1. (a) Kuyini okwenzakala kuPhetro ngesikhathi kulesiphepho oLwandle lwaseGalile? (Khangela umfanekiso osekuqaliseni.) (b) Kuyini okwenza ukuthi uPhetro aqalise ukucwila emanzini?

KUSEBUSUKU njalo uLwandle lwaseGalile lulesiphepho esidla amahabula. Umphostoli uPhetro labanye abafundi bayasadalala, bazama ukugwedla isikepe sabo ukuze baye ngale kolwandle. Khonokho nje, babona uJesu ehamba phezu kolwandle. UPhetro uyayimemeza iNkosi yakhe, eyicela ukuthi aze kuyo ehamba phezu kwamanzi. UJesu uyambiza, uPhetro abesephuma esikepeni. Ngendlela eyisimangaliso uhamba phezu kolwandle oluthukutheleyo aqonde kuJesu. Kakahambi amagxathu amangaki, kodwa useqalisa ukucwila emanzini. Ngenxa yani? Ngenxa yokuthi uthe ekhangela isiphepho, lwamtshaya lwameqa uvalo. UPhetro uqalisa ukukhala kuJesu, ngakho uJesu uyambamba masinyane abesesithi kuye: “Wena olokholo oluncinyane, kungani uthandabuzile?”—Mat. 14:24-32.

2. Kuyini esizakuhlola?

² Ake sikhangele izinto ezintathu eziphathelane lokholo endabeni kaPhetro: (1) indlela uPhetro atshengisa ngayo ekuqaliseni ukuthi wayekholwa ukuthi uNkulunkulu uzamsekela, (2) okwenza ukholo lukaPhetro  lwaqalisa ukuxega, (3) lokuthi kuyini okwamncedayo ukuthi avuselele ukholo lwakhe. Ukuhlola imicijo le kungasincenda sibone ukuthi singenzani ukuze ‘siqine ekukholweni kwethu.’—1 Khor. 16:13.

3. Kuyini okwenza uPhetro waphuma esikepeni, njalo thina kuyini esakwenzayo okuhambelana lakho?

³ Ukholo yilo olwenza uPhetro waphuma esikepeni waqalisa ukuhamba phezu kwamanzi. UJesu wayembizile futhi uPhetro wayelethemba lokuthi uNkulunkulu wayezamsekela ngamandla akhe njengoba nje wayesekela uJesu. Lathi okwenza sazinikela kuJehova njalo sabhaphathizwa yikuthi sasilokholo. UJesu wasibiza ukuthi sibe ngabalandeli bakhe, ukuba silandele amanyathelo akhe. Saba lokholo kuJesu lakuNkulunkulu, silethemba lokuthi babezasisekela ngezindlela ezitshiyeneyo.—Joh. 14:1; bala u-1 Phetro 2:21.

4, 5. Kungani ukholo luyisipho esiligugu kakhulu esilaso?

⁴ Akuthandabuzwa ukuthi ukholo luyisipho esiligugu kakhulu esilaso. Ukholo yilo olwanceda uPhetro ukuthi enelise ukuhamba phezu kwamanzi, ngakho lathi ukholo lungasinceda ukuthi senelise ukwenza izinto okukhanya angani ngeke zenzakale ngokubona kwabantu. (Mat. 21:21, 22) Ngokwesibonelo, abanengi bethu sesantshintsha indlela esasicabanga ngayo lesasiphila ngayo okokuthi labantu ababesazi kudala kwethu sebeze bengasasazi. UJehova wasisekela lapho sintshintsha ukuphila kwethu ngenxa yokuthi sasilokholo kuye. (Bala uKholose 3:5-10.) Lapho sisiba lokholo, sazinikela kuJehova saba ngabangane bakhe, into esasingeke siphumelele ukuyenza ngawethu amandla.—Efe. 2:8.

⁵ Ukholo lwethu luqhubeka lusinika amandla. Lwenza senelise ukumelana lemitshoko evuthayo esiyiphoselwa nguDeveli, isitha sethu esilamandla. (Efe. 6:16) Kanti njalo ukuthemba uJehova kuyasinceda ukuthi singakhathazeki kakhulu nxa siphakathi kwezinhlupho. UJehova usithembisa ukuthi nxa singabalokholo sifake uMbuso kuqala, konke okunye esikudingayo uzasinika khona. (Mat. 6:30-34) Okujabulisa kakhulu yikuthi ukholo lwethu luzasenza sithole ukuphila okungapheliyo, isipho okungelamuntu ongasithola ngawakhe amandla.—Joh. 3:16.

6, 7. (a) Isiphepho lamagagasi okwabonwa nguPhetro singakufanisa lani? (b) Kungani kungamelanga sikuthathe lula ukuthi ukholo lwethu lungaqalisa ukuxega?

⁶ Isiphepho lamagagasi okwabonwa nguPhetro ehamba phezu kwamanzi kungafaniswa lezinhlupho kanye lezilingo esihlangana lazo ekukhonzeni kwethu uNkulunkulu. Lanxa zingaba lukhuni kangakanani uJehova angasinceda ukuthi sibambelele ekukholweni kwethu. Phela okwenza uPhetro wacwila emanzini kayisikho kuvunguza komoya loba ukukhaphazela kwegagasi elikhulu. Ake uphinde ukhumbule okwenzakalayo: “Wathi ebona umoya wesaba.” (Mat. 14:30) UPhetro wasusa amehlo kuJesu, ukholo lwakhe lwaseluqalisa ukuxega. Kungenzakala ukuthi lathi siqalise ukucwila nxa singaqalisa ukukhangela “umoya,” sethuswe ngamandla awo njalo sithandabuze lokuthi uJehova uzasisekela.

⁷ Kungenzakala sibili ukuthi ukholo lwethu luqalise ukuxega. Ngakho indaba le akumelanga siyithathe lula ngenxa yokuthi iBhayibhili lithi ukuba lokholo olubuthakathaka loba ukuswela ukholo ‘yisono esihilela lula.’ (Heb. 12:1) Okwenzakala kuPhetro kutshengisa ukuthi nxa singakhangelisa amehlo ethu ezintweni ezingayisizo, masinyane nje ukholo lwethu lungaqalisa ukuxega. Singabona njani ukuthi ukholo lwethu selusengozini yokuxega? Ake sixoxe ngeminye imibuzo engasisiza ukuthi sizihlole.

8. Izithembiso zikaNkulunkulu zingaqalisa njani ukufiphala ezingqondweni zethu?

⁸ Izithembiso zikaNkulunkulu seziqalisa ukufiphala yini engqondweni yami? Okunye uNkulunkulu asithembise khona yikutshabalalisa umumo lo wezinto. Kodwa siyavumela yini ukuthi izinto ezitshiyeneyo zokuzilibazisa ezitholakala emhlabeni lo  zisiphambanise, zize zibangele lokuthi ukholo lwethu ezithembisweni zikaNkulunkulu luqalise ukwehla? Nxa sisenza njalo singaqalisa ukuthandabuza ukuthi ukuphela sekuseduze sibili. (Hab. 2:3) Nanku okunye uNkulunkulu asithembisa khona. Uthembisa ukusithethelela esebenzisa umhlatshelo wenhlawulo. Kodwa nxa besingavumela ukudliwa yisazela okwedlulisileyo ngenxa yezono esazenza kudala, besingaqalisa ukungathembi ukuthi uJehova ‘wazesula’ sibili zonke izono zethu. (ImiSeb. 3:19) Lokhu bekungenza ukuthi sizwe singasakukholisi konke esikwenzela uNkulunkulu futhi sicine singasayifezi inkonzo.

9. Kuyini okungenzakala nxa singaqalisa ukusebenzisa amandla ethu wonke ekwenzeni izinto ezifunwa yithi?

⁹ Ngilokhu ngisakukhuthalele yini ukukhonza uNkulunkulu njengakuqala? Umphostoli uPhawuli watshengisa ukuthi ukusebenzela uJehova ngamandla ethu wonke kwenza ukuthi ‘ithemba lethu liqiniseke’ kuze kube sekupheleni. Kodwa bekungenzakalani nxa besingaqalisa ukusebenzisa amandla ethu wonke ekugijimisaneni lezifiso zethu, mhlawumbe ngokwamukela umsebenzi oholisa ngengowane kodwa ongasinikiyo isikhathi sokukhonza uJehova? Ukholo lwethu belungaqalisa ukuxega njalo besingaba “ngamavila,” sinike uJehova okuncane kakhulu kulalokho esenelisa ukukwenza.—Heb. 6:10-12.

10. Sitshengisa njani ukuthi silokholo kuJehova nxa sithethelela abanye?

¹⁰ Ngikuthola kunzima yini ukuthethelela labo abangiphambaniselayo? Nxa abanye besiphambanisile loba besizwise ubuhlungu, kulula kakhulu ukuthi sikhangele lokho abasenze khona besesilingeka ukuthi sibatshele kubi kumbe ukuthi singasabakhulumisi. Kodwa nxa sibathethelela siyabe sitshengisa ukuthi silokholo kuJehova. Njani? Abantu abasonelayo kufanana lokuthi bayasikweleda, njengoba nje lathi simkweleda uNkulunkulu ngenxa yezono zethu. (Luk. 11:4) Nxa sithethelela umuntu osoneleyo, kumele sikholwe ukuthi ukwenza njalo kuzasenza samukelwe nguNkulunkulu  njalo lokhu kuqakatheke kakhulu ukwedlula ukumbhadalisa isikwelede sakhe. Abafundi bakaJesu bakubona ukuthi kudinga ukholo ukuthethelela abanye. Lapho uJesu ebatshela ukuthi bathethelele lalabo ababebaphambanisela kokuphela, bancenga bathi: “Yandisa ukholo lwethu!”—Luk. 17:1-5.

11. Kuyini okungenza ukuthi sehluleke ukuncedwa yiseluleko esivela eMibhalweni?

¹¹ Ngiyacaphuka yini nxa nginikwa iseluleko esivela eMibhalweni? Esikhundleni sokubona ukuthi iseluleko singasisebenzisa njani, singazithola sesidinga amaphutha kuso loba kulowo osinike sona. (Zaga. 19:20) Lokhu kungabangela ukuthi siphuthelwe lithuba lokulungisisa indlela esicabanga ngayo ukuze ivumelane lekaNkulunkulu.

12. Umuntu ohlala esola labo abakhethwe nguJehova ukuba bakhokhele abantu bakhe utshengisani?

¹² Ngingumuntu othanda ukusola loba ukukhonona ngabazalwane abakhokhelayo ebandleni yini? Lapho ama-Israyeli elalela umbiko omubi owalethwa yizinhloli ezilitshumi ezazingelakholo, aqalisa ukusola uMosi lo-Aroni. UJehova wasebuza uMosi wathi: “Kuzaze kube nini bengangikholwa?” (Nani. 14:2-4, 11) Ngakho-ke ukukhonona kwama-Israyeli kwatshengisa ukuthi ayengelakholo kuNkulunkulu ngoba nguye owayekhethe uMosi lo-Aroni ukuthi bakhokhele. Lathi nxa singabantu abahlala besola labo abasetshenziswa nguNkulunkulu ukuba bakhokhele abantu bakhe, siyabe sitshengisa ukuthi ukholo lwethu kuNkulunkulu seluxega.

13. Kungani kungamelanga kusiqede amandla ukubona ukuthi kulalapho ukholo lwethu olusilela khona?

¹³ Lanxa kunjalo, ungapheli amandla nxa ungathi uzihlola uthole ukuthi kulalapho ukholo lwakho olusilela khona. Angani uPhetro laye wesaba njalo wathandabuza lanxa wayengumphostoli. Ngezinye izikhathi uJesu laye wayebakhuza abaphostoli bakhe ngokuba ‘lokholo oluncinyane.’ (Mat. 16:8) Ungakhohlwa ukuthi isifundo esiqakathekileyo endabeni kaPhetro sisithola kulokho akwenzayo ngemva kokuba ukholo lwakhe seluxega futhi eseqalisa ukucwila elwandle.

14, 15. (a) UPhetro wenzani lapho eqalisa ukucwila? (b) Njengoba singeke simbone ngamehlo uJesu, singakwenza njani ‘ukukhangelisa amehlo ethu’ kuye?

¹⁴ Lapho uPhetro ekhangela isiphepho njalo eqalisa ukucwila, wayengenelisa ukuthi azame ukubuyela esikepeni. Phela wayekwazi ukubhukutsha, ngakho into yokuqala eyayingafika engqondweni yakhe yikubhukutsha abuyele esikepeni. (Joh. 21:7) Kodwa kazange athembele kwawakhe amandla, waphinda wakhangelisa amehlo kuJesu njalo walwamukela usizo lwakhe. Nxa singabona angani ukholo lwethu seluqalisa ukuxega kumele silingisele isibonelo sikaPhetro. Kodwa singakwenza njani lokhu?

¹⁵ UPhetro waphinda wakhangela kuJesu, ngakho lathi kumele ‘sikhangelise amehlo ethu kuJesu, uMqalisi loMphelelisi wokukholwa kwethu.’ (Bala uHebheru 12:2, 3.) Kuliqiniso ukuthi thina ngeke simbone ngawethu amehlo. Kodwa ‘singakhangelisa amehlo ethu kuJesu’ ngokuhlola izimfundiso zakhe kanye lalokho ayekwenza, besesizama ukumlandela eduze. Kasixoxeni ngezinto esingamlingisela kuzo uJesu. Nxa singazama ukuthi sizenze, sizathola usizo esiludingayo ukuze siqinise ukholo lwethu.

16. Singalifunda njani iBhayibhili ngendlela ezaqinisa ukholo lwethu?

¹⁶ Qinisa indlela olethemba ngayo iBhayibhili. UJesu wayengathandabuzi ukuthi iBhayibhili liLizwi likaNkulunkulu elileziqondiso esingeke sizithole loba ngaphi. (Joh. 17:17) Kumele silingisele uJesu ngokufunda iBhayibhili nsuku zonke, ngokulitaditsha langokucabangisisa ngalokho esikufundayo. Ungapheleli ekulifundeni kuphela kodwa chwayisisa langemibuzo ongabe ulayo. Ngokwesibonelo, ungataditsha ngobufakazi obuseMibhalweni obutshengisa ukuthi siphila ezinsukwini zokucina ukuze uqiniseke ukuthi ukuphela komumo lo wezinto sekuseduze. Qinisa lendlela ozethemba ngayo izithembiso eziseBhayibhilini eziphathelane lekusasa ngokukhangela iziphrofetho ezinengi esezagcwalisekayo.  Hlola izibonelo ezitshengisa ukuthi iBhayibhili likuntshintsha njani ukuphila kwabantu ukuze uthuthukise indlela othemba ngayo ukuthi izimiso zalo ziyasebenza ekuphileni kwethu kwansuku zonke. *—1 Thes. 2:13.

17. Kungani uJesu wenelisa ukuhlala ethembekile lanxa wayehlangana lezilingo ezinzima, njalo wena ungamlingisela njani?

¹⁷ Khangelisa amehlo ezibusisweni esizithenjiswe nguJehova. UJesu wenelisa ukuhlala ethembekile lanxa wayehlangana lezilingo ezinkulu ngoba wayekhangelise amehlo akhe ‘entokozweni eyayibekwe phambi kwakhe.’ (Heb. 12:2) Kazange aphanjaniswe yibukhazikhazi bezinto ezazisemhlabeni. (Mat. 4:8-10) Lawe ungamlingisela uJesu ngokucabangisisa ngezinto ezinhle uJehova akuthembise zona. Zibone ususemhlabeni omutsha ngokubhala phansi kumbe ngokudweba lokho ofuna ukukwenza nxa uNkulunkulu esesuse bonke ububi emhlabeni. Bhala phansi abantu okhangelele ngabomvu ukubabona nxa sebevusiwe, ubhale lalokho ofuna ukukuxoxa labo. Lanxa izithembiso lezi zithenjiswa bonke abantu, zithathe njengeziqondane lawe uqobo.

18. Umthandazo ungakunceda njani ukuthi uqinise ukholo lwakho?

¹⁸ Thandazela ukwandisa ukholo lwakho. UJesu wafundisa abafundi bakhe ukuthi bacele umoya ongcwele kuJehova. (Luk. 11:9, 13) Ngakho ngesikhathi ukwenza lokhu, thandazela lokuthi ukholo lwakho lwande ngoba lungesinye sezithelo zomoya. Ungatshoni ukhekheleza kodwa mcele uNkulunkulu ukuthi akusize unqobe loba yini engabe itshengisa ukuthi ukholo lwakho seluqalisa ukuxega, ngokwesibonelo nxa ubona ukuthi kuyakwehlula ukuthethelela abanye.

19. Kumele sikhethe abangane abanjani?

¹⁹ Khetha abangane abalokholo oluqinileyo. UJesu wayebakhetha ngonanzelelo abangane bakhe, ikakhulu labo ayebasondeza eduze kwakhe. Abaphostoli babengabangane bakhe abasekhwapheni ngoba batshengisa ukuthi balokholo futhi baqotho ngokulalela imilayo yakhe. (Bala uJohane 15:14, 15.) Ngakho nxa ukhetha abangane, dinga abantu abatshengisa ukuthi balokholo ngokulalela uJesu. Kanti njalo ungakhohlwa ukuthi abangane abaqotho kumele batshelane iqiniso, lanxa lokhu kuzakutsho ukuthi ngezinye izikhathi banikane iseluleko.—Zaga. 27:9.

20. Kusinceda ngani ukusiza abanye ukuthi baqinise ukholo lwabo?

²⁰ Nceda abanye ukuba baqinise ukholo lwabo. UJesu waqinisa ukholo lwabafundi bakhe ngamazwi langezenzo. (Mak. 11:20-24) Ngakho-ke kumele silingisele isibonelo sakhe ngoba nxa sinceda abanye ukuthi baqinise ukholo lwabo lolwethu luyaqina. (Zaga. 11:25) Nxa usemsebenzini wokutshumayela lowokufundisa nika ubufakazi obukhanyayo bokuthi uNkulunkulu ukhona, ukuthi uyasikhathalela lokuthi iBhayibhili liLizwi lakhe eliphefumulelweyo. Siza abafowenu labodadewenu ukuthi labo baqinise ukholo lwabo. Nxa kulabanye asebeqalisa ukuthandabuza mhlawumbe ngokusola abazalwane abakhokhelayo, ungaphangisi ukubaninela khatshana. Kodwa zama ukubenyula ngokuhlakanipha, ubancede ukuthi bathathe amanyathelo okuvuselela ukholo lwabo. (Jud. 22, 23) Nxa ungumntwana wesikolo futhi lifundiswa ngendaba yokuthi izinto zonke zazivelela, woba lesibindi sokulumela ukholo lwakho utshengise ukuthi izinto zonke zadalwa. Ungamangala ukuthi abanye bazakubona kulengqondo lokho okutshoyo.

21. Kuyini uJehova akuthembisa munye ngamunye wethu?

²¹ UPhetro wenelisa ukunqoba ukwesaba lokuthandabuza ngenxa yokuthi wancediswa nguNkulunkulu esebenzisa uJesu. Lokhu kwamenza waba yisibonelo esihle kumaKhristu okuqala endabeni yokuba lokholo. Lathi uJehova uyasisiza ukuthi siqine ekukholweni kwethu. (Bala u-1 Phetro 5:9, 10.) Siyabe singawadlalisi amandla ethu nxa sisebenza nzima ukuthi sakhe ukholo lwethu, ngoba izibusiso esizazithola ngeke siziqhathanise laloba yini.