Ngobusuku bakhe bamaswaphela anabapostoli bakhe, uJesu ubafundise isifundo sokuthobeka lokha nakabahlambisa iinyawo. Kubayini isifundweso siqakathekile? Kungombana kunobuthakathaka obuthileko abanabo. Bayamthanda uZimu, nanyana kunjalo basaphikisana ngokuthi ngubani omkhulu kibo. (Markosi 9:33, 34; 10:35-37) Ubuthakathakobo bubonakala khulu ngobusukobu.

Abapostoli bathoma “ipikiswano evuthako phakathi kwabo ngokuthi ngubani ongomkhulu kibo boke.” (Lukasi 22:24) Ukubabona baphikisana kumdanisa khulu uJesu. Alo, wenzani?

Kunokubakhalima kabuhlungu abapostoli bakhe ngesenzo sabesi, ngomusa uJesu ubonisana nabo, uthi: “Ababusi beentjhaba bakatelela ubukhosi babo phezu kwazo, begodu labo abanelawulo phezu kwazo babizwa ngamabizo akhethekileko. Kodwana nina akukafaneli nibe njalo. . . . Ngubani omkhulu, ngiloyo ohlezi etafuleni namkha ngiloyo ophakululako?” Ubakhumbuza ngesibonelo ebekababekela sona qobe, uthi: “Kodwana mina ngingophakululako phakathi kwenu.”—Lukasi 22:25-27.

Abapostoli bakaJesu bebahlala banaye lokha nakaqalene neentjhijilo ngitjho nanyana bebanesono. Yeke uthi kibo: “Ngenza isivumelwano nani, njengombana noBaba enze isivumelwano sombuso nami.” (Lukasi 22:29) Amadoda la, abalandeli bakaJesu abathembekileko. Uyabaqinisekisa ngokuthi isivumelwanesi sizobenza bangene emBusweni begodu babuse kunye naye.

Nanyana banikelwe ilungelo elihle kangaka, basesenemizimba yenyama begodu basesenesono. UJesu uthi kibo: “USathana unifune noke bona anihlunge njengekoroyi” erhatjhekako nayihlungwako. (Lukasi 22:31) Uyabayelelisa godu, uthi: “Noke nizokuwa ngebanga lami kilobu busuku, ngombana kutloliwe ukuthi: ‘Ngizokubetha umelusi, izimvu zomhlambi ziphadlhalale.’”—Matewu 26:31; Zakariya 13:7.

Ngokuzithemba okukhulu, uPitrosi uthi: “Nanyana boke bangawa ngebanga lakho, mina angekhe ngiwe!” (Matewu 26:33) UJesu utjela uPitrosi ukuthi ngaphambi kokuthi umkukurumbu ulile kabili ebusukwinobo, uPitrosi uzabe amphikile. Nanyana kunjalo, uJesu uraga uthi: “Ngikubawele bona ukukholwa kwakho kungapheli; kodwana wena, nawubuyako, uqinise abafowenu.” (Lukasi 22:32) Nokho uPitrosi uthi kuye: “Ngitjho nanyana kungafuze ngife nawe, angekhe ngikuphike.” (Matewu 26:35) Nabanye abapostoli batjho okufanako.

UJesu uthi ebafundini bakhe: “Nginani isikhatjhana. Nizongifuna; godu lokho engikutjele amaJuda nangithi, ‘Lapho engiya khona angekhe nize,’ ngikutjho nakini nje.” Ungezelela uthi: “Ngininikela umyalo omutjha, wokuthi nithandane; njengombana nami nginithandile, nani thandanani. Boke bazokwazi ngalokhu ukuthi nibafundi bami—nanithandanako.”—Jwanisi 13:33-35.

Lokha nakezwa uJesu athi uzokuba nabo isikhatjhana, uPitrosi uyambuza, uthi: “Kosi, uyaphi?” UJesu umphendula uthi: “Lapho ngiya khona, angekhe ungilandele nje, kodwana uzongilandela ngokukhamba kwesikhathi.” Ararekile, uPitrosi uthi kuye: “Kosi, kubayini ngingekhe ngikghone ukukulandela nje? Ngizokudela ukuphila kwami ngebanga lakho.”—Jwanisi 13:36, 37.

Nje uJesu ubakhumbuza ngesikhathi athuma abapostoli eGalile bona bayokutjhumayela bangakaphathi iinkhwama zemali namkha iinkhwama zomphako. (Matewu 10:5, 9, 10) Ubabuza uthi: “Azange nitlhoge litho, akusinjalo?” Bathi: “Kunjalo!” Nje-ke bazokwenzani  emalangeni alandelako? UJesu ubanqophisa uthi: “Loyo onesikhwama semali akasithathe, nonesikhwama somphako akasithathe, kanti loyo onganasabula akathengise isambatho sakhe ayithenge. Ngiyanitjela bona lokho okutloliweko kufuze kuzaliseke kimi, ukuthi, ‘Wabalwa nabanganamthetho.’ Ngombana lokho kuyazaliseka malungana nami.”—Lukasi 22:35-37.       

UJesu ukhuluma ngesikhathi la azokubulawa nabantu abambi, abanganamthetho. Ngemva kwalokho abalandeli bakhe bazokutjhutjhiswa. Abapostoli bakhe bazibona bazilungiselele kuhle, yeke bathi: “Kosi, siphethe iinsabula ezimbili.” Uthi kibo: “Zanele.” (Lukasi 22:38) Ukuphatha kwabo iinsabula ezimbili kuzokunikela uJesu ithuba lokubafundisa esinye godu isifundo esiqakathekileko.