Ukuphila NeNkonzo KaJesu

Inkonzo Ethempelini Ifeziwe

UJESU ubonakala okokugcina ethempelini. Eqinisweni, uphetha inkonzo yakhe yasobala emhlabeni ngaphandle kwezenzakalo zokuthethwa kwecala lakhe nokubulawa ezinsukwini ezintathu kamuva. Manje uyaqhubeka elahla ababhali nabaFarisi.

Ezikhathini ezintathu ezengeziwe uthi: “Maye kinina-babhali nabaFarisi, bazenzisi.” Okokuqala, umemezela umaye kubo ngenxa yokuthi bahlanza “ingaphandle lenkezo nesitsha, kepha ngaphakathi kugcwele impango nokuhuheka.” Ngakho uyayala: “Hlanza kuqala ingaphakathi lenkezo [nelesitsha], ukuze kuhlanzeke nengaphandle layo.”

Ngokulandelayo umemezela umaye kubabhali nabaFarisi ngenxa yokubola nokungcola ngaphakathi abazama ukukufihla ngokubonakala bengcwele ngaphandle. “Nifana namaliba acakiweyo,” esho, “abonakala emahle ngaphandle, kanti ngaphakathi agcwele amathambo abafileyo nokungcola konke.”

Ekugcineni, ubuzenzisi babo budaluIwa ukuzimisela kwabo ukwakhela abaprofethi amathuna futhi bawahlobise ukuze badonsele ukunakekela ezenzweni zabo siqu zomusa. Kodwa, njengoba uJesu embula, ‘bangamadodana alabo ababulala abaprofethi.’ Ngempela, noma ubani olokotha aveze ubuzenzisi babo usengozini!

Eqhubeka, uJesu ukhuluma amazwi aqine kakhulu okubalahla. “Zinyoka, nzalo yamabululu,” esho, “niyakukubalekela kanjani ukulahlwa [kwaseGehena, NW] na?” IGehena liyisigodi esasisetshenziswa njengendawo yokulahla izibi yaseJerusalema. Ngakho uJesu usho lokho ngoba ngenxa yokuphishekela kwabo inkambo yabo embi, ababhali nabaFarisi bayobhujiswa bangabi khona phakade.

Ngokuqondene nalabo abathuma njengabameleli bakhe, uJesu uthi: “Abanye kubo niyakubabulala, nibabethele; abanye niyakubashaya emasinagogeni enu, nibaxoshe imizi ngemizi ukuba kufike phezu kwenu igazi lonke elilungileyo elachithwa emhlabeni, kusukela egazini lika-Abela olungileyo kuze kube-segazini likaZakariya indodana kaBarakiya [obizwa ngokuthi uJehoyada kwezesi-2 IziKronike] enambulala phakathi kwethempeli nealtare. Ngiqinisile ngithi kini: Konke lokhu kuyakufika phezu kwalesisizukulwane.”

Ngenxa yokuthi uZakariya wabalahla ngesibindi abaholi bakwaIsrayeli, “bamenzela ugobe, bamkhanda ngamatshe ngesiyalezo senkosi egcekeni lendlu kaJehova.” Kodwa, njengoba uJesu ebikezela, uIsrayeli uyokhokha ngenxa yalo lonke igazi elinjalo elilungile elachithwa. Uyakhokha eminyakeni engama-37 kamuva, ngo-70 C.E., lapho amabutho amaRoma ebhubhisa iJerusalema futhi kufa amaJuda angaphezu kwesigidi.

Njengoba uJesu ebheka lesimo esisabisayo, uyakhathazeka. “Jerusalema, Jerusalema,” ememeza futhi, “kukangaki ngithanda ukubuthela ndawonye abantwana bakho njengesikhukhukazi sibuthela amazinyane aso phansi kwamaphiko aso, kepha anivumanga. Bhekani, indlu yenu isisala nani.”

Khona-ke uJesu uyanezela: “Ngokuba ngithi kini: Anisayikungibona nize nithi: Ubusisiwe ozayo egameni IeNkosi.” Lolosuku luyoba sebukhoneni bukaKristu lapho eza eMbusweni wakhe wasezulwini futhi abantu bembona ngamehlo okholo.

Manje uJesu ugudlukela endaweni lapho engabona khona imiphongolo yeminikelo ethempelini nezixuku zifaka imali kuyo. Abacebile bafaka izinhlamvu eziningi zemali. Kodwa kufika umfelokazi ompofu bese efaka izinhlamvu ezincane ezimbili ezinenani eliphansi kakhulu.

Ebiza abafundi bakhe, uJesu uthi: “Ngiqinisile ngithi kini: Lomfelokazi ompofu ubekile kakhulu kunabo bonke ababeké emphongolweni.” Kumelwe ukuba bayazibuza ukuthi lokhu kungaba kanjani. Ngakho uJesu uyachaza: “Ngokuba bonke babeka kokuchichimileyo kwabo, kepha yena ebumpofini bakhe ubeke konke anakho, konke abephila ngakho.” Ngemva kokusho lezizinto, uJesu usuka okokugcina ethempelini.

Bemangazwe ubukhulu nobuhle bethempeli, abafundi bakhe bayamemeza: “Mfundisi, bheka amatshe anjani nezakhiwo ezinjani!” Ngempela, kubikwa ukuthi lamatshe angaphezu kwamamitha ayi-11 ubude, angaphezu kwamamitha angu-5 ububanzi, futhi angaphezu kwamamitha ama-3 ukuphakama!

“Uyabona lezizakhiwo ezinkulu na?” kubuza uJesu. “Akuyikushiywa itshe phezu kwetshe elingayikudilizelwa phansi.”

Ngemva kokusho lezizinto, uJesu nabaphostoli bakhe bawela uMfudlana iKidroni bese benyukela eNtabeni yeMinqumo. Belapho bangalibona bengasenhla ithempeli elihle. Mathewu 23:25–24:3; Marku 12:41–13:3; Luka 21:1-6; 2 IziKronike 24:20-22.

◆ Yini uJesu ayenzayo phakathi nokuhambela kwakhe kokugcina ethempelini?

◆ Ubuzenzisi bababhali nabaFarisi budalulwa kanjani?

◆ “Ukulahlwa kwaseGehena” kusho ukuthini?

◆ Kungani uJesu ethi umfelokazi unikele kakhulu kunabacebileyo?