“Kwase kufa ompofu,” kusho uJesu, “wathathwa yizingelosi, wasiwa esifubeni sika-Abrahama; nesicebi safa, sembelwa. SesiseHayidese saphakamisa amehlo aso, sisebuhlungwini, sambona uAbrahama ekude, noLazaru esesifubeni sakhe.”

Njengoba isicebi noLazaru bengebona abantu abangokoqobo kodwa befanekisela izigaba zabantu, ngokunengqondo nokufa kwabo kungokomfanekiso. Yini efanekiselwa noma imelelwe ukufa kwabo?

UJesu usanda kuqeda nje ukuphawula ushintsho ezimweni ngokuthi ‘uMthetho nabaprofethi kwakukhona kwaze kwafika uJohane uMbhapathizi, kodwa kusukela kulesosikhathi ivangeli lombuso kaNkulunkulu liyashunyayelwa.’ Ngakho-ke, kungokushumayela kukaJohane noJesu ukuthi kokubili isicebi noLazaru bafe ezimweni zabo zakuqala.

Labo besigaba sikaLazaru esimnene, nesiphendukayo bayafa esimweni sabo sangaphambili sokugodlelwa okungokomoya futhi beze esimweni somusa waphezulu. Nakuba ekuqaleni babebheke leyomvuthuluka eyayiwa etafuleni elingokomoya labaholi benkolo, manje amaqiniso angokomBhalo afundiswa uJesu enelisa izidingo zabo. Ngaleyondlela bayiswa esifubeni, noma esimweni sokwamukelwa, sika-Abrahama Omkhulu uJehova uNkulunkulu.

Ngakolunye uhlangothi, labo abakha isigaba sesicebi baba sekungamukelekini kwaphezulu ngenxa yokuphikelela benqaba ukwamukela isigijimi soMbuso esifundiswa uJesu. Ngaleyondlela bayafa esimweni sabo sokubonakala benokuvunyelwa. Eqinisweni, bakhulunyelwa njengabasebuhlungwini obungokomfanekiso. Lalela njengoba isicebi sikhuluma:

Yeka ukuthi kungokulunge nokufaneleke kanjani ukuthi inguquko enjalo ephawulekayo yenzeke phakathi kwesigaba sikaLazaru nesigaba sesicebi! Ushintsho ezimweni lugcwaliseka ezinyangeni ezimbalwa ngemva kwePentekoste lika-33 C.E., lapho isivumelwano soMthetho esidala sithathelwa indawo isivumelwano esisha. Ngakho kuba ngokucace ngokungenaphutha ukuthi abafundi abamukelwa nguNkulunkulu, hhayi abaFarisi nabanye abaholi benkolo. Ngakho-ke, “umhosha omkhulu” lowo ohlukanisa isicebi esingokomfanekiso nabafundi bakaJesu umelela isahlulelo sikaNkulunkulu esingaguquki nesilungile.