabo okungokombangazwe kuhluleka ukuveza izithelo?
▪ Kungani uPilatu esaba ngokwengeziwe?
▪ Obani abanesono esikhulu ngalokho okwenzeka kuJesu?
▪ Ekugcineni, abapristi bamenza kanjani uPilatu ukuba anikele uJesu ukuba abulawe?
▪ UJesu ubatshelani abesifazane abamkhalelayo, futhi usho ukuthini ngokubhekisela emthini ‘njengonomswakama’ ‘nanjengowomile’?