Ethempelini uJesu uphendule abaphristi abakhokhelayo labadala besizwe abambuze ukuthi uwathatha ngaphi amandla okwenza izinto azenzayo. Impendulo yakhe ibaqume imilomo. Khathesi ubalandisela umzekeliso otshengisa ukuthi bangabantu abanjani sibili.

Uthi: “Kulendoda eyayilabantwana ababili. Yaya kowokuqala yafika yathi, ‘Mntanami, hamba uyesebenza esivandeni samagilebisi lamuhla.’ Yena waphendula wathi, ‘Angisoze ngiye,’ kodwa wacina ezisola wasehamba. Yasihamba kowesibili yatsho into efananayo. Yena waphendula wathi, ‘Ngizahamba Baba,’ kodwa kahambanga. Ngubani phakathi kwalaba ababili owenza intando kayise?” (UMathewu 21:28-31) Kuyazicacela ukuthi indodana yokuqala yiyo eyacina isenza intando kayise.

UJesu utshela abaphikisi bakhe athi: “Ngiqinisile ngithi kini, abathelisi lezifebe bazaliqalela ukungena eMbusweni kaNkulunkulu.” Abathelisi lezifebe bebengamkhonzi uNkulunkulu, kodwa sebephendukile njengendodana yokuqala njalo sebemkhonza. Abakhokheli benkolo banjengendodana yesibili ngoba bathi bakhonza uNkulunkulu kodwa besehluleka. UJesu uthi: “UJohane [uMbhabhathizi] weza kini ngendlela yokulunga kodwa kalimkholwanga. Abathelisi lezifebe bona bamkholwa. Lanxa lakubona lokhu, kalizisolanga futhi kalimkholwanga.”​—UMathewu 21:31, 32.

Ngemva kwalokho uJesu ulandisa omunye umzekeliso. Ubeke watshengisa ukuthi abakhokheli benkolo bayehluleka ukukhonza uNkulunkulu, kodwa khathesi usefuna ukutshengisa ukuthi balezinhliziyo ezimbi. UJesu uthi: “Kulomuntu owahlanyela amagilebisi esivandeni sakhe wasesibiyela ngothango, wagebha igodi lokukhamela amagilebisi waphinda wakha lomphotshongo. Waqhatshisa lesosivande kubalimi, wasesiya elizweni elikhatshana. Ngesikhathi sokuvuna wathuma inceku kubalimi ukuthi iyethatha ezinye izithelo ezazisesivandeni. Kodwa bona bayithatha bayitshaya basebeyixotsha, yabuyela ilengise izandla. Waphinda wathumela enye inceku, yona bayitshaya ekhanda njalo bayeyisa. Wathuma enye futhi inceku, bayibulala. Wathuma lezinye ezinengi, ezinye zakhona bazitshaya, ezinye bazibulala.”​—UMakho 12:1-5.

Abantu abalalele uJesu bazawuzwisisa yini umzekeliso wakhe? Mhlawumbe bakhumbula amazwi ake akhulunywa ngu-Isaya, athi: “Isivini sikaJehova uSomandla yindlu ka-Israyeli; abantu bakoJuda bayinsimu eligugu kuye. Wayelindele okufaneleyo, kodwa wabona ukuchitheka kwegazi.” (U-Isaya 5:7) Umzekeliso kaJesu uhambelana lamazwi la. Umnikazi wesivande nguJehova njalo isivande samagilebisi yisizwe sama-Israyeli esibiyelwe savikelwa nguMthetho kaNkulunkulu. UJehova wathuma abaphrofethi ukuthi bafundise abantu bakhe lokuthi babancedise bathele izithelo ezinhle.

Emzekelisweni kaJesu, “abalimi” baziphatha kubi “izinceku” ezazithunyiwe bazibulala. UJesu uthi: “Kwasekusele indodana yakhe [umnikazi wesivande samagilebisi] ayithandayo kuphela. Ekucineni wathuma yona esithi, ‘Indodana yami bazayihlonipha.’ Kodwa abalimi bakhuluma bebodwa bathi, ‘Le yiyo indlalifa. Buyani siyibulale, ilifa libe ngelethu.’ Ngakho bayithatha bayibulala.”​—UMakho 12:6-8.

Ngemva kwalokho uJesu ubuza athi: “Manje umnikazi wesivande uzakwenzani?” (UMakho  12:9) Abakhokheli benkolo bamphendula besithi: “Uzababulala ngendlela elesihluku ngenxa yokuthi babi, futhi isivande leso uzasiqhatshisa kwabanye abalimi abazamnika amagilebisi nxa isikhathi sokuvuna sesifikile.”​—UMathewu 21:41.

Abakhokheli laba sebezigwaze ngowabo ngoba baphakathi ‘kwabalimi’ ‘besivande’ sikaJehova esiyisizwe sako-Israyeli. UNkulunkulu ukhangelele ukuthi abalimi laba bathele izithelo ezigoqela ukuba lokholo eNdodaneni yakhe, uMesiya. UJesu ubathi nhlo abakhokheli benkolo laba abesesithi: “Kanti kalikaze liwubale umbhalo othi: ‘Ilitshe elaliwa ngabakhi selibe lilitshe elikhulu eliyisiqokoqela. Ilitshe lelo livela kuJehova futhi lihle kakhulu emehlweni ethu’?” (UMakho 12:10, 11) Uyabachasisela akutshoyo athi: “Yikho ngisithi kini, uMbuso kaNkulunkulu lizawuthathelwa uphiwe isizwe esithela izithelo zawo.”​—UMathewu 21:43.

Ababhali labaphristi abakhokhelayo bayananzelela ukuthi uJesu ‘ukhulume umzekeliso lo ecabanga ngabo.’ (ULukha 20:19) Sebezimisele kakhulu ukumbulala yena ‘oyindlalifa.’ Kodwa kabambulali ngalesosikhathi ngoba besaba ixuku elibona uJesu engumphrofethi.