UMARKU wabhala enye yezincwadi ezine zeBhayibheli ezikhuluma ngokuphila kukaJesu. Iyona emfushane nokulula kakhulu ukuyifunda. Wayengubani uMarku? Ucabanga ukuthi wayemazi uJesu?— * Ake sibone ukuthi ikuphi ukulingwa okunzima uMarku abhekana nakho, sifunde nokuthi kungani engazange ayeke ukuba umKristu.

UMarku kukhulunywa ngaye okokuqala eBhayibhelini ngemva kokuba iNkosi uHerode Agripha efake umphostoli uPetru ejele. Ngobusuku obuthile ingelosi yakhulula uPetru, wasuka lapho waya emzini kanina kaMarku, uMariya, owayehlala eJerusalema. UPetru wakhululwa ejele ngemva kweminyaka engaba yishumi kwabulawa uJesu ngePhasika lika-33 C.E.—IzEnzo 12:1-5, 11-17.

Uyazi ukuthi kungani uPetru aya kwaMariya?— Mhlawumbe ngoba wayazi amalungu omkhaya wakhe futhi wayazi ukuthi abafundi bakaJesu babeqhubela imihlangano lapho. Umzala kaMarku uBarnaba wayesenesikhathi eside engumfundi, okungenani kusukela ngoMkhosi WePhentekoste lika-33 C.E. IBhayibheli likhuluma ngomusa awubonisa kubafundi abasha ngaleso sikhathi. Ngakho kungenzeka uJesu wayemazi uBarnaba, kanye nodadewabo kanina uMariya nendodana yakhe uMarku.—IzEnzo 4:36, 37; Kolose 4:10.

EVangelini lakhe, uMarku wabhala ukuthi ngobusuku uJesu aboshwa ngabo, kwakukhona osemusha owayembethe ingubo kuphela ‘emzimbeni wakhe onqunu.’ UMarku wabhala ukuthi lapho izitha zibamba uJesu, lona osemusha wabaleka. Ucabanga ukuthi wayengubani lona osemusha?— Yebo, kungenzeka kwakunguMarku! Ngakho lapho uJesu nabaphostoli bakhe behamba kamuva ngalobo busuku, kubonakala sengathi uMarku wamane wembatha ingubo wabalandela.—Marku 14:51, 52.

Ngokuqinisekile uMarku wayenesizinda esihle ngokomoya. Cishe wayekhona lapho kuthululwa umoya ongcwele ngePhentekoste lika-33 C.E., futhi wayejwayelene kakhulu nezinceku zikaNkulunkulu ezithembekile, ezinjengoPetru. Kodwa wabuye wahamba nomzala wakhe uBarnaba, owasiza uSawulu ngokumethula kuPetru eminyakeni engaba mithathu ngemva kokuba uJesu ezibonakalise kuSawulu embonweni. Eminyakeni eminingi kamuva, uBarnaba waya eTarsu ukuba ayofuna uSawulu.—IzEnzo 9:1-15, 27; 11:22-26; 12:25; Galathiya 1:18, 19.

 Ngo-47 C.E., uBarnaba noSawulu bakhethwa ukuba benze umsebenzi wobuvangeli. Bahamba noMarku, kodwa ngasizathu simbe, uMarku wabashiya kamuva wabuyela ekhaya eJerusalema. USawulu, owayesaziwa ngegama lakhe lesiRoma elithi Pawulu, wathukuthela. Ngakho, akazange akushalazele lokho ayenomuzwa wokuthi kwakuyiphutha elikhulu elenziwa uMarku.—IzEnzo 13:1-3, 9, 13.

Lapho bebuya ohambweni lwabo lokushumayela, uPawulu noBarnaba babika impumelelo enkulu. (IzEnzo 14:24-28) Ngemva kwezinyanga ezithile, bahlela ukuphindela bayovakashela abafundi abasha ababebashumayezile. UBarnaba wayefuna ukuhamba noMarku, kodwa ingabe uyazi ukuthi uPawulu wayenamuphi umuzwa?— “Akakubonanga kufanelekile” ngenxa yokuthi ngaphambili uMarku wayebashiyile waya ekhaya. Okwenzeka ngokulandelayo kumelwe ukuba kwamdumaza uMarku!

Imimoya yashuba, futhi ngemva kwalokho “kwaqhuma intukuthelo enkulu,” uPawulu noBarnaba bahlukana. UBarnaba wathatha uMarku bayoshumayela eKhupro, uPawulu wakhetha uSila babuyela emuva bayovakashela abafundi abasha, njengoba babehlelile. Kumelwe ukuba uMarku wezwa ubuhlungu kakhulu ngokubanga ingxabano phakathi kukaPawulu noBarnaba!—IzEnzo 15:36-41.

Asazi ukuthi kungani uMarku ayebuyele ekhaya ngaphambili. Cishe wayenesizathu esizwakalayo. Kunoma ikuphi, uBarnaba wayeqiniseka ukuthi kwakungeke kuphinde kwenzeke. Futhi wayeqinisile. UMarku akazange adikibale! Kamuva  wenza umsebenzi wobuvangeli noPetru lé eBhabhiloni. Elapho, uPetru wathumela imikhonzo, wanezela: “Kanjalo noMarku indodana yami.”—1 Petru 5:13.

Yeka ubuhlobo obuhle ngokomoya uPetru noMarku ababenabo! Lokhu kuba sobala nalapho sifunda iVangeli likaMarku. Kuleyo ncwadi uMarku ulandisa ngezinto ezashiwo uPetru uqobo. Ngokwesibonelo, qhathanisa ukulandisa okuphathelene nesiphepho esenzeka oLwandle LwaseGalile. UMarku unezela imininingwane yokuthi uJesu wayelele kuphi emkhunjini nokuthi wayelele phezu kwani, izinto umdobi onjengoPetru ayezoziphawula. Kungani singaziboneli lokhu mathupha ngokufunda ndawonye bese siqhathanisa lokhu kulandisa kweBhayibheli okukuMathewu 8:24; Marku 4:37, 38; nakuLuka 8:23?

Kamuva, lapho uPawulu eboshwe eRoma, wancoma uMarku ngokumsekela kwakhe ngobuqotho. (Kolose 4:10, 11) Futhi lapho uPawulu eboshwe lapho futhi, wabhalela uThimothewu emcela ukuba eze noMarku, wachaza: “Ulusizo kimi ekukhonzeni.” (2 Thimothewu 4:11) Ngempela, yeka amalungelo amahle enkonzo uMarku awajabulela ngenxa yokuthi akazange adikibale!