UMarku—‘Wayewusizo Ekukhonzeni’

IBANDLA lase-Antiyokiya lalingaqali ukuba nezinkinga, kodwa ukungezwani phakathi kwabaphostoli uPawulu noBarnaba kwaba yinto ehlukile. La madoda ayehlela uhambo lwezithunywa zevangeli; nokho kwathi lapho sekufanele anqume ukuthi ayezohamba nobani, “kwaqhuma intukuthelo enkulu” phakathi kwawo. (IzE. 15:39) Abe esehlukana, enye yaya lé, enye yaya lé. Ingxabano yawo yayiphathelene nesithunywa sevangeli sesithathu—uMarku.

Wayengubani uMarku? Yini eyabangela laba baphostoli ukuba baphikisane ngaye? Kungani ayengekho kubo owayezimisele ukuhoxa? Ingabe leso simo sengqondo sashintsha? Yini ongayifunda endabeni kaMarku?

Emzini Wakubo EJerusalema

Kubonakala sengathi uMarku wakhulela emkhayeni wamaJuda ocebile, eJerusalema. Sitshelwa ngaye ngokuqondile okokuqala emlandweni webandla lamaKristu okuqala. Cishe ngo-44 C.E., ngesikhathi ingelosi kaJehova ikhulula umphostoli uPetru ngokuyisimangaliso ejele likaHerode Agripha I, uPetru waya “endlini kaMariya unina kaJohane osibongo sakhe singuMarku, lapho abaningana babebuthene khona ndawonye bethandaza.”—IzE. 12:1-12.a

Ngakho-ke, kubonakala sengathi ibandla laseJerusalema laliqhubela imihlangano emzini kanina. Iqiniso lokuthi “abaningana” babebuthene khona lisikisela ukuthi lona kwakuwumuzi omkhulu. Unina uMariya wayenencekukazi okuthiwa uRhoda, eyavula ngesikhathi uPetru “engqongqoza esangweni.” Le mininingwane isikisela ukuthi wayengowesifazane ocebile. Indlu kuthiwa eyakhe, akushiwo ukuthi eyomyeni wakhe, ngakho kungenzeka ukuthi wayengumfelokazi nokuthi uMarku wayesemncane kakhulu.—IzE. 12:13.

Cishe uMarku wayephakathi kwalabo ababebuthene ukuze bathandaze. Kumelwe ukuba wayejwayelene kahle nabafundi bakaJesu nabanye ababezibonele mathupha izenzakalo zenkonzo kaJesu. Eqinisweni, kungenzeka ukuthi nguye uMarku oyileya nsizwa eyazama ukulandela uJesu ngesikhathi eboshwa kodwa eyabaleka cishe ingembethe lutho lapho bezama ukuyibamba.—Marku 14:51, 52.

Amalungelo Akhe Ebandleni

Akungabazeki ukuthi ukuzihlanganisa kukaMarku namaKristu avuthiwe kwaba nethonya elihle kuye. Wakhula ngokomoya futhi abazalwane abanemithwalo yemfanelo baqala ukumphawula. Cishe ngo-46 C.E., lapho uPawulu noBarnaba besuka e-Antiyokiya beya eJerusalema beyisa ‘inkonzo yosizo’ ngoba kwakunendlala, bafike bamthanda uMarku. Lapho sebebuyela e-Antiyokiya, bahamba noMarku.—IzE. 11:27-30; 12:25.

Umfundi ongacwaningi angase athathe ngokuthi la madoda amathathu ayengahlobene—ukuthi ayehlanganiswe inkonzo nje nokuthi uPawulu noBarnaba bamane bakhetha uMarku ngenxa yamakhono akhe. Kodwa enye yezincwadi zikaPawulu yembula ukuthi uMarku wayengumzala kaBarnaba. (Kol. 4:10) Lokhu kungasiza ekuchazeni izenzakalo ezalandela ezithinta uMarku.

Ngemva konyaka noma ngaphezudlwana umoya ongcwele waqondisa uPawulu noBarnaba ukuba bathathe uhambo lwezithunywa zevangeli. Basuka e-Antiyokiya baya eKhupro. UJohane Marku wahamba nabo “njengesikhonzi.” (IzE. 13:2-5) Mhlawumbe uMarku wayezosiza ngemisebenzi edingekayo phakathi nohambo lwabo ukuze laba baphostoli bagxile ezintweni ezingokomoya.

UPawulu, uBarnaba noMarku balihamba lonke elaseKhupro, beshumayela; babe sebelibangisa e-Asia Minor. Ngesikhathi belapho, uJohane Marku wenza isinqumo esadumaza uPawulu. Ukulandisa kuthi lapho befika ePherga, “uJohane wasuka [kubo] wabuyela eJerusalema.” (IzE. 13:13) Akushiwo ukuthi kungani enza lokhu.

Ngemva kweminyaka engaba mibili, uPawulu, uBarnaba noMarku base bese-Antiyokiya futhi. Laba baphostoli ababili babexoxa ngohambo lwabo lwesibili lwezithunywa zevangeli ukuze bayoqhubekisela phambili isithakazelo ababesithole ekuqaleni. UBarnaba wayefuna ukuhamba nomzala wakhe, kodwa uPawulu wayengafune nakuyizwa leyo ngoba uMarku wayebashiyile esikhathini esedlule. Yilokho okwenza isimo sashuba njengoba sichaze ekuqaleni. UBarnaba wathatha uMarku wayoshumayela kwelakubo eKhupro, kanti uPawulu waya eSiriya. (IzE. 15:36-41) Kusobala ukuthi uPawulu noBarnaba abasibhekanga ngendlela efanayo isinqumo esenziwa uMarku ngaphambili.

Ukubuyisana

Akungabazeki ukuthi lokhu kwamphatha kabi uMarku. Noma kunjalo, wahlale eyisikhonzi esithembekile. Igama likaMarku liphinde liphathwe emlandweni wamaKristu okuqala ngemva kweminyaka engaba ngu-11 noma ngu-12 kwenzeke lesi sigigaba esihilela uPawulu. Ekuphi? Lapho ubungeke ulindele ukumthola khona—enoPawulu!

Ngo-60-61 C.E., lapho uPawulu esejele eRoma, wathumela izincwadi eziningana manje eziyingxenye yemiBhalo Engcwele. Kwayeyibhalele abaseKolose, wathi: “U-Aristarku isiboshwa esikanye nami uyakhonza kini, kanjalo noMarku umzala kaBarnaba, (enamukela imiyalo ngokuphathelene naye ukuba nimamukele uma kwenzeka efika kini) . . . Yilaba kuphela abayizisebenzi ezikanye nami ngenxa yombuso kaNkulunkulu, futhi bona kanye laba babe usizo oluqinisayo kimi.”—Kol. 4:10, 11.

Yeka ushintsho! Nakuba ayemdumaze kakhulu uPawulu, manje uMarku wayesephinde waba isisebenzi esikanye naye esiwusizo. Kusobala ukuthi uPawulu wayetshele abaseKolose ukuthi babengase bavakashelwe uMarku. Uma lokho kuphumelela, uMarku wayezobe emelele uPawulu.

Kungenzeka yini ukuthi eminyakeni engaphambili uPawulu wayeqisile endleleni abheka ngayo uMarku? Ingabe uMarku wayeye wazuza esiyalweni ayesidinga? Noma ingabe kokubili lokhu okungenhla kuyiqiniso? Kunoma ikuphi, ukubuyisana kwabo kufakazela ukuthi bobabili uPawulu noMarku babevuthiwe. Okwenzeka esikhathini esidlule bakudlulisa futhi baphinde basebenza ndawonye. Yeka ukuthi lokhu kuyisibonelo esihle kanjani kunoma ubani oye wahilizisana nomunye umKristu!

UMarku Udabula Amazwe

Njengoba ufunda ngohambo oluhlukahlukene uMarku aluthatha, uyaqaphela ukuthi wahambela izindawo eziningi. Wayedabuka eJerusalema, waya e-Antiyokiya, wasuka lapho waya eKhupro nasePherga ngomkhumbi. Wabe eseya eRoma. Ngenkathi eseRoma, uPawulu wayefuna ukumthuma eKolose. Akupheleli lapho!

Umphostoli uPetru wabhala incwadi yakhe yokuqala cishe ngo-62 kuya ku-64 C.E. Wabhala: “Owesifazane oseBhabhiloni . . . unithumelela imikhonzo yakhe, kanjalo noMarku indodana yami.” (1 Pet. 5:13) Ngakho, uMarku wayeye eBhabhiloni eyokhonza nalo mphostoli eminyakeni edlule owayeya emihlanganweni yobuKristu eyayiqhutshelwa emzini kanina.

Lapho uPawulu eboshwe okwesibili eRoma cishe ngo-65 C.E. futhi ebhala ebiza uThimothewu e-Efesu, wanezela: “Thatha uMarku uze naye.” (2 Thim. 4:11) Lokhu kubonisa ukuthi uMarku wayese-Efesu ngaleso sikhathi. Asingabazi ukuthi uMarku wavuma ukubuyela eRoma noThimothewu. Ngalezo zinsuku kwakungelula ukuhambela izindawo ezihlukahlukene, kodwa uMarku wakwenza lokho ngokuzithandela.

Elinye Ilungelo Elikhulu

Elinye ilungelo elikhulu uMarku alithola elokuphefumulelwa nguJehova ukuba alobe elinye lamaVangeli. Nakuba leli Vangeli lesibili lingalisho igama lomlobi walo, kusukela kwakudala kukholelwa ukuthi lalotshwa uMarku nokuthi ukwaziswa kwakhe wakuthola kuPetru. Empeleni, cishe uPetru wayezibone ngawakhe zonke izenzakalo ezalotshwa uMarku.

Abahlaziyi beVangeli likaMarku bakholelwa ukuthi wayebhalela abafundi abangabeZizwe; wanikeza izincazelo eziwusizo ngemikhuba yamaJuda. (Marku 7:3; 14:12; 15:42) UMarku uhumusha amagama esi-Aramu okungenzeka ukuthi abantu abangewona amaJuda babengeke bawaqonde. (Marku 3:17; 5:41; 7:11, 34; 15:22, 34) Usebenzisa amagama amaningi esiLatini aze achaze amagama avamile esiGreki esebenzisa awesiLatini. Uchaza ukuthi izinhlamvu zemali yamaJuda zaziyimalini ngemali yamaRoma. (Marku 12:42, bheka iBhayibheli lesiZulu Elivamile.) Konke lokhu kuvumelana nenkolelo esinesikhathi eside yokuthi uMarku wabhala iVangeli lakhe eseRoma.

“Ulusizo Kimi Ekukhonzeni”

UMarku akagcinanga nje ngokubhala iVangeli eRoma. Khumbula lokho okwashiwo uPawulu kuThimothewu: “Thatha uMarku uze naye.” Ngani? “Ngoba ulusizo kimi ekukhonzeni.”—2 Thim. 4:11.

Lokhu kukhuluma ngoMarku kule ndaba—okungokokugcina emiBhalweni ngokokulandelelaniswa kwezenzakalo—kusitshela lukhulu ngaye. Enkonzweni yakhe uMarku akukho ndawo lapho evezwa khona engumphostoli, umholi noma umprofethi. Wayeyisikhonzi, okungukuthi, umuntu okhonza abanye. Ngalesi sikhathi sangaphambi nje kokubulawa kukaPawulu, kumelwe ukuba lo mphostoli walwazisa ngempela usizo lukaMarku.

Uma sihlanganisa la majuphana esiwafundayo ngoMarku kwakheka isithombe sendoda eshisekela ukusakazwa kwezindaba ezinhle ezingxenyeni ezihlukahlukene zomhlaba, indoda eyayikujabulela ukukhonza abanye. Ngempela, yeka ukuthi uMarku wathola amalungelo amahle kanjani ngoba engazange aphele amandla!

Njengezinceku zikaNkulunkulu, namuhla sibonisa ukuzimisela okufanayo ukushumayela izindaba ezinhle zoMbuso njengoMarku. Njengaye, abanye kithi bangakwazi ukuthuthela kwezinye izindawo, ngisho nakwamanye amazwe, beyoshumayela izindaba ezinhle lapho. Nakuba iningi lethu lingase lingakwazi ukuthutha, sonke singamlingisa uMarku ngenye indlela ebalulekile. Njengoba azidela ukuze akhonze abafowabo abangamaKristu, nathi sizimisele ukuzikhandla ukuze sisize abafowethu ngezindlela ezingokoqobo ukuze bafeze inkonzo yabo kuNkulunkulu. Uma senza kanjalo, singaqiniseka ngokuthi uJehova uyoqhubeka esibusisa.—IzAga 3:27; 10:22; Gal. 6:2.

[Umbhalo waphansi]

[Ibalazwe/Isithombe ekhasini 8, 9]

(Ukuze ubone ukuthi indaba ihlelwe kanjani, bheka encwadini)

Eminye Yemizi UMarku Ayihambela

ERoma

I-Efesu

IKolose

IPherga

I-Antiyokiya (yaseSiriya)

IKhupro

ULWANDLE LWASEMEDITHERA

IJerusalema

IBhabhiloni