KUO fiekaia ʻa e kau folau ʻeveʻevá. ʻI heʻenau ʻaʻahi ki he ngaahi feituʻu fakahisitōlia ʻo e kolo fuoloa ko Pētelihemá ne ʻai ai kinautolu ke nau ongoʻi fiekaia pea naʻa nau loto ke ʻahiʻahiʻi ha meʻakai tuʻufonua. Ko e taha ʻo kinautolu naʻá ne fakatokangaʻi atu ha falekai ʻoku nau fakatau atu ʻa e falafel—ʻa ia ʻoku ʻi ai ha ngaahi foʻi piini ifo, temata, onioni pea mo e ngaahi vesitapolo ʻoku ʻoatu fakataha mo e mā ʻoku ui ko e pita. Ko e kiʻi houa kai ifo ko iá naʻe ʻoange ai kiate kinautolu ha ivi foʻou ke hokohoko atu ʻaki ʻenau ʻeveʻevá.

Naʻe ʻikai ke ʻiloʻi ʻe he kau ʻaʻahí, ko ʻenau kai ʻa e mā anga-maheni ko eni ko e pita ko e taha ia ʻo e meʻa fakahisitōlia taha kuo lava ke nau hokosia ʻi he ʻaho ko iá. Ko e hingoa Pētelihemá ʻoku ʻuhinga iá ko e “Fale ʻo e Mā,” pea ko e taʻu eni ʻe laui afe hono taʻo ʻo e maá ʻi he feituʻu ko ení. (Lute 1:22; 2:14) Ko e mā ko eni ko e pita ko e taha ia ʻo e ngaahi mā anga-maheni ʻi he ʻahó ni ʻi Pētelihema.

ʻI he taʻu nai ʻe fā afe kuohilí, ʻikai ke fuʻu mamaʻo mei he fakatonga ʻo Pētelihemá, naʻe ngaohi ai ʻe he uaifi ʻo ʻĒpalahamé ʻa Sela ha ngaahi “foi ma” ke fafangaʻaki ʻa e kau ʻaʻahi taʻeʻamanekina ʻe toko tolú. (Sēnesi 18:6, PM) Ko e “mahoaa lelei” naʻe ngāueʻaki ʻe Selá naʻe maʻu nai ia mei he uité pe paʻalé. Naʻe pau kia Sela ke ne ngaohi fakavave ʻa e mā ko ení pea naʻe taʻo nai ia ʻi ha maka vela.—1 Tuʻi 19:6.

Naʻe ngaohi pea taʻo pē ʻe he fāmili ʻo ʻĒpalahamé ʻenau mā, ʻo hangē ko ia ʻoku hā ʻi he talanoá. Ko ʻenau founga moʻui hikihiki holó naʻe hangehangē naʻe ʻikai malava ai ʻa Sela mo ʻene kau sevānití ʻo taʻo ʻa e maá ʻi he kalasi ʻōvani anga-maheni ko ia naʻe ngāueʻaki ʻi ʻUá, ʻa e kolo tupuʻanga ʻo Selá. Naʻá ne ngaohi ʻa e mahoaʻa leleí mei he uite fakalotofonuá. Naʻe pau pē ko ha ngāue fakaongosia eni ʻi hono ngāueʻaki ʻo e meʻa momosí, ngalingali ko ha ʻaiʻanga meʻa ukamea mo hono meʻa tuki.

ʻI he senituli ʻe fā ki mui ai, naʻe tuʻutuʻuni ai ʻi he Lao ʻa Mōsesé ke ʻoua ʻe ʻave ʻa e meʻa momosí ko e tuku totongi pe maluʻi ʻaki ha nō, koeʻuhí ko e “mouiaga” ia ʻa ha tokotaha. (Teutalōnome 24:6, PM) Naʻe vakai ʻa e ʻOtuá ki he meʻa momosí ko ha meʻa ngāue mātuʻaki mahuʻinga ia, koeʻuhí ka ne taʻeʻoua ia, heʻikai lava ʻe ha fāmili ke ngaohi ʻenau mā fakaʻahó.—Sio ki he puha​—“ Momosi ʻo e Uité mo Hono Taʻo Fakaʻaho ʻo e Maá ʻi he Taimi ʻo e Tohi Tapú.”

ʻOku lave ʻa e Tohi Tapú ki he maá ʻo tuʻo 350 nai, pea naʻe faʻa fakahoa ʻe he kau hiki Tohi Tapú ʻa e maá ki he meʻakaí. Naʻe fakahaaʻi ʻe Sīsū ko e faʻahinga ʻoku nau tauhi ki he ʻOtuá ʻe lava ke nau lotu ʻi he tuipau ke: “ʻOmai muʻa he ʻahó ni haʻamau mā ki he ʻaho ko ení.” (Mātiu 6:11) ʻI hení, ko e “mā” ʻokú ne fakafofongaʻi ʻa e meʻakaí ʻi he tuʻunga fakalūkufuá, pea ʻoku fakahaaʻi heni ʻe Sīsū ʻe lava ke tau falala ki he ʻOtuá ke ne tokonaki mai ʻetau meʻakai fakaʻahó.—Saame 37:25.

Kae kehe, ʻoku ʻi ai ʻa e meʻa ia ʻoku mahuʻinga ange ʻi he maá pe meʻakaí. Naʻe pehē ʻe Sīsū: “Kuo pau ke moʻui ʻa e tangatá, ʻo ʻikai ʻi he maá pē, ka ʻi he folofola kotoa pē ʻoku haʻu mei he fofonga ʻo Sihová.” (Mātiu 4:4) Ko ʻene lea ko iá naʻe fakahuʻunga ia ki he taimi naʻe fakafalala ai ʻa e kau ʻIsilelí ki he meʻa naʻe tokonaki ʻe he ʻOtuá maʻa kinautolú. Naʻe kamata eni ʻo ʻikai fuʻu fuoloa mei heʻenau mavahe mei ʻIsipité. ʻI ha māhina nai ʻe taha hili ʻenau hū ki he Toafa ʻo Sainaí, naʻe kamata ke ʻosi ʻenau tokonaki meʻakaí. ʻI heʻenau aʻu ʻo mate fiekaia ʻi he toafa pakukā ko iá, naʻa nau lāunga: “Ne mau kai ma o makona” ʻi ʻIsipite.—ʻEkisoto 16:1-3, PM.

ʻOku ʻikai ha veiveiua, naʻe ifo ʻaupito ʻa e mā ʻi ʻIsipité. ʻI he taimi ʻo Mōsesé naʻe ʻoatu ai ʻe he kau taʻo mā pōtoʻí ʻa e kalasi kehekehe ʻo e maá mo e keké ki he  kau ʻIsipité. Ka naʻe ʻikai taumuʻa ʻa Sihova ke tuku pē ʻene kakaí ʻo ʻikai ʻoange haʻanau mā. Naʻá ne talaʻofa: “Teu fakauha ae ma mei he lagi maa moutolu.” ʻI he hangē pē ko ʻene talá, naʻe tō pongipongia mai ʻa e mā ko ení mei hēvani, ʻo hangē ha “mea jii [fuo] botoboto” hangē ha hahaú. ʻI he fuofua taimi naʻe sio ki ai ʻa e kau ʻIsilelí naʻa nau feʻekenaki “Koeha ia?” Naʻe fakamatala ʻe Mōsese “Koe ma eni kuo foaki mai e Jihova ke mou kai.” Naʻa nau ui ia ko e mana, a pea ko e mā eni naʻá ne hokohoko fakaivimālohiʻi kinautolu ʻi he taʻu ʻe 40 ka hokó.—ʻEkisoto 16:4, 13-15, 31, PM.

ʻI he ʻuluaki taimí ko e meʻakai fakaemana ko eni ko e maná ʻoku pau pē naʻe maongo ki he kau ʻIsilelí. Naʻe ifo ia ʻo hangē ha “ma kuo gaohi aki ae honi,” pea naʻe feʻunga ʻānoa ki he tokotaha kotoa. (ʻEkisoto 16:18, PM) Ka ʻi he faai mai ʻa e taimí, naʻe kamata ke nau toe fakaʻamu ki he meʻakai kehekehe naʻa nau kai ʻi ʻIsipité. Naʻa nau lāunga: “ʻOku ʻikai ha momoʻi meʻa: ko e mana ni ʻoku tau sio ki ai.” (Nōmipa 11:6) Ki mui ai naʻa nau ʻita ʻo pehē: “ʻOku fakaliliʻa ʻemau moʻui ki he ngeʻesi meʻakai ni.” (Nōmipa 21:5) Ko e “ma ʻo e langi” naʻe faaʻi atu pē ʻo ʻikai ke ifo mo taʻefeʻunga ʻaupito kiate kinautolu.—Saame 105:40.

ʻOku hā mahino, ko e maá ʻoku hangē pē ia ko e ngaahi meʻa kehé, ʻe lava ke tau fakamaʻamaʻaʻi. Ka ʻoku lave ʻa e Tohi Tapú ki ha faʻahinga mā makehe ʻa ia ʻoku ʻikai totonu ke fakasiʻisiʻiʻi. Ko e mā ko ení, naʻe fakahoa ia ʻe Sīsū ki he mana naʻe talitekeʻi mātuʻaki taʻefakahoungaʻi ʻe he kau ʻIsilelí, ʻe lava ke ne ʻomai ʻe ia ʻa e ngaahi ʻaonga tuʻuloa.

Naʻe tala ange heni ʻe Sīsū ki heʻene kau fanongó, “Ko au ʻa e mā ʻo e moʻuí. Naʻe kai ʻe hoʻomou fanga kuí ʻa e maná ʻi he toafá ka naʻa nau kei mate pē. Ko e mā ʻeni ʻoku ʻalu hifo mei he langí, ke lava ʻo kai mei ai ha taha pē pea ʻikai mate. Ko au ʻa e mā moʻui naʻe ʻalu hifo mei he langí; ka ʻi ai ha taha pē ʻe kai mei he maá ni te ne moʻui taʻengata; pea, ko e moʻoni, ko e mā te u foakí ko hoku kakanó ia koeʻuhiā ko e moʻui ʻa e māmaní.”—Sione 6:48-51.

 Ko e tokolahi ʻi he kau fanongo ʻa Sīsuú naʻe ʻikai ke nau mahinoʻi ʻene ngāueʻaki fakaefakatātā ʻa e ongo foʻi lea ko e “mā” mo e “kakano.” Ka neongo ia, naʻe feʻungamālie pē ʻa e fakatātā ko iá. Naʻe hoko ʻa e maá ko e meʻakai fakaʻaho ia ʻa e kau Siú, hangē pē ko e maná naʻe hoko ke fakaivimālohiʻi ai ʻa e kau ʻIsilelí he taʻu ʻe 40 ʻi he toafá. ʻOku ʻikai ke ʻomai ʻe he maná ʻa e moʻui taʻengatá neongo ko e meʻaʻofa ia mei he ʻOtuá. ʻI he tafaʻaki ʻe tahá, ko e feilaulau ʻa Sīsuú ʻokú ne tokonaki mai ai ʻa e pale kia kinautolu pē ʻoku nau ngāueʻi ʻa e tui kiate iá. Ko ia moʻoni ʻa e “mā ʻo e moʻuí.”

Ngalingali ʻi he taimi ʻokú ke ongoʻi fiekaia aí, ʻokú ke fakavave pē ke ke aʻu ki ha konga mā. Pea ʻe lava ke ke fakamālō ki he ʻOtuá ʻi hono ʻomai hoʻo “mā ʻi he ʻaho taki taha.” (Mātiu 6:11, The New English Bible) Lolotonga ʻetau houngaʻia he ngaahi tokonaki ifo ko ení, ʻofa ke ʻoua ʻaupito ʻe ngalo ʻiate kitautolu ʻa e mahuʻinga ʻo e “mā ʻo e moʻuí,” ʻa Sīsū Kalaisi.

ʻE lava fēfē ke tau fakahaaʻi atu ʻoku tau kehe mei he kau ʻIsileli taʻehoungaʻia ʻi he ʻaho ʻo Mōsesé, ʻi he ʻikai ke tau fakamaʻamaʻaʻi ʻa e mā mahuʻinga taʻehanotatau ko ení? Naʻe pehē ʻe Sīsū: “Kapau ʻoku mou ʻofa ʻiate au, te mou tauhi ʻeku ngaahi fekaú.” (Sione 14:15) ʻI he talangofua ki he ngaahi fekau ʻa Sīsuú, ʻoku tau maʻu ai ʻa e fiefia ʻi he malava ke tau kai ʻa e maá ʻo taʻengata.—Teutalōnome 12:7.