“Abazali bakhe baya [“kwakuwumkhuba kubo ukuya,” NW] eJerusalema iminyaka yonke ngomkhosi wePhasika.” (Luka 2:41) NgokoMthetho kaNkulunkulu, bonke abesilisa kwakumelwe baye eJerusalema ngenxa yalemikhosi. (Duteronomi 16:16) Kodwa umbhalo uthi ‘kwakuwumkhuba kubo abazali bakhe ukuya.’ UJosefa wahamba noMariya, ngokunokwenzeka nawo wonke umkhaya, kulolohambo lwamakhilomitha angaphezu kwekhulu lokuya eJerusalema emkhosini ojabulisayo. (Duteronomi 16:6, 11) Kwakuwumkhuba wabo—ingxenye evamile yokuphila kwabo. Futhi babengayi nje ngenjongo yokugcina icala; babehlala khona zonke izinsuku zomkhosi.—Luka 2:42, 43.

Iphutha

Lapho uJesu esemncane, ngokungangabazeki wayeba seduze nabazali bakhe phakathi naloluhambo lwaminyaka yonke lokuya emzini omkhulu waseJerusalema. Nokho, njengoba ayekhula eba mdala kungenzeka wanikezwa inkululeko eyengeziwe. Lapho eneminyaka eyi-12, wayeseneminyaka amaJuda ayeyibheka njengesinyathelo esibalulekile endleleni eya ebudodeni. Mhlawumbe ngenxa yalolushintsho oluvamile nolungokwemvelo, kwenzeka iphutha lapho kufika isikhathi sokuba umkhaya kaJosefa ushiye iJerusalema ubuyele ekhaya. Indaba ifundeka kanje: “Ekubuyeni kwabo, umntwana uJesu wasala eJerusalema, abazali bakhe bengazi. Bethike bona uphakathi kwabahambisana nabo bahamba ibanga losuku, bamfuna phakathi kwezihlobo nabazana nabo.”—Luka 2:43, 44.

Kunezici zalesisehlakalo kokubili abazali nabasha abazoziqaphela. Nokho, nanku umehluko: UJesu wayephelele. Njengoba ayezithoba ngokulalela kuJosefa noMariya, asinakucabanga ukuthi wehluleka ukulalela elinye ilungiselelo abalenza naye. (Luka 2:52) Kungenzeka ukuthi kwaba khona ukuphazamiseka ekukhulumisaneni. Abazali bathatha ngokuthi uJesu uphakathi kwezihlobo nabazana nabo. (Luka 2:44) Kulula ukucabanga ukuthi, esinyokothweni sokushiya iJerusalema, babeyonaka abantwana babo abasebancane kuqala bathathe ngokuthi indodana yabo endala, uJesu, nayo yayiza.

Nokho, ngokusobala uJesu wacabanga ukuthi abazali bakhe babezokwazi lapho ayekhona. Lokhu kuboniswa impendulo yakhe yamuva: “Kukanjani beningifunelani na? Beningazi yini ukuthi kumelwe ngibekokukaBaba na?” K wakungekhona ukwedelela. Amazwi akhe amane aveza ukumangala ayenakho ngeqiniso lokuthi abazali bakhe babengazi ukuthi bazomtholaphi. Kwakuyisimo sokungaqondi abazali abaningi babantwana abakhulayo abangakuqaphela.—Luka 2:49.

Cabanga ngokukhathalela kukaJosefa noMariya ekupheleni kwalolo suku lokuqala, lapho bethola ukuthi uJesu wayelahlekile. Futhi cabanga ngokukhathazeka kwabo okukhulayo phakathi nezinsuku ezimbili abamfuna ngazo eJerusalema. Nokho, kwenzeka ukuthi ukuqeqesha kwabo uJesu kube nomvuzo ngalesisikhathi esinzima. UJesu wayengekho kubangane ababi. Wayengalethi isihlamba kubazali bakhe. Lapho bemthola uJesu, “[wayese ]thempelini ehlezi phakathi kwabafundisi, ebezwa, ebabuza. Bonke ababemuzwa bamangala ngokuqonda nangokuphendula kwakhe.”—Luka 2:46, 47.