Luka 9:1-62

Wasebizela ndawonye abafundi bakhe abayishumi nambili, wabanika amandla negunya phezu kwamademoni onke, nokuphulukisa izifo. Wabathuma ukuthi bashumayele umbuso kaNkulunkulu, baphulukise abagulayo. Wathi kubo: “Ningaphathi lutho lwendlela, naludondolo, nasikhwama, nasinkwa, namali; futhi ningabi namabhantshi amabili. Nakuyiphi indlu eningena kuyo, hlalani khona, nimuke lapho. Lalowo ongayikunamukela, anothi niphuma kulowo muzi, nivuthulule nothuli ezinyaweni zenu, kube ngubufakazi kubo. Base bemuka, badabula imizi, beshumayela ivangeli, bephulukisa ezindaweni zonke. Kepha uHerode umtetrarki wezwa konke okwenziwa nguye, wasambatheka, ngokuba abanye bathi uJohane uvukile kwabafileyo; labanye ukuthi uEliya ubonakele; labanye ukuthi kwavuka omunye wabaprofethi abadala. UHerodi wathi: “UJohane ngamnquma ikhanda; wasefisa ukumbona. Sebebuyile abaphostoli bamtshela konke ababekwenzile. Wabathatha, wamuka nabo bebodwa endaweni eyihlane yomuzi othiwa iBetsayida. Kwathi isixuku sekwazi lokho, samlandela; Kwathi sekuqala ukuhwalala, kwafika abalitshumi lambili, bathi kuye: Yekisa ixuku lihambe, ukuze baye emizaneni lesemaphandleni, balale, bathole ukudla; ngoba lapha sisenkangala indawo. Kodwa wathi kubo: Bapheni lina ukudla. Base bethi: “Asisenazinkwa eziyisihlanu nezinhlanzi ezimbili; ngaphandle kokuthi sihambe sibathengele bonke lababantu inyama. Ngokuba kwakungamadoda angathi izinkulungwane eziyisihlanu. Wasesithi kubafundi bakhe: Bahlaliseni phansi ngamaviyo ngamatshumi amahlanu. Benza njalo, babahlalisa bonke. Wazithabatha izinkwa eziyisihlanu nezinhlanzi ezimbili, wabheka ngasezulwini, wazibusisa, wazihlephula, wanika abafundi ukuba babeke phambi kwesixuku. Badla, basutha bonke, kwabuthwa imvuthuluka eseleyo kubo, iziqabetho eziyishumi nambili. Kwathi ekhuleka yedwa, abafundi bakhe babenaye, wababuza, wathi: “Isixuku sithi ngingubani na? Basebephendula bathi: UJohane uMbhabhathizi; kodwa abanye bathi: UEliya; labanye bathi: Kuvukile omunye wabaprofethi abadala. Wathi kubo: “Nina-ke nithi ngingubani na? UPetro waphendula wathi: UKristu kaNkulunkulu. Wabalaya kakhulu, wabalaya ukuthi bangatsheli muntu lokho; esithi: INdodana yomuntu imelwe ukuhlupheka ngokuningi, ilahlwe ngamalunga nabapristi abakhulu nababhali, ibulawe, futhi ivuswe ngosuku lwesithathu. Wathi kubo bonke: “Uma umuntu ethanda ukungilandela, makazidele, athabathe isiphambano sakhe imihla ngemihla, angilandele. Ngokuba yilowo nalowo othanda ukusindisa ukuphila kwakhe uyakulahlekelwa yikho, kepha olahlekelwa ngukuphila kwakhe ngenxa yami uyakukusindisa. Ngokuba kuyakumsizani umuntu, uma ezuza izwe lonke, kodwa ezilahlekele noma alahlwe? Ngokuba yilowo nalowo onamahloni ngami nangamazwi ami, iNdodana yomuntu iyakuba namahloni ngaye, lapho iza ngenkazimulo yayo, nekaYise, neyezingelosi ezingcwele. Kodwa ngiqinisile ngithi kini: Bakhona abanye kwabemiyo lapha, abangayikukuzwa ukufa, baze babone umbuso kaNkulunkulu. Kwathi emva kwalawo mazwi kungathi izinsuku eziyisishiyagalombili, wathatha oPetru noJohane noJakobe, wakhuphukela entabeni ukuyokhuleka. Kwathi ekhuleka, isimo sobuso bakhe saguquka, nengubo yakhe yaba mhlophe, yabenyezela. Bheka, kwakhuluma naye amadoda amabili, oMose no-Eliya; ababonakala ngenkazimulo, bakhuluma ngokumuka kwakhe abezakufeza eJerusalema. Kepha uPetru nababe naye babesindwa ubuthongo; sebevukile babona inkazimulo yakhe namadoda amabili ayemi naye. Kwathi ekwahlukaneni kwawo kuye, uPetru wathi kuJesu: “Rabi, kuhle ukuba sibe lapha; elinye libe ngelakho, elinye libe ngelikaMose, elinye libe ngelika-Eliya, engakwazi akushoyo. Esakhuluma lokho, kwafika ifu, labasithibeza; besaba lapho bengena efwini. Kwavela izwi efwini, lithi: “Lo uyiNdodana yami ethandekayo; Kwathi izwi seliphumile, uJesu wafunyanwa eyedwa. Bakugcina, abatshela muntu ngalezo zinsuku lutho lwalezo zinto ababezibonile. Kwathi kusisa sebehlile entabeni, ixuku elikhulu lamhlangabeza. Bheka, kwamemeza indoda esixukwini, yathi: “Mfundisi, ngiyakucela ukuba ubheke indodana yami, ngokuba yiyo yodwa kimi; Bheka, umoya uyambamba, akhale masinyane; wamdwengula, aze akhihlize amagwebu, asuke kalukhuni kuye ukumlimaza. Ngabancenga abafundi bakho ukuthi bawukhiphe; kepha abakwazanga. UJesu waphendula wathi: “O sizukulwane esingakholwayo nesiphambeneyo, koze kube nini nginani, nginibekezelela na? Letha lapha indodana yakho. Kwathi eseza, idimoni layiwisela phansi, layihlukumeza kakhulu. UJesu wamkhuza umoya ongcolileyo, wamphulukisa umntwana, wambuyisela kuyise. Basebemangala bonke ngamandla amakhulu kaNkulunkulu. Kwathi bonke bemangala ngakho konke akwenzayo uJesu, wathi kubafundi bakhe. Bekani la mazwi endlebeni zenu, ngokuba iNdodana yomuntu iyakukhashelwa ezandleni zabantu. Kodwa kabaliqondanga lelilizwi, njalo lalifihlakele kubo, ukuze bangaliqondi; basebesesaba ukumbuza ngalelolizwi. Kwase kuba khona ukuphikisana phakathi kwabo kokuthi ngubani ongaba mkhulu kubo. UJesu ebona izizindlo zenhliziyo yabo, wathatha umntwana, wammisa eduze kwakhe. Wathi kubo: “Yilowo nalowo owamukela lo mntwana egameni lami uyangamukela mina; UJohane waphendula wathi: “Mfundisi, sabona umuntu ekhipha amademoni ngegama lakho; sasesimenqabela, ngoba engasilandeli. UJesu wathi kuye: “Ningamnqabeli, ngokuba ongamelene nathi ungakithi. Kwathi sesifikile isikhathi sokuthi anyuswe, waqinisela ubuso bakhe ukuya eJerusalema. Wathuma izithunywa phambi kwakhe, zahamba, zangena emzaneni wamaSamariya ukuba amlungisele. Kodwa kabamemukelanga, ngoba ubuso bakhe babunjengokuya eJerusalema. Kwathi abafundi bakhe oJakobe noJohane bekubona bathi: “Nkosi, uyathanda ukuba sibize umlilo wehle ezulwini, ubaqothule, njengokuba no-Eliya enza na? Kodwa watshibilika, wabakhuza wathi: Kalikwazi ukuthi lingabomoya onjani. Ngokuba iNdodana yomuntu ayizanga ukubhubhisa imiphefumulo yabantu, kodwa ukuyisindisa. Bahamba baya komunye umuzi. Kwathi besahamba endleleni, umuntu othile wathi kuye: “Nkosi, ngiyakukulandela noma ngaphi lapho oya khona. UJesu wathi kuye: “Izimpungushe zinemigodi, nezinyoni zezulu zinezidleke; kodwa iNdodana yomuntu kayilalapho engaqamelisa khona ikhanda. Wasesithi komunye: Ngilandele. Kodwa wathi: Nkosi, ngivumele ngiye kuqala ngingcwabe ubaba. UJesu wathi kuye: “Yeka abafileyo bembele abafileyo babo; Nomunye wathi: “Nkosi, ngiyakukulandela; kodwa ngivumele ngiqale ngiyevalelisa labo abasekhaya. UJesu wathi kuye: “Akakho othi esebeké isandla sakhe egejeni, abuke emuva, ofanele umbuso kaNkulunkulu.