UMARKO wabhala enye yeencwadi ezine zeBhayibhile ezithetha ngobomi bukaYesu. Incwadi yakhe yeyona imfutshane neyona ilula. Wayengubani uMarko? Ngaba ucinga ukuba wayemazi uYesu?— * Makhe sibone iingxaki awajamelana nazo uMarko sibone nesizathu sokuba engazange ayeke ukuba ngumKristu.

Igama likaMarko liqala ukuvela eBhayibhileni emva kokuba uKumkani uHerode Agripa evalele umpostile uPetros entolongweni. Ngobunye ubusuku ingelosi yamkhulula uPetros, yaye ngokukhawuleza emva koko waya kunina kaMarko, uMariya owayehlala eYerusalem. UPetros wakhululwa entolongweni malunga neminyaka elishumi emva kokubulawa kukaYesu ngePasika yowama-33 C.E.—IZenzo 12:1-5, 11-17.

Uyasazi isizathu sokuba uPetros aye kwikhaya likaMariya?— Mhlawumbi kungenxa yokuba wayesazi amalungu entsapho yakhe yaye wayesazi ukuba abafundi bakaYesu babehlanganisana kwelo khaya. UBharnabhas ongumza kaMarko wayesele enethuba engumfundi kaYesu, kubonakala ukuba waba nguye ngoMthendeleko wePentekoste yowama-33 C.E. IBhayibhile ibonisa ukuba, ngelo xesha wabenzela ububele abafundi abatsha. Ngoko ke kumele ukuba uYesu wayemazi uBharnabhas, noninakazi uMariya nonyana wakhe uMarko.—IZenzo 4:36, 37; Kolose 4:10.

KwiVangeli yakhe, uMarko wabhala ukuba ngobusuku bokubanjwa kukaYesu, kwakukho umfana othile ‘owayenxibe isambatho phezu komzimba wakhe oze.’ UMarko uthi xa iintshaba zibamba uYesu, lo mfana wabaleka. Ucinga ukuba yayingubani lo mfana?— Ewe, mhlawumbi yayinguMarko! Ngoko ekuhambeni kukaYesu nabapostile bakhe ngobo busuku, kusenokwenzeka ukuba uMarko wathi hatya nje isambatho walandela.—Marko 14:51, 52.

UMarko wayenolwazi oluninzi ngezinto zokomoya. Kusenokwenzeka ukuba wayekhona xa kwakuthululwa umoya oyingcwele ngePentekoste yowama-33 C.E., yaye wayesondelelene nabakhonzi abathembekileyo bakaThixo, abafana noPetros. Kwakhona wahamba nomza wakhe uBharnabhas, owanceda uSawule emva kokuba ebone uYesu embonweni. Malunga neminyaka emithathu kamva, uBharnabhas wazisa uSawule kuPetros.—IZenzo 9:1-15, 27; 11:22-26; 12:25; Galati 1:18, 19.

 Ngowama-47 C.E., uBharnabhas noSawule banyulwa ukuba babe ngabavangeli basemazweni. Bahamba noMarko, kodwa ngasizathu sithile kamva, uMarko wabashiya waya kokwabo eYerusalem. USawule, kamva owabizwa ngegama lesiRoma elinguPawulos, yamcaphukisa le nto. Wakugqala njengentsilelo enzulu oko kwenziwa nguMarko.—IZenzo 13:1-3, 9, 13.

Xa bebuya kutyelelo lwabo lwasemazweni, uPawulos noBharnabhas babuya nengxelo entle gqitha. (IZenzo 14:24-28) Kwiinyanga ezilandelayo kamva, baceba ukubuyela kubafundi abatsha ababeshumayele kubo. UBharnabhas wafuna ukuba bahambe noMarko, kodwa uyazi ukuba wacinga ntoni uPawulos?— “Akazange acinge ukuba kufanelekile” oko kuba ngaphambili uMarko wabashiya wagoduka. Ngokuqinisekileyo okwenzekayo emva koko kwamenza buhlungu uMarko!

Bacaphuka, yaye emva ‘kokudubuleka kabukhali komsindo’ uPawulos noBharnabhas bahlukana. UBharnabhas wahamba noMarko baya kushumayela eSipro, yaye uPawulos wahamba noSilas babuyela kubafundi abatsha njengoko babecebile ngaphambili. Hayi indlela amele ukuba wakhathazeka ngayo uMarko ngokuxabanisa abahlobo bakhe uPawulos noBharnabhas!—IZenzo 15:36-41.

Asisazi isizathu esabangela uMarko agoduke ngaphambili. Kusenokwenzeka ukuba wayenesizathu esivakalayo. Enoba sasiyintoni na isizathu, kucacile ukuba uBharnabhas wayeqinisekile ukuba ayinakuphinda yenzeke loo nto. Yaye wayechanile. UMarko akazange anikezele! Kamva wasebenza noPetros kumsebenzi  wobuvangeli, eBhabhiloni. Ngoxa babelapho, uPetros wathumela imibuliso waza wongezelela wathi “wenjenjalo noMarko unyana wam.”—1 Petros 5:13.

Kuyabonakala ukuba uPetros noMarko babenobuhlobo obusenyongweni ngenxa yokuba bekhonza uThixo kunye! Oku kuyabonakala naxa sifunda iVangeli ebhalwe nguMarko. Apho uMarko uchaza izinto ezabonwa nguPetros ngexesha lobulungiseleli bukaYesu. Ngokomzekelo, thelekisa iingxelo ezithetha ngesaqhwithi esenzeka kuLwandle lwaseGalili. UMarko uchaza nezinye iinkcukacha njengendawo uYesu awayelele kuyo esikhepheni nento awayelele phezu kwayo, nto ezo zazinokubonwa ngumlobi onjengoPetros. Sinokuzibonela oku ngokuthelekisa ingxelo yeBhayibhile efumaneka kuMateyu 8:24; kuMarko 4:37, 38; nakuLuka 8:23.

Kamva, xa uPawulos wayesentolongweni eRoma, wamncoma uMarko ngenkxaso yakhe. (Kolose 4:10) Yaye xa uPawulos wayevalelwe apho kwakhona, wabhalela uTimoti emcela ukuba eze noMarko, wathi: “Uyandinceda emsebenzini wobulungiseleli.” (2 Timoti 4:11) Eneneni, uMarko wafumana amalungelo amaninzi enkonzweni kuba engazange anikezele!