Lapho besuka eJudiya beya eGalile, uJesu nabafundi bakhe balibangisa enyakatho, banqamule esifundeni saseSamariya. Bakhathele ngenxa yalolu hambo. Emini bama eduze nedolobha laseSikhari ukuze baphumule ngasemthonjeni, okungenzeka wambiwa uJakobe noma waqasha abantu ukuba bawumbe emakhulwini eminyaka ngaphambili. Nanamuhla, lowo mthombo usatholakala eduze nedolobha okuthiwa iNablus.

Lapho uJesu esaphumule eduze komthombo, abafundi bakhe bangena edolobheni eliseduze bayothenga ukudla. Lapho besahambile, kufika owesifazane ongumSamariya ezokha amanzi. UJesu uthi kuye: “Ngiphuzise.”—Johane 4:7.

Ngokuvamile amaJuda namaSamariya awezwani, ngenxa yokucwasana osekuneminyaka kukhona. Ngakho lo wesifazane uyamangala, bese ebuza: “Kwenzeka kanjani ukuba wena, nakuba ungumJuda, ucele ukuba ngikuphuzise, ngibe ngingowesifazane ongumSamariya?” UJesu uyaphendula: “Ukube bewazi ngesipho sesihle sikaNkulunkulu nokuthi ngubani lo othi kuwe, ‘Ngiphuzise,’ ngabe ucele kuye, futhi ngabe ukunike amanzi okuphila.” Owesifazane uthi: “Mnumzane, awunalo ngisho nebhakede lokukha amanzi, futhi umthombo ujulile. Pho la manzi okuphila onawo avela kumuphi umthombo? Awumkhulu kunokhokho wethu uJakobe, owasinika lo mthombo, yena namadodana akhe nezinkomo zakhe abaphuza kuwo, akunjalo?”—Johane 4:9-12.

UJesu uthi: “Wonke umuntu ophuza la manzi uyophinde ome. Noma ubani ophuza la manzi engizomnika wona akasoze oma, kodwa amanzi engizomnika wona, ngaphakathi kuye ayoba umthombo wamanzi ophuphumayo ukuze udlulisele ukuphila okuphakade.” (Johane 4:13, 14) Yebo, nakuba uJesu ekhathele uzimisele ukuxoxela lona wesifazane ongumSamariya amaqiniso anikeza ukuphila.

Owesifazane ube esethi: “Mnumzane, nginike la manzi, ukuze ngingomi futhi ngingalokhu ngiza kule ndawo ngizokha amanzi.” Kubonakala sengathi uJesu manje ushintsha ingxoxo bese ethi: “Hamba uyobiza umyeni wakho nize kule ndawo.” Owesifazane uyaphendula: “Anginaye umyeni.” Kodwa cabanga ukuthi kumelwe ukube umangala kanjani lapho ezwa ukuthi uJesu wazi okuningi ngaye njengoba ethi: “Usho kahle uma uthi, ‘Anginaye umyeni.’ Ngoba uye waba nabayeni abahlanu, futhi indoda onayo manje ayiyena umyeni wakho.”—Johane 4:15-18.

La mazwi kaJesu enza lo wesifazane aqaphele ukuthi uJesu akayena umuntu ovamile. Ngakho, uthi kuye ngokumangala: “Mnumzane, ngiyabona ukuthi ungumprofethi.” Ube esebonisa ukuthi uyazithanda izinto eziphathelene noNkulunkulu. Kanjani? Uyaqhubeka: “Okhokho bethu [amaSamariya] babekhulekela kule ntaba [intaba iGerizimu eseduzane], kodwa nina [amaJuda] nithi iseJerusalema indawo abantu okufanele bakhulekele kuyo.”—Johane 4:19, 20.

UJesu ube esechaza ukuthi indawo yokukhulekela ayibalulekile, uthi: “Ihora liyeza lapho ningeke nikhulekele uBaba kule ntaba noma eJerusalema.” Aphinde athi: “Ihora liyeza futhi sekuyilo namanje lapho abakhulekeli beqiniso beyokhulekela khona  uBaba ngomoya nangeqiniso, ngoba ngempela uBaba ufuna abanjalo ukuba bamkhulekele.”—Johane 4:21, 23, 24.

Lokho uBaba akufunayo kubakhulekeli beqiniso akukona ukuthi bakhulekela kuphi, kodwa ukuthi bakhulekela kanjani. Lo wesifazane uyakuthanda lokho akuzwayo, uthi: “Ngiyazi ukuthi uMesiya uyeza, obizwa ngokuthi uKristu. Noma nini lapho yena efika, uyozimemezela obala zonke izinto kithi.”—Johane 4:25.

UJesu ube esembula iqiniso elibalulekile: “Mina engikhuluma nawe nginguye.” (Johane 4:26) Cabanga nje! Lo wesifazane ubemane nje ezozikhelela amanzi emini. Kodwa uJesu umbonisa umusa ngendlela emangalisayo. Umtshela ngokuqondile into okubonakala sengathi ubengakayitsheli muntu omunye, ukuthi unguMesiya.

Abafundi bakaJesu bafika nokudla bevela eSikhari. Bamthola emthonjeni kaJakobe lapho bemshiye khona, kodwa manje usekhuluma nowesifazane ongumSamariya. Njengoba abafundi befika, owesifazane ushiya imbiza yakhe yamanzi aye edolobheni.

Lapho efika eSikhari, uxoxela abantu izinto azitshelwe nguJesu. Ubatshela ngokuqiniseka: “Wozani nibone umuntu ongitshele zonke izinto engizenzile.” Mhlawumbe ukuze abenze babe nelukuluku, uyababuza: “Akuyena mhlawumbe uKristu lona?” (Johane 4:29) Lona umbuzo ophathelene nendaba ebalulekile, wonke umuntu abelokhu efuna ukwazi ngayo kusukela ngosuku lukaMose. (Duteronomi 18:18) Umbuzo wakhe wenza abantu baphume bazozibonela mathupha uJesu.

Phakathi naleso sikhathi, abafundi bancenga uJesu ukuba adle ukudla abafike nako. Kodwa uthi: “Nginokudla engizokudla eningazi ngakho.” Lokhu kuyabadida abafundi, bese bebuzana: “Akekho omlethele ukudla, akunjalo?” Ngomusa uJesu ubachazela ngamazwi anomyalezo obalulekile kubo bonke abalandeli bakhe: “Ukudla kwami kuwukuba ngenze intando yalowo ongithumile nokuba ngiqede umsebenzi wakhe.”—Johane 4:32-34.

 UJesu akakhulumi ngomsebenzi wokuvuna ukudla okusanhlamvu, okusasele izinyanga ezine ukuba uqale. Kunalokho ukhuluma ngomsebenzi wokwenza abafundi, njengoba ebonisa: “Phakamisani amehlo enu nibuke amasimu, ukuthi asemhlophe alungele ukuvunwa. Kakade umvuni useyalamukela iholo futhi ubutha isithelo esiyothola ukuphila okuphakade, ukuze umhlwanyeli nomvuni bajabule kanyekanye.”—Johane 4:35, 36.

Kungenzeka ukuthi uJesu useyawubona umphumela wokuhlangana kwakhe nowesifazane ongumSamariya. Abaningi eSikhari baba nokholo kuJesu ngenxa yobufakazi bowesifazane, ngoba uthi kubo: “Ungitshele zonke izinto engizenzile.” (Johane 4:39) Ngakho lapho befika emthonjeni bevela eSikhari, bacela uJesu ukuba ahlale abatshele okwengeziwe. UJesu uyasamukela lesi simemo, bese ehlala eSamariya izinsuku ezimbili.

Njengoba amaSamariya elalele uJesu, namanye amaningi aba nokholo kuye. Athi kowesifazane: “Asisakholwa ngenxa yalokho okushilo; ngoba sizizwele ngokwethu, futhi siyazi ukuthi lo muntu ngempela ungumsindisi wezwe.” (Johane 4:42) Lo wesifazane ongumSamariya usibekela isibonelo esihle ngempela sendlela esingafakaza ngayo ngoKristu, senze abantu babe nelukuluku bathande ukwazi okwengeziwe.

Uzokhumbula ukuthi sekusele izinyanga ezine ngaphambi kokuvuna. Kungenzeka kukhulunywa ngokuvunwa kwebhali okwenzeka entwasahlobo kule ndawo. Ngakho cishe manje uNovemba noma uDisemba. Lokhu kusho ukuthi ngemva kwePhasika lika-30 C.E., uJesu nabafundi bakhe sebechithe izinyanga ezingaba ngu-8 eJudiya, befundisa futhi bebhapathiza. Manje sebeya eGalile, endaweni yangakubo esenyakatho. Balindelwe yini lapho?