Kwathi ngolunye usuku uJesu efundisa abantu ethempelini futhi eshumayela ivangeli, abaphristi abakhulu, izazimthetho namalunga, bamvukela. Bakhuluma bathi kuye: “Sitshele ukuthi lokhu ukwenza ngagunya lini, nokuthi ngubani okunike leli gunya na?”
Waphendula wathi kubo: “Nami ngizakunibuza igama elilodwa zwi, ningiphendule. Umbhabhadiso kaJohane wawuvelaphi, ezulwini noma kubantu na?”
Babonisana bodwa, base bethi: “Uma sithi: ‘Ezulwini,’ uzakuthi: ‘Pho anikholwanga ngani nguye na?’
“Kepha uma sithi: ‘Kubantu,’ abantu bonke bazakusikhanda ngamatshe, ngokuba bayakholwa ngukuthi uJohane ungumphrofethi.”
Base bephendula bethi: “Asazi ukuthi wavela kuphi.”
UJesu wayesethi kubo: “Nami angizukunitshela ukuthi lokhu ngikwenza ngagunya lini.”
Waqala ukulandisa abantu lo mzekeliso, wathi: “Umuntu othile watshala isivini, wasiqashisa kubalimi, wayesehamba isikhathi eside. Ngesikhathi sokuvuna wathumela inceku kubalimi, ukuba bamnike ezithelweni zesivini. Kepha abalimi bayishaya, bayibuyisela emuva ilambatha. Waphinda wathumela enye inceku, naleyo bayishaya, bayidumaza, bayibuyisela emuva ilambatha. Wabuye wathumela eyesithathu; naleyo bayilimaza, bayiphonsa ngaphandle kwesivini.
“Umnininisivini wathi: ‘Ngizakwenzenjani manje na? Ngizakuthumela indodana yami ethandekayo; mhlawumbe bazakuyihlonipha.’
“Kepha kwathi lapho abalimi beyibona, babonisana bathi: ‘Lo uyindlalifa; masimbulale ukuze ifa kube ngelethu.’ Bayikhiphela ngaphandle kwesivini, bayibulala. Manje-ke uzokwenzenjani umninisivini kubo na? Uzakuza, ababhubhise labo balimi, isivini asiqashise kwabanye.”
Kuthe bekuzwa lokho bathi: “Qha, makungenzeki kanjalo.”
UJesu wababheka, wayesethi: “Pho kuyini lokhu okulotshiweyo ukuthi:
“ ‘Itshe abalinqabayo abakhi,
lona laba yinhloko yegumbi’ na?
“Yilowo nalowo owela phezu kwaleli litshe uyakuphihlizeka, kepha lowo eliyakuwela phezu kwakhe, liyakumfihliza.”
Izazimthetho nabaphristi bafuna ukumbamba ngezandla khona lapho, kodwa besaba abantu, ngokuba babazi ukuthi ukhulume lo mzekeliso ewuqondise kubo.
Bamqaphela, base bethumela izinhloli ezazizenza abalungileyo ukuba zimhile ngakushoyo, ukuze bamnikele kumbusi nasegunyeni lesiphathimandla. Zambuza-ke zathi: “Mfundisi, siyazi ukuthi ukhululma futhi ufundise okulungileyo, awukhethi buso bamuntu, kodwa ufundisa indlela kaNkulunkulu ngokweqiniso. Sivunyelwe yini ukuba sithele intela kuKhesari noma qha na?”
Kepha uJesu eqonda ubuqili babo, wathi kubo: “Ngikhombiseni udenariyu; umfanekiso nombhalo kabani okuwo na?”
Bathi: “OkaKhesari.”
Wayesethi kubo: “Ngakho-ke nikani uKhesari okukaKhesari, noNkulunkulu okukaNkulunkulu.”
Abakwazanga ukumhila ngamazwi akhe phambi kwabantu. Yabamangalisa impendulo yakhe, bathula du.
Kwase kufika kuye abathile babaSadusi abathi akukho ukuvuka kwabafileyo; bambuza bathi: “Mfundisi, uMose wasilobela ukuthi, uma umfowabo womuntu efa enomfazi, kodwa engenabantwana, umfowabo makamngene owesifazane, amvusele inzalo umfowabo ongasekho. Kwakukhona izelamani eziyisikhombisa. Esokuqala saganwa, safa singenamntwana; umfazi wangenwa ngesesibili, nesesithathu samngena; zonke izelamani eziyisikhombisa zamngena, kodwa zafa zingashiyanga bantwana. Ekugcineni wafa nowesifazane. Ngakho-ke ekuvukeni kwabafileyo uyakuba ngumfazi kabani, lokhu zonke izelamani eziyisikhombisa wayeziganile na?”
UJesu wathi kubo: “Abantu balesi sikhathi bayaganwa, bayendiswa. Kepha labo okuzakuthiwa bafanele ukufinyelela kwelizayo nasekuvukeni kwabafileyo, kabaganwa futhi kabendiswa. Kabasafi kodwa bafana nezingelosi; njengalokhu bengabantwana bakaNkulunkulu, bangabantwana bokuvuka. Kepha lokhu ukuthi bayakuvuswa abafileyo, ngisho noMose wakuveza obala esihlahleni esivuthayo, lapho ebiza iNkosi ngokuthi, nguNkulunkulu ka-Abhrahama, noNkulunkulu ka-Isaka, noNkulunkulu kaJakobe. UNkulunkulu kasiye owabafileyo, kodwa ungowabaphilayo, ngokuba bonke bayaphila kuye.”
Abathile bezazimthetho baphendula bathi: “Mfundisi, ukhulume kahle.”
Babengelokothe babuye bambuze utho.
Uhlelo Lokusebenza lweBhayibheli
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