Abaphikisi bezekolo babhalelwe kuhlazisa nokubamba uJesu bona bamkghaphele kumaRoma. (Lukasi 20:20) UJesu nakasesethempelini ngoNisan 11, ujik’ izinto, uziveza kibo. Uthoma ngokubabuza, uthi: “Nicabangani ngoKrestu? Uyindodana kabani?” (Matewu 22:42) Bamphendula bathi nguMesiya, ngombana kuyaziwa ukuthi uKrestu namkha uMesiya, uzokuvela emndenini kaDavida.—Matewu 9:27; 12:23; Jwanisi 7:42.

UJesu uyababuza: “Alo kuza njani bona uDavida ngaphasi kokuphefumulelwa mmoya ocwengileko ambiza ngokuthi yiKosi, wathi, ‘UJehova wathi eKosinami: “Hlala ngesidleni sami bekube kulapho ngibeka amanabakho ngaphasi kweenyawo zakho”’? Ngalokho-ke, uDavida nakambiza ngokuthi yiKosi, kuza njani bona abe yindodanakhe?”—Matewu 22:43-45.

AbaFarisi bayathula ngombana banethemba lokuthi isizukulwana sakaDavida, ngiso esizobatjhaphulula ekulawulweni maRoma. UJesu nakakhuluma ngamezwi kaDavida akuRhubo 110:1, 2, uhlathulula bona uMesiya uzokuba ngaphezu kombusi omumuntu. UyiKosi kaDavida, begodu uzokuthoma ukubusa ngemva kokuhlala ngesandleni sokudla sakaZimu. Ipendulo kaJesu ibaval’ umlomo abaphikisi bakhe.

Abafundi nabanye abanengi bebasolo balalele. Nje-ke uJesu ukhuluma nabo, ubayelelisa ngabatloli nabaFarisi. Amadoda la ‘azibeke esihlalweni sakaMosi’ bona afundise umThetho kaZimu. Uyala abantu abamlaleleko, uthi: “Zoke izinto abanitjela zona, zenzeni, kodwana ningenzi njengabo, ngombana bayakhuluma bangakwenzi abakutjhoko.”—Matewu 23:2, 3.

Ngemva kwalokho uJesu ubenzela iimbonelo zobuzenzisi babo, uthi: “Benza amafilakteriya wabo abe makhulu.” Amanye amaJuda athwala amabhoksana amancani la aneendinyana ezifitjhani ezivela emThethweni epandla namkha emkhonweni. AbaFarisi bayawakhulisa wabo ukwenzela bona babonakale ngasuthi bawutjhisakalela khulu umThetho. Godu benza ‘nemiphetho yezambatho zabo ibe mide.’ Ama-Israyeli bekufuze enze imiphetho ezambathweni zawo, kodwana abaFarisi benza yabo ibe mide khulu. (Numeri 15:38-40) Benza koke lokhu bona ‘babonwe babantu.’—Matewu 23:5.

Ngitjho nabafundi bakaJesu kungenzeka nabo babenaso isifiso sokuvelela, nje-ke uyabayala uthi: “Akukafaneli nibizwe ngokuthi Rabi, ngombana munye uMfundisi wenu, noke nina nibafowabo bomunye nomunye. Godu ningabizi muntu ephasini ngokuthi baba, ngombana munye uBaba wenu, ngiLoyo osezulwini. Akukafaneli nibizwe nangokuthi nibarholi, ngombana munye uMrholi wenu, uKrestu.” Alo abafundi kufuze baziphathe begodu baziqale njani? UJesu uthi kibo: “Omkhulu kini noke kufuze abe sisebenzi senu. Nanyana ngubani oziphakamisako uzokuthotjiswa, nozithobako uzokuphakanyiswa.”—Matewu 23:8-12.

UJesu utjho umlandelande wabomaye kubatloli nabaFarisi ababazenzisi, uthi: “Maye kini, batloli nabaFarisi, bazenzisi ndina! Nivalela abantu umBuso wezulu; ngombana nina aningeni, nalabo abasendleleni eya kiwo niyabavimba.”—Matewu 23:13.

UJesu ulahla abaFarisi ngokungazithatheli phezulu izinto uJehova aziqala njengeziqakathekileko, njengombana lokho kubonakala ekukhetheni abakwenzako. Ngokwesibonelo bathi: “Nangabe umuntu ufunga ngethempeli, akunandaba; kodwana nangabe ufunga ngegolide lethempeli, ubophekile bona asiphethe isifungo sakhe.” Ngokwenza kwabo njalo, batjengisa ukuba ziimphofu endleleni abaziphatha ngayo,  ngombana badzimelela khulu egolideni lethempeli kunokudzimelela eqinisweni lokuthi ithempeli yindawo okulotjhelwa kiyo uJehova. ‘Baziphayela eqadi izinto eziqakatheke khulu zomThetho, okubulungiswa, umusa nokuthembeka.’—Matewu 23:16, 23; Lukasi 11:42.

UJesu ubiza abaFarisaba ngokuthi ‘barholi abaziimphofu, abakhupha unompopoloza eenselweni zabo kodwana bagomojela ikamela!’ (Matewu 23:24) Bakhupha unompopoloza ngewayinini labo ngombana ngokwesiko akakahlwengeki. Kodwana ukuphayela kwabo eqadi izinto eziqakatheke khulu zomThetho, kufana nokugomojela ikamela, nalo elingakahlwengeki ngokwesiko, begodu likhulu nalimadaniswa nonompopoloza.—Levitikusi 11:4, 21-24.