1. Fotokozani chisoni chimene Marita anali nacho komanso zimene zinachititsa kuti akhale ndi chisonicho.

PANALI patatha masiku anayi chimwalirireni Lazaro ndipo Marita ankaganizirabe mmene manda a mchimwene wakeyo ankaonekera. Manda ake anali phanga ndipo pakhomo pake anatsekapo ndi chimwala. Marita anali ndi chisoni chachikulu ndi imfa ya mchimwene wake Lazaro yemwe ankamukonda kwambiri moti sanakhulupirire kuti wapitadi. Pa nthawiyi, kunyumba kwawo kunali kudakali anthu ena olira maliro komanso kunkabwerabe anthu odzapepesa malirowo.

2, 3. (a) Kodi Marita ayenera kuti anamva bwanji atakumana ndi Yesu? (b) Kodi mawu amene Marita analankhula akutiuza chiyani za iyeyo?

² Ndiyeno Yesu, munthu yemwe anali wofunika kwambiri kwa Lazaro, anafika kunyumba kwa Marita, m’tauni yaing’ono ya Betaniya. Marita ataona Yesu, chisoni chake chinawonjezeka chifukwa Yesu anali munthu yekhayo padziko lonse amene akanathandiza kuti Lazaro asafe. Komabe ngakhale zinali choncho, mtima wa Marita unakhala m’malo ataona kuti Yesu wabwera kudzawatonthoza. Marita analimbikitsidwa chifukwa Yesu anali munthu wachikondi, wokoma mtima ndiponso wachifundo. Yesu anafunsa Marita mafunso amene anamuthandiza kuganizira kwambiri za chikhulupiriro chake pa nkhani yakuti akufa adzauka. Pokambiranapo, Marita analankhula mawu ofunika kwambiri amene anali asanalankhulepo. Iye ananena kuti: “Ndimakhulupirira kuti ndinu Khristu Mwana wa Mulungu, Amene dziko linali kuyembekezera kubwera kwake.”—Yoh. 11:27.

³ Mawu amenewa akusonyeza kuti Marita anali mayi wachikhulupiriro cholimba kwambiri. Baibulo silinena zambiri zokhudza Marita, komabe pa zimene limanenazo tingaphunzirepo mfundo zofunika kwambiri zotithandiza kulimbitsa chikhulupiriro chathu. Kuti timvetse mfundo imeneyi, tiyeni tikambirane kaye nkhani ya m’Baibulo pamene Marita akutchulidwa koyamba.

4. Kodi Marita ankakhala ndi ndani, nanga n’chiyani chikusonyeza kuti banja lawo linkagwirizana ndi Yesu?

⁴ Miyezi yambiri izi zisanachitike, Lazaro anali bwinobwino kunyumba kwawo ku Betaniya, ndipo ankayembekezera kulandira Yesu Khristu, yemwe anali mlendo wofunika kwambiri. Lazaro, Marita ndi Mariya anali anthu a banja limodzi ndipo ankakhala m’nyumba imodzi ngakhale kuti anali akuluakulu. Akatswiri ena amanena kuti Marita ayenera kuti ndi amene anali wamkulu pa onsewo. Iwo amanena choncho chifukwa Marita ndi amene ankathamangathamanga Yesu atabwera komanso chifukwa choti nthawi zina iye ndi amene amatchulidwa koyambirira. (Yoh. 11:5) Sitikudziwa ngati aliyense wa anthuwa anakhalapo pa banja. Chomwe tikudziwa n’chakuti anali anzake apamtima a Yesu. Pa nthawi imene Yesu ankachita utumiki wake ku Yudeya, kumene anthu ambiri ankamutsutsa komanso kumuchitira nkhanza, iye ankakhala kunyumba kwa anthu amenewa. Yesu ankasangalala komanso kuthandizidwa akafika kunyumbaku ndipo ayenera kuti ankayamikira kwambiri zimenezi.

5, 6. (a) N’chifukwa chiyani Marita anatanganidwa kwambiri pa nthawi imene Yesu anabwera kunyumba kwawo? (b) Kodi Mariya anatani Yesu atafika?

⁵ Marita ankaonetsetsa kuti panyumbapo ndi posamalidwa bwino komanso kuti alendo akulandiridwa bwino. Chifukwa choti iye anali wazintchito, nthawi zonse ankakhala wotanganidwa. Pa nthawi imene Yesu anabwera kunyumba kwawo, Marita anatanganidwanso kwambiri. Pokonzekera kubwera kwa Yesu, yemwe mwina analinso limodzi ndi anzake amene ankayenda nawo, Marita anakonza zoti awaphikire chakudya chabwino cha mitundu yosiyanasiyana. Pa nthawi imeneyo, kuchereza alendo chinali chinthu chofunika kwambiri. Mlendo akafika panyumba, ankamupsopsona, kumuvula nsapato, kum’sambitsa mapazi ndipo kenako ankamupaka m’mutu mafuta onunkhira. (Werengani Luka 7:44-47.) Unalinso udindo wa eninyumba kumupatsa mlendo malo ogona abwino ndiponso chakudya chabwino.

⁶ Choncho Marita ndi Mariya anali ndi ntchito yambiri yokonzekera mlendo wawoyo. Mariya, amene anthu ambiri amaona kuti anali munthu woganiza kwambiri, ayenera kuti ankathandiza mchemwali wakeyo ntchito Yesu asanafike. Koma atangofika, zinthu zinasintha. Yesu anaona kuti imeneyi ndi nthawi yabwino yoti aphunzitse anthuwo ndipo anachitadi zimenezo. Mosiyana ndi atsogoleri achipembedzo a nthawi imeneyo, Yesu ankalemekeza kwambiri akazi ndipo ankawaphunzitsa za Ufumu wa Mulungu, womwe unali mfundo yaikulu ya zimene ankaphunzitsa. Mariya anasangalala ndi zimene Yesu ankaphunzitsazo moti anakhala pansi pafupi ndi Yesuyo n’kumamvetsera mwachidwi.

7, 8. N’chiyani chinachititsa kuti Marita akwiye kwambiri, nanga kenako anachita chiyani?

⁷ Taganizani mmene Marita anakhumudwira ndi zimene Mariya anachitazi. Iye anali ndi nkhawa kwambiri chifukwa panali zakudya zambiri zoti ziphikidwe ndiponso ntchito zambiri zofunika kugwira posamalira alendowo. Kodi Marita ankamva bwanji mumtima akamadutsa n’kuona Mariya atangokhala m’malo momuthandiza ntchito? Kodi anapsa mtima, kumangonyinyirika, mwinanso kumuyang’ana mokwiya? Ngati anachitadi zimenezi, n’zosadabwitsa chifukwa zinali zovuta kuti agwire yekha ntchito yonseyo.

⁸ Kenako Marita anaona kuti sangathenso kupirira moti ananena zimene zinali mumtima mwake. Iye anadula mawu Yesu n’kunena kuti: “Ambuye, kodi sizikukukhudzani kuti m’bale wangayu wandilekerera ndekha ntchito? Tamuuzani kuti andithandize.” (Luka 10:40) Marita ananena mawu amenewa atakwiya kwambiri. Mabaibulo ena anamasulira mawu a Maritawa kuti: “Ambuye, kodi mulibe nazo ntchito . . . ?” Kenako anauza Yesu kuti amudzudzule Mariya n’kumuuza kuti apite kukamuthandiza ntchito.

9, 10. (a) Kodi Yesu anamuyankha bwanji Marita? (b) Kodi tikudziwa bwanji kuti Yesu sankaona kuti Marita akungotaya nthawi yake powakonzera chakudya?

⁹ Marita ayenera kuti anadabwa ndi yankho la Yesu ndipo anthu ambiri amene amawerenga Baibulo amadabwanso ndi yankho limeneli. Yesu anayankha modekha kuti: “Marita, Marita, ukuda nkhawa ndiponso kutanganidwa ndi zinthu zambiri. Komatu zinthu zofunika kwenikweni n’zochepa chabe, mwinanso n’chimodzi chokha basi. Kumbali yake, Mariya wasankha chinthu chabwino kwambiri, ndipo sadzalandidwa chinthu chimenechi.” (Luka 10:41, 42) Kodi pamenepa Yesu ankatanthauza chiyani? Kodi ankatanthauza kuti Marita anali wokonda kwambiri zinthu zakuthupi? Kapena kodi iye ankaona kuti Marita akungotaya nthawi yake powakonzera chakudyacho?

¹⁰ Ayi, chifukwa Yesu ankadziwa kuti Marita ankachita zimenezi chifukwa chowakonda. Komanso Yesu sankatanthauza kuti kukonzera alendo zakudya zosiyanasiyana n’kulakwa. Zili choncho chifukwa nthawi ina m’mbuyomo, iye anapezeka pa “phwando lalikulu” limene Mateyu anamukonzera. (Luka 5:29) Choncho pamenepa vuto silinali chakudya chimene Marita ankakonza, koma zinthu zimene Maritayo ankaona kuti ndi zofunika kwambiri. Maganizo ake onse anali pa kukonza chakudyacho moti sanathenso kuganizira zinthu zofunika kwambiri. Koma kodi chinali chofunika kwambiri n’chiyani?

11, 12. Kodi Yesu ananena chiyani pofuna kuthandiza Marita mokoma mtima?

¹¹ Yesu, yemwe ndi Mwana wobadwa yekha wa Yehova Mulungu, anali atabwera m’nyumba ya Marita kudzaphunzitsa choonadi. Panalibe chinthu chofunika kwambiri kuposa kuphunzira zimenezi. Yesu ayenera anakhumudwa poona kuti Marita akumanidwa mwayi womvetsera zimene iye akuphunzitsa, zomwe zikanamuthandiza kulimbitsa chikhulupiriro chake. Komabe Yesu sanafune kumusankhira Marita zochita. * Koma Yesu anaona kuti si bwino kumvera zimene Maritayo anamupempha zoti auze Mariya kukamuthandiza kuphika chifukwa izi zikanachitsa kuti nayenso Mariya alephere kumvetsera zimene Yesu ankaphunzitsa.

¹² Choncho Yesu mokoma mtima anamusonyeza Marita kuti maganizo amenewo anali olakwika. Anatchula dzina lake kawiri n’cholinga chofuna kumukhazika mtima pansi. Kenako anamutsimikizira kuti panalibe chifukwa ‘chodera nkhawa ndiponso kutanganidwa ndi zinthu zambiri.’ Chakudya chochepa chikanakhala chokwanira pa nthawiyi, makamakanso chifukwa choti panali chakudya chambiri chauzimu. N’chifukwa chake Yesu anaona kuti panalibe chifukwa chakuti alande Mariya “chinthu chabwino kwambiri” chimene anasankha, chomwe ndi kumvetsera zimene Yesu ankaphunzitsa.

13. Kodi tikuphunzira chiyani pa zimene Yesu anauza Marita?

¹³ Nkhani imeneyi, ili ndi zambiri zimene Akhristufe tingaphunzire masiku ano. Sitiyenera kulola china chilichonse kutilepheretsa kupeza “zosowa zathu zauzimu.” (Mat. 5:3) N’zoona kuti tikufunika kutsanzira Marita pa nkhani yochereza alendo ndiponso kulimbikira ntchito. Komabe, sitifunika ‘kumada nkhawa ndiponso kutanganidwa ndi zinthu zambiri’ komanso zosafunika kwenikweni pa nkhani yochereza alendo, moti mpaka kulephera kuchita zinthu zofunika kwambiri. Tikamacheza ndi okhulupirira anzathu, cholinga chathu chimakhala kulimbikitsana mwauzimu, osati kuwaphikira kapena kuti atiphikire chakudya chapamwamba. (Werengani Aroma 1:11, 12.) Tingathe kulimbikitsana ngakhale titakhala kuti chakudya chimene tadya nawo si chapamwamba.

14. N’chifukwa chiyani tinganene kuti Marita ndi chitsanzo chabwino pa nkhani yomvera malangizo?

¹⁴ Kodi Marita anamvera malangizo amene anapatsidwa ndi Yesu? N’zosachita kufunsa chifukwa mtumwi Yohane poyamba kulemba nkhani yochititsa chidwi yokhudza mchimwene wa Marita, ananena kuti: “Yesu anali kukonda onsewa, Marita ndi m’bale wake, ndiponso Lazaro.” (Yoh. 11:5) Zimenezi zikusonyeza kuti Marita anatsatira malangizo a Yesu ndipo sanamusungire chakukhosi chifukwa chomudzudzula. Pamenepanso Marita ndi chitsanzo chabwino pa nkhani yachikhulupiriro chifukwa tonsefe nthawi zina timafunika kudzudzulidwa.

15, 16. (a) Kodi Marita anatani mchimwene wake atayamba kudwala? (b) N’chifukwa chiyani tinganene kuti zimene Marita ndi Mariya ankayembekezera sizinachitike?

¹⁵ Kenako patapita miyezi ingapo, mchimwene wake wa Marita, Lazaro, anayamba kudwala ndipo Marita anatanganidwanso kwambiri kumusamalira. Anachita chilichonse chimene akanatha kuti amuthandize kuchepetsa ululu umene ankamva komanso kuti apeze bwino. Komabe matenda a Lazaro ankangokulirakulirabe. Nthawi zonse azichemwali akewa ankakhala naye pafupi n’kumamusamalira. N’zodziwikiratu kuti nthawi zambiri Marita ankayang’ana nkhope ya mchimwene wakeyo, yomwe inkamvetsa chisoni, ndipo ankakumbukira zaka zambiri zimene anakhalira limodzi komanso zinthu zabwino ndiponso mavuto amene anakumana nawo pa moyo wawo.

¹⁶ Marita ndi Mariya ataona kuti matendawa awakulira, anatumiza uthenga kwa Yesu. Pa nthawiyi n’kuti Yesu akulalikira kudera lina, ndipo unali ulendo wa masiku awiri kukafika kumeneko. Uthenga wake unali wachidule, wakuti: “Ambuye! amene mumamukonda uja akudwala.” (Yoh. 11:1, 3) Iwo ankadziwa kuti Yesu ankakonda kwambiri Lazaro ndipo anali ndi chikhulupiriro chakuti ayesetsa kumuthandiza. Kodi mwina iwo ankakhulupirira kuti Yesu afika zinthu zisanafike poipa? Ngati ndi choncho, zimene ankayembekezerazo si zimene zinachitika chifukwa Yesu sanafike mpaka Lazaro anamwalira.

17. Kodi n’chiyani chinadabwitsa Marita, nanga anatani atamva kuti Yesu akubwera?

¹⁷ Marita ndi Mariya analira maliro a mchimwene wawo ndipo anakonza dongosolo lonse lomuika m’manda komanso kulandira anthu obwera pamaliropo, ochokera ku Betaniya ndi m’madera ena apafupi. Koma Yesu anali asanafikebe. Marita ayenera kuti anayamba kudabwa kwambiri kuona kuti nthawi ikupita koma Yesu sakubwera. Tsopano patatha masiku anayi, Marita anamva kuti Yesu akubwera. Popeza Marita anali mayi wakhama kwambiri, nthawi yomweyo ananyamuka kukakumana ndi Yesu ngakhale kuti anali ndi chisoni. Iye anapita osatsazika Mariya.—Werengani Yohane 11:18-20.

18, 19. Kodi Marita anasonyeza kuti ankakhulupirira chiyani, nanga n’chifukwa chiyani zimenezi zili zochititsa chidwi?

¹⁸ Marita atangoona Mbuye wakeyo anamuuza maganizo amene iyeyo ndi Mariya anali nawo kwa masiku ambiri. Iye anati: “Ambuye, mukanakhala kuno mlongo wanga sakanamwalira.” Ngakhale kuti Marita anali ndi chisoni, iye anali ndi chiyembekezo chakuti akufa adzauka ndipo ankakhulupirirabe Yesu. Iye ananenanso kuti: “Komabe, ngakhale tsopano ndikudziwa kuti zilizonse zimene mungapemphe Mulungu, Mulungu adzakupatsani zonsezo.” Nthawi yomweyo Yesu analankhula mawu omulimbikitsa akuti: “Mlongo wako adzauka.”—Yoh. 11:21-23.

¹⁹ Marita ankaganiza kuti Yesu akunena za kuuka kumene kudzachitike m’tsogolo. Choncho anayankha kuti: “Ndikudziwa kuti adzauka pa kuuka kwa akufa m’tsiku lomaliza.” (Yoh. 11:24) Marita ankakhulupirira kwambiri kuti akufa adzauka. Koma atsogoleri ena achiyuda otchedwa Asaduki ankatsutsa zoti akufa adzauka ngakhale kuti zimenezi zinafotokozedwa momveka bwino m’Malemba. (Dan. 12:13; Maliko 12:18) Marita ankadziwa kuti Yesu ankaphunzitsa kuti akufa adzauka. Ankadziwanso kuti Yesu anaukitsapo akufa ngakhale kuti pa anthu amene anawaukitsawo panalibe amene anali atakhala m’manda kwa nthawi yaitali ngati Lazaro. Koma Marita sanadziwe zimene Yesu achite.

20. Fotokozani tanthauzo la mawu osaiwalika amene Yesu analankhula komanso yankho la Marita zomwe zili pa Yohane 11:25-27.

²⁰ Kenako Yesu ananena mawu osaiwalika akuti: “Ine ndine kuuka ndi moyo.” Zimenezi n’zoona chifukwa Yehova Mulungu wapatsa Mwana wake mphamvu zoti m’tsogolo adzaukitse akufa padziko lonse lapansi. Choncho, Yesu anafunsa Marita kuti: “Kodi ukukhulupirira zimenezi?” Apa m’pamene Marita anayankha mawu a palemba la Yohane 11:27 amene ali koyambirira kwa nkhaniyi. Iye ankakhulupirira kuti Yesu ndi Mwana wa Yehova Mulungu. Ankakhulupiriranso kuti Yesu ndi Khristu, kapena kuti Mesiya, amene aneneri analosera kuti adzabwera padziko lapansi.—Yoh. 5:28, 29; werengani Yohane 11:25-27.

21, 22. (a) Kodi n’chiyani chikusonyeza kuti Yesu anali ndi chisoni ndi imfa ya Lazaro? (b) Fotokozani mmene Yesu anaukitsira Lazaro.

²¹ Kodi Yehova Mulungu ndi Mwana wake Yesu Khristu amaona kuti chikhulupiriro ngati chimene Marita anali nacho ndi chamtengo wapatali? Zimene zinachitika pambuyo pake zingatithandize kupeza yankho lomveka bwino la funso limeneli. Marita anathamanga kukaitana Mariya. Atabwera, anaona kuti Yesu anali ndi chisoni kwambiri pamene ankalankhula ndi Mariya komanso anthu ena amene ankalira malirowo. Marita anaona Yesu akugwetsa misozi chifukwa cha chisoni chachikulu chimene anali nacho ndi imfa ya Lazaro. Kenako Marita anamva Yesu akuuza anthu kuti achotse chimwala chimene anatsekera pamanda a mchimwene wakeyo.—Yoh. 11:28-39.

²² Marita anatsutsa zimenezi ponena kuti Lazaro ayenera kuti wayamba kununkha. Zimenezi zinali zomveka chifukwa panali patatha masiku anayi ali m’manda. Koma Yesu anamukumbutsa kuti: “Kodi sindinakuuze kuti ngati ukhulupirira udzaona ulemerero wa Mulungu?” Marita anakhulupiriradi ndipo anaona ulemerero wa Yehova Mulungu. Nthawi yomweyo Yehova anapatsa mphamvu Mwana wakeyo zoukitsira Lazaro. Taganizirani zimene zinachitika pa nthawiyi, zomwe mwina Marita sanaziiwale moyo wake wonse. Iye anamva Yesu akunena kuti, “Lazaro, tuluka!” Kenako anamva kaphokoso kochokera m’manda kosonyeza kuti Lazaro akudzuka ndipo akuyenda mpaka pakhomo la mandawo thupi lake litakulungidwa ndi nsalu zamaliro. Yesu anauza anthu kuti: “M’masuleni ndi kumuleka apite.” Apa Marita ndi Mariya anasangalala kwambiri ndipo anathamanga n’kukakumbatira mchimwene wawoyo. (Werengani Yohane 11:40-44.) Chisoni chonse chimene Marita anali nacho chija chinatheratu.

23. Kodi Yehova ndi Yesu angatichitire chiyani, nanga ifeyo tiyenera kutani?

²³ Nkhani imeneyi ikusonyeza kuti, mfundo yakuti akufa adzauka si nkhambakamwa chabe, koma ndi zimenedi Baibulo limaphunzitsa. Zimene zinachitikazi ndi umboni wakuti akufa adzaukadi. (Yobu 14:14, 15) Yehova ndi Mwana wake adzadalitsa anthu amene ali ndi chikhulupiriro ngati mmene anadalitsira Marita, Mariya ndi Lazaro. Inunso mungadzadalitsidwe ndi Yehova ndi Yesu ngati muli ndi chikhulupiriro cholimba.

24. Kodi nthawi yomaliza imene Marita amatchulidwa m’Baibulo ankachita chiyani?

²⁴ Marita amatchulidwa komaliza m’Baibulo pa nkhani yofotokoza zimene zinachitika mlungu womaliza Yesu asanaphedwe. Podziwa kuti akumana ndi mavuto posachedwa, Yesu anaona kuti ndi bwino kupitanso ku Betaniya kunyumba kwa anzakewa. Pochoka kumeneko anafunika kuyenda ulendo wamakilomita atatu kupita ku Yerusalemu. Yesu ndi Lazaro anapita limodzi kunyumba ya Simoni wa khate kumene anakadya chakudya. Pa nthawi imeneyi m’pamene Baibulo limatchula za Marita komaliza kuti: “Marita anali kutumikira.”—Yoh. 12:2.

25. Kodi mipingo imapindula bwanji chifukwa chokhala ndi alongo angati Marita?

²⁵ Mayi ameneyu analidi wolimbikira ntchito kwambiri. Pomwe Baibulo linamutchula koyamba, n’kuti akugwira ntchito ndipo pamene likumutchula komaliza n’kutinso akugwira ntchito potumikira anthu. Masiku ano m’mipingo yachikhristu mulinso alongo ofanana ndi Marita omwe amasonyeza chikhulupiriro chawo mwa kudzipereka ndi mtima wonse kutumikira ena. Zikuoneka kuti Marita anapitirizabe kuchita zimenezi. Ngatidi ndi choncho, ndiye kuti anachita zinthu mwanzeru chifukwa pasanapite nthawi nayenso anakumana ndi mavuto.

26. Kodi chikhulupiriro cha Marita chinamuthandiza bwanji?

²⁶ Patangopita masiku ochepa, Marita anamva chisoni kwambiri chifukwa cha imfa ya Mbuye wake, Yesu. Komanso anthu oipa amene anapha Yesu, ankafunanso kupha Lazaro chifukwa kuukitsidwa kwake kunachititsa kuti anthu ambiri akhulupirire Yesu. (Werengani Yohane 12:9-11.) Komanso patapita nthawi, imfa inalekanitsa Marita ndi abale ake. Sitikudziwa kuti anthu amenewa anafa ndi chiyani komanso kuti anafa liti. Komabe sitikukayika kuti chikhulupiriro cholimba chimene Marita anali nacho chinamuthandiza kupirira mavuto moyo wake wonse. N’chifukwa chake Akhristu masiku ano ayenera kutsanzira chikhulupiriro cha Marita.