Ngebusuku bangaphambi kwekufa kwakhe, Jesu watjela baphostoli bakhe kutsi bangatenti labakhulu kubazalwane lebebakanye nabo. Wabatjela watsi: “Emakhosi etive ayatiphakamisa, futsi tikhulu letibusako tibitwa ngekutsi Benti Balokuhle. Nine akukafaneli nibe njalo.”​—Luk. 22:25, 26.

Bobani laBenti Balokuhle Jesu labekhuluma ngabo? Imibhalo lebhalwe ematjeni nasetinhlavini temali ikhombisa kutsi bekulisiko esiveni semaGriki nemaRoma kuhlonipha bantfu labadvumile kanye nebabusi futsi bababite ngesicu lesitsi Euergetes, noma bababite ngekutsi Benti Balokuhle. Bebabahlonipha ngenca yekutsi bebabentela tintfo letinhle emiphakatsini.

Emakhosi lamanyenti bekabitwa ngekutsi Benti Balokuhle. Kufaka ekhatsi babusi baseGibhithe lebebatiwa ngekutsi nguPtolemy III Euergetes (c. 247-222 B.C.E.) naPtolemy VIII Euergetes II (c. 147-117 B.C.E.). Babusi lebebangemaRoma, boJulius Caesar (48-44 B.C.E.) na-Augustus (31 B.C.E.–14 C.E.) kanye naHerodi inkhosi yemaJuda nabo bebabitwa ngekutsi Benti Balokuhle. Herodi wacala kubitwa ngalesicu ngesikhatsi anikela ngakolo nakunesomiso futsi aniketa bantfu labeswele timphahla.

Adolf Deissmann lobekangumfundzi weliBhayibheli watsi lesicu besisetjentiswa kakhulu. Watsi: “Kungaba melula kakhulu kutfola imibhalo lenalesicu ibhalwe ematjeni.”

Ngako-ke, Jesu bekasho kutsini nakatsi kubafundzi bakhe: “Nine akukafaneli nibe njalo”? Bekasho kutsi kufanele bangabi nendzaba yini nalabanye bantfu futsi bangayinaki inhlalakahle yabo? Cha. Kubonakala ngatsi Jesu bekakhatsateka kakhulu ngetizatfu lebetibenta basite labanye.

Ngesikhatsi kusaphila Jesu, bantfu labanjingile bebafuna kwatiwa kahle ngekutsi basekele imidlalo nemibukiso ngekwetimali, bakhe emathempeli futsi bente netingadzi letinkhulu kanye naleminye imisebenti lefana nalena. Noma kunjalo letintfo bebatenta kute batiwe, badvunyiswe bantfu, futsi babavotele. Lenye incwadzi itsi: “Ngisho noma leti bekutento lebetikhombisa umusa, bebatenta ngenca yekutsi bebafuna kutizuzisa bona etindzabeni tepolitiki.” Jesu wayala balandzeli bakhe kutsi bawubalekele lomkhuba futsi bangafuni tintfo letitawuzuzisa bona kuphela.

Ngemuva kwemnyaka, umphostoli Pawula wagcizelela kubaluleka kwekuba netisusa letinhle nasipha labanye. Wabhalela bazalwane baseKhorinte watsi: “Nguloyo naloyo akente njengobe ancumile enhlitiyweni yakhe, hhayi ngekutitila nobe ngekucindzetelwa, ngobe Nkulunkulu utsandza umuntfu lopha ajabulile.”​—2 Khor. 9:7