UMarko—‘Wayeluncedo Emsebenzini Wobulungiseleli’

IBANDLA lakwa-Antiyokwe lalinazo iingxaki, kodwa ingxabano eyayiphakathi kukampostile uPawulos noBharnabhas yayingaqhelekanga. La madoda ayeceba uhambo njengabathunywa bevangeli; noko ke, xa kwafuneka agqibe ngomntu aza kuhamba naye, kwabakho “ukudubuleka kabukhali komsindo” phakathi kwawo. (IZe. 15:39) La madoda ahlukana, ngamnye wahamba indlela yakhe. Ayexatyaniswa ngumthunywa wevangeli wesithathu—uMarko.

Wayengubani uMarko? Yintoni eyabangela ukuba aba bapostile baxabane ngenxa yakhe? Yintoni eyabangela ukuba babe neembono ezahlukene kangaka? Ngaba ezo mbono zabo zatshintsha? Yintoni onokuyifunda kwibali likaMarko?

Xa Wayekokwabo EYerusalem

UMarko wakhulela eYerusalem kwintsapho yamaYuda ekubonakala ukuba yayimi kakuhle. Into yokuqala esiyaziyo ngaye inokuthanani nembali yebandla lamaKristu enkulungwane yokuqala. Malunga nowama-44 C.E., xa ingelosi kaYehova ngokungummangaliso yakhulula umpostile uPetros kwintolongo kaHerode Agripa I, uPetros waya “endlwini kaMariya unina kaYohane owayenefani enguMarko, apho abaliqela babehlanganisene khona bethandaza.”—IZe. 12:1-12.a

Kubonakala ukuba ibandla laseYerusalem laliqhubela iintlanganiso endlwini kanina kaMarko. Isibakala sokuba ‘babeliqela’ abantu ababehlanganisana apho sibonisa ukuba indlu yakokwabo yayinkulu. UMariya wayenesicakakazi esinguRoda, esavulela uPetros xa wayenkqonkqoza “elucangweni lwesango.” Ezi nkcukacha zibonisa ukuba uMariya wayemi kakuhle. Xa kuthethwa ngale ndlu kuthiwa yeyakhe akuthiwa yeyomyeni wakhe, ngoko kusenokwenzeka ukuba wayengumhlolokazi yaye noMarko wayesemncinane.—IZe. 12:13.

Kusenokwenzeka ukuba uMarko wayekho kwabo babehlanganisene ukuze bathandaze. Umele ukuba wayeqhelene nabafundi bakaYesu nabanye ababekho ebudeni bobulungiseleli bukaYesu. Enyanisweni, kusenokwenzeka ukuba uMarko wayengulaa mfana owayehamba ze nowayelandela emva koYesu xa kwakubanjwa uYesu okokuqala kodwa owabalekayo xa bezama ukumbamba.—Marko 14:51, 52.

Iimbopheleleko Awayenazo Ebandleni

Akuthandabuzeki ukuba ukunxulumana namaKristu aqolileyo kwamnceda uMarko. Wakhula ngokomoya yaye abazalwana abakhokelayo bakubona oko. Malunga nowama-46 C.E., xa uPawulos noBharnabhas babevela kwa-Antiyokwe besiya eYerusalem besisa “ulungiselelo lwamancedo” ngenxa yendlala eyayikho, baba nomdla kuMarko. Xa uPawulos noBharnabhas bebuyela kwa-Antiyokwe, bahamba noMarko.—IZe. 11:27-30; 12:25.

Umntu ofunda nje usenokucinga ukuba yayingekho enye into eyayidibanisa aba bathathu ngaphandle kwezinto zokomoya nokuba uPawulos noBharnabhas bahamba noMarko ngenxa yokubona iimpawu zakhe. Kodwa enye yeeleta zikaPawulos ibonisa ukuba uMarko wayengumzala kaBharnabhas. (Kol. 4:10) Oku kunokusinceda siziqonde nezinto ezenzeka emva koko ngokuphathelele uMarko.

Malunga nonyaka emva koko, uPawulos noBharnabhas balathiswa ngumoya oyingcwele ukuba bathabath’ uhambo njengabathunywa bevangeli. Basuka kwa-Antiyokwe baza baya eSipro. UYohane Marko wahamba nabo ‘njengomlindi.’ (IZe. 13:2-5) Kusenokwenzeka ukuba kolu hambo uMarko wayebanceda ngezinto eziyimfuneko ukuze aba bapostile banikele ingqalelo kwizinto zokomoya.

UPawulos, uBharnabhas noMarko bayityhutyha yonke iSipro beshumayela; baza emva koko baya eAsia Minor. Xa babelapho uYohane Marko wenza isigqibo esacaphukisa uPawulos. Ingxelo ibonisa ukuba xa befika ePerga, “uYohane wemka kubo waza wabuyela eYerusalem.” (IZe. 13:13) Isizathu sokuba enze oku asichazwanga.

Kwiminyaka embalwa emva koko, uPawulos uBharnabhas noMarko babuyela kwa-Antiyokwe. Aba bapostile babini babethetha ngokuthabath’ olunye uhambo njengabathunywa bevangeli ukuze baqhubeke nomsebenzi ababewenzile kuqala. UBharnabhas wayefuna bahambe nomza wakhe, kodwa uPawulos wayengafuni kuba uMarko wayebashiyile ekuqaleni. Yiloo nto eyaqalisa ingxabano ekuchazwe ngayo ekuqaleni kweli nqaku. UBharnabhas waya noMarko eSipro, waza uPawulos waya eSiriya. (IZe. 15:36-41) Kucacile ukuba uPawulos noBharnabhas abazange basijonge ngendlela efanayo isigqibo sikaMarko.

Ukuxolelana Kwabo

Le nto yamkhathaza gqitha uMarko. Sekunjalo, waqhubeka ekhonza ngokuthembeka. Emva kweminyaka emalunga neli-11 okanye eli-12 uMarko ahlukene noPawulos, kuphinda kuthethwe ngaye kwimbali yamaKristu enkulungwane yokuqala. Ukunye nabani? Ukunye nomntu ubungenakulindela ukuba abe kunye naye—uPawulos!

Ngowama-60-61 C.E., njengoko uPawulos wayesentolongweni eRoma, wathumela iileta eziliqela ngoku eziyinxalenye yeZibhalo Ezingcwele. Kwileta eya kwabaseKolose, wabhala: “Uyanibulisa uAristarko umthinjwa olidlelane lam, wenjenjalo noMarko umza kaBharnabhas, (lowo nanifumene umyalelo wokuba nimamkele ukuba uthe weza kuni) . . . Ngaba kuphela ababa ngamadlelane am ngenxa yobukumkani bukaThixo, bendomeleza.”—Kol. 4:10, 11.

Zazitshintshe ngokwenene izinto! UMarko, owayeqale ngokucaphukisa uPawulos, ngoku wayelidlelane lakhe elixabisekileyo. Kuyabonakala ukuba uPawulos wayexelele abaseKolose ukuba basenokutyelelwa nguMarko. Ukuba uMarko wayenokubatyelela, wayeya kuba umela uPawulos.

Ngaba kwiminyaka engaphambili uPawulos wamgxeka ngokugqithiseleyo uMarko? Ngaba uMarko wangenelwa kwisohlwayo awasifumanayo? Okanye ngaba kwaba negalelo konke oku? Enoba yintoni na eyancedayo, ukuxolelana kwabo kubonisa ukuba bobabini uPawulos noMarko babeqolile. Bayiphosa kwelokulibala yonke loo nto yayenzekile baza basebenza kunye ngoxolo. Lo ngumzekelo omhle ngokwenene onokuxeliswa nguye nabani na owakha wanengxaki yokungaboni ngasonye nomnye umKristu.

UMarko Wayehambahamba

Njengoko ufunda ngeendawo ezahlukahlukeneyo awaya kuzo uMarko, uyaphawula ukuba waya kwiindawo ezininzi. Wasuka eYerusalem waya kwa-Antiyokwe, xa esuka apho waya eSipro nasePerga. Emva koko waya eRoma. Ngoxa wayelapho, uPawulos wafuna ukumthuma eKolose. Akuzange kuphelele apho!

Umpostile uPetros wabhala ileta yakhe yokuqala malunga nowama-62 ukusa kowama-64 C.E. Wabhala wathi: “Uyanibulisa lowo useBhabhiloni . . . wenjenjalo noMarko unyana wam.” (1 Pet. 5:13) Ngoko uMarko waya kukhonza eBhabhiloni nompostile owayefudula esiya kwiintlanganiso zamaKristu ezaziqhutyelwa kwindlu kanina kwiminyaka engaphambili.

Xa uPawulos wayevalelwe eRoma okwesibini malunga nowama-65 C.E., wabhalela uTimoti owayese-Efese embiza, waza wongezelela wathi: “Thabatha uMarko uze naye.” (2 Tim. 4:11) UMarko wayese-Efese ngelo xesha. Alithandabuzeki elokuba uMarko wavuma ukubuyela noTimoti eRoma ngokwesicelo sikaPawulos. Ngaloo maxesha kwakungelula ukuhamba, kodwa uMarko wayekulungele ukuhamba loo migama.

Ufumana Elinye Ilungelo Elikhulu

Elinye ilungelo elikhulu elafunyanwa nguMarko lelokuphefumlelwa nguYehova ukuba abhale enye yeencwadi zeVangeli. Nangona umbhali wencwadi yesibini yeVangeli engachazwanga kuyo, imbali yamandulo ibonisa ukuba yabhalwa nguMarko, yena owafumana inkcazelo kuPetros. Eneneni, uPetros wazibonela ngawakhe amehlo zonke izinto ezabhalwa nguMarko.

Abahlalutyi beVangeli kaMarko bakholelwa ukuba wayebhalela abantu beeNtlanga kuba uzicacisa kakuhle izithethe zamaYuda. (Marko 7:3; 14:12; 15:42) UMarko uyawaguqulela amabinzana esiAramiki ebenokubangela ukudideka kubantu abangengomaYuda. (Marko 3:17; 5:41; 7:11, 34; 15:22, 34) Usebenzisa amagama amaninzi esiLatin ade awasebenzise naxa ecacisa amagama esiGrike. Uchaza ixabiso lengqekembe eyayisetyenziswa ngamaYuda ngokwemali eyayisetyenziswa ngamaRoma. (Marko 12:42, umbhalo osemazantsi weNW eneembekiselo) Konke oku kuyavisisana nengcamango yokuba uMarko wayibhalela eRoma incwadi yakhe yeVangeli.

“Uyandinceda Emsebenzini Wobulungiseleli”

UMarko akazange abhale incwadi yakhe yeVangeli kuphela eRoma. Khumbula oko uPawulos wakuxelela uTimoti: “Thabatha uMarko uze naye.” Sasiyintoni isizathu sokuba uPawulos amfune? “Kuba uyandinceda emsebenzini wobulungiseleli.”—2 Tim. 4:11.

Ukuvela kwegama likaMarko kule ndinyana—ekwenye yeencwadi zokugqibela eZibhalweni ezithetha ngoMarko—kubonisa ukuba zininzi ezinye izinto awazenzayo. Ayikho incwadi uMarko achazwa kuyo njengompostile, inkokeli okanye umprofeti. Wayengumlungiseleli, oko kukuthi, wayelungiselela abanye. Ngaphambi nje kokuba umpostile uPawulos afe, uMarko wamnceda kakhulu.

Xa sidibanisa yonke inkcazelo ethetha ngoMarko sifumanisa ukuba wayenenzondelelo ekuhambiseleni phambili iindaba ezilungileyo kwimimandla eyahlukahlukeneyo yehlabathi yaye wayekuthanda ukukhonza abanye. Eneneni, wafumana amalungelo amaninzi ngokwenene kuba engazange anikezele!

Njengabakhonzi bakaThixo namhlanje, nathi sizimisele ukushumayela iindaba ezilungileyo zoBukumkani, njengoMarko. Njengoko noMarko wenzayo, abanye bethu bafudukela kweminye imimandla, bade baye nakumazwe aphesheya ukuze bahambisele phambili iindaba ezilungileyo kuloo mimandla. Nangona uninzi lwethu lungenakukwazi ukufuduka, ikho enye indlela esinokumxelisa ngayo uMarko sonke. Kanye njengokuba wasebenza nzima ukuze alungiselele abazalwana bakhe abangamaKristu, nathi sizimisele ukwenza konke okusemandleni ukuze sincede abazalwana bethu baqhubeke bekhonza uThixo. Xa sisenza oko, sinokuqiniseka ukuba siya kuqhubeka sifumana iintsikelelo ezivela kuYehova.—IMize. 3:27; 10:22; Gal. 6:2.

[Umbhalo osemazantsi]

[Imaphu/Umfanekiso okwiphepha 8, 9]

(Ukuba ufuna inkcazelo ehlahlelwe kakuhle, yiya kwimpapasho)

Ezinye Zezixeko Awaya Kuzo UMarko

ERoma

IEfese

IKolose

IPerga

Kwa-Antiyokwe (yaseSiriya)

ISipro

ULWANDLE LWEMEDITERA

IYerusalem

IBhabhiloni