UPANAYIOTA wakhulela kwesinye isihlenge esitholakala elwandle okuthiwa yi-Mediterranean. Esakhula wayezithanda kakhulu ezombusazwe futhi wacina esengumabhalani weqembu lezombusazwe elalitholakala esigabeni sakibo. Wayebhoda emizini yabantu eqoqa izimali zokusekela ibandla leli. Zelekana izinsuku yafuqana iminyaka kodwa uPanayiota wacina engasawukholisi umsebenzi wakhe. Lanxa abantu bebandla leli babezithi bangabangane, phakathi kwabo kwakugcwele ukungezwani, umona, ukuthanda izikhundla lokufakana ezikhundleni ngobuhlobo.

UDaniel wase-Ireland wakhuliswa ngabazali ababekuthanda kakhulu ukuya esontweni. Okudanisayo yikuthi ulokhu ebukhumbula ubuzenzisi obabusenziwa ngabaphristi esontweni yakibo. Babebubhudla utshwala, betshova amakhasi njalo bentshontsha izimali zeminikelo, ngapha behlala bemtshumayeza besithi nxa angenza izinto ezimbi uzatshiswa esihogweni.

UJeffery wahlala isikhathi eside esenza umsebenzi wokudinga amakhasitoma lokuthengisa, esebenzela abanye osomabhizimusi bemikhumbi abahlala eBritain lase-America. Ukhumbula ubumenemene ayebubona busenziwa ngamakhasitoma lamanye amankampani ayencintisana lawo nxa ayesebenzelana leziphathimandla zikahulumende. Ngobuzenzisi abantu laba babekhuluma loba yini ukuze bathole imisebenzi.

Okubuhlungu yikuthi laba kayisibo bodwa abake babona ubuzenzisi. Ubuzenzisi bubhahile kulezinsuku, ungabuthola loba ngaphi, kungaba kwezamabhizimusi, kwezombusazwe, lasemasontweni. Yikho-ke ibala elihunyutswe ngokuthi “ubuzenzisi” lithathelwe ebaleni lesiGiriki elitsho isikhulumi kumbe umdlali wedrama eyenzelwa enkundleni, ofihla lokho ayikho ngokugqoka okuthile ebusweni ukuze abantu bangaboni ukuthi ungubani. Ngokuhamba kwesikhathi ibala leli laqalisa ukusetshenziswa kuye wonke umuntu ofihla lokho ayikho khona ukuze aqile abanye kumbe athuthukise izifiso zakhe zobuhwaba.

Ubuzenzisi bungabangela ukuthi lowo obenziwe kuye angaphatheki kuhle, azwe ubuhlungu, azonde njalo afune ukuphindisela. Ngenxa yokukhathazeka angacina ezibuza ukuthi: “Ubuzenzisi! Kambe buzaphela?” ILizwi likaNkulunkulu lisinika izizatho ezenza sikholwe ukuthi buzaphela du!

IBhayibhili liveza ukuthi ubuzenzisi abuzange buqaliswe ngabantu kodwa baqaliswa yisidalwa somoya esingabonakaliyo. Abantu besanda kudalwa, uSathane uDeveli wakhohlisa owesifazana wokuqala u-Eva ngokuzifihla lokho ayikho kwakhanya angathi yinyoka ekhulumayo njalo wenza angani ufuna ukumnceda kanti umthela emanyaleni. (UGenesisi 3:1-5) Kusukela ngalesosikhathi abantu abanengi bebezembathisa isikhumba  semvu bona bezimpisi phakathi futhi lokhu kubangele ukuthi bakhohlise abanye njalo bathuthukise lokho bona abakufunayo.

Lapho abako-Israyeli bethatheka ngokukhonza kwamanga njalo besenza imikhuba yobuzenzisi, uNkulunkulu wabaxwayisa kanenginengi ngempumela eyayizabehlela. Esebenzisa umphrofethi wakhe u-Isaya, uJehova uNkulunkulu wathi: “Abantu laba basondela kimi ngemilomo yabo bangikhonze ngezindebe zabo, kodwa izinhliziyo zabo zikude lami.” (U-Isaya 29:13) Lapho beqinisa amakhanda bengaphenduki uNkulunkulu wavumela ezinye izizwe ukuthi zihlasele iJerusalema lethempeli layo, okuyiyo indawo ababekhonzela kuyo. Ngakho abaseBhabhiloni balihlasela idolobho leli ngo-607 B.C.E. futhi ekucineni lahlaselwa ngamabutho eRoma ngo-70 C.E. Kuyacaca-ke ukuthi uNkulunkulu uyabuzonda ubuzenzisi.

Kodwa uNkulunkulu leNdodana yakhe uJesu bayabathanda kakhulu abantu abaqotho njalo abathembekileyo. Ngokwesibonelo uJesu esanda kuqalisa inkonzo yakhe wahlangana lendoda okwakuthiwa nguNathaneli. UJesu wathi eyibona, wababaza wathi: “Nangu umIsrayeli oqotho, okungekho nkohliso kuye.” (UJohane 1:47) UNathaneli owayebizwa langokuthi nguBhatholomewu wacina esengomunye wabaphostoli bakaJesu abangu-12.—ULukha 6:13-16.

UJesu wayehlala elabalandeli bakhe njalo ebafundisa indlela uNkulunkulu abona ngayo izinto. Kwakungamelanga babe ngabazenzisi loba sekutheni. UJesu wabaxwayisa ngokubatshela engakhekhelezi ngobuzenzisi obabusenziwa ngabakhokheli benkolo ababekhona ngalesosikhathi. Nanku okunye akutshoyo.

Benza ‘izenzo ezinhle’ ukuze babukwe ngabantu. UJesu watshela ababemlalele wathi: “Qaphelani ukuthi lingenzi ‘izenzo zenu ezinhle’ phambi kwabantu ukuze balibone . . . njengokwenziwa ngabazenzisi.” Waphinda wabatshela ukuthi nxa babesenza izenzo zomusa kube ‘sensitha’ loba ukuthi bangahambi bekhuluma ngakho kwabanye abantu. Nxa babekhuleka kwakungamelanga babukise ebantwini. Lokhu kwakuzakwenza ukuthi kukhanye ukuthi baqotho ekukhonzeni futhi uNkulunkulu wayezabemukela.—UMathewu 6:1-6.

Babethanda ukuchothoza. UJesu wathi: “Mzenzisi, qala ususe ugodo elihlweni lakho ukuze ubone kakuhle nxa usukhupha isicucwana esiselihlweni lomfowenu.” (UMathewu 7:5) Ngakho nxa umuntu ehlala ekhangela amaphutha abanye kodwa laye elawakhe amakhulu uyabe ezenza angani ungumuntu kuzwa khona kungenjalo. Phela ‘sonke sonile futhi siyasilela enkazimulweni kaNkulunkulu.’—KwabaseRoma 3:23.

Babelezinhloso ezimbi. Ngelinye ilanga abalandeli babaFarisi kanye lamaHerodiya balanda uJesu bambuza mayelana lomthelo. Besenza angathi bayamncoma bathi: “Mfundisi, siyazi ukuthi uyindoda elobuqotho lokuthi ufundisa indlela kaNkulunkulu ngokweqiniso.” Ngemva kwalokho bazama ukumgwenxa ngombuzo bathi: “Kuqondile na ukuthela kuKhesari kumbe hatshi?” Wabaphendula wathi: “Lina bazenzisi, lenzani lizama ukungigwenxa na?” UJesu wababiza ngokuthi ngabazenzisi ngoba wabona ukuthi babengahlosanga ukuthola impendulo kodwa babedinga ukuthi “bambambe ngamazwi akhe.”—UMathewu 22:15-22.

Lapho ibandla lobuKhristu lisungulwa ngePhentekhosti lika-33 C.E., amaKhristu eqiniso ayezama ukuthi ahlale ethembekile futhi elandela iqiniso. Asebenza gadalala elungisisa ubuntu bawo ukuze alahle imikhuba yobuzenzisi. Ngokwesibonelo, uPhetro owayengomunye wabaphostoli abangu-12 wakhuthaza amaKhristu ukuthi aphile ‘ngokulalela iqiniso ukuze abe lothando oluqotho kubazalwane bawo.’ (1 UPhetro 1:22) Umphostoli uPhawuli laye wakhuthaza ayekanye labo ukuthi babe ‘lothando oluvela enhliziyweni emhlophe, lesazela esihle lokholo oluqotho.’—1 KuThimothi 1:5.

Izimfundiso zikaJesu lezabaphostoli ezilotshwe eBhayibhilini zilokhu zilusizo kakhulu lalamuhla njengasekhulwini lokuqala. Ekhuluma ngezimfundiso lezi umphostoli uPhawuli wabhala wathi: “Ilizwi likaNkulunkulu liyaphila njalo liyasebenza. Libukhali kulenkemba esika inxa zombili, ingena ize yehlukanise umphefumulo lomoya, amalunga lomnkantsho; lahlulela imicabango lomumo wenhliziyo.”  (KumaHebheru 4:12) Ukwazi lokho okufundiswa liBhayibhili kanye lokuzama ukukusebenzisa ekuphileni sekuncede abanengi ukuthi batshiye ubuzenzisi futhi babengabantu abaqotho njalo abathembekileyo. Nanku okwenzakala ebantwini abathathu okukhulunywe ngabo ekuqaliseni.

Impilo kaPanayiota yaqalisa ukuntshintsha aze ayengena imihlangano eWolu yoMbuso yaboFakazi bakaJehova. Kazange abone ngitsho loyedwa umuntu owayesenza izenzo ezinhle ukuze abukwe ngabantu. Uthi: “Ngalubona uthando lweqiniso phakathi kwabantu laba lokuthi balendaba labanye, lokhu ngangingakaze ngikubone okweminyaka yonke le ngitshisekela ezombusazwe.”

UPanayiota waqala ukufunda iBhayibhili futhi wathuthuka waze wabhaphathizwa. Lokhu kwenzakala eminyakeni engu-30 eyadlulayo. Nanku akutshoyo khathesi: “Ngiyathokoza ukuthi ukuphila kwami sekulenjongo, kangisatshoni ngibhoda lemizi ngikhankasela iqembu lezombusazwe kodwa sengitshumayela ngoMbuso kaNkulunkulu oyiwo wodwa ozalungisa izinto emhlabeni.”

UDaniel laye wathuthuka waba ngumKhristu owenza kuhle ebandleni futhi wacina esephiwa imisebenzi yenkonzo. Ngemva kweminyaka engamingaki wenza iphutha njalo umzwangedwa wakhe waqalisa ukumhlupha. Ulandisa esithi: “Ngathi ngikhumbula ubuzenzisi obabusenziwa esontweni engangiyingena kudala, ngakubona kungcono ukuthi ngime ukwenza imisebenzi yenkonzo ebandleni. Ngangingafuni ukuqila amanye amaKhristu ebandleni ngokufihla lokho engiyikho khona.”

Kuyathokozisa ukuthi ngemva kwesikhathi uDaniel walungisisa iphutha lakhe njalo wazizwa esekulungele ukwenza imisebenzi ebandleni ngoba wayeselomzwangedwa omuhle. Lokhu kutshengisa ukuthi ubuzenzisi abukho phakathi kwabantu bakaNkulunkulu. Bayafunda “ukukhipha ugodo” emehlweni abo kuqala bengakakhiphi “isicucwana” emehlweni abafowabo.

UJeffery owahlala iminyaka eminengi esebenza kwezamabhizimusi, uthi: “Njengoba ngangilokhu ngifunda iBhayibhili, ngananzelela ukuthi ngangingeke ngibe ngilokhu ngiqila abantu ngamazwi ukuze ngithole amakhasitoma. Umzwangedwa wami usuqeqetshwe ngamavesi aseBhayibhilini anjengoZaga 11:1, othi ‘uJehova uyazenyanya izilinganiso zokudlelezela.’” UJeffery kafanani labazenzisi ababuza uJesu mayelana lomthelo, ngoba sewafunda ukungabi lezinhloso ezimbi nxa esenza ibhizimusi lamanye amaKhristu kumbe labanye abantu abangakholwayo.

Izigidi zaboFakazi bakaJehova emhlabeni wonke ziyalwisa ukuthi zisebenzise lokho ezikufundayo eBhayibhilini. Zenza konke ezingakwenza ukuthi ‘zifake ubumina obutsha, obadalelwa ukuba njengoNkulunkulu ekulungeni okuqotho lobungcwele.’ (Kwabase-Efesu 4:24) Siyakukhuthaza ukuthi uhlole ukuthi bangobani oFakazi bakaJehova, ukuthi bakholwani lokuthi bangakunceda njani ukuthi ufunde ngomhlaba omutsha esiwuthenjiswa nguNkulunkulu. Lowomhlaba uzakuba ‘ulikhaya lokulunga’ njalo ubuzenzisi buyabe bungasekho.—2 UPhetro 3:13.