UJesu usuka eJerikho uya eBhethaniya. Ikhambweli libandakanya umkhuphukela ongaba makhilomitha ama-20 endaweni ekubudisi ukukhamba kiyo. ULazaru nabodadwabo ababili bahlala esabelweni esincani seBethaniya, esilibanga elingaba makhilomitha ama-3 ukusuka eJerusalema, ngemkhuphukelweni ongepumalanga yeNtaba yama-Oliva.

AmaJuda amanengi sekafikile eJerusalema azokugidinga iPhasika. Afike ngaphambi kwesikhathi ‘bona azokuhlanjululwa’ nangabe kwenzekile athinta isidumbu namkha enza okuthileko okungawenza asilaphale. (Jwanisi 11:55; Numeri 9:6-10) Amanye amaJuda lawo abuthana ethempelini. Ayabuzana ukuthi uJesu uzokuza na ePhasikeni.—Jwanisi 11:56.

Kunepikiswano ekulu malungana noJesu. Abanye abadosiphambili bezekolo bafuna ukumbamba bambulale. Kuhlekuhle, bakhuphe umyalo wokuthi nakungenzeka kube nomuntu ozwako ukuthi uJesu ukuphi, kufuze ababikele ukuze “bambambe.” (Jwanisi 11:57) Abadosiphambilaba khebalinga ukubulala uJesu ngemva kokuthi avuse uLazaru ekufeni. (Jwanisi 11:49-53) Yeke, kuyazwisiseka ukuthi kubayini abanye bazibuza ukuthi uJesu uzokuvela tjhatjhalazi na.

UJesu ufika eBhethaniya ngeLesihlanu, ‘amalanga asithandathu ngaphambi kobana kube yiPhasika.’ (Jwanisi 12:1) Ilanga elitjha (okuliSabatha, ngoNisan 8) lithoma ngemva kokutjhinga kwelanga. Ngalokho, uqede ikhambo lakhe ngaphambi kweSabatha. Bengekhe akghone ukusuka eJerikho ngeSabatha—elithoma ngemva kokutjhinga kwelanga ngeLesihlanu bekube ngemva kokutjhinga kwelanga ngoMgqibelo—ngombana ikhambo elinjalo alikavumeleki ngokomthetho wamaJuda. Kungenzeka uJesu uya ekhaboLazaru njengombana enza ngaphambilini.

USimoni, naye ohlala eBhethaniya, umema uJesu nabakhambisani bakhe, kuhlanganise noLazaru, bona bazokudla kwakhe ngoMgqibelo ntambama. USimoni lo, obizwa ngokuthi ‘ngobekanobulepheru,’ mhlamunye walatjhwa nguJesu ebulepherwini bakhe. Atjengisa ukukhuthala kwakhe, uMarta umajadu ngokutenda iimvakatjhi. UMariya yena, utjheja uJesu ngendlela ekhethekileko kodwana ephehla umguruguru.

UMariya uvula umjekana we-alabhasta, omumatha ‘isiquntu selitha yamafutha anuka kamnandi, inarada yamambala.’ (Jwanisi 12:3) Amafutha la aligugu khulu, intengo yawo (bodenariyu abama-300) ingalingana nomrholo womnyaka woke! UMariya uzesa ihloko neenyawo zakaJesu ngamafutha lawo, ngemva kwalokho amsule iinyawo ngeenhluthu zakhe. Iphunga elimnandi lamafutha lawo lizala indlu yoke.

Abafundi bayasilingeka bebathi: “Kubayini kudlalwa ngamafutha anuka kamnandi la?” (Markosi 14:4) NoJudasi Iskariyodi uyayihlaba indaba yokuzeswa kwakaJesu ngamafutha, uthi: “Kubayini  amafutha anuka kamnandi la angathengiswa ngabodenariyu abama-300 bese imali leyo inikelwe abatlhagako?” (Jwanisi 12:5) Kuhlekuhle, uJudasi akakatshwenyeki ngabantu abatlhagako. UJudasi nguye ophatha ibhokisi lemali yabafundi kodwana bekasolo ayeba imali leyo.

UJesu uvikela uMariya, uthi: “Nimtshwenyelani umfazi lo? Ungenzele into ehle. Ngombana abatlhagako nihlala ninabo, kodwana mina angekhe nihlale ninami. Nakangizesa ngamafutha anuka kamnandi la, ungilungiselela ukubulungwa. Ngiqinisile ngithi kini, nanyana kukuphi lapho kutjhunyayelwa khona iindaba ezimnandezi ephasini loke, nokwenziwe mfazi lo kuzokukhulunywa ngakho akhunjulwe.”—Matewu 26:10-13.

Sekungaphezu kwelanga elilodwa uJesu aseBhethaniya, begodu indaba yokuthi ukhona seyirhatjhekile. AmaJuda amanengi eza endlini kaSimoni angazokubona uJesu kwaphela, kodwana noLazaru loyo uJesu “amvuse kwabafileko.” (Jwanisi 12:9) Nje-ke, abaphristi abakhulu baluka amano wokubulala uJesu noLazaru. Abadosiphambili bezekolwaba bacabanga bona indaba yokuthi uLazaru uyaphila godu, ngiyo eyenza abantu abanengi bakholwe kuJesu. Baneenhliziyo ezimbi kwamambala!