Pabakatukile ku Yeeriko, Yesu bayile mutadile ku Betanii. Lwendo lubadi alutekye kutambuka bilometre bifikye ku 20 mwishinda dya myengye dii na nkalakashi. Muntu eende lwa mikoolo ku Yeeriko atambuka metre 250 kuushi kwa kalunga, Betanii namu badi metre afikye ku 610 lwa ngwa kunundu kwa kalunga. Lazaare na bankashy’anaye babidi abadi bashaale mu ka kibundji kapela mu Betanii, kubadi bilometre 3 kukatuka ku Yelusaleme na kutunduka mwibanda dya mwengye wa Olive.

Bena Yuuda bebugi abapwile nkafika ku Yelusaleme bwa Kidiibwa kwa lukilo. Abafikile kumpala bwa bipikwa bya “kusampibwa,” su abadi bakume kitanda sunga kingi kintu kyooso kilombene kufwisha muntu butete. (Yowano 11:55; Mbadiko 9:6-10) Bangi ba ku baba abafikile kumpala abadi bebungye mu ntempelo. Abadi abeyipusha su Yesu e kufika sunga kukutwa kufika ku Kidiibwa kya lukilo.—Yowano 11:56.

Bantu abadi abakula myanda ilekeene pabitale Yesu. Bangi bakunkushi ba bipwilo abakimbanga kumukwata bwa kumwipaa. Byaabya, abatumine eyi shi su kwekala muntu e kumona kwi Yesu, e kwibalungula ‘bwa’shi bamukwate.’ (Yowano 11:57) Baba bakunkushi abakimbile kwipaa Yesu kunyima kwa’ye kusangusha Lazaare. (Yowano 11:49-53) Bi kwikala shi bangi ba kwabadi abadi abeyipusha su Yesu akyebe kumweneka kwi bantu booso.

Yesu bafikile ku Betanii mwifuku dya Kataano, “mafuku asamombo kumpala kwa Pasaka.” (Yowano 12:1) Efuku dipya (dya Sabato mwifuku dya 8 dya Nisane) dibadi adibanga nguba taadi atwele. Byabya, bapwile lwendo kumpala kwa Sabato. Tabadi bya kwenda ku Yeeriko mu Sabato nya—kubanga ku kyolwa kya mu Dyakatano na ku kyolwa kya mu Dyamposo—mwanda bibadi bikandjikwe kwi mwiya wa beena Yuuda. Abimweneka shi Yesu bayile ku nshibo ya Lazaare, nka bu bibadi kyubishi kyaye.

Simone badi dingi mushalele mu Betanii, badi mwitanyishe Yesu na abaadi naye, pamune na Lazaare ku kidiibwa mwifuku dya Kasamombo ku kyolwa. Abayitanyinanga dingi Simone bu “sha kifwi,” bi kwikala shi badi na nsudi akupu Yesu nkumupaasha. Bu bibadi mukashi a kishima, Maata badi mwipaane mu mufubo. Anka Maadiya badi ateemesha Yesu kalolo bibabidi bitushe mpa na kwikakena.

Maadiya batshile mulangi upeela ubadi pangi “kipindji kya mulangi wa malaashi a muulo ukata.” (Yowano 12:3) Malaashi abadi na muulo ubadi bya kwikala (ndenyee 300) efuto di kupeta muntu peepi na kipwa kishima! Maadiya bapongololwe malaashi ku mutwe na ku ngwa ya Yesu akupu aye kwiafikinya na nyene yaaye. Mapembwe a malaashi abaudile mu nshibo yooso.

Balongi abafitshile munda bayipusha shi: “Nkinyi kibalwishiishwa aa malaashi byaabya?” (Maako 14:4) Yuudase Iskaryote bamutopekyele  shi: “Mbwakinyi tambapaane ano malaashi ku bitadi bya nfwalanga nkama isatu, bwa kwiyipa balanda?” (Yowano 12:5) Yuudase tabadi ekalakasha bwa balanda nya. Badi ayibi makuta mu kashete kabadi alamina balongi makuta.

Yesu nkwakwila Maadiya pa kulesha shi: “Anukalakasha uno mukashi bwakinyi? Nkintu kiibuwa kibankitshiina. Mwanda balanda nwi naabo mafuku ooso, ami naamu, tanwi naami mafuku ooso nya. Pa kupongoola pa mbidi yaande ano malaashi, balumbuula kushikiibwa kwande. Eyendo, neenulungula’shi mbalo yooso yabakalungula uno mukandu wibuwa pa nsenga pooso, abakalungula dimo naa bino bibakitshi bwabady’a kumutentekyeshanga.”—Mateo 26:10-13.

Yesu badi mu Betanii takudi efuku na kipindji, na mukandu waye nkupalakana. Beena Yuuda bebungi nkufika ku nshibo ya Simone kushii penda mu kumona Yesu nya, kadi mu kumona dingi Lazaare “badi [Yesu] mubuushe ku bafwe.” (Yowano 12:9) Bakata ba batshiite mwakwidi abadiile lukuku bwa kwipaa Yesu pamune na Lazaare. Bakunkushi ba bipwilo abamwene shi bantu bebungi bakwete kukumiina mwi Yesu mwanda Lazaare badi musangukye. Bano bakunkushi ba bipwilo abadi bantomboshi!