Sekusikhatjhana uJesu asendaweni yePhereya “ngaphetjheya kweJordani.” (Jwanisi 10:40) Njenganje utjhinga esewula eJerusalema.

UJesu akakhambi yedwa. Ukhamba nabafundi bakhe, kuhlanganise ‘nesiqubuthu esikhulu,’ nabathelisi nezoni. (Lukasi 14:25; 15:1) AbaFarisi nabatloli, abangavumelani nalokho uJesu akwenzako nakutjhoko, nabo bakhona lapho. Banezinto ezinengi ekufuze bacabange ngazo ngemva kokuzwa uJesu enza umfanekiso wemvu ebeyilahlekile, wendodana ebeyilahlekile, nowendoda enjingileko noLazaru.—Lukasi 15:2; 16:14.

Mhlamunye asacabanga ngokusolwa nokunyefulwa bamangaleli bakhe, uJesu ukhuluma nabafundi bakhe. Ukhuluma nabo ngezinye izinto akhe akhuluma ngazo ngaphambilini nakaseGalile.

Ngokwesibonelo, uJesu uthi: “Iinqabo zizokuba khona nanyana kunjani. Nokho, maye kiloyo eziza ngaye! . . . Zitjhejeni. Nangabe umfowenu wenza isono, mkhalime, nakangatjhuguluka, mlibalele. Ngitjho nanyana angakonela amahlandla alikhomba ngelanga bese ubuya amahlandla alikhomba, athi, ‘Ngiyatjhuguluka,’ kufuze umlibalele.” (Lukasi 17:1-4) Kungenzeka ukuthi amezwi wokugcina la akhumbuza uPitrosi ngombuzo akhe wawubuza omalungana nokulibalela umuntu amahlandla alikhomba.—Matewu 18:21.

Kghani abafundi bazokukghona ukuziphatha ngokuvumelana namezwi kaJesu? Nabathi kuJesu, “Sipha ukukholwa okungeziweko,” uyabaqinisekisa uthi: “Ngathana beninokukholwa okulingana nembewu yemastedi, beningathi emthini womurubheyi onzima lo, ‘Ruthuka, utjaleke ngelwandle!’ Bewuzonilalela.” (Lukasi 17:5, 6) Kwamambala, ngitjho nokukholwa okuncani kungafeza izinto ezikulu.

Nakaragako, uJesu ufundisa ngokuqakatheka kokuthobeka nokulinganisela endleleni esiziqala ngayo, utjela abapostoli uthi: “Ngubani kinapha onesisebenzi esilimako namkha esilusako ongathi kiso nasibuya esimini, ‘Iza etafulenapha uzokudla’? Kunalokho, bekangekhe na athi kiso, ‘Ngilungiselela ukudla kwantambama, umbathe ifasikoti, ungitende bengiqede ukudla nokusela, bese ngemva kwalokho ungadla bewusele’? Angekhe athokoze isisebenzeso ngombana senze lokho egade sabelwe khona, akusinjalo? Ngokufanako, nanenze koke enabelwe khona, kufuze nithi: ‘Siziinsebenzi ezingasizi ngalitho. Senze lokho ebekufuze sikwenze.’”—Lukasi 17:7-10.

Isisebenzi sakaZimu esinye nesinye, kufuze sizwisise ukuqakatheka kokubeka izinto zakaZimu qangi. Ngaphezu kwalokho, kufuze sikhumbule ilungelo elinaso lokulotjha uZimu njengelunga lomndenakhe.

Kubonakala ngasuthi msinyana ngemva kwalokhu, kufika umlayezo othunyelwe nguMariya noMarta. Bodadwabo lakaLazaru, abahlala eBhethaniya leJudiya. Umuntu olethe umlayezo lo uyambikela: “Kosi, loyo omthandako uyagula.”—Jwanisi 11:1-3.

Nanyana ezwa ukuthi uLazaru umnganakhe ubangwa neenzibi, uJesu akathwali imikhono ehloko ngebanga lesizi. Kunalokho uthi: “Isiphetho sokugulokhu angekhe kube kukufa, kodwana kungokwephazimulo kaZimu, ukwenzela bona iNdodana kaZimu iphazinyuliswe ngakho.” Ngemva kokuhlala lapho amalanga amabili, utjela abafundi bakhe uthi: “Asitjhingeni eJudiya godu.” Abafundi bayanghonghoyila bathi kuye: “Rabi, mhlapha nje amaJudiya bekafuna ukukukghadlha ngamatje, ufuna ukuya khona godu?”—Jwanisi 11:4, 7, 8.

UJesu uyabaphendula uthi: “Imini inama-iri ali-12, akusinjalo? Nanyana ngubani okhamba emini, akakhutjwa lilitho, ngombana ubona ukukhanya kwephaseli. Kodwana nanyana ngubani okhamba ebusuku uyakhutjwa, ngombana ukukhanya  akukho kuye.” (Jwanisi 11:9, 10) Kungenzeka utjho ukuthi isikhathi uZimu asibekele umsebenzakhe, asikapheli. UJesu kufuze asisebenzise ngokuzeleko isikhathi esincani esimsaleleko.

UJesu uyangezelela, uthi: “ULazaru umnganethu ulele, kodwana ngitjhinga khona bona ngiyomvusa.” Abafundi bacabanga ukuthi uLazaru uziphumulele begodu uzokuphola, bathi: “Kosi, nangabe ulele, uzakuphola.” UJesu ubatjela ngokunqophileko, uthi: “ULazaru uhlongakele . . . Kodwana asitjhingeni kuye.”—Jwanisi 11:11-15.

UTomasi uyalemuka ukuthi uJesu angabulawa eJudiya kodwana ufuna ukumsekela, nje-ke ukhuthaza abafundi akunye nabo uthi: “Asikhambeni nathi, ukwenzela bona sife kunye noJesu.”—Jwanisi 11:16.