Ngelinye ilanga uJesu esesabelweni seSiriya omunye umama ongumGrikhi wamlanda ecela ukuthi elaphe indodakazi yakhe. UJesu wamphendula ngokusebenzisa umzekeliso lapho afananisa khona abantu abangayisiwo maJuda ‘lezinjana’ loba imidlwane. UMthetho kaMosi wawusithi izinja zinyamazana ezingcolileyo. (ULevi 11:27) Kambe uJesu wayemthethisa yini umama lo owayengumGrikhi labanye abangayisiwo maJuda?

UJesu wayengamthethisi owesifazana lo, kodwa njengoba watsho kubafundi bakhe okwakuqakathekile kuye ngalesosikhathi kwakuyikunceda amaJuda. Yikho wathi kowesifazana lo: ‘Kakukuhle ukuthatha isinkwa sabantwana usiphosele izinjana.’ (UMathewu 15:21-26, TBS; UMakho 7:26) AmaGrikhi lamaRoma ayekuthanda ukufuya izinja, ehlala lazo ezindlini zawo futhi abantwana bedlala lazo. Yikho owesifazana lo kazange acabange ukuthi uJesu wayemthethisa. Wakuzwisisa lokho uJesu ayekutsho, wasesithi: ‘Yebo, Nkosi, kodwa lezinjana ziyadla imvuthuluka eziwa etafuleni labaninizo.’ UJesu wamncoma ngokholo lwakhe waseyelapha indodakazi yakhe.​—UMathewu 15:27, 28, TBS.

Kwakulesiphepho elwandle ngesikhathi uPhawuli esemkhunjini owawumusa e-Ithali. Yikho ngesikhathi umkhumbi umile endaweni ethile umphostoli lo wacebisa ayehamba labo ukuthi bangadluleli phambili ngohambo lwabo. (ImiSebenzi 27:9-12) Icebo lelo lalilengqondo yini?

Abatshayeli bemikhumbi bakudala babesazi ukuthi ukuhamba eMediterranean ngezinyanga zomqando kwakuyingozi kakhulu. Kusukela phakathi kuka-November kusiya phakathi kuka-March kwakungahambeki elwandle. Kodwa uhambo uPhawuli ayekhuluma ngalo lwaluzabakhona ngo-September kumbe ngo-October. Echaza ngohambo elwandle omunye umlobi onguRoma okuthiwa nguVegetius wabhala ebhukwini lakhe wathi: “Ngezinye inyanga kuyahambeka sibili, ezinye azithenjwa futhi ngezinye akuhambeki.” UVegetius uqhubeka esithi kwakuhambeka elwandle kusukela ngo-May 27 kusiya ku-September 14 kodwa isikhathi esasingathenjwa loba esasiyingozi ngu-September 15 kusiya ku-November 11 lo-March 11 kusiya ku-May 26. UPhawuli wayekwazi konke lokhu ngoba wayejayele ukuhamba ngomkhumbi. Umtshayeli womkhumbi lomnikazi wawo labo babekwazi konke lokhu kodwa bakhetha ukwephulela izigodo endlebeni, abazange balalele icebo likaPhawuli. Yikho umkhumbi wacina ubhidlika.​—ImiSebenzi 27:13-44.