KUSUKELA endulo, ama-Israyeli ayejwayele ukusekela ukukhulekela kweqiniso ngezimali. Kodwa indaba yentela yaqala ukuba inkinga nomthwalo kumaJuda angosuku lukaJesu.

Ukuze kusekelwe ukukhulekela endlini engcwele kaNkulunkulu, wonke amaJuda kwakudingeka akhokhe uhhafu weshekeli (amadrakma amabili). Ngekhulu lokuqala, leyo mali yayisetshenziselwa ukunakekela nokwenza imihlatshelo ethempelini elakhiwa uHerode. Amanye amaJuda abuza uPetru ukuthi uyini umbono kaJesu ngaleyo ndaba, uKristu akazange amelane nokukhokhwa kwentela. Waze watshela uPetru ukuthi akathathe uhlamvu lwemali ukuze akhokhe intela.​—Math. 17:24-27.

Nabantu bakaNkulunkulu ngaleso sikhathi kwakufanele bakhiphe okweshumi, okwakuyinto elingana nokweshumi kwesivuno sabo noma komholo wabo. (Lev. 27:30-32; Num. 18:26-28) Abaholi benkolo babephikelela bethi okweshumi kufanele kukhokhwe kuzo zonke izivuno zemifino, ngisho nokweshumi “kweminti nedile nekhumini.” UJesu akazange akugxeke ukukhishwa kokweshumi, kodwa wabuveza obala ubuzenzisi bababhali nabaFarisi.​—Math. 23:23.

Nokho, ngaleso sikhathi kwakubusa amaRoma, ziningi izintela ayefuna zikhokhwe. Enye yazo yayikhishwa yilabo abanomhlaba, leyo ntela babengayikhokha ngemali noma ngempahla. Inani okwakufanele likhishwe, kulinganiselwa ukuthi laliphakathi kwamaphesenti angu-20 kuya kwangu-25. Kwakuphinde kube nentela yekhanda eyayikhishwa umJuda ngamunye. AbaFarisi babembuza ngale ntela uJesu. Umbono wakhe wawufingqa ngala mazwi: “Buyiselani izinto zikaKhesari kuKhesari, kodwa izinto zikaNkulunkulu kuNkulunkulu.”​—Math. 22:15-22.

Kwakukhona nentela yokukhokhela impahla eyayingena noma iphuma esifundeni esinomthetho wentela. Leyo ntela yayiqoqwa emathekwini, emingceleni yezifunda, emigwaqweni noma emasangweni okungena emadolobheni nasezimakethe.

Indaba yentela yaba umthwalo osinda kakhulu kubantu ababebuswa amaRoma. Ngokwesazi-mlando esingumRoma uTacitus, phakathi nokubusa koMbusi uTiberiyu ngesikhathi uJesu esesemhlabeni, “AbaseSiriya nabaseJudiya, becindezelwe inani elidingekayo, bacela ukuba kwehliswe intela.”

Okwakwenza izinto zibe nzima nakakhulu, indlela eyayiqoqwa ngayo leyo ntela. Ilungelo lokuqoqa intela lalinikwa umuntu okhipha imali eningi. Ababethola lelo lungelo, babenza isivumelwano nabanye abazobaqoqela leyo ntela, babezenzela inzuzo ngalokho. Kubonakala sengathi uZakewu naye wayenalabo baqoqi bentela abamsebenzelayo. (Luka 19:1, 2) Ngokusobala, abantu babengakuthandi lokho futhi babengabafuni abantu ababeqoqa leyo ntela.