1. Chaza usizi lukaMarta nokuthi lwalubangelwa yini.

UMARTA wayesalibona ngeso lengqondo ithuna lomfowabo eliwumhume ovalwe ngetshe. Ubuhlungu ayebuzwa babungachazeki. Wayengakholelwa ukuthi uLazaru amthandayo useshonile. Ezinsukwini ezine umfowabo eshonile, bekulokhu kukhalwa kufika nabantu bezoduduza.

2, 3. (a) Ukubona uJesu cishe kwamthinta kanjani uMarta? (b) Amazwi abalulekile ashiwo uMarta abonisani ngaye?

² Manje, phambi kukaMarta kwakumi umuntu owayengumngane omkhulu kaLazaru. Ukubona uJesu cishe kwambangela umunyu omkhulu uMarta ngoba nguye kuphela umuntu emhlabeni owayengasindisa umfowabo. Noma kunjalo, kwamduduza ukuba noJesu ngakulo muzi omncane waseBhethaniya osegqumeni. Ngesikhashana nje enaye, waphinde wazizwa eduduzwa umusa ayewubona emehlweni akhe, uzwela olwaluhlale lumqinisa. Wambuza imibuzo eyamsiza wacabanga ngokholo lwakhe nezinkolelo zakhe eziphathelene novuko. Le ngxoxo yenza uMarta washo amazwi abaluleke kunawo wonke ake awasho: “Ngiyakholelwa ukuthi wena unguKristu iNdodana kaNkulunkulu, Lowo ozayo ezweni.”—Joh. 11:27.

³ Njengoba la mazwi ebonisa, uMarta wayengowesifazane onokholo olumangalisayo. Lokho okuncane iBhayibheli elisitshela kona ngaye kusifundisa izifundo ezibalulekile ezingasisiza siqinise olwethu ukholo. Ukuze sibone ukuthi yini esingayifunda, ake sixoxe ngokulandisa kokuqala okuphathelene noMarta okukhulunywa ngaye eBhayibhelini.

4. Umndeni wakubo kaMarta wawungavamile ngayiphi indlela, futhi babenobuhlobo obunjani noJesu?

⁴ Ezinyangeni ezithile ngaphambili uLazaru wayephila futhi engumqemane. Emzini wakubo eBhethaniya kwakuzofika isivakashi esibaluleke kakhulu, uJesu Kristu. ULazaru, uMarta noMariya babengumndeni ongavamile—izelamani ezintathu ezikhulile ezazisahlala  ndawonye. Abanye abacwaningi basikisela ukuthi kungenzeka uMarta uyena owayemdala kunabo bonke ngoba kubonakala kunguye owayenakekela izivakashi futhi ngezinye izikhathi kuqalwa ngegama lakhe. (Joh. 11:5) Ayikho indlela yokwazi ukuthi ukhona yini kubo owagcina eshadile. Kungakhathaliseki ukuthi kwenzekani, baba abangane abakhulu bakaJesu. Phakathi nenkonzo yakhe eJudiya, lapho aphikiswa khona futhi waphathwa kabi kakhulu, uJesu wayehlala emzini wakubo. Akungabazeki ukuthi wayekwazisa kakhulu ukumsekela kwabo nokuba semzini wakubo onokuthula.

5, 6. (a) Kungani uMarta ayematasa ikakhulu ngesikhathi kukhona uJesu? (b) UMariya wenzenjani lapho bevakashelwe uJesu?

⁵ Kuningi uMarta ayekwenza ukuze agcine ikhaya lifudumele nezivakashi ziphatheke kahle. Njengoba ayengumuntu okhuthele ongahlali phansi, kubonakala sengathi wayehlale ematasa. Nakulokhu kuvakasha kukaJesu wayekhwishizela. Masinyane wahlela ukuba enze isidlo esikhethekile esinezinhlobonhlobo zokudla enzele isivakashi sakhe esikhethekile mhlawumbe nabantu esasihamba nabo. Ngaleso sikhathi, ukungenisa izihambi kwakuyinto ebalulekile. Lapho isivakashi sifika, sasamukelwa ngokuqatshulwa, sikhunyulwe izimbadada, sigezwe izinyawo sigcotshwe nekhanda ngamafutha anamakha. (Funda uLuka 7:44-47.) Lapho silungiselelwa indawo yokulala nokudla, kwakukhishwa esikhulu isineke.

⁶ UMarta noMariya babematasa kakhulu. UMariya, okucatshangwa ukuthi wayesheshe azwele futhi ecabanga ajule, kumelwe ukuba waqale wamsiza udadewabo. Kodwa lapho uJesu esefikile zashintsha izinto. UJesu wabheka lesi sikhathi njengesikhathi sokufundisa—okuyinto ayenza! Ngokungefani nabaholi benkolo bosuku lwakhe, uJesu wayebahlonipha abesifazane futhi akazange ananaze ukubafundisa ngoMbuso kaNkulunkulu, owawuyisihloko senkonzo yakhe. Ejatshuliswe yileli thuba, uMariya wahlala ezinyaweni zikaJesu walalelisisa.

7, 8. Yini eyabangela intukuthelo enhliziyweni kaMarta, futhi wayiveza kanjani ekugcineni?

⁷ Singayicabanga nje intukuthelo eyagcwala enhliziyweni kaMarta. Njengoba kwakudingeka alungise izinhlobo eziningi kangaka zokudla enze neminye imisebenzi yokwenza izivakashi zithokomale, waya ngokuya ekhathazeka futhi ephazamiseka. Njengoba ehla enyuka ebona udadewabo ehlezi engamsizi ngalutho, kungenzeka yini ukuthi waba bomvu kancane ebusweni, wabubula noma wanyukubala? Uma kwaba njalo ngeke samangala. Wayengeke akwazi ukuwenza yedwa wonke lowo msebenzi!

⁸ Ekugcineni uMarta wahluleka ukuzibamba. Wangena uJesu emlonyeni, washo ngokucasuka: “Nkosi, akunandaba yini kuwe  ukuthi udadewethu ungishiye ngedwa ukuba nginakekele izinto? Ngakho-ke, mtshele ukuba angisize.” (Luka 10:40) La mazwi ayejiyile impela. Izinguqulo eziningi ziwuhumusha kanje lo mbuzo: “Nkosi akukukhathazi yini . . . ?” Ngemva kwalokho wacela uJesu ukuba akhuze uMariya, amtshele ukuba ayosebenza.

9, 10. (a) UJesu wamphendula wathini uMarta? (b) Sazi kanjani ukuthi uJesu wayengakusoli ukuzikhandla kukaMarta?

⁹ Kungenzeka ukuthi impendulo kaJesu yammangaza uMarta, njengoba nje iye yabamangaza nabaningi abafunde iBhayibheli kusukela ngaleso sikhathi. Ngobumnene wathi: “Marta, Marta, ukhathazwa futhi uphazanyiswa izinto eziningi. Nokho, kudingeka izinto ezimbalwa, noma eyodwa kuphela. UMariya yena ukhethe isabelo esihle, ngeke aphucwe sona.” (Luka 10:41, 42) Wayesho ukuthini uJesu? Ingabe wayethi uMarta uthanda izinto? Ingabe wayemsola ngokuzikhandla kwakhe ebalungisela ukudla okumnandi?

¹⁰ Cha. Ngokusobala uJesu wabona ukuthi izisusa zikaMarta zazingezothando futhi zimsulwa. Ngaphezu kwalokho, wayengacabangi ukuthi kubi ngempela ukwamukela abantu ngedili lezibiliboco. Phambilini wayeyile ‘edilini elikhulu’ uMathewu ayemenzele lona. (Luka 5:29) Ukudla okwakulungiselelwe uMarta kwakungeyona inkinga enkulu; kunalokho, kwakuwumbono wakhe ngezinto eziza kuqala. Wayegxile kakhulu edilini elikhulu lokudla kangangokuthi walahlekelwa umbono wezinto ezibaluleke kakhulu. Ziphi zona?

11, 12. UJesu wamkhuza kanjani ngesisa uMarta?

¹¹ UJesu, iNdodana kaJehova uNkulunkulu ezelwe yodwa, wayekubo kaMarta ezofundisa iqiniso. Ayikho into eyayibaluleke ngaphezu kwalokho, ngisho nesidlo esinconsisa amathe kanye nokusilungiselela. Ngokungangabazeki kwamdabukisa uJesu ukuthi uMarta uphuthelwa ithuba eliyingqayizivele lokujulisa ukholo lwakhe, kodwa wamyeka ukuze azikhethele afuna ukukwenza. * Noma kunjalo, kwakungafaneleki ngoMarta ukucela uJesu ukuba aphoqe uMariya ukuba naye aphuthelwe yilelo thuba.

¹² Ngakho, wakhuza uMarta ngesisa, embiza ngegama kabili ukuze amehlise umoya njengoba ayecasukile, wamqinisekisa ngokuthi  sasingekho isidingo ‘sokukhathazeka nokuphazanyiswa izinto eziningi.’ Ukudla okulula kwakuyokwanela, ikakhulukazi njengoba kwakunedili elingokomoya. Ngakho wayengeke alokothe aphuce uMariya “isabelo esihle” ayezikhethele sona—sokufunda kuJesu!

13. Iziphi izifundo esingazifunda kulokho uJesu akusho lapho ekhuza uMarta?

¹³ Le ndaba emfushane inesifundo esibalulekile kubalandeli bakaKristu namuhla. Kumelwe singavumeli lutho lucinanise isikhathi sokwanelisa ‘isidingo sethu esingokomoya.’ (Math. 5:3) Nakuba sifuna ukulingisa imfanelo kaMarta yokupha nokukhuthala, asifuni ‘ukukhathazeka nokuphazanyiswa’ izinto ezingabalulekile kangako ezihlobene nokungenisa izihambi size silahlekelwe izinto ezisemqoka. Sihlangana nesikholwa nabo, hhayi nje ngenjongo yokwenzelana amadili okudla okuphambili, kodwa ngokuyinhloko  ukuze sikhuthazane futhi siphane izipho ezingokomoya. (Funda eyabaseRoma 1:11, 12.) Ngisho nesidlo esilula kunazo zonke singenza lowo mbuthano ube owakhayo.

14. Kungani singaqiniseka ngokuthi uMarta wabeka isibonelo esihle sokwamukela ukulungiswa?

¹⁴ Ingabe uMarta wasamukela isiyalo sikaJesu somusa futhi wafunda kuso? Akungatshazwa. Lapho umphostoli uJohane ethula ukulandisa okuvusa amadlingozi ngomfowabo kaMarta, usikhumbuza lokhu: “Manje uJesu wayebathanda oMarta nodadewabo noLazaru.” (Joh. 11:5) Kwase kudlule izinyanga eziningana kwenzeke lokhu okuchazwe ngenhla. Kuyacaca ukuthi uMarta akazange ahlale ethukuthele; wayengambambele igqubu uJesu ngenxa yeseluleko sakhe sothando. Wayesamukele. Nakule ndaba usibekela isibonelo esihle kakhulu sokholo, ngoba ubani kithi ongakudingi ukulungiswa ngezikhathi ezithile?

15, 16. (a) Yini uMarta ayenza lapho umfowabo ehlatshwa ukugula? (b) Kungani amathemba kaMarta noMariya ashabalala?

¹⁵ Lapho umfowabo ehlatshwa ukugula, nakanjani uMarta waba matasa emnakekela. Wenza konke ayengakwenza ukuze adambise izinhlungu futhi alulame. Naphezu kwaleyo mizamo, ukugula kwamqinisa. Njengoba isikhathi siqhubeka, odadewabo babelá eceleni kwakhe bemnakekela. Yeka ukuthi uMarta wayebubuka kaningi kangakanani ubuso bomfowabo obukhandlekile, akhumbule iminyaka eminingi ababeyichithe ndawonye nezikhathi ezimnandi nezibuhlungu abadlula kuzo!

¹⁶ Lapho sekubonakala sengathi ukufa kuyamehlula, uMarta noMariya bathumela umyalezo kuJesu. Wayeshumayela endaweni eqhele ngohambo lwezinsuku ezimbili. Umyalezo wabo wawulula: “Nkosi, bheka! lowo omthandayo uyagula.” (Joh. 11:1, 3) Babazi ukuthi uJesu wayemthanda umfowabo futhi benokholo lokuthi angenza noma yini ukuze asize umngane wakhe. Ingabe babenethemba lokuthi uJesu angase afike kungakephuzi? Uma kunjalo, amathemba abo ashabalala. ULazaru washona.

17. Yini eyenza uMarta waxakeka, futhi yini ayenza lapho ezwa ukuthi uJesu usezofika emzini?

¹⁷ Bobabili, uMarta noMariya balilela umfowabo, benza amalungiselelo omngcwabo futhi bamukela izivakashi eziningi ezivela eBhethaniya nasezindaweni ezizungezile. Nangaleso sikhathi, uJesu wayengakafiki. Njengoba isikhathi sihamba, kungenzeka ukuthi uMarta wayeya exakeka nakakhulu. Ekugcineni, ngemva kwezinsuku ezine uLazaru efile, uMarta wezwa ukuthi uJesu usezofika kulo muzi. Njengoba ayengowesifazane okhuthele, ngisho nakulesi sikhathi  sosizi, wasukuma, waphuma ngokushesha wayohlangabeza uJesu engamtshelanga noMariya.—Funda uJohane 11:18-20.

18, 19. UMarta wakhuluma ngaliphi ithemba, futhi kungani ukholo lwakhe lwalumangalisa?

¹⁸ Lapho uMarta ebona iNkosi yakhe, wayitshela lokho okwase kuyizinsuku kubakhathaza yena noMariya: “Nkosi, ukube ubulapha umfowethu ngabe akafanga.” Kodwa uMarta wayesenalo ithemba nokholo. Wabe esenezela: “Kodwa nokho njengamanje ngiyazi ukuthi zonke izinto ozicelayo kuNkulunkulu, uNkulunkulu uyokunika zona.” Ngokushesha uJesu washo okuthile ukuze amqinise ukholo, wathi: “Umfowenu uzovuka.”—Joh. 11:21-23.

¹⁹ UMarta wacabanga ukuthi uJesu ukhuluma ngovuko lwesikhathi esizayo, ngakho waphendula: “Ngiyazi ukuthi uyovuka ovukweni ngosuku lokugcina.” (Joh. 11:24) Ukholo lwakhe kuleyo mfundiso lwalumangalisa. Abanye abaholi benkolo abangamaJuda,  ababizwa ngokuthi abaSadusi, babephika ukuthi kuyoba novuko, nakuba kwakuyimfundiso ecacile esemiBhalweni ephefumulelwe. (Dan. 12:13; Marku 12:18) Nokho, uMarta wayazi ukuthi uJesu wafundisa ngethemba lovuko nokuthi bakhona abavusa nokubavusa—nakuba ayengakaze avuse muntu owayesenezinsuku ezilingana nezikaLazaru efile. Wayengakwazi okwakusazokwenzeka.

20. Nikeza incazelo yamazwi kaJesu angalibaleki akuJohane 11:25-27 kanye nempendulo kaMarta.

²⁰ UJesu wabe esesho la mazwi angalibaleki: “Mina ngingukuvuka nokuphila.” Ngokuqinisekile uJehova uNkulunkulu unike iNdodana yakhe igunya lokuvusa abafileyo emhlabeni esikhathini esizayo. UJesu wabuza uMarta: “Uyakukholelwa lokhu?” UMarta waphendula ngamazwi esixoxe ngawo ekuqaleni kwalesi sahluko. Wayenokholo lokuthi uJesu unguKristu noma uMesiya, ukuthi uyiNdodana kaJehova uNkulunkulu nokuthi uyena abaprofethi ababebikezele ukuthi wayezofika ezweni.—Joh. 5:28, 29; funda uJohane 11:25-27.

21, 22. (a) UJesu wayibonisa kanjani imizwa yakhe ngalabo ababelila? (b) Chaza indlela uLazaru avuswa ngayo.

²¹ Ingabe uJehova uNkulunkulu neNdodana yakhe, uJesu Kristu, bayalwazisa ukholo olunjengolukaMarta? Izinto ezenzeka ngemva kwalokho uMarta ebhekile zisinikeza impendulo ecacile. UMarta waphuthuma walanda udadewabo. Ngemva kwalokho, wabona ukuthi uJesu uzwa ubuhlungu kakhulu njengoba ekhuluma noMariya nabanye abaningi ababezolila. Wabona uJesu ekhala, ngaleyo ndlela engabufihli ubuhlungu obujulile ayebuzwa obabubangelwa ukufa. Wamuzwa uJesu ethi makususwe itshe elalivale ithuna lomfowabo.—Joh. 11:28-39.

²² Njengoba ayengumuntu obhekana namaqiniso, uMarta wenqaba wathi kumelwe ukuba isidumbu sesiyanuka ngoba kwase kuyizinsuku ezine eshonile. UJesu wamkhumbuza: “Angikutshelanga yini ukuthi uma ungase ukholwe uzobona inkazimulo kaNkulunkulu na?” Wayenalo ukholo futhi wayibona inkazimulo kaJehova uNkulunkulu. Ngaso leso sikhathi, wanika iNdodana yakhe amandla okuvusa uLazaru! Cabanga ngezenzakalo okungenzeka uMarta akazange azilibale ukuphila kwakhe konke: ukumemeza kukaJesu ngegunya ethi, “Lazaru, phuma!”; umsinjwana ovela emhumeni ayengcwatshwe kuwo uLazaru njengoba evuka futhi esaboshwe ngezindwangu zokusonga isidumbu, esondela emnyango wethuna; umyalo kaJesu wokuba ‘athukululwe ayekwe ahambe’; nokwanga kwenjabulo kukaMarta noMariya banga umfowabo njengoba beziphonsa kuye. (Funda uJohane 11:40-44.) Lwaphela kanjalo usizi lukaMarta!

23. Yini uJehova noJesu abafuna ukukwenzela yona, futhi yini okudingeka uyenze?

 ²³ Lokhu kulandisa kubonisa ukuthi uvuko lwabafileyo alusona nje isifiso esingenakugcwaliseka; luyimfundiso yeBhayibheli ethinta inhliziyo futhi lwenzeka ngokoqobo esikhathini esidlule. (Jobe 14:14, 15) UJehova neNdodana yakhe bayathanda ukuvuza abantu abanokholo, njengoba benza kuMarta, uMariya noLazaru. Nawe bayokuvuza ngendlela efanayo uma wakha ukholo oluqinile.

24. Iyiphi into yokugcina iBhayibheli eliyishoyo ngoMarta?

²⁴ Ukulandisa kweBhayibheli kubuye kukhulume ngoMarta okokugcina. Kwakusekuqaleni kwesonto lokugcina lokuphila kukaJesu emhlabeni. Ebazi kahle ubunzima obabumlindile, uJesu waphinde wakhetha ukuhlala kulowo muzi onokuthula eBhethaniya. Wayezosuka lapha ahambe amakhilomitha amathathu aye eJerusalema. UJesu noLazaru babedla emzini kaSimoni onochoko, futhi manje kukhulunywa okokugcina ngoMarta: “UMarta wayekhonza.”—Joh. 12:2.

25. Kungani amabandla namuhla ebusisekile ngokuba nabesifazane abanjengoMarta?

²⁵ Kwaze kwafana nalona wesifazane owayekhuthele! Lapho kukhulunywa ngaye okokuqala eBhayibhelini, uyasebenza; lapho kukhulunywa ngaye okokugcina, usasebenza, enza konke okusemandleni ukuze anakekele izidingo zabantu ayenabo. Amabandla abalandeli bakaKristu namuhla abusisiwe ngokuba nabesifazane abanjengoMarta—abanesibindi nabaphanayo, abahlale bebonisa ukholo lwabo ngezenzo zokuzidela. Ingabe uMarta waqhubeka enza kanjalo? Kubonakala kanjalo. Uma kunjalo, wenza ngokuhlakanipha ngoba wayesazobhekana nobunzima.

26. Ukholo lukaMarta lwamsiza ukuba enzeni?

²⁶ Ngemva kwezinsukwana, uMarta kwadingeka akhuthazelele ukufa okubuhlungu kweNkosi yakhe ayithandayo, uJesu. Ngaphezu kwalokho, labo bazenzisi ababulala uJesu babezimisele nokubulala uLazaru ngoba ukuvuswa kwakhe kwakuqinisa ukholo lwabaningi. (Funda uJohane 12:9-11.) Yiqiniso, ukufa kwagcina kuwuhlukanisile lo mndeni. Asazi ukuthi uMarta wafa kanjani futhi nini, kodwa nakhu esingaqiniseka ngakho: Ukholo lwakhe oluyigugu lwamsiza wakhuthazela kwaze kwaba sekupheleni. Yingakho amaKristu namuhla enza kahle ngokulingisa ukholo lwakhe.