Abaphikisi bayehluleka ukungcolisa igama likaJesu nokumenza asho into abazoyisebenzisa ukuze bamyise kumaRoma. (Luka 20:20) Esasethempelini ngoNisani 11, uJesu ujika izinto ababonise ukuthi ungubani ngempela. Ubabuza kuqala, athi: “Nicabangani ngoKristu? Uyindodana kabani?” (Mathewu 22:42) Abantu abaningi bayazi ukuthi uKristu noma uMesiya uyovela ohlwini lozalo lukaDavide. Yingakho nabo bephendula kanjalo.—Mathewu 9:27; 12:23; Johane 7:42.

UJesu uyababuza: “Pho kwenzeka kanjani ukuba uDavide ephefumulelwe ambize ngokuthi iNkosi, ethi, ‘UJehova wathi eNkosini yami: “Hlala ngakwesokudla sami ngize ngibeke izitha zakho ngaphansi kwezinyawo zakho”’? Uma-ke uDavide embiza ngokuthi Nkosi, angaba kanjani indodana yakhe?”—Mathewu 22:43-45.

AbaFarisi abazi ukuthi bathini ngoba bathembe ukuthi kuzoqhamuka umuntu ozalweni lukaDavide ozobakhulula ekugqilazweni amaRoma. Kodwa ecaphuna amazwi kaDavide asemBhalweni wamaHubo 110:1, 2, uJesu ubonisa ukuthi uMesiya ngeke nje abe umbusi ongumuntu kuphela. UyiNkosi kaDavide, futhi ngemva kokuba esehleli ngakwesokudla sikaNkulunkulu, uyowasebenzisa amandla akhe. Impendulo kaJesu ibavala umlomo abaphikisi bakhe.

Abafundi nabanye abaningi bebelokhu belalele. Manje uJesu ukhuluma nabo, ubaxwayisa ngababhali nabaFarisi. La madoda ‘azibeke esihlalweni sikaMose’ ukuze afundise uMthetho kaNkulunkulu. UJesu uyala izilaleli zakhe: “Zonke izinto abanitshela zona, zenzeni futhi nizigcine, kodwa ningenzi abakwenzayo, ngoba bayakhuluma kodwa abakwenzi abakushoyo.”—Mathewu 23:2, 3.

UJesu unikeza izibonelo zobuzenzisi babo, uthi: “Bawenza abe makhulu amabhokisi aqukethe imibhalo abawafaka njengezivikelo.” Amanye amaJuda ayefaka eziphongweni zawo noma engalweni amabhokisi amancane ayenemiBhalo ethile ethathwe eMthethweni. AbaFarisi bawenza abe makhulu awabo ukuze kube sengathi bawugcina kakhulu uMthetho. Kanti futhi ‘benza nezinsephe zezingubo zabo zibe zinde.’ Kwakufanele ama-Israyeli enze izinsephe ezingubeni zawo, kodwa abaFarisi babeqiniseka ukuthi benza ezabo zibe zinde kakhulu. (Numeri 15:38-40) Benza konke lokhu ukuze “babonwe ngabantu.”—Mathewu 23:5.

Ngisho nabafundi bakaJesu yayingabathelela le nkinga yokuthanda ukuvelela, ngakho uyabeluleka: “Maningabizwa ngokuthi Rabi, ngoba munye onguMfundisi wenu, kanti nonke nina ningabafowabo bomunye nomunye. Ngaphezu kwalokho, ningabizi muntu emhlabeni ngokuthi uyihlo, ngoba munye onguYihlo, yiLowo osezulwini. Ningabizwa nangokuthi abaholi, ngoba munye uMholi wenu, uKristu.” Pho-ke, kufanele bazibheke kanjani abafundi futhi baziphathe kanjani? UJesu uyabatshela: “Omkhulu kakhulu phakathi kwenu kumelwe abe yisikhonzi senu. Noma ubani oziphakamisayo uyothotshiswa, nanoma ubani ozithobayo uyophakanyiswa.”—Mathewu 23:8-12.

UJesu ube esesho omaye abalandelanayo kubabhali nabaFarisi abangabazenzisi, uthi: “Maye kini, babhali nabaFarisi, bazenzisi! ngoba nivalela abantu uMbuso wamazulu; ngoba nina ngokwenu aningeni, nalabo abaya kongena anibavumeli ukuba bangene.”—Mathewu 23:13.

UJesu ulahla abaFarisi ngenxa yokungabi nandaba kwabo nezinto uJehova azibheka njengezibalulekile, okuboniswa yimibono yabo engasekelwe eMthethweni. Ngokwesibonelo, bathi: “Uma umuntu efunga ithempeli, akulutho; kodwa uma umuntu efunga igolide lasethempelini, ungaphansi kwesibopho.” Ngalokho, babonisa ukuthi bayizimpumputhe ngoba bagcizelela kakhulu ukubaluleka kwegolide, kuneqiniso lokuthi ithempeli iyona ndawo abakhulekela kuyo uJehova futhi engabasiza basondele kuye. Ngenxa yalokho, ‘abazinakanga  izindaba zoMthetho ezibaluleke kakhulu, okuwukuthi, ubulungisa nesihe nokwethembeka.’—Mathewu 23:16, 23; Luka 11:42.

UJesu ubiza abaFarisi ngokuthi ‘bayizimpumputhe ezicwenga insensane eziphuzweni kodwa zigwinye ikamela!’ (Mathewu 23:24) Bacwenga insensane ewayinini ngoba lesi sinambuzane asihlanzekile ngokwesiko labo. Ukungazinaki kwabo izinto ezibaluleke kakhulu ezidingwa uMthetho, kunjengokugwinya ikamela, nalo eliyisilwane esingahlanzekile kodwa ngezinga elikhulu.—Levitikusi 11:4, 21-24.