UJesu ubephendula umbuzo wabaphostoli mayelana nophawu lokuba khona kwakhe nolokuphela kwesimiso sezinto. Enalokhu engqondweni, ubanikeza iseluleko esihlakaniphile esebenzisa omunye umfanekiso. Abayobe bephila phakathi nesikhathi sokuba khona kwakhe bayokubona ukugcwaliseka kwawo.

Uqala umfanekiso ngokuthi: “UMbuso wamazulu ungafaniswa nezintombi eziyishumi ezathatha izibani zazo zaphuma ziyohlangabeza umkhwenyana. Ezinhlanu kuzo zaziyiziwula, ezinhlanu zihlakaniphile.”—Mathewu 25:1, 2.

UJesu akaqondile ukuthi uhhafu wabafundi bakhe abayothola uMbuso wasezulwini uhlakaniphile omunye uhhafu uyiziwula. Kunalokho, iphuzu alivezayo mayelana noMbuso, ukuthi ngamunye wabafundi bakhe kumelwe azikhethele ukuthi uyohlala eqaphile yini noma uyophazamiseka. UJesu akangabazi ukuthi izikhonzi zakhe ziyohlala zithembekile futhi zamukele izibusiso zikaYise.

Emfanekisweni, zonke izintombi eziyishumi ziyaphuma ziyohlangabeza umkhwenyana bese zingena naye edilini lomshado. Njengoba efika, izintombi zikhanyisa indlela ngamalambu azo, zimdumisa njengoba eletha umakoti endlini elungiselelwe yena. Kube sekwenzekani?

UJesu uyachaza: “Eziyiziwula zathatha izibani zazo kodwa zangawaphatha amafutha, kanti ezihlakaniphile zawaphatha amafutha ngezitsha  zazo kanye nezibani zazo. Ngesikhathi umkhwenyana esalibele, zonke zozela zalala.” (Mathewu 25:3-5) Umkhwenyana akafiki ngesikhathi abelindelwe ngaso. Kubonakala sengathi kukhona okumbambile zaze zalala zonke izintombi. Kungenzeka abaphostoli bayakukhumbula lokho uJesu akusho mayelana nomuntu wozalo lwasebukhosini owahamba, “ekugcineni wabuya ngemva kokuba esethole amandla obukhosi.”—Luka 19:11-15.

Emfanekisweni wezintombi eziyishumi, uJesu uchaza lokho okwenzekayo lapho uJesu efika ekugcineni: “Phakathi kobusuku kwezwakala umsindo wokumemeza: ‘Nangu umkhwenyana! Phumani niyomhlangabeza.’” (Mathewu 25:6) Ingabe izintombi zikulungele futhi zikuphaphamele ukufika komkhwenyana?

UJesu uyaqhubeka: “Khona-ke zonke lezo zintombi zavuka zalungisa izibani zazo. Eziyiziwula zathi kwezihlakaniphile, ‘Sichathazeleni amafutha enu, ngoba izibani zethu sezizocima.’ Ezihlakaniphile zaphendula zathi: ‘Angase angasaneli thina kanye nani. Kunalokho, yanini kwabawathengisayo nizithengele awenu.’”—Mathewu 25:7-9.

Ngakho izintombi ezinhlanu eziyiziwula aziphapheme futhi azikulungele ukufika komkhwenyana. Azinawo amafutha anele okukhanyisa izibani zazo futhi kudingeka zihambe ziyowafuna. UJesu uthi: “Zisaye kothenga, umkhwenyana wafika. Izintombi ezazizilungiselele zangena naye edilini lomshado, umnyango wavalwa. Kamuva, zonke ezinye izintombi nazo zafika, zathi, ‘Mnumzane, Mnumzane, sivulele!’ Ephendula wathi, ‘Ngiqinisile ngithi kini, anginazi.’” (Mathewu 25:10-12) Kwaze kwabuhlungu lokho okwenzeka kulabo abangalungiselele nabangaphapheme!

Abaphostoli bayabona ukuthi umkhwenyana uJesu akhuluma ngaye, nguye uqobo. Ubezifanise nomkhwenyana ngaphambili. (Luka 5:34, 35) Izintombi ezihlakaniphile zifanekisela bani? Lapho ekhuluma ‘ngomhlambi omncane’ ozonikwa uMbuso, uJesu usebenzisa amazwi athi: “Gqokani izingubo zokukhonza nilunge, izibani zenu zivuthe.” (Luka 12:32, 35) Ngakho kulo mfanekiso wezintombi, abaphostoli bayabona ukuthi uJesu ukhuluma ngabantu abanjengabo. UJesu udlulisela muphi umyalezo ngalo mfanekiso?

UJesu akabashiyi beqagela. Uphetha umfanekiso wakhe ngokuthi: “Hlalani nilindile, ngoba anilwazi usuku noma ihora.”—Mathewu 25:13.

Ngokucacile, uJesu uyala abalandeli bakhe abathembekile mayelana nokuba khona kwakhe, ukuba ‘bahlale belindile.’ Uyeza futhi kuyodingeka bahlale bekulungele futhi bephapheme—njengezintombi ezinhlanu ezihlakaniphile—ukuze bangalahlekelwa umbono wekusasa labo eliyigugu kanye nomvuzo abayowuthola.