Isahluko 123

“Nanko Umntu”

ECHUKUMISEKILE sisimilo sikaYesu yaye eqonda ukuba msulwa kwakhe, uPilato uzama enye indlela yokumkhulula. Uzixelela oku izihlwele: “Ninesiko lokuba ndinikhululele abe mnye ngepasika.”

UBharabhas, umbulali odume kakubi, naye ulibanjwa, ngoko uPilato ubuza athi: “Nithanda ukuba ndinikhululele wuphi na, uBharabhas, uYesu ekuthiwa nguKristu, kusini na?”

Bephenjelelwa ngababingeleli abakhulu abaye babaxhokonxa, abantu bacela ukuba uBharabhas akhululwe kodwa uYesu abulawe. Enganikezeli, uPilato uphendula kwakhona ebuza esithi: “Nguwuphi na kwaba bobabini enithanda ukuba ndinikhululele yena?”

Bakhwaza bathi: “NguBharabhas.”

Edanile uPilato uyabuza: “Ndimenzeni na ke uYesu ekuthiwa nguKristu?”

Ngaxeshanye ngamazwi aphakamileyo atsho iindlebe zivaleke, baphendula bathi: “Makabethelelwe emthini.” “Bethelela emthini; mbethelele emthini.”

Esazi ukuba bafuna kubulawe umntu omsulwa, uPilato ubongoza esithi: “Kuba enze bubi buni na lo? Andifumananga tyala lakufa kuye; ndothi ngoko, ndakumbetha, ndimkhulule.”

Phezu kwayo nje imigudu yakhe, isihlwele esivuthayo ngumsindo sintyontyelwa ziinkokeli zaso zonqulo, siqhubeka sikhwaza sisithi: “Makabethelelwe emthini.” Sihlutshezwe ngababingeleli, esi sihlwele sinxanelwe igazi. Yaye khawufan’ ucinge, kwiintsuku nje ezintlanu ngaphambilana, abanye kuso ngokunokwenzeka bebephakathi kwabo bebesamkela uYesu njengoKumkani eYerusalem! Lonke eli xesha, abafundi bakaYesu, ukuba bakho, bathe cwaka yaye abaphawulwa.

UPilato, ebona ukuba izibongozo zakhe azincedi nto kodwa, kunoko, isiphithiphithi siyanda, uthabatha amanzi aze ahlambe izandla zakhe phambi kwesihlwele, aze athi: “Andinatyala egazini lalo mntu ulilungisa; ziboneleni nina.” Akutsho abantu baphendula bathi: “Igazi lakhe malibe phezu kwethu, naphezu kwabantwana bethu.”

Ngoko, ngokuvisisana noko bakuthethayo—yaye enqwenela ukwanelisa isihlwele ngaphezu kokwenza oko akwaziyo ukuba kulungile—uPilato ubakhululela uBharabhas. Uthabatha uYesu aze ayalele ukuba akhululwe aze atyakatywe. Oku yayingekokubethwa kuqhelekileyo. IThe Journal of the American Medical Association ichaza uqheliselo lwamaRoma lokutyakatya isithi:

“Isixhobo esiqhelekileyo yayisisabhokhwe esifutshane esineentambo eziliqela zofele ezinganye okanye ezalukiweyo nezinobude obahlukahlukeneyo, ekwakusithi kuzo kubotshelelwe iintsimbi ezincinane okanye iingceba ezibukhali zamathambo egusha. . . . Njengoko amasoldati amaRoma ayewubetha ngokuphindaphindiweyo nangezithonga ezivakalayo umqolo wexhoba, iintsimbi ezincinane bezidla ngokuvula imivumbo emikhulu, yaye iintambo zofele namathambo egusha ebedla ngokusisika isikhumba nezicwili ezingaphantsi kwesikhumba. Kwandule ke, njengoko ukutyakatya kwakuqhubeka, amanxeba ebedla ngokukrazula izihlunu ezisondele emathanjeni aze avelise inyama eyophayo eyimicu.”

Emva koku kubethwa kuthuthumbisayo, uYesu usiwa kwibhotwe lerhuluneli, yaye lonke ibutho lamasoldati libizelwa ndawonye. Apho amasoldati amxhaphaza ngakumbi ngokuthi aluke isithsaba sameva aze asinyanzele entlokweni yakhe. Abeka ingcongolo esandleni sakhe sokunene, yaye amnxibisa ingubo ebomvu, uhlobo olunxitywa ngabasebukhosini. Emva koko athi kuye ngokugculelayo: “Aa! Kumkani wamaYuda!” Kwaye ayamtshicela aze amqhwabe ebusweni. Ethabatha ingcongolo eyomeleleyo esandleni sakhe, ayisebenzisa ukumbetha ngayo entloko, enyanzela ngakumbi kukhakayi lwakhe ameva abukhali “esithsaba” sakhe sokumhlazisa.

Isidima namandla kaYesu aphawulekayo phezu koku kuphathwa kakubi kumchukumisa kakhulu uPilato kangangokuba ushukunyiselwa ukuba enze omnye umgudu wokumkhulula. Uxelela izihlwele oku: “Yabonani, ndimzisa phandle kuni, ukuze nazi ukuba andifumani nalinye ityala kuye.” Kunokwenzeka ukuba ucinga ukuba ukubona uYesu ekwimeko yokuthuthunjiswa kuya kuzithambisa iintliziyo zaso. Njengoko uYesu eme phambi kwehlokondiba elingenalusizi, enxibe isithsaba sameva nengubo yokwaleka ebomvu nobuso bakhe obophayo buzele iintlungu, uPilato uvakalisa oku: “Nanko umntu.”

Nangona eyiloo nto ngamanxeba nokubethwa, apha kume oyena mntu ubalaseleyo kuyo yonke imbali, enyanisweni oyena mntu ubalaseleyo owakha waphila! Ewe, uYesu ubonakalisa isidima ngokungakhuphi nelimdaka nangokuzola okubonisa ukubalasela kangangokuba noPilato umele avume, kuba amazwi akhe ngokuphandle avakalisa kokubini intlonelo nosizi. Yohane 18:39–19:5; Mateyu 27:15-17, 20-30; Marko 15:6-19; Luka 23:18-25.

▪ UPilato uzama ngayiphi indlela ukukhulula uYesu?

▪ UPilato uzama njani ukuzenza omsulwa?

▪ Ukutyakatywa kubandakanya ntoni?

▪ UYesu ugculelwa njani emva kokuba etyakatyiwe?

▪ Nguwuphi umgudu ongakumbi owenziwa nguPilato wokukhulula uYesu?