Emva kokuba ekhe watshintshwa embonweni nasemva kokuba ephilise umfana obenedemon eKhesareya Filipi, uYesu uya eKapernahum. Uhamba nabafundi bakhe bodwa, akafuni kubekho omnye umntu ‘oyaziyo loo nto.’ (Marko 9:30) Le nto yenza ukuba akwazi ukubanceda balungele ukufa kwakhe kunye nomsebenzi abaza kuwenza. Uthi kubo: “UNyana womntu uza kujikelwa aze anikelwe ebantwini. Baza kumbulala, aze avuswe ngosuku lwesithathu.”​—Mateyu 17:22, 23.

Ayimele ibothuse abafundi bakhe le nto ayithethayo. Kaloku uYesu ebekhe wabaxelela ukuba uza kubulawa, nangona uPetros engakhange afune ukuyikholelwa ukuba iza kwenzeka nyhani le nto. (Mateyu 16:21, 22) Abanye abapostile bakhe bebembonile etshintshwa, baza bava kuthethwa “ngokumka” kwakhe. (Luka 9:31) Nangoku abalandeli bakaYesu “bakhathazeka kakhulu” xa besiva la mazwi nangona bengayazi ukuba iza kwenzeka njani yonke le nto. (Mateyu 17:23) Kodwa bayoyika ukumbuza.

Bafika eKapernahum, indawo uYesu athanda ukushumayela kuyo nendawo abasuka kuyo abanye babapostile bakhe. Apha, kuza kuPetros amadoda aqokelela irhafu yasetempileni. Mhlawumbi kuba efuna ukutyhola uYesu ngokungayibhatali irhafu, athi: “Akayikhuphi na irhafu yasetempileni umfundisi wenu?”​—Mateyu 17:24.

UPetros uphendula athi: “Ewe uyayikhupha.” Ukufika kwakhe endlini, uYesu seyazi into eyenzekileyo. Akalindi ukuba uPetros ambalisele, endaweni yaloo nto uYesu uthi: “Khawutsho Simon! Ookumkani behlabathi bayinikwa ngubani imali yerhafu? Ngoonyana babo okanye ngabanye abantu?” UPetros uphendula athi: “Ngabanye abantu.” Emva koko uYesu uthi: “Uyabona ke! Oonyana abayikhuphi irhafu, andithi.”​—Mateyu 17:25, 26.

UTata kaYesu nguKumkani wendalo yonke, ibe nguye nalo ukhonzwa etempileni. Ngenxa yaloo nto, ngokomthetho uNyana KaThixo akanyanzelekanga ukuba abhatale irhafu. UYesu uthi: “Kodwa ukuze singabakhubekisi, yiya elwandle, ufike ulobe intlanzi, ephume kuqala, yivule umlomo, uza kufumana kuyo imali yesilivere [ingqekembe yestateri okanye itetradrarhma]. Yithathe uyokubhatalela thina sobabini.”​—Mateyu 17:27.

Ngoku abafundi bakaYesu badibene ibe bafuna ukubuza uYesu ukuba ngubani oyena mkhulu eBukumkanini. Bebesandokoyika ukubuza uYesu ngokufa kwakhe kodwa ngoku aboyiki ukumbuza ngekamva labo. UYesu uyayazi into abayicingayo. Yinto ebebephikisana ngayo ngoku bebehamba emva kwakhe endleleni ebuyela eKapernahum. Ngenxa yaloo nto, uyababuza athi: “Beniphikisana ngantoni endleleni?” (Marko 9:33) Abafundi bakhe baba neentloni baze bathule kuba bebephikisana ngokuba ngubani oyena umkhulu phakathi kwabo. Ekugqibeleni, bayambuza uYesu lo mbuzo bebephikisana ngawo, bathi: “Ngubani kanye kanye oyena mkhulu eBukumkanini bamazulu?”​—Mateyu 18:1.

Iyothusa into yokuba abafundi baxabane ngale nto emva kokuba bebebukele kwaye bemamele uYesu iminyaka emalunga nemithathu. Enye into, bakhule iinkonzo zisithi izikhundla zibalulekile. NoPetros ebesandokuva uYesu emthembisa izitshixo zoBukumkani. Loo nto  ayinakumenza ke acinge ukuba ubalulekile kunabanye? Mhlawumbi noYakobi noYohane bacinga loo nto, kuba bebembonile uYesu ngoku ebetshintshwa.

Nokuba bacinga ntoni, uYesu uyabalungisa. Ubiza umntwana omncinci ammise apha phakathi kwabo aze athi: “Ukuba anijiki nibe njengabantwana abancinci, soze ningene eBukumkanini bamazulu. Ngoko ke, nabani na ozithobayo abe njengalo mntwana, ungoyena mkhulu eBukumkanini bamazulu; ibe nabani na owamkela umntwana omncinci njengalo egameni lam, wamkela nam.”​—Mateyu 18:3-5.

Iyamangalisa le ndlela afundisa ngayo! Akacaphuki aze agxeke abafundi bakhe ngokuthanda izinto nokuba namabhongo. Endaweni yaloo nto, wenza umzekelo ngento abayibonayo. Abantwana abanazo tu izikhundla okanye bafune ukubaluleka kunabanye. Ngenxa yaloo nto, uYesu uthi kufuneka abafundi bakhe babe njalo. Ugqibelisa ngamazwi athi: “Lowo uziphatha njengomncinci phakathi kwenu nonke nguye omkhulu.”​—Luka 9:48.