1, 2. Yiziphi izibonelo zabantu abake baxabana ezilandiswa kuGenesisi njalo ukuzazi kusinceda njani?

IBHAYIBHILI lisitshela ngabantu abanengi abake baxabana. Abanye babo kukhulunywa ngabo ezahlukweni zakuqala kuGenesisi. Ngokwesibonelo sitshelwa ngoKhayini owabulala u-Abela loLameki owabulala ijaha elithile elalimhlasela. Sitshelwa ngokuxabana kwabelusi baka-Abhrahama (u-Abhrama) labakaLothi langoHagari owayesedelela uSara (uSarayi) okwabangela ukuthi uSara angazwanani lo-Abhrahama. Kanti njalo kulandiswa lokuthi u-Ishmayeli wayezaxabana labantu bonke lesandla somuntu wonke sixabane laye.—Gen. 4:3-8, 23; 13:5-7; 16:3-6, 12.

² Izindaba lezi zalotshelwani eBhayibhilini? Ziyasikhumbuza ukuthi kuqakathekile ukuthi sihlalisane ngokuthula labanye lanxa silesono. Ziyasitshengisa lendlela okumele silungisise ngayo izingxabano. Kuyasinceda ukubala izindaba zabantu ababelesono njengathi sibone lokuthi balwisana njani lezinhlupho ezabehlelayo. Indlela ababesenza ngayo ingasinceda lathi ukuthi sithole amacebo esingawasebenzisa ngoba indlela ibuzwa  kwabaphambili. Zenza sibone izibonelo ezinhle esingazilingisela lezimbi okungamelanga sizilandele.—Rom. 15:4.

3. Sizaxoxa ngani esihlokweni lesi?

³ Esihlokweni lesi sizaxoxa ngokuthi kungani kumele silungisise izingxabano ngothando lokuthi singakwenza njani lokhu. Sizahlola lezinye izimiso eziseBhayibhilini ezizasisiza ukuthi sikwazi okumele sikwenze nxa sesixabene labanye njalo silondoloze ubuhlobo obuhle loJehova.

4. Banjani abantu lamuhla njalo lokhu kubangelani?

⁴ USathane nguye okhuthaza izingxabano lokungezwani okukhona ebantwini. Amazwi awakhuluma ensimini yase-Edeni ayakuveza lokhu. Watshela abantu bokuqala ukuthi kabamdingi uNkulunkulu lokuthi umuntu ngamunye angazikhethela ukuthi yikuphi okuhle loba okubi. (Gen. 3:1-5) Yikho kanye esikubonayo lamuhla. Umhlaba lo ugcwele abantu abangokhanda limtshela okwakhe, bayazikhukhumeza, bazifunela okwabo njalo bayancintisana. Loba ngubani ongathatheka aqalise ukwenza loba yini ayifunayo engelandaba lokuthi akwenzayo kubaphatha njani abanye uyabe eselandela lokho okwatshiwo nguSathane. Lokhu yikho okudala ukungezwani. Kumele singakhohlwa ukuthi “umuntu othukuthelayo udala ingxabano, kodwa lowo olicaphucaphu wenza izono ezinengi.”—Zaga. 29:22.

5. UJesu wafundisa abantu ukuthi bazilungise njani izingxabano?

⁵ UJesu wafundisa abantu ukuthi bazame ukulungisa izingxabano lanxa kungaba kunzima ukwenza njalo. Entshumayelweni yakhe yaseNtabeni wanika abantu isixwayiso esihle esingabasiza nxa sebethe baxabana. Ngokwesibonelo, wakhuthaza abalandeli bakhe ukuthi bathobeke, bathande ukuthula, baxekelane lolaka, balungisise izindaba masinyane njalo bathande izitha zabo.—Mat. 5:5, 9, 22, 25, 44.

6, 7. (a) Kungani kuqakathekile ukuthi uphangise ukulungisa indaba nxa uxabane lomunye? (b) Yiphi imibuzo okumele ngamunye wethu azibuze yona?

⁶ Lanxa umuntu engabe ekhuthele ekutshumayeleni, ethandaza kuNkulunkulu, engena imihlangano njalo esenza leminye imisebenzi ephathelane lokukhonza, kuyabe kufanana lokuthi kenzi lutho nxa esehluleka ukuhlalisana kuhle labanye. (Mak. 11:25) Kasingeke sibe ngabangane bakaNkulunkulu nxa singafuni ukuthethelela abanye.—Bala uLukha 11:4 lo-Efesu 4:32.

⁷ UJehova ufuna sonke sibe ngabantu abathethelelayo futhi abalobudlelwano obuhle labanye. Wena uyabathethelela yini abanye? Uyakuthanda yini ukuba labo? UJehova ukhangelele ukuthi izinceku zakhe zibathethelele abanye. Nxa umzwangedwa wakho ukutshela ukuthi kukhona lapho okumele ulungise khona endabeni le, thandaza kuJehova ucele ukuthi akusize wenze untshintsho. UBaba wethu osezulwini uzayizwa imithandazo enjalo futhi ayiphendule.—1 Joh. 5:14, 15.

8, 9. Kuyini okumele ukwenze nxa kulendaba engakuphathanga kuhle?

⁸ Loba nini abantu bangakhuluma kumbe benze izinto ezizasizwisa ubuhlungu ngoba sonke silesono. Lokhu kasingeke sikubalekele. (UmTshu. 7:20; Mat. 18:7) Uzakwenzani nxa kungaba njalo? Cabanga ngesibonelo lesi: Komunye umbuthano wokuzilibazisa owawusenziwa ngoFakazi, omunye udadewethu  wabingelela abazalwane ababili. Kodwa omunye wabo kayizange imphathe kuhle indlela ababingelela ngayo. Sebebodwa abazalwane laba, owayecaphukile waqalisa ukuchothoza lowodade ngalokho ayekukhulumile. Kodwa omunye wakhe wamkhumbuza ukuthi udade lo wayeseleminyaka engu-40 ekhonza uJehova ngokuthembeka. Ngakho wayeqiniseka ukuthi wayengahlosanga ukubazwisa ubuhlungu. Umfowethu wacabangisisa ngalokho okwakutshiwo ngomunye wakhe, wasephendula wathi, “Uqinisile sibili.” Yahle yaphela indaba.

⁹ Indaba le itshengisani? Itshengisa ukuthi indlela owenza ngayo nxa kube lendaba engakuphathanga kuhle yiyo ezakutsho ukuthi izaphetha ngani. Phela umuntu olothando uyazisibekela iziphambeko ezincane, kafaki ubunyonyo esikalini. (Bala iZaga 10:12 lo-1 Phetro 4:8.) UJehova uyathokoza kakhulu nxa ebona ‘singakunaki ukuqalwa.’ (Zaga. 19:11; UmTshu. 7:9) Ngakho into yokuqala okufanele uzibuze yona nxa omunye angakuphambanisa yikuthi: ‘Ngingayekela yini kudlule? Kulesidingo yini sokwenza kube yindaba enkulu?’

10. (a) Omunye udadewethu waqala wenzani lapho abanye bemchothoza? (b) Yiwaphi amavesi amnceda ukuthi angakhathazeki?

¹⁰ Akulula ukuthi uphonguzithulela nxa abantu bekuchothoza. Ngokwesibonelo cabanga ngodade oliphayona esizambiza ngokuthi nguLucy. Abanye ebandleni babechothoza indlela ayetshumayela ngayo lendlela ayesebenzisa ngayo isikhathi sakhe. Lokhu kwamzondisa waze wayacela abadala ukuthi bamsize. Uthi: “IMibhalo esaxoxa ngayo yanginceda ukuthi ngingaphanjaniswa yilokho abanye abakutshoyo kodwa nginamathele kuJehova.” ULucy wakhuthazwa kakhulu ngamazwi akuMathewu 6:1-4. (Bala.) Amazwi la amkhumbuza ukuthi into eqakatheke kakhulu okumele ayenze yikuthokozisa uJehova. Uqhubeka esithi: “Khathesi lanxa abanye bengakhuluma kubi ngalokho engikwenzayo, kangizikhathazi ngakho ngoba ngiyakwazi ukuthi ngenza okusemandleni ami ukuze ngithokozise uJehova.” ULucy wenza kuhle kakhulu ngokuyekela indaba idlule.

11, 12. (a) Kumele wenzeni nxa ubona kunzima ukuyekela indaba idlule? (b) Indlela u-Abhrahama alungisa ngayo ingxabano ingasifundisani? (Khangela umfanekiso osekuqaliseni.)

¹¹ “Sonke siyakhubeka ngezindlela ezinengi.” (Jak. 3:2) Ake sithi usuzwe ukuthi okukhulumileyo kumbe okwenzileyo kakumphathanga kuhle omunye umzalwane. Kumele wenzeni? UJesu wathi: “Uma uletha umnikelo wakho e-alithareni ubusukhumbula ukuthi umfowenu ulesikhwili lawe, tshiya khonapho isipho sakho phambi kwe-alithare. Qala uyexolisana laye umfowenu anduba ubuye uzokupha umnikelo wakho.” (Mat. 5:23, 24) Hamba uyekhuluma lomfowenu njengoba uJesu watsho. Inhloso yakho ibe yikuyaxolisa ukuze kube lokuthula phakathi kwenu hatshi ukuyamtshela ukuthi laye uphambanisile. Kuqakatheke kakhulu ukuhlalisana ngokuthula labafowethu.

¹² Lokho yikho kanye okwenziwa ngu-Abhrahama ngesikhathi sekulendaba eyayingamxabanisa lomntanomnewabo uLothi. Izifuyo zamadoda la zazidlana uboya futhi lokhu kwabangela ukuthi abelusi bawo baxabane belwela amadlelo. U-Abhrahama kazange avumele ukuthi indaba le ibenze bakhangelelane emanzini, ngakho wazimisela ukuthi ayilungisise. Wavumela ukuthi uLothi  aqale ukukhetha indawo ayefuna ukuhlala kuyo. (Gen. 13:1, 2, 5-9) U-Abhrahama waba yisibonelo esihle sibili! Kazange alandele okwakufiswa yinhliziyo yakhe. Ayekufuna yikuthi yena loLothi bahlalisane ngokuthula. Walahlekelwa yini u-Abhrahama ngokwenza lokhu? Ngitsho lakancane. Ngemva nje kokulungisa indaba le, uJehova wamthembisa izibusiso ezinengi kakhulu. (Gen. 13:14-17) Lokhu kuveza ukuthi uNkulunkulu uyababusisa sibili abantu bakhe nxa bezimisela ukusebenzisa izimiso zeBhayibhili ukuze balungise izingxabano ngothando. ^[1]

13. Omunye umzalwane wenzani aze aphendulwe kubi ngomunye, njalo thina singafundani kulokho akwenzayo?

¹³ Nanku okunye okwake kwenzakala. Kulomfowethu okuthiwa nguJohn owakhethwa ukuthi aqondise idiphathimenti ethile emhlanganweni. Wafonela omunye umzalwane okuthiwa nguKevin embuza ukuthi angenelisa yini ukuzoncedisa kudiphathimenti yakhe kodwa uKevin wamphendula kubi njalo wabeka phansi ucingo. Kukhanya uKevin wayelokhu ebuhlungu ngenxa yalokho ayekwenziwe ngumzalwane owayeqondisa leyodiphathimenti kuqala. Lokhu akuzange kumzondise uJohn njalo kazange aphonguzithulela watshiya kunjalo. Waphinda wamfonela ngemva kwehola emcela ukuthi bahlangane bayilungise indaba. Lakanye bahlangana ngemva kweviki eWolu yoMbuso. Bafika bakhuleka njalo baxoxa okwesikhathi eside. UKevin walandisa ukuthi indaba yahamba njani. UJohn wamlalelisisa njalo waxoxa laye ngeMibhalo ethile engamsiza. Ngemva kwalokho indaba yaphela kuhle njalo basebenza ndawonye emhlanganweni. UKevin wabonga kakhulu ngoba uJohn wakhuluma laye ngomusa langenhlonipho.

14, 15. (a) Kukuziphi izindaba lapho esingasebenzisa khona isimiso esikuMathewu 18:15-17? (b) Yiziphi izinto ezintathu uJesu athi kumele sizenze njalo kumele sizenze silayiphi injongo?

¹⁴ Izikhathi ezinengi nxa abantu bangaxabana, kumele bayilungise bodwa indaba iphele. Kodwa uJesu wathi kwesinye isikhathi kungadingakala ukuthi indaba ibikelwe abadala bebandla. (Bala uMathewu 18:15-17.) Lapha uJesu wayengakhulumi ngezindaba ezincane nje. Sikwazi njani lokhu? UJesu wathi nxa umuntu owonileyo elokhu eqinisa ikhanda lapho ekhuluma lomfowabo, labofakazi abathile loba abadala bebandla kumele athathwe “njengongakholwayo kumbe njengomthelisi”. Ngamanye amazwi singathi kumele asuswe ebandleni. Lokhu kungasebenza ezindabeni ezigoqela ubuqili loba ukukhuluma kubi ngomunye umuntu. Wayengakhulumi ngokufeba, ukuhlamuka, ukukhonza izithombe loba ubutabani ngoba lezi yizono eziphathwa ngabadala.

¹⁵ Ayekutsho uJesu yikuthi nxa umfowenu ekuphambanisile khuluma laye ngomusa indaba iphele. (Mat. 18:12-14) (1) Zama ukuyakhuluma lomfowenu ungakangenisi abanye. Kungaba kuhle ukuthi ukhulume laye kanengi. (2) Nxa lokho kungehlula, khuluma laye usulabanye abayaziyo indaba kumbe omunye umuntu ongayihluza kuhle. Uma indaba ingalunga uyabe “usumzuzile umfowenu.” (3) Indaba ungayibikela abadala kuphela nxa usuzame kanengi ukukhuluma lomfowenu kodwa kwehlula.

16. Kuyini okutshengisa ukuthi ukulandela iseluleko sikaJesu kuyanceda?

¹⁶ Izikhathi ezinengi akwandanga ukuthi abazalwane baxabane baze basebenzise yonke imicijo ekuMathewu 18:15-17. Lokhu kuhle kakhulu ngoba kutshengisa ukuthi bayazilungisa masinyane izindaba. Kabadonselani kuze kucine kubangela ukuthi owonileyo asuswe ebandleni. Okujayelekileyo yikuthi ophambanisileyo uhle alibone iphutha lakhe abeselungisisa. Lalowo owonelweyo angakubona ukuthi akusela sizatho sokutshona emthonisisa njalo angakhetha ukuxola indaba iphele. UJesu lapha wayesixwayisa ukuthi singaphongugijimela ukuya ebadaleni. Indaba kumele ihanjiswe ebadaleni kuphela nxa umuntu esethethe inyathelo lokuqala lelesibili futhi nxa kulobufakazi obusegcekeni bokuthi icala lenzakele sibili.

17. Yiziphi izibusiso esizazithola nxa ‘singafuna ukuthula sikunxwanele’?

¹⁷ Ingqe nje isimiso lesi sisesekhona, abantu bazaqhubeka belesono futhi bephambanisana. Umfundi uJakhobe wabhala wathi: “Uma umuntu engakaze abe lesici kulokho akutshoyo, ungumuntu opheleleyo, owanelisayo ukuwubamba wonke umzimba wakhe.” (Jak. 3:2) Nxa sifuna ukulungisa izingxabano kumele sizame sibili ‘ukufuna ukuthula sikunxwanele.’ (Hubo. 34:14) Singaba ngabantu abathanda ukuthula, sizahlala silobudlelwano obuhle labanye njalo senze ukuthi kube lokumanyana ebandleni. (Hubo. 133:1-3) Okuhle kakhulu yikuthi sizakuba lobuhlobo obuqinileyo loJehova, “uNkulunkulu wokuthula.” (Rom. 15:33) Sizazikholisa izibusiso lezi nxa singazimisela ukulungisa izingxabano ngothando.