Kungenzeka ukuthi uJesu wenze umfanekiso wemvu elahlekileko nowesipaparwana esilahlekileko nakasesesePhereya, epumalanga yoMlambo iJordani. Yomibili imifanekiso le isifundisa ukuthi kufanele sithabe lokha isoni nasitjhugulukako besibuyele kuZimu. Nokho, abaFarisi nabatloli bebasolo basola uJesu ngokwamukela izoni. Kghani ikhona into abamangalelaba abayifundako emifanekisweni kaJesu emibili le? Kghani bayayizwisisa indlela uBabethu wezulwini azizwa ngayo ngezoni ezitjhugulukako? UJesu wenza omunye umfanekiso othinta ihliziyo oveza isifundo esiqakathekilekwesi.

Umfanekiso lo ukhuluma ngobaba onamadodana amabili, kodwana indodana encani ngiyo ekukhulunywa ngayo khulu. AbaFarisi nabatloli, kuhlanganise nabanye abezwa uJesu alandisa indaba le, kufuze kube nokuthileko abakufundako ngendodana encani. Nokho, akukafuzi sikweqisele amehlo lokho uJesu akutjhoko ngobaba nendodana ekulu, ngombana singafunda okuthileko endleleni abacabanga ngayo. Nje-ke, cabanga ngamadoda amathathu la njengombana uJesu alandisa umfanekiso.

UJesu nakathomako uthi, “Indoda ethileko beyinamadodana amabili. Encani yathi kuyise, ‘Baba, ngihlukanisela ipahla ekufuze kube ngeyami.’ Uyise wabahlukanisela ipahlakhe.” (Lukasi 15:11, 12) Tjheja bona indodana encani le ayifuni ilifa layo ngombana uyise ahlongakele. Uyise usaphile tswe! Kodwana indodana le ifuna ilifa layo njenganje, ngombana ifuna ukuzilawula beyenze umathanda ngalo. Yini efuna ukuyenza?

UJesu uhlathulula uthi, “Ngemva kwamalangana, indodana encani yabutha koke okungokwayo yatjhinga enarheni ekude, nayifika lapho yasaphaza ipahlayo ngokuziphilela umathanda.” (Lukasi 15:13) Kunokuthi ihlale ekhaya ivikelekile nobaba otlhogomelako begodu othanda abantwabakhe, indodana le iyakhamba iya enarheni ekude. Nayifika lapho isaphaza loke ilifa layo ngokuzinikela ezenzweni zomseme ezisilapheleko. Lafika elingaliko, njengombana uJesu araga nokulandisa:

 “Nasele iqede yoke ipahlayo, kwaba nendlala ekulu enarheni leyo, yathoma ukutlhaga. Yakhamba yayoziqatjhisa esakhamuzini esithileko senarheni leyo, esayithumela esiminayo bona iyokulusa izavukazana. Yakhanuka nokugoma ukudla okudliwa zizavukazana, kodwana bekunganamuntu oyinikela litho.”—Lukasi 15:14-16.

UmThetho kaZimu bewuthi izavukazana zisilaphele, kodwana indodana le kufanele isebenze ukuzilusa. Ibulawa yindlala, eyenza ifune nokugoma ukudla kweenlwana, njengokwezavukazana ezilusakwezi. Ebuhlungwini nebudisini bayo, indodana le ‘yaqaquluka.’ Yenzani? Ikhuluma yodwa ithi: “Abantu abasebenzela ubaba banokudla okunengi, kodwana mina ngibulawa yindlala lapha! Ngizokuvuka ngiye kubaba ngithi kuye: ‘Baba, ngonile ezulwini nakuwe. Angisakufanelekeli ukubizwa bona ngiyindodanakho. Ngiqatjha njengomunye weensebenzi zakho.’” Iyasikima ibuyela kuyise.—Lukasi 15:17-20.

Uzokwenzani uyise? Kghani uzokusilingeka athuke indodanakhe ngobudlhadlha bokukhamba ekhaya? Namkha uzoyitlhuwela indodanakhe begodu ayamukele? Ngathana bekunguwe bewuzokwenzani? Ngathana bekuyindodana namkha indodakazakho bewuzokwenzani?

UJesu uhlathulula indlela ubaba lo azizwa ngayo nalokho akwenzako uthi: “Ithe [indodana] nayisesekude, uyise wayibona, wayirhawukela, wayigijimela wayisingatha bewayimanga.” (Lukasi 15:20) Nanyana ubaba lo azwile ngokuziphatha okumbi kwendodanakhe, uyayamukela. Kghani abadosiphambili bamaJuda, abathi bayamazi uJehova begodu bayamlotjha, bazoyibona indlela uBabethu wezulwini azizwa ngayo ngezoni ezitjhugulukako? Kghani bazokulemuka nokuthi sekukade uJesu atjengisa ummoya ofanako wokwamukela izoni?

Kungenzeka ukuthi ubaba ohlakaniphileko lo uphetha ngokuthi indodanakhe itjhugulukile, nakabona indlela edane negandeleleke ngayo. Ngaphezu kwalokho, indlela ubabakhe amlotjhisa ngayo ngethando yenza kube lula ngendodana le ukuvuma izono zayo. UJesu uyaraga uthi: “Nje-ke indodana yathi kuye, ‘Baba, ngonile ezulwini nakuwe. Angisafanelwa kubizwa bona ngiyindodanakho.’”—Lukasi 15:21.

Ubaba ulayela iinsebenzi zakhe, uthi: “‘Rhabani nilethe isambatho esihle khulu, nimembathise sona, nimfake idzilamunwana namapatlagwana. Lethani nethole elinonileko, nilihlabe, sidle sigidinge, ngombana indodanami le beyifile kodwana iyaphila godu; beyilahlekile seyitholakele.’ Bazithabisa-ke.”—Lukasi 15:22-24.

Kwenzeka koke lokhu, indodana ekulu kababa lo isemasimini. Nakakhuluma ngayo, uJesu uthi: “Ithe nayibuyako itjhidela hlanu kwendlu, yezwa umbhino nokugida. Yabiza esinye seensebenzi, yasibuza ukuthi kwenzekani. Sathi kuye, ‘Umfowenu ubuyile, ubabakho uhlabe nethole elinonileko ngombana umfumene aphile kuhle.’ Kodwana yathukuthela khulu, yabhala nokungena. Uyise waphuma wayirabhela bona ingene. Yathi kuyise, ‘Yoke iminyaka le ngakusebenzela njengesigqila, akhenge kwenzeke ngingalaleli iinlayezo zakho, kodwana mina azange khewungiphe ngitjho nembuzana bona ngizithabise nabangani bami. Kodwana kuthe nakubuya  indodanakho le esaphaze ipahlakho neengwadla, wayihlabela ithole elinonileko.’”—Lukasi 15:25-30.

Bobani abafana nendodana ekulu, abasola uJesu ngokuba nomusa nesineke ebantwini abanyazekako nabazizoni? Batloli nabaFarisi. Ukunyefula kwabo uJesu ngokuthi wamukela izoni kumenza enze umfanekiso lo. Nokho, isifundwesi siya kiwo woke umuntu onyefula uZimu ngomusakhe.

Nakaphetha umfanekiswakhe, uJesu ulandisa ngendlela ubaba arabhela ngayo indodanakhe ekulu, uthi: “Ndodanami, bewusolo unami, begodu koke okungokwami kungokwakho. Kodwana bekufuze sigidinge, sizithabise, ngombana umfowenu bekahlongakele kodwana sekayaphila; bekalahlekile sekatholakele.”—Lukasi 15:31, 32.

UJesu akatjho ukuthi indodana ekulu iphetha ngokwenzani. Nokho, ngemva kokufa nokuvuswa kwakaJesu, “isiqubuthu esikhulu sabaphristi saba makholwa.” (IzEnzo 6:7) Kungenzeka isiqubuthwesi besihlanganisa nabanye abezwa uJesu alandisa umfanekiso onamandla lo wendodana ebeyilahlekile. Kwamambala, bekukghoneka nangabo bona baqaquluke, batjhuguluke bebabuyele kuZimu.

Kusukela mhlokho, abafundi bakaJesu kufuze bacabangisise ngeemfundo azivezileko emfanekisweni omuhle lo. Isifundo sokuthoma kukuthi sizabe sihlakaniphe khulu nasihlala nabantu bakaZimu ngaphasi kwetlhogomelo lakaBabethu osithandako, kunokuthi sikhambe sigijimisana nobumnandi “enarheni ekude.”

Esinye isifundo kukuthi nakungenzeka omunye wethu aphambuke endleleni kaZimu, kufuze abuyele kuBabethu ngokuzithoba bona athabele umusakhe godu.

Esinye isifundo godu sibonakala ngomahluko okhona phakathi kommoya wokulibalela nowokwamukela ubaba awutjengisileko, nowokusilingeka nowokungalibaleli indodana ekulu ewutjengisileko. Iinceku zakaZimu zifuna ukulibalela bezamukele umuntu obekaphambukile, otjhuguluka kwamambala begodu abuyele ‘endlini kaBaba.’ Asithabeni ngokuthi umfowethu ‘obekahlongakele sekayaphila’ nokuthi loyo ‘obekalahlekile sekatholakele.’