Ngobusuku bangaphambi kokufa kwakhe, uJesu wayala abaphostoli bakhe ukuba bangazifuneli izikhundla eziphezulu. Wabatshela ukuthi: “Amakhosi ezizwe azenza izingqongqo phezu kwazo, futhi labo abanegunya phezu kwazo babizwa ngokuthi aBenzi Bokuhle. Nokho, nina akumelwe nibe njalo.”—Luka 22:25, 26.

Babengobani aBenzi Bokuhle uJesu ayekhuluma ngabo? Imibhalo, izinhlamvu zezimali nezincwadi kubonisa ukuthi emphakathini wamaGreki nowamaRoma kwakuvamile ukuhlonipha amadoda nababusi ngokubabiza ngokuthi ama-Euergetes noma aBenzi Bokuhle. Lolu dumo babeluthola ngenxa yokuthi babesiza umphakathi bewenzela izinto eziyisidingo.

Kunamakhosi amaningana ayebizwa ngokuthi aBenzi Bokuhle. Phakathi kwawo kwakungababusi baseGibhithe abaziwa ngokuthi uPtolemy III Euergetes (c. 247-222 B.C.E.) noPtolemy VIII Euergetes II (c. 147-117 B.C.E.). Ababusi baseRoma uJulius Caesar (48-44 B.C.E.) no-Augustus (31 B.C.E.–14 C.E.) nabo babebizwa kanjalo, uHerode Omkhulu, inkosi yaseJudiya naye wayebizwa kanjalo. UHerode cishe wazitholela udumo lokubizwa ngokuthi uMenzi Wokuhle lapho ethenga ukolweni kwamanye amazwe ukuze asize abantu bakhe bathole ukudla ngesikhathi sendlala futhi wabatholela nezimpahla zokugqoka.

Ngokwesazi seBhayibheli saseJalimane u-Adolf Deissmann, isiqu esithi aBenzi Bokuhle sasisetshenziswa ezindaweni eziningi. Wathi: “Emibhalweni yesandla yasendulo ungathola lezi ziqu ngokushesha ngoba zivela izikhathi ezingaphezu kwekhulu.”

Ngakho-ke, wayesho ukuthini uJesu lapho ethi kubalandeli bakhe: “Nokho, nina akumelwe nibe njalo”? Ingabe uJesu wayebatshela ukuthi bangawenzeli izinto ezinhle umphakathi noma bangabi nandaba nenhlalakahle yabantu abaphila nabo? Lutho neze! Into okubonakala sengathi yayikhathaza uJesu izisusa zokwenzela abanye izinto ezinhle.

Ngesikhathi sikaJesu, abantu ababecebile babefuna ukuba nedumela elihle ngokuxhasa imidlalo ezinkundleni zemidlalo, ngokwakha amapaki namathempeli, nokusekela okunye okufana nalokhu. Nokho, lokhu babekwenza ngoba befuna ukuthandwa, ukunconywa, ukudunyiswa nokuvotelwa abanye. Enye incwadi ithi, “Nakuba zikhona izibonelo zezenzo zomusa eziqotho ezenziwa ilaba bantu, kodwa ngokuvamile babeqhutshwa izisusa zokufuna ukuvelela kwezepolitiki.” Leso simo sengqondo sokufuna ukuvelela nokushisekela izikhundla, yisona kanye uJesu anxusa abalandeli bakhe ukuba basigweme.

Ngemva kweminyaka ethile, umphostoli uPawulu wagcizelela iqiniso elifanayo elibalulekile lokuba nezisusa ezinhle lapho sipha. Wabhalela amakholwa akanye naye aseKorinte, wathi: “Yilowo nalowo makenze njengoba nje enqumile enhliziyweni yakhe, kungabi ngokudabuka noma ngaphansi kokucindezelwa, ngoba uNkulunkulu uthanda umuphi onamileyo.”—2 Kor. 9:7.