UJesu nabakhambisani bakhe bafika eJerikho, engaba likhambo lelanga ukusuka eJerusalema. Ngomqondo othileko, iJerikho lidorobho elikabili, nawusuka edorobheni elidala ukhamba ibanga elingaba yikhilomitha nesiquntu ukuya edorobheni elitjha lamaRoma. Njengombana uJesu nesiqubuthu baphuma kwelinye lamadorobho la batjhinga kwelinye, iinkhombeli ezimbili ezizimphofu zizwa isiqubuthu sabantu sikhuluma. Omunye wazo nguBharthimewu.

Nabezwa ukuthi uJesu uyadlula, uBharthimewu nomnganakhe bayarhuwelela bathi: “Kosi, Ndodana kaDavida, sirhawukela!” (Matewu 20:30) Abanye esiqubuthwini bayabakhalima bathi abathule, kodwana bona bayarhagala barhuwelele ukudlula ekuthomeni. UJesu uyabezwa bese uyajama. Ubawa abakhambisani bakhe bona babize abantu abarhuwelelakwabo. Batjhinga eenkhombelinezi bathi kesinye sazo: “Ungasabi! Sikima; uyakubiza.” (Markosi 10:49) Sithabile, isiphofesi sihlubula isambatho sangaphandle, sisikima msinyana sitjhinga kuJesu.

UJesu uyababuza, “Nifuna nginenzeleni?” Iimphofu zombili ziyamcenga zithi: “Kosi, sibawa uvule amehlwethu.” (Matewu 20:32, 33) UJesu uyazirhawukela, athinte amehlwazo bese athi kwesinye sazo ngokukhethekileko: “Khamba. Ukukholwa kwakho kukupholisile.” (Markosi 10:52) Iinkhombeli ezimbilezi eziziimphofu zithoma ukubona, bezidumisa uZimu. Abantu nababona okwenzekileko, nabo badumisa uZimu. Amadoda ebekaziimphofu la athoma ukulandela uJesu.

Kuneenqubuthu zabantu ezibungelele uJesu njengombana adlula eJerikho. Woke umuntu ufuna ukubona umuntu ovule amehlo wamadoda ebekaziimphofu. Abantu bafuhluzelana kuJesu bavela kiwo woke amahlangothi; nje-ke, abanye abakghoni ngitjho nokumbona. Ngilokho okwenzeka kuZakewu. Uyinduna yabathelisi eJerikho namaphethelo. Mfitjhani, yeke akakghoni ukubona ukuthi kwenzekani. Nje-ke, uZakewu ugijimela phambili endleleni uJesu azokudlula kiyo, ukhwela emthini wesikhamore (namkha, emthini wamafeyi wommango). Aphezulu emthini, uZakewu ubona kuhle ukuthi kwenzekani. Njengombana uJesu atjhidela begodu abona uZakewu aphezu komuthi, uthi: “Zakewu, hlika msinyana lapho, namhlanjesi kufuze ngihlale endlinakho.” (Lukasi 19:5) UZakewu uyahlika urhabela kwakhe bona azokwamukela isivakatjhi esihloniphekileko.

Abantu nababona okwenzekako bathoma ukuguguneka. Babona kungakalungi ukuthi uJesu ayokuvakatjha emzini wendoda abayithatha njengesoni. UZakewu ube yinjinga ngokukhohlakala, udlelezela abantu imali nakababhadelisa umthelo.

Njengombana uJesu angena emzini kaZakewu, abantu bayanghonghoyila: “Uvakatjhe  emzini womuntu osisoni.” Kodwana uJesu uyabona ukuthi uZakewu angatjhuguluka. Nambala ngilokho okwenzekako. UZakewu uyasikima uthi kuJesu: “Kosi, ingcenye yezinto zami ngiyipha abadududu, kanti nanyana yini engiyidlelezele umuntu, ngiyibuyisela seyiphindwe kane.”—Lukasi 19:7, 8.

Le yindlela ehle khulu uZakewu atjengisa ngayo ukuthi utjhuguluke kwamambala! Pheze angakghona ukubala eencwadini zakhe zomthelo ukuthi ufumene malini emaJudeni ahlukahlukeneko, begodu ufunga ukuthi uzoyibuyisela seyiphindwe kane. Lokho kungaphezu kwalokho okufunwa mthetho kaZimu. (Eksodusi 22:1; Levitikusi 6:2-5) Ngaphezu kwalokho, uZakewu uthembisa ukuthi uzokuthatha ingcenye yezinto zakhe ayinikele abadududu.

Kuyamthabisa uJesu ukubona ubufakazi bokutjhuguluka kwakaZakewu, begodu uthi kuye: “Namhlanjesi isindiso ifikile emzini lo, ngombana naye uyindodana ka-Abrahama. INdodana yomuntu izele ukuzokufuna nokusindisa ebekulahlekile.”—Lukasi 19:9, 10.

Mvanje, uJesu udzimelele ebujamweni babantu ‘abalahlekileko’ emfanekiswenakhe wendodana ebeyilahlekile. (Lukasi 15:11-24) Nje-ke, unikele isibonelo samambala somuntu obekafana nolahlekileko kodwana wafunyanwa. Abadosiphambili bezekolo nabalandeli babo banganghonghoyila ngoJesu bamsole nangokutjheja abantu abanjengoZakewu. Nanyana kunjalo, uJesu uyaraga nokufuna begodu afumane amadodana alahlekileko ka-Abrahama la.