Ingabe Kumelwe Ukhokhe Izintela?

ABANTU abaningi abakujabuleli ukukhokha izintela. Abaningi banomuzwa wokuthi imali yabo yentela isetshenziswa kabi noma isetshenziselwa ukukhwabanisa. Nokho, abanye abahambisani nokukhokhwa kwezintela ngoba bakhala ngokuthi zisetshenziswa ezintweni ezingafanele. Lapho zichaza ukuthi kungani zinquma ukungayikhokhi intela, izakhamuzi zedolobha elithile eMpumalanga Ephakathi zathi: “Ngeke sikhokhele izibhamu ezibulala izingane zethu.”

Emazweni amaningi, abantu banemibono efanayo futhi le mibono ayimisha. Umholi wamaHindu ongasekho uMohandas K. Gandhi wabeka esakhe isizathu sokungafuni ukukhokha izintela. Wathi: “Noma ubani osekela uMbuso onamabutho ezempi—kungakhathaliseki ukuthi uwusekela ngokuqondile noma ngendlela engaqondile—wenza isono. Wonke umuntu, omncane noma omdala, uba nesandla kuleso sono ngokusekela lowo Mbuso ngokukhokha izintela.”

UHenry David Thoreau, isazi sefilosofi sangekhulu le-19, naye wabeka izizathu zakhe anomuzwa wokuthi ziwukulunga zokwenqaba ukukhokha izintela ezisetshenziselwa ukusekela impi. Wabuza: “Kumelwe yini isakhamuzi sivumele isishaya-mthetho ukuba sisenzele izinqumo okumelwe zenziwe yiso ngonembeza waso? Kungani wonke umuntu enonembeza?”

Le ndaba iyawathinta amaKristu ngoba iBhayibheli lifundisa ngokucacile ukuthi kufanele agcine unembeza wawo uhlanzekile kuzo zonke izici. (2 Thimothewu 1:3) Ngakolunye uhlangothi, iBhayibheli liyaliqaphela igunya lohulumeni lokuqoqa izintela. Lithi: “Yonke imiphefumulo mayizithobe emagunyeni aphakeme [ohulumeni babantu], ngoba akukho gunya elikhona kungengoNkulunkulu; amagunya akhona ami ezikhundleni zawo ezilinganiselwe ebekwe nguNkulunkulu. Ngakho-ke kukhona isizathu esicindezelayo sokuba nizithobe, hhayi kuphela ngenxa yalolo lulaka kodwa futhi nangenxa kanembeza wenu. Ngoba kungakho futhi nikhokha izintela; ngoba ayizinceku zikaNkulunkulu zomphakathi ezikhonza njalo yona kanye le njongo. Nikani bonke okubafaneleyo, lowo ofuna intela, intela.”—Roma 13:1, 5-7.

Ngenxa yalesi sizathu, amaKristu ekhulu lokuqala ayaziwa ngokukhokha izintela ngokukhululekile, yize enye yaleyo mali yayisetshenziselwa ukusekela ezempi. OFakazi BakaJehova namuhla baziwa ngendlela efanayo. * Kungani umKristu ekhokha izintela uma kanti enye imali isekela ezempi? Kumelwe yini umKristu angawulaleli unembeza wakhe uma kufanele akhokhe intela?

Izintela Nonembeza

Kuyaphawuleka ukuthi ingxenye yezintela amaKristu ekhulu lokuqala ayalwa ukuba ayikhokhe yayiya kwezempi. Kamuva, yiyo kanye le ndaba kanembeza eyashukumisela uGandhi noThoreau ukuba bangafuni ukukhokha izintela.

Phawula ukuthi amaKristu awulalela umyalo okumaRoma isahluko 13, hhayi nje ngoba efuna ukugwema isijeziso, kodwa “nangenxa kanembeza [wawo].” (Roma 13:5) Yebo, empeleni  unembeza womKristu umshukumisela ukuba akhokhe izintela, ngisho noma zisetshenziselwa ukusekela imisebenzi yena angahambisani nayo. Ukuze siqonde leli phuzu elibonakala liyindida, kumelwe siqaphele iphuzu eliyinhloko ngonembeza bethu—izwi elingaphakathi kithi elisitshela ukuthi izenzo zethu zilungile noma azilungile.

Wonke umuntu unalo leli zwi elingaphakathi, njengoba kwasho uThoreau, kodwa akusho ukuthi singalethemba ngaso sonke isikhathi. Ukuze sijabulise uNkulunkulu, kumelwe onembeza bethu bavumelane nemithetho yakhe yokuziphatha. Ngokuvamile, kudingeka silungise ukucabanga noma umbono wethu ukuze uvumelane nokaNkulunkulu ngoba eyakhe imicabango iphakeme kuneyethu. (IHubo 19:7) Ngakho-ke, kufanele sizame ukuqonda umbono kaNkulunkulu ngohulumeni babantu. Uyini umbono wakhe?

Siyaphawula ukuthi umphostoli uPawulu wabiza ohulumeni babantu ngokuthi “izinceku zikaNkulunkulu zomphakathi.” (Roma 13:6) Kusho ukuthini lokhu? Ngokuyisisekelo, kusho ukuthi bagcina ukuhleleka futhi benza imisebenzi ewusizo emphakathini. Ngisho nohulumeni abakhohlakele kakhulu bayayenza imisebenzi enjengokuhanjiswa kweposi, ukunikeza umphakathi imfundo, ukuqiniseka ukuthi abantu bavikelekile ezingozini zomlilo nokuqinisekisa ukuthi imithetho iyalandelwa. Nakuba uNkulunkulu ebazi kahle ubuthaka balab’ ohulumeni abangabantu, usababekezelele okwesikhashana futhi usiyala ukuba sikhokhe izintela ngenxa yokuhlonipha ilungiselelo lakhe, okungukuthi, ukubavumela kwakhe ukuba babuse.

Nokho, uNkulunkulu ubavumele okwesikhashana. Uhlose ukubasusa bonke labo hulumeni amise uMbuso wakhe wasezulwini oyolungisa wonke umonakala obangelwe ukubusa komuntu okuye kwalethela abantu usizi kuwo wonke amakhulu eminyaka. (Daniyeli 2:44; Mathewu 6:10) Nokho, okwamanje, uNkulunkulu akawavumeli amaKristu ukuba angabalaleli ohulumeni ngokwenqaba ukukhokha izintela nanganoma iyiphi indlela.

Kuthiwani uma njengoGandhi, usenomuzwa wokuthi ukukhokha izintela ezisekela impi kuyisono? Njengoba siyibona kahle indawo lapho simi endaweni ephakeme, kungaba lula ukulungisa ukucabanga kwethu ukuze kuvumelane nokukaNkulunkulu ngokuzindla ngendlela umbono wakhe ophakeme ngayo kunowethu. Ngomprofethi u-Isaya, uNkulunkulu wathi: “Njengoba nje amazulu ephakeme kunomhlaba, kanjalo izindlela zami ziphakeme kunezindlela zenu, nemicabango yami kunemicabango yenu.”—Isaya 55:8, 9.

Ingabe Ohulumeni Banalo Lonke Igunya?

Imfundiso yeBhayibheli mayelana nokukhokhwa kwezintela ayisho ukuthi ohulumeni abangabantu bangazishaya isifuba bathi banalo lonke igunya phezu kwabantu abababusayo. UJesu wafundisa ukuthi uNkulunkulu ubanikeze igunya elilinganiselwe labo hulumeni. Lapho ebuzwa ukuthi kuyafaneleka yini emehlweni kaNkulunkulu ukukhokha izintela kuhulumeni waseRoma owawubusa, uJesu waphendula ngala mazwi anamandla: “Buyiselani okukaKhesari kuKhesari, kodwa okukaNkulunkulu kuNkulunkulu.”—Marku 12:13-17.

Ohulumeni—abamelelwa “uKhesari”—bakhanda imali futhi baba nesandla ekulawuleni amandla ayo. Ngakho, ngokombono kaNkulunkulu,  banelungelo lokucela ukuba ikhokhwe isiyizintela. Nokho, uJesu wabonisa ukuthi ‘izinto zikaNkulunkulu’—ukuphila nokukhulekela kwethu—akunakulawulwa yinoma yimuphi uhulumeni. Lapho imithetho noma izimfuneko zabantu kungqubuzana nemithetho kaNkulunkulu, amaKristu ‘kumelwe alalele uNkulunkulu njengombusi kunabantu.’—IzEnzo 5:29.

AmaKristu namuhla angase angayithandi indlela okusetshenziswa ngayo enye imali yentela, kodwa awazami ukugxambukela noma ukuthonya izenzo zohulumeni ngokumelana nabo noma ngokwenqaba ukukhokha izintela. Ukwenza kanjalo bekuyobonisa ukungalethembi ikhambi likaNkulunkulu lokuxazulula izinkinga zabantu. Kunalokho, amlindela ngesineke uNkulunkulu ukuba angenele ezindabeni zabantu ngokuletha ukubusa kweNdodana yakhe, uJesu, eyathi: “Umbuso wami awuyona ingxenye yaleli zwe.”—Johane 18:36.

Izinzuzo Zokulalela Imfundiso YeBhayibheli

Ungathola izinzuzo eziningana ngokulalela imfundiso yeBhayibheli mayelana nokukhokha izintela. Uyogwema isijeziso esitholwa yilabo abaphula umthetho kanye nokwesaba ukubanjwa. (Roma 13:3-5) Okubaluleke nakakhulu ukuthi uyoba nonembeza ohlanzekile phambi kukaNkulunkulu futhi umdumise ngokugcina kwakho umthetho. Nakuba ungase ulahlekelwe ngokwezimali uma kuqhathaniswa nalabo abenqabayo ukukhokha noma baze bakhwabanise izintela, ungathembela esithembisweni sikaNkulunkulu sokunakekela izinceku zakhe ezithembekile. Umlobi weBhayibheli uDavide wakubeka ngale ndlela lokhu: “Ngangiyinsizwa, manje ngikhulile, nokho angizange ngimbone olungileyo eshiywe ngokuphelele, noma inzalo yakhe iphanza isinkwa.”—IHubo 37:25.

Ekugcineni, ukuqonda nokulalela umyalo weBhayibheli wokukhokha izintela kuyokunikeza ukuthula kwengqondo. UNkulunkulu akakuthwesi icala ngazo zonke izenzo zohulumeni ezisekelwa izintela ozikhokhayo, njengoba nje umthetho ungakuthwesi icala ngalokho okwenziwa umnikazi wendawo ohlala kuyo ngemali yokuqasha omkhokhela yona. Ngaphambi kokufunda iqiniso leBhayibheli, kwase kuyiminyaka eminingi uStelvio efuna kube nezinguquko kwezombangazwe eningizimu yeYurophu. Echaza ukuthi kungani ashiya phansi, wathi: “Kwakumelwe ngivume ukuthi umuntu ngeke akwazi ukuletha ubulungisa, ukuthula nokuzwana emhlabeni wonke. UMbuso kaNkulunkulu kuphela ongaletha ushintsho lwangempela kubantu.”

NjengoStelvio, uma wethembeka futhi ‘ubuyisele izinto zikaNkulunkulu kuNkulunkulu,’ nawe ungaqiniseka ngalokho. Uyoba khona lapho uNkulunkulu eletha ukubusa okulungile kuwo wonke umhlaba, alungise umonakalo futhi aqede ukungabi nabulungisa obubangelwa ukubusa kwabantu.

[Umbhalo waphansi]

[Amazwi acashunwe esihlokweni ekhasini 22]

Kudingeka silungise umbono wethu ukuze uvumelane nokaNkulunkulu ngoba eyakhe imicabango iphakeme kuneyethu

[Amazwi acashunwe esihlokweni ekhasini 23]

Ngokukhokha izintela ngokwethe-mbeka, amaKristu agcina unembeza omuhle phambi kukaNkulunkulu futhi abonisa ukuthi athembela kuye ukuba anakekele izidingo zawo

[Izithombe ekhasini 22]

“Buyiselani okukaKhesari kuKhesari, kodwa okukaNkulunkulu kuNkulunkulu”

[Umthombo]

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