UJesu ubephendula umbuzo wabaphostoli bakhe omayelana lesibonakaliso sokuba khona kwakhe lesesiphetho somumo wezinto. Khathesi usebaxwayisa esebenzisa omunye umzekeliso. Abazabe bephila ngesikhathi sokuba khona kwakhe yibo abazabona ukugcwaliseka kwalokho akutshoyo.

Uqalisa umzekeliso wakhe esithi: “UMbuso wamazulu ungafaniswa lezintombi ezilitshumi ezathatha izibane zazo zaphuma zisiyahlangabeza umyeni. Ezinhlanu zaziyizithutha, ezinhlanu zihlakaniphile.”​—UMathewu 25:1, 2.

UJesu katsho ukuthi abanye abafundi bakhe abazathola ilifa loMbuso ezulwini bazakuba yizithutha kuthi abanye babe ngabahlakaniphileyo. Akutshoyo yikuthi endabeni yokungena eMbusweni, umfundi ngamunye uyazikhethela ukuthi uzahlala ephapheme yini loba uzavuma ukuphanjaniswa ngezinye izinto. Kodwa uJesu kathandabuzi kuthi izinceku zakhe zonke zingahlala zithembekile futhi zibusiswe nguYise.

Emzekelisweni kaJesu, izintombi ezilitshumi ziyaphuma ukuthi ziyehlangabeza umyeni lokuthi zibe semthimbeni womtshado. Umyeni uzathi esefikile izintombi zilumathise izibane zazo zimkhanyisele lapho ahamba khona lomlobokazi wakhe besiya endlini umlobokazi ayilungiselweyo. Kodwa kwenzakalani izintombi lezi seziphumile?

UJesu uthi: “Eziyizithutha zathatha izibane zazo kodwa zatshiya amafutha, ezihlakaniphileyo zona zathwala izibane zazo kanye lamafutha ezimbodleleni zazo. Umyeni uthe esephuza zonke zaqalisa ukuwozela zalala.” (UMathewu 25:3-5) Umyeni kafiki ngesikhathi obekukhangelelwe ukuthi afike ngaso. Kukhanya uyaphuza  sibili ngoba izintombi zize zijumeke. Abaphostoli bengabe bekhumbula lokho uJesu ake akutsho ngomuntu wesikhosini owaya kwenye indawo futhi ‘wacina ephenduka esebuphiwe ubukhosi.’​—ULukha 19:11-15.

Emzekelisweni wezintombi ezilitshumi, uJesu ukhuluma ngalokho okwenzakalayo umyeni esefikile. Uthi: “Phakathi laphakathi kobusuku kwamenyezwa kwathiwa: ‘Nangu umyeni! Phumani liyemhlangabeza.’” (UMathewu 25:6) Izintombi zizilungiselele yini?

UJesu uqhubeka esithi: “Lapho-ke izintombi zonke zavuka zalungisa izibane zazo. Eziyizithutha zathi kwezihlakaniphileyo, ‘Sichathekeleni amafutha enu ngoba izibane zethu sezizacitsha.’ Ezihlakaniphileyo zaphendula zathi: ‘Engxenye kawasoze asenele nxa singalinika. Kungcono lihambe kwabawathengisayo liyezithengela awenu.’”​—UMathewu 25:7-9.

Izintombi ezinhlanu eziyizithutha kazikulungiselelanga ukufika komyeni. Amafutha ezibane zazo kawenelanga yikho sekumele zizame ukudinga amanye. UJesu uthi: “Zithe zisayawathenga, umyeni wafika. Izintombi ezazizilungiselele zangena laye edilini lomtshado, umnyango wasuvalwa. Ngemva kwalokho kwafika lezinye izintombi ezinhlanu zathi: ‘Mnumzana, Mnumzana, sivulele!’ Yena waphendula wathi, ‘Ngiqinisile ngithi kini, kangilazi.’” (UMathewu 25:10-12) Okwehlele izintombi lezi kuyadanisa ngoba bezingazilungiselelanga.

Abaphostoli bayabona ukuthi uJesu nguye umyeni osemzekelisweni. Phela kaqalisi ukuzifanisa lomyeni. (ULukha 5:34, 35) Izintombi ezihlakaniphileyo zona-ke? UJesu wakhuluma ‘ngomhlambi omncane’ ozanikwa uMbuso esithi: “Gqokani lihlale lizilungiselele njalo izibane zenu kazihlale zibhebha.” (ULukha 12:32, 35) Yikho emzekelisweni wezintombi, abaphostoli bayazwisisa ukuthi uJesu ukhuluma ngabo kanye labanye abafundi abasemhlambini omncane. UJesu uwulandiseleni umzekeliso lo?

Kabatshiyi besemnyameni abafundi bakhe. Uphetha umzekeliso wakhe esithi: “Ngakho-ke hlalani lilindile ngoba kalilazi ilanga kumbe ihola.”​—UMathewu 25:13.

Kusegcekeni ukuthi uJesu uxwayisa abalandeli bakhe abathembekileyo ukuthi kuzamele ‘bahlale belindile’ ngesikhathi sokuba khona kwakhe. Kumele bahlale belindile futhi bezilungiselele njengezintombi ezinhlanu ezihlakaniphileyo ngoba uzabuya. Bangenza njalo kabasoze balahlekelwe lithemba labo eliyigugu futhi bazawuthola umvuzo wabo.