Sekusikhatjhana uJesu adzimelelise umsebenzakhe eGalile, lapha abantu bamlalele ngcono khona kuneJudiya. Ngaphandle kwalokho, lokha nakaseJerusalema walapha indoda ngeSabatha, nje-ke “amaJuda athoma ukufuna khulu ukumbulala.”​—Jwanisi 5:18; 7:1.

Nje sekusiruthwana somnyaka ka-32, begodu uMnyanya wamaThaberinakeli (namkha, wemiTlhatlhana) sewubandamele. Umnyanya lo ugidingwa amalanga alikhomba, kuthi ngelanga lobunane kubanjwe umhlangano ocwengileko nokhethekileko wokulotjha uZimu. Umnyanya lo utshwaya ukuphela komnyaka wokulima begodu sikhathi sokuthaba okukhulu nokuthokoza.

Abafowabo bakaJesu ngakunina​—uJakopo, uSimoni, uJosefa noJudasi​—bathi kuye: “Khamba lapha uye eJudiya.” IJerusalema yikaba yezekolo enarheni le. Idorobheli liyaphithizela ngesikhathi seminyanya emithathu ebanjwa qobe mnyaka. Abafowabo bakaJesu bathi kuye: “Akakho owenza into ngemsitheleni nakafuna ukwaziwa tjhatjhalazi. Nawenza izintwezi zibonakalise ephasini.”​—Jwanisi 7:3, 4.

Kuhlekuhle, abafowabo bakaJesu abanaba ‘abakholelwa kuye’ ukuthi nguMesiya. Nanyana kunjalo, bafuna bona abantu ababuthene emnyanyeni bambone enza imisebenzi yamandla. UJesu ulemuka ingozi, uthi kibo: “Iphasi alinabanga lokunizonda, kodwana liyangizonda mina, ngombana ngifakaza ngalo ukuthi imisebenzi yalo mimbi. Khuphukani nina niye emnyanyeni; mina angizukukhuphukela nje emnyanyeni lo, ngombana isikhathi sami asikafiki.”​—Jwanisi 7:5-8.

Ngemva kwamalanga abafowabo bakaJesu bakhambe nabanye abanengi abaya emnyanyeni, uJesu nabafundi bakhe bakhamba emsitheleni, bona abantu bangababoni. Bakhamba ngendlela ebunqopha erabhula eSamariya kunokuthatha ejayelekileko eseduze noMlambo iJordani. UJesu uthumela iinthunywa ngaphambili bona ziyokulungisela yena nabafundi bakhe indawo yokuhlala eSamariya, ngombana bazoyitlhoga. Kesinye isabelo seSamariya, abantu abafuni ukubamukela namkha ukutjengisa ubuntu ngombana uJesu uya eJerusalema emnyanyeni wamaJuda. Basilingekile, uJakopo noJwanisi bayabuza: “Kosi, ungathanda sibize umlilo bona wehle usuka ezulwini ubarhayile?” (Lukasi 9:54) UJesu uyabakhalima ngokuthi bacabange into enjengaleyo, begodu baraga nekhambo labo.

Nabasendleleni, umtloli othileko uthi kuJesu: “Mfundisi, ngizokulandela nanyana kukuphi lapho uya khona.” UJesu uyaphendula: “Iimpungutjha zinemigodi neenyoni zineendleke, kodwana iNdodana yomuntu ayinayo ngitjho nendawo  yokufihla ihloko.” (Matewu 8:19, 20) UJesu uveza ukuthi umtloli uzokuqalana nobudisi nakaba mlandelakhe. Godu kubonakala ngasuthi umtloli lo uzikhakhazisa khulu bona angamukela indlela le yokuphila. Nje-ke omunye nomunye kithi angazibuza, ‘Ngizimisele kangangani ukulandela uJesu?’

Nakahlangana nendoda ethileko, uJesu uthi: “Ngilandela.” Indoda le iyamphendula: “Kosi, ngivumela ngiyokubulunga ubaba qangi.” UJesu ubazi kuhle ubujamo bendoda le, yeke uthi: “Lisa abahlongakeleko babulungane bodwa, wena ukhambe uyokutjhumayela ngomBuso kaZimu kiyo yoke indawo.” (Lukasi 9:59, 60) Kusemtarini ukuthi uyise akakahlongakali. Ukube bekahlongakele indodanakhe bengekhe ibe la ikhuluma noJesu. Indodana le ayikazimiseli ukubeka umBuso kaZimu qangi ekuphileni kwayo.

Njengombana behla ngendlela eya eJerusalema, enye indoda ithi kuJesu: “Ngizokulandela, Kosi, kodwana ngivumela bona ngiyokulayelisa ngekhaya ntangi.” UJesu uyaphendula: “Umuntu othi sekabeke isandla sakhe eplurhwini bese arhedlule izinto ezingemuva akafaneleki emBusweni kaZimu.”​—Lukasi 9:61, 62.

Labo abafuna ukuba balandeli bakaJesu beqiniso kufuze badzimelelise amehlwabo ekusebenzeleni uZimu. Nangabe umuntu obambe iplurhu akahlali aqale phambili, iforo ingagobana. Nakangalisa iplurhu bona aqale ngemva, umsebenzi wemasimini uzokujama. Ngendlela efanako, umuntu oqala emva ephasini elidaleli angaphambuka endleleni eya ekuphileni okungapheliko.