Befuna Isibonakaliso Esivela Ezulwini
UPhethro umbiza ngokuthi unguKhristu, iNdodana kaBaba ophilayo, kuthi emizuzwini embalwa kamuva abizwe ngokuthi unguSathane ngokwenqaba ukuzwa ukuthi lo Khristu kumele abulawe. Ukulandela, kusho uJesu, kusho ukuzidela nokuthwala isiphambano, hhayi ukuphunyuka kuso.
16 1AbaFarisi nabaSadusi beza kuye bezomvivinya, bemcela ukuba abakhombise isibonakaliso esivela ezulwini.
2Waphendula wathi: “Lapho kuhlwa, nithi: ‘Izulu lizobalela, ngokuba isibhakabhaka sibomvu.’”
3“Ekuseni nithi: ‘Namuhla kuyoba nesiphepho, ngokuba isibhakabhaka sibomvu siguqubele.’ Niyakwazi ukufunda ubuso besibhakabhaka, kodwa anikwazi ukufunda izibonakaliso zezikhathi.
4“Isizukulwane esibi nesingathembekile sifuna isibonakaliso; kodwa asikho isibonakaliso esiyakunikwa ngaphandle kwesibonakaliso sikaJona.” Wayesebashiya wahamba.
Imvubelo Yemfundiso Engamanga
5Kwathi abafundi sebewelele ngaphesheya, base bekhohliwe ukuphatha isinkwa.
6UJesu wathi kubo: “Qaphelani niziqaphele imvubelo yabaFarisi neyabaSadusi.”
7Bakhulumisana bodwa bathi: “Kungenxa yokuthi asiphathanga sinkwa.”
8UJesu ekwazi lokhu wathi: “Nina enikholo luncane, kungani nikhulumisana ngokuthi aninasinkwa? 9Namanje anikaqondi na? Anikhumbuli yini izinkwa ezinhlanu zabangu-5 000, nokuthi nabutha obhasikidi abangaki?
10“Noma izinkwa eziyisikhombisa zabangu-4 000, nokuthi nabutha obhasikidi abangaki?
11“Kungani ningaqondi ukuthi bengingakhulumi nani ngesinkwa? Qaphelani imvubelo yabaFarisi neyabaSadusi.”
12Khona-ke base beqonda ukuthi wayengabatshelanga ukuba baqaphele imvubelo esesinkweni, kodwa imfundiso yabaFarisi neyabaSadusi.
UPhethro Uvuma iNdodana kaBaba
13Kwathi uJesu efika endaweni yaseKhesariya Filiphi, wabuza abafundi bakhe wathi: “Abantu bathi iNdodana yomuntu ingubani?”
14Bathi: “Abanye bathi nguJohane uMbhapathizi, abanye bathi ngu-Eliya, abanye bathi nguJeremiya noma omunye wabaprofethi.”
15Wathi kubo: “Kodwa nina nithi ngingubani na?”
16USimoni Phethro waphendula wathi: “Wena unguKhristu, iNdodana kaBaba ophilayo.”
17UJesu waphendula wathi: “Ubusisiwe, Simoni ndodana kaJona, ngokuba lokhu akwambulelwanga yinyama negazi, kodwa nguBaba wami osezulwini.
18“Mina ngithi kuwe: wena unguPhethro, futhi phezu kwaleli dwala ngiyakwakha ibandla lami; namasango endawo yabafileyo ngeke alinqobe.
19“Ngiyakunika izihluthulelo zombuso kaBaba wethu; noma yini oyibophayo emhlabeni iyakuba ibotshiwe ezulwini, nanoma yini oyikhululayo emhlabeni iyakuba ikhululiwe ezulwini.”
20Khona-ke wabayala kakhulu abafundi ukuba bangatsheli muntu ukuthi unguKhristu.
INdodana Kumele Ihlupheke Ivuke
21Kusukela ngaleso sikhathi uJesu waqala ukutshela abafundi bakhe ukuthi kumele aye eJerusalema, ahlupheke kakhulu ngenxa yamalunga nabapristi abakhulu nababhali, abulawe, abuye avuswe ngosuku lwesithathu.
22UPhethro wamthatha wambuyisela eceleni waqala ukumsola wathi: “Makungenzeki, Nkosi! Lokhu akusoze kwenzeka kuwe.”
23Kodwa waphenduka wathi kuPhethro: “Suka ngemuva kwami, Sathane! Uyisikhubekiso kimi, ngokuba awucabangi ngalokho uBaba wethu akukhathalelayo, kodwa ngalokho abantu abakukhathalelayo.”
24Khona-ke uJesu wathi kubafundi bakhe: “Uma umuntu ethanda ukuza emva kwami, makazidele, athwale isiphambano sakhe, angilandele.
25“Ngokuba lowo othanda ukusindisa ukuphila kwakhe uyakulahlekelwa yikho, kodwa lowo olahlekelwa ukuphila kwakhe ngenxa yami uyakukuthola.
26“Kumsizani umuntu uma ezuza umhlaba wonke kodwa alahlekelwe umphefumulo wakhe? Noma umuntu angakhipha ini ukuze ahlenge umphefumulo wakhe?
27“Ngokuba iNdodana yomuntu isizakuza ngenkazimulo kaYise kanye nezingelosi zayo, bese inika yilowo nalowo umvuzo ngokwezenzo zakhe.
28“Ngiqinisile ngithi kini: abanye kwabemi lapha abasoze bakuzwa ukufa baze babone iNdodana yomuntu iza embusweni wayo.”
