UJosefa Wase-Arimathiya Umelela Iqiniso

UJOSEFA WASE-ARIMATHIYA wayengazi ukuthi unaso isibindi sokubhekana nondunankulu waseRoma uPontiyu Pilatu owayaziwa ngokuba nenkani. Noma kunjalo, ukuze uJesu angcwatshwe ngendlela ehloniphekile kwakufanele kube nothile ozocela uPilatu ukuba akhulule isidumbu sikaJesu. Ukubonana kwabo ubuso nobuso kwakuhlukile kulokho uJosefa ayekucabanga. Ngemva kokuthola ngomqaphi ukuthi uJesu wayefile ngempela, uPilatu wasigunyaza isicelo sikaJosefa. Nakuba uJosefa ayesadabukile, waphuthuma waya endaweni uJesu ayefele kuyo.​—Marku 15:42-45.

• Wayengubani lo Josefa wase-Arimathiya?

• Wayehlobene kanjani noJesu?

• Kungani kufanele ufune ukwazi ngaye?

IVangeli eliphefumulelwe likaMarku libiza uJosefa ngokuthi “ilungu loMkhandlu elinedumela elihle.” Lapha, uMkhandlu usho iSanhedrini, inkantolo ephakeme yamaJuda nesigungu esiphethe. (Marku 15:1, 43) Ngakho uJosefa wayengomunye wabaholi, yingakho akwazi ukuhlangana nondunankulu waseRoma. Akumangazi nokuthi uJosefa wayecebile.​—Math. 27:57.

Njengeqembu, iSanhedrini yayimelene noJesu. Amalungu ayo akha itulo lokuba abulawe. Nokho, uJosefa ubizwa ngokuthi “umuntu omuhle nolungileyo.” (Luka 23:50) Ngokungafani namalungu amaningi eSanhedrini, wayethembekile, eziphatha kahle futhi enza konke angakwenza ukuze alalele imithetho kaNkulunkulu. Naye “wayelindele umbuso kaNkulunkulu,” cishe okuyisizathu esamenza waba umfundi kaJesu. (Marku 15:43; Math. 27:57) Kungenzeka wayewuthanda umyalezo kaJesu ngenxa yokuthi iqiniso nobulungisa kwakuyizinto ezibalulekile kuye.

Incwadi kaJohane 19:38 ithi uJosefa ‘wayengumfundi kaJesu kodwa wayezifihlile ngenxa yokwesaba kwakhe amaJuda.’ Wayesabani uJosefa? Wayazi ukuthi amaJuda awamfuni uJesu nokuthi ayezimisele ukuxosha noma ubani emasinagogeni othi unokholo kuye. (Joh. 7:45-49; 9:22) Ukuxoshwa esinagogeni kwakusho ukugconwa, ukugwenywa nokukhishwa inyumbazane amanye amaJuda. Yingakho uJosefa aba manqikanqika ukuveza obala ukuthi unokholo kuJesu. Ukwenza lokho kwakuyomlahlekisela ngesikhundla sakhe nokuvelela.

Kwakungeyena uJosefa kuphela okule nkinga. UJohane 12:42 uthi, “abaningi ngisho nakubabusi empeleni baba nokholo [kuJesu], kodwa ngenxa yabaFarisi babengeke bamvume ukuze bangaxoshwa esinagogeni.” Omunye owayekulesi simo uNikhodemu, naye owayeyilungu leSanhedrini.​—Joh. 3:1-10; 7:50-52.

UJosefa wayengumfundi kaJesu kodwa akazange akuveze obala lokho. Leyo kwakuyinkinga enkulu, ikakhulukazi ngemva kwalokho okwakusanda kushiwo uJesu: “Wonke umuntu ovumayo phambi kwabantu ukuthi munye nami, nami ngiyovuma phambi kukaBaba osemazulwini ukuthi ngimunye naye; kodwa noma ubani ongiphikayo phambi kwabantu, nami ngiyomphika phambi kukaBaba osemazulwini.” (Math. 10:32, 33) UJosefa akazange amphike uJesu, ngesikhathi esifanayo akabanga naso isibindi sokumvuma obala. Ingabe nawe unjalo?

IBhayibheli libika ukuthi okuhle okwenziwa uJosefa ukuthi akazange alisekele itulo leSanhedrini lokubulala uJesu. (Luka 23:51) Mhlawumbe, njengoba kusho abanye, uJosefa wayengekho ngesikhathi kuqulwa icala likaJesu. Kunoma ngabe yikuphi, uJosefa kumelwe ukuba kwamphatha kabi ukwanda kokungabi nabulungisa​—kodwa akukho ayengakwenza ukuze akuvimbe!

Lapho uJesu efa, uJosefa wayesekunqobile ukwesaba kwakhe futhi wanquma ukuba umlandeli kaJesu ngokugcwele. Leso sinqumo sibonakala emazwini asencwadini kaMarku 15:43, athi: “Waqunga isibindi sokungena phambi kukaPilatu wacela isidumbu sikaJesu.”

Kubonakala sengathi uJosefa wayekhona lapho uJesu efa. Ngempela wazi kuqala kunoPilatu ukuthi uJesu ufile. Ngakho lapho uJosefa ecela isidumbu, uPilatu wabuza ukuthi “[uJesu] wayesefile yini.” (Marku 15:44) Uma kuwukuthi uJosefa wambona uJesu efa esigxotsheni sokuhlushwa, ingabe lokho kwamenza wazihlola wabe esenquma ukumelela iqiniso? Kungenzeka. Manje uJosefa wayesefuna ukuthatha isinyathelo. Wayengeke esaba umfundi ozifihlile.

Umthetho wamaJuda wawuthi labo abathole isigwebo sokufa kufanele bangcwatshwe ngaphambi kokushona kwelanga. (Dut. 21:22, 23) Nokho ngokwamaRoma, izidumbu zezigebengu ezibulewe zazishiywa zilenga esigxotsheni ukuze zibolele khona noma zingcwatshwe zonke ethuneni elilodwa. Kodwa uJosefa wayengacabangi ukwenza lokho ngesidumbu sikaJesu. Eduze kwendawo uJesu afela kuyo, uJosefa wayenze ithuna elisha edwaleni. Ukuba kusha kwaleli thuna kubonisa ukuthi uJosefa wayesanda kufika eJerusalema esuka e-Arimathiyaa futhi wayehlose ukwenza le ndawo ibe indawo yokungcwaba yomndeni wakhe. (Luka 23:53; Joh. 19:41) Lokho uJosefa akwenza ngokungcwaba uJesu ethuneni lakhe kwakuyisenzo somusa futhi kwagcwalisa isiprofetho esithi uMesiya wayeyongcwatshwa ‘nezicebi.’​—Isaya 53:5, 8, 9.

Wonke amaVangeli abika ukuthi ngemva kokuba isidumbu sikaJesu sehlisiwe esigxotsheni, uJosefa wasisonga ngelineni elicolekile wasibeka ethuneni lakhe. (Math. 27:59-61; Marku 15:46, 47; Luka 23:53, 55; Joh. 19:38-40) Ukuphela komuntu okuthiwa wasiza uJosefa, uNikodemu oweza neziqholo zokungcwaba. Njengoba la madoda ayevelele, mancane kakhulu amathuba okuthi asithwala wodwa isidumbu. Maningi namathuba okuthi basebenzisa izinceku ukuba zithwale isidumbu ziyosingcwaba. Kunoma yikuphi, lo msebenzi owenziwa yila madoda wawungelula. Noma ubani owayethinta isidumbu wayebhekwa njengongcolile izinsuku eziyisikhombisa futhi noma yini ayeyithinta yayibhekwa njengengcolile. (Num. 19:11; Hag. 2:13) Lesi simo sasizobangela ukuba bangahlangani nabantu ngesikhathi sePhasika futhi bangahlanganyeli nasemikhosini phakathi nalelo sonto. (Num. 9:6) Ngokuhlela umgcwabo kaJesu, uJosefa wazibeka engcupheni yokulahlwa amanye amalungu eSanhedrini. Nokho wayekulungele ukubhekana nanoma yini ngenxa yokugcwaba uJesu ngendlela ehloniphekile nangokuziveza obala ukuthi ungumlandeli kaKristu.

IBhayibheli likhuluma kuphela ngoJosefa wase-Arimathiya emaVangelini lapho engcwaba uJesu, okwenza sizibuze ukuthi: Waphelelaphi? Iqiniso liwukuthi asazi. Ukuhlola lokho esesixoxe ngakho, kubonisa ukuthi cishe waziveza obala njengomKristu. Ngesikhathi evivinywa futhi ebhekene nobunzima, ukholo lwakhe nesibindi kwaqhubeka kukhula kunokuthi kunciphe. Lolo kwakuwuphawu oluhle.

Le ndaba iphakamisa umbuzo sonke esenza kahle ukucabangisisa ngawo: Ingabe ikhona into ebaluleke ngaphezu kobuhlobo bethu noJehova—​kungaba yisikhundla, umsebenzi, izinto ezibonakalayo, umndeni noma inkululeko yethu?