Njengoba uJesu esuka eJerusalema ngoMsombuluko ntambama, ubuyela eBhethaniya esempumalanga yeNtaba Yeminqumo. Cishe uchitha ubusuku emzini wabangane bakhe uLazaru, uMarta noMariya.

Manje kusekuseni ngoNisani 11. UJesu nabafundi bakhe basendleleni futhi, balibhekise eJerusalema lapho ezoba sethempelini okokugcina. Sekuwusuku lokugcina lwenkonzo yakhe ngaphambi kokuba agubhe iPhasika, amise iSikhumbuzo sokufa kwakhe, bese ebhekana necala futhi abulawe.

BaseNtabeni Yeminqumo, endleleni esuka eBhethaniya babheke eJerusalema. UPetru ubona isihlahla uJesu abesiqalekisile izolo ekuseni. Uthi: “Rabi, bheka! Isihlahla somkhiwane osiqalekisile sesibunile.”—Marku 11:21.

Kodwa kungani uJesu ebangele ukuba lesi sihlahla sibune? Impendulo iyavela lapho ethi: “Ngiqinisile ngithi kini, uma ninokholo futhi ningangabazi, ngeke nje kuphela nenze lokho engikwenze esihlahleni somkhiwane, kodwa ngisho noma nithi kule ntaba, ‘Qukuleka uphonseke olwandle,’ kuyokwenzeka. Nazo zonke izinto enizithandazelayo, ninokholo, niyozithola.” (Mathewu 21:21, 22) Uphinda lokho ayekushilo ekuqaleni ukuthi ukholo lungagudluza intaba.—Mathewu 17:20.

Ngokwenza lesi sihlahla sibune, uJesu ufundisa ngesidingo sokuba nokholo kuNkulunkulu. Uthi: “Zonke izinto enizithandazelayo nenizicelayo, yibani nokholo lokuthi senizamukele, niyozithola.” (Marku 11:24) Yisifundo esibaluleke ngempela lesi kubo bonke abalandeli bakaJesu! Lesi sifundo sibaluleke kakhulu kubaphostoli njengoba maduze bezobhekana novivinyo olunzima. Kunokunye ukuhlobana okukhona phakathi kwesihlahla somkhiwane nokholo.

Njengalesi sihlahla somkhiwane, ukubukeka kwesizwe sakwa-Israyeli kuyakhohlisa. Abantu balesi sizwe basesivumelwaneni noNkulunkulu futhi babonakala sengathi bayawugcina uMthetho. Nokho, sonke isizwe sibonisile ukuthi asinalo ukholo nokuthi asitheli izithelo ezinhle. Senqaba ngisho iNdodana kaNkulunkulu uqobo! Ngakho, ngokubangela lesi sihlahla somkhiwane ukuba sibune, uJesu ubonisa isiphetho salesi sizwe esingatheli nesingenalo ukholo.

UJesu nabafundi bakhe bayafika eJerusalema. Njengenhlalayenza, uJesu uya ethempelini aqale ukufundisa. Cishe bekhumbula lokho uJesu akwenzile kubashintshi bemali, abapristi abakhulu namadoda amadala bavivinya uJesu bathi: “Uzenza ngagunya lini lezi zinto? Noma, ubani okunike igunya lokwenza lezi zinto?”—Marku 11:28.

UJesu uyabaphendula: “Ngizonibuza umbuzo owodwa. Uma ningiphendula, nami ngizonitshela ukuthi ngizenza ngagunya lini lezi zinto. Ubhapathizo lukaJohane lwaluvela ezulwini noma kubantu? Ngiphenduleni.” Manje abaphikisi bakhe yibona asebesenkingeni. Abapristi namadoda amadala bahlanganisa amakhanda befuna impendulo: “Uma sithi, ‘Ezulwini,’ uzothi, ‘Pho, kungani ningamkholwanga?’ Kodwa singalokotha yini sithi, ‘Kubantu’?” Bacabanga ngale ndlela ngoba besaba isixuku, “ngoba sonke sasikholelwa ukuthi uJohane ngempela wayengumprofethi.”—Marku 11:29-32.

Abaphikisi bakaJesu bayehluleka ukumphendula. Ngakho bathi: “Asazi.” UJesu ube esethi: “Nami ngeke nginitshele ukuthi ngizenza ngagunya lini lezi zinto.”—Marku 11:33.