UJesu Ukhetha USawula

USawula bekasisakhamuzi seRoma esabelethelwa edorobheni leTarsusi. BekamFarisi obakanelwazi tle kezomThetho wamaJuda, ahloye namaKrestu ngendlela erarako. Bekathi nakafikako, afese arhudule amadoda amaKrestu nabafazi bakhona emizinabo abaphose ejele. Nangesikhathi iwoma labantu abakwatileko likghadlha uStefani ngamatje wabe wafa, uSawula naye bekajame lapho abukele.

Ukubopha amaKrestu eJerusalema kwaphela bekungamanelisi. Wabawa umphristi omkhulu bona athumele yena eDamaseku, akwazi ukuwazuma kuhle amaKrestu la. Wathi nakatjhidela edorobheni, wabetjhwa mkhanyo ohlabako wabe waduleka phasi. Wezwa ilizwi lithi: ‘Sawula kubayini ungitlhorisa kangaka?’ USawula wabuza wathi: ‘Ungubani wena?’ Laphendula lathi: ‘NginguJesu. Khamba uye eDamaseku nawufika lapho uzakufumana okufuze ukwenze.’ Khonokho, uSawula waphophala, kwafuze adoswe abe ayokufika edorobheni.

EDamaseku bekunomfundi othembekileko ibizo lakhe kungu-Ananiyasi. UJesu wakhuluma naye embonweni wathi: ‘Khamba uye emzini kaJuda endledlaneni ekuthiwa nguNqophile, ufune umuntu ibizo lakhe elinguSawula.’ U-Ananiyasi wathi: ‘Kosi ngizwe imibiko ngendoda leyo. Ibopha abantu bakho ibafake emajele.’ Kodwana uJesu wathi: ‘Khamba uye kuye, ngikhethe uSawula bonyana kube nguye otjhumayela iindaba ezimnandi eentjhabeni ezinengi.’

U-Ananiyasi wamthola uSawula wathi kuye: ‘Sawula mfowethu, uJesu ungithume kobana ngizokuvula amehlo.’ Khonokho amehlo kaSawula avuleka. Wafunda ngoJesu bewaba mlandelakhe. Wabhajadiswa wabamKrestu, wathoma ukutjhumayela emasinagogeni nabanye abalandeli bakaKrestu. Ibone ngamehlwengqondo indaba le, amaJuda athukwe ayahlengezela njengombana abona uSawula nangu ufundisa abantu ngoJesu. Abe abuza athi: ‘Indoda le akusiyo leya ebeyizumana nabafundi bakaJesu phasi phezulu?’

Kwaba minyaka emithathu yoke uSawula atjhumayeza izakhamuzi zeDamaseku. AmaJuda bekamhloyile uSawula enza namano wokumbulala. Abafowethu bezwa ngamano lawo, bamsiza wabaleka. Bamfaka ngemantjini bamkhipha ngembobo ebiyisebodeni ephumela ngaphandle kwedorobho.

USawula nakaya eJerusalema, walinga ukuzihlanganisa nabafowethu. Kodwana bebamsaba nala adlule khona. Kwathi omunye umfundi onomusa onguBharinabhasi, wathatha uSawula waya naye ebapostolini wafese waqinisekisa ukuthi uSawula utjhuguluke kwamambala. Wathoma lapho-ke uSawula ukutjhumayela iindaba ezimnandi ngetjiseko asebenza nebandla leJerusalema. Ekukhambeni kwesikhathi ibizo lakhe latjhuguluka waba ngoPowula.