UPhetro usezwile lokho uJesu akukhulumileyo mayelana lokulungiswa kohlupho oluyabe lukhona phakathi kwabantu ababili. Kodwa kukhanya ufuna ukwazi ukuthi kumele akwenze kangaki lokho uJesu akhulume ngakho.

UPhetro ubuza athi: “Nkosi, umfowethu kumele angonele kangaki ngilokhu ngimthethelela? Kuze kube kasikhombisa yini?” Abanye abakhokheli benkolo bafundisa ukuthi umuntu kumele athethelele omunye kathathu kuphela. Yikho kungenzakala ukuthi uPhetro ucabanga ukuthi uyabe etshengise umusa sibili nxa ethethelele umfowabo ‘kwaze kwaba kasikhombisa.’​—UMathewu 18:21.

Lanxa kunjalo uJesu kafundisi ukuthi umuntu kumele abale ukuthi usemthethelele kangaki omunye, yikho uqondisa uPhetro athi: “Ngithi kuwe, kungabi kasikhombisa kuphela, kodwa kuze kube yizikhathi ezingamatshumi ayisikhombisa lesikhombisa.” (UMathewu 18:22) Lapha uJesu utsho ukuthi uPhetro kumele aqhubeke ethethelela umfowabo kungelani lokuthi umonele kangaki.

Ngemva kwalokho uJesu uxoxela uPhetro labanye umzekeliso otshengisa ukuthi balomlandu wokuthethelela abanye. Umzekeliso lo umayelana lenceku engalingiseli inkosi yayo elesihawu. Inkosi le ifuna ukuthi izinceku zayo zibhadale izikwelede zayo. Kulethwa kuyo enye inceku elesikwelede esesabekayo samathalenta angu-10 000 [odenariyu abangu-60 000 000]. Inceku le ngeke yenelise ukusibhadala isikwelede lesi. Yikho inkosi ithi inceku le lomkayo kanye labantwabayo bathengiswe ukuze sibhadalwe. Inceku le ithi isizwa lokhu izilahle phansi enyaweni zenkosi yayo iyincenge isithi: “Ngicela ungibekezelele, ngizasibhadala sonke isikwelede sami.”​—UMathewu 18:26.

Inkosi iyizwela usizi inceku yayo futhi iyenzele isihawu, icitshe isikwelede sayo. Ngemva kwalokho inceku le iyasuka ibisibona enye inceku elesikwelede sayo sabodenariyu abangu-100. Iyayibamba iqalise ukuyikhama, isithi kuyo: “Bhadala sonke isikwelede sakho.” Inceku elesikwelede  izilahla phansi enyaweni zenceku ekweledwayo ibisiyincenga isithi: “Ngicela ungibekezelele, ngizakubhadala.” (UMathewu 18:28, 29) Kodwa inceku ekweledwayo kayilingiseli inkosi yayo eyicitshele isikwelede. Ithi inceku elesikwelede esincane kakhulu kulaleso ebilaso iphoselwe ejele ize isibhadale.

UJesu uqhubeka elandisa esithi ezinye izinceku ziyakubona okwenziwa yinceku le engelasihawu besezisiyatshela inkosi yazo. Inkosi ithi isizwa lokho iyazonda iyibize ibisisithi kuyo: “Nceku embi, ngikucitshele sonke isikwelede sakho uze ungincenge. Bekungamelanga yini uyizwele isihawu inceku osebenza layo, njengoba lami ngikuzwele isihawu?” Inkosi le esisidla amalahle ithi inceku le engelasihawu ivalelwe ejele ize ibhadale sonke isikwelede sayo. UJesu uphetha ngokuthi: “UBaba osezulwini laye uzaliphatha njalo nxa lingabaxoleli abafowenu ngenhliziyo yonke.”​—UMathewu 18:32-35.

Lokhu kusifundisa ukuthi ukuthethelela kuqakatheke kakhulu. UNkulunkulu usithethelele isikwelede esikhulu sesono. Loba yini umfowethu ongumKhristu angasiphambanisela yona incane kakhulu nxa siyiqathanisa lalokho uNkulunkulu asenzele khona. Kanti njalo asingeke sizibale siziqede izikhathi uJehova asithethelela ngazo. Pho lathi akumelanga yini simthethelele kanengi umfowethu lanxa singabe silesizatho sokumsola? ENtshumayelweni yaseNtabeni uJesu wafundisa ukuthi uNkulunkulu ‘uzasithethelela amacala ethu njengoba lathi sibathethelela abalamacala kithi.’​—UMathewu 6:12.