Ngabo obubusuku bokugqibela ngaphambhi kokubulawa kwakhe isithunywa sezulu esinamandla, sithunywe ezulwini, sehla seza kumhlangula. Iingcango ezomeleleyo ezazivalele ingcwele kaThixo zavuleka zingavulwanga zandla zamntu, sangena isithunywa sOsenyangweni, zavaleka kwakhona ngokuthe-cwaka emva kwaso. Sangena egumbhini, elalixholwe eliweni elomeleleyo, naanko uPetros elele khona apho, elele ubuthongo obuyolileyo, obuxolileyo bobumsulwa nokuthembhela ngokupheleleyo kuThixo, logama wayekhonkxwe wanxityelelwa kubalindi abomeleleyo macala omabini kuye. Ukukhanya okwakuraqe isithunywa kwayikhanyisa intolongo, kodwa akwamvusa umpostile oleleyo. Wayelele ubuthongo obuzolileyo obuhlaziyayo nobomelezayo obuvela kwisazela esilungileyo.IL 265.1

U-Petros akavukanga wada weva ukuphatha kwesandla sesithunywa weva nezwi laso lisithi, “Phakama msinya.” Wayibona intolongo yakhe, eyayingazange isikelelwe ngomtha wokukhanya kwelanga, ikhanyiselwe kukukhanya kwasezulwini, nesithunywa esinobuqaqauli obukhulu simi phambhi kwakhe. Waziva elithobela izwi lesithunywa, waza ekuphakameni kwakhe waziphakamisa izandla zakhe, wafumana ukuba imixokelelwane ikhululekile ezihlahleni zakhe. Kwa-khona lavakala izwi lesithunywa lisithi: “Bhinqa, ubophe izixathula zakho.”IL 265.2

Kwa khona uPetros waziva ethobela, amehlo akhe amangalisiweyo ewathe nzo kolundwendwe lwasezulwini, ezicingela ukuba uyaphupha, okanye usembonweni. Amasoldathi axhobileyo akashukuma ngokungathi axholwe elityeni, xa isithunywa siyalela kwakhona sisithi, “Yithi wambhu ingubo yakho, undilandele.” Kwangoko ke isidalwa sasezulwini sanduluka sasinga ngaselucangweni, waza uPetros owaye kholise ukuba ngothetha futhi, walandela ekhwankqiswe wasisimumu. Babatsiba abalindi abangashukumiyo baya kufika kucango olwaluvalwe ngokomeleleyo ngemivalo yentsimbhi, olwazivulayo ngokwalo lwabuya lwazivala kwa oko; logama abalindi abangaphakathi nabangaphandle kocango babengashukumi ezindaweni zabo.IL 266.1

Isango lesibini, elalilindiwe nalo ngaphakathi nangaphandle, bafika kulo; lazivula nalo kwanjengelokuqala, akwabikho kukritshiza kwazintsimbhi okanye ukuhlokoma kwezikhonkwane zentsimbhi; baphumela ngaphandle, lazivala kwakhona ngokuzolileyo. Ba-phumela nakwelesithathu isango kwa ngalendlela, baza ekugqibeleni bazifumana bekwisitrato esivulekileyo. Akukho lizwi lakha lathethwa; akwavakala sandi sakunyathela; isithunywa sezulu sahambha ngaphambhili, siraqwe kukukhanya okuphandlayo uPetros emlandela umhlanguli wakhe, edidekile, ezicingela ukuba uyaphupha. Isitrato emva kwesitrato sahanjwa nga-lendlela, kwaza kwathi ke, wakuba umsebenzi wesithunywa ufeziwe, ngesiquphe sathi shwaka.IL 266.2

Kwathi ukukhanya kwasezulwini kwakuphela, uPetros waziva esebumnyameni obunzulu; kodwa ngokucondobezayo baye buphela ubumnyama, akuba eqhelana nabo, wazifumana eyedwa esitratweni esithe cwaka, nempepho epholileyo yobusuku ibetha ebusweni bakhe. Waqala ukuqonda ngoku ukuba ibingelophupha okanye umbono abenawo. Wayekhululekile, ekwindawo eqhelekileyo yesixeko; wayiqonda indawo le njengendawo awayeqhele ukuhambha kuyo, awaye lindele ukuba uya kudlula kuyo okokugqibela ngengomso, xa wayeza kuba sendleleni eya kwindawo yokufa kwakhe okwakulindelekile. Wazama ukuzikhumbhula izihlo zemizuzu embalwa ezisandula ukudlula. Wa- khumbula esihliwa bubuthongo elala, ebotshiwe phakathi kwamasoldathi amabini, nezixathula zakhe neengubo zakhe zangaphezulu zikhululwe. Wazikhangela isiqu sakhe wazifumana enxibile ngokupheleleyo, ebhinqile.IL 266.3

Izihlahla zakhe, ezazidumbhe kukunxiba imixokelelwane elumayo, ngoku zazikhululekile kulomakhamandela, waza waqonda ukuba inkululeko yakhe yayingeyonkohliso, kodwa iyinyaniso eyolileyo. Ngengomso wayeza kukhokelelwa ekufeni; kodwa bonani, isithunywa sezulu sasimhlangule entolongweni nasekufeni. “Waza uPetros akuziqonda wathi, Kaloku ndiyazi okwenyaniso, ukuba iNkosi ithume isithunywa sayo yandihlutha esandleni sikaHerode, nakuko konke ukulindela kwabantu bamaJuda.”IL 267.1

Isahluko 40—UPetros Ehlangulwa Entolongweni

Impendulo Yomthandazo