Umfanekiso wendodana yolahleko uJesu asanda kukhuluma ngawo, obubonisa ukuthi uNkulunkulu uzimisele ukuthethelela izoni eziphendukayo, kufanele ngabe uzithintile izinhliziyo zabaqoqi bentela, ababhali nabaFarisi. (Luka 15:1-7, 11) Manje uJesu ukhuluma nabafundi bakhe. Usebenzisa omunye umfanekiso kodwa kulokhu umayelana nendoda ecebile, ethola ukuthi umphathi wendlu yayo akaziphathanga ngendlela efanele.

UJesu uthi lo mphathi umangalelwa ngokusaphaza impahla yenkosi yakhe. Ngakho inkosi ithi lo mphathi uzoxoshwa. Umphathi wathi ngaphakathi kuye: “Ngizokwenzenjani njengoba inkosi yami ingiyekisa ukuba umphathi? Anginawo amandla anele okumba, nginamahloni okucela kubantu.” Ukuze azilungiselele okwakuseza, uphetha ngokuthi: “O! Ngiyakwazi engizokwenza ukuze kuthi lapho ngikhishwa ebuphathini, abantu bangamukele emizini yabo.” Wabiza labo abakweleta inkosi yakhe, wababuza: “Kungakanani okukweleta inkosi yami?”—Luka 16:3-5.

Owokuqala waphendula wathi: “Izilinganiso eziyikhulu zamafutha omnqumo.” Lawo mafutha angaba amalitha angu-2 200. Kungenzeka ukuthi lo muntu okweletayo wayenendawo enkulu ayetshala kuyo umnqumo noma wayengumthengisi wamafutha. Umphathi wathi kuye: “Thatha isivumelwano sakho esibhaliwe, uhlale phansi, ubhale masinyane izilinganiso ezingu-50 [amalitha angu-1 100].”—Luka 16:6.

Umphathi ubuza olandelayo: “Wena ukweleta okungakanani?” Uphendula athi: “Izilinganiso ezinkulu eziyikhulu zikakolweni.” Lokho kungalingana namalitha angu-22 000. Umphathi uthi kulo muntu okweletayo: “Thatha isivumelwano sakho esibhaliwe ubhale izilinganiso ezingu-80.” Ngakho wehlisa isikweletu sakhe ngamaphesenti angu-20.—Luka 16:7.

Umphathi usazinakekela izindaba zezimali zenkosi yakhe, ngakho ngomqondo othile, unalo ilungelo lokunciphisa inani lalokho abakukweleta inkosi. Ngokunciphisa izikweletu, umphathi uzenzela abangane abayomsiza lapho esephelelwe umsebenzi.

Ngokuhamba kwesikhathi, inkosi iyathola ukuthi yini eyenzekile. Nakuba lokho okwenziwe umphathi kuyilahlekisele ngemali ethile, iyakuthanda akwenzile futhi iyamncoma ngoba “nakuba engalungile” kodwa ‘wenze ngokuhlakanipha.’ UJesu uyenezela: “Amadodana alesi simiso sezinto ahlakaniphe kakhulu esizukulwaneni sawo kunamadodana okukhanya.”—Luka 16:8.

UJesu akakuvuni lokho umphathi akwenzile futhi akakhuthazi ukwenza amabhizinisi ngobuqili. Yini pho aqonde ukuyisho? Uthi kubafundi bakhe: “Zenzeleni abangane ngengcebo engalungile, ukuze kuthi lapho ihluleka, banamukele ezindaweni zokuhlala zaphakade.” (Luka 16:9) Kukhona esingakufunda kule ndaba mayelana nokubonisa ukuqonda nokuhlakanipha. Izinceku zikaNkulunkulu,  ‘amadodana okukhanya,’ kudingeka zisebenzise izinto ezinazo ngokuhlakanipha, zinombono wokuphila okuphakade engqondweni.

NguJehova uNkulunkulu neNdodana yakhe kuphela abangamukela umuntu eMbusweni wamazulu noma ePharadesi emhlabeni, ngaphansi kwalowo Mbuso. Kufanele senze konke esingakwenza ukuze sibe nobungane nabo ngokusebenzisa izinto esinazo nemali yethu ukuze sisekele uMbuso. Nakanjani ukuphila okuphakade siyokuthola lapho igolide, isiliva nezinye izinto eziwumcebo ziphelelwa amandla noma zishabalala.

UJesu uphinde athi labo abathembekile ekuphatheni nasekusebenziseni noma iyiphi ingcebo nezinto abanazo nemali, bayothembeka lapho umphathi wabo ebaphathisa izinto ezibaluleke kakhulu. UJesu ube esethi: “Ngakho-ke, uma ningazibonisanga nithembekile endleleni enisebenzisa ngayo ingcebo engalungile, ubani oyoniphathisa ingcebo yangempela [njengezinto eziphathelene noMbuso]?”—Luka 16:11.

UJesu ubonisa abafundi bakhe ukuthi kuningi okulindelekile kubo uma befuna ukwamukelwa “ezindaweni zokuhlala zaphakade.” Asikwazi ukukhonza uNkulunkulu weqiniso, ngesikhathi esifanayo sibe yizigqila zengcebo engalungile. UJesu uphetha ngokuthi: “Ayikho inceku engaba isigqila samakhosi amabili, ngoba iyozonda enye ithande enye, noma iyonamathela kwenye idelele enye. Anikwazi ukuba izigqila zikaNkulunkulu nezeNgcebo.”—Luka 16:9, 13.