Ukuphila NeNkonzo KaJesu

EBethaniya, Endlini KaSimoni

LAPHO uJesu ephuma eJeriko, ulibangisa eBethaniya. Loluhambo luthatha ingxenye enkulu yosuku, njengoba lwenyuka endaweni embi engamakhilomitha ayi-19. IJeriko iphansi ngamamitha angama-250 kunogu lolwandle, futhi iBethaniya iphakeme ngamamitha angama-760 kunogu lolwandle. Ungase ukhumbule ukuthi, iBethaniya iyikhaya likaLazaru nawodadewabo. Lomuzana uqhele cishe ngamakhilomitha amathathu ukusuka eJerusalema, njengoba usemthambekeni ongasempumalanga yeNtaba yemiNqumo.

Abaningi sebefikile kakade eJerusalema ukuze bagubhe iPhasika. Bafike kusenesikhathi ukuze bazihlambulule ngokomthetho. Mhlawumbe baye bathinta isidumbu noma benza okunye okubenza babe abangcolile. Ngakho balandela izinqubo ezimisiwe zokuzihlambulula ukuze bagubhe iPhasika ngendlela eyamukelekayo. Njengoba laba abafike kusenesikhathi behlangana ethempelini, abaningi bayazibuza ukuthi kazi uJesu uzofika yini ePhasikeni.

IJerusalema isigcwele impikiswano maqondana noJesu. Kwaziwa cishe yibo bonke ukuthi abaholi benkolo bafuna ukumbamba futhi bambulale. Eqinisweni, banikeze iziyalezo zokuthi uma noma ubani azi ukuthi ukuphi, kumelwe abike kubo. Kathathu ezinyangeni zamuva—eMkhosini Wamadokodo, eMkhosini Wokuhlanjululwa Kwethempeli, nangemva kokuba evuse uLazaru—labaholi baye bazama ukumbulala. Ngakho, abantu bayazibuza, kazi uJesu uzozichaya nakulokhu? “Nithini na?” bayabuzana. “Akayikuza nempela emkhosini na?”

Kusenjalo, uJesu ufika eBethaniya izinsuku eziyisithupha ngaphambi kwePhasika, elingoNisan 14 ngokwekhalenda lamaJuda. UJesu ufika eBethaniya cishe ngoLwesihlanu kusihlwa, okungukuthi ekuqaleni kukaNisan 8. Wayengenakukwazi ukuluthatha loluhambo lokuya eBethaniya ngoMgqibelo ngoba ukuhamba ngeSabatha—kusukela ekushoneni kwelanga ngoLwesihlanu kuya ekushoneni kwelanga ngoMgqibelo—akuvunyelwe ngokoMthetho wamaJuda. Ngokunokwenzeka uJesu uya ekhaya likaLazaru, njengoba eye wenza ngaphambili, futhi uhlala lapho ubusuku bangoLwesihlanu.

Nokho, esinye isakhamuzi saseBethaniya simemela uJesu nabangane bakhe ekudleni kwakusihlwa ngoMgqibelo kusihlwa. Lendoda inguSimoni, owayekade enochoko, lowo mhlawumbe owayephulukiswe uJesu ngaphambili. ULazaru uphakathi kwalabo abahlezi etafuleni noJesu. Ngokuvumelana nobuntu bakhe bokukhuthala, uMarta ukhonza izivakashi. Kodwa, njengenhlala-yenza, uMariya unake uJesu, kulokhu ngendlela evusa impikiswano.

UMariya uvula umfuma we-alabaste wamafutha, noma ifulaski encane, ekwazi ukuphatha cishe abe ingxenye yekhilogremu lamafutha anamakha, “enadi [yoqobo, NW].” Lamafutha ayigugu kakhulu. Eqinisweni, inani lawo lilingana cishe nomholo wonyaka! Lapho uMariya ethela lamafutha ekhanda likaJesu nasezinyaweni zakhe futhi esula izinyawo zikaJesu ngezinwele zakhe, leliphunga elimnandi ligcwala indlu yonke.

Abafundi bathukuthele futhi bayabuza: “Kwenzelwani lokhokuchitha na?” Khona-ke uJuda Iskariyothe uthi: “Yini ukuba lawamafutha engathengiswanga ngawodenariyu abangamakhulu amathathu, kwaphiwa abampofu, na?” Kodwa akukhona ngempela ukuthi uJuda uyabakhathalela abampofu, ngoba ubelokhu eba esikhwameni semali esigcinwa abafundi.

UJesu uvikela uMariya. “Myekeni,” uyayala. “Nimhluphelani na? Usebenzile umsebenzi omuhle kimi. Ngokuba abampofu ninabo njalo; nanini, uma nithanda, ningabenzela okuhle; kepha mina aninami njalo. Wenzile abengakwenza; wandulele ukuwugcobela umzimba wami ukumbelwa. Ngiqinisile ngithi kini: Nomaphi lapho liyakushunyayelwa khona ivangeli ezweni lonke, kuyakukhulunywa nangalokho akwenzileyo, kube-yisikhumbuzo ngaye.”

Manje sekuyisikhathi esingaphezu kwamahora angama-24 uJesu eseBethaniya, futhi izwi lokuthi ukhona selisakazekile. Ngakho-ke, abaningi beza endlini kaSimoni ukuze babone uJesu, kodwa futhi bazobona noLazaru. Ngakho abapristi abakhulu benza icebo lokungabulali uJesu kuphela kodwa noLazaru. Lokhu kungenxa yokuthi abantu abaningi bakholelwa kuJesu ngoba bebona lowo amvuse kwabafileyo ephila! Ngempela, yeka ukuthi labaholi benkolo babi kanjani! Johane 11:55–12:11; Mathewu 26:6-13; Marku 14:3-9; IzEnzo 1:12.

◆ UJesu ufika nini eBethaniya, futhi ngokunokwenzeka ukuphi ngeSabatha?

◆ Iyiphi ingxoxo eqhubekayo ethempelini, futhi ngani?

◆ Isiphi isenzo sikaMariya esivusa impikiswano, futhi uJesu umvikela kanjani?

◆ Yini ebonisa ububi obukhulu babapristi abakhulu?