Lapho umuntu esimthandayo efa, ngokuvamile siyakhala ngoba ngeke sisambona. Nakuba ayemthanda uLazaru, uJesu akakhalanga ngenxa yokuthi uLazaru ufile. Wakhala ngenxa yokuthi wayezwelana nabashonelwe, njengoba umongo wokulandisa kukaJohane ubonisa.—Joh. 11:36.

Lapho uJesu eqala ukuzwa ukuthi uLazaru uyagula, akazange asheshe ukuya kuye eyomphulukisa. Ukulandisa kuthi: “Lapho [uJesu] ezwa ukuthi [uLazaru] uyagula, wabe esehlala izinsuku ezimbili endaweni ayekuyo.” (Joh. 11:6) Kungani uJesu alibala? Wakwenza ngenjongo. Wathi: “Injongo yalokhu kugula ayikhona ukufa, kodwa iwukuba kukhazinyuliswe uNkulunkulu, ukuze iNdodana kaNkulunkulu ikhazinyuliswe ngakho.” (Joh. 11:4) Kungani “injongo” noma umphumela wokugula kukaLazaru kwawungekona ukufa? UJesu wayehlose ukusebenzisa ukufa kukaLazaru ukuze “kukhazinyuliswe uNkulunkulu.” Kanjani? UJesu wayesezokwenza isimangaliso esiwumbukwane sokuvusa umngane wakhe amthandayo ethuneni.

Engxoxweni yakhe nabafundi bakhe kuleso senzakalo, uJesu wafanisa ukufa nokulala. Yingakho abatshela ukuthi ‘uya khona ukuze ayomvusa uLazaru ebuthongweni.’ (Joh. 11:11) KuJesu ukuvusa uLazaru ekufeni kwakuyofana nomzali ovusa ingane ebuthongweni. Ngakho sasingekho isizathu sokuba ezwe ubuhlungu ngokufa kukaLazaru ngokwakho.

Pho, yini eyashukumisela uJesu ukuba akhale izinyembezi? Nalapha, umongo uyasinikeza impendulo. Lapho uJesu ehlangana nodadewabo kaLazaru uMariya futhi embona yena nabanye bekhala, “wabubula emoyeni futhi wakhathazeka.” Ukubona ubuhlungu babo kwamzwisa ubuhlungu kangangokuthi “wabubula emoyeni.” Yingakho ‘uJesu akhala izinyembezi.’ Kwamdabukisa kakhulu uJesu ukubona abangane bakhe abathandayo bekhungethwe usizi.—Joh. 11:33, 35.

Lokhu kulandisa kubonisa ukuthi uJesu unamandla nekhono lokuvusa abathandekayo bethu babuye baphile futhi babe nempilo enhle ezweni elisha elizayo. Kusisiza nokuba siqonde ukuthi uJesu uyezwelana nalabo abashonelwe abathandekayo babo ngenxa yokufa okweza ngo-Adamu. Lokhu kulandisa kusifundisa nokuthi kufanele sizwelane nalabo abasosizini lokushonelwa abathandekayo babo.

UJesu wayazi ukuthi wayezomvusa uLazaru. Noma kunjalo, wakhala, eshukunyiswa uthando olujulile nozwela ngabangane bakhe. Ngokufanayo, uzwela lwethu lungase lusishukumisele ukuba ‘sikhale nabantu abakhalayo.’ (Roma 12:15) Ukubonisa usizi ngaleyo ndlela akusho ukuthi umuntu akanalo ukholo ethembeni lovuko. Yeka ukuthi kufaneleka kangakanani-ke ukuthi uJesu wabeka isibonelo sokubonisa uzwela ngabashonelwe ngokukhala izinyembezi ngokungazenzisi nakuba ayesezomvusa uLazaru.