NgokukaJohane 5:1-29

Emva kwalokho kwaba khona umkhosi wabaJuda, uJesu wakhuphukela eJerusalema. Kwakukhona-ke eJerusalema, ngaseSangweni Lezimvu, ichibi ngesiHebheru elibizwa ngokuthi iBhethzatha, linemipheme emihlanu. Kwakulala kuyo izinkumbi zabagulayo: izimpumputhe, izinyonga, nabafe uhlangothi. Babelindele ukuzanyazanyiswa kwechibi. Ingelosi kaNkulunkulu yayehla ngezikhathi ezithile, ifike izamazamise ichibi, bese kuthi lowo ongene kuqala emva kokuzanyazanyiswa kwalo, asinde esifweni esimphetheyo, noma ngabe sifo sini. Kwakukhona lapho umuntu othile owayesegule iminyaka engama-38. UJesu embona elele lapho, futhi azi ukuthi sekuyisikhathi eside egula, wathi kuye: “Uyathanda yini ukusinda na?” Waphendula, wathi: “Nkosi, anginamuntu ongangifaka echibini lapho lizanyazanyiswa. Kuthi nje ngiseza kulo, ngidlulwe ngomunye, angene kuqala.” UJesu wathi kuye: “Sukuma, uthathe uhlaka lwakho, uhambe.” Umuntu wasinda ngaleso sikhathi, wayesethatha uhlaka lwakhe, wahamba. Ngakho-ke abaJuda bathi kulowo muntu owayesephilisiwe: “Yisabatha namuhla, akuvumelekile ukuba uthwale uhlaka lwakho.” Kepha waphendula, wathi: “Lowo ongiphilisileyo uthe kimi: ‘Thatha uhlaka lwakho uhambe.’ ” Bambuza bathi: “Ngubani lo muntu othe kuwe: ‘Thatha uhlaka lwakho uhambe’ na?” Kepha owayephilisiwe wayengazi ukuthi ungubani, ngokuba uJesu wayemonyukile, lokhu kwakukhona isixuku kuleyo ndawo. Emva kwalokho uJesu wamfica lowo muntu ethempelini, wathi kuye: “Usuphilisiwe; ungabe usona, funa wehlelwe ngokubi kunalokhu.” Lowo muntu wahamba wayobikela abaJuda ukuthi nguJesu omphilisileyo. AbaJuda bamzingela uJesu ngenxa yalokho, ngokuba wayenze lokho ngesabatha. UJesu wathi kubo: “UBaba uyasebenza kuze kube manje, nami-ke ngiyasebenza.” Ngakho-ke ngenxa yalokhu, abaJuda babefuna kakhulu ukumbulala, ngokuba akephulanga nje isabatha, futhi wathi uNkulunkulu unguYise; ngaleyo ndlela ezenza olingana noNkulunkulu. Ngakho-ke uJesu waphendula, wathi kubo: “Ngiqinisile, ngiqinisile ngithi kini: iNdodana ingenze lutho ngokwayo, ngaphandle kwalokho ekubona kwenziwa nguYise, ngokuba lokho akwenzayo Yena, neNdodana iyakwenza kanjalo. Ngokuba uYise uyayithanda iNdodana, uyikhombisa konke akwenzayo. Uyakuyikhombisa ngisho imisebenzi emikhulu kunale, ukuba nimangale. Njengalokhu uYise evusa abafileyo, abenze baphile, kanjalo neNdodana iyabaphilisa labo ethanda ukubaphilisa. Ngokuba noYise akehluleli muntu, kodwa igunya lonke lokwehlulela ulinike iNdodana, ukuze bonke bayihloniphe iNdodana njengalokhu behlonipha uYise. Ongayihloniphi iNdodana, kamhloniphi noYise oyithumileyo. “Ngiqinisile, ngiqinisile ngithi kini: olizwayo izwi lami, akholwe ngongithumileyo, unokuphila okuphakade. Akayi ekwehlulelweni, kepha udlulisiwe ekufeni, wangena ekuphileni. Ngiqinisile, ngiqinisile ngithi kini: isikhathi siyeza, sesifikile namanje, lapho abafileyo beyakulizwa iphimbo leNdodana kaNkulunkulu; abalizwayo bayakuphila. Njengalokhu uYise enokuphila ngokwakhe, kanjalo neNdodana uyiphile ukuba ibe nokuphila ngokwayo. Uyinikile igunya lokwehlulela, ngokuba iyiNdodana yomuntu. “Ningamangali ngalokho, ngokuba isikhathi siyeza lapho bonke abasemathuneni beyakulizwa iphimbo layo, abenze okulungileyo baphumele ekuvukeni kokuphila; kuthi abenze okubi ekuvukeni kokulahlwa.”