UJesu usanda kufanekisa isimo sengqondo abalandeli bakhe okufanele babe naso. Kufanele bazibheke njengabantwana, abaphansi nabangenasikhundla. Abafundi kufanele ‘bamukele abantwana abanjalo egameni lakhe’ ngaleyo ndlela bamukele noJesu.—Mathewu 18:5.

Esikhathini esingesingakanani esidlule, abaphostoli bebephikisana ngokuthi ubani omkhulu kunabo bonke, ngakho bangase babheke amazwi kaJesu njengeseluleko. Manje umphostoli uJohane uveza enye into esanda kwenzeka: “Sibone othile exosha amademoni esebenzisa igama lakho, sazama ukumvimba ngoba akayena omunye wethu.”—Luka 9:49.

Kungenzeka yini ukuthi uJohane ucabanga ukuthi abaphostoli kuphela abanegunya lokwelapha abanye noma lokuxosha amademoni? Uma kunjalo, pho le ndoda engumJuda ikwaze kanjani ukuxosha umoya omubi? Kubonakala sengathi uJohane ucabanga ukuthi le ndoda akufanele yenze imisebenzi yamandla ngoba ayihambi noJesu kanye nabaphostoli.

UJesu usho into uJohane angayilindele, uthi: “Ningazami ukumvimba, ngoba akekho umuntu ongathi eqeda nje ukwenza umsebenzi wamandla ngegama lami bese esho into embi ngami. Ngoba noma ubani ongamelene nathi ungakithi. Noma ubani oninika amanzi okuphuza ngenxa yokuthi ningabakaKristu, ngiqinisile ngithi kini, ngeke kwenzeke alahlekelwe umvuzo wakhe.”—Marku 9:39-41.

Cha, okwamanje le ndoda akudingeki ihambe noKristu ukuze kubonakale ukuthi ingasohlangothini lukaJesu. Ibandla lobuKristu alikasungulwa, ngakho ukuthi le ndoda ayihambi noJesu akusho ukuthi ingumphikisi noma ukuthi igqugquzela inkolo yamanga. Ngokusobala, le ndoda inokholo egameni likaJesu futhi lokho uJesu akushoyo kubonisa ukuthi le ndoda ngeke ilahlekelwe umvuzo wayo.

Ngakolunye uhlangothi, kwakungaba yindaba ebucayi ukube le ndoda yayikhutshwe amazwi nezenzo zabaphostoli. UJesu uyaphawula: “Noma ubani okhuba oyedwa kulaba abancane abanokholo, kuyoba ngcono ukuba kuboshelwe entanyeni yakhe itshe lokugaya eliphendulwa imbongolo, aphonswe olwandle.” (Marku 9:42) UJesu ube esethi abalandeli bakhe kufanele basuse ngisho nento eyigugu njengesandla, unyawo noma iso uma kubenza bakhubeke. Kungcono ukungabi nayo leyo nto eyigugu kodwa ungene eMbusweni kaNkulunkulu kunokuba ubambelele kuyo bese uphelela eGehena (iSigodi sikaHinomu). Maningi amathuba okuthi abaphostoli sebeke basibona lesi sigodi esiseduze kwaseJerusalema, lapho kulahlwa khona udoti, ngakho bayaqonda ukuthi simelela ukubhujiswa kwaphakade.

UJesu uphinde axwayise: “Qaphelani ukuba ningadeleli noyedwa walaba abancane, ngoba ngiyanitshela ngithi izingelosi zabo ezulwini zingena njalo phambi kukaBaba osezulwini.” Bayigugu kangakanani  laba “abancane” kuYise? UJesu uxoxa indaba yendoda enezimvu eziyikhulu bese ilahlekelwa eyodwa. Le ndoda iyazishiya lezi ezingu-99 ihambe iyofuna elahlekile, lapho iyithola ijabula kakhulu ngayo kunangalezi ezingu-99. UJesu uyanezela: “UBaba osezulwini akafisi ukuba kushabalale ngisho noyedwa walaba abancane.”—Mathewu 18:10, 14.

Mhlawumbe ecabanga ngokuphikisana kwabaphostoli ngokuthi ubani ozoba mkhulu kunabo bonke, uJesu uyabakhuthaza: “Yibani nosawoti kini ngokwenu, nibe nokuthula phakathi kwenu.” (Marku 9:50) Usawoti wenza ukudla kunambitheke kakhudlwana. Usawoti ongokomfanekiso wenza into eshiwo umuntu kube lula ukuyamukela futhi ngaleyo ndlela kusize ekulondolozeni ukuthula, into engenakwenziwa yimpikiswano.—Kolose 4:6.

Ngezinye izikhathi, kuyophakama izinkinga ezinkulu, ngakho uJesu uyachaza ukuthi kufanele zisingathwe kanjani. UJesu uthi: “Uma umfowenu ona, hamba uyomambulela iphutha lakhe phakathi kwakho naye ninodwa. Uma ekulalela, uyobe umzuzile umfowenu.” Kuthiwani uma engakulaleli? UJesu uyeluleka: “Thatha oyedwa noma ababili uhambe nabo ukuze kuthi ngobufakazi babantu ababili noma abathathu zonke izindaba ziqinisekiswe.” Uma lokho kungayixazululi indaba kufanele akhulume nebandla, okuwukuthi abadala abanomthwalo wokwenza isinqumo. Kuthiwani uma lowo owonile elokhu engafuni ukulalela? “Makabe kuwe njengomuntu wezizwe nanjengomqoqi wentela,” abantu amaJuda ayengenabudlelwane nabo.—Mathewu 18:15-17.

Ababonisi bebandla kudingeka banamathele eZwini likaNkulunkulu. Uma bethola ukuthi owonile unecala futhi udinga iseluleko, isahlulelo sabo siyobe ‘sesiboshiwe kakade ezulwini.’ Kodwa uma abadala bethola ukuthi akanacala, isinqumo sabo naso ‘siyokhululwa ezulwini.’ Lezi ziqondiso ziyoba usizo lapho ibandla lobuKristu selimisiwe. Lapho kwenziwa izinqumo ezibucayi kanjalo, uJesu uthi: “Lapho ababili noma abathathu behlangene ndawonye ngegama lami, ngikhona lapho phakathi kwabo.”—Mathewu 18:18-20