UMFUNDISI OMKHULU wake wabuza umbuzo owamangaza abantu. Wawuthi: “Ngubani ongumama, obani abangabafowethu?” (Mathewu 12:48) Wawungawuphendula yini wena lowo mbuzo?— Cishe uyazi ukuthi igama likamama kaJesu kwakunguMariya. Kodwa uyawazi amagama abafowabo?— Wayenabo yini odadewabo?—

IBhayibheli lithi amagama abafowabo bakaJesu ‘kwakunguJakobe noJosefa noSimoni noJuda.’ Futhi ngesikhathi uJesu ashumayela ngaso, bakhona odadewabo abase bekhona. Njengoba uJesu kwakunguyena omdala kubo, bonke laba babebancane kunaye.—Mathewu 13:55, 56; Luka 1:34, 35.

Ingabe abafowabo bakaJesu babengabafundi bakhe nabo?— IBhayibheli lithi ekuqaleni “babengenalo ukholo kuye.” (Johane 7:5) Kodwa kamuva uJakobe noJuda (obizwa nangokuthi uJude) baba ngabafundi bakhe, baze babhala ngisho nezincwadi zeBhayibheli. Uyazazi izincwadi abazibhala?— Uqinisile, incwadi kaJakobe nekaJude.

Yize odadewabo kaJesu bengashiwo ngamagama eBhayibhelini, siyazi ukuthi wayenabo ababili. Kodwa kungenzeka babekhona nabanye. Ingabe labo dadewabo baba abalandeli bakhe?— IBhayibheli alisho, ngakho asazi. Kodwa uyazi yini ukuthi kungani uJesu abuza lo mbuzo othi, “Ngubani ongumama, obani abangabafowethu?”— Ake sizwe.

UJesu wayekade efundisa abafundi bakhe ngenkathi umuntu othile emphazamisa ethi: ‘Umama wakho nabafowenu bami ngaphandle, bafuna ukukhuluma nawe.’ UJesu wasebenzisa leli thuba wafundisa  isifundo esibalulekile ngokubuza lowo mbuzo owamangaza abantu: “Ngubani ongumama, obani abangabafowethu?” Wakhomba abafundi bakhe wabe esephendula, wathi: “Bhekani! Umama nabafowethu!”

Ngemva kwalokho uJesu wachaza ukuthi usho ukuthini, wathi: “Noma ubani owenza intando kaBaba osezulwini, nguye ongumfowethu, nodadewethu, nomama.” (Mathewu 12:47-50) Lokhu kubonisa ukuthi uJesu wayebathanda kakhulu abafundi bakhe. Wayesifundisa ukuthi abafundi bakhe babefana nezingane zakubo nanomama wakhe omzalayo.

Ngaleso sikhathi abafowabo bakaJesu—uJakobe, uJosefa, uSimoni noJuda—babengakholwa ukuthi uJesu uyiNdodana kaNkulunkulu. Kumelwe ukuba babengazange bayikholwe into ingelosi uGabriyeli eyayiyitshele umama wabo. (Luka 1:30-33) Ngenxa yalokho kungenzeka ukuthi babemphatha kabi uJesu. Noma ubani owenza lokho usuke engeyena umfowenu noma  udadewenu wangempela. Ukhona umuntu omaziyo oye waphatha kabi umfowabo noma udadewabo?—

IBhayibheli likhuluma ngo-Esawu noJakobe nendlela u-Esawu athukuthela kakhulu ngayo, wathi: “Ngizombulala uJakobe umfowethu.” Umama wabo, uRebheka, wethuka kakhulu waze wathi uJakobe akahambe ukuze u-Esawu angambulali. (Genesise 27:41-46) Kodwa ngemva kweminyaka eminingi u-Esawu washintsha, wagona uJakobe futhi wamqabula.—Genesise 33:4.

Ngokuhamba kwesikhathi, uJakobe waba namadodana angu-12. Kodwa amadodana kaJakobe amadala ayengamthandi umfowabo omncane uJosefa. Ayenomona ngoba ubaba wabo wayethanda yena kakhulu. Ngakho amdayisa kubantu ababethenga izigqila ababeya eGibhithe. Abe esetshela ubaba wawo ukuthi uJosefa ubulawe isilwane sasendle. (Genesise 37:23-36) Awucabangi ukuthi yayiyimbi leyo nto?—

Ngemva kwesikhathi abafowabo bakaJosefa bazisola ngento ababeyenzile. UJosefa wabaxolela. Uyabona ukuthi uJosefa wayefana kanjani noJesu?— Abaphostoli bakaJesu babaleka  ngesikhathi ehlushwa, futhi uPetru yena waze waphika nokuthi uyamazi. Noma kunjalo, uJesu wabaxolela bonke njengoba kwenza uJosefa.

Bese kuba nezingane zandawonye uKhayini no-Abela. Kukhona isifundo esisifundayo nakubo. UNkulunkulu wabuka inhliziyo kaKhayini wabona ukuthi akamthandi ngempela umfowabo. Ngenxa yalokho uNkulunkulu watshela uKhayini ukuthi kufanele ashintshe. Ukube uKhayini wayemthanda ngempela uNkulunkulu, wayezolalela. Kodwa wayengamthandi uNkulunkulu. Ngelinye ilanga uKhayini wathi ku-Abela: “Masiye endle.” Bahamba-ke. Kwathi sebebodwa endle, uKhayini wamshaya kakhulu umfowabo wambulala.—Genesise 4:2-8.

IBhayibheli lisitshela ukuthi kunesifundo esibaluleke kakhulu okufanele sisifunde kule ndaba. Uyasazi?— ‘Nanku umbiko eniwuzwile kusukela ekuqaleni: Kufanele sithandane; singafani noKhayini, owayevela komubi.’ Ngakho kufanele sibathande abafowethu nodadewethu, nabo kufanele basithande. Akufanele sifane noKhayini.—1 Johane 3:11, 12.

Kungani kungaba yinto embi ukufana noKhayini?— Ngoba iBhayibheli lithi ‘wayevela komubi,’ uSathane uDeveli. Njengoba uKhayini alingisa uDeveli, kwafana nokuthi uDeveli ungubaba wakhe.

Uyabona ukuthi kungani kubalulekile ukuba uthande abafowenu nodadewenu?— Uma ungabathandi, uyobe ufana nezingane zikabani?— Izingane zikaDeveli. Wena ungathanda ukufana nazo?— Pho, ungabonisa kanjani ukuthi ufuna ukuba ingane kaNkulunkulu?— Ungabonisa ngokubathanda kakhulu abafowenu nodadewenu.

Kodwa luyini uthando?— Uthando yinto esiyizwa ngaphakathi kithi esenza sifune ukwenzela abanye abantu izinto ezinhle. Sisuke sibonisa ukuthi siyabathanda abanye lapho sibafisela okuhle nalapho sibenzela izinto ezinhle. Bangobani laba bafowethu  nodadewethu okufanele sibathande?— Khumbula, uJesu wafundisa ukuthi yilabo bantu abakha umkhaya omkhulu wamaKristu.

Kubaluleke kangakanani ukuba sibathande laba bafowethu nodadewethu abangamaKristu?— IBhayibheli lithi: “Ongamthandi umfowabo [noma udadewabo], ambonileyo, akunakwenzeka ukuthi uyamthanda uNkulunkulu, angambonanga.” (1 Johane 4:20) Ngakho akufanele sithande abathile kuphela emkhayeni wamaKristu. Kumelwe sibathande bonke. UJesu wathi: “Bonke bayokwazi ngalokho ukuthi ningabafundi bami, uma ninothando phakathi kwenu.” (Johane 13:35) Wena ubathanda bonke yini abafowenu nodadewenu?— Khumbula, uma ungabathandi bonke kusho ukuthi awumthandi ngempela noNkulunkulu.

Singabonisa kanjani ukuthi sibathanda ngempela abafowethu nodadewethu?— Phela, uma sibathanda, ngeke sithi asifuni ukuba nabo ngoba singafuni ukukhuluma nabo. Siyoba nomusa kubo bonke. Njalo nje siyobenzela okuhle, sibaphe nezinto. Futhi uma behluphekile, siyobasiza ngoba siwumkhaya omkhulu kakhulu.

Uma sibathanda ngempela bonke abafowethu nodadewethu, sisuke sibonisani?— Sisuke sibonisa ukuthi singabafundi bakaJesu, uMfundisi Omkhulu. Asifuni yini ukuba abafundi bakhe?—