Njengoba kade enabaphostoli bakhe ngobusuku bokugcina, uJesu ubanikeze isifundo esihle sokuthobeka ngokwenza imisebenzi ephansi lapho ebageza izinyawo. Kungani besidinga leso sifundo? Ngenxa yobuthakathaka ababubonisile. Bazinikele kuNkulunkulu, kodwa basakhathazeke ngokuthi ubani omkhulu phakathi kwabo. (Marku 9:33, 34; 10:35-37) Iyaphinda futhi iyavela le nkinga ngalobu busuku.

Abaphostoli baba ‘nempikiswano evuthayo phakathi kwabo ngokuthi ubani kubo owayebonakala emkhulu kunabo bonke.’ (Luka 22:24) Kumelwe ukuba uJesu uphatheka kabi uma ebabona bexabana futhi! Wenzani ngalokho?

Kunokuba athethise abaphostoli bakhe ngesimo sabo sengqondo nangendlela abaziphatha ngayo, ngesineke uJesu ubonisana nabo, uthi: “Amakhosi ezizwe azenza izingqongqo phezu kwazo, nalabo abanegunya phezu kwazo babizwa ngokuthi aBenzi Bokuhle. Nokho, nina akumelwe nibe njalo. . . . Ngoba yimuphi omkhulu, yilowo odla etafuleni noma yilowo okhonzayo?” UJesu ube esebakhumbuza ngesibonelo sakhe abelokhu eqhubeka ebabekela sona, athi: “Kodwa mina ngiphakathi kwenu njengalowo okhonzayo.”—Luka 22:25-27.

Nakuba benamaphutha, abaphostoli bebelokhu benoJesu kumnyama kubomvu. Ngakho uthi: “Ngenza isivumelwano nani, njengoba nje uBaba enze isivumelwano sombuso nami.” (Luka 22:29) La madoda angabalandeli bakaJesu abaqotho. Uyawaqinisekisa ukuthi ngesivumelwano anaso nawo, ayoba seMbusweni abuse kanye naye.

Nakuba abaphostoli benaleli lungelo elimangalisa kangaka, basayinyama futhi bayawenza amaphutha. UJesu uthi kubo: “USathane uyanifuna ukuze nonke anihlunge njengokolweni,” osakazekayo njengoba uhlungwa. (Luka 22:31) Uyabaxwayisa: “Nonke nizokhubeka ngami kulobu busuku, ngoba kulotshiwe ukuthi: ‘Ngizoshaya umalusi, izimvu zomhlambi zihlakazeke.’”—Mathewu 26:31; Zakariya 13:7.

Ngokukhulu ukuzethemba uPetru uthi: “Nakuba bonke abanye bekhubeka ngawe, mina angisoze ngakhubeka!” (Mathewu 26:33) UJesu utshela uPetru ukuthi uzomphika ngaphambi kokuba iqhude likhale kabili ngalobo busuku. Noma kunjalo, uJesu uqhubeka athi: “Ngikunxusele ukuba ukholo lwakho lungapheli; wena, lapho nje usubuyile, uqinise abafowenu.” (Luka 22:32) Ngesibindi uPetru uqinisekisa uJesu, uthi: “Ngisho noma kungadingeka ngife kanye nawe, angisoze ngakuphika.” (Mathewu 26:35) Nabanye abaphostoli basho into efanayo.

UJesu uthi kubafundi bakhe: “Ngisenani okwesikhashana. Nizongifuna; futhi njengoba nje ngasho kumaJuda ngithi, ‘Lapho ngiya khona anikwazi ukuza,’ ngiyakusho nakini manje.” Ube esenezela: “Ngininika umyalo omusha, wokuba nithandane; njengoba nje nami nginithandile, ukuba nani nithandane. Bonke bayokwazi ngalokhu ukuthi ningabafundi bami—uma nithandana.”—Johane 13:33-35.

Lapho uPetru ezwa uJesu ethi uzoba nabo okwesikhashana, uyabuza: “Nkosi, uyaphi?” UJesu uyaphendula: “Lapho ngiya khona awukwazi ukungilandela okwamanje, kodwa uyolandela kamuva.” Edidekile, uPetru uthi: “Nkosi, kungani ngingenakukwazi ukukulandela manje? Ngizodela ukuphila kwami ngenxa yakho.”—Johane 13:36, 37.

UJesu manje ukhuluma ngesikhathi lapho ethuma abaphostoli ukuba bayoshumayela eGalile, bengasiphethe isikhwama semali noma isikhwama nomphako. (Mathewu 10:5, 9, 10) Uyababuza: “Anizange niswele lutho, akunjalo?” Bayaphendula: “Kunjalo!” Kodwa kumelwe benzeni ezinsukwini ezizolandela? UJesu uyabayala:  “Onesikhwama semali makasithathe, ngokufanayo nesikhwama sokudla, futhi ongenayo inkemba makathengise ingubo yakhe yangaphandle ayithenge. Ngoba ngiyanitshela ngithi okulotshiwe kumelwe kufezeke kimi, okuwukuthi, ‘Wabalwa kanye nabangenamthetho.’ Ngoba kuyagcwaliseka lokho okuphathelene nami.”—Luka 22:35-37.

UJesu ukhuluma ngesikhathi azobethelwa ngaso esigxotsheni nabenzi bokubi nabangenamthetho. Ngemva kwalokho, abalandeli bakhe bayobhekana noshushiso olunzima. Bazibona belulungele ngakho bathi: “Nkosi, bheka! Nazi izinkemba ezimbili.” Uyabaphendula: “Kwanele.” (Luka 22:38) Ukuphatha kwabo izinkemba ezimbili, kuzonikeza uJesu elinye ithuba lokufundisa isifundo esibalulekile.