UMariya uselezinyanga ezine ezithwele. Khumbula ukuthi okwezinyanga ezintathu ezithwele ubehlala lesihlobo sakhe u-Elizabethi emaqaqeni eJudiya. Kodwa khathesi uMariya usebuyele ngakibo eNazaretha njalo sekuzakhanya ukuthi uzithwele. Kumele ukuthi lokhu kuyamkhathaza sibili.

Kodwa okumkhathaza kakhulu yikuthi uthembisane lombazi okuthiwa nguJosefa ohlala khonapho eNazaretha. Uyakwazi futhi ukuthi uMthetho uNkulunkulu awunika ama-Israyeli uthi owesifazana osethembisane lendoda ethile kodwa aye emacansini lenye kumele akhandwe ngamatshe aze afe. (UDutheronomi 22:23, 24) Lanxa uMariya engazange aziphathe kubi, kungenzeka uyazibuza ukuthi uzambikela athini uJosefa indaba yokuzithwala kwakhe lokuthi kuzahamba njani ngemva kwalokho.

UJosefa usekulindele ngabomvu ukubona uMariya njengoba ubengekho okwezinyanga ezintathu. Kumele ukuthi sebebonene uMariya uyamtshela ngokuzithwala kwakhe futhi azame ukuchasisela uJosefa ukuthi umoya ongcwele kaNkulunkulu yiwo owenze wazithwala. Kodwa uJosefa kakuzwisisi lokhu futhi kunzima kakhulu ukuthi akukholwe.

UJosefa uyakwazi ukuthi uMariya uzilungele lokuthi abantu bakhuluma kuhle ngaye njalo umthanda okwamagama. Lanxa uMariya ezamile ukuchasisa ngokuzithwala kwakhe, uJosefa ucabanga ukuthi woniwe ngenye indoda. UJosefa kafuni ukuthi uMariya akhandwe ngamatshe kumbe ukuthi ayangiswe phambi kwabantu yikho ubona kungcono ukuthi achithe umtshado wabo ensitha. Ngensuku lezo abantu abathembiseneyo babengani sebetshadile njalo  nxa basebefuna ukwalana kwakumele bakwenze lokhu ngokuchitha umtshado.

Ngemva kokubonana kwakhe loMariya, uJosefa udla amathambo engqondo ngendaba le aze ajumeke. Ingilosi kaJehova ibonakala kuye ephutsheni njalo ithi: “Ungesabi ukuthatha umkakho uMariya uhambe laye ngekhaya, ngoba kwenziwe ngomoya ongcwele ukuthi azithwale. Yena uzabeletha indodana futhi kumele uyiphe ibizo elithi Jesu, ngoba izasindisa abantu bayo ezonweni zabo.”​—UMathewu 1:20, 21.

UJosefa uyathokoza nxa evuka ngoba isimcacela indaba yokuzithwala kukaMariya. Uhle ahambe ayemthatha njalo amlethe emzini wakhe njengokutsho kwengilosi. Lesi yisenzo esicacisayo ebantwini ukuthi uJosefa loMariya sebetshadile. Ngesikhathi uMariya ezithwele, uJosefa kayi emacansini laye.

Ngemva kwezinyanga ezithile uJosefa loMariya osezabeletha balungiselela uhambo lokuya kwelinye idolobho. Pho bafuna ukuya ngaphi yena uMariya esezabeletha?