KWIMINYAKA emininzi amaSirayeli ayenikela ngemali kunqulo lwenyaniso. Ngemihla kaYesu, amaYuda ayetsala nzima ngenxa yeerhafu ezininzi ekwakufuneka azibhatale.

Onke amadoda amadala akwaYuda kwakufuneka anikele ngehafu yeshekele kwindawo engcwele kaThixo. Loo mali yayisetyenziswa kwimisebenzi eyayisenziwa kwitempile eyakhiwa nguHerode. Amanye amaYuda abuza uPetros ukuba uYesu yena uthini ngokubhatalwa kwerhafu. UYesu wayengaboni ngxaki ngokubhatalwa kwayo kangangokuba wade waxelela uPetros indawo aza kuyifumana kuyo imali yokuyibhatala.—Mat. 17:24-27.

Ngaloo mihla abantu bakaThixo kwakufuneka babhatale nerhafu ekwakusithiwa zizishumi. Kwakufuneka banikele ngesishumi semveliso yomhlaba wabo okanye somvuzo wabo. (Lev. 27:30-32; Num. 18:26-28) Abefundisi babeyibethelela into yokuba abantu mabaqiniseke ukuba babhatala isishumi sayo yonke imifuno, nkqu nemifuno ‘enjengetyeleba, idile nekumin’ ngendlela efunekayo. UYesu zange akugxeke ukubhatalwa kwezishumi, eyona nto wayeyigxeka yindlela ababhali nabaFarisi ababewusebenzisa ngayo umthetho wokubhatalwa kwazo.—Mat. 23:23.

Ngelo xesha amaYuda ayephethwe ngamaRoma. Zazininzi izinto lo rhulumente awayefuna amaYuda azirhafele. Ngokomzekelo, abantu ababenemihlaba kwakufuneka bayirhafele ngemali okanye ngezinto abanazo. Kwakufuneka babhatale ikota yemveliso yomhlaba wabo okanye ngaphezulwana kancinci. Kwakukho nerhafu ekwakufuneka ibhatalwe ngumYuda ngamnye. Yiyo le abaFarisi babembuza ngayo uYesu. Wabonisa indlela esimele siyiqonde ngayo into yokubhatalwa kwerhafu xa wathi: “Buyiselani izinto zikaKesare kuKesare, kodwa izinto zikaThixo kuThixo.”—Mat. 22:15-22.

Kwakukho nerhafu yezinto eziphumayo nezivela kwezinye iindawo. Yona yayiqokelelwa kumazibuko eenqanawa, izibhlorhweni, apho zidibana khona iindlela naxa ungena edolophini okanye kwiindawo ekuthengiswa kuzo.

Ukubhatalwa kwerhafu yayiyeyona ngxaki inkulu kubantu ababelawulwa ngamaRoma. Omnye umbhali-mbali waseRoma, uTacitus, wathi ngexesha likaYesu, xa iRoma yayiphethwe nguMlawuli uTibheriyo, “abantu baseSiriya nakwaYuda bade bacela ukungayikhuphi yonke irhafu kuba babengakwazi.”

Eyona nto yayisenza kube nzima ukubhatala le rhafu, yindlela eyayiqokelelwa ngayo. Umsebenzi wokuyiqokelela wawufunyanwa ngumntu owuthenge ngeyona mali ininzi. AmaYuda ayembhatala kuba wayewabiza imali engaphezu kweyerhafu ukuze azifumanele eyakhe. Wayeqesha abantu abaza kuyiqokelela, baze nabo bafune abantu bongeze kuloo mali ukuze bazifumanele eyabo. Kuyabonakala ukuba noZakeyu wayenabantu abaphantsi kwakhe ababeqokelela irhafu. (Luka 19:1, 2) Siyacaca isizathu sokuba abantu babengayithandi kangaka le nto yerhafu, becaphukela nabo bantu babeyiqokelela.