UYesu ufika eYeriko nabantu ahamba nabo, ibe ukusuka eYerusalem ukuza apha, kusenokwenzeka ukuba kuthatha usuku. Ngandlela ithile, iYeriko izizixeko ezibini, isixeko esidala simalunga neekhilomitha eziyi-1,6 ukusuka kwisixeko esitsha esakhiwa ngexesha lamaRoma. Xa uYesu nabantu bephuma kwesinye sezi zixeko besiya kwesinye, abantu ababini abangaboniyo, abacela izinto ebantwini bayeva ukuba kukho ingxolo. Omnye wabo igama lakhe nguBhartimeyu.

Xa uBhartimeyu nomhlobo wakhe besiva ukuba kugqitha uYesu, bayakhwaza bathi: “Nkosi, Nyana kaDavide, senzele inceba!” (Mateyu 20:30) Abanye abantu abalandela uYesu bayabangxolisa, besithi mabathi cwaka. Kodwa la madoda akhwaza kakhulu. Uthi uYesu akuyiva yonke le nto eme. Uthi kubantu ahamba nabo mababize lo mntu ukhwazayo. Abantu baya kula madoda angaboniyo baze bathi komnye wawo: “Yiba nesibindi! Phakama; uyakubiza.” (Marko 10:49) Ngoko nangoko le ndoda ikhulula isambatho sayo sangaphezulu, ixhume ime ngenyawo ize iye kuYesu. Nomhlobo wayo uyayilandela.

UYesu uthi: “Nifuna ndinenzele ntoni?” La madoda angaboniyo ayamcela athi: “Nkosi, sicela usivule amehlo.” (Mateyu 20:32, 33) Enosizi, uYesu uwabamba emehlweni la madoda aze athi kwenye yawo: “Hamba. Ukholo lwakho lukuphilisile.” (Marko 10:52) Ngoko nangoko la madoda ayabona aze azukise uThixo. Xa abantu bebona le nto yenzekileyo, nabo bazukisa uThixo. La madoda avulwe amehlo ngoku alandela uYesu.

Xa enqumla eYeriko kukho abantu abaninzi abamjikelezileyo. Wonk’ umntu ufuna ukubona lo mntu uphilise la madoda ebengaboni. Abantu bayamxina, ibe abanye abakwazi nokumbona. Omnye wabo nguZakeyu. Ngumphathi wabaqokeleli berhafu eYeriko nakwiindawo ezikufutshane nayo. Kuba emfutshane, akaboni ukuba kwenzeka ntoni. Ngoko ubaleka phambili aze ayokukhwela emthini wesikamore (okanye, wamafiya) okufutshane nendawo uYesu aza kugqitha kuyo. Njengokuba ekhwele kulo mthi, ubona yonke into kakuhle. Xa uYesu esondela, ubona uZakeyu phezulu emthini, aze athi kuye: “Zakeyu, khawuleza uhle, kuba ndiya kwakho namhlanje.” (Luka 19:5) Uyehla aze akhawuleze aye ekhayeni lakhe ukuze alungiselele undwendwe lakhe olubalulekileyo.

Xa abantu beyibona le nto yenzekayo, baqalisa ukukhalaza. Bathi ayilunganga into yokuba uYesu abe lundwendwe lomntu abathi bona ngumoni. UZakeyu usisityebi kuba xa eqokelela imali yerhafu, uthatha imali yabantu ngokubaqhatha.

Xa uYesu engena ekhayeni lakhe, abantu bayakhalaza bathi: “Uye emzini wendoda engumoni.” Kodwa uYesu uyambona ukuba uyafuna ukuguquka. Nyhani ke uZakeyu akamphoxi uYesu. Uthi kuye: “Nkosi, ndiza kunika amahlwempu ihafu yezinto  zam, ibe ndiza kuyibuyisela ngokuphindwe kane yonke imali endiyithathe ebantwini ngokubaqhatha.”​—Luka 19:7, 8.

Le nto uZakeyu ayithethayo ibonisa ukuba nyhani uyafuna ukuguquka! Kusenokwenzeka ukuba kwiingxelo zakhe zokuqokelela irhafu, angayibala yonke imali ayithathe kumaYuda ahlukahlukeneyo, ibe uthembisa ukuba uza kuyibuyisa ngokuphindaphindwe kane. Le nto aza kuyenza ingaphezulu kwento uMthetho KaThixo othi abantu mabayenze. (Eksodus 22:1; Levitikus 6:2-5) Uphinda athembise ukuba uza kuthatha ihafu yezinto zakhe aze azinike amahlwempu.

Iyamvuyisa uYesu indlela uZakeyu azimisele ukuguquka ngayo, ibe uthi kuye: “Namhlanje uThixo uyisindisile le ndoda nendlu yayo, kuba nayo ingunyana ka-Abraham. Kuba uNyana womntu weza ukuze akhangele aze asindise abo balahlekileyo.”​—Luka 19:9, 10.

UYesu ebesandokuthetha ngabantu ‘abalahlekileyo’ kumzekelo wakhe wonyana wolahleko. (Luka 15:11-24) Ngoku ubonise abantu umzekelo ophilayo womntu obelahlekile, kodwa ngoku ufunyenwe. Iinkokheli zenkonzo yamaYuda nabantu abazilandelayo banokukhalaza baze bamgxeke uYesu ngokuhoya abantu abafana noZakeyu. Nangona kunjalo, uYesu uyaqhubeka ekhangela aze abancede oonyana baka-Abraham abalahlekileyo.