ISAHLUKO 126
UPitrosi Uphika UJesu
MATEWU 26:69-75 MARKOSI 14:66-72 LUKASI 22:54-62 JWANISI 18:15-18, 25-27
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UPITROSI UPHIKA UJESU
Ngemva kokubotjhwa kwakaJesu esimini yeGetsemani, abapostoli bayamlahla, bayabaleka ngebanga lokusaba. Nokho, ababili babo bayabuya. Ababuyako nguPitrosi “nomunye umfundi” okungenzeka ngumpostoli uJwanisi. (Jwanisi 18:15; 19:35; 21:24) Kungenzeka bahlangana noJesu nabamusa emzini ka-Anasi. U-Anasi nakathumela uJesu emPhristini oPhakemeko uKhayafasi, uPitrosi noJwanisi bayabalandela, kodwana bakhambela kudanyana. Mhlamunye bayasaba ukuthi bangabulawa, ngakelinye ihlangothi batshwenyekile ngokuthi kuzokwenzekani eKosinabo.
UJwanisi bayamvumela bona angene ngesirhodlweni emzini kaKhayafasi ngombana bayamazi. UPitrosi yena usala ngaphandle esangweni bekube kulapho uJwanisi abuya azomkhulumela nesisebenzi somntazana esimlindisango. Ngemva kwalokho uPitrosi naye bayamvumela bona angene.
Abantu abangesirhodlweni bothele umlilo ngombana kumakhaza. UPitrosi uhlala nabo bona azifuthumeze njengombana alinde ‘ukubona ukuthi uzokuphetha ngani’ umlandu kaJesu. (Matewu 26:58) Umlindisango ongenise uPitrosi umbona kuhle, ngombana basemkhanyweni. Uthi kuye: “Kghani nawe ungomunye wabafundi bendoda le?” (Jwanisi 18:17) Akusinguye yedwa obona uPitrosi nomkhumbulako ukuthi bekanoJesu.—Matewu 26:69, 71-73; Markosi 14:70.
Lokhu kumsilinga khulu uPitrosi. Phela ulinga ngamandla bona angazidoseli amehlo, kangangokuthi uhlehlela esangweni. Nje-ke uPitrosi uyaphika ukuthi bekanoJesu, uthi: “Angimazi nokumazi umuntu lo begodu angazi ukuthi ukhuluma ngani.” (Markosi 14:67, 68) Uthoma “ukuqalekisa nokufunga,” okutjho ukuthi uzimisele ukufunga ukuthi amezwakhe aliqiniso begodu nangabe ukhuluma amanga ukulungele ukujeziswa.—Matewu 26:74.
Kwenzeka koke lokhu, umlandu kaJesu uyaraga, kungenzeka ngakenye ikumba yendlu kaKhayafasi engaphezu kwesirhodlo. Mhlamunye uPitrosi nabanye abalinde ngenzasi bayababona abofakazi bangena baphuma ngekumbeni leyo.
Bayazi ukuthi uPitrosi ukhuluma amanga ngombana uzwakala ngendlela akhuluma ngayo ukuthi mGalile. Ngaphezu kwalokho, kunomunye esiqhemenesi ohlobene noMalirhusi, loya uPitrosi amqunte indlebe. Nje-ke uthi kuPitrosi: “Ngikubone esimini unaye, akusinjalo?” UPitrosi nakaphika kwesithathu, umkukurumbu uyalila, njengombana kwabikezelwa.—Jwanisi 13:38; 18:26, 27.
Ngomzuzu loyo, kubonakala ngasuthi uJesu ujame emathurini uqale ngesirhodlweni. IKosi iyajika iqala poro kuPitrosi, kufuze bona lokhu kumzwisa ubuhlungu khulu uPitrosi. Ukhumbula amezwi uJesu awakhulume mva nje nabasekumbeni ephezulu. Akhusucabange ukuthi uPitrosi uzizwa njani ngesenzo sakhesi! Uya ngaphandle ukhihla isililo esibuhlungu.—Lukasi 22:61, 62.
Kungenzeka njani lokhu? Kungenzeka njani ukuthi uPitrosi—obekaqiniseka kangaka ukuthi uqinile ekulotjheni uZimu begodu uthembekile—aphike iKosakhe? Ngesikhatheso amezwi kaJesu bekahlanakelwa begodu bekavezwa njengesilelesi esikhohlakeleko. Ngebanga lokuthi uJesu bekanganamlandu, bekulindeleke bona uPitrosi ahlale naye begodu amsekele, kodwana walahla iNdodana kaZimu ‘enamezwi wokuphila okungapheliko.’—Jwanisi 6:68.
Indaba ebuhlungu kaPitrosi le, itjengisa kuhle ukuthi nomuntu onokukholwa okuqinileko nozinikele kuZimu, angawa nangabe akakazilungiseleli kusesengaphambili bona aqalane neentjhijilo neenlingo ezingamehlela angakalindeli. Kwangathi lokho okwavelela uPitrosi kungaba siyeleliso kibo boke abantu abalotjha uZimu.