NGUMPOSTILE uPetros lo umi phayaa, yaye abami emva kwakhe ngabanye babahlobo bakhe. Kodwa kutheni le ndoda iqubuda kuPetros nje? Ifanele iyenze na loo nto? Uyazi na ukuba ingubani?

NguKorneli. Uligosa lomkhosi waseRoma. UKorneli akamazi uPetros, kodwa uxelelwe ukuba ammemele endlwini yakhe. Makhe sibone ukuba kwenzeke njani oku.

Abalandeli bokuqala bakaYesu yayingamaYuda, kodwa uKorneli akangomYuda. Kodwa uyamthanda uThixo, uyathandaza kuye, yaye ubenzela izinto ezininzi zobubele abantu. Ngenye imva kwemini kubonakala ingelosi kuye ithi: ‘UThixo ukholisiwe nguwe, yaye uza kuyiphendula imithandazo yakho. Thumela amadoda aye kubiza indoda egama linguPetros. Ihlala eYopa endlwini kaSimon, ngaselwandle.’

Ngoko nangoko uKorneli uthumela amadoda ukuya kufuna uPetros. Ngengomso, xa la madoda esondele eYopa, uPetros useluphahleni lwendlu kaSimon. Apho uThixo wenza uPetros acinge ukuba ubona ilaphu elikhulu lisehla livela ezulwini. Kwelo laphu kukho iintlobo zonke zezilwanyana. Ngokomthetho kaThixo, ezi zilwanyana zaziziinqambi yaye zazingamele zityiwe, ukanti ilizwi lithi: ‘Vuka, Petros. Xhela udle.’

‘Hayi!’ uyaphendula uPetros. ‘Andizange ndiyitye into eyinqambi.’ Kodwa ilizwi lithi kuPetros: ‘Musa ukuthi ziyinqambi izinto aye uThixo ngoku wazihlambulula.’ Oku kwenzeka izihlandlo ezithathu. Esaxakiwe uPetros ukuba kuthetha ntoni oku, kufika amadoda athunyelwe nguKorneli angene endlwini aze abuzise ngoPetros.

UPetros uyehla aze athi: ‘Ndingulowo nimfunayo. Nizele ntoni na?’ Xa la madoda echaza ukuba ingelosi ixelele uKorneli ukuba ameme uPetros endlwini yakhe, uPetros uyavuma ukuhamba nawo. Ngengomso uPetros nabahlobo bakhe bayemka besiya kutyelela uKorneli eKesareya.

UKorneli uhlanganise zonke izalamane zakhe nabahlobo abasondeleyo. Ekufikeni kukaPetros, uKorneli uyamamkela. Uwa phantsi aze aqubude ezinyaweni zikaPetros, njengokuba ubona apha. Kodwa uPetros uthi: ‘Phakama, nam ngokwam ndingumntu.’ Ewe, iBhayibhile ibonisa ukuba akulunganga ukuqubuda uze unqule umntu. Kufuneka sinqule uYehova kuphela.

Ngoku uPetros ushumayela kwabahlanganiseneyo. ‘Ndiyabona ukuba uThixo wamkela bonke abantu abafuna ukumkhonza,’ utsho uPetros. Yaye ngoxa ethetha, uThixo uthumela umoya wakhe oyingcwele, baze abantu baqalise ukuthetha ngeelwimi ezahlukeneyo. Le nto iyabothusa abafundi abangamaYuda abebeze noPetros, kuba bebecinga ukuba uThixo ukhetha amaYuda kuphela. Ngoko le nto iyabafundisa ukuba uThixo akajongi abantu balo naluphi na uhlanga njengababhetele okanye njengababaluleke ngakumbi kunabolunye uhlanga. Asiyonto simele siyikhumbule sonke leyo?