Jesu watjela abafundi bakhe ukuthi bangathandi iinkhundla namkha bafune ukuba bakhulu emaKrestwini akunye nabo, wabatjela lokho ngobusuku bakhe bamaswaphela ephasini. Wathi kibo: “Ababusi beentjhaba bakatelela ubukhosi babo phezu kwazo, begodu labo abanelawulo phezu kwazo babizwa ngamabizo akhethekileko. Kodwana nina akukafaneli nibe njalo.”—Luk. 22:25, 26.

Bobani abantu ababizwa ngamabizo akhethekileko uJesu akhuluma ngabo? Izinto ezifunyenweko ezinjengemitlolo, iincwadi, iinhlamvu zemali nokhunye kutjengisa ukuthi bekulisiko lamaGirigi namaRoma ukunikela amadoda adumileko nababusi amabizo wokubahlonipha. Bebahlonitjhwa ngebanga lokuthi kunento abayenzele umphakathi.

Yeke inengi lababusi belinamabizo akhethekileko. Abanye babo bekubabusi beGibhide, uPtolemy III Euergetes (c. 247-222 B.C.E.) noPtolemy VIII Euergetes II (c. 147-117 B.C.E.). Nababusi beRoma uJulius Caesar (48-44 B.C.E.) no-Arhostosi (31 B.C.E.–14 C.E.) bawafumana amabizo lawo kuhlanganise noHerode omKhulu umbusi weJudiya. UHerode kungenzeka wafumana ibizo elikhethekileko nakazakuthumela abantu ikoroyi ngesikhathi sendlala bewathumela nezambatho kilabo ebebazitlhoga.

Ngokuya ngesazi seBhayibheli seJarimani u-Adolf Deissmann amabizo akhethekileko bewasetjenziswa khulu. Wathi: “Amabizo akhethekileko la bewavela kanengi khulu emitlolweni yakade, okutjho ukuthi bekulisiko ukuwasebenzisa begodu bekubulula nokuwafumana.”

Alo uJesu bekatjho ukuthini nakatjela abalandeli bakhe ukuthi: “Kodwana nina akukafaneli nibe njalo”? Inga-kghani bekabatjela ukuthi akukafuzi basize abantu begodu bangabi nendaba nabo? Awa, akusinjalo. Into uJesu ebekafuna ukuyitjela abafundi kukuthi nabaphako, baphe ngeensusa ezihle ingasi ngokufumana idumo.

Emihleni kaJesu abantu ebebanjingile bebapha ngehloso yokufumana idumo, bebasekela imidlalo namahlelo athileko, ukwakhiwa kwamaphagi, amathempeli kunye nezinye izinto. Zoke izintwezi bebazenza bona balotjhwe babantu, bafumane idumo namkha ukuthi abantu bababone ngasuthi bangcono. Enye incwadi ithi: “Ngitjho nanyana bakhona abantu ebebenza izintwezi ngesihle kodwana kanengi bezenziwa bosopolotiki bona bazifumanele idumo.” Yeke uJesu bekakhalima abafundi bakhe bona bangathomi babe nommoya onjalo.

Ngemva kweminyaka ethileko, uPowula wagandelela ukuqakatheka kokupha ngesihle. Watlolela amaKrestu weKorinte ukuthi: “Omunye nomunye akenze njengombana aquntile ehliziywenakhe, ingasi ngokuzikhuja namkha ngokukatelelwa, ngombana uZimu uthanda umuphi othabileko.”—2 Kor. 9:7.