UMSEBENZI WABATHUNYWA 13:24-52

Ngaphambi kokufika kukaYesu, uYohane wawashumayeza onke amaSirayeli, esithi makaziguqule iindlela zawo aze abhaptizwe. Ekuwusongeni kwakhe uYohane umsebenzi wakhe, wathi ebantwini: ‘Nithi ndingubani? Andinguye lowo nicinga ukuba ndigunye. Khangelani yena uza emva kwam, ndaye mna andikufanele nokukhulula iimbadada ezi ezinyaweni zakhe.’ “Mawethu, nzala ka-Abraham, nani nonke zintlanga zimhlonelayo uThixo, olu daba losindiso lwathunyelwa kuthi. Kaloku abantu baseJerusalem, bekunye neenkokheli zabo, babengamazi, bengawaqondi namazwi abashumayeli bamandulo afundwayo ngayo yonke iMihla yokuPhumla. Kodwa bâwazalisekisa amazwi abo bashumayeli ngokumgweba uYesu. Nangona babengasifumani isizathu sokuba agwetyelwe ukufa, bacela uPilato ukuba ambulale. Emveni kokuzenza zonke izinto ezithethwa *ziziBhalo ngaye, bamothula emnqamlezweni, bamngcwaba. Kodwa uThixo yena wamvusa ekufeni, waza kwithuba leentsuku ezininzi wabonwa ngâbo wayejikeleza nabo ukusuka eGalili baye eJerusalem. Ngoku bangamangqina akhe kumaSirayeli. Thina silapha nje, sizise iindaba ezimnandi kuni. Loo nto uThixo wayithembisa ookhokho bethu, uyenzele thina bayinzala yabo, ngokumvusa uYesu. Kunjengoko kubhaliweyo eNdumisweni yesibini, kwathiwa: “ ‘Ungunyana wam wena; namhlanje ndikuzele.’ “UThixo wamvusa ekufeni. Ke ngoko akasayi kuze abole. Le nto uyithethe ngala mazwi athi: “ ‘Ndiya kuninika iintsikelelo ezizodwa eziqinisekileyo, endazithembisa uDavide.’ “Kwakhona uthi kwenye indawo: “ ‘Akuyi kusiyeka isicaka sakho esithembekileyo sibole.’ “Kuba kaloku ngexesha lakhe uDavide wayifeza injongo kaThixo, waza wafa emva koko, wangcwatywa ngakookhokho bakhe, wabola. Kodwa uYesu, evusiwe nje nguThixo, khange abole. Yazini niqiniseke xa ninonke, mawethu, ukuba kungoYesu ukushunyayelwa kodaba lokuxolelwa kwezono. Ngokunjalo qondani ukuba wonke umntu ozinikelayo kuye uyakhululwa kuzo zonke izono, obungenako ukumkhulula kuzo *umthetho kaMosis. Lumkani ke ngoko, hleze ihle kuni into eyathethwa ngabashumayeli, besithi: “ ‘Khangelani, nina bagxeki, nimangaliswe nife; kuba umsebenzi endiwenza ngemihla yenu yinto eningayi kukholwa yiyo nokuba ubani uthe wanichazela.’ ” Xa bayishiyayo intlanganiso ooPawulos noBharnabha, abantu babamema ukuba ze beze kwakhona ngoMhla wokuPhumla olandelayo, ukuze baphinde babafundise. Emveni kokuphuma kwentlanganiso, uPawulos noBharnabha balandelwa sisihlwele samaJuda neentlanga eziguqukele ebuJudeni, baza basikhuthaza ukuba sibambelele ngenyameko kuThixo onesisa. NgoMhla woPhumlo olandelayo phantse wonke umntu osedolophini weza kuphulaphula ilizwi leNkosi. Akuyibona le nkitha yabantu, amaJuda azala ngumona, amphikisa amnyelisa uPawulos. Kodwa bona ooPawulos noBharnabha bawaxelela phandle amaJuda bathi: “Kakade bekufuneka lishunyayezwe nina kuqala ilizwi likaThixo; koko ngenxa yokuba nilibukula, niziqonda ukuba anibulungelanga ubomi obungonaphakade, siza kuniyeka, siye ezintlangeni. Thina kaloku sanikwa lo myalelo yiNkosi: “ ‘Ndikumisele ukuba ube sisibane sokukhanyisela iintlanga, ube yindlela yokusindiswa kwalo lonke elimiweyo.’ ” Zavuya iintlanga zakukuva oku, zayidumisa iNkosi ngenxa yodaba lwayo. Abo ke babenyulelwe ukungena ebomini obungonaphakade, baguquka bangamakholwa. Ilizwi leNkosi lanwenwa kuwo wonke loo mmandla. Kodwa amaJuda adala uchuku, enza *abathunywa bavukelwa ngamadoda aloo dolophu aphambili kwanangabafazi abakumgangatho ophezulu entlalweni, ababemhlonela uThixo. Babatshutshisa babagxotha kuloo mmandla. Abathunywa bavuthulula uthuli ezinyaweni, bekhalala, bemka baya eIkoniyo. Basala abalandeli bakaYesu eAntiyokwe bezele luvuyo nanguMoya oyiNgcwele.