UJesu uthi eseguquke isimo njalo wasilisa umfana oledimoni esigabeni seKhesariya Filiphi, aqonde eKhaphenawume. Uhamba labafundi bakhe kuphela ngoba kafuni ukuthi kube lomuntu “okwaziyo ukuthi ungaphi.” (UMakho 9:30) Lokhu kumnika ithuba lokuthi alungiselele abafundi bakhe ukufa kwakhe njalo abalungiselele umsebenzi abazawenza. Uyabatshela athi: “INdodana yomuntu izanikelwa ezandleni zabantu, futhi bazayibulala, ibisivuswa ngelanga lesithathu.”​—UMathewu 17:22, 23.

Abafundi bakaJesu kabaqalisi ukumuzwa ekhuluma ngendaba le. Uke wabatshela ngokuthi uzabulawa lanxa uPhetro ubengakholwa ukuthi lokho kuzakwenzakala. (UMathewu 16:21, 22) Kanti njalo abaphostoli abathathu bambonile eguquka isimo baphinda bezwa kukhulunywa “ngokusuka” kwakhe. (ULukha 9:31) Khathesi abalandeli bakhe ‘sebedane kakhulu’ ngenxa yalokho akukhulumayo lanxa bengamzwisisi kuhle ukuthi utshoni. (UMathewu 17:23) Kodwa bayesaba ukumbuza ngakho.

Ngemva kwesikhathi bafika eKhaphenawume lapho uJesu ajayele ukwenzela khona inkonzo yakhe njalo kulapho okuvela khona abaphostoli bakhe abanengi. Amadoda abhadalisa umthelo wethempeli alanda uPhetro. Mhlawumbe azama ukusola uJesu ngokuthi kabhadali imithelo ngokubuza esithi: “Umfundisi wenu kabhadali yini umthelo [owethempeli] wamadrakhima amabili?”​—UMathewu 17:24.

UPhetro uthi: “Uyabhadala.” UJesu yena usendlini kodwa usekwazi ukuthi kwenzakaleni. Yikho kameleli ukuthi uPhetro ayivuse indaba le kodwa uhle athi: “Ucabangani Simoni? Amakhosi omhlaba ayithatha kubobani imbadalo kumbe umthelo? Emadodaneni awo kumbe kwabanye abantu?” UPhetro uphendula athi: “Kwabanye abantu.” Esetsho njalo uJesu uthi: “Lokhu kutsho ukuthi amadodana awo kawabhadali umthelo.”​—UMathewu 17:25, 26.

UYise kaJesu uyiNkosi yakho konke njalo nguye okhonzwayo ethempelini. Ngakho iNdodana kaNkulunkulu akudingeki ukuthi ibhadale umthelo wethempeli. Kodwa uJesu uthi: “Ukuze singabakhubi, hamba elwandle, ufike uphosele iwuka yenhlanzi, ubusuthatha inhlanzi ezabanjwa kuqala. Ungayivula umlomo, uzathola uhlamvu lwemali yesiliva. * Yithathe uyebanika, ubhadalele mina lawe.”​—UMathewu 17:27.

Khathesi abafundi sebendawonye njalo bafuna ukubuza uJesu ukuthi ngubani ozakuba mkhulu kulabo bonke eMbusweni. Amadoda la yiwo akade esesaba ukubuza uJesu ngokufa kwakhe okuzayo kodwa khathesi aselesibindi sokumbuza ngekusasa lawo. UJesu uyakwazi ukuthi abafundi bakhe bacabangani. Bebephikisana ngakho behamba ngemuva kwakhe ngesikhathi bebuyela eKhaphenawume. Yikho uyababuza athi: “Beliphikisana ngani endleleni?” (UMakho 9:33) Abafundi balenhloni zokuphendula ngoba bebephikisana ngokuthi ngubani omkhulu kulabo bonke phakathi kwabo. Kodwa bacina sebebuze uJesu lokho akade bekhuluma ngakho, bathi: “Ngubani sibili omkhulu kulabo bonke eMbusweni wamazulu?”​—UMathewu 18:1.

Kuyamangalisa ukuthi abafundi baphikisana ngento enjalo bona sebeleminyaka engaba mithathu bephila loJesu futhi bemuzwa efundisa.  Kodwa ngabantu abazelwe belesono futhi bakhulele emphakathini olenkolo eqakathekisa izikhundla. Kanti njalo uJesu uke wathembisa uPhetro ukuthi uzamupha “amakhiye” oMbuso. Mhlawumbe usezibona engcono kulabanye abaphostoli. UJakhobe loJohane labo bangabe sebezibona bengcono ngoba bambone ngawabo uJesu eguquka isimo.

UJesu uyabaqondisa abafundi kungelani lokuthi kuyini okubenza baphikisane. Ubiza umntwana omncane, ammise phakathi kwabo abesesithi kubo: “Ngaphandle kokuthi liphenduke libe njengabantwana abancane, kalisoze lingene eMbusweni wamazulu loba sekutheni. Yikho-ke lowo ozithobayo njengomntwana lo omncane nguye omkhulu kulabo bonke eMbusweni wamazulu; futhi loba ngubani owamukela umntwana omncane njengalo ngenxa yebizo lami, uyangamukela lami.”​—UMathewu 18:3-5.

Le yindlela yokufundisa enhle kakhulu. UJesu kabazondeli abafundi bakhe njalo kababizi ngokuthi bayizihwaba kumbe ukuthi bathanda izikhundla. Kodwa usebenzisa isibonelo esicacileyo. Abantwana abancane kabalandaba lezikhundla. Ngakho uJesu utshengisa abafundi bakhe ukuthi labo kumele babe njalo. Ngemva kwalokho, uphetha ngokutshela abalandeli bakhe amazwi la: “Oziphatha njengomncane kulani lonke nguye omkhulu.”​—ULukha 9:48.