Abalingisi bePhasika: uSimoni PetruIsampula

Ngicabanga kakhulu ngalawo mazwi alula ashiwo ngu-Andreya ngalolo suku. Simtholile. Ngicabanga ngobaba wami uqobo, owezwa lamazwi kumamncane owayebukele lapho umvangeli okuthiwa uBilly Graham ekhuluma naye kumabonakude. Ubaba wahamba kuleyo ndawo ngo-1971 eChicago futhi washintsha isimo somndeni wakubo owawunezinkinga. Ngilapha namuhla, ngibhala ngePhasika, ngoba ubaba wezwa lawo mazwi futhi wawasho entombazaneni encane engumJuda eyayizoba umkakhe, umama owayezotshela indodana yakhe ngelinye ilanga: Simtholile. 

UJohane washumayela. U-Andreya walalela. UJohane wakukhomba kuJesu. U-Andreya utholakele. Yingalendlela Ivangeli lifinyelela kini kanje, liyafika nakimi. uNkulunkulu usithumelela othile: izwi emsakazweni, ipheshana elilahliwe, umngani ophikelelayo. 

USimon wayengazi, kodwa indaba yokuphila kwakhe yabhalwa ngaphambi kokuba azalwe. Kwaqala endaweni eqhele ngamakhilomitha angu-30 eBhetlehema elincane eminyakeni engamashumi amathathu ngaphambili, lapho umbazi ompofu nomkakhe beshaya iminyango yendlu yezihambi, becela indawo yokubelethela umntwana. Indaba kaSimoni yaqala lapho umpristi osekhulile ogama lakhe linguZakariya nomkakhe, u-Elisabethe, bekhulelwa ngokuyisimangaliso futhi bazala umntwana owazalelwa umprofethi. UJesu, uJohane uMbhabhadisii, noSimoni babeyohlangana, hhayi ngephutha noma ngokudalelwe, kodwa ngeminwe kaNkulunkulu. Ukufinyelela kwesikhathi esigcwele kwasekusondele kumdobi osemusha owayengalindele. 

Futhi kwakuwusuku uSimoni alandela ngokunqikaza lapho umdobi waba khona, emazwini kaJesu, uPetru—okusho “idwala” (NgokukaMathewu 16:18). Yebo, lowo okwakufanele ayiswe kuJesu wayeyoba insika yenhlangano kaNkulunkulu yokudala entsha emhlabeni, wayezobhalwa emlandweni wensindiso njengomunye wabaphostoli abayishumi nambili, futhi wayezobhala izincwadi ezimbili eziyoba uMbhalo Ongcwele. 

Abangane bakaJesu abaseduze kakhulu, ababethunyelwe umsebenzi wokumisa ibandla, babengeke baqoqwe ezikoleni zorabi ezinhle kakhulu noma phakathi kwababhali abafundile noma abakhethekile esigodlweni sikaHerode, kodwa babeyohlwithwa, njengabaningi babaholi bakwaIsrayeli, ebantwini abajwayelekile. Umbuso kaNkulunkulu ubukeka usuka ezindaweni zamandla uye kokungakhulunywa, okungabonwayo, kwabangafanelekile. INkosi engumbazi, eyazalelwa ebumpofini ngemuva kwezikhulu, ifuna abalandeli bayo phakathi kwalabo izwe elingababoni.