UJesu lalabo ahamba labo bafika eJerikho njalo indawo le ingumango ongathatha ilanga elilodwa nxa usuka eJerusalema. Idolobho leJerikho lehlukaniswe laba ngamadolobho amabili. Elidala lakhona lingaba ngamakhilomitha angu-1,6 nxa usuka kwelitsha elakhiwa ngezikhathi zamaRoma. UJesu lexuku labantu elimlandelayo bathi sebephuma kwelinye lamadolobho la besiya kwelinye, amadoda amabili ayiziphofu futhi aphila ngokucela azwe umsindo. Omunye wamadoda la kuthiwa nguBhathimewu.

UBhathimewu lomunye wakhe bathi besizwa ukuthi uJesu usedlula baqalise ukumemeza besithi: “Nkosi, sizwele isihawu, Ndodana kaDavida!” (UMathewu 20:30) Abanye exukwini bayawakhuza amadoda la bewatshela ukuthi athule kodwa wona aqhubeka ememeza ngamandla. UJesu uyama esizwa umsindo lo abesecela ahamba labo ukuthi babize umuntu omemezayo. Bayasuka baye emadodeni la besebesithi komunye wawo: “Woba lesibindi! Sukuma; uyakubiza.” (UMakho 10:49) Indoda eyisiphofu ihle ilahlele phansi isembatho sayo sangaphandle, ithi lothu iqonde kuJesu.

UJesu ubuza amadoda ayiziphofu athi: “Lifuna ngilenzeleni?” Bonke bayamncenga bathi: “Nkosi, yenza ukuthi amehlo ethu abone.” (UMathewu 20:32, 33) UJesu uyawazwela usizi, athinte amehlo awo abesesithi komunye wawo: “Hamba. Ukholo lwakho lukusilisile.” (UMakho 10:52) Amadoda ayiziphofu abephila ngokucela asebona njalo akuthandabuzwa ukuthi aqalisa ukudumisa uNkulunkulu. Abantu ababone lokhu kusenzakala labo bayamdumisa uNkulunkulu. Khathesi amadoda la abengaboni aselandela uJesu.

UJesu ulandelwa lixuku elikhulukazi ngesikhathi edlula eJerikho. Wonke umuntu ufuna ukuyibona indoda esilise amadoda abeyiziphofu. Abanye bayehluleka lokumbona ngoba abantu bayamminyezela ngobunengi babo. UZakhewu laye uyehluleka ukumbona. Uyinduna yabathelisi eJerikho lasezindaweni eziseduze. Kenelisi ukubona okwenzakalayo ngenxa yokuthi uyindoda emfitshane. Yikho uyagijima aye phambili afike akhwele esihlahleni somsikhamori elindele ukubona uJesu. Esephezulu esihlahleni, uyenelisa ukubona kuhle konke okwenzakalayo. UJesu uthi esondela abone uZakhewu ephezulu esihlahleni abesesithi kuye: “Zakhewu, yehla masinyane ngoba lamuhla ngizokuvakatshela emzini wakho.” (ULukha 19:5) UZakhewu uyehla abesegijimela endlini ukuze amukele isethekeli sakhe esiqakathekileyo.

Abantu bathi bebona okwenzakalayo baqalise ukukhonona. Babona kungaqondanga ukuthi  uJesu avakatshele umuntu abambona eyisoni. UZakhewu unothiswa yimali ayithatha ebantwini ngobuqili nxa ebhadalisa imithelo.

UJesu uthi engena emzini kaZakhewu abantu baqalise ukusola besithi: “Uvakatshele emzini wendoda eyisoni.” Loba kunjalo, uJesu ubona uZakhewu engumuntu ongaphenduka. Lakanye uZakhewu kamdanisi uJesu. Uyasukuma athi kuye: “Nkosi, impahla engilayo ngizayehlukanisa phakathi, enye ngiyinike abayanga, njalo loba ngubani engamqila imali ngizambuyisela isiphindwe kane.”​—ULukha 19:7, 8.

Okwenziwe nguZakhewu kuhle kakhulu ngoba kutshengisa ukuthi uphenduke ngenhliziyo yonke. Kumele ukuthi uzakhangela emabhukwini akhe ukuthi wathatha malini kumaJuda atshiyeneyo njalo uthi imali awaqila yona uzayibuyisela isiphindwe kane. Lokhu athi uzakwenza kwedlula okutshiwo ngumthetho kaNkulunkulu. (U-Eksodusi 22:1; ULevi 6:2-5) Kanti njalo uZakhewu uthembisa ukuyehlukanisa phakathi impahla alayo, enye abeseyipha abayanga.

UJesu uyathokoza ebona ukuthi uZakhewu sephendukile sibili. Umtshela athi: “Lamuhla insindiso ifikile endlini le ngoba lawe uyindodana ka-Abrahama. Phela iNdodana yomuntu yalanda ukuzodinga lokuzosindisa abalahlekileyo.”​—ULukha 19:9, 10.

UJesu uke wakhuluma ngesimo ‘sabalahlekileyo’ emzekelisweni wakhe wendodana yolahleko. (ULukha 15:11-24) Khathesi usebatshengise umuntu obelahlekile kodwa osetholakele. Abakhokheli benkolo labalandeli babo bangabe bekhonona futhi besola uJesu ngokuthi ulanda abantu abanjengoZakhewu. Lanxa kunjalo, uJesu uqhubeka edinga amadodana ka-Abrahama alahlekileyo njalo ewancedisa ukuthi aphenduke.