1, 2. (a) UYesu wayewuthanda kangakanani uMthetho KaThixo? (b) Ababhali nabaFarisi bawujija njani uMthetho KaMoses?

UYESU wayewuthanda uMthetho KaMoses. Ayisothusi loo nto! Kaloku lo Mthetho wawusuka koyena Mntu ubalulekileyo kuYesu, uYehova ngokwakhe. INdumiso 40:8 yayiprofetile ukuba uYesu wayeza kuwuthanda kakhulu umthetho kaThixo, isithi: “Ukwenza ukuthanda kwakho, Thixo wam, kundiyolisile, nomthetho wakho ungaphakathi ezibilinini zam.” Izinto awayezithetha nawayezenza zazingqina ukuba uMthetho KaThixo ugqibelele, uyanceda kwaye uza kuzaliseka nakanjani.—Mat. 5:17-19.

² Umele ukuba wabindeka nyhani uYesu xa wabona ababhali nabaFarisi bejija uMthetho kaYise! Into ababeyihoyile yayikukuthobela ezinye iinkcukacha zawo ngokungqongqo, kangangokuba uYesu wathi: “Ninikela isishumi setyeleba nesedile nesekumin.” Yayiyintoni ke ingxaki kuloo nto? Wathi: “Kodwa niye nayigatya imibandela enzima ngakumbi [okanye ezona zinto zibalulekileyo] yoMthetho, eyile, okusesikweni nenceba nokuthembeka.” (Mat. 23:23) UYesu wayengafani nabo, yena wayeyiqonda injongo yoMthetho KaMoses, ebona iimpawu zikaThixo kumyalelo ngamnye.

3. Siza kuthetha ngantoni kweli nqaku?

 ³ Thina maKristu asikho phantsi komnqophiso woMthetho. (Roma 7:6) Kodwa uYehova usibhalele wona kwiLizwi lakhe, iBhayibhile. Akafuni sithi phithi ziinkcukacha zawo, kunoko ufuna siqonde size sithobele ezona zinto zibalulekileyo kuwo, imigaqo ephakamileyo elawula imiyalelo yawo. Ngokomzekelo, yiyiphi imigaqo esiyifundayo kumba wezixeko zokusabela? Kwinqaku elingaphambi kweli sibonile ukuba sifunda ntoni kwizinto ezazisenziwa ngumntu owayebalekela kwisixeko sokusabela. Kodwa izixeko zokusabela zisifundisa nangoYehova nangendlela esinokuzibonisa ngayo iimpawu zakhe. Ngoko, eli nqaku liza kuphendula le mibuzo mithathu: Izixeko zokusabela zisifundisa ntoni ngenceba kaYehova? Zisifundisa ntoni ngendlela abujonga ngayo ubomi? Zisibonisa njani ukuba usoloko egweba ngendlela eyiyo? Kwimpendulo nganye, jonga ukuba ungenza njani ukuze uxelise uBawo wethu osezulwini.—Funda eyabase-Efese 5:1.

4, 5. (a) Yintoni eyenziwayo ukuze kube lula ukuya kwizixeko zokusabela, ibe ngoba? (b) Isifundisa ntoni le nto ngoYehova?

⁴ Kwakulula ukuya kwezi zixeko zithandathu zokusabela. UYehova wayalela ukuba ezithathu zibe kwelinye icala loMlambo IYordan zize ezinye ezithathu zibe kwelinye. Ngoba? Ukwenzela ukuba nabani na obulele ngempazamo afike msinya kuzo kwaye angasokoli. (Num. 35:11-14) Iindlela eziya kwezi zixeko zazihlala zilungisiwe. (Dut. 19:3) Ngokutsho kwamabali amaYuda, kwakumiswe izinto ezibhaliweyo ezalatha indlela eya kwezi zixeko. Ngenxa yobukho bezi zixeko, umntu obulele ngempazamo wayenganyanzeleki ukuba abalekele kwilizwe lasemzini aze azibone sele engene kunqulo lobuxoki.

⁵ Khawufan’ ucinge nje: Nangona uYehova wayethe mababulawe abantu ababulala ngabom, waphinda wathi abantu ababulele ngempazamo mabenzelwe inceba kwaye bakhuselwe! Omnye umhlalutyi uthi: “Yonke into yavele yabekwa yalula nje. Yayinjalo ke indlela kaThixo.” UYehova akakhohlakelanga, akangxameli kubagweba abakhonzi bakhe. Kunoko, ‘usisityebi ngenceba.’—Efe. 2:4.

6. Yayahluke njani indlela ababecinga ngayo abaFarisi kwinceba kaThixo?

⁶ Kwelinye icala, abaFarisi bona babengakuthandi ukwenzela abantu inceba. Ngokomzekelo, kuthiwa babemxolela kathathu kuphela umntu ophinda into enye. UYesu wayiveza indlela ababecinga ngayo ngokwenza umzekeliso ngomFarisi owathandaza esithi: “Owu Thixo, ndiyabulela kuwe kuba ndingekho njengabanye abantu,  abaphangi, abangemalungisa, abakrexezi, okanye kwanalo mqokeleli werhafu.” Lo mqokeleli werhafu yena wayethandaza ecela uThixo ukuba amenzele inceba. Yintoni le yayisenza abaFarisi bangathandi ukwenzela abantu inceba? IBhayibhile ithi ‘babegqala abanye njengabangento.’—Luka 18:9-14.

7, 8. (a) Unokumxelisa njani uYehova xa umntu ekona? (b) Kutheni umntu othobekileyo simbona ngokuxolela?

⁷ Sukuxelisa abaFarisi, xelisa uYehova. Yiba novelwano. (Funda eyabaseKolose 3:13.) Yenza kube lula ukuba abantu bacele uxolo kuwe. (Luka 17:3, 4) Zibuze: ‘Ngaba kulula ukuba ndibaxolele abantu abandonileyo, mhlawumbi beyiphindaphinda loo nto? Ngaba ndiye ndikhawuleze ukulungisa izinto ngoxolo nomntu ondicaphukisileyo okanye ondivise kabuhlungu?’

⁸ Umntu othobekileyo umbona ngokuxolela. AbaFarisi yaboyisa le nto kuba babebajongela phantsi abantu. Kodwa ke, thina maKristu simele sithobeke, ‘sigqale abanye njengabongamileyo kunathi,’ nabafanelwe kukuxolelwa sithi. (Fil. 2:3) Wena, ngaba uza kumxelisa uYehova, ubonakale ukuba uthobekile? Makube lula ukuba abazalwana beze kucela uxolo kuwe, ibe ngathi bahamba kula “ndlela” ivulekileyo nelungisiweyo eyayisiya kwisixeko sokusabela. Sukukhawuleza ukucaphuka, khawuleza ukuba nenceba.—INtshu. 7:8, 9.

9. UYehova wayigxininisa njani kumaSirayeli into yokuba ubomi bomntu bungcwele?

⁹ Injongo ephambili yokuba kubekho izixeko zokusabela yayikukwenza amaSirayeli angabi netyala legazi. (Dut. 19:10) UYehova ubuxabisile ubomi, kwaye uyazicaphukela ‘izandla zababulali eziphalaza igazi elimsulwa.’ (IMize. 6:16, 17) Ngenxa yokuba engcwele kwaye egweba ngobulungisa, wayengakuqwabazeli iliso nkqu nokubulawa komntu ngempazamo. Ewe kona, umntu obulele ngempazamo wayemenzela inceba. Kodwa ke, kwakufuneka aye kuphendula kumadoda amakhulu, aze ukuba ufunyaniswe ebulele ngempazamo, ahlale kwisixeko sokusabela de kufe umbingeleli omkhulu. Kwakunokwenzeka ahlale ubomi bakhe bonke kweso sixeko. Le miphumo yayiwenza acacelwe onke amaSirayeli ukuba ubomi bomntu bungcwele. Ukuze ahloniphe uMniki-bomi, kwakufuneka aphephe ukwenza nantoni na eyayinokubeka ubomi bomnye umntu engozini.

10. Ngokutsho kukaYesu, ababhali nabaFarisi babonisa njani ukuba abanaxesha lobomi babantu?

¹⁰ Ababhali nabaFarisi babengafani noYehova kuba babengabukhathalelanga ubomi babantu. Njani? UYesu wathi kubo: “Nasithabatha isitshixo solwazi; nina ngokwenu aningenanga, nabo babengena nabathintela!” (Luka 11:52) Babemele bacacisele abantu iLizwi LikaThixo kwaye babancede bahambe kwindlela esa kubomi obungunaphakade. Kunoko, babasusa abantu ‘kuMmeli Oyintloko wobomi,’ uYesu,  babafaka kwindlela eya kwintshabalalo kanaphakade. (IZe. 3:15) Aba babhali nabaFarisi ababenekratshi nababezicingela bodwa babengenaxesha lobomi nokuba abantu baphila njani. Ngokwenene yayizizikhohlakali ezingenanceba ezi!

11. (a) Umpostile uPawulos wabonisa njani ukuba ubomi ubujonga ngendlela uThixo abujonga ngayo? (b) Yintoni eza kusinceda sikujonge njengoPawulos nathi ukushumayela?

¹¹ Sinokwenza njani ukuze singafani nababhali nabaFarisi, kunoko sixelise uYehova? Simele sisihloniphe kwaye sisixabise isipho sobomi. Umpostile uPawulos wayenza le nto ngokuthi acokise xa eshumayela. Ngenxa yoko, wakwazi ukuthi: “Ndimsulwa egazini labantu bonke.” (Funda iZenzo 20:26, 27.) Sekunjalo, uPawulos wayengashumayeli kuba eziva enetyala legazi okanye eziva enyanzelekile. Kunoko, wayebathanda abantu, kwaye ebuxabisa ubomi babo. (1 Kor. 9:19-23) Nathi sifanele sibujonge njengoThixo ubomi babantu. UYehova unqwenela ukuba abantu “bonke bafikelele enguqukweni.” (2 Pet. 3:9) Wena? Ukuba inceba isuka kumazantsi entliziyo yakho, uza kuyikhuthalela intsimi kwaye ushumayele uvuya.

12. Kutheni kubalulekile ukukhuseleka kubantu bakaThixo?

¹² Enye indlela esibuxabisa ngayo ubomi kukulujonga ngendlela efanelekileyo ukhuseleko. Simele siqhube yaye sisebenze ngendlela ekhuselekileyo kwanaxa sisakha, silungisa okanye sisiya kwiindawo esinqulela kuzo. Umsebenzi, imali okanye ixesha azimele nanini na zibaluleke ngaphezu kokhuseleko nempilo. UThixo wethu ogweba kakuhle uhlala esenza okulungileyo nokufanelekileyo. Nathi masimxelise. Abadala bamele baqiniseke ukuba bakhuselekile bona kunye nabo basebenza nabo. (IMize. 22:3) Ngoko, ukuba umdala ukukhumbuza ngemithetho yokhuseleko, mmamele. (Gal. 6:1) Jonga ubomi ngendlela uYehova abujonga ngayo, ibe ‘awuyi kuba netyala legazi.’

13, 14. Amadoda amakhulu akwaSirayeli ayemele enze ntoni ukuze agwebe ngendlela kaYehova?

¹³ UYehova wayalela amadoda amakhulu akwaSirayeli ukuba agwebe ngobulungisa njengaye. Ayemele afumane yonke inkcazelo kuqala. Emva koko, kwakufuneka ajonge into emenze wabulala, indlela asibona ngayo isono sakhe, nendlela abeziphethe ngayo ngaphambili xa egqiba enoba amenzele inceba na. Ukuze agwebe njengoThixo, kwakufuneka agqibe enoba loo mntu ubalekele kwisixeko sokusabela wayeqhutywe ‘yintiyo’ kwaye ‘emlalele’ loo mntu ambuleleyo, okanye akunjalo. (Funda iNumeri 35:20-24.) Ukuba kwakukho amangqina, kwakuza kufuneka ubuncinane abe mabini ukuze samkelwe isityholo sokubulala ngabom.—Num. 35:30.

¹⁴ Ngoko, emva kokuba amadoda amakhulu efumene inkcazelo yelo tyala, kwakufuneka ajonge ummangalelwa lowo, angapheleli nje kwinto ayenzileyo. Kwakufuneka baliqonde kakuhle lonke elo tyala, bangalikhi phezulu nje. Eyona nto ibalulekileyo ababeyidinga yayingumoya oyingcwele owawuza kubanceda baliqonde ityala, babe nenceba kwaye bagwebe kakuhle ngendlela abeya kwenza ngayo uYehova.—Eks. 34:6, 7.

15. Yayahluke njani indlela uYesu awayebajonga ngayo aboni kweyabaFarisi.

¹⁵ AbaFarisi babejonga kuphela isono esenziwe ngumntu kunokuba bajonge intliziyo yakhe. Xa babona uYesu esidlweni kwikhaya likaMateyu, babuza abafundi bakhe besithi: “Kutheni le nto umfundisi wenu esidla nabaqokeleli berhafu naboni?” UYesu wabaphendula wathi: “Kubantu abasempilweni akufuneki gqirha, kodwa kwabagulayo uyafuneka. Hambani, ngoko, nize nifunde okuthethwa koku, ‘Ndifuna inceba,  kungekhona umbingelelo.’ Kuba ndize kubiza, kungekhona amalungisa, kodwa aboni.” (Mat. 9:9-13) Ngaba uYesu wayekuthethelela ukwenza isono esinzulu? Akunjalo. Enye yezinto uYesu awayezifundisa abantu yayikukuba baguquke ezonweni. (Mat. 4:17) Kodwa ke wabona ukuba abanye kwaba ‘baqokeleli berhafu naboni’ babefuna ukutshintsha. Babengayelanga nje ukutya kwikhaya likaMateyu. Kunoko, ‘abaninzi babo babemlandela’ uYesu. (Marko 2:15) Okulusizi kukuba, abaFarisi abaninzi babengayiboni yonke le nto yayibonwa nguYesu. AbaFarisi babengafani noThixo ababemnqula ngelabo. UThixo yena ugweba kakuhle ibe unenceba kodwa bona babesithi abantu ngaboni abangenakuncedakala.

16. Yintoni eye izame ukuyiqonda ikomiti egwebayo?

¹⁶ Abadala bamele baxelise uYehova, othanda ukuba kugwetywe ngobulungisa. (INdu. 37:28) Kufuneka baqale ‘baphande, bahlolisise, babuzise ngokucokisekileyo’ ukuze babone ukuba senziwe na isono. Ukuba senziwe, baya kulichophela elo tyala belandela iZibhalo. (Dut. 13:12-14) Xa bekwikomiti egwebayo, bamele bayijonge kakuhle into yokuba loo mKristu wenze isono esinzulu uguqukile na. Akusoloko kulula ukubona ukuba umntu uguqukile okanye akaguqukanga. Kufuneka kujongwe indlela azibona ngayo izinto, ubuntu bakhe kunye nentliziyo yakhe. (ISityhi. 3:3) Umoni kufuneka aguquke ukuze enzelwe inceba. *

17, 18. Abadala banokumbona njani umntu oguquke nyhani? (Jonga umfanekiso osekuqaleni.)

¹⁷ Abadala abafani noYehova noYesu, abakwazi kuyibona into esentliziyweni yomntu. Ngoko, ukuba ungumdala uza kumbona njani umntu xa eguquke nyhani? Qala ngokuthandaza, ucele ubulumko nokuqonda. (1 Kum. 3:9) Landelisa ngokujonga kwiLizwi LikaThixo nakwizinto ezibhalwe likhoboka elithembekileyo ukuze ukwazi ukwahlula phakathi ‘kokuba buhlungu kwehlabathi nokuba buhlungu ngendlela yobuthixo,’ ngamany’ amazwi ukuguquka nyhani. (2 Kor. 7:10, 11) Jonga indlela iZibhalo ezibachaza ngayo abantu abaguqukileyo nabangaguqukanga. Ithini iBhayibhile ngendlela ababeziva ngayo, ababecinga ngayo nababeziphatha ngayo?

¹⁸ Okokugqibela, jonga yonke into ngaloo mntu. Jonga imvelaphi yakhe, into emenze wona, ubunzima abejongene nabo nemeko yakhe. IBhayibhile xa ichaza intloko yebandla, uYesu, ithi: “Akayi kugweba ngayo nayiphi na imbonakalo nje esemehlweni akhe, engayi kohlwaya ngokwento nje eviwe ziindlebe zakhe. Uya kuzigweba izisweli ngobulungisa, abohlwaye ngokuthe tye abo balulamileyo bomhlaba.” (Isa. 11:3, 4) Badala, ningabalusi abangaphantsi koYesu, ibe uza kuninceda nigwebe ngendlela agweba ngayo. (Mat. 18:18-20) Ngokwenene siyavuya kuba sinabadala abakhathalayo nabagweba ngale ndlela. Siyababulela ngokuwa bevuka bezama ukuba kwenziwe inceba kwaye kugwetywe kakuhle emabandleni ethu!

19. Kwizinto esizifunde kwizixeko zokusabela, yiyiphi ozimisele ukuyisebenzisa?

¹⁹ UMthetho KaMoses wawunika abantu ‘ulwazi nenyaniso’ ngoYehova nangemigaqo yakhe elungileyo. (Roma 2:20) Ngokomzekelo, izixeko zokusabela zifundisa abadala indlela yokugweba ngobulungisa, ibe sonke zisifundisa indlela yokuba ‘nothando nenceba omnye komnye.’ (Zek. 7:9) Asisalawulwa nguMthetho KaMoses ngoku. Kodwa ke, uYehova akatshintshi, kusabalulekile kuye ukugweba kakuhle nokuba nenceba. Kuyinyhweba yokwenene kuthi ukunqula uThixo osidale ngokomfanekiso wakhe, oneempawu esikwaziyo ukuzixelisa, nesinokukwazi ukubalekela kuye!